Friend of mine likes retro-styled modern standard bikes: Kawi W650, Triumph Bonneville, Moto Guzzi V7, the new CB1100, that sort of thing. W650's are too rare, the CB1100 is too big/expensive, he likes the Bonneville, and we have no idea what to make of the Moto Guzzi as far as reliability/durability go.
My questions: Are there some standard (read: non-cruiser riding position) retro-bikes we're missing? And, what is the story on Moto Guzzi reliability, especially compared to Triumph reliability?
Ducati sport classics and Royal Enfields.
I wouldn't sweat a moder triumphs reliability, and the Guzzi should be pretty good, but it is Italian,v
Modern Guzzis are plenty reliable.
I ride with a couple Guzzi owners, never seen or heard of any problems from them.
I rode an '84 California II for a short while, they definately have some character.
Shawn
Interesting, thanks guys. I had forgotten about the Ducati Sport Classic; weren't those all cafe-styled with low bars and rearsets and no pillion seat? As for the Royal Enfields, well, I have heard there are some build quality issues.
I think it's really got to be between the V7 and the Bonneville, so it's good to hear that guys are out there riding MG's without much trouble.
I'd really love to have a v7 someday. I miss my v11. The only problems I had with it were from flaky relays that were easily replaced.
I have a friend that got a Bonneville for his first bike. He loves it, no problems so far and he hasn't killed himself yet with nearly 500 miles riding.
Live this bike!
There's a Guzzi dealer here in Scuzzbury. I was there last week and saw some V7s, a Griso, a Stelvio and two Norges.
All very nice to look at, but my favorites were the Norge and Griso. The V7s look a LOT nicer in person than in pics. The Stone in white was the best looking of the V7s - in my opinion.
Yeah, I was disappointed to see that there are no MG dealers south of Akron! The Stone in white is my favorite too, though I have yet to see any in person, it just looks right.
In reply to Spitsix:
Ouch, that is a pretty bike, and that is a GOOD price. Thank God I have no money.
alex
UberDork
5/6/13 10:15 p.m.
The plastic tanks on the Sport Classics and early V7s don't fill me with confidence. Since '13 V7s have gone to aluminum tanks, one of my few qualms about them has vanished. I think there's a really good chance I'll be buying my first new bike in a few months.
akamcfly wrote:
ShadowSix wrote:
Yeah, I was disappointed to see that there are no MG dealers south of Akron! The Stone in white is my favorite too, though I have yet to see any in person, it just looks right.
Fly and ride? 
Probably, seems like I could tolerate a poor dealer network. Even if I bought a new bike (unlikely), I would do any work myself/take it to an independent mechanic once it is out of warranty anyway.
alex wrote:
The plastic tanks on the Sport Classics and early V7s don't fill me with confidence. Since '13 V7s have gone to aluminum tanks, my one of my few qualms about them has vanished. I think there's a really good chance I'll be buying my first new bike in a few months.
I saw that somewhere, what are the pros/cons on the plastic tanks? Should that be a deal-breaker? They don't look bad in photos, should avoid the scourge of the rusty motorcycles gas tank...
ethanol can cause the plastic tanks to warp.
Ducati had a class action lawsuit due to the expansion of the tanks.
It is more then cosmetic, it can cause the tank mounts to fail or the tank to split and spill gas. But it is very rare and not something that happens as soon as you put gas in it. In fact, I read that if you drain the tank and let it sit for a few days, it will go back into it's original shape.
I got my Monster used, but one of the receipts that I got with it was for a replacement tank that was coated with caswell by the dealership prior to putting it on.
Like a lot of other problems with cars and bike, things get blown out of proportion on the internets and then people get scared. When I was selling my Miata, I had people asking about the crank play, even though it was well over 150k miles on it. Other people won't touch a Porsche Boxster of any year because of the IMS issue.
alex
UberDork
5/7/13 7:12 p.m.
Yeah, what he said.
From my days working at the shop I've seen too many cases of modern fuel doing extremely weird things with plastics and rubbers. Until everybody from oil companies to OEMs gets this figured out, I strive to keep plastics away from my fuel systems as much as possible.
That and an aluminum tank is simply far more appropriate for a pretty Italian motorcycle.
ShadowSix wrote:
Yeah, I was disappointed to see that there are no MG dealers south of Akron! The Stone in white is my favorite too, though I have yet to see any in person, it just looks right.
I think there is a dealer in Danlonega, GA.
In reply to spitfirebill:
Sorry, I meant there are no dealers south of Akron in the state of Ohio. We have just about every brand of motor vehicle sold in the US represented around Columbus, so it was a surprise that I'd have to drive half way across the state to go see a new Moto Guzzi.
