Corsa Italiana UK closing

Tanabuso Posts : 66 Join date : 2016-12-20

I've just found out Corsa Italiana in Surrey, UK have closed down. This seems a real shame. They produced some lovely custom models, used to provide a lot of bikes to go on stands at UK bike shows and were real experts in MG.

We seem to have so few MG dealers left over here. Ducati and Triumph dealers seem to be springing up everywhere, but Piaggio don't seem to be able to get it right with MG and Aprillia. Just the V7, V9 and California left in the range now, it's hardly progress is it?

Don Abbondio Posts : 240 Join date : 2014-10-07 Age : 61

In another vein Piaggio customer service is totally rubbish in my experience

GRiSO Capo Posts : 904 Join date : 2015-05-16 Age : 72

Woo Stu
Shooooos
Don't stir up the natives .......

GRiSO Capo Posts : 826 Join date : 2014-10-07 Age : 70

With CG gone, I think that only leaves CMW south of London.

GRiSO Capo Posts : 1657 Join date : 2014-09-22

We had a new piaggio dealer in Lincloln, when they lost their Honda dealership, but alas no Guzzi's stocked, only Aprilia, Vespa, piaggio and gilera!

Don Abbondio Posts : 304 Join date : 2015-05-25

Papa Lazarou wrote:: With CG gone, I think that only leaves CMW south of London.

There's Robinson Foundry in Canterbury. Visited them a few months ago. Lots of Guzzi stock that looked like it had been there a while, and uninspiring shop floor service.

GRiSO Capo Posts : 956 Join date : 2014-06-05

When I bought my GRiSO three years ago, it was my first Guzzi and my first experience with the Italian business philosophy. At first, I found it extremely maddening that they make no real effort to promote the product or grow the brand and dealer network. They seem to have a "take it or leave it" approach to selling, which dooms their brands (except Vespa) to relative obscurity. Add to that the fact that they are now killing off the best of the line 8v bikes for no apparent reason, and the situation becomes really inexplicable.
As an owner, it's kind of fun having a bike that is uncommon, but I'd gladly trade that for a healthy dealer network and good customer service. In all of Southern California, there is only one good dealer, in Thousand Oaks. They are good because they take it upon themselves to be good, despite Piaggio's "who gives a shit" philosophy. But I'm no longer irritated by the matter. I've just accepted that this is the Italian way of doing business. The main reason for Ducati's success is clearly German ownership. At the end of the day, being a Guzzi owner has been a cultural learning experience. The bikes are magnificent and I now own a Norge as well. Truth be told, I too have sort of a "fuck it, let's take a holiday" tendency, so I can't really be too hard on the Italians, now can I? Even though I'm not the one pretending to run a multinational corporation. geek

GRiSO Capo Posts : 904 Join date : 2015-05-16 Age : 72

Well said Tenni
Clap, clap

Grignapoco Posts : 132 Join date : 2013-12-19 Age : 64

>> The main reason for Ducati's success is clearly German ownership.

Well, that's just the icing on the cake. I think there's some kind of masochistic tendencies among enthusiasts, that enables Italian (and British) car and bike makers to get away with indifferent engineering disguised as 'character' or 'style'.

How many 'Lucas' or 'oil leak' jokes are there about British cars ??

Jeremy. 'Proud' owner of 2 Italian bikes and 1 British car.

Tanabuso Posts : 66 Join date : 2016-12-20

GUZ21 wrote:

Papa Lazarou wrote:: With CG gone, I think that only leaves CMW south of London.

There's Robinson Foundry in Canterbury. Visited them a few months ago. Lots of Guzzi stock that looked like it had been there a while, and uninspiring shop floor service.

I bought their last GRiSO SE in December, Linda was very good but you can see Indian is now their 'niche' focus (Suzuki has been their main business for years). The new Indian dealers are very smart, I guess Polaris have really chucked some cash at the brand.

I'll be using the guys at Silverstone for my servicing, not quite as near as Slocombe's but a far nicer ride.

GRiSO Capo Posts : 361 Join date : 2014-09-02

[quote=I'll be using the guys at Silverstone for my servicing, not quite as near as Slocombe's but a far nicer ride.[/quote]

I bought my GRiSO from Forza Italia in Silverstone some years ago and have to say they were a pleasure do do business with.

They were really supportive when I was looking for the new roller cam box upgrade from MG. Decent straight up people that are very helpful, especially willing to help a customer that has a long way to travel.

I would definitely buy from them again. Thumbs Up

GRiSO Capo Posts : 826 Join date : 2014-10-07 Age : 70

GUZ21 wrote:

Papa Lazarou wrote:: With CG gone, I think that only leaves CMW south of London.

