For Tuber Tyres there was a Product called Slime You pumped it into The tube and it sealed the Tube if it Got Penetrated by a Nail or Screw. I remember going to the Motorcycle Show at Olimpia London they Rode a Slime Treated Tubed Bikes over a Plank with Nails along it's Length. The Tyres Stayed Fully inflated. You could see where the Punctures Occurred From The Green Dye on the Tyres from The Slime
Sorry, but it doesn't work that way. There is NOTHING that will seal a punctured tube, even on a bicycle. They are just too thin. They almost always shred when punctured. And Slime is GARBAGE. There is some stuff called Ride On that will seal most punctures in TUBELESS tires, but a flat with tube type tires means a tow truck. And hopefully they don't blow out at high speed and cause a crash and kill you.
Hi Freddy, I own a Guzzi V7iii from 2021. Riding it as a commuter and touring bike. Now +30.000km and no issues at all. Just normal maintenance. That’s it. Love the bike 🏍️
V7 850 Centenario here. Bought this year new (yes, really, found one 3 years after, brand spanking new). Did 12,5 thousand kilometers this year. Only one issue, light switch lost ability for locking in position after apocalyptic downpour in the Dolomites. That's all. I love the bike. Nothing gives me such satisfaction in any speed on any road in any weather like this marvel of a bike.
When you see what Noraly ‘Itchy Boots’ put her CRF300 through, travelling from South America all the way to the Artic Circle, it really was the ultimate test of any bike. That little Honda just kept on going! Yes she had it rebuilt and the suspension beefed up after the trip, before she took it to Africa, but again it just took on whatever she threw at it, (including being dumped into a river during a river crossing amongst so many other trials) and again it just kept going! As you say the only fault was the ABS sensor and the fan sensor not working so it overheated, until a roadside mechanic bypassed it so the fan stayed on. The ultimate in reliability 👍
I owned my Moto Guzzi Griso 1100 for 11 years now. Never (!) had a problem with it. Just regular maintenance: oil, filters, tires, a bit of (re-)grease here & there, the usual stuff. Has been my most reliable bike ever. I really LOVE it.
Oh you're lucky. I had two Grisos one after another - both brand new. The first was an early one. Loved them both. They both were a lot of trouble with many trips back to the shop on a low-loader. I sold the second one when it repeatedly failed to start in the rain. Pity.
My Moto Guzzi V7 850 Special is now 3 years old and it has been absolutely reliable. I do tend to avoid taking it out when the roads have been salted, if I can help it and if I do I clean it the next day. I used to have a number of winter hacks for many years that I would run for a couple of years along with my summer quality bike. But nowadays being retired, I just keep the one good bike and I’ve found the Guzzi a good allrounder.
I have owned a 2022 MG 850 V7 Special for almost 2 years. Not one problem. I ride to work 3 days a week and ride year round. No corrosion at all. They salt roads here in Dallas in the winter. I hope that dude enjoys his Suzuki. I will bet his cookie cutter Suzuki will fall ill as well. I sold Harleys for 4 years. Most of the time guys that have that many problems treat their bikes poorly. There is never an excuse to have corrosion on any bike, except when you don’t maintain it properly.
Had Guzzi’s all my motorcycling life and never, ever had a major issue with any of them. They’re so well over-engineered. Dynamically great to ride , easy to maintain and generally a joy to own with a superb supporting GB Owners Club. Some of those old Guzzi V-twins churn up over 200,000 miles.
I'm buying a 1998 Guzzi 1100 sport this Monday (14th). My only concern is that the side stand is so far forward that I can barely reach it with the toe of my boot
@@simoncollins6529 This year on may I bought new Stelvio. After one month the tank started leaking🤬🤬 . Till now dealer do not have repair this failure!!! 🤦♂ Totaly disapointed!!!
@simoncollins The early Guzzis did, unfortunately, have the side stand fitted awkwardly too far forward of your left peg….be careful, people have dropped them. Modifications can be made so shouldn’t ruin the ownership experience.
I purchased a new Moto Guzzi V7 850 Special this last April. 6 months and 9600 miles later, NO ISSUES, very happy with it. I have had 50 motorcycles, 3 Moto Guzzis with no issues. The last motorcycle that broke down on me was a Kawasaki Voyager that I had bought new and had 1500 miles on it.
Bought a V7 stone brand new in May 23 within a week leaking gear oil from gearbox, turned out to be a porous casting and bike stuck in dealer for 8 weeks, dealer useless & never rang me with any updates but after I demanded money back & kicked off to Piaggio a gearbox was fast tracked from Italy & was all sorted back on road, covered 8000 mile in just over a year with not a single problem & I really enjoy the bike & would be unlikely to replace it, just the sound of it is great, it actually sounds mechanical which I think is a good thing, 😊
2 year old V85tt I’ve had since new. Absolutely no issues. Zero,nil,nada. Same engine as the v7. Would get on it and ride to Italy tomorrow with no worries. Might get a Stelvio or Mandello next👍👍👌👌
It's not really the same engine as the V7. The heads are different, which is why it's more powerful than the V7. Not sure if there are other parts strengthened accordingly.
I have a 2023 Moto Guzzi V7 850 Special, that I bought in May last year. It is stored in a dry workshop and ridden on tours in any and all kinds of weather. It's been thoroughly soaked and covered in road dirt during regular touring in Europe. It is very thoroughly cleaned and maintained regularly on my return to my home base. I don't have any evidence of the same type of faults reported. I have regularly applied ACF 50 into the switches as I do with all of my other bikes. So far, that seems to be doing the job.......
Moto Guzzi developed their original V-Twin motor for a military machine with a motorcycle front end and caterpillar tracks on either side of the rear end. The motor was over engineered so that it would perform on the battlefield with the minimum of maintenance. Moto Guzzi V-Twin motors are bombproof.
Hello Freddy, it is very good to hear something about Motoguzzi which is not such a widespread brand as it deserves among the classics, at least in my opinion. Of course, it's not nice to hear that the owner had problems, but a lot depends on the importer/dealer of motorcycles. If he is good and resourceful, many problems can be solved more easily. On the other hand, as a V7 III owner, I have to say that I had no major problems with the motorcycle. here and there a little thing is the charm of these motorbikes, at least that's how I look at it. The bike is still like new today with no signs of corrosion or wear anywhere. And these exceptions, which happen to all motorcycle brands, as well as other manufacturers, should not deter potential Moto Guzzi buyers. The V7 is a good, beautiful classic that offers a lot of beauty and has its own character. It is true that newer models are unfortunately losing this character However, I think it is inappropriate to compare the V7 and suzuki gs8x because they are completely different motorcycles. I don't think anyone looking for a classic motorcycle will compare the V7 and gs8x.
Actually I did compare the V7 Stone Corsa to the GSX 8R! Since the Suzuki is more similar to the Honda I had at that time, I took the Guzzi to experience the absolute opposite 😂 I love it!
I own a 2005 Moto Guzzi California EV simply love it. So sorry to hear about the chap with the V7 he should have had that sorted under the warranty. Every bike I have owned I have changed all the steel fasteners with stainless steel size equivalent and use Rolco copper grease on the threads.
Hi Freddie, Thank you so much for the mention on your show today. It really means a lot for you to take the time to highlight my channel. I'm incredibly grateful. Keep up the good work!
Had 3 Guzzis with no problems. I consider them pretty solid and mecanically reliable but Italian electrics have been a weak point. One V50 was stolen in France and found a month later in a lake but after a thorough clean out by the dealer it was going very nicely. My current one is a 2018 V7III with 30,000km and no problems. I agree, Japanese bikes are overall more reliable than European and American bikes but the few that I owned didn't really match the Guzzis for character.
Before anyone goes down the route of making their tyres tubeless, PLEASE think about the insurance implications. You are making a change to your motorcycles standard specifications, if you have an accident, and the insurance company finds you've changed the bike, it could invalidate your insurance.
I’ve had 2023 v7 ,2018 v7, and 2021 v85 moto guzzis. A slight exhaust leak fixed by readjusting the pipes is the only issue. Totally reliable and trouble free,otherwise.
Itchy's Honda also had a problem with a heat sensor for the fan. It wasn't activating so the engine was overheating and cutting out. A local mechanic hot-wired the fan so it was on all the time. That was sufficient to get her to a larger workshop where the correct spares could be ordered. But that and the abs sensor you mentioned were small things: fundamentally the bike proved to be exceptionally tough. As did Noraly!
