Allan
Tuned and Synch'ed
I bought my [black] 1200 Sport last February. I have a little over 12,000 miles on the bike. My major complaint is that, here in the States, Moto Guzzi dealers are ‘few and far between.’ I actually purchased my Sport over the phone and the bike was delivered to me. I’ve yet to visit the dealer, any dealer, which I suppose says a lot about the bikes reliability and ease of maintenance. During the initial first days of ownership the bike was running pretty ratty; I took it to a local “speed shop” where they balanced the throttle bodies and since then I have done nothing and the Sport has been almost perfect since. I bought the software for adjusting the TPS; it was out once and adjusted and hitherto hasn’t needed any more fiddling. I set the valves at everything from the recommended .004/.006” to .007/.009” and settled on .005/.007 inch.
I wish there was less driveline lash but it isn’t bad. I wish there wasn’t such a noticeable power dip between 3 and 4k rpm. At 70 mph in top gear the tach is showing 4,000 rpm. If the road inclines or you’re bucking a headwind you have to drop down a gear to maintain speed. If and When a Power Commander, or similar unit, is available for these new bikes I will have one. But in all honesty, I am impressed by how well the bike does run. The motor is now as smooth at 5k rpm as it was at 4,000 rpm 6-month ago.
At sea level and warmer temperatures I get about 45 mpg [US]; when the temperature drops fuel economy suffers. The highest top speed according to my GPS, and this is with panniers and tank bag, is 126 mph. It may be an honest 130 mph motorcycle but that’s about it. Out in the Nevada desert I rode for an hour straight at 100+ mph and it was effortless.
Oil consumption has been almost nil, though I recently did a 4k mile trip to British Columbia where I spent a lot of time in cold weather and high altitudes and I used about 500 cc’s of Agip 10W-60. I use Mobile One in the gearbox and rear end.
I got 7,000 miles from the original tires. The front OEM tire was a bit scary in the rain so I changed that to a Roadtec Z6; much more confidence inspiring. Dunlop Roadsmarts will come next. Good prices here in the States.
I have never thought much of the brakes. Not that I have had problems with shuddering or vibration; they are just weak. I swapped to hi-performance Brembo pads and that helped but the overall packaged leaves a lot to be desired.
The bike handles well but far from great, especially when pushed. I installed the HyperPro fork and spring kit; it improved things but not enough. The back end, in particular, still moves around a bit in high-speed corners. I would probably install an Ohins or Penske shock if one becomes available.
I added a few aftermarket accessories, not for performance but for esthetics; Rossopuro CARC torque arm, Rizomo mirrors, Daes Mototec levers and front fender. I also added a Quat-D carbon can but only because it is more quiet then the stock piece. I like quiet. I love my Hepco-Becker Junior 30 panniers. They are solid, never leak, don’t scuff and are easy to install and remove, and if I ever fall to earth I can replace just the cover.
The 1200 Sport is the most comfortable motorbike I have owned. All day in the saddle is a breeze. I purchased the Aprilia Tuono bar everyone recommended but never got around to installing it – but I do plan to, out of curiosity.
The bikes fit and finish and quality of components are very good. My Guzzi has continued to draw admiring glances and interest in a way that no pervious bike has. I did add a Das Mototec front fender to give the bike a more ‘sporting’ appearance. It looks great but useless in the rain. Fortunately I kept the OEM piece to swap out come winter.
The new 8-valve version of the 1200 Sport entices my interest but not until the brakes and suspension pieces are upgraded to match the motors greater (?) performance. Am I really going to notice that added 10-horsepower? :woohoo:
I wish there was less driveline lash but it isn’t bad. I wish there wasn’t such a noticeable power dip between 3 and 4k rpm. At 70 mph in top gear the tach is showing 4,000 rpm. If the road inclines or you’re bucking a headwind you have to drop down a gear to maintain speed. If and When a Power Commander, or similar unit, is available for these new bikes I will have one. But in all honesty, I am impressed by how well the bike does run. The motor is now as smooth at 5k rpm as it was at 4,000 rpm 6-month ago.
At sea level and warmer temperatures I get about 45 mpg [US]; when the temperature drops fuel economy suffers. The highest top speed according to my GPS, and this is with panniers and tank bag, is 126 mph. It may be an honest 130 mph motorcycle but that’s about it. Out in the Nevada desert I rode for an hour straight at 100+ mph and it was effortless.
Oil consumption has been almost nil, though I recently did a 4k mile trip to British Columbia where I spent a lot of time in cold weather and high altitudes and I used about 500 cc’s of Agip 10W-60. I use Mobile One in the gearbox and rear end.
I got 7,000 miles from the original tires. The front OEM tire was a bit scary in the rain so I changed that to a Roadtec Z6; much more confidence inspiring. Dunlop Roadsmarts will come next. Good prices here in the States.
I have never thought much of the brakes. Not that I have had problems with shuddering or vibration; they are just weak. I swapped to hi-performance Brembo pads and that helped but the overall packaged leaves a lot to be desired.
The bike handles well but far from great, especially when pushed. I installed the HyperPro fork and spring kit; it improved things but not enough. The back end, in particular, still moves around a bit in high-speed corners. I would probably install an Ohins or Penske shock if one becomes available.
I added a few aftermarket accessories, not for performance but for esthetics; Rossopuro CARC torque arm, Rizomo mirrors, Daes Mototec levers and front fender. I also added a Quat-D carbon can but only because it is more quiet then the stock piece. I like quiet. I love my Hepco-Becker Junior 30 panniers. They are solid, never leak, don’t scuff and are easy to install and remove, and if I ever fall to earth I can replace just the cover.
The 1200 Sport is the most comfortable motorbike I have owned. All day in the saddle is a breeze. I purchased the Aprilia Tuono bar everyone recommended but never got around to installing it – but I do plan to, out of curiosity.
The bikes fit and finish and quality of components are very good. My Guzzi has continued to draw admiring glances and interest in a way that no pervious bike has. I did add a Das Mototec front fender to give the bike a more ‘sporting’ appearance. It looks great but useless in the rain. Fortunately I kept the OEM piece to swap out come winter.
The new 8-valve version of the 1200 Sport entices my interest but not until the brakes and suspension pieces are upgraded to match the motors greater (?) performance. Am I really going to notice that added 10-horsepower? :woohoo:
