This is pretty close to my own situation. BIG Kawasaki fan, Long term 84 GPz1100 just sold, ex ZX12R etc.
Always liked the idea of Moto Guzzi V11 Sport. But have seen the 1200 Sport. I haven’t riden a Moto Guzzi ever, so, with no 1200 Sports available to test ride, I rode a’07 Norge with 40K on the clock, it was very average, due to the shop selling it not having it serviced prior to my test ride.
Then I tried a Griso, from another dealer. Um, it was absolutely outstanding, it is everything you could want for blatting around the city, short motorway rides, heading down to your favourite drinking hole for a quiet one etc.
If this is the type of riding I do, I would have one in the garage right now.
I like to go out and put in 500-800kms a day. I don’t think I could do this on a Griso.
Based on the Griso test ride, I have just purchased a 1200 Sport ABS on Friday. I could not get a test ride on one prior to purchasing.
So, First ride, 153Kms. good seating position, plenty of power without lugging, or revving hard. Still used to the switch position of the GPz so managed to hit the horn a couple of times and move the trip meter switch, nothing that won’t get fixed with more ride time.
Friday afternoon 200Km ride, some wet roads, It has Metzlers, seem good although taking it easy due to new tyres and new bike.
Friday evening, realised that I did NOT have a sore backside or sore wrists.
Speed was 104Km/h, although a few times the speed crept up a bit and still felt very comfortable.
Speedo is quite accurate vs GPS. 100 - 103.
Sound is good,
It is a bit heavy when at walking pace or getting in and out of the garage.
It doesn’t have a positive neutral finder, something all kawasakis have had since 1981.
I am 6’1" and 95Kgs. I haven’t had the wife on it yet so can’t tell how good it is going to be.
I haven’t felt the weave yet, maybe it only comes in at 200K plus like every GPz.
I can actually sit at the speed limit and enjoy it and not feel i have to be riding in the 120-140 range like i used to. Previous bikes also required those speeds to relieve sore wrists. Not good on the wallet and points on my licence, these days.
That’s my first impressions of the 1200 Sport, hope it helps to make your mind up one way or the other,
Glenn
Hey Mr Gpz, welcome to the forum, your thoughts particularly interesting to me, is your sport 4 or 8 valve ? have ridden the 4.
I still rate my Gpz 550 as one of the best all round bikes I’ve ever owned…
Checkout the website of the dealers I work for, lots of nice old kwackers on there… www.classicbikes.co.uk
Kate…
It appears that the bikes labelled 4V refer to the Valves per cylinder, whereas the 8V is the total valves.My bike is labelled 8V on the Bike and the manual is labelled 4V!
My family (Father/Brothers/Sister) and I have owned every model GPz550, from the twin shocker up to and including the 600. Like you said great bikes
It helps a lot thank you MrGPz. I am certainly not afraid to lose out on the power stakes and not really too bothered by the weight issue. ZZR’s were never lightweights. Very positive to hear on the lack of sore wrists and lack of ass pains. Very important. Also very similar to yourself at 6ft 3 and 99Kg (damned imperial and metric mix up there!).
As it is I have my eye on a 1200 and a V11 which really interests me and depending on them being available at the end of January. First up is to get an insurance quote on Monday and see if they are going to sting me for my ‘write off’. Hopefully not so.
I have to admit all you chaps on this forum have been sterling with all your replies and most gratefully received. satanfriendly2013-12-28 23:40:36
[QUOTE=Phil-T] I seem to remember that one ‘speed-weave’ review in the Seventies.
 Amazing it’s still resonating.
Â
Phil[/QUOTE]
Isn’t it just.
It never ceases to amaze me that people will just not forget the foibles of the past when it comes to MG.
Funny thing is, I can go back far enough to remember some of the horrors that came out of Japanese factory’s in the 80’s especially.
anyone else remember the early Honda V4’s that would eat their own camshafts ?
Kawasaki’s carb icing problems, that were responsible for more than a few fatalities, and of course the terrible electrics fitted to Suzuki’s in the 80’s.
The list goes on, but mention these things to the average rider and they’ll look at you with a blank expression.
Talk about Guzzi’s though, and their memory’s are as sharp as a razor when it comes to the chrome falling of the mudguard of their mates California 35 years ago,
All I would say to the OP is make your own mind up,
There are a lot of bar stool road testers out there, with little to no experience of the marque, more often than not found working in sales departments of dealerships,
Go with what your instincts tell you.
Hi Satan, Owned a ZZR 1400 too, plus every bike you can think of always liked Italian bikes, remember turning up at an IMTC meeting in the seventies on a Ducati 900GTS everyone was on a BMW, far superior!!! until we hit the road, at tick over they shacked to death and owners complained about then falling off their narrow centre stands!!! Anyway owned Guzzi in the past, just bought a Griso and just love it, I know I won’t sell it, have a Kwaker as well but the Griso is tops every time. Mind you, again if I needed to ride to Istanbul twice a month then on a budget it would be a Suzuki 1250 Bandit sold mine for £4K,cost no issue I suppose a Honda something but yuk. Rode through Painswick Glos Cotswold stone, the sound and the grunt going uphill well just great. note Griso 110BHP and dollops of torque same as Z1000Sx just 2K revs lower. regards Rat
To give you an idea a V11 Le mans rider in east mids, over 50 fully comp 25 quid excess is under £80 per year…look around tho’ and always ring and “discuss” the esxcess I found the £25 excess was no more premium than the £200 excess quoted online
Nice thing about the Guzzi 1100’s is the tourque and the way it is delivered, on anything but a long straight road if they get away from one they are just a better rider, mind you the same could be said for someone on a VFR750.
Nowadays huge top end on any Mway or Dual carriageway is likely to get a ticket, or ban real quick so that kinda leaves the twisties to play on and to be fair there are many Guzzi 750 riders that you would be very hard pushed to keep up with.
Well one week to go and can finally escape from this here ship and have a ride on a 1200 sport lined up. Rather looking forward to this and hopefully become the owner. Then I can actually be a forum member with an actual Moto Guzzi.
Still need to sort out the insurance though as finding it hard to lower my quotes and still don’t understand why they are double that of say a VFR or a Trumpet Sprint.