At least with the early Guzzi' the 'home mechanic' stood half a chance of working on them, one of my brothers and friends had Guzzi' whilst I had and still have a /7 BMW, if you would not go far wrong with an early BM, many still about at resonable money, easy to work on and good speres(if needed) availability.
Failing that look into The Old BMW 'K' series triple and four pot models.

Don't sell this brand short....
 

Sounds like the old Ford versus Chevy argument - no one wins! There is a huge following of Guzzi fans and justifiably so. Many more in Europe than the US but nevertherless in spite of the sparse dealer network they do have their following in the states. I have a Breva 750 and just love it, no issues and would not hesitate to tour. There is currently a couple doing a tour of the US on a Moto Guzzi Breva 750 which has over 50,000 miles. On The Road Again – 2012

Before you make a decision you should check out some of the Guzzi forums and chat with owners about the pros and cons...don't sell this brand short, like all brands they have had their moments but they do make some beautiful bikes that perform well.

I must come to the defence of modern Guzzis. I've had my 1200 Sport for 3 years now and apart from having a new clutch fitted under warranty when I first got it it hasn't missed a beat. I've done 4,000 mile Euro tours on it and it's been perfect in this role. Smooth, comfortable and fun to ride. The noise it makes is worth the cost alone!

This is my first Italian bike and I was always worried about the reliability of these machines but I stopped listening to the rhetoric from people who haven't owned one and read posts from actual owners. Everyone loved them so I took the plunge. I'm glad I did as this is the best bike I've owned. It feels special compared to Japanese machines. I know it's a cliche but it has soul.

Mine is one of the last of the 2 valves. The new 4 valve bikes have had some problems with the cams. Guzzi have now changed the supplier of their cams so hopefully that is sorted. Having said that I don't have much confidence in the new head design so I'll be hanging onto my 2 valver, it's a keeper.

I have no experience of modern Guzzis, although I think the new V7 is the best-looking bike I have seen in many years. Pity it's sub-50 bhp, as with a bit more power I would have one in a heartbeat.

I had a 1979 V50II for a year or two in the early 80s. I regret selling that bike more than any other. In terms of character, soul, whatever, it was the sweetest little bike I have owned (my current XT excepted, of course). The only issue I had was keeping the carbs in sync. They would go out of tune very quickly and to keep the bike on song they needed synching every 2-3 weeks. Once I had bought the Davida gauges it was a 15-minute job, so no big drama - and a great feeling when it was running right again. No issues with the mechanics or the electrics - a very user-friendly bike. It probably wouldn't cut it today, but against the sports bikes of the time it showed a clean pair of wheels to many faster bikes on a twisty road.

Guzzis have always had very loyal fans, and there's a reason for that, although the reason may not be 100% logical. But are we ever 100% logical about our bikes?

Here is another blog with lots of owner input on Guzzis
 

I do not recognize the unreliability issue with Guzzi's.

I had a Falcone, a T4, a LeMans and have known a lot of Guzzi drivers with V7, Lodola, V1000, Calif etc.

I had no such unreliability issues.

I have been driving all of Europe on all of them from northe to south, west to east and vice versa, even 2 up on the old Falcone without any stops except for fuel.

I am not Guzzi owner anymore and can't report on "modern" Guzzi's reliability.

I bought a Nevada 750 new in 2006 and put 23,000 km on it with no mechanical problems. I sold it to a friend who now has 33,000 km on the clock. We just got back from a 2000 km trip through Austria and Germany.

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...2/DSC01206.jpg

The only problem I had with it was trying to get work done under warranty by the dealership I bought it from. :thumbdown: That's why I ride a different brand now. My friend has found a reliable mechanic at the new local dealership, though (the old one lost their franchise). :mchappy:

Small Guzzi
 

Alan,
I have owned a 650 NTX for 4 years now (1994 model) it has only required consumables to date, and can be home serviced with ease. I have not done a long overland trip on this bike yet, but I would have no issues with a long trip (Road biased) but it is a bit heavy for unsurfaced, rutted roads. I have done some mods to the standard suspension. I would agree that spares availability can be patchy for anything other than consumables. Later injected models are more economic than carb model like mine.

