• Ciao Guest - You’ve landed at the ultimate Guzzi site. NEW FORUM REGISTRATIONS REQUIRE EMAIL ACTIVATION - CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER - Use the CONTACT above if you need help. New to the forum? For all new members, we require ONE post in the Introductions section at the bottom, in order to post in most of the other sections. ALWAYS TRY A SEARCH BEFORE STARTING A NEW TOPIC - Most questions you may have, have likely been already answered. DON'T BE A DRIVE-BY POSTER: As a common courtesy, check back in and reply within 24 hours, or your post will be deleted. Note there's decades of heavily experienced Guzzi professionals on this site, all whom happily give endless amounts of their VALUABLE time for free; BE COURTEOUS AND RESPECTFUL!
  • There is ZERO tolerance on personal attacks and ANY HYPERLINKS to PRODUCT(S) or other competing website(s), including personal pages, social media or other Forums. This ALSO INCLUDES ECU DIAGnostic software, questions and mapping. We work very hard to offer commercially supported products and to keep info relevant here. First offense is a note, second is a warning, third time will get you banned from the site. We don't have the time to chase repeat (and ignorant) offenders. This is NOT a social media platform; It's an ad-free, privately funded website, in small help with user donations. Be sure to see the GTM STORE link above; ALL product purchases help support the site, or you can upgrade your Forum profile or DONATE via the link above.
  • Be sure to see the GTM STORE link also above for our 700+ product inventory, including OEM parts and many of our 100% Made-in-SoCal-USA GTM products and engine kits. In SoCal? Click the SERVICE tab above for the best in service, tires, tuning and installation of our products or custom work, and don't miss our GT MotoCycles® (not) art on the BUILDS tab above. WE'RE HERE ONLINE ONLY - NO PHONE CALLS MADE OR RECEIVED - DO NOT EMAIL AND ASK QUESTIONS OR ASK TO CALL YOU.
  • Like the new V100, GuzziTech is full throttle into the future! We're now running on an all-new server and we've updated our Forum software. The visual differences are obvious, but hopefully you'll notice the super-fast speed. If you notice any glitches or have any issues, please post on the Site Support section at the bottom. If you haven't yet, please upgrade your account which is covered in the Site Support section or via the DONATE tab above, which gives you full site access including the DOWNLOADS section. We really appreciate every $ and your support to keep this site ad-free. Create an account, sign in, upgrade your account, and enjoy. See you on the road in 2024.

Downsizing

Trout

GT Reference
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
1,211
Location
Gainesville
Has anyone changed from a larger bike to a smaller bike?
Funny question because I'm sure many have done just that.

I'm hoping (once again) that I will retire by the end of the year.
I have 4 bikes now & realize that the cost of keeping all of them is not practical.
Plus even tho I am only 65 & in pretty good condition I can see where the body may not like holding up a larger bike in 5 or 10 years.

I have become so accustomed to the power of larger bikes that I keep convincing myself I just won't be happy with anything less.

So the question is; For those who have downsized was it an easy transition?
Did you ever find yourself "in trouble" due to the difference in power?
I rely more in quick reaction & response than I do with brakes & horn.

Any input is appreciated.
 
I know what you mean. SB's are not BB's Seems you get used to a certain "Thrust" and the SB doesn't quite make it. I never compared torque numbers, but seems they just don't have that feel.
I keep 3 on the road and 1 in rehab w/fixed income, don't cut it.
 
All I can tell you is that when I had to stop riding a dozen years ago I owned three bikes: my sportified 850T, a Ducati 907IE, and the LeMans V. The 850T was cosmetically sportified and very much stock mechanically otherwise. It was the smallest and lightest of the three and probably made a real 40-45 hp. The 907IE was a missile, the LeMans V a high-velocity destroyer.

