If Alfa Romeo built bikes

navt

This is what it would look like.





Apologies if this has been done before.

bigmat

That second one is hideous. Presumably if Alfa Romeo built bikes, they'd also break down a lot.

kelsen

Is the latter inspired by...



http://www.btwincycle.com/EN/b-twin-3-33276244/

deptfordmarmoset

BigMat wrote:

That second one is hideous. Presumably if Alfa Romeo built bikes, they'd also break down a lot.

The gap between the top tube and headset is shear genius.

meanredspider

BigMat wrote:

. Presumably if Alfa Romeo built bikes, they'd also break down a lot.

Spot the man who hasn't had many (any?) Alfas (from the man that's driven almost nothing else in the last 25 years).

Love the Competizione. They're a few years old now though I think they can still be bought.

bigmat

In my ignorance I based my comments on statistical evidence rather than direct experience - sorry!

http://www.reliabilityindex.com/reliability/search/2

The cars do at least look pretty.

t4tomo

BigMat wrote:

In my ignorance I based my comments on statistical evidence rather than direct experience - sorry!

http://www.reliabilityindex.com/reliability/search/2

The cars do at least look pretty.

I've owned one (GT coupe), they are more than pretty, brilliant to drive, somewhat tempremental especially electrically, but you can forgive the latter given the former. It used to put a smile on my face every morning

Everyman should own at least one in their life.

Girls shouldn't bother, by a golf instead.:D

bigmat

Fair enough, I was just messing - not really into cars beyond being a form of getting from a to b when the bike isn't viable, hence I value a car that will always get me from a to be over something that is "brilliant to drive". I should give one a go some time though, might change my mind...

SimonAH

Second bike is still fugly though :-D

The Rookie

A friend had a late model 164 a few years back, it spend 195days in the dealership in the first year.

That second one is gross.....suspect like most car manufacurers bikes they are mix and match parts from a well known bike brand.

Simon

kelsen

My mate bought a pre-owned GTV Cup. Stunning looks and blisteringly quick. The clutch broke a couple of months later though.

meanredspider

The Beginner wrote:

A friend had a late model 164 a few years back, it spend 195days in the dealership in the first year.

That second one is gross.....suspect like most car manufacurers bikes they are mix and match parts from a well known bike brand.

Simon

The 164 I owned was in my ownership and that of people I know for over 100,000 miles - in that time it needed an oil pressure switch - £17.00. The E Class Merc I owned needed new wings at 5 years old as they had rusted through. As did my parents' car, as did a friend's. Tell me about any car and I will tell you a horror story - even the Japanese can't get it right. Few manufacturers, however, have designed cars that look as good as Alfas and are such a great place to be.

If you're the kind of guy that eats only for nourishment and has sex just to make babies, then an Alfa is not for you. Life is far too short for dull but reliable cars.

veronese68

I love the first bike. Second one not so much, it's hideous.
Regarding Alfa's when mine broke down due to a crank sensor people said "what do you expect it's Italian?" After I'd explained exactly the same Bosch part was fitted to VWs Audis and BMWs amongst others the usual answer was that it was because it was fitted by Italians.
No amount of sense will beat inbuilt prejudice and a bit of old fashioned bigotry. Wether it be cars, bikes or people that are being discussed.

EKE_38BPM

meanredspider wrote:

If you're the kind of guy that eats only for nourishment and has sex just to make babies, then an Alfa is not for you. Life is far too short for dull but reliable cars.

Put that sentence through the Mad-Menifier and you get the new Alfa Romeo billboards:

gtvlusso

Owned:
156 2.0 Veloce
GTV Lusso 2.0 (uprated to 220HP)
GTV Lusso 3.2 Cup
156 Sportwagon 2.5 V6

Not once have I had an Alfa Romeo break down - plenty of parts have fallen off and things have broken. But never has an Alfa actually broken down on me. Note to older 156 owners - over 90mph on the motorway often results in the loss of a wing mirror.

E320 CDI Mercedes - Spent most of it's early life at the dealer before being swapped for a Alfa.

As for the bikes - I think Ferraris did a tie in with Colnago or Bianchi?! In fact, I think Alfa may have tied in with Bianchi too....at some point?

Would like to see what Dacia, Tata and Hyundai have to offer in terms of bikes.....

Ben6899

Beautiful cars, hideous bicycles.

veronese68

gtvlusso wrote:

Note to older 156 owners - over 90mph on the motorway often results in the loss of a wing mirror.

Ooo-errr. Took my 11 year old Sportwagon to Tuscany this summer for the family holiday. Driving back through Germany I told my son we were on an unrestricted stretch of autobahn. He told me to go for it. Got up to an indicated 125mph for a bit. Not bad considering we were 4 up with luggage. I was quite glad when I came up to slower traffic after a bit, I was thrashing it a bit more than I like to.
2,500 miles in 2 weeks, never missed a beat. Beautiful roads over there, only got held up by hire cars and those pesky cyclists.

meanredspider

gtvlusso wrote:

Note to older 156 owners - over 90mph on the motorway often results in the loss of a wing mirror.

Could be worse, the early FIAT Coupe test cars used to lose their bonnets at speeds over 120mph (on the A1 between Milan and Bologne) :shock:

Alfas certainly aren't the best built cars out there. My advice is always buy one with as few electronic bells and whistles as possible. But they rarely breakdown beside the road. The engines are some of the best production engines ever built including the glorious Busso V6. Frankly, I don't really care about their bicycles in the same way I don't care about Alfa-branded pens, ashtrays and wine bottle stoppers - this is what it's all about:

secretsam

Alfas rock

If all you want is a reliable car, then you end up with a Toyota Auris, which is as dull as sh17 and drives about as well

Would love one myself, neighbours' daughter has a lovely GT in red with tan leather...mmmmmmmmmmm

SimonAH

SecretSam wrote:

Alfas rock

If all you want is a reliable car, then you end up with a Toyota Auris, which is as dull as sh17 and drives about as well

Would love one myself, neighbours' daughter has a lovely GT in red with tan leather...mmmmmmmmmmm

Is that a euphamism?

daniel_b

Personally, I think you need one reliable, boring, dull, turn key estate car, and one interesting good to drive car, preferably a convertible :-)

SimonAH

Aha! A little eBay browsing and it turns out that Jaguar build bikes too! (although they are apparently rare).

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RARE-jaguar-r ... 256aa5bc17

rjsterry

Ben6899 wrote:

Beautiful cars, hideous bicycles.

+1. The road bike is no looker, but that hybrid (if that is what it is) is comically bad.

daviesee

gtvlusso wrote:

As for the bikes - I think Ferraris did a tie in with Colnago or Bianchi?! In fact, I think Alfa may have tied in with Bianchi too....at some point?.....

Colnago are tied in with Ferrari for developing/testing carbon frames & components.
In return Ferrari get some branded bikes and probably some cash too.

navt

Well, as a car manufacturer you either invest in an oil company or a good bicycle manufacturer.