My Big Gay Motorcycle!

[Glenn]

I used to work in a guzzi dealership and on pdi they had to do the valve clearances.

[Newtsalad]

I used to work in a guzzi dealership and on pdi they had to do the valve clearances.

Pdi? Pre delivery inspection? Do you know much about them Glenn? are they OHC or OHV? (Push rod or chain) I have a grimy area around the base of one pot that looks like the cylinder base gasket could be slightly blowing.

It'll be a doddle if the lump is pushrod, bit more thought involved if it's a cam chain set up....

[wightegi]

push rod.California 111..? 1991

[Glenn]

I don't know much but i know hit walls very well, especially the wall under vauxhall bridge.

A guy passes his test and fancies a test ride on a Guzzi Breva, he got to the lights and pulled away from the lights and gave it a handfull (throttle) and its launched itself into the wall and him over the handlebars. he wrote it off but got away with just paying £1000 damage waiver

[Newtsalad]

MOT'd Today!

First ride on it, quite an experience! It's a bit like the Benford 1/2 ton dumper I have! Pulls like a train, and the torque when it's revved launches the bike to the right!

Squirts straight up to a ton! (On a private road of course. )

Bit like driving a car though!

[Newtsalad]

Oh, and I did feel a bit of a plum at the first junction, stopping with my feet dangling in the air.....

[hairythinbloke]

Well done Newt, I have had 3 Guzzis over ten years, a T3/V7 rep, an 1100 sport inj. and a cali 1100 inj. and wish I'd kept them all, lack of space/funds etc.
Parts aren't too horrendously priced, depends what you are after. Motomecca are a good bunch as well as Wessons motorcycles. Travelled to various parts of europe on all three of them(at different times obviously!) Two-up with all the luggage the cali handled beautifully. Can seriously recommend Bridgestone BT45's and koni /Ikon dialarides to improve handling over stock. Good luck, enjoy. Any questions, just ask!

[Newtsalad]

Thanks mate, will do! I was pleasantly surprised at the handling! Mind I have to do the head race on the Virago they're really bad, so I was bound to find the Guzzi good!

At the moment I have the seat in pieces to re-cover it, so though I'm itching to ride it I can't, though we have bad weather forecast so maybe best I don't !

[hairythinbloke]

Hello Newt, despite being quite a heavyweight they do handle quite nicely. As Drag said, and as far as I can work out the cali frame is a direct descendant of the Lino Tonti's work, even dimensionly, just the cali swing arm is about four inches longer than the le mans and there is a bit of extra bracing around gear box under your battery (well definitely on the cali I had anyway.
Brilliant story; Guzzi would have gone down the swanny if it wasn't for the LAPD. A dealership mechanic takes a guzz along to show LAPD an example and puts it down the strip at a good lick." Hey!" they exclaim "you just beat our hottest Harley!" "Really, I had no idea I was here to race." said the mechanic. and on that strength they bought a shed load, keeping guzzi afloat. All luck and timing really. So, if you get any snidey comments from any Hardley Worthitson owners, you can thank them, as if theirs weren't so terrible, yours wouldn't have existed!

[skyrider]

Italians do make good pizzas though I personally like a cheese and tomato with prawn and mushroom and sweetcorn and pineapple plus to start off with a garlic bread with tomato