The 850T was not powerful nor fast compared to most other 'sporty' bikes. It didn't matter. As I think back on it, that was my favorite bike of all. I could go fast enough on it on a mountain road to make kids forty pounds lighter than me on their latest zooty, overpowered sport bikes go dizzy trying to keep up. It was so comfortable and so easy to live with too ...

I'm 63 now. I just bought the V7III Racer. It is the factory re-incarnation of that old 850T. It's about forty-fifty pounds lighter, has about ten more hp, handles even better, and actually has brakes. It is fantastic. I'll be riding it until I can no longer put my butt on the seat.
 
I downsized from a 2009 Triumph 1050 Sprint ST ABS for a 2015 Guzzi Stone (highly modified of course) when I retired at 68.

i haven't regretted it a bit.

Gerry
 
I found riding my girlfriends' Ninja250 a fun experience, its a 2 cylinder bike that can reach 100mph. You can take off without using the throttle and can even ride it in second gear without using the throttle. Roomy enough for me, I am 6ft2, 220lbs and the only change I would make to that bike is to get lowered foot pegs and perhaps better brake pads. And now there is the Ninja300.
 
V700 Steve said: "I know what you mean. SB's are not BB's Seems you get used to a certain "Thrust" and the SB doesn't quite make it. I never compared torque numbers, but seems they just don't have that feel"

That is exactly what I am thinking.
I keep telling myself that I can "re-train" my reflex's & riding style but the truth is I'm addicted to power & speed.
It is so hard to even think about giving it up because I have always loved to twist the wrist.

Then Godfrey sez: "I'm 63 now. I just bought the V7III Racer. It is the factory re-incarnation of that old 850T. It's about forty-fifty pounds lighter, has about ten more hp, handles even better, and actually has brakes. It is fantastic. I'll be riding it until I can no longer put my butt on the seat".

Geeez Thanks just what I didn't want to hear because I have loved the Racer since it came out.

Out of all the bikes I owned the 850 T was the favorite & I never could say why, it just was.
Rattle can paint, ugly long, flat seat, rear drum brakes that weren't really brakes, but that bike handled better than any bike ever.
Didn't matter if it was a quick trip into town or an all day ride it was always the one that was parked closest to the door.

If the V7R-III is a refined 850T well it just makes the decision harder yet.

GerryP said: "I downsized from a 2009 Triumph 1050 Sprint ST ABS for a 2015 Guzzi Stone (highly modified of course) when I retired at 68.
i haven't regretted it a bit".

I would be interested to know what "highly modified" means.
 
Then Godfrey sez: "I'm 63 now. I just bought the V7III Racer. It is the factory re-incarnation of that old 850T. It's about forty-fifty pounds lighter, has about ten more hp, handles even better, and actually has brakes. It is fantastic. I'll be riding it until I can no longer put my butt on the seat".

Geeez Thanks just what I didn't want to hear because I have loved the Racer since it came out.

Out of all the bikes I owned the 850 T was the favorite & I never could say why, it just was.
Rattle can paint, ugly long, flat seat, rear drum brakes that weren't really brakes, but that bike handled better than any bike ever.
Didn't matter if it was a quick trip into town or an all day ride it was always the one that was parked closest to the door.

If the V7R-III is a refined 850T well it just makes the decision harder yet.


It is to me. It was an easy decision: I got on the bike for a test ride. After 500 yards I wanted it. When I returned 5 miles later, I bought it. Simple. :cool:

The V7III Racer is the modern version of my highly modified (with respect to foot pegs/controls, seat, and bars) 850T, which were modeled on those bits from the LeMans 1000 that I owned at the same time. The V7III Special is more like the standard 850T in seating ergonomics.

Have I said how much I love this bike today yet?
 
  • Like
Reactions: GR1
GerryP said: "I downsized from a 2009 Triumph 1050 Sprint ST ABS for a 2015 Guzzi Stone (highly modified of course) when I retired at 68.
i haven't regretted it a bit".

I would be interested to know what "highly modified" means.

perhaps highly accessorized would be a better description.