I own a Moto Guzzi V85tt and in my 1/1/2 it’s been very reliable, quality and reliability has been great 👍. One owner in the states has a 100,000km on his ( and it’s never missed a beat ) BUT I have heard on some of theses models having problems. I think it’s because each one is hand build I guess the “ human error can be involved “
I have owned 4 moto guzzi motorcycles since 1979. I owned one or the other continuously, 1979 until 2021. if you don’t know how to spin wrenches, if you can’t handle little quirks yourself, I suggest you do not buy a moto guzzi.. I have not had one that didn’t have some little thing happen. Oil sending unit failures, start, relay failure, I never had a serious issue, I was never stranded.. I accumulated 192,000 combined miles on those four machines. They are as reliable as a sledgehammer. But they are not Japanese perfect.. if you get your knickers in a knot, because you have to get the tool kit out once in a while, I suggest you buy a Japanese motorcycle.. but if you don’t mind, doing an adjustment now and then, such as you must check your valves, every 2500 miles, which takes about an hour, you don’t even have to remove the gas tank. I always did my valves and an oil change at the same time, and new spark plugs, you have to pull the plugs anyway to rotate the crankshaft to check the valve clearance?.. if you don’t mind a little bit of clutch chatter, which is normal because they have a dry clutch.. if you don’t mind the motorcycle twitching to the side, every time, you blip the throttle, while you are waiting at a stop sign or a red light. if you don’t mind, people, miss pronouncing the name of the motorcycle, which is pronounced the way you pronounce pizza, it’s goot zee.. then buy one. Everywhere you go, you will be the only Guzzi there. They draw a crowd… they are also difficult to resell, because most people never even heard of them. My last one, a 1200 Norge, GT, took me almost 14 months to sell. I have three videos of my last Guzzi in action on One of my favorite long winding roads on my youtube channel..It was a weekday and I had the road all to myself. If you watch that video you can hear how relaxed the engine sounds even though I’m averaging around 50 to 70 miles an hour. A nice brisk pace on a not so busy road. The titles of my Guzzi videos are something like, moto guzzi Norge, to East Brady, part, one, part two, part three. They are the very first videos I ever tried to make with my new to me GoPro camera. My kids bought me for Christmas… every time I watch one of those videos, it makes me regret selling that machine .. I loved that machine and I planned on buying another moto guzzi at that time. But I ended up buying something else instead. I had to sell something because at the time, I had eight motorcycles, and I had just retired.. Moto guzzi’s are not for everyone. They are an acquired taste, like dry wine, that taste, like ashes, or fried green tomatoes. Not for everyone. they have been making motorcycles at the base of the Matterhorn mountain in Italy since 1921. They were the first manufacturer to have suspension on a motorcycle. They were the first manufacture to have a V8 road racing machine in the 50s they did 175 miles an hour. They were the first motorcycle company to have its own. Wind tunnel.. recently, some of the German motorcycle police departments I have switched from BMWs to moto guzzi.. The Clint Eastwood movie, the enforcer with the four rogue police officers in that movie, those machines were moto guzzi police machines that were widely used in many police departments until they made the switch over to the Kawasaki KZ 1000 used in the television series, chips.. Moto guzzi’s are a motorcyclists motorcycle. Just about every moto guzzi owner that I know has multiple moto guzzi motorcycles. they are known for being ultra, reliable, further lightweight, good handling.. they are made with quality components and materials, not a lot of plastic, the lining of the cylinders is actually etched with nickel silicone carbide. That is harder than the chrome they used to coat the inside of the cylinders with… on paper, they have perfect primary and secondary balance, because their engine configuration is a 90° V twin. They are as simple as an old Volkswagen beetle to work on.. when dick-improvements, they don’t cut corners and make other components more cheaply, they don’t make their motorcycles to a price, they will increase the price and keep quality the same, if not better.. they are not Japanese fast, they are not Japanese affordable.. they have a timeless quality.. The Aprilia company bought moto guzzi for among other reasons, to learn the sand, casting techniques handed down from great grandfather to grandfather to father to son. It is not on paper how they do their sandcasting of their engine cases, that’s one of the reasons Aprilia bought them in the mid-2000s. many moto guzzi owners phone moto guzzi‘s from the 1970s as daily driver’s. The first time you sit on one of those 1970s ambassadors, many people are shocked at how lightweight they are… They get into your blood. There’s just something about them.
I got a 2021 v7 850, took out an extended warranty. Glad I did, in that time I have had both switch gear on the handle bars changed. Front disc replaced due to too much lateral movement and the speedo replaced due to cracks appearing on the outer casing by indicator ears. They refused to change the downpipes which had corrosion on the left hand side. Total cost of parts which Moto Guzzi had to pay for was about £1300. I also have the e4 v7 2019 earlier model. That one has been fine only lambda sensors changed under warranty.
I live in San Diego, California and own a 2014 MG California 1400. I am quite fond of it and have had no problems with it at all. It's most attractive feature to me, aside from being just a beautiful bike aesthetically, is the Hydro-elastic mounted engine. It is utterly vibration free.
In 1979 tubed tires were most common. I had a fast puncture on the front wheel going 150 km/h on the Autoroute with my girlfriend and full camping gear on the back of my GT550. It was "interesting", but I managed to stop and drop at the median. I have never had a puncture on a front tubeless tire, but only a slow puncture on the rear, which I did not even notice until the next morning.
I'm 73. Been riding bikes since 1967. Even now I tend towards sports bikes but I did own a 90s California for many years. I liked it. I'm now on a 2001 Honda CBR 600. I paid £1600 for it. 18000 miles. I just put on a new chain. For an old guy it's super light, low seat height and super quick. You can ride great bikes for not much.
Tubeless tires are great, in the same way carburetors are great & points timing is great & alcohol-less gas is great & all those other 150 year old technologies are great, my Dear Fellow....
I bought a 2014 Norge 1200 GT and I love it. I bought it this March with 4000 miles and have put 3000 on it this Sumer. I de-caged the put a custom exhaust with power commander and this Guzzi lives up to is wings!
About the Guzzi V7 seized rear axle/ring gear or whatever it was....... That could have been prevented by the dealer applying copper grease at the initial pre delivery inspection before the customer received it.
I've owned my V7 Stone for a few months now, but not done a huge amount of miles to test the reliability of the machine yet, but love its shake rattle and roll vibey nature and unique engine layout. I did have one issue you mentioned in the vid about the starter button failing to start the engine, it only did this once and after I'd switched the ignition off and on again it did start ok on the 2nd attempt, but nothing too serious and a can of electrical cleaner spray will probably sort this out, it's probably a case of "They all do this mate!". This bike does have the best gear shift into 1st gear that I've had on ANY bike i've owned, sure you can get the odd clunky or (drop a brick in a metal dustbin) shift but most are surprisingly smooth. Generally recommend to those after an old school feeling bike without too many frills (or radiator) come to that!
The only issue I have with the Guzzi is the need to firmly hold full left rudder on take off to avoid a sudden sharp right hand terrain excursion off the runway due to the torque of the huge propeller. However once airborne it handles ok as long as you dont want to so much fly as plummet. Mystery solved when caring friends brought pictures of the wreck to the hospital - turns out what I thought were wings were in fact the cylinders. The Guzzi did come in handy in the end tho as I have taken up sailing instead and she does a fine job anchoring my mooring.
I am stunned to hear this and I say you must have had (A) one in Thousands/hundreds thousands? I bought mine after reading many many reviews about how reliable these bikes are and up to today I have to say, these reviews are right on. I bought mine 850 V7 Stone, in August 2023, now 6K+ miles and no issues, traveled around up and down California, Montana all Northwest USA and absolutely not a single issue with my Moto Guzzi V7 stone. My dealer is about 80 miles and i have no issues with my dealer in San Jose CA which I must say they are GREAT!
Freddie ... Keep up the content on the channel 👍 Item ... Tubeless Tire Conversion I failed to see anything wrong with the conversion it was very professional ... with regards to the negative comments a tubed tire can its loose its pressure very quickly. I toured Europe in 2010 ? (I think) on a KTM 990 Adv. The V Twin with tubed tires no issues but the amount of extra kit you have to take 2 spare Tubes, 3 Tyre Levers, Puncture kit pump etc. In anticipation of the 2 hour wrestling match at the side of the road fortunately it was all good on that trip. I have 3 bikes a) An RT tubeless b) KTM with a tubeless to spoked rims conversion by the manufacturer c) 44yr old Bultaco Tubed Even modern trials machines have tubeless tires now its the way to go Item ... Corrosion most nearly all bikes can end up with rust and Corrosion if they are used for daily transport and or not cleaned regularly seized calipers, flaking paint etc. THIS IS NOT A CRITICISM here by the way just a fact not all bikes are tucked up in a heated garage every night all makes of Motorcycles will suffer Corrosion depending on the Extent and Nature of their use. Apologies for mentioning KTM twice here ... I'm sure I can hear the red faced angry mob with pitch forks coming over the hill CC
Freddie, I started biking in 1978. I’ve had over 30 bikes, of all sizes from 100cc to 1100cc. I didn’t keep a record, but I must have covered around 80,000 miles. Not a huge amount by any means. But I’ve toured around Europe, and done LEJOG twice. (Thinking of doing it again on a MZ etz 250) In all that time I’ve only ever had one puncture. Admittedly it was on a motorway, doing 70mph. But I managed to stop on the hard shoulder safely, and had my bike recovered home. All but one of my bikes had tubed tyres. It didn’t even occur to me that they were a potential problem. Most of my riding was done before cell phones were a thing. I used paper maps. With a list of the roads I need to use taped on my tank. Simpler times.. There was a product called slime, that I used a few times. You deflate the tyre fill the inner tube with the slime, inflate the tyre and that’s it. I think you can still buy a similar product.. 🤔
It’s not a v7 but I have a 20 yr old Breva 1100 and I only became the owner 2 yrs ago. Do my own servicing and it’s a doddle, including valve clearances. Absolutely reliable and solid. No rusty bolts or fittings and it gets ridden all weathers
Guzzis are generally reliable bikes but they’re owned by Piaggio who don’t give a damn so the after sales and parts availability are poor. Quality control is variable, build is often whatever they have to hand as Guzzi is a relatively low volume manufacturer. I know someone whose Stelvio (older version discontinued in 2016) had an out of tolerance frame from the factory! This is reflected in the relatively few dealers in the UK. The blacked out V7 exhausts are well known for marking/peeling. Most big 4 bikes are discounted from new, especially Suzuki so the saving over new isn’t quite as big as it appears. That Harley looked much better with cast wheels. Pan is a great workhorse but very heavy. Another good vid!
