Any Italian Bike owners alive out there?

[Coolbreeze]

My 1984 Moto Guzzi V65Sp is as close to the perfect motorcycle as anything I have ever owned -- or ridden. It is a light, maneuverable, economical, fast, reliable bike. I have ridden the daylights out of it for the past 21+ years, and the engine has never been opened. I check the valves every winter, change oil & filter regularly, and put a squirt of grease in the speedometer sending unit -- but that is about all the maintenance it requires. It cruises nicely all day long at 6,000 rpm which, by my reckoning, equates to 98 mph. Incidentally, it also seems to have a small radar signature. With a tank bag, soft saddlebags, and a duffle bungeed to the luggage rack, the Guzzi holds enough gear to keep me on the road for weeks. I have taken it from my home in Illinois to Sturgis, Duluth, Little Rock, the Shenadoah Valley in Virginia, and the Rockies. In 1990, I crossed the Continental Divide off pavement with it on Haggerman Pass. This year, the bike carried me over the Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park with slush covering the pavement, a strong wind (~25 knots), and wet snow so heavy that I had to ride with one hand on the throttle and the over scooping snow off my visor.

This is as close to a magic carpet as I have ever experienced.

1/1/20 update: Returning from a New Year's run, the V65Sp started running on one cylinder, vibrating, and making a horrible sound. Somehow, the exhaust valve head separated from the stem. Then, the piston started demolishing the right cylinder and everything in it. The bike now needs a replacement cylinder, head, piston, rings, valves, etc. for the right side. Please help me find the necessary parts to get this little jewel running again. 2008 Hope school Easter Basket run.jpg

[sonnys dad]

italian american restoring italian americans

this bike will be at all the AMCA shows we are attending this year

1972 h-d baja before.....

1972 h-d baja after......

this bike is going to a customer in illinois........we bought this from a fellow vendor @ rhinebeck 2007

1973 h-d X-90 before.....

1973 h-d X-90 after.....

this bike we are doing for a customer in iowa who will be picking it up on his way to laconia '08 vacation in june, the same time as rhinebeck.

1975 h-d SX250 before.......

1975 SX250 in progress......

the sheetmetal will be finished the end of this coming week and we are starting the engine rebuild this week

stay tuned to our web site for more

[Buzz Kanter]

I have my 1960s Ducati 250 Monza cafe racer that I compete with on the Moto Giro US in the northeast. I also have an original paint Ducati 250 Mark 3 and a MotoBi 250 semi-factory Zanzani GP roadracer.

Buzz Kanter

bought a 65 H-D sprint new so will always have a soft spot for Italian . Love the lines. Now have a 65 Sprint H and 67 SS also a Parilla Olympic All rough and in need of good home
Steve

Here's my '72 MotoGuzzi Ambassador on Main St. in Sturgis this year. I rode out with the Viking Chapter, MN.
JU

Just in case anyone is watching, I am a newish member and own a few Italian bikes:
1966 Moto Guzzi Stornello ISDT trials special
1974 SWM 125ES Six Days
1974 Mazzilli RC125
1974 Ducati 750GT
1976 SWM Silver Vase 250
1977 Simonini 250 Shadow
1980 Ducati Darmah 900SS
1988 Ducati 750F1S
2008 Ducati Hypermotard 1100S

Moto Bella!

Hi
The Italian section is a bit quiet, so as way of introduction I thought I'd stick a post here

My name is Tomo, I'm from Downunder, I am getting into Indians, but have had Italian bikes for a long time

My collection at the moment includes a 750 Sport, 900 Darmah, 1000 (mille) Hailwood, Bimota DBIas well as 4 Indians and BSA Bushman

Cheers
Tomo

anybody have pictures or have receintly visited this museum in the netherlands? looks interesting.

http://motormuseum.20m.com/index.html

I got to look at an earily 70s laverda 750 eng. torn down once. Over built is such an understatement for this noted tractor manufacturer.

My sole Italian bike is a 78 Harley SX175 by Aermacchi. The guy I got is from was told by his wife to "clean out that d****d barn full of bikes". Among his 20 some metric dirt bikes was the lone HD which he referred to as "Italian junk". Well I agrred that they come dirt cheap so in my wifes pickup went the bike frozen engine and all. Engine rebuilt (carb & plug off, 3"water in case) and junk switches fixed along with the mouse chewed wires. Bike runs great. It is a shame that HDs pricing couldn't compete.

After many years without anything Italian (I used to roadrace a 750 Sport in the late 1970s) last year I bought a little Ducati mutt - 160cc single engine in a 250 chassis with aftermarket cafe race style gas tank and seat.
I campaigned it in last year's wonderful Moto Giro US (run by USCRA) and did ok, if you don't count when it died half way through the 1st morning leg. After a ride to the lunch stop in a pick up truck, we fixed the points and she ran like a top the rest of the event. Fun little bike and a lot less money than any Indians or Harleys.

I know a guy down the road the road races an early 70's Ducati 750. He's got a couple of singles as well. I also know another fella locally that spends his summer days cruisin' on his Guzzi. So I guess they're around at least in my area........ The Duc racer sounds pretty cool!!!!!!

Just picked up a nice all original 5000 mile 1972 Ducati 350 Mark3. Was astonished to see 2 names on the ownership of guys who went to my high school in the 60's, the first owner being Jordan Anka, a cousin of Paul's ( you know ,the old Canuk crooner from Ottawa) , I got his number and called him up and he was equally astonished. ( Jordan , not Paul!) Also have a Benelli 360 "Mojave" ( sold by Wards Montgomery) , a pushrod ohv 4 stroke single with cool Rickman like styling all done in steel. And finally have just been offered SEVERAL new in the crate bevel Dukes, SFC, and Bimotas!!! Doubt if I can afford any!
Woops, one more, just rediscovered the only Laverda 750 SFC sold new in Ottawa.
Over the years I have seen many nice "bacon slicer" Guzzis across the USA.

Bad news is I sold my old '72 750 Ducati....good news is my wife bought a 2000 ST2 Ducati, hope it don't kill either of us. I do have '67 HD Sprint and a '69 Indian Mini Mini with sidecar. I think there is just not many old Italian bikes (full size anyway) in the States.

Louie

I briefly had a 1967 Montgomery Wards Riverside, 350cc 4 stroke single. Made by Benelli. Does that qualify?

Good on you Pete.
Just saw that there had been no comments from this group for so long!
Hopefully this'll get things going!

Best wishes mate.

Ken.