A couple people asked about updates on real-world ownership of a Guzzi in my "what bike" thread so I will chronicle it here.
Just got the bike home, had a nice ride on the way back.
First impressions:
It isn't really fast, maybe about the same or a bit more than my SV650.
It makes some b-e-a-u-tiful sounds, especially in the upper revs.
The riding position is pretty comfortable but my wrists need to get used to riding again.
Things to fix:
The neutral light never goes off, it threw me off the fist time I took off.
The tachometer is intermittent, it only works after about 4-5 minutes of riding. From what I have read it is a common problem, the connections inside get vibrated loose over time.
I will probably disable the sidestand safety switch, it won't allow the bike to run in neutral with the sidestand down. It isn't a huge deal but I like to start the bike and give it a few seconds to warm up as I put on my gear.
Overall I love it, I'm sure as I get a chance to flog it on some back roads it will be even better.
It was bought new by the previous owner. He always had it serviced at the dealer and kept great care of it. He passed away this winter and his wife was selling off his three bikes.
Here are a couple pictures I took when I got it home.