Freddie,ive owned Moto Guzzi's for 25 years.I don't drive,and commute day in day out all year long,as well as riding out on weekends,so im in a position to make a judgement in short,ive found them to be dependable solid performers,with many virtues and few vices,Not perfect of course,but nothing is.
I am sorry that you have problems. In my experience with different cars and motorcycles you just had a bad luck and picked one that is problematic. Hope you solve issues and enjoy your bike, since it is one beautiful beast.
Used bikes prices in UK are crazy, in Portugal you end up spending almost twice as the prices listed there. Btw I own a V7 and I just love the bike, never let me down, its from 2018 and 20k km on the clock. Regards
Olá Fernando, também estou a fim de comprar uma V7. A sua V7 ainda tem o motor de 750cc, que tem a dizer da performance? É suficiente para uns passeios ou devia ir para o novo 850cc?
@@DNarcisoo Tudo bem! Mais que suficiente, a minha é uma 750cc, a performance é boa não te deixa ficar mal mesmo com pendura, tem um torque muito interessante em baixas! A V7 não é um tipo de naked que convida a uma condução mais desportiva daí achar que o motor chega bem. Tanto quanto já ouvi falar o 850cc está mais refinado e sente se bem a diferença. Se fosse a comprar agora, tentaria comprar já com esta nova versão. No entanto estou satisfeito com o 750cc, muito fácil de manter e bons consumos também. Um abraço
Interesting views on the Moto Guzzi, which I understood when I was searching for a newer bike, to the extent that I also bought a Suzuki 800DE, 1yr old with 1050 miles on. I’m glad I made the correct decision for me, and, whilst Moto Guzzi V7/V85TT look great, there is a concern that dealers here in the UK may not be well supported by Moto Guzzi. It’s a real shame! 🙏
Freddy, Freddy, Freddy. I really want to like the V7 and I actually do but the closet dealer is 150 miles away. These tales of woe make me feel very good about purchasing my much loved 2022 W800 standard. It is the definition of Japanese quality and although it or any motorcycle is not perfect it has surpassed all my expectations. Love the lazy low end torque and brisk performance at higher rpms. It's all I need in a motorcycle. Too bad they are not sold in the UK anymore. Cheers: BJ
I too have a W800. I love it. I describe it to people as having excellent "real world" performance. Yep, there are faster bikes, more powerful bikes, bikes with better suspension and brakes and all of the above combined. Despite that, none that I've ridden have really come close to the ease with which I can hustle the W800 along with, be it around town or going for a bit of a Sunday blast out in the country. For my use case, the W800 does what I think a motorcycle should do exceedingly well.
@@davidbrayshaw3529 It certainly does. It's a wonderful high quality all purpose motorcycle. It's not the most nimble around town. It's not the best handling motorcycle at speed. It's not the fastest motorcycle. It's not the best long distance tourer. It does, however do a combination of all those things remarkably well.
I test rode one this year and was really charmed by it, in my country they still sell them brand new, and they're only 1500 euros more than an interceptor. Thing is, with an interceptor I could easily pour those 1500 euros in mods, while on the W800 there's nothing I'd want to change about it, it looks perfect.
Tubed tyres are best off road and if you do a lot of off road and not much road, just fit mousse inserts and no more punctures ever. Most times with a tubed puncture you can get away with inflating with puncture sealant which should always be carried if you run tubes.
Yes you can get a Suzuki,but the Moto Guzzi has a character the other bikes wouldn't have,, from the comments Louiggi was on the wine when his bike was built,, sometimes one slips the net ,,alot off manufacturers have a bike with issues,,☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️ from northern Ireland, great content,,
Only a total Philistine would convert a spoked rim meant for a tubed rim , by that method . The only way to convert a motorcycles wheels to tubeless , is to open the wallet & watch the moths fly out , & spend some bunce on wheels that are designed properly to do the job correctly & safely .
There is a difference between the way the tyre bead sits on the rims and the tyre can come off the rim if you lose pressure. There is also the question of whether it is road legal in the UK to do it alongside the insurance issues. If this practice was a good idea triumph, BMW and others would do it in the factory.
Superb bike, but I had a few problems… Downpipes replaced after flaking paint, ignition coil and right side switch gear replaced. Other than that was great.
Tubes! Yes reading "J"s comments below I remember using a product which I can't remember the name of sadly in my mountian bike some years ago and it still in there I assume not knowing the life span of the stuff? I 've not had a flat since then and I have to say the pressure seems to hold for long periods .
Guzzi quality issues don't surprise me. I've already on a previous Freddie video commented on the chocolate cams on my Griso that Guzzi would not do anything about resulting in the UK Guzzi club taking Piaggio to court. But Piaggio could afford bigger lawyers than the UK MG club who had to withdraw in the face of crippling costs if they lost. On top of that the bike would often blow a fuse instead of starting because of an electrical design issue which routed the power that operated the starter motor relay (which draws about 25 amps) through a 15 amp fuse AND the ignition switch! I modified my bike using information from the owner internet groups which involved re-wiring a circuit board to introduce a relay into the system. But why should you have to do that? There were also horror stories on the user groups of headstock bearings and driveshaft gears and bearings wearing prematurely because the factory was omitting greasing these on assembly! I took a hit on selling that bike and will never touch Moto Guzzi again.
I’d love a V85 TT. Ever since I first saw one it was just….I mean, what a bike. But then I remember it’s a Guzzi and well, I don’t want to be that friendly with my mechanic. I prefer my adventures being about exploring new places, not wondering if it’ll get off the ferry.
I had a V7 Stone…got rid of it after build quality issues…bolts holding the front disc brake came loose and eventually began rubbing inside forks…made such a small noise I didn’t catch it UNTIL I was cleaning and saw how the fork had been eaten away. Sadly the loose bolts from the factory really was a safety issue. Took a bath in re-sale…will not again buy an Italian bike.
My dad and I bought stock V7 bikes. Stone and Classic. We had nothing but problems after problems - and no cure for them. Finally, after many useless guarantee repairs, we gave up and sold them away. The V7 is a beautiful bike, but good for nothing.
If a bike has a center stand and is properly engineered changing a tube out on the road is no problem at all.Besides if your tubeless comes off the rim you need to install a tube to get it reinflated out on the road anyhow.
I have owned several Japanese bikes and agree that they are very reliable. But so ugly, so lacking in character. The only bike I had with less character was a BMW GS700. Great bike, but oh so bland. Guzzi California 1100cc was the most comfortable touring bike I have ever owned. I rode it over some really atrocious outback roads in Australia, loaded with gear and pillion. The only two issues I ever had were a broken side stand (weak design) and a fuel line popped off the tank pump inlet (silly idea ). I rode a factory V 7 from Italy to Nord Kapp and via several countries, over Stelvio back to Italy. It never got properly run in, didn’t get an oil change in the first 10,000 km, and gave me no problems. My current V7 has now done 30,000 km on Australian roads, often gravel. The only problem was intermittent contact of the starter button. Probably dust, as I had just done about 1000km on gravel. Fixed it by blowing compressed air and applying some contact cleaner. Local dealer in Tasmania is great, knows Guzzi’s, so I get it serviced by the guys I bought it from. As I am nearly 80, the V7 will outlast me.
I went to look at a Moto Guzzi V7 3 weeks ago and was put off by forums that still slate it's quality and reliability!! looked at the BSA Gold Star and also put off by some owners too!!
Forums are full of parrots…. And since ranting is quite common everywhere, combine those two…… a new “truth” is born quickly… Personally i love Guzzi’s they are the “girl” you can argue with sometimes, maybe a few quirks, but she’s honest, reliable in the end and…. Damn the s*x /“ride” with her is never boring… she’s under your skin.. atleast guzzi’s are under my skin for almost 35 years now… i own and did own a few..
remember that few people go online and make posts about how flawless their bikes are! Go onto car forums and all you see is head gasket, turbo failure etc... I find a balance of them, owner reviews online and the MCN owner section a good yardstick.
I like spokes, rarely had a bike without them, don't care about it all seeing as l am 60, started riding at 16, have ridden daily since and....have never had a puncture.
