Another new guy with 1200 sport questions??

[LostViking]

Howdy folks,
Newb here(sort of), with some 1200 Sport Questions. I did some searching here and other places and I also see there is another thread on this subject not too far down the line. I'm not as concerned about price and dealer location. Since three dealers have closed up in my upstate New York area as of late. I'm almost in Canada so most are a long ways away anyway. As someone said in that thread this is the most bike you can buy for $8,500.00 - $9,500.00. I agree.

I'm looking for a new bike this coming spring. I was looking serious at the New Bonneville, which got me looking at the V7 Classic. Which in turn got me looking at the 1200 Sport. A bike I really had the hots for when I first saw it a few years back. But I was in the process of downsizing so I passed on it. I was going to ask this over on ADV(and still may) but decided to ask in a more Guzzi specific forum first. I see many folks overlap anyways.

My questions are more bike specific. Not really looking to compare it to what other bikes do, or don't do. Or at least I don't want to hear why I should buy the bike that someone else thinks I should because that's what they have. I want to hear about the 1200 Sport. From people that own, or at the very least have ridden one. One of my issues with ADV and other forums is you end up sorting through replies from folks who have never even sat on the bike in question. So here goes.
1. What do you like about the 1200 Sport?
2. What don't you like about it?
3. How does it handle one up, loaded for touring? Factory Hard Bags?
4. Wind management, buffeting? I'm 5'7" and owned a Quota.
5. Any chronic issues that need to be dealt with?
6. Honest MPG? Tank Range?
7. Enough juice to run Grips and Heated Jacket?

This will be my only bike and will be ridden a lot. Last year I took a 2011 R1200R across the country on a 7,000 mile solo trip. And put about 14,000 mils on total. The R12R did everything well, but more than once I found myself wondering what the trip would have been like on the 1200 Sport? I personally find naked or almost naked bikes much more engaging to travel on then the big dedicated touring bikes. And much more fun on day/weekend trips.

I've owned a Quota in the past, that served me well and traveled across country also. Only issue I had with the Quota was the shift lever fell off somewhere in Minnesota. Luckily, I was just leaving a gas station and found it relatively fast. Took me longer to get to my tools than it did to fix it. Other than that Great bike that I should have kept.

One thing that draws me to the 1200 is the ability to mount decent looking hard bags to it. I really like hard bags.

But to be honest I love the Guzzi sound. More than once on my trip I found myself wishing the R12 sounded better. You can make a BMW sound different, You can make it sound louder, but I don't think you can make one sound better. I'm Shallow, I know. I'm a twin guy, I just like twins, And It would seem I really like V-twins.

I also love the look of the 1200 Sport. It looks meaty coming at you. It looks great just standing there. Again, call me shallow, but I want a bike I like to look at.

Another thing is I really like Guzzi folks. I have never met a guy on a Guzzi I didn't enjoy talking with.

So that about sums it up.

Thanks everyone in advance for your feed back on this.

And because everyone likes pictures, here's my Quota on the way to the MOA rally in Gillette, Wyoming a few years back.

 

[john zibell]

I don't have the 1200 Sport, but I do have the 1100 Breva which is very similar, si I'll try to answer your questions in order.

1. What do you like about the 1200 Sport?
A. Breva is a similar bike. Love the fit and smoothness. Handles well when the suspension is set up.

2. What don't you like about it?
A. It is out of production.

3. How does it handle one up, loaded for touring? Factory Hard Bags?
A. Like I said, one the suspension is set up, she is good. One up or Two up. Just a little more preload for two up. As for luggage, I opted for Hepco Becker Journeys, bags and trunk. I think they are a system the Guzzi factory bags.

4. Wind management, buffeting? I'm 5'7" and owned a Quota.
A. I just use the factory shield on mine, I'm 5' 11" or so and have no problem.

5. Any chronic issues that need to be dealt with?
A. I'd do the starter relay modification when I got it.

6. Honest MPG? Tank Range?
A. I get 46-50 MPG depending on how much I push and the ambient temperature. With the 6 gallon tank, I'll ride for 200 miles, and when I see a gas station, I'll go ahead a fill up. I could use a break by then anyway.

7. Enough juice to run Grips and Heated Jacket?
A. Plenty.

 

[Bisbonian]

1. What do you like about the 1200 Sport?

When I originally bought my 1200 Sport I was coming off a 10,000 mile trip to Alaska and back on a DL1000 V-Strom. As a result of that trip I decided that I no longer wanted anything with a chain. I was initially drawn to the 1200 Sport because I really like the looks of it, I've had mine for over 2 years now and still enjoy looking at the bike, something that normally cannot be said about the V-Strom.

