Moto Guzzi California Jackal reviews

This is the 2nd Guzzi I have owned. Had several other bikes but this Guzzi handles so sweet, the seat height had me on my toes, so had custom seat made which lowered the height one inch and made for a more comfortable seat. I gave it a 4 on comfort because the stock seat is not that comfy on the long haul. Otherwise all 5s. I can handle and maneuver this back better than other 1100 cc bikes I had with much lower seat heights. It is very reliable and just flows into the curves. I have the EV II with the heated grips and they are so nice in the winter. My first Guzzi was an 03 Tour, put 20,000 miles on it in 7 months, it was black/chrome, traded for heated grips and blue/chrome with blue inserts in the saddle bags.
The 03 and newer have the self adjusting valves. Be prepared for lots of lookers and questions. Everywhere you go; it's a real eye catcher. Show less

I bought the Guzzi in the fall of 2003 brand new after riding a '94 Kawasaki Vulcan 750 for quite a while. The Vulcan got totaled (rear-ended), so I starting shopping around. The overall sale was because the dealer was so much better than the other dealers I had talked with, but I haven't had a real complaint since! A great bike overall with torquey power to satisfy those long 2-up trips on hilly roads. Mileage has varied between 37 mpg (hard riding directly after break in) up to 47 mpg (constant 75 mph interstate travel), averaging 42 right now. The mileage has been creeping up over time though. The original tires lasted about 8000 miles, so I replaced them with Michelins. These seem to be doing alright, except that the front tire is nearly bald after only 6000 miles. Running the full synthetic oil has increased the mileage about 10%. The only problems have been a fuel line popping off (repaired under warranty) and the clutch starting to slip. This is to be replaced with a double plate clutch this winter, under warranty. Other than that this bike will run with the crotch rockets or cruise with the Harleys and always seems to draw a crowd from both sectors. Show less

I purchased this bike as a "backup" or second bike at the end of July 2004. I did a substantial amount of research before making a purchase decision - reliability and durability are extremely important to me, as I average about 20,000 miles a year in the saddle(in New England!). The more I read and the more owners that I talked to, the clearer it became to me that this marque is about low maintenance, reliability and long term durability. BMW's new bikes just didn't do anything for me in the style and comfort departments. SO - I bought this new '03 Guzzi EV Touring from my local dealer. The research paid off! What a GREAT bike! As I said earlier - this was to be a second bike; a backup. Well, it has pretty much become my primary ride. This bike has a very wide power band and handles like a sport bike in disguise. Lean angles possible on this bike(even with 40 litre bags attached) are NUTS for a cruiser style bike. EXCELLENT suspension with even better brakes! Beautiful, stainless spoked, TUBELESS wheels. It doesn't have the Cadillac ride of my '01 Electra Glide Classic, but it more than makes up for it in braking, handling, and all around performance. AND - the bike has TONS of personality! I've been riding for over 30 years now and I can honestly say that so far, this is one of the most satisfying bikes I've ever ridden. Maintenance is a breeze and so far the bike has been trouble free. This bike gives the impression of being built like a truck! Very high quality components include: dual Brembo four piston calipers on the front with floating 320 mm rotors; stainless braided brake lines; 280 mm rotor with Brembo caliper in the rear; linked braking system; tubeless spoked rims; 45 mm front forks with adjustable compression and rebound damping; shaft drive; Metzler tires... etc. And of course - that beautiful 90 degree V-twin! A WONDERFUL motorcycle engine - smooth, torquey, and powerful from 2000 RPM all the way up to its redline of 8000 RPM. About the only thing I can fault with this bike is the seat. I find that after about 200 miles or so, I start getting the dreaded sore tailbone and numb butt... but in the grand scheme of things this is a very minor criticism. I plan on either replacing my seat or having it re-padded and reshaped by a local shop this winter. (Also note that I am 6'2" and of large build) A great bike and one I plan on keeping for many years and many miles. Show less