The Guzzi owner must have left it out in the rain without protection. My V7 special has bern flawless and not a sign of corrosion or rust. I suspect a very uneducated owner when it comes to motorcycles. You did Moto Guzzi a great disservice by giving this guy your screen time.
No i didn’t. It was garaged and dried with a bike dryer every time. I am a rider with nearly 50 years experience and I have learned a thing or two on the way. I bought a lemon. I am certainly not uneducated about bikes. I’m not sure how you jumped to that conclusion. Can you explain the dodgy starter switch, the jammed starter motor, the paint flaking on the exhaust? Or is that me being uneducated?
I don’t know much about new Guzzis, but the old ones are like tanks. Any bike company that used to or do make police bikes are usually pretty dam good. Guzzis are just Harley’s with the motor turned right way.
A mate of mine has two Guzzis, a '73 El Dorado and an '80 something T5. He's had a couple of minor electrical issues with the El Dorado, but nothing that you wouldn't expect on a bike that age. The T5 is in a league of its own, when it comes to reliability. He's got near 200k miles on it. In that time its seen a new clutch, ring gear, uni joint and if I recall correctly, I think that he burned a valve. It's on the original bores and rings and it still pulls like a train! The only real faults with either of these bikes is the front ends are both done for. Other than that, they're tanks.
Agreed! I used to think Hondas were bombproof until I bought the mother of all lemons: a new CBR 1000RR that had this weird surging idle problem that the dealer just couldn't fix. The dealer tore into about every major system and spent enough on parts and labor to have puchased two of the same bike. They went good for all the months of troubleshooting but never solved it. I think the dealer ate most of the cost. They were good people. Honda insisted that it was just "a model characteristic." Some folks opined that it had something to do with emissions compliance, wherein that year's model got certified before the fuel mixture really got sorted and it was running too lean. A remapping of the fuel system might have helped, but Honda wouldn't hear of it and I didn't feel like paying for one. I also live where true performance shops don't exist. I got far enough in the complaint process to reach the VP of Honda America. He, too, spouted the party line. I traded that piece of junk for a Kawasaki Z1000 which had lovely smooth fueling and was absolutely trouble-free.
Sadly Guzzi haven't updated their switch gear, which I have to agree, are cheaply made. Water easily gets in, and I ride a lot in the rain so have had to strip my 2019 V7 switch gear a few times. The starter button issue is user error acording to Moto Guzzi 🙄 no. it's a cheap button. However I haven't let those little niggles spoil the fact the v7 is an excellent bike.
Nothing but engine problems (pinking, bent con rod, computer…) bought new 2014. One year of troubles later out of warranty, Piaggio of no help and dealer wouldn’t buy the bike back. However he managed to sell the bike for me at a loss of £4000. So glad to get rid of it. By all means buy a classic carburettored model from the 70’s and 80’s. Beware of the modern bikes and the customer service back up/warrenties.
I don’t know what is going on right now on the second hand market, but it seems frozen. I’m trying to sell several motorcycles since months, at rather low prices, and there is no interest, no reaction to my ad’s. I’m buying and reselling bikes for many years and I’ve never had any problem before this year. I wonder if the Covid is not the guilty...? It seems that lots of people bought a motorcycle during that period, and now market might be saturated... just wondering. Any idea?
I clean it with car shampoo and or rhino goo designed for bikes. It never went out on salty roads. I’m sure I didn’t cause the corrosion I’ve owned bikes for nearly fifty years. There were other issues too. I’m not saying all Guzzis are bad, but this was my experience of the brand. Six weeks waiting to get it booked into a dealer for every problem or maintenance task. Not Guzzis fault but the experience of ownership was far below what i would expect from a bike one year old.
Found the Harley’s 48’s not selling very interesting. My husband and I bought the new Harley Davidson Revolution Max RH975 for around $15900 BIG mistake. Incredibly uncomfortable, the gear change is horrendous, accessories ridiculously expensive and last but not least the exhaust heat will literally burn your right leg off!! We decided to trade them for a new Honda Adventure bike. most dealers were not interested at all, they did not want them. We were offered $3000 each by one Power-sport dealer. We finally got $7500 for each bike. We lost $7000 on each bike!! The dealers said Harley’s a dying brand! We are extremely happy with our Honda’s..
I bought a new V7 Special and the quality was horrendous. After 4 days I notified the dealer of corrosion on the rear wheel, one week later I notified them again of corrosion on the front wheel. MG blamed me for washing it incorrectly. A couple of weeks later oil leaking from the shaft drive and the engine casing also corroding. After a bit of a battle MG fixed everything under warranty. II sold it after 12 weeks of ownership of which the dealer had it for 8 weeks at a loss of £1200.00.
I have a V9 with just over 5k on the clock. I haven't had any problems so far but the suspension is awful and paint quality is variable quality to say the least, wonderful on the frame but large chunks peeling off the sump and, most conspicuously, the rocker covers, which is very disappointing. Also I live on the coast so am expecting problems in the future. Japanese brands have better quality control without a doubt (I have a Honda and Suzuki, and a Suzuki car) but I still love the Guzzi !
You won't find many more reliable bikes than BMW airheads but I had two bad ones back in 1981. First went rusty in three weeks flat, the replacement was a vibrating pig. BMW changed them without quibble. I think the chap should have gone back to the distributers and complained.
I suspect that home tubeless conversions are great, until someone pulls out on you and some sharp eyed inspector from the other side's insurance company notices the tubeless valve. Then you're on your own.
If you know how it works it's less likely to break. A 7 year warranty with exclusions that will cover normal wear and tear. Corrosion is normal unless it's stainless steel, titanium,glass,plastic ect. It could be argued that steel with an anti corrosion finish shouldn't rust but the planet I'm from says it will. Same goes for aluminium or magnesium alloys.
The new cf motos are tubeless on spoked wheels, royal Enfield has a tubeless option on the Himalayan, I hope other manufacturers start to make tubeless spoked wheel options. the vstrom spoked 650 was tubeless but the new 800 has tubes, seems like a step backwards there.
Old ADV rider was saying that the kit to make tubed tyres into tubeless is fine until you need to adjust the spokes. He said when adjusting the spokes you would 'crack' the seal in the kit and end up having to start over again installing a new seal kit.
The CRF350Rally is pretty much unridable unless you are around 45kg. Especially if you add luggage. The suspension is so soft, even tiny Noraly had to upgrade the suspension. Im riding the bigger crf1100, I tried the 300rally. And it bottomed out just by bouncing a tiny bit on the showroom floor. I tried it only on asphalt, but couldn't imagine taking it off road without changing the entire suspension.
Buy any brand new machine in the UK and as soon as you sign on the dotted line you are down 20%, delete the VAT before doing the maths on what you.ve lost, It's not depreciation that costs , It's the tax.
For Tuber Tyres there was a Product called Slime
You pumped it into The tube and it sealed the Tube if it Got Penetrated by a Nail or Screw.
I remember going to the Motorcycle Show at Olimpia
London they Rode a Slime Treated Tubed Bikes over a
Plank with Nails along it's Length. The Tyres Stayed
Fully inflated. You could see where the Punctures
Occurred From The Green Dye on the Tyres from
The Slime
Ah, this is extremely useful!
@@tuesdayatdobbs Still available I just googled Slime Tube Sealant for Motorcycles
@@tuesdayatdobbs guys I’ve been using this product for over 25 years, can’t recommend it enough 💪
Sorry, but it doesn't work that way. There is NOTHING that will seal a punctured tube, even on a bicycle. They are just too thin. They almost always shred when punctured. And Slime is GARBAGE. There is some stuff called Ride On that will seal most punctures in TUBELESS tires, but a flat with tube type tires means a tow truck. And hopefully they don't blow out at high speed and cause a crash and kill you.
@@geraldscott4302 worked fine For me on Motorcycle
& pedal Cycle admittedly for Nails or Screws Only
Hi Freddy, I own a Guzzi V7iii from 2021. Riding it as a commuter and touring bike. Now +30.000km and no issues at all. Just normal maintenance. That’s it. Love the bike 🏍️
V7 850 Centenario here. Bought this year new (yes, really, found one 3 years after, brand spanking new). Did 12,5 thousand kilometers this year. Only one issue, light switch lost ability for locking in position after apocalyptic downpour in the Dolomites. That's all. I love the bike. Nothing gives me such satisfaction in any speed on any road in any weather like this marvel of a bike.
When you see what Noraly ‘Itchy Boots’ put her CRF300 through, travelling from South America all the way to the Artic Circle, it really was the ultimate test of any bike. That little Honda just kept on going! Yes she had it rebuilt and the suspension beefed up after the trip, before she took it to Africa, but again it just took on whatever she threw at it, (including being dumped into a river during a river crossing amongst so many other trials) and again it just kept going! As you say the only fault was the ABS sensor and the fan sensor not working so it overheated, until a roadside mechanic bypassed it so the fan stayed on. The ultimate in reliability 👍
I owned my Moto Guzzi Griso 1100 for 11 years now. Never (!) had a problem with it. Just regular maintenance: oil, filters, tires, a bit of (re-)grease here & there, the usual stuff. Has been my most reliable bike ever. I really LOVE it.