After some initial rider comfort adjustments my 1200 Sport fits me better and is more comfortable for me than any other bike I can remember that I've owned in the past 10 years.

All of my bikes have been rated around 100hp so that is a good number for me and the Sport feels like one of the stronger ones.

I enjoy not seeing myself around every street corner.

The bike is easy to work on, if necessary, and maintenance is quite simple.

The bike performs a variety of purposes for me from back road scratcher to tourer. It's fine with droning on the highway but is as capable on twisty roads as I am.

This bike makes me smile.

2. What don't you like about it?

I bought this bike sight-unseen after having only sat on one at a dealership and not being comfortable on it. It was a great leap of faith that I could make this bike fit me.

Stock I found the bars were too low and too far forward, in addition the footpegs were a tad too high and I had a hard time getting my legs to bend that much. When I ordered the bike I ordered a set of Aprilia Mana bars at the same time, I also order a set of Buell XB footpegs which give about a 1" drop. These fixed my ergonomic issues.

Dealers are not close to my house. I guess I have it better than some as my closest dealer is only about 100 miles away.

3. How does it handle one up, loaded for touring? Factory Hard Bags?

I'm not as aggressive as some but I find the bike handles fine however I have it loaded. I use the factory Norge bags which I have some issues with but like them because they look good and when I have them off there is no unsightly bracketry to get in the way. I've ridden one up with the bike empty, 2 up empty, one up with loaded bags and 2 up loaded including a tank bag and haven't found anything weird going on. This is a good stable platform.

4. Wind management, buffeting? I'm 5'7" and owned a Quota.

If you know anything about the V-Strom then you have heard about buffeting issues on it. One of the reasons I bought the 1200 Sport was because the tiny bikini fairing would give no buffeting. I get a decent amount of wind blast but it's clean air so even though I get blown around sometimes there is none of the buffeting that feels like I'm being hit in the head with a hammer. There are a couple of options for taller windscreens, I have tried one of them (didn't like it) and have the other on order and expect it to arrive at any time. On longer trips the wind blast can make me tired just from the constant pressure on my head, if I would slow down a bit it would probably be better.

5. Any chronic issues that need to be dealt with?

When I bought my 1200 Sport it felt like there was a huge hole in the powerband right where I spent the majority of my riding time; a session on the dyno confirmed this. While I went with the full fueling option that Todd offers to mitigate this others have had luck with only the O2 optimizer (which I think is no longer available by itself). Don't get me wrong, many people run these bikes with no fueling changes and love them but after the changes my 1200 Sport went from a bike that was "okay but nothing special" to a bike that I can't imagine trading for anything else. The fueling changes don't necessarily make any more power but definitely change the driveability of the bike.

The battery and starter issues. Not all suffer from problems but evidently the way the bike is wired leads to hard starting. The easy fix is talked about here and there is even a kit available from MPH Cycles to fix the wiring issue. My deal with the battery was the constant appearance of green on the battery terminals. It seems as though everyone takes this for granted and that it's just maintenance to clean and grease the battery terminals but I have never had another vehicle which seemed to susceptible to this problem. My fix was to change from a lead/acid battery to Lithium Iron Polymer but that lead to its own problems as when the weather is cold this battery does not like to function well.

That's it for me, no big issues that I've had to deal with.

6. Honest MPG? Tank Range?

I believe I get the suckiest mileage of anyone I speak with. I'm averaging about 35 mpg (US) with about 200 miles before the fuel light comes on. At the Guzzi breakfast Sunday it was determine that no one else gets below 40 with many seeing 50 a good portion of the time and one guy claiming he's seen 60mpg. Even before the fueling changes I never saw 50 let alone 60 but I did see low 40s a couple of times. Thank god my car gets great mileage or else I'd have to justify bike ownership by good gas mileage and have to buy something else.

7. Enough juice to run Grips and Heated Jacket?

I don't run heated grips but do have a full heated jacket and it has plenty of juice for that. I've installed Stelvio handguards and find that my hands stay comfortable down into the 30s with just a light pair of gloves.

**

In addition to the aforementioned mods I've added aftermarket exhaust a factory centerstand and Corbin seat. Lowered pegs can interfere with the stock US sidestand and I chose to purchase the sidestand that the rest of the world gets which is much shorter and to me more aesthetically pleasing.

I think that's all I have right now.