Just got back from a 3,300 mile trip on my brand new Guzzi California EV Tour. Really love the bike and it was a great ride (other than seat burn)on the trip. Absolutely no problems and it ran like a champ as long as 12 - 14 hr and 600/700 mile days. Really fun cruiser that thinks it's a sport bike and is happy to behave that way. Sounds like Grandpa's threshing machine when you start it up, but it loves to rev and moves very quickly through the gears. Shifts at 5,000 RPM (now that I'm out of break-in period) are a blast. I agree with one of the other writers as it is a bit quirky, but in a very positive way. Looks like a HD to the untrained eye, but it's a distinctive cruiser that's different from everything else in McCruiser land. One magazine writer referred to it as a Sopwith Camel of motorcycles, and that's a great description, as the bike is a bit of a throw-back, but with modern mechanicals, electronics, fuel injection, etc. I really like my Beemer, but this Guzzi has it's hooks into me. The Tour addition comes with upgrades that I think are worth it. Including the beautiful Lafranconi pipes. Great, distinctive sound. You get V twin vibration, but it's not an issue, and I'm used to my smoothie blender 3 cylinder K bike. Handle bars are nicely damped, but handling has never been an issue in terms of pushing on the bars and getting good response. Mirrors do have fair amount of vibration, but don't consider it an issue. Shifting is smooth and clutch action is really nice. Both depts are better than my K bike. A few false neutrals here and there, but not an issue. Only negative I can think of is sometimes hard to find true neutral, but that's really a stretch to call it a negative. Besides that, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the seat, stay stock or get after market. Overall comfort is really great on the bike (6'2" and 230). Floor boards are really nice, but have never been a factor in aggressive cornering. I will consider removing the lower fairings and installing high-way pegs because of a bad knee that needs occasional flexing. Heated grips were nice for early AM and night I rode on Blue Ridge Parkway. Even fully loaded with a big Mag's bag for my camping gear, both saddle bags full and another dry stuff sack for clothes, it handled high speeds with stability. (I was running solo, so don't know about two up.)It loves long sweeping curves, and I found plenty of them on the run through TN and NC mountains. The bike attracts a lot of attention because it has a classic look. People gave me compliments at the gas stations, as well as at the rally. Styling attracts the older crowd mostly, but I've even gotten a 'sweet bike' from two young dudes. to this old guy, the Cali looks like what a motorcycle should look like. I test rode mine and then tried to stay away from it. But the bike and the dealer kept working on me til I caved in. Glad I did, as I don't regret it one bit. I camped with Guzzi riders at the rally and met some great people. Some of them were riding 20 - 30 yr old bikes as well as some new ones. Guzzi is obviously a small player in US, but maintenance is pretty simple and if you do it, they tell me the bike should last a long time. With the new hydraulich valves, they do one time maintenance on them at 1,000 miles and that's it for the life of the bike. The rest is fluids/filters and the like. Show less

This is a great bike it will easily out corner every other cruiser type bike. I ride with an insane amount of torque. I have had them all and this is the most satisfying bike I have owned. If you're not the type of person that requires a Harley Davidson to pump up your ego, and you actually want to do some serious miles, this bike is a great alternative. plus it's almost maintance free just change the oil and adj the valves now and then. Try it...you will love it. Show less

I have had the stone black for 6000 mile - no trouble - just a sheer joy to own and ride. Theres nothing like it anywhere do not let anyone tell that this is not a great bike its outstanding and is now being built to high standards. Show less

Had my 2002 Stone Metal 3 weeks, and what a bike. It handles so much better than my previous Le Mans 1000 (1989) The seat is comfortable and the engine (though new) pulls like a train. 1st tankful shows 55 mpg (imperial) Build quality since Aprilia took over is so much sharper than my Le Mans.I really look forward to putting some miles on this bike. Show less

I just purchased the aluminum about a month ago. The handling is incredible. The engine has plenty of torque during all ranges of riding. The transmission shifts smoothly and the suspension is magnificent. My complaint is that there are very few after market accessories available, i.e., good rider backrest, dual touring saddle, after market exhaust, etc. The usual carriers of these products (that I have checked with) do not have them available for this bike. I've been on my dealer since I bought the bike. Looks like a trip to Pennsylvania is in order to get it set up the way I want it. The seat is comparable to a brick (of any color). Show less

Not the model Guzzi I own, but hardly "outdated". No other cruiser comes with such hi-tech furel injection, suspension and brakes. Not to mention that this is the bike that won the Cycle World "Cruiser Shootout" a coupla years back, beating out 13 other cruisers from all the majopr companies. Show less

Did you ever want to own a classic bike that was made today? Here's your chance. The engine has been in almost constant production for 20 years in one form or another (updated with hydraulic valves in 2003). The bike is a good looking (subjective) and comfortable ride, but the forward foot boards may take a bit to get used to, as will the rear brake pedal for non cruiser types. All is all a world of fun and character for a reasonable price. Show less