Hurrah! Delighted with the Audace from Mo-Tech Newcastle. Only issue to date, being dealt with under warranty, is the coating flaking off the exhaust. One was replaced before delivery and the other one is being processed as of Monday. Apparently a known fault due to a “bad batch”.
This machine was an ex-demo with only 250 miles on the clock. As I live in the heelunds asked for heated grips to be fitted. Yeah, yeah, woose I know.
First thoughts:
Agreeable quality (apart from the exhaust cosmetic issue) Piaggio quality control ?, wonderful low down grunt, baffling technology - must RTFM. Now showing 600 miles after last week. Not as unwieldy as I thought it would be at low speeds, smooth as the revs build, reasonably economical at 49mpg average so far. Gearbox is guzziesque - hopefully smoothing out changes now I have realised I don’t have to stamp down and up to operate.
Suspension not adjusted as yet - that’s next weeks playtime.
Another wee problem is lack of luggage capability and / or rack. Toothbrush and credit card job the noo, and a small rucksac to carry bits and bobs. May design and fab a bespoke one if Agostini don’t.
How are you getting on with the foot controls? They’re not “really” forward, but they’re certainly not mid-mount either. Result is that on a test ride this morning my feet spent the first few minutes desperately hunting for the pegs once we were moving. Then when stopped in traffic and had to paddle the pegs seemed perfectly position to trip me up, and I kept getting my feet caught in them thinking I was going to keel over I had expected the Eldorado forward mounts, boards and heel-toe shift to be more a problem, but that actually felt far more natural. The result was that the Eldorado felt far easier to ride. On the other hand once properly moving the Audace had me grinning like a swivel eyed loon
I find it a bit disconcerting when changing from bike to bike but now am used to the foot position. It is quite comfortable - most comfortable Guzzi I think I have driven. Must admit when setting off the flick forward with the feet takes a bit of getting used to.
One thing I am not yet comfortable with is the back brake - I may have to alter the geometry as it feels slightly awkward to activate.
Other than that I have tested it on some of the small Highland roads - the Applecross Beallach, Loch Horrible in the north, Dava moor, Cabrach, Lecht and apart from going a bit slower on the twisties, especially downhill, it’s fine.
Still looking for a satisfactory system for luggage - a rack or something - think it will need to be bespoke. Just bought a bottle of Argonshield.
Trying to track your old Audace cans at the moment Moteck have found one so far There trying to find the other one for me by the way is the fairing going to work out going to the Scottish Show with Donald this weekend see you at the Scottish Rally .
, a pic taken by Dode Fraser…
I had expected the Eldorado forward mounts, boards and heel-toe shift to be more a problem, but that actually felt far more natural. The result was that the Eldorado felt far easier to ride. On the other hand once properly moving the Audace had me grinning like a swivel eyed loon 
