Sharing the love with the Guzzi

[Navydad]

I've been showing the Spyder a lot of love lately with new fluids, filters, and adjustments. I thought the Guzzi should share in the love too since it sees as much action as the RT does. Oil and filter change, valve check and adjustments, new air filter, and check tightness on the many fasteners. The RT can be a pain when doing certain maintenance, but the Guzzi is a picture of simplicity. All of the above work was completed in 65 minutes. The worst job on the Guzzi is changing the fuel filter because it is located within the tank. I relocated mine to the outside of the tank and now it's a ten minute job. By the way, the skillet is shop property and not stolen from wife's kitchen

 

[PW2013STL]

Always loved Guzzi's. My first big bike was a 750cc Guzzi and my wife's first new big bike was a 1000cc Guzzi.

 

[BertRemington]

Buy Japanese or Canadian

I won a 2019 Moto Guzzi V7 III in a raffle. My big mistake was not donating it to Wild Guzzi. In 3K miles it was showing indications of the failures other V7 III owners were reporting. Bailed out at a loss after adding many farkles.



If you want a reliable ride, buy Japanese or Canadian (yeah Spyders).

 

[Navydad]

I won a 2019 Moto Guzzi V7 III in a raffle. My big mistake was not donating it to Wild Guzzi. In 3K miles it was showing indications of the failures other V7 III owners were reporting. Bailed out at a loss after adding many farkles.

View attachment 198667 View attachment 198668

If you want a reliable ride, buy Japanese or Canadian (yeah Spyders).

Sorry to hear of your issues with the Guzzi. My 2016 has been a reliable mount, but that doesn't help with the issues that you have had. I have stayed away from the 2017 and up Guzzis because of some issues that I don't care for. My last three bikes have been European brands and I have no intention of going back to a Japanese bike. 2004 BMW RT1150 that we put 100K on and it was trouble free. 2014 Triumph Trophy SE that we 80K on and it was the best touring bike I have owned and that includes two Goldwings. Traded it in for the Spyder because of knee issues. I bought the Guzzi to use as my solo touring mount because of the light weight and simplicity. It has done well in this role.

 

[Arion]

Back in the 1980s I bought a Guzzi V50 III for my now ex-wife. She rarely rode it, but I loved it and rode the daylights out of it. Light relatively quick, nimble, and it looked very nice (when compared with other bikes of the age). Not to mention it was Italian and I love things Italian, including my present wife, and our 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth.

Just to confirm I'm a sucker for supposedly unreliable things (wife excluded) we also have a 1974 Triumph TR-6. Sold my beloved 1976 Norton 850 Commando Interstate long ago. Interestingly, in 1980 in the company of an original Honda Gold Wing and a BMW R 75/5, we rode from Ramstein Air Base in southwest Germany through Belgium, and England to the Isle of Man (and return) and the Norton was the only bike that didn't have a single problem. Go figure, huh?

 

[BertRemington]

I bought a Norton 750 Commando from Sonny Angel when they first came out. Wonderful machine but couldn't keep the primary chaincase from leaking (I tried everything). As I was preparing to sell it, I cleaned the useless sealant from the groove the rubber seal fit into. And discovered at both ends the semi-circle groove was deeper than the thickness of the seal. So that was my last British bike (my first was a Matchless 500 G80 -- it taught me most everything I know about vibration).

Perhaps I should have kept the Moto Guzzi as it was as much fun to ride as the Norton (with better brakes and handling and of course electrics). But what pushed me over the edge was the cost of a lubricant-only change (with me supplying the lubricants because my choices more closely matched MG guidance than theirs) by my local highly-respected dealer: $300. As Navydad pointed out no bodywork removal required. I took the first $4,500 offered.

 

[oldgoat]

Wouldn't it be great if the valve adjustment on our V-Twin Spyders was as accessible as on that Guzzi

 

[Navydad]

Perhaps I should have kept the Moto Guzzi as it was as much fun to ride as the Norton (with better brakes and handling and of course electrics). But what pushed me over the edge was the cost of a lubricant-only change (with me supplying the lubricants because my choices more closely matched MG guidance than theirs) by my local highly-respected dealer: $300. As Navydad pointed out no bodywork removal required. I took the first $4,500 offered.[/QUOTE]

I have realized over the years that all motorcycles including our Spyders no matter where they are made are going to be expensive to maintain when/if you have to pay someone else to do it. Same for any other form of recreation I guess. I am fortunate that I have the tools and a tiny bit of the knowledge needed to work on my bikes myself. I always get a chuckle when I hear someone talk about the bike they just bought for economical transportation. Figure in the cost of tires, batteries, some lubricants, and parts and labor if you pay someone and there is NOTHING economical about motorcycling. I rode my first motorcycle in 1968 at age 13. I am now 67 and have no idea how many bikes I have owned. A friend asked me if I had any idea how much money I have spent on motorcycling in those years. "No clue buddy, but I loved every penny of it."