So it's sad to read an article in the latest issue of Italy's most influential bike rag 'Motociclismo'. They carried out a massive and comprehensive 28 page mega-test in Sicily of the current enduro tourers on the market, including the MBW F800GS, BMW R1200, Honda Transalp 700, KTM 990 Adventure, Triumph Tiger 800XC, Yamaha Tenere 660 and the Yamaha ST 1200.
I started to read the spread (as posted above) assuming the Stelvio would be in there - after all, the test was in Italy, and these bikes are its main competition. Then I noted the small panel on the bottom left hand page, with the headline 'Guzzi Stelvio - Absent without Leave'. It continues (imagine terse, tight-lipped speaker) 'The Italian contender is missing from our comparison: we asked Moto Guzzi for the Stelvio, but the bike was delivered extremely late, when we were already well into our test in Sicily'.
Obviously I don't know the details of why Motociclismo didn't get the bike in time, but if five other manufacturers can get their bikes sorted, why can't Guzzi? Or is it Guzzi's masters Piaggio that don't care? It's sad because the Stelvio is easily as good as the BMW 1200 GS (I've ridden both) and probably better than some of the other bikes on test here, but now the readership of Italy's top bike mag aren't going to know that, and people who might have bought a Stelvio might now buy a Bimmer instead.
Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.
8 comments:
Someone in Guzzi's marketing dept will be up against the wall this morning...
I agree, the Stelvio is a superb bike, but the finishing could be better. I test-rode a bike belonging to Silverstone dealer Forza Italia. Upon our return, my wife's initial comment (as pillion) was, "That's the first bike we tested that felt like you've owned it for a year." It's that easy to ride well, and I've been riding since 1981! We didn't buy it because it look part-baked, and 12 months older than it actually was. Shame...
Piaggio's current management has the peculiar feature of being at the same time one of the most innovative management out there (see the MP3) and one of the most careless.
Not only do Guzzis and Aprilias have to fight the perception that they are not as reliable as the Japanese and the BMWs (and sometimes they aren't: I paid myself with my mistake in buying an Aprilia Mana a couple of years of ago...), but they also seem to have to fight a management that at best doesn't care.
They are a bunch of arrogant bigots who think that they will be able to sell their bikes because of the brands. I have big news for them: the brands are suffering. And stupidity like this one you mention is not going to push me to throw heaps of money at them.
In fact, when I started to look at a new motorcycle a few months ago, it didn't even cross my mind to look at Guzzis, after my experience with the Aprilias. And I am Italian...
http://route66inmoto.blogspot.com
So... who won the comparison?
Oh, this hurts. So typical, so painful. Well Sicily has always been a land of suffering. And so it goes...for Guzzi. Who shall we shoot at Piaggio?
This is so depressing. I've been a Guzzisto for 30+ years and when Piaggio brought out the updated big twins I thought 'YES' at last! Bought a Griso and love it, but when you read stories like this you realise that the management haven't even dragged themselves into the 20th century, let alone the 21st.
Well, the winner of the comparison was……Sicily. I quote from the Italian text.
"To elect a definitive winner seems to be impossible.: this adventure-voyage is not the classic comparison between a line-up of bikes similar among themselves in their technology and price. It's enough to consider tha the GS 1200 costs more than double than the Honda Transalp, and that the the two Yamahas differ by more than 100kg in weight.
But for us, our winner, we want to elect the same; Sicily. In the next few weeks, jump into the seat of your enduro bike, whether it be be a single, twin or triple, and go and take a ride down there. On the road or off road, you'll discover that the geraniums that have flowered on the balcony of your house just aren't the same thing...
This is typical Motociclismo's BS: the only reason why they didn't choose a winner is because they do not want to upset their advertisers. This is why i stopped buying that magazine: they NEVER say with clarity if a product is good or bad. NEVER. By comparison, French and English magazines are so much better done. The better in this respect is the French Motomag: they will tell you with clarity which they thought was the better product and why.
And to think that the other Italian magazines (in sella, due ruote) are even worse...
PS: Sicily is indeed beautiful, by the way.
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