Durability/Quality question

[Hawghauler]

Perhaps I romanticize about older Guzzis, but it seems to me the older sleds were less problematic than the newer ones. Am I wrong? I am thinking from the mid 70's to 80's you typically heard of these bikes just running forever and achieving very high miles. Has the manufacturer not been able to keep pace with the modernization of an old design? Maybe we only talk about repairs and issues and don't dwell on success. If you had to ride coast to coast and back, would your trip have a better chance of trouble free journeying on a 74 Eldo in brand new cherry condition or a new California 2016?

 

[Clayton Sietsema]

I wouldn't hesitate to ride my cali coast to coast. Or my griso for that fact, wait, scratch that, but not because of reliability.

 

[john zibell]

Part of the issue is complexity. These new bikes have become more complex. The more technology is introduced, the more points of failure are possible. That doesn't mean they will fail, just that there are more things that can go wrong. Considering the complexity of the new machines, I'd say as evidenced from actual usage, their reliability is as good as any machine built today. The nice thing about the older machines, they were relatively simple, If something did go wrong, a roadside repair could probably get you going again.

 

[MJPTexas]

Perhaps I romanticize about older Guzzis, but it seems to me the older sleds were less problematic than the newer ones. Am I wrong? I am thinking from the mid 70's to 80's you typically heard of these bikes just running forever and achieving very high miles. Has the manufacturer not been able to keep pace with the modernization of an old design? Maybe we only talk about repairs and issues and don't dwell on success. If you had to ride coast to coast and back, would your trip have a better chance of trouble free journeying on a 74 Eldo in brand new cherry condition or a new California 2016?

My opinion - a fair amount of romantic thinking. We forget about having to deal with breaker points, poor switch gear, questionable automatic petcocks, 70's era tires, I could go on.

Two weeks ago I had my first bike towing experience for a mechanical problem - in 17 years and about 100,000 miles, across 11 bikes (ride by wire sensor failed on my Ducati).

People post on forums looking for help or complaining about a problem. Seldom does anyone start a post with 'Gee, my bike is running great and has zero problems'.

 

[GuzziMoto]

Guzzi was an early adopter of electronic fuel injection. They have been using EFI for over 20 years. It works really well and I don't miss carbs. The one Guzzi I own that has carbs, while it is an awesome bike, is the last one out of my bikes that I would pick to ride across the country.
Guzzi still is, in my opinion, an incredibly reliable marque. They had some issues with the big block 8 valve motor eating the valve train. That whole deal was crazy, but they now have a roller conversion which side steps the whole issue and solves the issue by going around it. I am not sure why the flat tappet motors were failing, but if you switch to a roller tappet set up you no longer have to worry about it. Aside from that, Guzzi is still a reliability brand. They have the same Italian build quality issues they always had, so there may be a little extra effort the owner needs to put in to get the bike 100% right. But that was always like that. They always had build quality issues. I think they are better on that front than they used to be.
I would happily ride any of my Guzzi's anywhere, even the Lario (but I would rather take one of the newer bikes).

 

[Vagrant]

the old ones were far from perfect when new.
brand new 1971 750 Ambassador. trans started squealing at 1000 miles. dealer said ride it till it fails and even if out of warranty I will fix it free. failed at 13000 miles first year. he fixed it.
brand new 1972 850 Eldorado. did 1000 miles the first weekend. got it Sat am and Sunday night the trans locked up pulling into the garage. rear main seal failed, they forgot to put the seal in the clutch release rod, trans failed again at 24000 miles I ate that one, drive shaft boots leaked because oil transferred back and forth between the trans and rear end. generator brackets and covers breaking I could go on and on with this one.
brand new 81 G5 almost put me through the garage door because the clutch hub wore out at about 13000 miles.
2 brand new 1985's were fairly trouble free just typical little niggling things.
1990 brand new bright red Mille GT. God it was pretty, pure lust purchase. forks were too flimsy to ride the mountain hard.
brand new 1998 Ev. TPS failed twice in the first 12000 miles and the dealer took 6 months to figure it out.
there's more but you get the idea. I'll take a new one any day. even though my 2001 EV is fantastic and I'd buy a brand new one maybe 2 if I could the new 2015 V7 is for sure my favorite. so far it's only needed a regulator. was at 17.8 volts at 3000 RPM. By the way my 11th new Guzzi out of almost 40 bikes. they are worth the hassle of getting the dialed in.

