Italian motorbikes

[Michele 95]

Please read my signature. If you want report here my error

Hi.
What's your opinion regard the italian motorbikes? (Aprilia,Ducati,Mv Augusta ecc)
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Hi!I'm Italian. I don't spek english very well, i'm here for learn this language. Sorry for my grammatical mistakes.

[MarJay]

I like them but they generally cost too much money and aren't as reliable as Japanese or other European makes. MV's are pretty but expensive and uncomfortable, Moto Guzzi's are OK but a little too quirky for my tastes. Ducatis are nice, I'd probably own an air cooled one if the right model came along, and I'm sure I will own an Aprilia one day. Possibly a SL1000 Falco.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Michele 95]

[Carvel]

Michele is a girls name
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2002 Aprilia RSV1000R, Cbr600Fs, Mk1 B12, Vfr400 NC30...

Matt B: I can deal with crushed nuts to beat Ollie.

[Kickstart]

[Michele 95]

[Michele 95]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Have an RS125 (and a few AF1s) along with a pair of Cagiva Freccia C12Rs. One Freccia we have had since 1990, the other was bought for spare parts but was too nice so repaired instead.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Islander]

We have two Ducati Monsters, a 750 that my OH rides and a 900 that I ride. The 900 has straight through carbon cans that make an amazing noise. They never fail to put a grin on my face.

[Michele 95]

for Kickstart: My congratulation. I'm sad because this types of motorbikes today aren't produced (sorry for my grammar )

Islander: what's the meaning of OH?Anyway is true that the ducatis have this amazing sound
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Hi!I'm Italian. I don't spek english very well, i'm here for learn this language. Sorry for my grammatical mistakes.

[Kickstart]

[Tungtvann]

[BravoCharlie]

[Teflon-Mike]

