Sold my Mustang.....

[jerk]

got a cash offer for my full asking price of 28k. Guy drove to the shop- I busted out the wrenches and moved the Kirkey race seats forward and let him take it for a spin. He comes back and hands me 3k and says he’ll take it and he’ll pick it up next week.
All good until I get the text telling me he wants the original seats put back in, the carpet re-installed, and wants me to smog it.
I try to convince him that he doesn’t want the seats in- but he says some weird shit about how since I said on the adthat you could put the stock seats back in in a day in your garage- that I somehow was contractually obligated to do that and how dare I tell him what he wants... I was this close to telling him to screw because with my business partner away for a couple of weeks - I literally don’t have a day to do that. But I wanted to sell the car so I relented- and bought him a brand new carpet (he drives barefoot and doesn’t want to burn his feet) and put the thing back to stock. Ugh.

I also passed smog without having to do the supercharger swap-a-too which was great.

I told myself that I could use half the money to buy myself a replacement toy- and I did. I came really close to buying an Indian FTR 1200 S. I test rode it and loved it. That is the most nimble fun bike I’ve ever ridden. It just wants to pop wheelies and do long skids and slides. The engine has plenty of power abs the short and tall riding position felt great to me. Alas- it’s too much like my Harley and my Aprilia- performance short distance bikes. And it was out of my price range unfortunately once taxes and everything were counted.
While I was at the Indian dealer I also tried a big bagger and didn’t hate it! But even with the huge discount it was a $25,000 motorcycle.
Anyway today I had to take my RSV4-rr for new tires. And I totally forgot that my Aprilia dealer sells Moto-Guzzi and Moto-Guzzi makes some sweet V-twin cruisers.
Anyway- I ended up dropping off my Aprilia and riding out on a brand new Mofo Guzzi Audace for $10,000. What a great great bike. It kicks the crap out of the Harley Road King and even the Indian Chief I’ve tried and even though it’s a big bike- the lack of floor boards and a giant shark nose fairing mean that it’s actualky great around town and lane splitting. The position with the drag bars and high forward controls feel great and what an awesome engine.
My heart wanted the flat tracker- but this Guzzi is going to let me ride to visit my nephews in Colorado. Take multi day camping trips, and really enjoy long highway miles in a way I really can’t on my other two bikes. Plus the thing is black and mean and Italian and really well put together. It’s got all sorts of fancy lean angle traction control, ABS, multiple rider modes, and a torque curve that looks like a table.
The shaft drive and vtwin are just great as are the giant brembos and wide tires. Guzzi builds some amazing bikes and the deals to be had are just stupid.
I’m glad I can put some money from the car sale away and got a toy that I like but that I think will probably be the bike I ride the most.

Audace - Moto Guzzi

[Corso]

I’m glad I can put some money from the car sale away and got a toy that I like but that I think will probably be the bike I ride the most.

Audace - Moto Guzzi

Until you see something else that catches your eye!

Kidding aside, good for you!

That V85 TT gets my blood flowing...

[jerk]

absolutely true. I really like the V85- but I liked spending $9000 on a $18,000 motorcycle more!

Until you see something else that catches your eye!

Kidding aside, good for you!

That V85 TT gets my blood flowing...

[j44ke]

The new generation of Moto Guzzi seem like someone is doing something right in their design department. I don't like Harley-style bikes at all, but the Audace doesn't look half bad. But I'm with Corso - that V85. So next mood shift you have, get a V85 so we can live vicariously through that one.

[Mabouya]

The Griso was my favorite Moto Guzzi, but it looks like they don't make it anymore, no mention of it on the web site.

Perhaps it was replace by the Audace - they certainly are similar in a few ways.

[jerk]

the Griso was great bike but they couldn't get that engine to pass Euro 4 so that thing and the equally awesome Stelvio died. The Griso was sportier and less cruiser than the Audace. if i could only have one bike- i'd rather have a Griso - because it's a more nimble sportier bike. the 1100 those bikes used and their transmissions were a lot cruder and not nearly as refined as the new 1400 that they're putting in the bikes built on the California platform.

here's the thing- it costs about $6million bucks to homologate a bike for Euro4 or Euro5 or whatever. Guzzi is a tiny division of a big scooter company- and the Griso and Stelvio were both unique chassis and with Euro 6 coming quickly it wasn't worth making those bikes pass Euro 4 which is really sad. So Moto-Guzzi did all they could and paid to get the V7 and the California (their cruiser platform) homologated. The AUdace was basically the sportiest most bad ass bike Guzzi could make on their cruiser platform- so in some ways it does replace the Griso.

Imagine if Harley was a hundred times smaller and you get Moto-Guzzi. It would be like HD killing the Softail and Dyna lines and just keeping the cruisers and the sportsters because they knew they would never sell enough to pay for the homologation costs to make those bikes pass Euro4.

The Griso rules. I would have bought one but even though the chassis is slightly better than the Audace- the Audace has a much, much better engine, engine management system and brakes etc.

[dogrange]

Congrats on the Audace, sounds like fun!

I have always lusted after a Griso since they came out in 2007 or whatever, particularly the black ones with contrasting silver frame. Such a great looking design that still looks great after a dozen years on the market. I did a demo day way long ago when there was a Guzzi truck making th rounds and rode one of the 1100s - it actually rode great, as I recall. I would image inte later 8 valve 1200s are even better than the one I rode. Maybe someday, maybe someday soon or medium-term . . .