 

[roadventure]

If you had to ride coast to coast and back, would your trip have a better chance of trouble free journeying on a 74 Eldo in brand new cherry condition or a new California 2016?

I won't be able to provide any information on the old bike, but I will be riding my 2014 California from Ocean City, MD to Pacific Ocean, California this year. If it goes well, I will keep it and maybe start developing a growing affection for the bike. If it goes badly, I will sell the California and never buy another MG.

 

[roadventure]

People post on forums looking for help or complaining about a problem. Seldom does anyone start a post with 'Gee, my bike is running great and has zero problems'.

So true...

 

[abbienormal]

I won't be able to provide any information on the old bike, but I will be riding my 2014 California from Ocean City, MD to Pacific Ocean, California this year. If it goes well, I will keep it and maybe start developing a growing affection for the bike. If it goes badly, I will sell the California and never buy another MG.

I don't see you having any problems on the trip other than that is about the life expectancy of a rear tire on those things. I rode my 1400 Tour from Ohio up to the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia and then a very long way, lots of back roads and the BRP, to Birmingham, AL to watch the races. No problems on either trip. Fixing the leaking saddlebags is a pain. You probably already fixed the other niggles. I never got the dreaded exhaust crack or the fender crack. It would be nice if Guzzi raised the price $5 and actually applied grease during assembly. Technically they have raised the price. SInce the dollar has climbed against the Euro they should be making extra. Which I am sure is being reinvested in quality control.

 

[roadventure]

I don't see you having any problems on the trip other than that is about the life expectancy of a rear tire on those things.

I have a set of AVON tires with about 1000 miles on them at this time. I fully expect to replace, at least, the rear tire before I get home. I'll find a MG dealer that is hopefully competent enough to replace tires somewhere along the way.

 

[sign216]

Part of the issue is complexity. These new bikes have become more complex. The more technology is introduced, the more points of failure are possible. That doesn't mean they will fail, just that there are more things that can go wrong. Considering the complexity of the new machines, I'd say as evidenced from actual usage, their reliability is as good as any machine built today. The nice thing about the older machines, they were relatively simple, If something did go wrong, a roadside repair could probably get you going again.

John got to the heart of the issue; new stuff is more reliable, but harder to repair yourself, roadside. Pick your poison.

 

[Trout]

First off: Kudos to Vagrant I'm not sure if I would have stayed with any brand with a track record like that.
2nd: John is right on.

I did not get involved with "modern" until 2012, I was still riding a 40 year old T3 when I bought a leftover 2011 Black Eagle.
My intro to the modern world was not fun & I won't go into any details but I was so ready to go back to points & carbs.

Thanks to Todd who owns this forum & is a dedicated Guzzi Fanatic I was able to put 20,000 miles on the Black in about a year & a half of
trouble free riding.

The new bikes (most all brands) are a pain for the first 5,000 to 10,000 miles while they get sorted out. Unlike most brands the Guzzi is just getting broke in & will now run for another 100,000 miles & it is so much more fun to ride.

 

[Bigbear]

I found that the all of of the Le Mans Mk5'sare bullet proof & would ride one anywhere.
Similarly my friends 71 750 Sport had being the same, so not sure why the other 70's models don't appear to be the same.
They are so simple to maintain & you can do a yearly tune up set of points/condenser properly by pulling out the dizzy in around 3/4 of an hour.
Never had one breakdown including 1600 mile rides around NZ South Island - mountain passes & all, a place where their rock solid handling will still leave a few moderns, even with their integral brakes ( which get so much discussion,) but so are superlative in the wet & are great when you learn to ride with them - who needs electronic aids?
My 96 carb'd 1100 sport has being equally reliable & is my favourite long distance express, even tho it has electronic ignition, the only fault being the electronic Tachometer stopped working after a big ride - what's wrong with a taco cable - a quick fix instead of a puzzle.
Sure all the moderns can accomplish the same, & as said it's usually only the problems you hear about.
But I'm mechanically minded so feel 100% confident to ride an older version.
All Guzzi's have that endearable quality, they usually go & go & sound so great doing it!

