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First Impressions: Cali 1400

jojo

Just got it firing!
Joined
Feb 24, 2013
Messages
7
Location
Austin, TX
I just got done with a nice little ride on the cali. I'm walking away from it quite impressed! Who knew cruisers could be that fun?

As is mentioned elsewhere, it is a heavy bike (over 700 pounds I do believe). But it certainly doesn't act like a heavyweight bike when you throw it into a corner and navigate through city traffic. It felt as though it was quite neutral and balanced. The 1400 motor did have a bit of vibration felt through the bars (absolutely nothing like a f'n harley though), but once you got going it was smooth as silk. And flipping between the different maps using the starter button was a handy feature (although the display was reading the italian words and not english).

I've owned v-twins before (of the honda and harley variety), but this thing is just plain bad ass. I thought the stock exhaust had a nice "burble" to it; and I can only imagine it would get better with a righteous exhaust on it. The silver/grey color looked great with the black wheels as well; very sharp.

Hats off to af1 racing (austin, tx) for allowing me the opportunity to ride the cali and to moto guzzi for making it. A damn fine motorcycle indeed!
 
I can't wait to test ride. I plan on dropping by a local dealer next Tuesday - can't wait.

It doesn't surprise me that the guzzi feels lighter that it is. The tire size selection and the lowered seat, besides guzzi design tradition, promotes better handling. Light weight battery, aftermarket exhaust will save around 20lbs alone.
 
Rafael said:
The tire size selection and the lowered seat, besides guzzi design tradition, promotes better handling. Light weight battery, aftermarket exhaust will save around 20lbs alone.
200 rear tire might suggest otherwise, but it does work well.
Mufflers and battery? I'd say closer to 30-40 pound range.
 
I just heard that the cali was released in socal if anyone is that area. They have it at a new italian bike shop called Newport Italian in newport beach.. looks like they will be having their grand opening this weekend. I love guzzis and will definitely go check out the store to see what they got.. looks pretty cool but i will let you all know what its like!

reply if you are interested!
 
GT-Rx said:
200 rear tire might suggest otherwise,

What size is the front? I suspect the tires work together with the wheel base and the fork rake to make it handle.

GT-Rx said:
Mufflers and battery? I'd say closer to 30-40 pound range.
That's even better. I don't think there's much else on the bike to reduce weight without spending a fortune and getting little for it.
 
After looking at the new 1400 for a while now there is still one thing I cant put aside.
I just hate the fuel tank cutouts for the cylinders. To me it looks like they designed a bike and forgot they had to fit a fuel tank,then cut and shut some old thing they had laying around to make it fit.
A real OCC effort from my point of view.
Ciao
 
It's funny just how polarizing this bike has been. I had zero interest in the cali until I saw a picture of the production version of the custom a couple weeks ago. I'm a sportsbiker, and the griso 8v is the most "traditional" bike I've owned.

...however, I felt something for this california...and had to see it in person to make sure it wasn't love.

Over the weekend I sought out the demo custom at Moto International. It was parked next to a copy of my nero diablo. The cali is a monsterous bike. Everything about it is over-the-top, and it made me want it. I rode it. After getting accustomed to the floorboard controls and the slightly soft throttle response (even in sport mode it doesn't match the griso's reflexes) I realized just how comfortable and EASY this bike is. It goes, stops, turns, and balances EASY. I love its looks, its tractable power, and its electronic sophistication.

On the other hand, I don't know if I like the rubber mounted engine. I like the way the engine toques the chassis of my griso when i give it a rap on the throttle. This big thing doesn't.

I know it isn't love, but perhaps it will grow in time. I might be ready in a couple of years...
 
Good comparo opiumcake, I am interested in the Griso and that's how I discovered the Cali. Doing a test ride tomorrow to evaluate the bike and see how my adrenalin level goes. It's nice to read posts by people with more MG knowledge here. Great forum. Ciao!
 
Yeah, its up elsewhere but for those who don't go there....

OK, bear with me as we have a fair bit to cover here.

I'm going to first try and give a bit of an overview of what both models are like to ride and tell tou about the actual physical changes that have occurred in the engine and driveline. After that I'll go into a bit more technical detail as to WHY this is such a stunning and ground breaking motorcycle, not just for Guzzi but for its market segment as a whole. Be warned though, if you are someone who is still bemoaning the fact that valves are now enclosed, lubrication is no longer constant loss and you really don't trust those new-fangled pneumatic tyres you'd better stop reading then otherwise you'll probably have an aneurysm!