Moto-Guzzi - Ah! My OH has just acquired her first.
Like ALL Moto-Guzzi's its a push-rod V-Twin....
Err... hold on... why did I have a two-stroke single 'dingo' in the spare room then While my Uncle deigned not to join the Moto-Guzzi GB Owner's Club after walking up to their stand at a local show, and being asked which Model of Moto-Guzzi he owned, and lifting his 'Trotter' moped onto the counter, to be told... "THAT'S NOT A GUZZI! I don't know WHAT that is! But its NOT a Guzzi! CANT BE! Its not a V-Twin!"
Curiously they HAVE made other configurations of engine; and were probably THE most influential European Manufacturer on Sochiro Honda when he did his world-tour in the 50's.
Some suggest that his diversification into lawn mowers and horticultural equipment was inspired by Guzzi, kick-starting the corporations bid for world manufacturing domination, as well as the reason for adopting the 'wing' logo, like the Guzzi's spread-wing eagle motif, as well as making thier techno guzzi, in the form of the 'maggot' or CX500 if you prefer.
And the Benelli years were particularly exiting, with the Honda 'four' inspired SOHC small-bore fours, and the Suzuki X7 rip off two-stroke parallel twin, in a range that also included the immortal, and most traditional of Guzzi's the Nuovo Falcone, lay-down single.
Folk always remember the CARS in the original 1969 film 'The Italian Job'... the opening sequence with the Lamborghini Miura; the two Jaguar E-Types and the Aston, even the Land-Rover gets remembered after the Mini's... some people even spot the Alfa-Romeo Gulietta's that chased them... but who remembers that poor Bacon-Slicer Falcone, with the canvas leg shields and windscreen, being laid down next to the bloke with the mop?
I have to say, that the Marque is probably my favourite of Italian motorcycles... and quite possibly the more 'sensible' for an every-day usable bike; Living in the shores of Lake Como, closer to Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein, than Rome, they seem to have refused to sell out their Teutonic Lombard principles to make thing practical for the passion of making them fast or sexy!
What else we got?
Moto-Morini. The little Heron Head V-Twins... AH! But they made singles, and even two-strokes as well, for the home market, as I recall. The Wee-Vee 3 1/2 though was a rather sweet little bike, light yet punchy and very composed in corners compared to Japanese offerings... though rather a bugger when the rear cylinder overheated! Small design flaw there, but hey! Wonderful as long as they were working!
MV Augusta - I do have first hand experience of one of these... a 350S 'Ipotesi'... very pretty.... rather disappointed to find it only had two cylinders... and push-rods. But looked nice.... in my Grans Hall... where it lived! I was told that was what MV's were built for... they weren't REALLY motorbikes.... so I was quite surprised when my Divorce Lawyer told me he DID ride one.... once every year...... to the international MV owners Rally in Gallerat or wherever their famous 'fire engines' hailed from
Nice to know that the ten minutes the bloke spent talking bikes to me, I got billed for, got put to some good use then!
Ducati.. how can we talk Italian bikes and NOT talk about Ducati's?
Tanworth in Arden is a tiny Hamlet in rural Warwickshire, and about three miles from my Grand-Parents farm house, that was my childhood home from 1978... the year Tanworth in Arden's probably only famous resident, Mike Hailwood, made his 'come-back' to motorcycle racing on a Ducati 900SS... only to be killed three years later on his way to the chippy in his Rover V8!
However; it was a few years later I got my hands on a 'duke'... and it did have spur gears, if not double flapper valves; a 1971, 350 Street-Scrambler. I had actually seen photo's of these competing in a 1970's ISDT, with a caption reading 'Fast but unreliable'. I was intregued to find out if this was fair.... so took it off-roading. Yup, I took a twenty five year old 'classic' Bevel Drive Ducati mud-plugging! AND I was quite enamoured by the thing! It was a little lively, but it was remarkably tractable; suspension was a little stiff and unsophisticated but it was not a bad dirt bike... and didn't miss a beat..... till I washed the bludy thing! Then its electrics just threw a complete hissy fit!
Yup. Its all true, isn't it? Italian electrics don't like British wet-stuff.
Fantic.... Now there's an oft forgotten Italian marque. Memorable to me, as they were the king of the hill in trials when I started in the sport. But fortunately I wasn't rich enough to buy one. I got to ride TY Yamaha's until I was old enough to ride an Adult bike, when I bought a Spanish Montesa (Which I still have, incidentally) They keep popping up now and again in the classic classes; usually lovingly, painstakingly and expensively restored, with their owners recounting how finding bits wasn't anywhere near as bad as they had expected.... if they are still there at the end of the season... they usually don't have any of the bits that ARE so hard to find!
Italjet... I know bog all about, but I have a feeling that one was the first bike I ever crashed.... aged seven!
Cagiva - I have had a hankering for a round head-lamp Mito for many years. Mainly because I think they are pretty, and otherwise a bit irrelevant. They are not fast bikes, but the little two-stroke is concentrated Italian automotive soul; something for the week-end sir; a bike that doesn't have to be anything but what it is; certainly not reliable or practical; just something to ride hard, that demands total commitment to get it to work for you, just for fun. I almost bought one about ten years ago... but after a lot of pleading from the owners thirteen year old son, he decided to keep it. And after watching him fix it up for the lads seventeenth birthday... no, sorry eighteenth, no well, make it his 21st... probably just as well. Was fun though on the few breif outings we gave it before it broke and got taken to bits!
Benelli's Mentioned them before; I have no experience of the modern things; and main experience of the old ones is a couple of 354's that I would probably preffer to forget! The SEi's DID look good though.And I'm running out of inspiration now...
VESPA! How could I forget! Is it because we don't think of them as Italian? Or we don't think of them as a motorcycle!
Wonderful devices... utterly incredible even... HOW could any rational human being, professing to call themselves an 'engineer' design the damn thing?
I mean; it defies all reasonable engineering principles of making a 'good' motorcycle. It's like you want to build THE worst motorbike you could possibly imagine, and chuck every really bad idea into one design... small wheels, limited suspension, perverse weight distribution, and then off-set the wheels from the bikes centre line!
But SOME-HOW, it defies the design flaws and SOME-HOW just works!
I loved my Vespa. Never RODE the damn thing... just took it to bits, put it back together, took it apart again, and wondered about it a lot! Fascinating.

So, to conclude; thirty odd years of experience of Italian motorcycles, has formed my opinion that their is quite a lot of truth in their reputations, and that you probably don't 'own' one, but merely have the privileged of paying for ones upkeep!

They all seem to have a lot of inherent idiosyncrasies, all seem to have quite a lot of 'charecter' all borne of imperfection, that the Japanese don't seem to understand.

