Yesterday I had a trip over to A+D motorcycles in Denbigh on my T120 Bonny. I had arranged a test ride on their new 850 Stone (black). I've had a hankering to get another Guzzi for a while, I've had two Stelvios, but they are just too big and heavy for me these days.
The Stone was a similar size to my T120, the finish of the bike was very good, it had an air of quality about it. I could easily flat foot it, I'm a 30" inside leg, and the bend on my leg was similar to the Bonny. The bars felt a little too low for me, I have 3/4" risers on the Bonny and I suspect a similar rise would benefit the Guzzi. I wasn't keen on the mirrors, the rear view was OK and they weren't badly affected by the vibration once you were rolling, but I think bar end mirrors would look better.
The ride itself was very pleasant, the seat was wide enough for my large arse, just about long enough for a pillion although I ride solo these days, and it was very comfortable for the hour I had the bike. I have an injury to my left hand which has left me with a significant reduction in grip and other issues, and over the years the condition has worsened so a light clutch is very important to me these days. The Guzzi didn't disappoint, although not as light as that of my CB500X, it was on a par with the T120, perhaps a touch lighter. The gearbox was smooth and neutral easy to find. The engine spun up easily, there was no tacho but there was a warning to change gear coming on saying 'change gear now'.
Throttle action is light but nicely weighted, it's not ride by wire. The single front Brembo had plenty of feel, the rear not so much, but both proved very effective in the two emergency stops I practiced. The bike felt light and agile and the suspension coped well with the bumpy back roads. I didn't thrash the bike as it only had about 200miles on the clock, but it accelerated quick enough with plenty of mid range torque available. The exhaust note was somewhat muted, a pair of aftermarket silencers would be fitted if I were to buy one of these.
Overall I was impressed with the bike, I'm not sure that I would be willing to trade in either of my two bikes to get the Guzzi as I like them too much. If I could find a decent 750 V7iii at the right price I may be tempted back into the Guzzi fold, the 750 has the same ergonomics, but 14bhp less, I reckon I could live with that drop in power as the bike would be used as a back lane bimbler.
The Stone was a similar size to my T120, the finish of the bike was very good, it had an air of quality about it. I could easily flat foot it, I'm a 30" inside leg, and the bend on my leg was similar to the Bonny. The bars felt a little too low for me, I have 3/4" risers on the Bonny and I suspect a similar rise would benefit the Guzzi. I wasn't keen on the mirrors, the rear view was OK and they weren't badly affected by the vibration once you were rolling, but I think bar end mirrors would look better.
The ride itself was very pleasant, the seat was wide enough for my large arse, just about long enough for a pillion although I ride solo these days, and it was very comfortable for the hour I had the bike. I have an injury to my left hand which has left me with a significant reduction in grip and other issues, and over the years the condition has worsened so a light clutch is very important to me these days. The Guzzi didn't disappoint, although not as light as that of my CB500X, it was on a par with the T120, perhaps a touch lighter. The gearbox was smooth and neutral easy to find. The engine spun up easily, there was no tacho but there was a warning to change gear coming on saying 'change gear now'.
Throttle action is light but nicely weighted, it's not ride by wire. The single front Brembo had plenty of feel, the rear not so much, but both proved very effective in the two emergency stops I practiced. The bike felt light and agile and the suspension coped well with the bumpy back roads. I didn't thrash the bike as it only had about 200miles on the clock, but it accelerated quick enough with plenty of mid range torque available. The exhaust note was somewhat muted, a pair of aftermarket silencers would be fitted if I were to buy one of these.
Overall I was impressed with the bike, I'm not sure that I would be willing to trade in either of my two bikes to get the Guzzi as I like them too much. If I could find a decent 750 V7iii at the right price I may be tempted back into the Guzzi fold, the 750 has the same ergonomics, but 14bhp less, I reckon I could live with that drop in power as the bike would be used as a back lane bimbler.