Oh you're lucky. I had two Grisos one after another - both brand new. The first was an early one. Loved them both. They both were a lot of trouble with many trips back to the shop on a low-loader. I sold the second one when it repeatedly failed to start in the rain. Pity.
One of the BEST motorcycle channels. I'm 55, from Barcelona and own and go travel regularly a Moto Guzzi V7 700 '69.
My Moto Guzzi V7 850 Special is now 3 years old and it has been absolutely reliable. I do tend to avoid taking it out when the roads have been salted, if I can help it and if I do I clean it the next day. I used to have a number of winter hacks for many years that I would run for a couple of years along with my summer quality bike. But nowadays being retired, I just keep the one good bike and I’ve found the Guzzi a good allrounder.
I have owned a 2022 MG 850 V7 Special for almost 2 years. Not one problem. I ride to work 3 days a week and ride year round. No corrosion at all. They salt roads here in Dallas in the winter. I hope that dude enjoys his Suzuki. I will bet his cookie cutter Suzuki will fall ill as well. I sold Harleys for 4 years. Most of the time guys that have that many problems treat their bikes poorly. There is never an excuse to have corrosion on any bike, except when you don’t maintain it properly.
I have the 2021 V7 850 Special. I have put over 10,300 miles on it with no problems. I do my own maintenance and replaced both tires. Great bike!
Had Guzzi’s all my motorcycling life and never, ever had a major issue with any of them. They’re so well over-engineered. Dynamically great to ride , easy to maintain and generally a joy to own with a superb supporting GB Owners Club. Some of those old Guzzi V-twins churn up over 200,000 miles.
I'm buying a 1998 Guzzi 1100 sport this Monday (14th).
My only concern is that the side stand is so far forward that I can barely reach it with the toe of my boot
@@simoncollins6529 This year on may I bought new Stelvio. After one month the tank started leaking🤬🤬 . Till now dealer do not have repair this failure!!! 🤦♂ Totaly disapointed!!!
@simoncollins
The early Guzzis did, unfortunately, have the side stand fitted awkwardly too far forward of your left peg….be careful, people have dropped them. Modifications can be made so shouldn’t ruin the ownership experience.
I purchased a new Moto Guzzi V7 850 Special this last April. 6 months and 9600 miles later, NO ISSUES, very happy with it. I have had 50 motorcycles, 3 Moto Guzzis with no issues. The last motorcycle that broke down on me was a Kawasaki Voyager that I had bought new and had 1500 miles on it.
I bought a V7 special last year, covered 3000 miles, no problems so far.
Moto Guzzi v7 850 here… never an issue… runs great ❤
Bought a V7 stone brand new in May 23 within a week leaking gear oil from gearbox, turned out to be a porous casting and bike stuck in dealer for 8 weeks, dealer useless & never rang me with any updates but after I demanded money back & kicked off to Piaggio a gearbox was fast tracked from Italy & was all sorted back on road, covered 8000 mile in just over a year with not a single problem & I really enjoy the bike & would be unlikely to replace it, just the sound of it is great, it actually sounds mechanical which I think is a good thing, 😊
2 year old V85tt I’ve had since new. Absolutely no issues. Zero,nil,nada. Same engine as the v7. Would get on it and ride to Italy tomorrow with no worries. Might get a Stelvio or Mandello next👍👍👌👌
My Mandello is sublime and has had no issues over the last 4000 miles! You won’t regret getting one.
It's not really the same engine as the V7. The heads are different, which is why it's more powerful than the V7. Not sure if there are other parts strengthened accordingly.
I have a 2023 Moto Guzzi V7 850 Special, that I bought in May last year. It is stored in a dry workshop and ridden on tours in any and all kinds of weather. It's been thoroughly soaked and covered in road dirt during regular touring in Europe. It is very thoroughly cleaned and maintained regularly on my return to my home base. I don't have any evidence of the same type of faults reported. I have regularly applied ACF 50 into the switches as I do with all of my other bikes. So far, that seems to be doing the job.......
Moto Guzzi developed their original V-Twin motor for a military machine with a motorcycle front end and caterpillar tracks on either side of the rear end. The motor was over engineered so that it would perform on the battlefield with the minimum of maintenance. Moto Guzzi V-Twin motors are bombproof.
Hello Freddy,
it is very good to hear something about Motoguzzi which is not such a widespread brand as it deserves among the classics, at least in my opinion. Of course, it's not nice to hear that the owner had problems, but a lot depends on the importer/dealer of motorcycles. If he is good and resourceful, many problems can be solved more easily. On the other hand, as a V7 III owner, I have to say that I had no major problems with the motorcycle. here and there a little thing is the charm of these motorbikes, at least that's how I look at it. The bike is still like new today with no signs of corrosion or wear anywhere. And these exceptions, which happen to all motorcycle brands, as well as other manufacturers, should not deter potential Moto Guzzi buyers. The V7 is a good, beautiful classic that offers a lot of beauty and has its own character. It is true that newer models are unfortunately losing this character
However, I think it is inappropriate to compare the V7 and suzuki gs8x because they are completely different motorcycles. I don't think anyone looking for a classic motorcycle will compare the V7 and gs8x.
Actually I did compare the V7 Stone Corsa to the GSX 8R! Since the Suzuki is more similar to the Honda I had at that time, I took the Guzzi to experience the absolute opposite 😂 I love it!
I had a beautiful Guzzi California special it was fabulous and never let me down. Wish I’d still got it
I own a 2005 Moto Guzzi California EV simply love it. So sorry to hear about the chap with the V7 he should have had that sorted under the warranty. Every bike I have owned I have changed all the steel fasteners with stainless steel size equivalent and use Rolco copper grease on the threads.
Hi Freddie, Thank you so much for the mention on your show today. It really means a lot for you to take the time to highlight my channel. I'm incredibly grateful. Keep up the good work!
That's a very gracious comment, fair play to you
@@simoncollins6529 thanks Simon
Had 3 Guzzis with no problems. I consider them pretty solid and mecanically reliable but Italian electrics have been a weak point. One V50 was stolen in France and found a month later in a lake but after a thorough clean out by the dealer it was going very nicely. My current one is a 2018 V7III with 30,000km and no problems. I agree, Japanese bikes are overall more reliable than European and American bikes but the few that I owned didn't really match the Guzzis for character.
Before anyone goes down the route of making their tyres tubeless, PLEASE think about the insurance implications. You are making a change to your motorcycles standard specifications, if you have an accident, and the insurance company finds you've changed the bike, it could invalidate your insurance.
Hear hear.
And cause a massive accident if it fails for whatever reason
@@Delboysparody exactly
If ifs and ands were pots and pans 🤷🏻♂️
@@Delboysparodymore likely on a tubed tyre 😉
I’ve had 2023 v7 ,2018 v7, and 2021 v85 moto guzzis. A slight exhaust leak fixed by readjusting the pipes is the only issue. Totally reliable and trouble free,otherwise.
My Guzzi V7 Stone 2022 with 3 owners has not had any issues so far. It only has 6000 miles though.
Itchy's Honda also had a problem with a heat sensor for the fan. It wasn't activating so the engine was overheating and cutting out. A local mechanic hot-wired the fan so it was on all the time. That was sufficient to get her to a larger workshop where the correct spares could be ordered. But that and the abs sensor you mentioned were small things: fundamentally the bike proved to be exceptionally tough. As did Noraly!
I own a Moto Guzzi V85tt and in my 1/1/2 it’s been very reliable, quality and reliability has been great 👍. One owner in the states has a 100,000km on his ( and it’s never missed a beat ) BUT I have heard on some of theses models having problems. I think it’s because each one is hand build I guess the “ human error can be involved “
I have owned 4 moto guzzi motorcycles since 1979. I owned one or the other continuously, 1979 until 2021.
if you don’t know how to spin wrenches, if you can’t handle little quirks yourself, I suggest you do not buy a moto guzzi..
I have not had one that didn’t have some little thing happen. Oil sending unit failures, start, relay failure,
I never had a serious issue, I was never stranded.. I accumulated 192,000 combined miles on those four machines. They are as reliable as a sledgehammer. But they are not Japanese perfect.. if you get your knickers in a knot, because you have to get the tool kit out once in a while, I suggest you buy a Japanese motorcycle..
but if you don’t mind, doing an adjustment now and then, such as you must check your valves, every 2500 miles, which takes about an hour, you don’t even have to remove the gas tank. I always did my valves and an oil change at the same time, and new spark plugs, you have to pull the plugs anyway to rotate the crankshaft to check the valve clearance?..
if you don’t mind a little bit of clutch chatter, which is normal because they have a dry clutch.. if you don’t mind the motorcycle twitching to the side, every time, you blip the throttle, while you are waiting at a stop sign or a red light. if you don’t mind, people, miss pronouncing the name of the motorcycle, which is pronounced the way you pronounce pizza, it’s goot zee.. then buy one. Everywhere you go, you will be the only Guzzi there. They draw a crowd… they are also difficult to resell, because most people never even heard of them. My last one, a 1200 Norge, GT, took me almost 14 months to sell. I have three videos of my last Guzzi in action on One of my favorite long winding roads on my youtube channel..It was a weekday and I had the road all to myself. If you watch that video you can hear how relaxed the engine sounds even though I’m averaging around 50 to 70 miles an hour. A nice brisk pace on a not so busy road. The titles of my Guzzi videos are something like, moto guzzi Norge, to East Brady, part, one, part two, part three. They are the very first videos I ever tried to make with my new to me GoPro camera. My kids bought me for Christmas…
every time I watch one of those videos, it makes me regret selling that machine ..
