(12-19-2015 01:47 PM)The ferret Wrote: Paul. Magazines generally have a 90 day lead time between article written and article printed. i know this because I am an associate editor for a national publication and freelance writer in another field. So this article could have been written as late as Sept of 2015, especially if the piece was written freelance and submitted and not by a staff writer.
The bike in the article is a us STD CB1100 which comes with a 4 into 1
I wonder why they chose a Griso andnot any of MG's true retros of the V7 series.
They also did not include the Royal Enfield Bullet 500 or the Yamaha SR 500 in the comparo.
Ferret, the current V7 Sports are in a whole different category from the tested bikes - much lighter, smaller, and nimbler, and more comparable to the Royal Enfield and SR400. I test rode the V7, and it is really gutless, and made for smaller riders.
I haven't ridden a Griso (or any 4 valve Guzzi), but having owned several Guzzi V11s (Sport, Le Mans, Cafe Sport, and lastly a 1200 Sport), I can say that they are bikes that hit their sweet spot above 80, and have a rather dramatic and unexpectedly fierce acceleration that is unlike any Japanese bike.
But what really surprised me was the test's 1/4 miles times, with the Bonnie (12.19 sec.@ 106.85 mph) beating the CB1100 (12.35 sec. @ 106.20 mph). Certainly not
MY Bonnie. Their Bonnie's 1/4 mile time/speed was more than a second quicker and 7 mph faster than any of their prior Bonnie/Thruxton times/speeds. What gives? A Ringer? Aftermartket exhaust? Hidden nitrous bottle?
No, this same issue also contains their Cumulative Performance Index that shows the tested bike actually did the 1/4 mile in 13.45 sec.@98.2 mph, well in line with the prior tests. So just a misprint. Whew!