Well we got picked up from our hotel by the shuttle bus and transported to the Elysian Fields of sunny, downtown Millpera in Sydney's outer west, home of gun-crime, drug-lords, V8 driving Bogans and the headquarters of the John Sample Group the Australian Guzzi/Aprilia importers.

After signing the required paperwork and a quick briefing we a were allocated our bikes for the first leg of the ride, I scored a kitted out 'Touring'. Excellent as this is the bike I'm buying. Initial impressions are of size. It looks like a BIG bike. That's because it is a big bike. Having said that it is not daunting, just large. Getting it off the side stand is a piece of piss. It carries its weight very well. De-activate the alarm by pressing the small button on the key fob and press the starter button.

Immediately it'll burst into life. No choke, not even a stepper motor to control the idle, the Ride By Wire/7SM system just does it all for you. At idle you can look down and see the motor jumping around like a cat on a hot tin roof until its warmed up but right from the get-go all you feel through the bars is a healthy but un intrusive vibration that allows you to know you're on a big, twin cylinder motorbike with pistons the size of soup plates, (The bore is 104mm, over four inches.).

Pull in the clutch, which feels similar to the later Stelvios etc. and is considerably lighter than the clutch on my early A5 Griso which has a fairly Herculean pull compared to the later bikes, and tread it into first. Uh-oh! It hasn't gone in. Start to release the clutch to spin the shafts up so the dogs can engage and then whip it in quick and check the dash. Yup, the neutral light has gone off and the gear indicator shows you're in first. You didn't imagine it, it tried to stall as you let the clutch out because it had gone into gear! Its just that after being used to an early CARC 8V with no face cam shock absorber on the input shaft you become accustomed to going into first making a noise like dropping a beer keg into a cement mixer! Yes boys and girls, Guzzi have, at last, reinstated the face cam shock absorber AND reverted to a dirty great coil spring to load it rather than the unforgiving stacked belville washer system used in the earlier CARC bikes and later five speeds. It makes selecting gears and clutchless up-changes a breeze!

Having established you're in gear you can release the clutch and the machine will pull away instantly and cleanly and then something amazing happens! You hit 1,800RPM and all vibration vanishes! Oh yes, if you give it a great handful of throttle you'll feel the power pulses and if you look down you can see the motor rocking to and fro until you're above 2,750RPM, which is incidentally where it produces a prodigious 120Nm of torque, by comparison the Road King makes 134Nm but at 3,500RPM. The whole design, not just of the motor but the entire engine management system is about one main thing. TORQUE, TORQUE AND MORE TORQUE!!! The thing is though that nothing is transmitted to the rider, its uncanny. You can hear it working and if you do twist the go handle acceleration is very impressive. If you over-throttle in a situation like turning through an intersection it is really, really easy to get the back end to step out...................Only it isn't, because the bike has traction control. More on that later.

Once underway you can slip it through the gears with a gentle tap of the heel, changes are swift, smooth and I didn't miss a single one all day. The gearbox is great, another huge step forward in refinement. Going back down the gears? A light blip of the throttle to match the shaft speed and changes are as sweet as they are going up. When changing up the clutch is effectively redundant after second gear unless, like me, you use it out of habit.

Another aspect of the bike that astonished me was how light the steering was and how well it handled. I was expecting, looking at its wheelbase, its rake and trail figures and the tyre profiles for it to be a stable but ponderous beast not much given to direction changes and requiring some serious 'Muscle to Hussle'! Nothing could be further from the truth! Not only can this hippo dance it can do the bloody Charleston!!! Note the other new model being launched this day was the new 'prilla Crapponord.1200 CC.s and about 125HP of blazing stupidity on two wheels. It uses the same insane motor as the 1200 Doso but has a fairing and bags but even with 30 more HP and god alone knows how much less weight they weren't disappearing into the vanishing point at any of the speeds we were doing and you could tell the blokes on the Cappos were having to work harder in the corners. Weight sometimes has advantages on the road unless you are riding something specifically set up for you and the riding conditions! At no time were the Calis, particularly the Custom, overwhelmed by the opposition and on the ride were V7's, a Shiver, a 1200 Doso, two Cappos and a couple of other 'Prillas of unquestionable pedigree. Oh and my mate Dave tagged along on his KTM990 Adventure.