 

[rudolf35]

Between a 850 T-3, Ambassador, Eldorado and California II I was never stranded. Each and every one soldiered me to my 2 100,000 mile Guzzi pins. Now mind you each and everyone of them had their nargles, but never one that stranded me.
No, after 10 years off MG, I am back with a 2010 Griso and a 2007 Breva - we will see.

 

[Jorge Lucas]

Never had one yet but about to purchase a G5 in the near future. I've had many old English bikes and a 1957 BMW R50 but no MGs. It used to be a police bike and very well kept by the actual owner which has been the only private owner the bike's ever had. I am in Cuba.
Best regards to all,
Lucas.

 

[roadventure]

Perhaps I romanticize about older Guzzis, but it seems to me the older sleds were less problematic than the newer ones. Am I wrong? I am thinking from the mid 70's to 80's you typically heard of these bikes just running forever and achieving very high miles. Has the manufacturer not been able to keep pace with the modernization of an old design? Maybe we only talk about repairs and issues and don't dwell on success. If you had to ride coast to coast and back, would your trip have a better chance of trouble free journeying on a 74 Eldo in brand new cherry condition or a new California 2016?

Well, I can' speak for which would be more reliable, but I am pretty confident that the 2016 California would be more comfortable. FYI, I did ride coast-to-coast (and more) last summer on my 2014 California. The exhaust broke, but Harper's Moto Guzzi welded it for me. That's it. I was very nervous riding my first ever European (and worse yet, Italian) motorcycle for that distance. But, it turned out to be a very enjoyable ride and helped to turn my opinion from skeptical to positive.

 

[motoguzziman]

Ive got around 79000 miles on my 2006 Breva 750 , which I bought in early 2007, and ive only had a few fails.
Once in Canada, in the middle o nowhere, the bike refused to do anything, that took some head scratching and about 2 - 3hrs work, to find the sidestand cut out, had shorted out.
Then the rear wheel started braking , that was chased down to the stop screw, on the brake pedal, not being loctited, and it had vibrated out, that screw was behind an aluminium panel, so not easy to spot , That was in Torrey Utah.
Then I took the bike to GT motors in Lansing Michigan, for a service and a tear down , as oil was going everywhere.
I thought it was the main seal letting go, but according to Brian, it was some sort of bad hose connexion, that allowed the oil out.
Anyway it stilll meant that the bike had to come apart, and with over 69 000 miles on it , I asked Brian to change all the clutch components , at the same time, so I didnt fly over, and have a clutch fail, out in the wilds.
Oh then, once in St George Utah, the bike wouldnt start, and on removing the 5 yr old odyssey battery it was easy to see
, it had fallen apart.
Quick walk to napa and got a new dry battery and away we went.
So , overall, that bike has been problem free, for the major part of our travels.
Good Luck.

 

[blakbird]

So is anybody on this thread, who doesn't have an ocean to cross, heading for the 13th annual Barber Vintage Festival on or with a vintage vehicle ?

 

[BMWorMG]

I just bought my first MG: a pre-owned 2016 Eldorado with 5,700 miles. It will keep my '16 BMW RT company in the garage while serving as my lower-to-the-ground, around-town cruiser. I sure hope it is dependable, or my wife is going to kill me.

 

[GTM®]

I just bought my first MG: a pre-owned 2016 Eldorado with 5,700 miles. It will keep my '16 BMW RT company in the garage while serving as my lower-to-the-ground, around-town cruiser. I sure hope it is dependable, or my wife is going to kill me.

Congrats and welcome to the GT Forum and Famiglia. All of the info is in the 1400 section... start by listing your info in this one if you would; https://www.guzzitech.com/forums/threads/cal1400-registry-pics-thread-add-your-bike.11538/

Few small nit-picky items to maybe have a back up in the toolbox, otherwise know that parts of the exhaust will crack and rattle in time (my fix in the Store tab or HERE), but all other items outside of cosmetics will be minor to nil. Enjoy it!