Learn me: Mileage disposal unit...

The guy I bought my Caponord from was a big Guzzi fan and owned a Stelvio amongst others. He rode the Caponord to the Moto Guzzi rallies though, more fun, more comfortable and more reliable

pres589 wrote: Nice. Will be curious to see what you think of the bike.

Seconded. I need to throw a leg over a Guzzi sometime. Curious if it's a cruiser I'd actually not hate. I do love the sound.

In reply to Petrolburner:

Seems odd that Aprilia would be more reliable that Guzzi since they're both parts of Piaggio and have been for a while.

I loved my Guzzi, I should have kept it and modified it for more comfort. I would love to get a Quota or Stelvio someday.

Four of the guys I ride with ride 'Guzzis.

They seem like good machines, nobody seems to have anything bad to say.

One of the guys has a 2013 Griso and it seems like a fun machine. Fast, lots of torque and makes all the right noises.

I like the idea of a Breva 1200. A lot. I've never ridden a Guzzi though and am not interested in changing bikes right now. But I'd consider a Griso or Breva for sure.

In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:

Where in PA? The trails look like the ones I ride in the Western Poconos.

Any bike you list is a good choice

pres589 wrote: In reply to Petrolburner: Seems odd that Aprilia would be more reliable that Guzzi since they're both parts of Piaggio and have been for a while.

I guess I made that part up. All I know is that he chose my Aprilia to ride to the Moto Guzzi rallys instead of one of his Moto Guzzis. Damn bike was just too tall and top heavy for him at his age. He was at least 6" taller than me, but I was 27 when I bought it. What I lack in skill and physiology I make up for with youthful exuberance.

BoxheadTim wrote: In reply to 44Dwarf: Just to clarify, I wasn't saying they're just Internet lore. However, the number of BMW final drives that fail aren't quite as high as some people seem to make it out on the web (hence the Porsche IMS bearing comment).

Isn't the maintenance required to keep the final drive reliable rather extensive? How much trouble is it to lube the splines, and how often is it required?

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=295173

It certainly sounds like a serious swelling itching pain in the arse just to do the normal maintenance.

Here's the new Italian Girlfriend!

Very nice! I love those.

Cool bike. A dual sport is in my future and the BMW was in the lead, but these look appealing for sure. I look forward to a review!

I'm 500 miles in and very happy so far.

Super comfortable seating position. Seat is a little hard but it's also new so....

Handles great but keep in mind, I'm coming from a 30-year-old Japanese bike.

Fuel consumption isn't bad but I'm told it will get better after the engine is run-in.

The service interval is: First service at 1500km (900 miles), after that, it's every 10,000 km (6,200 miles).

Things I don't like so far:

The 12volt ports SUCK. Nothing will stay put for more than a few seconds. They're easily worse than any car 12v port I've ever seen. I will be changing them both out to USB charging ports very soon.

There is a stumble from 3500rpm to 4000rpm. The local 'Guzzi specialist tells me that it's because of the tune in the ECU, apparently it's tuned a bit lean for engine break-in. At the 1500km first service they will re-flash the ECU to get rid of the rough spot and get rid of the popping on decel.

Things I've added or changed in the first week :

Added a tool tube behind the right side pannier. The stock toolbox is tiny and the tool kit sucks. The tool tube handles a set of wrenches and sockets, folding allen keys, a Snap-on 6-way screwdriver, some rags and zip ties.

A first-aid kit, tire plug kit and co2 tire inflator now live in the toolbox under the seat.

I've added an LED headlight conversion from the guys at ADVmonster and I'm very happy. It's all plug-and-play with very little modification needed. The bike uses H4 bulbs so it's pretty straightforward. Apparently Guzzi sends all the headlamp current for two H4 bulbs through the handlebar switch, removing the load from the switch was a big reason for going to the LEDs.

I've swapped out the factory fog lamps because they're a known cause of electrical problems and they tend to fall apart. They've been replaced with KC HiLites C3 3" LED 1,080 lumen floodlights.

What's coming:

Ordered the Euro tun signals that will put the front turn signals in the fairing instead of in the mirrors.

I also heard that Stucchi Luigi (company that makes all the add-ons) is going out of business so I ordered their headlight protector, final drive guard, kickstand foot, rear MC guard and oil cooler guard while I can still get them.

I've also ordered the fittings to extend the breather tube for the final drive up under the seat instead of having it right on the swingarm. The gearbox and transmission breathers are up high, I don't know why they didn't put the final drive breather up there as well.

A couple pics so far:

Awesome! Reminds me a lot of my Caponord but with shaft drive. I wanted a chain drive but shaft drive is much easier to live with on a daily basis. Congratulations!

What's the verdict on the light output of the H4 LEDs?

Very pleased with them, better than the Halogens for sure and they don't just "splash" light everywhere like HID conversions seem to.

Probably because the LEDs are in the same positions as the high/low filaments in a conventional H4.

Shawn

So, an update for you guys...

Piaggio customer service can kiss the fattest part of my ass.

Read all about it here: http://www.bcclassicmotorcycleclub.com/simplemachines/index.php?topic=5286.0

Cliff notes: Bike developed an oil consumption issue in mid April, was diagnosed as a bad valve guide. ETA for the new cylinder head is now end of JUNE!.

What a joke.