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Larry B's 2013 V7 chronic-als

OK, so again... There are unfortunate situations with everything, and it sucks for you. Hopefully you are calling Piaggio U.S. daily with the same frustration.
Most that own Guzzi's have been around the block a few times (most likely more then at least one decade plus) with similar and often far more severe issues, so don't feel as though you are doing anything here with these posts besides coming off as being chronic. If you want to gripe, you've made your point.

Guzzi is hands-on brand. So for those reading this thread that are coming from a UJM, DO NOT BUY A GUZZI UNLESS YOU HAVE A GREAT DEALER OR ARE WILLING TO RESOLVE ISSUES YOURSELF. I say a great dealer because the good ones will pull parts off of a new bike on the floor or overnight things in from around the globe to get you going. Fact.

Yes, you should've bought another Honda, and hopefully when you get it fixed you will find yourself back on one.
 
That's interesting, I was told by Red Line that Moto Guzzi will not ship single parts from their factory. The company waits until the shipping box is full and then they will ship to the USA. I was also told this by the Piaggio Customer Support lady, she goes by the name of TJ. I don't see that it matters how good a dealer is if this is the policy of Moto Guzzi. How can I resolve the issue if I can't get the part?
And yes, I have been around the block a few times. Started riding and working on bikes in 1976.

Not to worry, I will quit posting until something actually happens.
 
Wow! I got a call from Red Line yesterday to tell me the bike was ready to pick up. I rode 98 miles from Red Line to work. I got off work tonight at 11:00PM and it was 54 degrees out side. The bike actually started and idled almost like a real motorcycle!
After fighting with the dealership since March, two times in the shop, charged $380 for an unauthorized re-flash, and finally 39 days waiting for the new ECU/Throttle Body, It will start and idle cold.

I had a nice 25 mile ride home from work with the temps as low as 44 out in the fields and the bike ran like a top

Now I won't feel bad about dumping this junk on someone and then I can get my Honda:)
 

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I have to admit, after spending 7 months fighting this bike it is now a fun little machine to ride back and forth to work. With the new ECU/Throttle Body installed it is a completely different bike, it's smooth, it starts cold and idles good, throttle response when you are starting off is smooth (no more missing and stumbling over it's self).
I would even go as far as to recommend one of these to someone but ONLY if you have a close, excellent dealer, and a mechanic that has a clue about the bike. If you get a Moto Guzzi you had best be willing to wait for parts (6 weeks for me) and have another bike as a back-up to ride while the MG is in the shop.
As for reliability, I can't say much because I only have a bit over 4000 miles over the last 7 months which have been nothing but pure frustration so I have come to the realization that a MG is not for me, between the dealer (70 miles away) the mechanics who work there (clueless,) and constantly hearing from them "that's just the way Moto Guzzi's are" I will ditch this one and never own another one!!
It's to bad that I was introduced to MG in this situation, It is still exactly the bike I was looking for, shaft drive, air cooled, easy routine maintenance, and makes good mileage. And best of all I love the classic looks,
I was looking for a bike with "Honda reliability" for a daily rider back and forth to work, and Moto Guzzi is not it; I see a new Honda CB1100 down the road!
Larry
 
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It is possible that Honda is more reliable than Guzzis but I think
MG has a lot more soul than the Japanese bikes.

If you read a bit on various Honda forums so they are not faultless either.

But we all have different tastes and preferences.

Good luck with your new Honda, hope you get many trouble free miles:)

/Hasse
 
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Thanks Hasse, I have had nothing but good luck with honda's since 1976 putting a tad over 3/4 million miles on them over the years. I have also owned all the Jap brands and one Harley. I am in the process of getting rid of the MG then it's back to my old standby brand! In the meantime I'll be racking up the miles on the V7 back and forth to work until it's gone
Larry B
 
Hasse said:
It is possible that Honda is more reliable than Guzzis but I think
MG has a lot more soul than the Japanese bikes.

If you read a bit on various Honda forums so they are not faultless either.

But we all have different tastes and preferences.

Good luck with your new Honda, hope you get many trouble free miles:)

/Hasse
Click to expand...
Hi, I'm Brenda, Larry's wife.
It is of my opinion that people has soul not machines. MG's have classic looks and in that aspect are way cool.
It's too bad that Larry's experience was caused mostly from a dealership that was more interested in sales then customers.
:) Brenda
 
Meh. So is it the machine or the people at the dealership causing his frustration?