Guzzitech extended sump, ecu re-flash, reacetch front suspension, biturbos on the rear, arrow exhaust, agostini rearsets, adj brake & clutch levers, center stand, euro side stand, Denali led mini spots, racer seat, mrw wind screen, mrw mirror extenders, stelvio hand guards, Givi 46L top case, Guzzi expandable side cases.
 
UNADJUSTEDNONRAW thumb 42d6

Late to this party, but company -- the worst kind; outlaw relatives :giggle: -- kept me working as staff in the family hospitality industry. They just left and I can return to my own regularly scheduled programming.

So, in the spirit of the OP's "Any input is appreciated," I'll toss in some of my observations.

1. So the question is; For those who have downsized was it an easy transition? Yes.

2. Did you ever find yourself "in trouble" due to the difference in power? No, but reeling in distant m/c's ahead (except Harleys :giggle:) does take more "planning" than with the Norge or Griso. Seriously, roll-on at speed is slower but not embarrassing or dangerous. Do bear in mind that I almost never ride the slab, so that be more of an issue to those condemned to that sort of riding v. the two-laners I spend my time on.

Anyway, I just turned 70 (gasp; how can that be?:cry:) and gave myself a new Stornello as a birthday present. I bought it mostly to try out some of the local unpaved roads that had either tempted me while aboard the others or I had found by accident and then regretted riding serious street bikes as I tried to find pavement again!

As (I think) my signature here shows, I already have a '98 EV, '07 Norge, and '10 Griso. Love 'em and -- with the exception of some little terrors when riding two-up on the Norge at certain especially challenging stops :whew: -- have not found age (so far) to be any special impediment to riding. Playing Rubik's Cube with them in the Moto Grappa, however, is way less fun with the big beasts.

After 1600 miles, however, I find myself liking the Stornello in a serious way, to the point I want to ride it for the pure fun of it. Some of that comes, of course, from the charm of newness, but it also a hoot in the hills. Have now ridden it on many day rides on local roads and also a couple of overnighters, e.g., to Erie and back, a 600-mile r/t. Very surprised how comfortable it is after all day in the saddle.

I doubt if I can ever bring myself to sell the others; I'll let my executrix worry about disposing of 'em. :rofl: Besides, they have their obvious uses that the Stornello cannot do as well ... tho it tries.

Best wishes on the decision(s).

Bill

i-BKLSCv5-L.jpg
 
Love my Cali 1400 Touring, my concern was that having recently had ankle fusion surgery at age 59, riding it would be a problem. Not so, I can't envisage changing the bike partly because of the money I have invested in it but also nothing out there takes my fancy so with the help of Todd and this forum it's a keeper for me. If it gets to the stage that my old bones can no longer lift the beast off its side stand I will consider converting it into a trike (Casarva Trikes make some interesting conversions). Time will tell.
 
Yesterday was Racer's (2017 Moto Guzzi V7III Racer) first real ride. EVEN on break-in rev limit, it's plenty fast enough for me and I could go anywhere with it. It's not the fastest accelerating bike in the world, or the biggest, or the loudest. I could care less: I've got nothing left to prove to anyone. I just love to ride, and when I ride this bike the smile on my face goes ear to ear and the top of my head cracks off and blows away.

My gosh, what a fine motorcycle! I've had many fine motorcycles over the past 40+ years, but never one that I took home out of the showroom, dead stock, and fell in love with so fast. :D
 
Has anyone changed from a larger bike to a smaller bike?
I'm shocked at the amount of long time bigger, multi-bike owners here in SoCal stepping down to smaller bikes (V7s). That said, more of them that are power lovers are trading over to Triumph 675s or Ducatis.
I personally struggle with the heron-head V7 mill, but my 820-4V is VERY good, and the hemi-head V7 III is quite good as well... With my 820cc kit it's even better(!). The V9 motor is a bit lazy for me in comparison, but I have enough time on them both now to say if you want a smaller/lighter Guzzi, a GT modded one will suit your fancy. ;)
 
Big Thanks to every one for the input!