I loved that machine and I planned on buying another moto guzzi at that time. But I ended up buying something else instead. I had to sell something because at the time, I had eight motorcycles, and I had just retired..
Moto guzzi’s are not for everyone. They are an acquired taste, like dry wine, that taste, like ashes, or fried green tomatoes. Not for everyone. they have been making motorcycles at the base of the Matterhorn mountain in Italy since 1921. They were the first manufacturer to have suspension on a motorcycle. They were the first manufacture to have a V8 road racing machine in the 50s they did 175 miles an hour. They were the first motorcycle company to have its own. Wind tunnel.. recently, some of the German motorcycle police departments I have switched from BMWs to moto guzzi.. The Clint Eastwood movie, the enforcer with the four rogue police officers in that movie, those machines were moto guzzi police machines that were widely used in many police departments until they made the switch over to the Kawasaki KZ 1000 used in the television series, chips..
Moto guzzi’s are a motorcyclists motorcycle. Just about every moto guzzi owner that I know has multiple moto guzzi motorcycles. they are known for being ultra, reliable, further lightweight, good handling..
they are made with quality components and materials, not a lot of plastic, the lining of the cylinders is actually etched with nickel silicone carbide. That is harder than the chrome they used to coat the inside of the cylinders with… on paper, they have perfect primary and secondary balance, because their engine configuration is a 90° V twin. They are as simple as an old Volkswagen beetle to work on.. when dick-improvements, they don’t cut corners and make other components more cheaply, they don’t make their motorcycles to a price, they will increase the price and keep quality the same, if not better..
they are not Japanese fast, they are not Japanese affordable.. they have a timeless quality.. The Aprilia company bought moto guzzi for among other reasons, to learn the sand, casting techniques handed down from great grandfather to grandfather to father to son. It is not on paper how they do their sandcasting of their engine cases, that’s one of the reasons Aprilia bought them in the mid-2000s. many moto guzzi owners phone moto guzzi‘s from the 1970s as daily driver’s. The first time you sit on one of those 1970s ambassadors, many people are shocked at how lightweight they are…
They get into your blood. There’s just something about them.
And I love the Moto Guzzi so much . Beautiful bikes 🆒😎🤘🏻
Hi all, my V7 Stone 2021 is running well and without problems since 10.000km. Love it
I got a 2021 v7 850, took out an extended warranty. Glad I did, in that time I have had both switch gear on the handle bars changed. Front disc replaced due to too much lateral movement and the speedo replaced due to cracks appearing on the outer casing by indicator ears. They refused to change the downpipes which had corrosion on the left hand side. Total cost of parts which Moto Guzzi had to pay for was about £1300. I also have the e4 v7 2019 earlier model. That one has been fine only lambda sensors changed under warranty.
I live in San Diego, California and own a 2014 MG California 1400. I am quite fond of it and have had no problems with it at all. It's most attractive feature to me, aside from being just a beautiful bike aesthetically, is the Hydro-elastic mounted engine. It is utterly vibration free.
In 1979 tubed tires were most common. I had a fast puncture on the front wheel going 150 km/h on the Autoroute with my girlfriend and full camping gear on the back of my GT550. It was "interesting", but I managed to stop and drop at the median. I have never had a puncture on a front tubeless tire, but only a slow puncture on the rear, which I did not even notice until the next morning.
I'm 73. Been riding bikes since 1967. Even now I tend towards sports bikes but I did own a 90s California for many years. I liked it. I'm now on a 2001 Honda CBR 600. I paid £1600 for it. 18000 miles. I just put on a new chain. For an old guy it's super light, low seat height and super quick. You can ride great bikes for not much.
Tubeless tires are great, in the same way carburetors are great & points timing is great & alcohol-less gas is great & all those other 150 year old technologies are great, my Dear Fellow....
I bought a 2014 Norge 1200 GT and I love it. I bought it this March with 4000 miles and have put 3000 on it this Sumer. I de-caged the put a custom exhaust with power commander and this Guzzi lives up to is wings!
Thanks for featuring our trip to Scotland Freddie. We have more pictures on the way if you are interested in adding an update.
About the Guzzi V7 seized rear axle/ring gear or whatever it was.......
That could have been prevented by the dealer applying copper grease at the initial pre delivery inspection before the customer received it.
I agree but they obviously didn’t do it so I have had to take the hit
Nice vid as always …nice to avoid a “carbs” dispute this week !
I thought it was probably best to move on from the carb argument😆
I've owned my V7 Stone for a few months now, but not done a huge amount of miles to test the reliability of the machine yet, but love its shake rattle and roll vibey nature and unique engine layout. I did have one issue you mentioned in the vid about the starter button failing to start the engine, it only did this once and after I'd switched the ignition off and on again it did start ok on the 2nd attempt, but nothing too serious and a can of electrical cleaner spray will probably sort this out, it's probably a case of "They all do this mate!". This bike does have the best gear shift into 1st gear that I've had on ANY bike i've owned, sure you can get the odd clunky or (drop a brick in a metal dustbin) shift but most are surprisingly smooth. Generally recommend to those after an old school feeling bike without too many frills (or radiator) come to that!
The only issue I have with the Guzzi is the need to firmly hold full left rudder on take off to avoid a sudden sharp right hand terrain excursion off the runway due to the torque of the huge propeller. However once airborne it handles ok as long as you dont want to so much fly as plummet. Mystery solved when caring friends brought pictures of the wreck to the hospital - turns out what I thought were wings were in fact the cylinders. The Guzzi did come in handy in the end tho as I have taken up sailing instead and she does a fine job anchoring my mooring.
I am stunned to hear this and I say you must have had (A) one in Thousands/hundreds thousands?
I bought mine after reading many many reviews about how reliable these bikes are and up to today I have to say, these reviews are right on.
I bought mine 850 V7 Stone, in August 2023, now 6K+ miles and no issues, traveled around up and down California, Montana all Northwest USA and absolutely not a single issue with my Moto Guzzi V7 stone.
My dealer is about 80 miles and i have no issues with my dealer in San Jose CA which I must say they are GREAT!
Freddie ... Keep up the content on the channel 👍
Item ... Tubeless Tire Conversion I failed to see anything wrong with the conversion it was very professional ... with regards to the negative comments a tubed tire can its loose its pressure very quickly.
I toured Europe in 2010 ? (I think) on a KTM 990 Adv. The V Twin with tubed tires no issues but the amount of extra kit you have to take
2 spare Tubes, 3 Tyre Levers, Puncture kit pump etc. In anticipation of the 2 hour wrestling match at the side of the road fortunately it was all good on that trip.
I have 3 bikes
a) An RT tubeless
b) KTM with a tubeless to spoked rims conversion by the manufacturer
c) 44yr old Bultaco Tubed
Even modern trials machines have tubeless tires now its the way to go
Item ... Corrosion most nearly all bikes can end up with rust and Corrosion if they are used for daily transport and or not cleaned regularly seized calipers, flaking paint etc.
THIS IS NOT A CRITICISM here by the way just a fact not all bikes are tucked up in a heated garage every night all makes of Motorcycles will suffer Corrosion depending on the Extent and Nature of their use.
Apologies for mentioning KTM twice here ... I'm sure I can hear the red faced angry mob with pitch forks coming over the hill
CC
Freddie, I started biking in 1978. I’ve had over 30 bikes, of all sizes from 100cc to 1100cc. I didn’t keep a record, but I must have covered around 80,000 miles. Not a huge amount by any means. But I’ve toured around Europe, and done LEJOG twice. (Thinking of doing it again on a MZ etz 250) In all that time I’ve only ever had one puncture. Admittedly it was on a motorway, doing 70mph. But I managed to stop on the hard shoulder safely, and had my bike recovered home. All but one of my bikes had tubed tyres. It didn’t even occur to me that they were a potential problem. Most of my riding was done before cell phones were a thing. I used paper maps. With a list of the roads I need to use taped on my tank. Simpler times.. There was a product called slime, that I used a few times. You deflate the tyre fill the inner tube with the slime, inflate the tyre and that’s it. I think you can still buy a similar product.. 🤔
Same product 😊
Your MZer will be great on a trip like the one you propose. Thats a great idea. Go for it!