 

[GMan38]

What I like about it is it's uniqueness, and sounds unlike anything else out there. What I don't like is the seat. To me, it's very uncomfortable. Not the seating position but the shape/density of the seat. It easily gets mid-upper 40's on a gallon of gas, and I usually find a gas station about the time it hits 200 on the tripmeter. Easily can run heated grips on it. It even has a plug in under the front of the tank to wire in the Guzzi heated grips. I'm a v-twin guy, having had a Buell, 2 Honda SuperHawks and an RC51, which I still have and will never part with. I prefer soft luggage, just strap on a tank bag and tail pack, and hit the road. I can't tell a difference in handling when it's got the luggage on or off. Never carried a passenger. Handles/corners really good for a 560 pound bike. After riding the 1200 Sport and my RC51 back to back, the wind protection on the Guzzi is pretty darn good (compared to the RC). I've only had mind about 9 months and only did about 5000 miles on it last year. Hope to do better than that this year. Try it, you'll like it.

 

[GMan38]

My fix was to change from a lead/acid battery to Lithium Iron Polymer but that lead to its own problems as when the weather is cold this battery does not like to function well.

I was thinking of going to the lithium battery, as it saves 11 pounds over the lead type. It's supposed to have more CCA, so I don't understand why you'd have cold weather issues with it. Anyone else try one?

 

[Bisbonian]

My fix was to change from a lead/acid battery to Lithium Iron Polymer but that lead to its own problems as when the weather is cold this battery does not like to function well.

I was thinking of going to the lithium battery, as it saves 11 pounds over the lead type. It's supposed to have more CCA, so I don't understand why you'd have cold weather issues with it. Anyone else try one?

If you go on the Shorai website they will tell you that performance can suffer in cold weather and when cold the battery may not be able to crank over the engine.

The suggested fix on the website is to try cranking the bike a few times and the cells will heat up and allow the full cranking capacity.

What happens to me is that the bike makes one solid thunk of the starter engaging and then doesn't try to do anything else, I believe the starter programming keeps the starter from trying to start if there is not enough amperage so it's not allowing that cranking that would heat the cells up.

If I put the charger on the battery for about 5 seconds and then remove the charger leads the bike will start right up.

I've gone through all the normal stuff on the bike, the battery is what I'm left with.

FYI it will only do this on the initial start, once I get the bike running it's good for the day.

 

[ohiorider]

1. What do you like about the 1200 Sport?
2. What don't you like about it?
3. How does it handle one up, loaded for touring? Factory Hard Bags?
4. Wind management, buffeting? I'm 5'7" and owned a Quota.
5. Any chronic issues that need to be dealt with?
6. Honest MPG? Tank Range?
7. Enough juice to run Grips and Heated Jacket?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What do I like?
a. Gutsy bike, acceleration is good, sound is good, bike is smooth for a v twin, brakes very good.
Don't like?
a. Could weigh 50-75 pounds less
b. Don't like the stepper motor that 'regulates' the idle speed
c. Ergos from the factory suck. I replaced stock bars with Mana bars, also installed adjustable foot pegs and had the saddle reshaped and repadded with firmer foam by Sargent Saddle.
Handling?
a. one up - no issues solo or loaded on a trip. Ran between 50 and 85 most of 4500 mile trip. Couple of runs for a mile or two at 100mph. Solid as a rock. Rolls into a turn and stay put like on rails.
b.I don't use factory bags ..... installed Hepco Becker pannier mounts. Normally ride with the small 30 liter Junior hard bags, but use the larger 40 liter Hepco Becker bags for touring. Both work with same pannier mounts.
Wind management?
a. I'm also 5'7". I like unfaired bikes, so I'm fine with this bike. The little bikini fairing works (really).
Chronic issues?
a. None to date, aside from near non existant competent dealer network.
Honest mpg and tank range?
a. Once broken in, my 1200 will pull 43 -45mpg. Hits reserve at 230-240 miles.
Enough juice to run grips, etc?
a. Yes. Don't have wattage output for alternator in front of me, but as I recall, it is much higher than my old R100GS (280W), and I ride that bike with heated grips and vest.
EDIT: 1200 Sport Electrical System Output:
Battery 12 V - 18 Ah
Voltage 12 V
Alternator 12 V - 550 W. For comparison, my old BMW R100GS alternator outputs 280W, and I've ridden it in cold weather running a sleeveless electric vest and factory heated grips .... probably consuming in the range of 75-90W. The original BMW K bikes came with a 460W alternator, and they had plenty of juice.

Took delivery in April of 2010. Bike to date has slightly less than 21,000 miles on the odometer. Looking forward to many more. For me, this bike is a keeper.

