January 2016 I bought this Guzzi 1000S. I'd been looking for one for over a year and had only seen 2 for sale, both messed about with. I've always thought that they were a fantastic looking bike & had a good reputation for reliability, so when I saw this I scooped it up.

So what was it like to ride? The handling's pretty good, it feels a bit like a big Featherbed although the wheelbase is a bit long so you have to heave it about. Its got adjustable forks for spring rate & damping and the adjustable Konis on the back are excellent though a bit soft, I had them on hard for solo riding. It's very comfortable over longish distances.

I liked the linked brakes. I normally slow down on the back brake so pressing a bit harder to stop in a hurry is easy & there's the second disk at the front for emergencies.

The bars aren't standard, it would have had raised clip-ons, these are copies of the 750s adjustable bars & lifted up a bit are very comfortable.

I changed the oil & filter which is in the sump & needs about a dozen cap heads removing & so's a bit of a pain, but you've only got to change it every 3 oil changes.

The gearbox is a bit clunky & it's easy to miss a gear.

The torque reaction also takes a bit of getting used to, particularly when you miss a gear & go sideways instead of forwards.

A big V twin I thought would have lots of low down torque, but it's a short stroke motor with a light flywheel so it has to be revved to get any real acceleration. Not much vibration so with the powerful engine is comfortable for miles at 80 - 90, apart from the wind.

It was quite a class act when it was new. Apart from the Konis, it had Akront alloy rims, St./St. spokes & Brembo brakes.

This was probably the first Factory Retro bike as it was styled like the 1970s 750S & V7 Sport & as well as looking old fashioned, a push rod twin was a bit old hat in a world populated by DOHC fours, so it was never a big seller. There was only 1400 made as the (Tonti) frame for this & other Guzzi models was discontinued, so trying to find a good one now will take time & money.

When I advertised it for sale as a 1994 I got some flack from know it alls on a Guzzi Facebook page as this model was finished in 2003, but this is a late series 2, made in 1993 but not registered until Aug. 1994. See below.