It’s not a v7 but I have a 20 yr old Breva 1100 and I only became the owner 2 yrs ago. Do my own servicing and it’s a doddle, including valve clearances. Absolutely reliable and solid. No rusty bolts or fittings and it gets ridden all weathers
Guzzis are generally reliable bikes but they’re owned by Piaggio who don’t give a damn so the after sales and parts availability are poor. Quality control is variable, build is often whatever they have to hand as Guzzi is a relatively low volume manufacturer. I know someone whose Stelvio (older version discontinued in 2016) had an out of tolerance frame from the factory! This is reflected in the relatively few dealers in the UK. The blacked out V7 exhausts are well known for marking/peeling. Most big 4 bikes are discounted from new, especially Suzuki so the saving over new isn’t quite as big as it appears. That Harley looked much better with cast wheels. Pan is a great workhorse but very heavy. Another good vid!
My MG has been brilliant so far, and no signs of anything untoward. 👍🏽
Freddie,ive owned Moto Guzzi's for 25 years.I don't drive,and commute day in day out all year long,as well as riding out on weekends,so im in a position to make a judgement in short,ive found them to be dependable solid performers,with many virtues and few vices,Not perfect of course,but nothing is.
I am sorry that you have problems.
In my experience with different cars and motorcycles you just had a bad luck and picked one that is problematic.
Hope you solve issues and enjoy your bike, since it is one beautiful beast.
Used bikes prices in UK are crazy, in Portugal you end up spending almost twice as the prices listed there.
Btw I own a V7 and I just love the bike, never let me down, its from 2018 and 20k km on the clock. Regards
Olá Fernando, também estou a fim de comprar uma V7. A sua V7 ainda tem o motor de 750cc, que tem a dizer da performance? É suficiente para uns passeios ou devia ir para o novo 850cc?
@@DNarcisoo Tudo bem! Mais que suficiente, a minha é uma 750cc, a performance é boa não te deixa ficar mal mesmo com pendura, tem um torque muito interessante em baixas! A V7 não é um tipo de naked que convida a uma condução mais desportiva daí achar que o motor chega bem. Tanto quanto já ouvi falar o 850cc está mais refinado e sente se bem a diferença. Se fosse a comprar agora, tentaria comprar já com esta nova versão. No entanto estou satisfeito com o 750cc, muito fácil de manter e bons consumos também. Um abraço
Think I will seriously consider the new 2025 V7 Sport in grey. It really stands out in terms of beauty.
Tubeless conversions are only suitable if your rim is tubeless specific, otherwise it's dangerous.
Freddie, you were right at the first attempt. Puch rhymes with book.
Yes the Pan will go for ever. I was a mot tester for bikes. Be careful with swinging arm they do rot away.
Sorry to hear that
I have had several V7 .I had no problems with mine .Traveld all overv France and Italy
The original Guzzi California is a great looking and performing bike for the era, particularly the automatic, but later models meh.
My 2023 V7 Stone hasn't had a single problem in 24,000 miles. It sounds like the guy got a lemon unfortunately.
Interesting views on the Moto Guzzi, which I understood when I was searching for a newer bike, to the extent that I also bought a Suzuki 800DE, 1yr old with 1050 miles on.
I’m glad I made the correct decision for me, and, whilst Moto Guzzi V7/V85TT look great, there is a concern that dealers here in the UK may not be well supported by Moto Guzzi.
It’s a real shame! 🙏
Freddy, Freddy, Freddy. I really want to like the V7 and I actually do but the closet dealer is 150 miles away. These tales of woe make me feel very good about purchasing my much loved 2022 W800 standard. It is the definition of Japanese quality and although it or any motorcycle is not perfect it has surpassed all my expectations. Love the lazy low end torque and brisk performance at higher rpms. It's all I need in a motorcycle. Too bad they are not sold in the UK anymore.
Cheers: BJ
Better to keep the W800, as you indicated much better quality.
I too have a W800. I love it. I describe it to people as having excellent "real world" performance. Yep, there are faster bikes, more powerful bikes, bikes with better suspension and brakes and all of the above combined. Despite that, none that I've ridden have really come close to the ease with which I can hustle the W800 along with, be it around town
or going for a bit of a Sunday blast out in the country. For my use case, the W800 does what I think a motorcycle should do exceedingly well.
@@davidbrayshaw3529 It certainly does. It's a wonderful high quality all purpose motorcycle. It's not the most nimble around town. It's not the best handling motorcycle at speed. It's not the fastest motorcycle. It's not the best long distance tourer. It does, however do a combination of all those things remarkably well.
I test rode one this year and was really charmed by it, in my country they still sell them brand new, and they're only 1500 euros more than an interceptor. Thing is, with an interceptor I could easily pour those 1500 euros in mods, while on the W800 there's nothing I'd want to change about it, it looks perfect.
Tubed tyres are best off road and if you do a lot of off road and not much road, just fit mousse inserts and no more punctures ever. Most times with a tubed puncture you can get away with inflating with puncture sealant which should always be carried if you run tubes.
only issue with my V7 III was a CEL for o2 sensor, easy fix (so easy I haven’t done it lol)
Yes you can get a Suzuki,but the Moto Guzzi has a character the other bikes wouldn't have,, from the comments Louiggi was on the wine when his bike was built,, sometimes one slips the net ,,alot off manufacturers have a bike with issues,,☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️ from northern Ireland, great content,,
Moto Guzzi's are great looking and sounding motorcycles. My pick is the Le Mans 850 🤩
Only a total Philistine would convert a spoked rim meant for a tubed rim , by that method . The only way to convert a motorcycles wheels to tubeless , is to open the wallet & watch the moths fly out , & spend some bunce on wheels that are designed properly to do the job correctly & safely .
Agree 100%, Zorro. Converting rims from tubed to tubeless using glue and sticky tape looks to me like a potentially lethal bodge.
There is a difference between the way the tyre bead sits on the rims and the tyre can come off the rim if you lose pressure. There is also the question of whether it is road legal in the UK to do it alongside the insurance issues. If this practice was a good idea triumph, BMW and others would do it in the factory.
I seem to remember there being a strong finance/FDA on them recently on the suzuki. That will cause the steep drop in used.
Superb bike, but I had a few problems… Downpipes replaced after flaking paint, ignition coil and right side switch gear replaced. Other than that was great.
How does this tubliss conversion affect your insurance?? Also is it road legal?
Tubes! Yes reading "J"s comments below I remember using a product which I can't remember the name of sadly in my mountian bike some years ago and it still in there I assume not knowing the life span of the stuff? I 've not had a flat since then and I have to say the pressure seems to hold for long periods .
Slime or similar I'd guess
Guzzi quality issues don't surprise me. I've already on a previous Freddie video commented on the chocolate cams on my Griso that Guzzi would not do anything about resulting in the UK Guzzi club taking Piaggio to court. But Piaggio could afford bigger lawyers than the UK MG club who had to withdraw in the face of crippling costs if they lost.
On top of that the bike would often blow a fuse instead of starting because of an electrical design issue which routed the power that operated the starter motor relay (which draws about 25 amps) through a 15 amp fuse AND the ignition switch! I modified my bike using information from the owner internet groups which involved re-wiring a circuit board to introduce a relay into the system. But why should you have to do that?
There were also horror stories on the user groups of headstock bearings and driveshaft gears and bearings wearing prematurely because the factory was omitting greasing these on assembly!
I took a hit on selling that bike and will never touch Moto Guzzi again.
Fascinating, thank you so much for sharing this
I’d love a V85 TT. Ever since I first saw one it was just….I mean, what a bike.
But then I remember it’s a Guzzi and well, I don’t want to be that friendly with my mechanic. I prefer my adventures being about exploring new places, not wondering if it’ll get off the ferry.
Hmm, wonder how a smallish reservoir of NOS would do on a CRF300, just for the long highway slogs, of course....
Just go a bit slower. It's built for fuel economy and reliability. If you want to go fast, get a CRF450RL or a KTM.
Great mic. See you next Tuesday.
I had a V7 Stone…got rid of it after build quality issues…bolts holding the front disc brake came loose and eventually began rubbing inside forks…made such a small noise I didn’t catch it UNTIL I was cleaning and saw how the fork had been eaten away. Sadly the loose bolts from the factory really was a safety issue. Took a bath in re-sale…will not again buy an Italian bike.
My dad and I bought stock V7 bikes. Stone and Classic. We had nothing but problems after problems - and no cure for them. Finally, after many useless guarantee repairs, we gave up and sold them away. The V7 is a beautiful bike, but good for nothing.
Perfect example of the modern over tech shite screwing up an absolute gem
If a bike has a center stand and is properly engineered changing a tube out on the road is no problem at all.Besides if your tubeless comes off the rim you need to install a tube to get it reinflated out on the road anyhow.
I have owned several Japanese bikes and agree that they are very reliable. But so ugly, so lacking in character. The only bike I had with less character was a BMW GS700. Great bike, but oh so bland.
Guzzi California 1100cc was the most comfortable touring bike I have ever owned. I rode it over some really atrocious outback roads in Australia, loaded with gear and pillion. The only two issues I ever had were a broken side stand (weak design) and a fuel line popped off the tank pump inlet (silly idea ).
I rode a factory V 7 from Italy to Nord Kapp and via several countries, over Stelvio back to Italy. It never got properly run in, didn’t get an oil change in the first 10,000 km, and gave me no problems.
My current V7 has now done 30,000 km on Australian roads, often gravel. The only problem was intermittent contact of the starter button. Probably dust, as I had just done about 1000km on gravel. Fixed it by blowing compressed air and applying some contact cleaner.