Another question people have asked is "How soon do the boards drag?" Put it this way, there was one nutter on one of the Customs who nearly started a bushfire on one very twisty bit, the sparks were very impressive. If I was Mike Tiberio I'd be tempted to get a few chunks of Titanium to bolt to the outer edges go the boards. Ti throws up the most magnificent sparks and for someone like Mike who is an ex-racer I'm sure it would be very good for getting people to give you a wide berth . For someone of my lacklustre talents though? Well, I touched the boards down a grand total of four times and one of those times was negotiating a RH turn over the crest of a road with an extreme camber on a trailing throttle. Yup, sure you can grind 'em but nowhere near as easily as you can on most of the few other cruisers I've ridden with boards and when they do grind they don't upset the bike because they just fold.

Lets look at the ergonomics now.

None of the bikes we rode had the lowered seat. I have a picture of one of the blokes on the ride who is barely above midget status on the Custom. From the picture you can see that he's got no problem sitting on it with both feet on the ground, in fact in the pic the ground is actually dropping towards to me so he's having to *Extend* his leg on that side. Message is short arses can apply! The Touring *might* be a bit taller in the seat but realy I think its a bit of a much of a muchness. And once again there IS a lowered seat available.

I found both bikes comfortable but it is obvious that the Custom is aimed clearly at the V-Rod segment of the market while the Touring is designed to do exactly what it says on the side. I personally, and probably perversely, preferred the touring. The reason for that is probably the juxtaposition of bars and feet. Not only did I find the Touring's more upright riding position more comfortable but I've never been able to come at the 'Feet and arms' forward thing? Apart from being uncomfortable it makes you look like a simian retard and I need no help in that regard!

Even on the Touring I found that for optimum comfort I was riding with my heels off the back of the footboards at first. This isn't an issue as I found that to tap the gear lever with my heel, (Did I mention how nice the gearbox is? ) just required lifting my heel and rotating my ankle in a sort of clockwise circular motion and I could click it into the next ratio. All good, the Custom I just didn't feel so comfortable on.

The rear brake? Now I found this a bit too far forward and a bit too high but still eminently useable. The problem is probably with me rather than the brake. I'm just not used to a rear brake being in that position. I don't use the rear an awful lot anyway so for me it wasn't really an issue.

One thing I did find was that I was having a tendency to slump in the seat, especially when on the freeway with the cruise control on. I think its to do with the 'Cruiser' riding position generally as you tend to be bolt upright rather than having a forward lean like say the Griso. That might well be fixable with a slightly different bend to the bars but its probably a very individual thing.

Brakes? The important ones are 100mm radial mount Brembos as used on the G8 and Stelvio. 'Nuff said. Chuck the FF pads and fit HH's. Rear is perfectly adequate to kick in the ABS if stamped on with vigour. Master cylinders are standard fare, perfectly adequate for the task.

Mirrors are the same chromed horrors used on Grisos but because of the lack of vibration they actually work well on the Cali and give a good view of the road behind.

This brings us on to the next topic of gee-gaws and bling........

The Cali 1400 uses the same 7SM controller as the RSV-4/TV-4 and in doing so has opened up a host of possibilities for add-ons and enhancements that are simply not possible with smaller, simpler systems. The use of CANBUS to communicate between the various components also means that you end up with a single, integrated communication cable providing all the connectivity needed. If one were to try and use a 'Conventional' loom got this purpose it would be as thick as your thigh and require more copper per bike than comes out of Zaire in a month!

Most notably with the Cali are some features previously only seen on TOTR Aprilias, namely the Tri-Map power control option and traction control and for the first time on any Piaggio machine I believe the adoption of cruise control.

Firstly lets look at the Tri-Map system.

Because of the Ride By Wire (RBW.) system there is no physical connection between the throttle cables and the actual throttlebody butterfly. The cables go to what is called a 'Demand Sensor' under the tank and signals from it, (It is, for simplicity's sake, a sort of four-way TPS.) go to the ECU and the ECU uses this and inputs from a variety of other sources to calculate how its going to manage the engine. Since there is no physical connection the ECU can choose to change not only spark and fuel but throttle butterfly position as well opening up a host of possibilities for changing the character of the engine and its delivery.

There are three maps available that can be chosen by the rider. There is no need to stop, the maps can be swapped while riding. Once the engine is running the starter button doubles as the map-choosing button. Simply hold it down and the map, which is displayed on the dash, will start to blink. A quick press will move it in to the next selection. If the button is then left alone it will blink for a second or two and then 'Lock in' that map. If you wish to go to the next choice just tap the button again before it stops blinking.

