FJRBound
Well-known member
I doubt that many (any?) current FJR pilots are going to be particularly interested in this, but just in case someone is going down the same road, a bit behind me...
Two days ago, I took delivery of a pristine 2018 Moto Guzzi V7 III Milano with 2,966 miles on the clock. I've put about 150 miles on the bike. My beloved, second 2016 FJR1300 ES is listed for sale.
Why did I do this? First, my 31" inseam has always been marginal for the FJR. I've never dropped any of the three FJRs I've owned, but for a while now, I've not felt comfortable with the combination of the seat height, the bike's width between my legs and its weight (and the way it carries it). Hey! Let's stop and take a photo! Wait... not there... the shoulder's too sandy. And I have begun to suspect that my legs have actually shrunk an inch over the past few years. (My 60th birthday is already in the rearview mirror.) Then there's the issue of pushing it around on any kind of incline (like backing it uphill into my garage). And with my back and knees, regardless of technique, I doubt that I could pick it up if it did take an asphalt nap.
So, I'd been thinking about what I'd get when it became prudent to downsize. Eliminating everything that's (a.) a cruiser or full-on sport bike, (b.) chain-driven or (c.) a BMW left me two candidates: a Guzzi or a 10 year-old Honda NT700V (Deauville). Getting the Honda into and out of my garage with that non-detachable luggage would have been quite a dance, so my decision was made.
I've always had a thing for Guzzis. Never owned one. My dad had a circa-1970 Amabassador 750 that was a bit of a nightmare, reliability-wise. But the bike certainly had character. Ever since, Guzzis have turned my head. The V11 Le Mans Sport and Rosso Corsa especially. Big-time moto-lust. I went as far as to test-ride a 750 Breva in 2004 ...and bought my second CB750 Nighthawk, instead.
I began thinking that perhaps it was time for a new chapter in my moto-career, a chapter based on a return to a more elemental, more visceral moto-experience. Maybe it was time to downsize to a lower, lighter Guzzi. I started reading reviews, and studying the MG site. Decided that the Milano variant of the V7 III line would meet my needs. (It's the only V7 III variant with cast wheels, chrome pipes and a tach, all things I value.) A new one would have to be trucked in from a dealer in Oklahoma. Then I discovered a low-mile, used Milano on craigslist. Serendipity.
So what's it like? I can flat-foot the thing at a stop. Sit-up-and-beg ergos. It's 180 pounds lighter than an FJR. I checked cornering clearance by grabbing it by the bars and leaning it to the left until the footpeg feeler touched down -- then picked it back up.
It comes to life with the same drama that my Ducati Monster 797 used to, then settles into a 1,200-RPM idle, mirrors shaking slightly. The cable-actuated dry clutch is heavier than the FJR's unit. It shifts reliably, but without the haptic feedback of any Japanese bike.
Of course, it has nowhere near the acceleration delivered by the FJR, but it revs willingly -- until the rev limiter shuts down the party at 7,200 RPM. One may as well shift at 6,000 RPM, for redline is only 500 RPM away at that point. Nowhere near the acceleration of an FJR, but enough to get one into trouble, if one were to try hard enough.
The bike is nimble in the twisties -- less work than the FJR -- and the bargain-basement shocks and forks do a surprisingly good job of keeping the wheels on the ground without being nearly as harsh as that Ducati Monster was. It is also surprisingly planted at 75 or 80 MPH on the freeway; there's none of the twitchiness that I disliked in the Ducati.
Then there's the sound, even with the stock mufflers. Particularly during deceleration.
Yes, it's vibey throughout a lot of its working RPM range, but not all of it. Yes, it has no cruise control or heated grips -- or alternator capacity to power heated gear. (I may investigate an LED headlight conversion to address that issue.) No, it's not what you'd choose to do back-to-back coast-to-coast runs, much less a competitive, multi-day LD rally. The FJR has far more capability than I was using, or am likely to need again. Properly farkled, the Guzzi will, I think, meet my needs (brisk rides of Colorado's passes and canyons, and an occasional multi-day trip of no more than 600 miles or so per day). I may even ponder the possibility of an SS1K. A Givi windscreen, Hepco & Becker top and side cases, a Vista Cruise throttle lock and a new Ram mount for my Garmin are enroute.
Hey! Let's stop and take a photo! A sandy shoulder? No problem.