Bill H: The pic you posted of the "Storm in the Woods" really caught my eye.
One of the reasons for considering downsizing is that we are seriously looking at property in Arkansas, remote property in Arkansas.
Some of the land we have looked out requires a 4wd or trail bike certain times of the year.
While I really like & want the Racer the Storm would be a much better choice.

Since I started this thread I have actually started riding slower & imagining being on a smaller less powerful bike.
I'm looking at potential situations & how I might react differently to them, of course real life is going to be different but running "game plays" never hurts. I even took the Griso out Sunday & rode it like a "normal bike" wasn't that bad! LOL.

Hey Todd! I'm sure I would love to have a GT prepped bike but the only way I can swing that is if you want to take multiple bikes + cash in trade!

Again, Thanks to everyone, ride safe.
 
Has anyone changed from a larger bike to a smaller bike?
Funny question because I'm sure many have done just that.

I'm hoping (once again) that I will retire by the end of the year.
I have 4 bikes now & realize that the cost of keeping all of them is not practical.
Plus even tho I am only 65 & in pretty good condition I can see where the body may not like holding up a larger bike in 5 or 10 years.

I have become so accustomed to the power of larger bikes that I keep convincing myself I just won't be happy with anything less.

So the question is; For those who have downsized was it an easy transition?
Did you ever find yourself "in trouble" due to the difference in power?
I rely more in quick reaction & response than I do with brakes & horn.

Any input is appreciated.

We currently own five bikes, an 800 lb Indian Vintage, a Harley Softail Deluxe, a BMW R1200R, a 700 lb Honda Shadow Aero, and my V7 III Special.
IMG 20170814 172659572 HDR

Last fall, we sold our 2008 GL1800 Goldwing...925 lbs.

I'm almost 67, and I just got tired of shoving that GL around the garage, and I was feeling a bit less than secure with it at very slow speeds, especially with my wife on pillion.

My 54 year old wife traded in her 2008 Hayabusa last December for a new (2015) R1200R BMW. Compared to our V-twin cruisers, the BMW is a featherweight, handles like a roadracer, and makes 125 HP. The bike is anything but a step down from our larger bikes, and is probably the most competent all-round bike I've ever experienced, and although it ain't no Hayabusa, it makes some serious power and acceleration. With the saddlebags attached, and features like heated grips and cruise-control, it's a superb tourer.

In the past two years I've been trending towards smaller, sportier, and less expensive machines, even buying a Yamaha SR400 and a Royal Enfield C5, both low-power singles. I enjoyed them for a season but 27 hp just isn't enough to hold my interest, so I recently sold both of them, but they were fun to ride around on.

The Harley is now for sale too, and I will sell the Indian Vintage in the spring. I will be keeping the old Honda Shadow Aero as my one cruiser. From now on, I will be buying only mid-sized and smaller motorcycles, but not necessarily all low-power machines, as one of my favorite bikes is the 200 HP ZX14R Kawasaki, and I might buy another one of those(owned a 2007) or possibly another Hayabusa....that is, if I'm not pulled away from those rocketships by the more sensible, and beautiful, Triumph T120 Bonneville.

My V7 is what I'm currently riding the most since I bought it, putting 4500 miles on it in four months, and that's with also riding four other bikes in that period, though not nearly as much as the V7. The V7 is just a versatile, fun, comfortable, motorcycle that is dripping with character and Italian class....and it looks great too. I'm very pleased with it.