There's Robinson Foundry in Canterbury. Visited them a few months ago. Lots of Guzzi stock that looked like it had been there a while, and uninspiring shop floor service.

One to avoid then. CMW are very good.

Grignapoco Posts : 153 Join date : 2016-01-25 Age : 67

I checked out C I`s web site before xmas. It was uninspiring. Tell me why I am not surprised at this news. I checked out Piaggios stand at the MOTO Live this November... uninspiring again. WTF is wrong with these guys?? Aprillia and MG = outstanding design and build quality. Up there with the best but their marketing to me seems well below what BMW and Ducati are doing. Obviously a smaller budget. Perhaps MG ownership is "special" for this reason. I hope they keep on keeping on. I really do.

GRiSO Capo Posts : 1533 Join date : 2015-01-04 Age : 63

Agree 100% from point of view that big marketing is key for big business success..... for MG 'benefits' of crap marketing are the priceless comments of 'wow, what is that...' type conversations..... so thing is, once everyone & their dog are aware & even riding the same stuff (like fleets of re-born biking middle aged men on BMW GS everywhere); it is the very nature of Guzzi owners to then look for another (very cheap to buy and run, not Ariel type niche) gold nugget that nobody else has, hidden under an un-marketed bushel (working on my mixed metaphors but we'll jump off that bridge when we come to it).

Carlotto Posts : 33 Join date : 2016-05-03

LBC Tenni wrote:: Truth be told, I too have sort of a "fuck it, let's take a holiday" tendency, so I can't really be too hard on the Italians, now can I?

I learned a long time ago that the "fuck it, let's take a holiday" and do your own wrenching is the only way to own a Italian bike/product. They are sexy, fast, rare but no support; as long as a owner takes that into account the ownership will be smooth. If the owner does not take that into account and thinks they have a HD or Honda network behind them, the awakening will be rather harsh.

In the Dallas area, we just lost one of our long time Guzzi dealers due to Piaggio's business practices. So now there is only one in the area and the next one is 250 miles away - thank goodness for the simplicity of MG's.

GRiSO Posts : 1406 Join date : 2014-01-02

I wish that Billy Joel and Ewan Mc Greggor would buy Guzzi from Piaggio... Very Happy

they should have enough cash to do it.
While I thought that the Vespa group was a good thing for Guzzi at first since they came up with the CARC bikes, it looks like it went the opposite way the last couple of years...

Grignapoco Posts : 189 Join date : 2016-09-09

Sadly, it looks like Moto Forza Italia at Silverstone UK are no longer dealing with MG (or any of the Piaggio brands).
They are great people and provided good honest service - I wish them all the best in future.

Tanabuso Posts : 66 Join date : 2016-12-20

Thought they were looking a little too much like a solus MV dealer on their website. MG dealers will be in single figures in the UK at this rate!

Montanarolo Posts : 23 Join date : 2015-03-17

I too bought my GRiSO from Moto Forza Italia in Silverstone.
Hopefully they still will carrying on servicing etc. Always found them very helpful.
Piaggio must have a very strange attitude towards their dealers

Grignapoco Posts : 189 Join date : 2016-09-09

I hope it was Moto Forza making the decision to drop Piaggio.
Piaggio put pressure on dealers to have lots of floor stock. They also want showrooms to look like an Audi dealership.

Grignapoco Posts : 189 Join date : 2016-09-09

Moto Forza Italia have now made the decision to close the business.

Does anyone know if Twiggers (Loughborough UK) are continuing to service MG?

Montanarolo Posts : 23 Join date : 2015-03-17

Regarding Forza Italia at Silverstone. This is terrible news. Great workshop with friendly helpful people.
It's going to cause a lot of grief for their old customers - including me!
Crying or Very sad

Tanabuso Posts : 66 Join date : 2016-12-20

CBH wrote:: Regarding Forza Italia at Silverstone. This is terrible news. Great workshop with friendly helpful people.
It's going to cause a lot of grief for their old customers - including me!

They seem to be dropping like flies. What's going on?

btw, you don't have my old GRiSO 1100 do you? I sold it to someone near Aylesbury. Black YJ57RUV

Montanarolo Posts : 23 Join date : 2015-03-17

Black and a 1100 but FJ57GZT.
I'm really saddened by this closure. They seemed to be such a solid established business. I realise losing MG must have been bad but they had MV and were always booked solidly for servicing. I'm not a good mechanic and not been impressed by any other garages around Aylesbury.

GRiSO Capo Posts : 1657 Join date : 2014-09-22

eeyore wrote:: Moto Forza Italia have now made the decision to close the business.

Does anyone know if Twiggers (Loughborough UK) are continuing to service MG?

Yes Twiggers are still a service centre for MG

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