Two days ago, I took delivery of a pristine 2018 Moto Guzzi V7 III Milano with 2,966 miles on the clock. I've put about 150 miles on the bike. My beloved, second 2016 FJR1300 ES is listed for sale.
Why did I do this? First, my 31" inseam has always been marginal for the FJR. I've never dropped any of the three FJRs I've owned, but for a while now, I've not felt comfortable with the combination of the seat height, the bike's width between my legs and its weight (and the way it carries it). Hey! Let's stop and take a photo! Wait... not there... the shoulder's too sandy. And I have begun to suspect that my legs have actually shrunk an inch over the past few years. (My 60th birthday is already in the rearview mirror.) Then there's the issue of pushing it around on any kind of incline (like backing it uphill into my garage). And with my back and knees, regardless of technique, I doubt that I could pick it up if it did take an asphalt nap.
So, I'd been thinking about what I'd get when it became prudent to downsize. Eliminating everything that's (a.) a cruiser or full-on sport bike, (b.) chain-driven or (c.) a BMW left me two candidates: a Guzzi or a 10 year-old Honda NT700V (Deauville). Getting the Honda into and out of my garage with that non-detachable luggage would have been quite a dance, so my decision was made.
I've always had a thing for Guzzis. Never owned one. My dad had a circa-1970 Amabassador 750 that was a bit of a nightmare, reliability-wise. But the bike certainly had character. Ever since, Guzzis have turned my head. The V11 Le Mans Sport and Rosso Corsa especially. Big-time moto-lust. I went as far as to test-ride a 750 Breva in 2004 ...and bought my second CB750 Nighthawk, instead.
I began thinking that perhaps it was time for a new chapter in my moto-career, a chapter based on a return to a more elemental, more visceral moto-experience. Maybe it was time to downsize to a lower, lighter Guzzi. I started reading reviews, and studying the MG site. Decided that the Milano variant of the V7 III line would meet my needs. (It's the only V7 III variant with cast wheels, chrome pipes and a tach, all things I value.) A new one would have to be trucked in from a dealer in Oklahoma. Then I discovered a low-mile, used Milano on craigslist. Serendipity.
So what's it like? I can flat-foot the thing at a stop. Sit-up-and-beg ergos. It's 180 pounds lighter than an FJR. I checked cornering clearance by grabbing it by the bars and leaning it to the left until the footpeg feeler touched down -- then picked it back up.
It comes to life with the same drama that my Ducati Monster 797 used to, then settles into a 1,200-RPM idle, mirrors shaking slightly. The cable-actuated dry clutch is heavier than the FJR's unit. It shifts reliably, but without the haptic feedback of any Japanese bike.
Of course, it has nowhere near the acceleration delivered by the FJR, but it revs willingly -- until the rev limiter shuts down the party at 7,200 RPM. One may as well shift at 6,000 RPM, for redline is only 500 RPM away at that point. Nowhere near the acceleration of an FJR, but enough to get one into trouble, if one were to try hard enough.
The bike is nimble in the twisties -- less work than the FJR -- and the bargain-basement shocks and forks do a surprisingly good job of keeping the wheels on the ground without being nearly as harsh as that Ducati Monster was. It is also surprisingly planted at 75 or 80 MPH on the freeway; there's none of the twitchiness that I disliked in the Ducati.
Then there's the sound, even with the stock mufflers. Particularly during deceleration.
Yes, it's vibey throughout a lot of its working RPM range, but not all of it. Yes, it has no cruise control or heated grips -- or alternator capacity to power heated gear. (I may investigate an LED headlight conversion to address that issue.) No, it's not what you'd choose to do back-to-back coast-to-coast runs, much less a competitive, multi-day LD rally. The FJR has far more capability than I was using, or am likely to need again. Properly farkled, the Guzzi will, I think, meet my needs (brisk rides of Colorado's passes and canyons, and an occasional multi-day trip of no more than 600 miles or so per day). I may even ponder the possibility of an SS1K. A Givi windscreen, Hepco & Becker top and side cases, a Vista Cruise throttle lock and a new Ram mount for my Garmin are enroute.
Hey! Let's stop and take a photo! A sandy shoulder? No problem.
-- and am looking at a couple of different windscreens. Transplanted the throttle lock from the Guzzi to the Zee.
