Moto guzzi any good?

[dakota.morgan91]

Hey guys,
I am newer around here and to the motorcycle scene. I have a 82 Virago that I have building into a doc chops style cafe. The build has been going great, and I cant be more excited.
The reason for this topic is my grandfather Told me the other day that he has a 1980 motto guzzi le mans in the garage and it has been sitting for years, but in good shape.

What are your guys thoughts on the Le Mans? I know the Older Moto's are serious collectors now, and I am curious about this one. If it is a good keeper I would rather leave it completely stock and not fiddle with it. It would be as shameful as ricing out a old porsche! ;D

 

[XVRacer]

The old LeMons is a great bike. If it is in good condition I'd leave it alone. Just replace fluids, rubber bits and ride it.

It was never a rocket ship but rode on rails. Today it's a very unique bike.

My two cents.

 

[dakota.morgan91]

Hey thanks! I love the way it looks, so im happy leaving it the way it is! And my wife will tell ya it doesn't need to be a rocket ship! lol

 

[dakota.morgan91]

Do you guys think it will be sought after like the other guzzis?

 

[dakota.morgan91]

No other opinions on guzzis?

 

[cxman]

yes its no good sell it to me now !

 

[Bevelheadmhr]

They are a classic and much sought after... maybe not so much in the States, but certainly here in Europe..

 

[lc4dakar]

1980 would be a Lemans II. Good solid bike, lots of fun to ride. Reliable except for the electrical connections and switchgear (like all old Guzzis).
Nigusil coated bores, so no flaking chrome to worry about.
Parts are readily available, too.

 

[beachcomber]

No other opinions on guzzis?
g all 1960s era styling cues

No other opinions on guzzis?

I've had several over the years - including Lemons - 2 x Mk1s.

One was stock and quickly passed through as someone just had to have it ! While I did own it - I rode the wheels off it. As stated - no Rocketship, but more than made up in handling - and especially braking.

I Cafe Racered the second one, using 1960s styling cues.

That said, nothing was done to the bike that couldn't be undone !

One option is to remove all the squitter and make the bike what you want [ I also have a TR1 Cafe Racered ], but keep all the original parts so that it could be restored at some future date. In reality, that's not a lot of parts ! Tank, headlamp [ with it's nasty fairing ], seat and maybe mudguards / exhuast.

It really boils down to how you see the investment in time. Undoubtedly, a stock OEM Le Mans [ even a 2 ] is now worth serious money [ at least in the UK / EU ].

First off - I'd get it up and running, then ride it around for a while in stock form - that will give you a better idea of what you've got under you. It won't be far removed from the performance of the Yam - apart from the aforementioned handling and brakes.

Plating, paint and electrics are abyssmal on the OEM bikes and would be the most likely points of refurbishment.

Whatever you decide - please don't fit a Mojave tank to it !

here's one I made earlier ! It's in almost completed form - just before a Danish collector bought it for an obscene amount of money.

The pipes were eventually swapped for stainless Le Mans 1 + Contis to break up my "Red phase".

The seat [ Benelli race version ] was removed and the sides extended to fill the gap to the frame - oh yes - and front brakes were added !

 

[dakota.morgan91]

Hey thanks guys! I am happy to hear it is a good bike and one that people like! The yam seems to be a black sheep around here! LOL
No I will not be doing a mojave tank! lol I wont disgrace the guzzi! I really wanna leave it essentially stock, but I truly wish it was the first gen. I hate the square headlight look. The only two things I want to change is the seat and headlight. I love the classic look of the first gen.
So there is a bit of confusion on my end with it. It is a 1980 and a US bike, that would make it a gen 2, but is it a 850 or a 1000? some places state that US got the (cxl i think) 1000 instead of the 850, and the UK stuck with the 850. The 850 seems to be the better motor. By the way I have yet to physically see the bike yet. I hopefully will be picking it up next week.

 

[Erskine]

You're a very lucky man! I agree with everyone else .....only mods that are needed are modern rubber, lubricants and brake compounds, electrical components and spend the buck keeping it up and together. Do a running restoration .... please don't strip it down unless you are 100% sure of rebuilding it in a fixed time frame
As mentioned earlier, highly prized in Europe, a design classic.

 

[CarbsAndCylinders]

Please , don't listen to CX, he lies. I on the other hand always tell the truth so sell it to me.

I have an 83 Le Mans and I love it. Yours is a better looking one and I think more desirable than mine.

These bikes are a blast once you are out of the city. The stiff throttle (you can put in softer carb springs), grabby clutch and long wheelbase with clip ons make it a bit awkward in the city but once you get on a back road they are in their element. The music from their pipes is uplifting.

Good tires, braided brake lines, new disc pads and fluids. Corbin makes a nice seat for these girls too.

Congrats, but sell to me first

 

[Perter]

Hi Dacota
Congratulations with your "new" Guzzi. I may be a bit late replying but at least I think I can answer your question regarding 850/1000cc:

The European LM2s were 850'ies but with 36mm Dellorto pump carburettors and "big" valves. The "myth" is this combo couldn't pass the more restrictive emission requirements in US, so Guzzi decided to put their 1000cc "small valve" engine in the LM for US.

The differences are smaller valves (41mm instead of 44mm) and a 30mm Dellorto (without pump) instead of the 36mm. Plus slightly smalller compression ratio and a more "flat" torque band. The 1000cc engine is similar to the one used in 1000SP, the long-haul touring machine.

Both engines "suffer" from a huge flywheel which makes them pull like a freight train but not necessary fast reving

Your bike may have gone through several transformations during the past 30yrs and maybe been upgraded to 36mm carbs. But yiou can easily tell the difference by looking at the intake manifold screws: The "small valve 1000cc" use 8mm while the "big valve 850cc" only use 6mm - simply to allow space for the 36mm manifolds and bigger ports.

I own a stripped 1000SP myself and have ridden a LM2 also. The LM2 I tried was quicker reving but mainly because the flywheel has been lightened I think, in daily use the 2 bikes would be almost equal. And in my case, the LM2 was completely worn out dripping oil from every possible opening and really "tired" looking but still more expensive than the 1000SP I ended up buying.


There is a good guzzi forum wildguzzi.com and several sites for parts. I can recommend stein-dinze.biz in Germany, they speak and write English and is happy shipping overseas.

And remember, Guzzi Riders ride first and chat afterwards ;-)