Dale
Coast to Coast
Hey there.
So I started looking for a Guzzi last year. Ive always had a weakness for Italian machines, especially if there's a V-twin involved. I was initially hoping to find a LeMans, but every one I found that was in fair condition was out of my price range. A couple of Monza's and other V50's cropped up every now and again, but I wasn't sold.
Then I saw a post on BikeExif on Axel Budde's LeMans Racer, http://www.bikeexif.com/moto-guzzi-3 and that for me was the tipping point. I couldn't afford a LeMans, but I could make a small block Guzzi into something. I was determined.
I had seen a Monza for around $800, but the crank wasn't good. The rest of the bike seemed ok. I figured, I could do worse so went to see if the guy still had it. He had just sold it. Anyways, I eventually found a MKII, not the best variant, but the bike looked in good order. It wasn't running, but all the signs were there that it was ok, and importantly, it wasn't butchered. So, in late August, the guy trailered the bike onto my drive.
Man, I couldn't resist. I wanted to get the bike running, ride it a bit, and make my decisions from there. But, I would say to myself, "Ok, I'm just going to take this apart, check it, and then put it back. etc. Come Saturday, and well, I just went too far. "Screw it, I'm taking this thing apart."
I'm really glad I did, because, had I run it, I would have trashed the rear drive. It had been "serviced" by someone who clearly didn't have a clue. This was my green light to drop the "...I'm gonna get the bike on the road first..." idea, and make it "...Im going to have to check everything and fix it..." idea.
Ive got some pics of the "plan" for the bike on my Members Introduction thread:
http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=21591.0
[edit > Ill just pop this pic here anyway... more on the intro if youre interested...]
Saturday Morning (Early Sept 2010) - So Ill call this the "01_Stripdown"
10 minutes later....
An hour (maybe) later...
Guzzi Frame up on the tressle table. Motor on the left ready for inspection!
So I started looking for a Guzzi last year. Ive always had a weakness for Italian machines, especially if there's a V-twin involved. I was initially hoping to find a LeMans, but every one I found that was in fair condition was out of my price range. A couple of Monza's and other V50's cropped up every now and again, but I wasn't sold.
Then I saw a post on BikeExif on Axel Budde's LeMans Racer, http://www.bikeexif.com/moto-guzzi-3 and that for me was the tipping point. I couldn't afford a LeMans, but I could make a small block Guzzi into something. I was determined.
I had seen a Monza for around $800, but the crank wasn't good. The rest of the bike seemed ok. I figured, I could do worse so went to see if the guy still had it. He had just sold it. Anyways, I eventually found a MKII, not the best variant, but the bike looked in good order. It wasn't running, but all the signs were there that it was ok, and importantly, it wasn't butchered. So, in late August, the guy trailered the bike onto my drive.
Man, I couldn't resist. I wanted to get the bike running, ride it a bit, and make my decisions from there. But, I would say to myself, "Ok, I'm just going to take this apart, check it, and then put it back. etc. Come Saturday, and well, I just went too far. "Screw it, I'm taking this thing apart."
I'm really glad I did, because, had I run it, I would have trashed the rear drive. It had been "serviced" by someone who clearly didn't have a clue. This was my green light to drop the "...I'm gonna get the bike on the road first..." idea, and make it "...Im going to have to check everything and fix it..." idea.
Ive got some pics of the "plan" for the bike on my Members Introduction thread:
http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=21591.0
[edit > Ill just pop this pic here anyway... more on the intro if youre interested...]
Saturday Morning (Early Sept 2010) - So Ill call this the "01_Stripdown"
10 minutes later....
An hour (maybe) later...
Guzzi Frame up on the tressle table. Motor on the left ready for inspection!