Considerations.

[Fatfatboy]

I could use some help from the non- Harley side of things.
I’m looking for a bike that has standard sitting position, fuel injection and around 600-700 cc’s that doesn’t require valve adjustment.

Needs to have good brakes and good torque.
Oh,, and a low seat.

Any suggestions?

[Krhguzzi]

    All readily available except the valve adjustment thing, Closest I can think of is a small block Guzzi.  Low seat height, fuel injected, torquey, standard seating position and extremely easy valve adjustment.  Mine takes about 10 minutes every 10 thousand miles.

[Mad4TheCrest]

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[oldironnow]

The basic Guzzi’s have been agreeable to my mind for awhile. I’ve dug their exposed cylinders.
Excellent advice, KRHGUZZI !

[hacksaw]

there was a couple of years where guzzi tried hydraulic tappets. i dont know why it didnt work out.
i do like certain EV7's.
but they are 750's.
maybe the new BSA ?? or the new triumph singles?

390 Duke has 44 hp so its claimed.
33" seat height? but thiner width seats also put your feet toward the ground.
and its trellis framed !!!!!!

[Fatfatboy]

I have wanted to give a Guzzi a try and the V7 appear to have a 32" seat height. Maybe a look around is worth it.

Does the valve adjustment require shims or is it the screw and locknut design?

[Fatfatboy]

I considered the 390 Duke before I bought the Buell when a dealer had leftovers deeply discounted.
The pegs are a bit rearset and that's a no go plus I'd be concerned about buzz at 70+mph. I'm sure it would be a hoot on the backroads.

If there was a way to mid mount the Buells pegs it would be perfect. Or even highway pegs to stretch it out.
I get a real kick out of that bike and love everything about it but the rearsets. On short rides under 100 miles it doesn't bother so much but some of my rides are 300+ miles and with the short seat it puts my butt and feet so close together that after 200 miles my left knee starts to feel it. At 300 miles the knee is screaming. It usually takes a couple days for the pain to subside.

 
 

[Mad4TheCrest]

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[Krhguzzi]

   The Guzzi Hydraulic lifters were a miserable failure. Not enough oil flow at low RPMs to keep the cam and lifter lubricated. Guzzi management gathered everyone involved together and fired them as a group.

[Fatfatboy]

Screw and locknut valve adjustments don't bother me near as much as shim under bucket. I have no need for a bike with that type of performance.

Just a quick glance at the V7 I see the HP is around 50 and torque is 58. Surprisingly lower than the Buell XB9 at 92 HP and 72 torque. I really like the torque and HP of the Buell. It seems to fit my skill level just perfect. Not so fast to cause me to shat my drawers but fast enough to make me giggle.

Maybe I should of kept the Roadster. With some proper rear suspension, better seat, peg relocation, upright bars, and a small fairing it would be a spot on bike.
Foot to ass.

[Mad4TheCrest]

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[oldironnow]

I guess they moved on from the Heron heads:

https://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=105621.0#:~:text=And%20to%20boot%2C%20I%20think,It's%20a%20living%20legend.

[Fatfatboy]

Thanks for the link. Oldiron.
After reading that and then some reading around it looks like the lll's with the Hemi head are not only a better performing motor the suspension is better as well.

Unfortunately the nearest Guzzi dealer is north of Indy so just going to look at the different models is a weekend affair.

There's a few on market place near by but I don't want to be a tire kicker and waste folks time.

[Fatfatboy]

Saturday I didn’t have plans for anything so decided to find a Guzzi dealer just to put my butt on some Guzzi’s. I found out that Flying Tiger Motorcycles, who I bought my RE from, is no longer selling Moto Guzzi.  
I knew they quit selling RE a couple years after I bought mine but there shop has significantly shrunk and they don’t sell any new bikes. Just a repair shop now.

I searched the net and the next nearest dealer is in Carmil Indiana which is north of Indy. Basically a 5 hour ride and me and the Buell weren’t doing that so I headed to the big box dealership that sells the Japanese brands Indian and Harley. I was hoping to see a SV650 to stay in the v-twin family. No luck. One of the salespeople said he just sold his leftover 22 at a huge discount.

.

A sea of bikes and the only twins he had was a Yamaha Bolt Bobber, Honda Fury, the Kawasaki Vaquero and Indians Harleys. Although the Harleys are in a separate building.
All the Indians were of the cruiser line.

I did seat on a Super Duke 8-something the allowed me to get one foot down but not a v-twin.

So I went up the the Big House on the hill were the Harleys are kept and looked at the Nightster S.
It’s about the closest thing that checked the boxes.
V-twin.
Mid-controls
Horsepower and torque equal to the Buell.
The suspension might be the only thing lacking.
It’s inverted front end had a single Brembo.
But at $17k I'm not playing that game.

Later I looked on line at used RH975 Nightsters but it looks like 23 was the first year of the S model.
The S model has a lot better features for a grand more than the standard Nightster. The biggest being four different ride modes.
I found some used 22 Nightsters for around $10k so it doesn’t look like these will hold their value like the Evo models did.

So it looks like if I want to look at Guzzi it’s contacting guys on market place and the like. Beings I hate tire kickers I don’t think that’s gonna happen.



.

[oldironnow]

https://www.mgnoc.com/classifieds.html

[Mad4TheCrest]

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[oldironnow]

Both Le Mans seem tasty.

And I have a sweet spot for wretches, like the $1500 V11 FireBomb.




.

[hacksaw]

Make sure you research the years . Sometime I think in the esrly 2000’s Guzzi went to hydraulic lifters. They were terrible and only lasted a year or 2 b4 revering to adjustable s.
Older guzzis can be parts problems. Even when new Guzzi factory support was lame.
BsaNorton of CW forums recently went Thru a lot of trouble to bring home a v11. Thsts the beautiful sport bike. He hated it ! Got rid of it as soon as he could.
The Guzzi to get us the latest EV7. New ones have an upgraded motor. Later ones have improved frames .
 I don’t care for the stone flat colors or the weird headlite shape , but the Special is sweet . If there was a dealer closer I would own one.
Used suck unless you have a good mechanic and parts supply close by.
If one can afford 5/6k for a used one , consider a new one for 10 is a much better deal .

[Fatfatboy]

oldironnow wrote

Both Le Mans seem tasty.

And I have a sweet spot for wretches, like the $1500 V11 FireBomb.




.

Ouch. What could possibly be worth $1500 on that thing?

If I were to go with a Guzzi it would have to be a modern model. At this point in my life I just don’t have time for finicky toys that eat time. I need bikes that require the main four.
Fuel
Oil
Air
Tires

I hope to someday have extra time to spend in the garage playing with the oddities of two wheels.

[hacksaw]

apparently most of that fire bike looks intact. if it has a title 1500 is not a bad start for negotiation. looks like the tires are still inflated.