Any Italian Bike owners alive out there?

[Steve Swan]

I own 3 Guzzi's, but the oldest one is a 2000 V11 green/red Sport. The others are a #21 V7R and an 09 CalVin. Not quite there to qualify for AMCA membership, but time passes quickly.......

[Steve Swan]

I have 5 moto guzzi's best kept secret in motorcycles 1947 airone, 1952 astore, 2 1973 eldorado's,and a 1980 convert

"Best kept secret in motorcycles," I COULDN'T AGREE MORE. The Moto Guzzi either speaks to the essence of who you are.... or doesn't.

[Mounce]

been a motorcycle wrench most of my life spent the last 20 years in a harley-davidson dealership but the worst motorcycle you can imagine owning is better than not having any at all love all of them but moto guzzi is best especially 850 eldorado they're built like a tank properly maintained they will run forever

[Steve Swan]

been a motorcycle wrench most of my life spent the last 20 years in a harley-davidson dealership but the worst motorcycle you can imagine owning is better than not having any at all love all of them but moto guzzi is best especially 850 eldorado they're built like a tank properly maintained they will run forever

yes, i've known of one guzzi with over 300k miles on the clock with minimal repairs. and several with over 200k miles.

[slamiste]

I was introduced to Moto Guzzi's about 10 years ago when my youngest son Jake traded a bunch of old car junk for a pretty rough 1967 V700. The bike was stored in a back yard shed for a bunch of years and was a rusty mess. My biggest concern was the stuck motor. Anyhow Jake and I never really worked well together in the past but this project turned into a great father / son project. Once we got the motor free and removed the top end we found the bottom end to be in great shape. The only minor problem we had was when we removed the front engine cover all the timing gears came out as well. No problem right - just line up the timing marks or so I thought. There were no marks to be found anywhere so I had my very first adventure with a degree wheel. The bike is still going strong and looks great after all these years. FYI - most Guzzi people are aware of Greg Bender's web site "This Old Tractor" but if you're not be sure to check it out. We couldn't have completed the V700 without it.

I was so impressed with the quality of the construction of this machine as well as it's performance that I bought a 1976 850 T3 as well as a early 80"s V1000 Convert. That's a pretty radical departure for an American V-Twin kind of guy!

One other thing - a crusty old "Goose" owner was quite upset recently with how I was pronouncing "Guzzi" Apparently the two zz's mean it's supposed to be pronounced like the two zz"s in "Pizza". Who

[Mounce]

heard it pronounced several ways don't matter they are still great bikes in any language i've owned about 25to 30 guzzi's over the years

[Coolbreeze]

I haven't posted because my V65Sp is two years away from being an antique. Here the bike and I are on an A.B.A.T.E. Easter Basket Run:

[smcdammitt]

Currently working on a '86 LeMans. I have a couple other Guzzis, my favorite is the 850 Eldo. That thing is such a pleasure to ride.

[moto1969]

Just located this thread. I own a 1969 Moto Guzzi Ambassador that I have restored and is my weekend cruiser. Will try to post am image soon.

Unable to paste an image.

[swolf]

I bought on impulse this '64 Ducati Cadet 100 at Oley this spring. My first bike was an early 60's 50cc that taught me how to ride in the back lots and that trees are a lot harder than noses. Three speeds on the left grip. You pulled in the clutch lever and rotated the grip to select a gear. All in all great fun, so when I saw this 50 years later, the price was right and it jumped itself right into the back of my truck. Who could resist that smile, or that polished aluminum enclosed cylinder head?

I got her running and discovered - shocker - parts are veeeeery difficult to find. Tech support seems just as scarce.

So I'm hoping there's a band of like-minded, 2 Stroke, '60s loving, Ducati people out there I can connect with. Or at least a pointer in the right direction!

Thanks!
John

[exeric]

I can't be of any help, John, but I love that bike. Italians have always had a brilliant sense of style, and design in every field of art, and engineering. Best of luck.

