two Italians

[nostatic]

About a year and a half ago I sold the GS for a couple of reasons, mostly because I wasn't riding and wasn't feeling "positive" enough to navigate LA traffic. In this town you really need to be on your game and if you're not feeling it, best to put up your helmet. But if 2-wheels is in your blood, then after awhile you start to feel the call.

Picked up a Triumph Tiger 800 early last year. Great little bike - like a smaller version of the GS. The wife really likes riding pillion and it worked ok for that. For whatever reason (maybe the slow realization that at some point riding will end not by choice but age), we started logging a lot of hours in the saddle. Flash forward to early this year, and I found out that MV Augusta was making a sport touring bike.

I've owned a few Italian bikes in the past. Various Ducs (Monster, ST2, and the infamous 1st gen Multistrada that lost to the coyote - or I suppose it was a draw), and then an Aprilia Shiver as my first bike post-crash. I always lusted after MVs, but they invariably I never really fit. Sport bikes are a challenge for me due to lots of back and knee issues, and the Brutales, while naked and "more relaxed", just were too tight for me. So I lusted from afar.

Enter the Turismo Veloce. I read everything I could on it (which was limited), and then looked for one to test ride (even more limited). My local dealer, who is an MV dealer, wasn't planning to order/carry the TV as they had poor luck with the Rivale and Stradale (motard-type bikes). I finally found one at a dealer almost 2 hours away, and found the time to ride out and take it for a spin. Finally an MV I could fit on! But not perfect - knee room still tight, a bit notchy transmission, and the short wheelbase made for a very different ride. I rode back home on the Triumph smitten but not sure.

At some point I convinced myself that 2 bikes in the garage was OK, so I had my dealer order me one. It showed up a few weeks later, and the MV joined the Triumph in the garage.

The upside to MV is that you don't see a ton of them around. The downside is that there aren't that many out there, so aftermarket part support is spotty. And then you have the whole financial drama that MV is going through (the factory shut down for a few months this year and wasn't shipping anything, parts included). So no top box which is important for my pillion. But we improvised and were riding both bikes 2-up through the hills.

Earlier this month we did a 2-up mini-tour from LA to SF and back. Well, I rode from LA to SF for a conference, then she flew into SFO, I picked her up, and we came back down the coast. Eventful trip (note to self - never take Hwy 1 through Santa Cruz on a Friday afternoon), and while we made it in one-piece, I found the Triumph a bit lacking for loaded 2-up work. Brilliant solo touring bike, but with passenger and gear, everything was working a bit too hard.

My local dealer had an Aprilia Caponord that a customer bought then didn't like (they guy has bought like 25 bikes over the years), so it was available for a steal. I had ridden an earlier Caponord and it didn't overwhelm me. Rode this one which has the dynamic suspension (will do everything auto including rear preload). We took it up the Crest a ways and I was sold. Traded in the Triumph (which I'd bought there) and rode home with the Capo.

So the garage is all Italian now. The Capo had 180 miles on it when I brought it home a week and a half ago, now is about 850. The MV has almost 4K miles on it (bought it in Feb), and I recently swapped the pipes. That has transformed the bike - great snarl.

The two bikes are very different. The MV is light (425 lbs wet), short wheelbase, and essentially is an F3 race bike with longer travel suspension and the engine returned for less hp, more torque. The riding position is upright and neutral but handling is very quick. It feels like dancing. The 3-cylinder engine is awesome - very quick to rev, pulls hard to redline, and screams with the QD pipe. Plus it has heated grips and cruise control

The Capo is a 1200 v-twin (same engine as the Dorsodoro 1200 had, with a remap). It is at least 100 lbs heavier than the MV, but that weight goes away when riding and helps it feel planted on long freeway runs. It has plenty of grunt as you'd expect, but the star is the Aprilia Dynamic Damping suspension. I just leave it in full auto and it figures out if I'm solo, 2-up, loaded, etc. You can be mid-turn on lousy pavement and the bike just doesn't get upset. Brilliant 2-up bike. Has a top box now, just waiting on a replacement set of panniers as one of the originals was damaged.

I count myself as lucky to have 2 great bikes, a wife that loves to ride, and a body that still can swing a leg over the bike. Guess the swimming at the YMCA has helped...

[Gogar]

Awesome! I'm inspired that you can appreciate the differences in such a narrow corner of the market you have taken yourself to. Like a sommelier on two wheels.

My skill level and taste is much too all-over-the-place to get to where you are.

[nostatic]

If you rode them back to back, you'd be amazed at the different personalities. And the Tiger, another 800 triple, was very different as well.

The narrow corner is mostly out of necessity with a strong bit of personal bias. I realistically can't ride a sport bike or aggressive naked for very long (and typically we spend 4-8 hours of the day out riding), need something that will do 2-up, and I'm partial to Italian design. That limits me.

That said, I rode a buddy's MV F4 (first modern generation). While the ergos were sport bike, my legs actually were reasonably comfortable. And the engine - holy crap. Never felt anything like that before. Though I may test ride the new Tuono which I suspect will be a similar experience. You know you're in trouble when your bike has more hp than your car. One reason I like the Turismo - at 110 hp it isn't crazy over-powered and you can wring it out without breaking too many laws.

[rusnak]

I thought this thread was going to be about the two Italians who were talking about how to pick up women. The first Italian says to put a potato in your pants. The second Italian comes back and says "all the women just look at me funny". The first Italian says "No you are supposed to put the potato in the front of your pants!".

[porsche4life]

Love that MV! Congrats ok the garage! Good thing you are in good enough shape to walk home!

[LakeCleElum]

Thanks for a great write-up on a pair of beautiful bikes......I remember your coyote crash....Been awhile now......

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Good thing you are in good enough shape to walk home!

The key to owning an Italian bike is to own at least 2 - so you have something to ride then the other is in the shop

oh, and AAA motorcycle...

[rusnak]

but it doesn't say "potatopotatopotato"

[porsche4life]

Sounds like you've got it figured out! And I applaud your bravery riding out there. I don't even like driving a car out there!

[Bill Douglas]

I don't know much about motorbikes but I do know what I like the look of - and I like the look of THAT.






Don't want to sound like your mother but take care out there.






.

[stuartj]

Much approves.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by nostatic

]

Oh I just LOVE that exhaust stack!!!

[LakeCleElum]

Exhaust and those HUGE brakes...

[pavulon]

subtle...in a Mad Max, apocalyptic sort of way.