XS11s are tough brutes - mine had just written off the Mini which had wanted to argue over rights of way. Unfortunately, the black beast's forks had bent over backwards in their efforts to reposition the car‘s engine block. Help! I had a cottage booked for a week’s holiday and no bike, other than a non-road legal Kawasaki KC100 of dubious touring ability. The other thing I had was the conviction that the sun was going to shine tor a week and ale would be flowing in convivial Welsh pubs.
In this sort of situation brazen faced begging is the only course at action. Throwing myself on the tender mercies of my brother (cheers Derek) produced the offer of his Norton Commando’s backup bike - a Moto Guzzi Spada 1000. Having recently had the privilege of following my other brother‘s Le Mans 1000 around the Lake District and needing to open the Yam’s throttle wide to keep his tail-light in view, I quite fancied getting to grips with some of my favourite roads on one of these strange Italian devices.
I travelled from Leicester to Manchester to get the bike, the only advantage I can see in train travel is that you can get totally ratted on the way - I had to set off back to Leicester the next morning. The Spada had a new battery, a new speedo cable, a sheepskin seat cover and a brain damaged muscle bike freak piloting it. No amount of persuasion would tempt the speedo into life.
I’d been warned about the clutch, the lever appeared to operate an on/off switch connected to the rear wheel. I stalled ignominiously before wobbling off towards the motorway. Guzzi switchgear completely defeated my fuddled brain and I spent the first 30 miles flashing the oncoming traffic instead of indicating. At around tour grand in top the engine seemed to stop working - no vibration at all. This must be why Guzzi owners don’t carry their internal organs around loose in their pockets. The tractor like effects of the Spada at low revs are migraine inducing in their severity. I kept the revs above four on the Richter scale for the next hundred miles until I reached Leicester. The Spada then carried myself, girlfriend and luggage - the exhaust pipes have a tendency to set fire to throw-over panniers, but then my brother has a unique talent to lose or destroy these items - non-stop across the Midlands and Wales to the Lleyn Peninsula. Over 300 miles covered on my first day with the Spada and no major disasters.
There is a real contrast between the Spada and similar capacity Jap tourers. The Guzzi is physically small, handles beautifully and is a real dog at low revs. With no speedo I couldn’t measure fuel consumption but compared to the excesses of the Yam I wasn’t wasting too much beer money. The front end seemed taut despite the lack of a fork brace and a plastic mudguard, but on bumpy roads the rear shocks were only slightly less painful than the thumps I received from my, normally pampered pillion.
The one aspect that really surprised me was the engine’s unhappiness at low revs. Unlike my Yam XS1100, the Spada wouldn’t glide silkily around picturesque Welsh lanes on a flying carpet of torque. The schizoid nature of the motor meant riding anywhere slowly was painful and required a big handful of throttle to get her really moving. Where the bike really came Into its own was on motorways and smooth A roads. Sitting at an estimated eighty or so felt relaxed and comfortable. The odd looking two piece fairing kept the wind off my body and head, and my knees off the cylinder heads. The mirrors flopped around like demented spaniel ears, but looking over my shoulder in the protection of the screen was no problem at motorway speeds. At first I thought the fairing wonderful, but then it didn‘t rain until the journey home.
The downpour started at Harlech and continued all the way back to Leicester. The fairing’s design actually encourages water to drip onto your hands and whilst the leg-shields may work for skeletal Italians they didn't for me. However, the electrics withstood the rain better than some Jap bikes I’ve known. The Pirelli Gordons did what they’re supposed to and the linked brakes are truly wonderful in the wet. Shame about the fairlng, a few pounds extra plastic would have made all the difference.
After living with and relying on the Spada for a week, covering about 1500 miles, I can see why you need to be an enthusiast to run a Guzzi. The bike was reliable and capable of serious distance work - the only maintenance that I attempted was checking the oil level and filling the tank with petrol. I had some great rides on the bike but, for me, the clutch, vibes at low revs and the inefficient fairing spoilt the experience. A nice bike to borrow but not one that I could stay with.
My brother eventually felt the same - after planning to uprate the engine to Le Mans spec and sold the Spada for more or less what he paid for it. A W-reg Spada at around £1100 is a good bet if you want a tourer for the summer months that you can unload easily enough come the winter.
Roy Terrill