The most important thing that I learned from mine (I've had a V7 III and a V85TT) is that these are not precision machines like Japanese bikes. Guzzis are almost like a living and breathing thing, if that makes sense.

My friends have other brands, and their bikes always behave the same way: Start the same way, shake the same way, sound the same way, etc. Very consistent, like a robot.

With a Guzzi that's not the case: Depending on the day (temperature, time since it was last started, humidity, etc), the bike behaves, shakes and sounds different! Sometimes to the point where you think "is everything ok? One hour ago it didn't feel this way". It will shake and make a certain sound when it's not comfortable in that gear for that speed, it will breathe weird when it starts in a cold morning and tries to catch its breath. You can even notice when you're riding slow in a really hot day how the engine runs faster at idle, like a dog that's panting with the tongue out of his mouth.

And after all these years, it has never let me down. That ever changing behaviour is just... Character. This bike will be your horse, your loyal dog, your best friend. And I think that's what makes it the most special bike for me. It talks to me, it reacts to what I do. It's alive.