80 percent of my riding is in the Black Hills area where we live, and my V7 III is perfectly within it's element on our curvy, wooded two-lanes where the speeds (well, MY speeds) are in the 50-75 mph range. The V7 makes amazingly good use of it's 52 hp, has superb throttle response, perfect gear ratios, and can be ridden fast enough to be very entertaining. The V7 III redlines at a surprisingly low 6500 rpm, but I almost never wind it past 5000, and usually upshift it at no more than 4500 in normal riding. On the interstate, 4500 rpm shows 75 mph on the speedo (4750 indicates 80 mph), which is actually about 71 on the GPS. I'm getting between 50-55 mpg in local, mixed-road riding.

Between my wife and myself, we've owned about seventy-five motorcycles over the years, and I count my V7 solidly in my top ten favorites.
 
Last edited:
I currently have a fully loaded Triumph Tiger 800, and at 67 with an arthritic hip, it is simply too tall, too wide, too heavy, and the CG is definitely too high, especially when the gas tank is full!
The V7 is in my radar for 2018. I am hoping to find a nice stone or 50th anniversary model. Then I can start finding ways to make it lighter....those Kineo wheels and the guzzitech 2into1 sure look good to me!
Just curious, has anyone done a full conversion to LED’s all around with integrated running lights in the turn signals?
 
The V7 is in my radar for 2018. I am hoping to find a nice stone or 50th anniversary model. Then I can start finding ways to make it lighter....those Kineo wheels and the guzzitech 2into1 sure look good to me!
Just curious, has anyone done a full conversion to LED’s all around with integrated running lights in the turn signals?
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised anymore by posts like this, as the V7III has made great strides. Exhaust, battery, wheels and a few other minor items will get you down to the low 400# mark.
As to LEDs, sure have/can; https://www.guzzitech.com/forums/th...thread-add-your-bike.9108/page-43#post-137877
 
Closing in fast on 70, I still can manage my 1400 Custom. However I acquired an older BMW R80 Airhead as a project bike. I switch from one to the other and am happy with both. The Beemer is easier to throw around in the corners and push around when stopped but... harder to get on as it's taller and the kickstands are a nightmare. Still it's a fun bike and when the time comes (hopefully not too soon) I will more than likely transition to something smaller with little problem. I mean if I think about it... a 750cc bike " back in the day " was a BIG bike and king of the hill performance wise.
 
I mean if I think about it... a 750cc bike " back in the day " was a BIG bike and king of the hill performance wise.
Funny and true, however, that was a time when they were "big." The V7 Sport was a big block, not the started-to-life 350cc (grown to 850cc!) small block of modern times. They still feel very toy-like to me, though the new hemi-heads lessen that resemblance when seated on the bike. All said, we live in a day and age where power is impressive for everything. Think of a modern I4 600cc sportbike with 120+ rwhp and sub 400 lbs... but those are boring. ;)
 
Funny and true, however, that was a time when they were "big." The V7 Sport was a big block, not the started-to-life 350cc (grown to 850cc!) small block of modern times. They still feel very toy-like to me, though the new hemi-heads lessen that resemblance when seated on the bike. All said, we live in a day and age where power is impressive for everything. Think of a modern I4 600cc sportbike with 120+ rwhp and sub 400 lbs... but those are boring. ;)

It's amazing how our perceptions and expectations have changed. My last bikes were the Ducati 907IE, Moto Guzzi LeMans V, and Moto Guzzi 850T ... respectively about 80 hp, 75 hp, and 45 hp. The V7III Racer is a hair lighter than the 850T with about ten more horsepower, and feels very similar in size, but with the kind of braking that the LeMans V had and quicker turn-in. Acceleration up to 100 is very very similar to my other ~50 hp 750cc machines prior to the 907IE/LeMans V. But by today's standards, it's a low power, pokey little bike.

Happily, I don't care. Fast or slow as it may be, I love riding it. I'll go anywhere I please on it. I like the compact feel, the handling, the braking, the comfort, and the power delivery. Once I get the little bit of popping it does taken care of (waiting on the in-development GT kit for that), it will be all done and it will be all ride and enjoy.

I'm so far beyond the notion of buying a bike because it will impress other people with its specs... :D
 
Back
Top