In 25 yrs, no Guzzi I owned gave me any problems. If you're still interested in buying a Guzzi, join the Guzzi club online forum (no membership required).

Have a look at this site: Guzzi Overland

Take a test ride on the bike you select & have fun!

I bought a cheap V50 mK 3 a few weeks ago and it is a charming little bike. It was running rough when I got it but after adjusting the valves and balancing the carbs (both simple jobs) she runs beautifully. I think I am correct in saying it is a s powerful as the current 750 versions due to the emissions etc that they have to comply with. I would be quite happy taking it on a long tour. It cost me £550 with almost a full MOT!!

Good score, Mark. You're right about the power. I think they were 50 bhp or so, which is ahead of the 750 Classic's 47 bhp.

Valves and carbs are easy on these bikes, like working on the bench. Electrics not so much. They hide a lot up there between the V and the tank.

Treat it well. You will love it.

(My only 'I once raced Barry Sheene' story. I was commuting with my V50II in Lincolnshire - about 10 miles each way, short straight stretches linked by 90 deg bends. I saw a bike come up behind, fast, so I did the usual thing and speeded up. It was a Norton Commando. Every straight, he caught up with me, every corner I left him behind. Eventually I turned into my drive and he went by with the usual wave. Thought nothing of it, but months later, I was in the local bike shop and mentioned my Guzzi. Oh yeah, said the owner, 'Local Racer X' was in here the other day saying he raced someone on one of these, on his Commando. Mad b@stard, couldn't catch him at all. Rode like a nutter. Modest as ever, I kept quiet.

My memory says local racer X was Rob McElnea, but I could be misremembering that. But the Guz was a lovely handling bike. On those roads, more than 50 bhp was wasted.)

I raced a guy on a Shuttleworth Snap once and beat him , mind you , he was playing a yukele as he rode .jeiger


:innocent:

I've had Guzzis for some years now, including my newest addition, the 2011 Stelvio 1200 NTX. No reliability issues during its 25000 kms, apart from a blown coil (Champion) replaced under warranty. Was a bit rough running @ ca 3500 rpms, but sorted. Wife's 2004 Breva 750 has been running 65000 kms flawlessly. My 1984 850 T5 hack has been serving as my winter bike (Norwegian winters, remember) for the last six odd years. No issues, apart from a worn clutch @ 80 000 kms (of hack pulling) and a few snapped wires now and then. I even have a SP1000 in the garage, being rebuilt for classic racing (for a couple of years, admittedly...). Nice, well-running engine, despite its 30 + years of duty before me rebuilding it. I've also had a 2007 850 Griso - no issues - and a 1992 Quota 1000 - no issues (I don't consider a loose battery cable "an issue" - and I'm to embarrased to tell the whole story...). If I'd be world touring, I'd opt for an older ('80, early '90) carbed Guzzi, and strike a deal with Stein Dinse for parts shipping if needed. I just love those bikes!

Don't tell me, 'duelling banjos', and you were on the gee-tar.

:)

maybe guzzi isn't built for bashing around dirt roads on...
 

Traded my F800gs (which I bought after a short test ride and hated every mile on it) for a R1200R Classic which is just like my old 1150 but improved in every way. This is a bike I enjoy every time I get on it but still leaves me searching for a travel bike.
I saw a Guzzi V7 in a dealers yesterday which started me off on a merry go round web search, (mainly on here) and although a great bike on paper I think a big bumpy journey would shake it to pieces. I want to ride with the occasional fix and not the other way round. Lack of build quality control, spares (un) availability etc. So I'll go to the Birmingham bike show next week with an open mind then spend the following two weeks riding round Goa on my hired Enfield Bullet doing that head over heart thing (you have to love your bike if you're going to spend so long travelling with it) trying to decide which bike to buy when I get back.