Well, Fellas,
I guess it's time to fess up.
After waiting 4 months to go riding again, I couldn't stand it any more. I've been kinda looking for a replacement for the dear departed RE. I looked at Kawasaki 300s anda couple of cheap 250s, then started looking at the Moto Guzzi V7 Racer. Now that is a pretty good looking cafe racer. I took it out for a test ride and it worked quite nicely. Not overwhelmed with horsepower, bu more than adequate. And I didn't have to wait X more months. The credit union screwing around for a week to get me a 50% loan was long enough!
I finally got the Guzzi Thursday night, and went out for a 200 miler on Friday. Santiago Canyon, Live Oak, Antonio, Ortega, Clinton-Keith, Volcano, Carancho, Deluz. S-15 to cross the freeway, Rice Canyon, the site of my crash, ride down and back, caught the side roads up to Corona. Jumped on the freeway at Ontario down to Gypsum, the the side roads home.
My body was killing me and I was exhausted when I go home. Didn't know 4 months outta the saddle would deplete you that much!
The bike worked very well, but it definitely needs some adjustments, brake pedal, shifter, rear shocks and throttle lead the list! The seat was tolerable, I liked the postioning on my Enfield better. The rearsets were farther back and a bit lower. The Guzzi pegs are right where my legs wanna be when I put my feet down.
But it seems like it will fill the void. Not much soul to it, though! Maybe it will grow on me, but now it's just a really nice bike! Fast enough, handles pretty well, a bit slow in the steering department, but not nearly as bad as a Ducati 900SS. The rear shocks are set up as bad or worse than a G5, but at least it has a lot of available adjustments. A bit more top heavy than the Enfield, but not much heavier, probably within ten pounds.
45mpg of the high dollar stuff. I'm hoping with a minor throttle adjustment, that will go up appreciably.
But it is purty! That red anodized frame is fantastic! The number 7 is just stuck on top, so it should be quite easy to strip and put a more appropriate, and different, number on there. Some of the other stickers are a real PITA.. and I hate all those damn things they put everywhere! I really don't need something tho tell me a motorsickle is dangerous and I could get killed.
So I guess I'll be semi departing this forum, but then I'd miss you guys. I have had a great time here. This forum is probably the friendliest, most personal one I've ever seen. I hope you've enjoyed my advise, screw ups and just general BS that I've offered you. I'm sure some of you are sick of me.
But, believe this, there definitely will still be a soft spot in my heart for you guys and REs. The bikes have definitely become #1 on my favorites list. The sales guy I got the Guzzi from started badmouthing REs, we had to have a chat. I think he got the message! They require less maintenance than the Guzzi does, you have to change 3 oil bins, adjust the valves, at least its a pushrod engine, so you don't have to screw with shims!
Anyway, I will be around to bug you a bit and it may even take awhile to get out of this daily routine here!
Bare