[chuckthebeatertruck]

I haven't messed with a cadet; but I've had my hands in more than one duc for guys over the years. My first stop has generally been bevel heaven -- if they don't have what I want, they usually tell me where to find it: https://store.bevelheaven.com/index.php?p=home

I've also used Guzzino for harder to find bits -- especially things like veglia gauge bezels, etc. http://guzzino.com/index.html

As for Italian bikes -- yep, I'm a bit nutty. I currently run three Guzzis (very early 69 Ambo; 79 SP1000; 89 Mille GT) as well as my trusty 1969 Aermacchi/Harley Sprint. My poor old suffering SP is my beater/interstate/winter bike. I ride year round in Chicago and only have vintage bikes (the 89 is my "newest" bike) -- and that means salt plus idiots. poor thing has been knocked over when parked up more times than I care to mention. But, the SP just keeps on going . . . and is just about to turn 157,000 miles. Starts on the first crank in weather down to 10 degrees F, but it does cook you a bit on hot summer days with all the heat trapped by the lower fairing. I did have to replace the clutch at 153,000 miles, but otherwise, it's just been brake pads, oil changes, and tyres. I'm still not quite sure how I got that much life out of the clutch as when I measured the plates they were a full 1/2 millimeter below the absolute wear limit by which Guzzi says slip should occur. I never noticed until I pulled a power wheelie and suddenly got a raise on the tach :-) They really are lovely, rewarding bikes -- but not something you tend to gravitate towards until you're "mature."


Coincidentally, I almost forgot that I had to replace the timing chain on the SP at 149000 miles; the tensioner had long since died and the chain was trying to saw through the case. It got pretty good into the lug --- motor ran sweetly the whole time - - if a bit noisly. Now, it's quiet with just a touch of whine from the shoe. Photo attached. Try letting a "regular" bike go that far and disaster normally happens. I do not under any circumstances treat the SP nicely -- it gets reved deep into the red, put up wet, and has never had a bath. And, it is one of my favorites. I plan on giving it a facelift once I finish the 64XLCH. I've got all the parts hanging in the rafters and the paint on the shelf. Just gotta send a check to Greg Bender for the new wiring looms -- 40 years of abuse have left the looms crusty.

Timing Case marks 2.jpg

[swolf]

Eric: Thanks for the compliment. It's a nice bike and I'm happy with it. I can actually pick it up off the ground without too much strain and it's sure a lot easier to move than my old FLH or Chief.

Steve: Yes, I checked both bevelheaven and guzzino. Good resources, but not too many things for two strokes. I'm wondering if there are any motorcycle junkyards out there. One of the PO's of my bike mentioned a yard in Albuquerque but he cleaned out the few Ducati parts there. I've been talking with Road Rash Cycle Repair in Wisconsin, and he has a lower unit. But I wonder if anyone knows of other salvage yards?

BTW Steve, I hear a lot of stories about the endurance of the Guzzi and yours is no exception. I had my eye on one several years ago, but the owner was a little shady so I passed on it. Maybe someday.

John

[aumick10]

Personally, I have always loved the 4 stroke single Ducati's

I was brought up with big British singles, and the Italian bikes were always just beyond my reach at the time, and very uncommon in Australia.
I have been lucky enough to ride the first green frame 750 and 900 Ducat's . What an experience. beautiful bikes to ride, not overly comfortable, but went like a bat out of hell.
If I could afford one now, i would buy one, but they have got very expensive.
Your Early Ducati is a nice little bike. I bet it is fun to ride, and a PIA to find parts for.
Good luck.
Cheers

[chuckthebeatertruck]

As the story goes -- duc distribution was strongest in two regions during the 60s; the mid-Atlantic and the West Coast (with Colorado and NM). As such, you might have the best luck hunting salvage yards in the area. A call to a local chapter or two out there might turn up a lead. Is there any chance the cadet was a "shared" design sort of like the ubiquitous villiers? If so, that might help sort it faster. Otherwise, you might be stuck trolling ebay Italy. I had some decent luck there in turning up NOS items for a few odd ball bikes. The challenge, of course, is using the right technical term in italian to find your part :-)

I have found it interesting how many parts have been being reproduced lately. It was hard to find some later 70s/80s guzzi and duc parts just 5 or 6 years ago -- now they are available and surprisingly inexpensive when you think about the relatively small market balanced against the quality of the parts. Even things like brand new windscreens, fairings, and switch gear are starting to appear. Go figure.