I known it seems to be taken as fact, but the bottom line is not everyone drops their bike. I hate to jinx myself, but close to 7000 miles on two wheels and I’ve never dropped mine, my close friend who has been riding for nearly 40 years has never dropped his, and I hope to emulate him, though that will take till I’m in my mid 80’s. I’m not any sort of motorcycle prodigy, and certainly anything can happen tomorrow, but simply to say it’s a matter of when just doesn’t cut it with me. Confidence is a big part of riding and if in the back of my mind if I think I’m going down one day I probably will. I am convinced my bike will never go down, I go out every ride and try to better my skills to help see that it never does. If it happens I’ll deal with it, but to consider it inevitable? No thank you.
As for that beautiful Moto Guzzi, I’m not saying cost and ease of repair shouldn’t be a factor, but just to dismiss anything outside the comfort zone of Ninjas, Blasts, etc, seems to be close minded. As for the initial cost of the bike, the OP didn’t mention it so though it might be a factor, it doesn’t seem to be a major factor. As for repair costs, keep in mind that the Guzzi is a naked and if we are talking about a parking lot drop or something similar I can pretty much guarantee that the cost of a clutch lever or passenger peg for that MG will be significantly less than the cost of a fairing on a Ninja. I understand that even hardcore Guzzistas will admit that the support network isn’t what they’d like it to be, however, I think we are probably talking about a relatively new if not absolutely new, bike. If you buy from an MG dealer, or have one not too far away, I don’t think you’re in jeopardy of having your ride in the shop for months on end. No, not like servicing a Kawasaki, but not a deal breaker in my mind. As for the Classic7 being taller than a Sporty, OK, still to me the extra weight of the Sporty would be a big factor. However look at the specs, how different is the Moto Guzzi from a Ninja 500? Judging from the numbers not very different at all. Very similar in height, weight and HP but you will never hear anyone on this board criticize a Ninja 500 except in the looks department. Something against Italians Matt? I kid of course, and I know you are simply trying to give your best advice, but is your first instinct to question the suitability of the Moto Guzzi not because it is taller than the HD but because it is less familiar than something like a Ninja?
We use both our heads and our hearts to make many important purchases, especially motorcycles. I don’t know the OP’s feelings but for me the Japanese bikes just don’t call out to me the same way that European bikes do. I understand that others might be drawn to Japanese bikes the way that I am drawn to European, not a matter of right or wrong, just a matter of taste. I also realize that a first bike usually isn’t a last bike, however, for me, having a bike, even my first bike, that appealed to my emotions along with my sensibilities outweighed the inconvenience of a long trip to the dealer and a reputation for reliability that is not on par with the big 4. Again we don’t know if that is a factor for the OP or not, however it just seems like Matt and WZ are looking to criticize, or at least scrutinize extremely closely, someone’s very viable choice of a beginner bike simply because it isn’t one of the more popular choices out there.