I've sport-toured on a couple Wings in the past. and Adv bikes.. and now on an RTSport Touring... to me it's how I ride, not the bike I ride.
I've sport-toured on a couple Wings in the past. and Adv bikes.. and now on an RTSport Touring... to me it's how I ride, not the bike I ride.
Guzzi's beauty is in the eye of the beholder. They are a quirky bike - you either love 'em or hate 'em. At one time they were the touring bike many* of us aspired to, and at least the older models were both very reliable and easy to repair - even on the side of the road.May not be what we ultimately think of as a sport tourer, but it's a good looking motorcycle. I'm just not a fan of riding MGs or BMWs. Believe me I have tried. Keep thinking I would like to have one, but test riding them always disappoints me.
I understand and I actually worked at a Yamaha/Moto Guzzi dealer for a couple of years. We have had several Guzzis and one BMW in the family. One nephew still has a V7 III. I have ridden an 850 Eldorado, a 750 Breva, a Griso and the V7, but they are just too quirky for me. I understand some people love them, and honestly I love looking at them. I just dont enjoy riding them. My younger brother bought a new 850 Eldorado in 1973 and he rode that bike all over the country and loved it, but I preferred my TX 650.Guzzi's beauty is in the eye of the beholder. They are a quirky bike - you either love 'em or hate 'em. At one time they were the touring bike many* of us aspired to, and at least the older models were both very reliable and easy to repair - even on the side of the road.
*Maybe I should have said, "some of us aspired to".
If this in in reference to the classification of motorcycles, which ultimately only really matters to the manufacturers and marketing kids, then yes any bike can be ridden to some extent in a sporty manner. But that does not make a GW a sports tourer, or even a sports Behemoth. So by riding that Honda Grom, for instance, in a sporty manner doesn't change the bikes manufacturers description. Didn't Honda describe their last GW as the perfect bike to light tour at weekends, I can't imagine many took much notice.I've sport-toured on a couple Wings in the past. and Adv bikes.. and now on an RT
That's what I said, just not as eloquently.If this in in reference to the classification of motorcycles, which ultimately only really matters to the manufacturers and marketing kids, then yes any bike can be ridden to some extent in a sporty manner. But that does not make a GW a sports tourer, or even a sports Behemoth. So by riding that Honda Grom, for instance, in a sporty manner doesn't change the bikes manufacturers description. Didn't Honda describe their last GW as the perfect bike to light tour at weekends, I can't imagine many took much notice.
Buy em, ride em, who cares what the manufacturers call em, but of course when posting onto said forum it is obvious the descriptive narrative will be used. It's also obvious that in different global markets items will be marketed in different ways.
Didn't someone once tour the world on a R1, didn't make it a touring bike.
Upt'North.
No, there is no way to 'do Europe' in a day or two - you could whiz across it but not see it.IAs an aside, UP has correctly made the point that our quaint little Europe is nice and compact. I don't completely disagree but don't think you can "do Europe" in a day or two, you won't. Our two most recent European jaunts were both over 4000 miles and we never touched the same roads twice. Not forgetting that many of those roads are far twister and hence a little slower than my experience of US roads, NE, SE, W etc.
About 10 riding days UP, that would be for each with a break in the middle. Usually an apartment for a few days. Both trips would have included mountain sections, one would have included the Pyrenees and Picos, the other the Alps and Dolomites. And those passes don't half eat into your average speeds, but you know that already.No, there is no way to 'do Europe' in a day or two - you could whiz across it but not see it.
Over here, there is often many miles to go to 'see' something specific and if you work at a regular job, your time will be limited.
As I gave in my example, if I want to ride the California area (like the PCH) from where I live, it's three 800 mile days out and three 800 mile days back.
Or if I want to ride the ALCAN (Alaskan Canadian Highway) it's about the same distance.
It's not there isn't plenty to 'see' in between, but the 'idea' would be like someone from the UK going to ride part of the Austrian/German/Italian Alps region - they probably would not stop at Normandy or make a run by Paris.
Just curious for comparison - how many days did you take to 'do' the 4,000 + miles?
I think that manufacturers categorize their bikes in order to set expectations. Buyers and the public will take it from there. My first big tour as a young man was on a Honda 350 with no windshield and a duffel bag lashed to the back seat. I spent 3 months riding 20,000 miles across Canada, the west coast, Mexico and back - a lot of that on highways. A Honda 350 would never be mistaken for a touring bike, sport or otherwise.Sport Touring... to me it's how I ride, not the bike I ride.
In the end I think it comes down to what UP said - but - I would also add that the amount of saddle times figures into the defintion/requirement of a touring bike too. Here in America we have lots of open roads and sweeping roads that allow for 800 mile days, which frequently equates to 10 or 12 hour in the saddle each day, where comfort is appreciated. Riding in the Alps on tight twisty narrow roads can also result in 10 - 12 hour days - I do it all the time - but we might only cover 200 miles. I recently spent 9 riding days just in Southern Switzerland, let alone the rest of Europe.It's not that one way is 'better' than the other, it's just different parameters in the different environments.
Yes I have and that's why I have 4 rideable ST1100s and 2 parts ST1100s.So Uncle Phil, have you ever considered having just one ST11, and one each of perhaps Ducati, Moto-Guzzi, Yamaha, and even Hardley Ableson? Having one wife and being loyal to her is of course exemplary, but a toy box benefits from variety!
I feel like I have the best of both of those worlds. My BMW F800GT weighs about 470 lbs wet; it's probably a bit more with side cases and definitely more with the stuff I carry in them. Yet I can move it easily, no matter where I park. Twisties are fun. I shredded the tires on the Maryhill Loops road in a moment that Alan Greenspan would call "irrational exhuberance".There are those that would say no motorcycle with "Sport" in it's name should ever weigh more than 600 pounds, or have a drive shaft.
There are those that would say no motorcycle with "Tour" in it's name should ever come without full luggage, a large windshield, shaft drive, a centerstand, cruise control or carry less than 5 gallons of gas in the tank
With a guzziMay not be what we ultimately think of as a sport tourer, but it's a good looking motorcycle. I'm just not a fan of riding MGs or BMWs. Believe me I have tried. Keep thinking I would like to have one, but test riding them always disappoints me.
You need to ride a guzzi and get a relationship going with her. You'll find you can't live without her anymore! We, my LM2 and me have tried a separation but we're back together now. . We've been together 40years except for the couple of years apart and we've got about 160,000miles on the clock, all over the Alps, elephant rallys, Stella alpina, pyrenees, Europe East and west Inc East Germany and colditz. Ukraine, Moscow, Finland, Norway, North Cape (Arctic). My wife, me and camping luggage rode from Austria up to Holland in one very hot day and I've ridden every day for three weeks and in all this she only broke down once when the output shaft from the gearbox broke, and that was about two miles from home! I've got an ST1100 and a fx650 as well but, although they're good, they don't have the character of my guzzi. We will be together forever now, and then my daughter, Diana, is going to take over. (I hope they get on!).. Swede.I understand and I actually worked at a Yamaha/Moto Guzzi dealer for a couple of years. We have had several Guzzis and one BMW in the family. One nephew still has a V7 III. I have ridden an 850 Eldorado, a 750 Breva, a Griso and the V7, but they are just too quirky for me. I understand some people love them, and honestly I love looking at them. I just dont enjoy riding them. My younger brother bought a new 850 Eldorado in 1973 and he rode that bike all over the country and loved it, but I preferred my TX 650.