The three maps, which incidentally only display in Italian, are Turrismo, Velloce and Pogglia. Touring, Sport and Rain. Touring offers great smoothness, the best fuel economy and moderate engine braking. Sport doesn't seem to me to offer a great performance boost but it significantly increases engine braking at the expense of making the engine feel slightly harsher. Rain is a power and torque limiting mode that limits throttle opening. I spent most of the time in 'Touring' simply because I couldn't really see any advantage to 'Sport' on the roads we were riding but all three work well with no flaws I could identify.

Next up we should look at the traction control.

As mentioned this is a motor that produces prodigious amounts of torque. As such it would be easy to accidentally crack the throttle and get the back end to step out on you, especially in the wet. Using the two ABS sensors though the ECU has the capacity to detect any difference in speed between the front and rear wheels and it is able to do this within 30 degrees of wheel rotation. The reaction time is very, very fast. Daniel did a few sums and reckons that it takes about 26 milliseconds for the system to react. It probably takes longer for a message to travel down your arm and up to your brain through the synapses of your nervous system, never mind make a decision about what you're going to do and act upon it! The system has three separate, choosable, degrees of intervention to allow more or less control to be left with the rider and/or allow more 'Slippage' before it cuts in to save your sorry ass if you goof up! There is also the option to turn it off completely if you're feeling brave. I can't see the point. I had it set on 1, the lowest level of intervention, and never had it cut in but it is to my mind on such a torquey bike a really useful safety aid. Like air-bags in a car you'd hope you never *Have* to use it but its good to know its there. There is also the need to re-calibrate the system when new tyres or tyres with a different profile, (Say from different manufacturers.) are fitted but this is a simple procedure involving simply travelling for a short time, (20 seconds?) at 40kph in second gear until it tells you its re-calibrated. Its all explained in the handbook and is very easy to do.

The ABS system is a straightforward system as used on all other Guzzis and Aprilias and most other bikes as well. Until I had a bike with ABS I was always a skeptic. Now I'm a convert. 'Nuff said.

This in turn brings us to the cruise control. What a wonderful thing to have on a touring motorcycle! Especially in our police infested highways. The system once again uses the ABS trigger signals to plot speed.

On the right hand switchblock there is an activation button. To activate the cruise control you must be in third gear or above and travelling at or above 40kph, (25mph.) the control works up to 180kph after which it automatically disengages, (I know, I tried it!).

Press the button and hold it for two seconds. This turns the cruise control on but it will be inactive. At this point the control indicator light will start flashing on the dash. When the required speed is reached another quick press of the button will activate the control and the dash light will illuminate full time and road speed will be maintained unless the vehicle encounters such a steep hill that the ECU thinks its going to stall! De-activating it can be done either by another quick stab at the button or using the brakes or clutch just like a conventional car system. To turn it off you simply hold the button down again for two seconds.

While the control is active you can accelerate up to 30kph above your cruise speed for overtaking and the like and then when the throttle is released it will return to cruising speed. Accelerate to over 30kph above the set speed and the system will de-activate the control.

Purely in the interests of experimentation I set the control at 160kph, (A 'Go to Gaol' speed here in Oz so I won't be repeating it in a hurry!) and then wound it up to 190! Sure enough at 180 it said 'Enough!' And disengaged!!!

While the button was a bit fiddly I'm sure I'll get used to it. The most irritating thing was trying to set it precisely to stick with the flow of traffic on the freeway. Unlike most car systems it doesn't have a 'Raise the speed' button so you have to use the twist grip to get the speed right and then try to stab the button with your thumb at precisely the right point to engage the cruise. This, along with the flashing light when the control is on but inactive were about my biggest niggles with the bike so I think you can safely say that if those were the biggest niggles it has to be a pretty special motorbike!

A few other things that are worth knowing that have sprung to mind.

Firstly, despite outward similarities most of the engine is 'New' in that it is a complete re-design of the previous 8V. Crankcase, sump and cylinder heads are all entirely new castings. Gone is the sump spacer with a mess of filters and pick-ups on it, all that is now part of the crankcase itself and there is a redesigned sump beneath it. Gone as well are the drillings in the head casting that took oil around the exhaust valve seats. The new heads have, as well as the twin-plug provision, large, cast in galleries more like chambers to contain the cooling oil. Its all a lot more substantial than the earlier engines.