Local dealer in Tasmania is great, knows Guzzi’s, so I get it serviced by the guys I bought it from.
As I am nearly 80, the V7 will outlast me.
Bought a new V100 Mandello S in 2023...absolutely no issues whatsoever
Interesting as always Freddie, the Suzuki looks like great value!
I went to look at a Moto Guzzi V7 3 weeks ago and was put off by forums that still slate it's quality and reliability!! looked at the BSA Gold Star and also put off by some owners too!!
Forums are full of parrots…. And since ranting is quite common everywhere, combine those two…… a new “truth” is born quickly…
Personally i love Guzzi’s they are the “girl” you can argue with sometimes, maybe a few quirks, but she’s honest, reliable in the end and…. Damn the s*x /“ride” with her is never boring… she’s under your skin.. atleast guzzi’s are under my skin for almost 35 years now… i own and did own a few..
remember that few people go online and make posts about how flawless their bikes are! Go onto car forums and all you see is head gasket, turbo failure etc... I find a balance of them, owner reviews online and the MCN owner section a good yardstick.
Don't forget that many owners don't know how to look after their motorcycles or just neglect the maintenance side.
Keep reading forums and I can most certainly guarantee that you will end up with a characterless Honda or Yamaha.
@@trailrunnermike Yep and I will ALWAYS get to my destination!!
They old Guzzi’s were the best 👍👍
Darcy will be happy
I like spokes, rarely had a bike without them, don't care about it all seeing as l am 60, started riding at 16, have ridden daily since and....have never had a puncture.
Great content Freddie... Thanks
The Guzzi owner must have left it out in the rain without protection. My V7 special has bern flawless and not a sign of corrosion or rust. I suspect a very uneducated owner when it comes to motorcycles. You did Moto Guzzi a great disservice by giving this guy your screen time.
No i didn’t. It was garaged and dried with a bike dryer every time. I am a rider with nearly 50 years experience and I have learned a thing or two on the way. I bought a lemon. I am certainly not uneducated about bikes. I’m not sure how you jumped to that conclusion. Can you explain the dodgy starter switch, the jammed starter motor, the paint flaking on the exhaust? Or is that me being uneducated?
DL1000 V Strom comes with efi and is ultra reliable If you don’t wanna mess with carbs
I don’t know much about new Guzzis, but the old ones are like tanks. Any bike company that used to or do make police bikes are usually pretty dam good. Guzzis are just Harley’s with the motor turned right way.
Nope !
A mate of mine has two Guzzis, a '73 El Dorado and an '80 something T5. He's had a couple of minor electrical issues with the El Dorado, but nothing that you wouldn't expect on a bike that age. The T5 is in a league of its own, when it comes to reliability. He's got near 200k miles on it. In that time its seen a new clutch, ring gear, uni joint and if I recall correctly, I think that he burned a valve. It's on the original bores and rings and it still pulls like a train! The only real faults with either of these bikes is the front ends are both done for.
Other than that, they're tanks.
You buy Italian Cars and Bikes and that is what you get ............ Great styling, character , performance .... but buy a tool kit at the same time.
I have a year old Honda and can't mention the amount of problems I have had and Honda just blames the owner.
Agreed! I used to think Hondas were bombproof until I bought the mother of all lemons: a new CBR 1000RR that had this weird surging idle problem that the dealer just couldn't fix.
The dealer tore into about every major system and spent enough on parts and labor to have puchased two of the same bike. They went good for all the months of troubleshooting but never solved it. I think the dealer ate most of the cost. They were good people.
Honda insisted that it was just "a model characteristic." Some folks opined that it had something to do with emissions compliance, wherein that year's model got certified before the fuel mixture really got sorted and it was running too lean. A remapping of the fuel system might have helped, but Honda wouldn't hear of it and I didn't feel like paying for one. I also live where true performance shops don't exist.
I got far enough in the complaint process to reach the VP of Honda America. He, too, spouted the party line.
I traded that piece of junk for a Kawasaki Z1000 which had lovely smooth fueling and was absolutely trouble-free.
Sadly Guzzi haven't updated their switch gear, which I have to agree, are cheaply made. Water easily gets in, and I ride a lot in the rain so have had to strip my 2019 V7 switch gear a few times. The starter button issue is user error acording to Moto Guzzi 🙄 no. it's a cheap button. However I haven't let those little niggles spoil the fact the v7 is an excellent bike.
Nothing but engine problems (pinking, bent con rod, computer…) bought new 2014. One year of troubles later out of warranty, Piaggio of no help and dealer wouldn’t buy the bike back. However he managed to sell the bike for me at a loss of £4000. So glad to get rid of it. By all means buy a classic carburettored model from the 70’s and 80’s. Beware of the modern bikes and the customer service back up/warrenties.
I don’t know what is going on right now on the second hand market, but it seems frozen. I’m trying to sell several motorcycles since months, at rather low prices, and there is no interest, no reaction to my ad’s. I’m buying and reselling bikes for many years and I’ve never had any problem before this year. I wonder if the Covid is not the guilty...? It seems that lots of people bought a motorcycle during that period, and now market might be saturated... just wondering. Any idea?
What was he cleaning the Guzzi with? Not typical of the type. Muc off is very corrosive according to my mechanic friend. Was he using that?
I clean it with car shampoo and or rhino goo designed for bikes. It never went out on salty roads. I’m sure I didn’t cause the corrosion I’ve owned bikes for nearly fifty years. There were other issues too. I’m not saying all Guzzis are bad, but this was my experience of the brand. Six weeks waiting to get it booked into a dealer for every problem or maintenance task. Not Guzzis fault but the experience of ownership was far below what i would expect from a bike one year old.
Found the Harley’s 48’s not selling very interesting. My husband and I bought the new Harley Davidson Revolution Max RH975 for around $15900 BIG mistake. Incredibly uncomfortable, the gear change is horrendous, accessories ridiculously expensive and last but not least the exhaust heat will literally burn your right leg off!! We decided to trade them for a new Honda Adventure bike. most dealers were not interested at all, they did not want them. We were offered $3000 each by one Power-sport dealer. We finally got $7500 for each bike. We lost $7000 on each bike!! The dealers said Harley’s a dying brand!
We are extremely happy with our Honda’s..
I bought a new V7 Special and the quality was horrendous.
After 4 days I notified the dealer of corrosion on the rear wheel, one week later I notified them again of corrosion on the front wheel.
MG blamed me for washing it incorrectly.
A couple of weeks later oil leaking from the shaft drive and the engine casing also corroding.
After a bit of a battle MG fixed everything under warranty.
II sold it after 12 weeks of ownership of which the dealer had it for 8 weeks at a loss of £1200.00.
I have a V9 with just over 5k on the clock. I haven't had any problems so far but the suspension is awful and paint quality is variable quality to say the least, wonderful on the frame but large chunks peeling off the sump and, most conspicuously, the rocker covers, which is very disappointing. Also I live on the coast so am expecting problems in the future. Japanese brands have better quality control without a doubt (I have a Honda and Suzuki, and a Suzuki car) but I still love the Guzzi !
You won't find many more reliable bikes than BMW airheads but I had two bad ones back in 1981. First went rusty in three weeks flat, the replacement was a vibrating pig. BMW changed them without quibble. I think the chap should have gone back to the distributers and complained.
I suspect that home tubeless conversions are great, until someone pulls out on you and some sharp eyed inspector from the other side's insurance company notices the tubeless valve. Then you're on your own.
nice one freddei
If you know how it works it's less likely to break.
A 7 year warranty with exclusions that will cover normal wear and tear.
Corrosion is normal unless it's stainless steel, titanium,glass,plastic ect.
It could be argued that steel with an anti corrosion finish shouldn't rust but the planet I'm from says it will.
Same goes for aluminium or magnesium alloys.
The new cf motos are tubeless on spoked wheels, royal Enfield has a tubeless option on the Himalayan, I hope other manufacturers start to make tubeless spoked wheel options.
the vstrom spoked 650 was tubeless but the new 800 has tubes, seems like a step backwards there.
Old ADV rider was saying that the kit to make tubed tyres into tubeless is fine until you need to adjust the spokes. He said when adjusting the spokes you would 'crack' the seal in the kit and end up having to start over again installing a new seal kit.
The CRF350Rally is pretty much unridable unless you are around 45kg. Especially if you add luggage. The suspension is so soft, even tiny Noraly had to upgrade the suspension.
Im riding the bigger crf1100, I tried the 300rally. And it bottomed out just by bouncing a tiny bit on the showroom floor. I tried it only on asphalt, but couldn't imagine taking it off road without changing the entire suspension.
I sat on a new CRF Rally at a dealer. I weigh 225lbs. The amount of sag was in the neighborhood of 4 full inches. No thank you.
CRF 300 Rally is a great bike - just keep away from trucks carrying portaloo's!
Buy any brand new machine in the UK and as soon as you sign on the dotted line you are down 20%, delete the VAT before doing the maths on what you.ve lost, It's not depreciation that costs , It's the tax.