BTW - you mentioned looking at a Bonneville prior to considering the 1200 Sport. I own a 2003 Bonnie that I've ridden over 46000 miles. This is another fine bike, but as they say in the land of Oz, it's cheese and chalk ...... they're totally different bikes. Don't ask me to explain ..... I think if you've looked at both, you already understand the differences.

Bob

 

[LostViking]

Gentlemen,

Wow, thank you for the detailed responses. That is exactly the type of feedback I was seeking. I know all bikes have their quirks. The trick is finding ones you can live with. I have always liked the Guzzi line and feel they don't get the credit they deserve. While the lack of dealers concerns me, I can deal with it. As Rocker 59 points out, dealer availability doesn't always provide a solution to an on the road issue anyway.

Having owned BMWs as far back as the R65. I struggle to let go a bit. But the technology on the newer bikes purifies the riding experience a bit too much for me. Not to mention the prices are climbing beyond my comfort zone.

As to the Triumph, yes, I know they are very different. Having owned a Quota and a Scrambler in the past. But I was and still am looking at them for the same reasons. I love the classic look, dealer support is decent. And much like a sportster they make a great base to create whatever you want. However, I am slightly concerned about the 67 hp being enough for me. I agree with Bisbonian, that somewhere around 100 hp is the sweet spot. Enough for spirited one up blasts, good for two up travel, But not enough to be a high speed snarling monster that needs to be kept in check all the time.

Having had all manner of faired bikes. I have come to the conclusion that I don't ever gain more than I give up. Everybody is different, and many will disagree. But I have basically given up my search for a faired bike that doesn't batter me with buffeting. And for me at least, cause more grief than it's worth. That being said I drool over a Norge every time I see one.

Since the first day I strapped a backpack to my Seca 750 for my first overnight bike trip. All I've ever really wanted was a standard bike with with hard bags attached. I sadly have to admit. That I have been sucked in by the giant marketing machine to spend my money on many things that try to make my motorcycling experience more car like. Something I wasn't looking for in the first place.

Hence the reason for this thread. I am desperately seeking to return to my motorcycling roots. I tend to travel a slightly different path than most people which may ultimately make the Moto Guzzi my perfect companion.

Again, my most sincere thanks to all who responded to my question with honest, realistic answers.

Walt,

 

[PP-1753]

Walt,

I will second, third and fourth those that commented before me. Mine is now 4 years old and today I clocked up 40000 km. We all do the personalising thing different ways - Guzzis are unique and so are their owners - all good.

My longest trip was 2000 km and I found I needed a break, not the bike - it would go all day between 100 and 200 kph. I can get between 350 to 400 km out of a tank, fully loaded (don't spare the horses Jeeves!)

The hole in the map was cured by getting the second map installed. Made it a different bike and now pulls cleanly from 3000 rpm to over 8500 rpm - no point in going higher but engine is still pulling real good.

I don't think you will be disappointed in a 1200 Sport. Mine is a 2 valve.

the BWMs are V twins too - though their angle is a tad sloppy at 180 degrees

 

[Pheebster]

c. Ergos from the factory suck. I replaced stock bars with Mana bars, also installed adjustable foot pegs and had the saddle reshaped and repadded with firmer foam by Sargent Saddle.


Bob

Bob, can I ask what adjustable pegs did you fit ?

Thanks,

Ian

 

[GMan38]

Bisbonian... Since Parts Unlimited sells the Ballistics brand LiFe batteries, I found this on the Ballistics website about cold weather starting: http://www.ballisticparts.com/downloads ... video2.php .

 

[ohiorider]

c. Ergos from the factory suck. I replaced stock bars with Mana bars, also installed adjustable foot pegs and had the saddle reshaped and repadded with firmer foam by Sargent Saddle.


Bob

Bob, can I ask what adjustable pegs did you fit ?

Thanks,

Ian

Ian, get in touch with Tony at Moto International in Seattle. They offer an adjustable footpeg that permits the peg to be rotated to several positions around its axis (6-8 positions .... don't recall for sure). I purchased mine used from a WG forum member who had used them on a Norge.

If all you want is are pegs that drop lower for more seat to peg distance, there's less expensive solutions, but I found that adjusting the Moto International pegs in a slightly forward location worked for me. The Mana bars let me bring shoulders rearward slightly, and the corresponding forward foot location seems to balance things out for me. Keep in mind, I'm not 6'2", but just slightly over 5'7" with 30" inseam.

Bob

 

[Pheebster]

Thanks Bob , i'm about 5'10 with a 31' inseam. Over here in the UK it seems very hard to find anything that fits the Sport 12 Guzzi

Ian