The intake side is taken care of by a single, huge, 52(?)mm throttlebody, anyway its big! This feeds into a plenum chamber which also has a pressure sensor, yet another of the inputs that allows fuelling choices to be massaged and adapted for the different maps. As with the new V7 this means that TB balancing becomes a thing of the past and while it was never an arduous task it is one less thing to worry about! For anyone worried about such a system limiting performance? Well, as I said before I took it to 190kph on one occasion and it still had plenty more to come. How much do you actually need or want on a cruiser.

People have also expressed an interest in fuel consumption. Well, on this ride which was 'Quasi-Legal' I suppose in that we were on fairly heavily policed roads but were also determined to put the bikes through their paces I found that the low fuel light came on at about 180km BUT! Before anybody froths at the mouth this is when there is still a huge amount of fuel in the tank. When I finally filled up the tank at about 215 Km it took a whisker over 14 litres. Tank capacity is listed at 20.5 litres so I still had almost another 100km of spirited riding fuel remaining. I'm sure if I was on a boring freeway drone with the cruise control on it would of got much better figures.

Pete
 
Great review Pete, it was great to pull up and see I think 17 new bikes of various bikes and wow I love the look of the Cali in the flesh.
Thanks for the walk and talk around thè bikes I could see your excitement in the new Cali...
As a griso owner and a owner of a coupla Harley's in the past, I will in time put a Cali in the garage before another Harley for sure.
 
bobra said:
Fantastic review Pete - thanks for taking the time and trouble. I'm looking forward to one arriving in Adelaide.

Cheers

Buy one off me! :twisted: at least you know it'll be set up right! Jude told me you'd given up being CVO of South Oz? Time for some fun in semi retirement. You need a Cali :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Pete
 
pete roper said:
bobra said:
Fantastic review Pete - thanks for taking the time and trouble. I'm looking forward to one arriving in Adelaide.

Cheers

Buy one off me! :twisted: at least you know it'll be set up right! Jude told me you'd given up being CVO of South Oz? Time for some fun in semi retirement. You need a Cali :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Pete


Yep - I've decided work is interfering too much with motorcycling! I'll look forward to catching up and having dinner with you and Jude when you're back from the big trip.

Cheers
 
For those of you that didn't test ride this thing yet, it's just like Pete says: Basically tons of torque and handling unmatched in that category bike.
I was in Dahlonega a couple of weeks ago and took that big boy on a test ride for about 20 minutes or so.
Before we went, David (salesman there) sad to me "Don't be afraid to throw the Cali in the turns", so true to his words, I did. :twisted:
It amazed me that this cruiser like bike had so much clearance before scrapping the floor boards.
I was fresh from the Cherohala Skyway and before that the Dragon that day so I wasn't handling this bike like a timid, lazy bum, lol.
I was still with the momentum until I scrapped real good in a right hand curve and at that point I chilled everything out.
I ain't gonna be the dude to waste a demo bike, ouch!
But being a small bastard at 5.7" I didn't feel like I was on a big pig despite the fact that it might feel that way just sitting on the bike.
The only thing for me that cancels ownership of this cool bike if I was gonna buy one, is the riding position with its foot boards etc... Which is typical to the cruiser theme but I expected this going in.
Now seriously, for those into cruisers and not stuck on Harleys or metric copies etc... This is the bike!!!
Try one and you'll remember reading this thread. ;)

Picture of yours truly, before departure...
 
Your Review is spot on. I had the privilege of having the Keys to the Touring Model for 2 days and 600km. My Demo bike had an Augustini slip ons.... I had to try it after hearing them... WOW . That is the nicest bike transmission I have ever shifted. And smooth as silk.
But alas I'm not a cruiser kinda rider any more and bought a new Stelvio NTX instead. Wish the Stelvio was as smooth.
 
I rode on one a demo day, turned around and bought a Touring version the next month. Loved it then, love it now!!! My first cruiser style, and love it! Haven't regretted the decision at all!!!
 
I'm two months in to ownership and I can honestly say.......I love this bike,I've ridden it mainly in crappy weather as it's the beginning of winter here,but that hasn't fazed me or the Cali! I've addressed my only gripe which was the bike was far too quiet....a set of mistrals and it's perfect now! The thing handles like no bike of this size should be allowed to and stops as good as a sports bike,at the same time as looking better than any cruiser on the road!
I am truly over the moon with my choice and can't wait to get away to France and Belgium in May for a spot of WW1 sites and camping:) any other Guzzisti in the UK fancy it,Dm me
 
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