What brought you to Moto Guzzi?

Agreed
The cost was kind of irrelevant Andres. Once I’d committed, it was a bit like a roller coaster. But it was a labour of love and as you say, that’s the point.

I did however document every bill and cost. It’s in a file, locked safely away from prying eyes , ie ‘er indoors
 
Back in 78 I went with my mate to trade his Bonneville special on an ice blue Le Mans (mk1) to Wymondham, I was absolutely smitten with the thing
We are both still riding Guzzi's 40 years later.

Ah, Chris Clarke, nice bloke - I bought a 900SS from him in 1982.
My Guzzi was a 750S3 which I got from Mick Walker (Stalker's Dad) in Wisbech in 1976. Unreliable was an understatement - part exed it for a Jota in 1978.
 
Ah, Chris Clarke, nice bloke - I bought a 900SS from him in 1982.
My Guzzi was a 750S3 which I got from Mick Walker (Stalker's Dad) in Wisbech in 1976. Unreliable was an understatement - part exed it for a Jota in 1978.

Indeed it was

I never realised Mick Walker was Stalkers dad - never made the connection doh !!
 
About 30 years ago heading for Holyhead from London one evening at the end of the M54, toward A5 a guy 2 up on a Guzzi gave me a lesson in TORQUE. I was solo on GPZ600R banging down 3/4 gears for every roundabout and I could hear Guzzi man changing down once and flaking on.... I struggled to keep up, can still hear that Guzzi!
 
No, Mikey boy is skilled, Nin too.

Very kind words but not sure I recognise that description. I stand on the shoulders of giants - Mike, Richard Moore, Sharpsie the welder, and so on.

Yes having deep pockets is quite important.



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My dad bought a new Le Mans 2 from eddies motorcycles in Leeds in 1980. I think he paid £2200 for it! A lot back then. I’d just passed my test on a borrowed 250 super dream and had bought a Honda 400/4, (great bikes, I’ve had 2) I foolishly p/x it for a Yam XJ 650. Looking out of the window at the Le Mans I was in lust, I knew that was the bike for me. Somehow I persuaded my dad to swap bikes (gawd knows how!) I was 18 and had one of the most desirable sports bikes going, up there with the SS, Jota etc. My first ride, OMG, what have I done!? My knees hit the fairing, the gearbox was clunky, suspension hard and the brakes were weird. But after a month or so we gelled. Love it and all it’s quirks. To this day I have never ridden a bike on the road as hard as I did that Guzzi. Every bend was met with the sound of foot rests and exhausts scraping. Thrashed everywhere and only let me down once when the throttle cable snapped but still managed to ride home on 1 pot. Owned it for 3 years before some dickhead in a car turn right in front of me and wrote it off.
Another Le Mans and 2 Cali’s have followed. Still running a 76 T3 one.
 

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I've never owned a Guzzi but certainly have an interest and have test ridden both the modern V7 III and a V85 TT.

The rear suspension on the V7 was so harsh that I had lower back ache after a one hour test drive. The left exhaust downpipe detached itself from the cylinder head during the ride and I had to drop into a car repair garage to get a new nut and have them tighten up the remaining one too. I mostly liked the V85 but the screen was dire with buffeting, I couldn't get on with the controls for the cruise and the rear foot peg hangers got in the way of were I wanted to put my feet, especially on the left as it flairs around the exhaust pipe. It also had a pretty "tinny" exhaust note. Shame.

The first Guzzi I rode was a little V50 Monza belonging to a work colleague. He said it handled so well and everything was so well tucked in that he couldn't scrape anything on the floor. I asked if he wanted it scraped and he said yes, bragging rights. Twenty miles later I returned it with both exhausts scraped and the stand on the left. He was really happy. A great little bike which really did handle beautifully and I did have to try hard to scrape things.:)
 
So just out of interest, why do you think it's a V50iii and not a Monza ?

Tank was a different shape, squareish fairing, seat was different. the Monza looked like a small Lemans Mk3.

V50ii had square carbs and Front master cylinder under the tank, your picture seems to have round carbs and master cylinder on the bars. like a V50iii also seat shape is more akin to iii rather than a ii.

Happy to be proved wrong, but looking at the picture I see V50iii or ii not Monza.
 
I just looked that up about Mick Walker because I used to get Ducati singles parts from him and his brother. He wasn't Chis Walker's dad. Chris Walker the Stalker is from Nottingham and his dad is John.

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Tank was a different shape, squareish fairing, seat was different. the Monza looked like a small Lemans Mk3.

V50ii had square carbs and Front master cylinder under the tank, your picture seems to have round carbs and master cylinder on the bars. like a V50iii also seat shape is more akin to iii rather than a ii.

Happy to be proved wrong, but looking at the picture I see V50iii or ii not Monza.

You've got me looking at comparison photographs now.
I bought this bike as a Monza although I'm not too fussed if I'm honest.
The V5 does not specify the model.
A mechanic who has serviced it in the past referred to it as a Monza, in fact he owned it before the chap I bought it from.
I agree the tank does look non Monza but the bike does have rearset footrests.
I agree about the seat as well.
So maybe it is a standard V50.
You do realise of course you've devalued my bike by possibly the best part of £500.

And PS Just noticed that Baldrick agrees with you so it must be a standard V50.
I'll look tomorrow and see if the rearsets can be fixed non rearset if you see what I mean.
That should prove it I guess.
 
Nin,
That's a good idea - putting ply on your lift.
Very nice Cali T3 too....
 
You've got me looking at comparison photographs now.
I bought this bike as a Monza although I'm not too fussed if I'm honest.
The V5 does not specify the model.
A mechanic who has serviced it in the past referred to it as a Monza, in fact he owned it before the chap I bought it from.
I agree the tank does look non Monza but the bike does have rearset footrests.
I agree about the seat as well.
So maybe it is a standard V50.
You do realise of course you've devalued my bike by possibly the best part of £500.

And PS Just noticed that Baldrick agrees with you so it must be a standard V50.
I'll look tomorrow and see if the rearsets can be fixed non rearset if you see what I mean.
That should prove it I guess.

Probably much like my V50ii, I bought a Monza screen and lots of other bits from Motomecca (in South London, think it was called that) to turn my standard V50 into a Monza... I was a spotty yoof and it's what we did :)
 
Nin,
That's a good idea - putting ply on your lift.
Very nice Cali T3 too....

Thanks Fluffy, yep didn’t want to drop it on a slippery ramp. Fortunately the crate it came in provided plenty of ply.


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Always worth keeping an eye on Muzzi Moto

I got my T3 from them and I see they have just sold another.

They currently have this beaut for sale though :

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You've got me looking at comparison photographs now.
I bought this bike as a Monza although I'm not too fussed if I'm honest.
The V5 does not specify the model.
A mechanic who has serviced it in the past referred to it as a Monza, in fact he owned it before the chap I bought it from.
I agree the tank does look non Monza but the bike does have rearset footrests.
I agree about the seat as well.
So maybe it is a standard V50.
You do realise of course you've devalued my bike by possibly the best part of £500.

And PS Just noticed that Baldrick agrees with you so it must be a standard V50.
I'll look tomorrow and see if the rearsets can be fixed non rearset if you see what I mean.
That should prove it I guess.


I agree that the footrests look like V50 Monza ones. So is it a Monza turned into standard V50?, a standard V50 with Monza rests ? or is it called a Monza because it is 'Monza' red.?

So long as you enjoy riding it, that's all that matters really.
 


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