Impressions of the California Special
Impressions of the California Special by Guido
I bought a 2001
California Special from Gene's Moto Guzzi in Eldorado, Arkansas this past August. The Bike
had 11,000 miles on it and was Gene's demo bike. I saw it for the first time at the
Louisiana Rally in May and my first impression was "That is one ugly bike". The
yellow color was not one of my favorites at the time but after buying it and riding it for
3 months now, I've really learned to like the color. It stands out in the crowd and has a
personality of it's own. It came with a color-matched Swanee Aerofoil fairing and Guzzi
leather bags and a few extras that Gene had added. After I got it home, the stock seats
came off and a set of HD Fatboy seats were added and a Guzzi leather trunk bag. I also
added spotlights and visors as a personal touch. I have owned 2 other Guzzi's previously
and so far this has to be the best of the bunch. I enjoy the way the bike handles and the
performance is amazing !!
Two weeks after I got the bike, I bought a Kwik Kamp trailer
and soon found out that the rear end was too high geared for two-up riding and towing a
trailer, so I bought a set of 7/33 gears and had Gene install them. Now I love the way the
bike pulls and am able to ride in 5th gear at my normal cruising speed of 65mph.
I've heard a lot of horror stories about the new bikes and
was sort of reluctant about buying one until I rode this one and so far have been
extremely pleased. If anyone has doubts about buying a new bike, I suggest they ride one
and then make their decision, don't go by what you hear from other people because you
might just miss out on a great bike and a wonderful experience. Just remember that all
problems big or small have a solution and a good dealer can take care of them.
Ride it Like Ya Stole it...
Guido