I'll disagree, machines do have souls, you just have to connect with them in a right way and you'll discover this too.

I have had no issues whatsoever with my '13 Racer. Yes, on occasion will be cold-blooded on cold start, but I just ride away and it all goes away soon as I'm off. It's my first Guzzi, and I haven't been around the block, on bikes at least, at all...going on 4 yrs now only. Started with Honda 750, moved to Aprilia and now on Guzzi. It's an awesome bike for what it is...The looks, the character, the engineering simplicity, it's all genuine. I've put almost 4k mi on it as well in a year, and had no issues. I enjoy it during mundane commute, or spending whole day on it riding in the country. It's even comfortable for longer day...recently did 400 or so miles in a day without any sign of fatigue on my body, whereas others in the group on much larger bikes complained...Caponord, FJR, etc..

But in the end, not all machines are for everyone...you just have to find what excites you in life. If never having to turn a wrench yourself, or get mad and then fall in love again, then perhaps Honda is for you. And that's fine, but no reason to call a bike crap because you haven't connected with it.
 
Once motorcycling is in your blood, only other motorcyclists will ever understand your passion. You've experienced this, agreed?
But once Mandello marrow is in your bones, only a Guzzi can satisfy. I've owned 40 odd bikes, 6 of which have been Guzzi's. I have also owned many Honda's, even after my 1st Guzzi. But there is something in that marrow that keeps me coming back.

Now I have Bella, she will never leave my side (unless I become soulless). No manufacturer makes what I want, the 1100S Hypermotard came close, it was lotsa fun. Even Guzzi don't make exactly what I want but the engine is the object of my desire, the rest I can redesign. Check "Bellagio mods" here.

If you say a Guzzi has no soul, then I can only imagine the dead, cold lifeless eyes of a white pointer look back at you from the mirror each morning.

Get a hypodermic and shoot some Mandello marrow!
This advice has been offered with all the love, compassion and understanding I've developed since I got a Guzzi for my wife. It was the best trade I ever made.
 
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My 2013 Stone will surge at idle when cold. I just let it warm up for a couple minutes while putting on my gear. Have made that a habit and it no longer bothers me. Idle appears to be getting smoother with miles on the bike. Sort of fixing itself.
 
Good thing I did not read this post when I was shopping around for a new motorcycle. I'm new to the Moto Guzzi brand and certainly a post like this could discourage many. It's now been 8 weeks and some 1600 miles since getting my new 2015 Stone. I'm using it to commute to work about 20 miles here in Las Vegas. Other than routine maintenance and adjusting the clutch, no mechanical issues, so I guess I've been lucky. I've done a couple really simple mods; Moto Guzzi solo seat & the Racer Windscreen to make it look more Cafe Racer. The Cold Blooded nature of the bike is well known and I new about it before buying it. After the 600 mile service that I did myself, I simply got from Todd his wonderful refllash kit and the cold start issues are now gone. Mind you, I'm no mechanic, and I have no time or inclination to be one, but in the case of Moto Guzzi you have to be hands on. Just a few simple tools and the willingness to follow instructions is all it takes. For being such a small brand there is ample literature about Moto Guzzi maintenance and how to's, so you can always count on finding what you are looking for. Not to diminish the author's frustration of having his bike sidelined for so long waiting for a part, but the same has happened to me with KTM and BMW, and I would not call those bikes crap. Cheers
 

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The OP should have ordered the part himself from Europe and had it shipped from any number of dealerships. A good dealer would have reimbursed him. I am not saying that this is "right", but why waste time fighting and feeling like crap!? Something similar happened to me with the so called bullet proof Yamaha marque once upon a time and that is exactly what I did and exactly what my dealer did. I didn't expect my dealer to pay at all but the fact that he coughed up the cash for it was a nice touch and made sure I was a returning customer until I sold that bike for, you guessed it, a Moto Guzzi Nevada!

I have owned several different marque's over the years and pretty much ALL of them have had issues, including the Japanese brands. Thus, I have to agree with Todd's point (from 2014) especially. It also seems like the OP sold his bike after he got it working right which is a shame.
 
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