To which end, I have to confess I have never actually BOUGHT one, with my own hard earned money! Been given a few.... usually in pieces... but that's another matter!

Which is why the Guzzi in the back-garden is my O/H's... I have found that the best Italian motorcycles are other people's!
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
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[noobRider]

Tef's OH's Guzzi used to be mine. I loved it but quirky really doesn't say enough. I think it was great to look at and loads of fun to ride. It wasn't unreliable but it would start to give up if the rain got too heavy for too long. I'm only realising now I've got another bike just how rough it was. More character than most people are comfortable with. I'm on a British bike now but I was tempted by a Ducati.
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Licence: Nov 2012, Bikes: Suzuki GN125, Moto Guzzi Strada 750, Triumph Sprint ST 955i x 2
AnPhonEh: I need plans, I need contingency plans also, I need back up contingency plans

[1198]

I have two Ducatis, a 93 Monster and a 2012 1198. It's obvious the advancement in build quality between the two. The old one has exposed wires and all sorts. I understand there's 20 years or so between them but the Monster struggles when compared like for like with a Japanese bike of a similar year - when I look at the 1990 Kawasaki it's parked alongside for instance.

[Notj7]

I test rode the Ducati 899. The other bikes like the 848 Evo looked like good sizes and of good build quality but the 899 looked like it had the flimsiest fairings available. Really thin and cheap looking. Not good for a 12 grand bike. Also apparently extra costly servicing is a known requirement if you're buying a Ducati.

MV Augusta - had fuelling problems with their latest F3 or so I've heard.

Basically, not had too much experience with Italian bikes but enough to be put off due to the price to build quality ratio- and that's having ony been on one for 40 minutes. As soon as I sat on an IL4 Honda I felt at ease again. Maybe just familiarity...
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Left the forum.

[smithyithy]

I love the 125's.. Have ridden Aprilia RS's and Cagiva Mito's and for small CC bikes they put a huge smile on your face, until they break..

Personally I really like some of the Italian brands, Ducati are a bit of mixed bag in my eyes though there some models I'd love to own, specifically a 748/996..

I'm a big Aprilia fan though, I've always related them to Maserati if Ducati is like Ferrari..

I'd love an RSV4 Factory after my Daytona 675.. such a great looking / sounding bike and it actually holds its own in the group tests, maybe not on par with the Panigale or S1000RR.. But usually well above the MV.

MV's are ridiculously good looking bikes, but it still seems they haven't got the rideability perfected yet.

The other brands I don't really have enough knowledge or experience of.

[chickenstrip]

Italian bikes are often works of art as far as aesthetics are concerned. But yes, the reliability question. As a second (or even third, fourth bike (I wish! )), I'd definitely have something Italian. But if I have to rely on one bike, I'll stick with Jap - although this may only be because it's what I'm familiar with, obviously even Jap bikes have their failures.

If it's reassurance you need Michele, I don't think you have to worry - Italian bikes are loved by many the world over. They do definitely have a place in my heart, despite never (yet) having owned one!

[Michele 95]

[Michele 95]

[chickenstrip]

It's really only the electrics generally I worry about, ignoring any foibles of particular models. Italian electrics just don't have a great reputation, and that's the way it has been for some time. Are they better in this regard these days? I still hear a lot of people criticising them on this point.

[moonzoomer]

I have owned a few
Ducati 160 Monza junior..... pile of junk
Gilera 150.. nice bike but never went in the rain
Ducati 500 Pantah..... bigger pile of junk
Ducati 500 gtl ... never heard it running but it looked good
Moto Guzzi 500 Monza... really nice bike, reliable.
Laverda SF3 750... needed a crane to get it of the sidestand
Moto Guzzi Targa.. bought it for wee money and it never gives any real hassle.

[Michele 95]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Electrics wise, not really had major problems with Aprilias. Charging wise less than a modern Honda or 1980s Suzuki. Only non charging electrical problem I have had was on the very early AF1 where the earth for the clocks was a lot of wires joining together in stages (before it joined the main loom); the wires tended to break. However the clocks on these were Japanese (very similar to Suzuki RG250 clocks) and not sure if the problem was Aprilias design or just that of their supplier.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing