This Moto Guzzi is the bike that woo’d me into my love of motorcycles! Growing up we didn’t have a lot of money. My dad worked his butt off to provide for my mom and us kids. He never treated himself except for a few old ragged motorcycles that he would buy for almost nothing. He slowly restored them over time, and has a gift of fixing and tuning things like no one I know. I remember watching him as a young kid, he would be in the garage tinkering with one of his bikes. I had no idea what he was doing but he would make minor adjustments here and there while listening to the bike idle…sometimes using a stethoscope like a doctor listening to a patient’s heartbeat. Once he was satisfied with the adjustments he would pull the bike out and take it for a rip down the street. I could always tell if he was satisfied with his work. If he came back with a slight grin then I knew he nailed it and I was about to get to go on a ride with him. If he came back with his usual stoic look then it wasn’t quite right and more tinkering was to be done. One thing was certain, he would always make his bikes sing and run like new no matter how long it took!
In the late 80’s while enduring a Michigan winter and dreaming of summer, my pops saw this bike sitting on the showroom floor of a Honda shop. It was the strangest looking bike I’ve ever seen! The engine cylinders awkwardly stuck out of the frame like perky breasts. The windshield was huge and the big black plastic square panniers hung precariously off the sides. Pops saw it and whistled…”now that’s a bike!” I didn’t get it at the time, but he knew what he was looking at. My dad was never one to pay full price for anything, and the Guzzi was no exception. Over the next several days he wore down the poor salesman until it was finally at an agreeable price point. This bike was different from his other bikes. For the first time ever, there was no need to tinker with it! It ran perfectly, and the look on my dad’s face while riding his Guzzi will forever be seared in my mind. He was one happy ombre, and I was one lucky kid! My dad put a ton of trouble-free miles on this Guzzi, and I was fortunate enough to be on the back for many of those adventures. We would load it up to the gills, hop on and head out on a 1500 mile adventure without batting an eye. The Guzzi loved it and begged for more! Over time the panniers finally gave out, the windshield became faded and brittle, the seat wore out and had to be rebuilt, the odometer stopped working, and the speedometer is about as accurate as a 50 year old road atlas. But when you turn the key and hit that starter button, she fires up! Every time. I estimate that she has around 100,000 miles on her, maybe more. Pops enjoyed the Guzzi for about 25 years, but he had to let it go when he and my mom moved into a smaller home in Florida. I knew he didn’t want to part with it, so I bought it to keep it in the family. Once again, he was a happy hombre, and I was a lucky guy!
These old Guzzi’s aren’t fast and they’re not super light. They are as agricultural and tractor-like as a motorcycle can get. Yet I strongly believe that no other bike manufacturer has the ability to move your soul like a Guzzi. Other bikes will transport your body from point A to point B…but the Guzzi prefers the soul! These Italian bikes have a ton of character. It is often said that Guzzi’s and their riders are similar in that way, they are a little different from the rest of the crowd. Most importantly, they are an absolute blast to ride!
Operating a Guzzi is a little different than other bikes. For example, when you turn the key and hit the starter on a Japanese bike it will excitedly start and be ready to go…no muss no fuss. The Guzzi, on the other hand, will start but not without a little drama. Like a stubborn Italian mother, she will resist and hesitate if it’s cold or if she’s been ignored a little too long. She’ll let you know she’s not happy with you. But after a bit, she will pop, shimmy, and shake herself awake and that 90 degree transverse twin will settle in a beautiful harmonic rhythm. Guzzi’s are cold blooded and require a bit of time to warm up. Once the engine is warm and she accepts the fact that it’s time to ride, the Guzzi will out ride and out last even the toughest of long riders. They simply won’t quit. They are designed to be mile munchers. I attribute their longevity to the build quality. Almost everything on the bike is big and heavy. The robust gearbox and shaft drive are not necessarily smooth. In fact, they are probably over-built for what’s necessary. But the gearbox shifts without hesitation, and I never get a false neutral or a hang up. The engine is air cooled and very efficient at cooling itself. The cylinders hang out in the wind and well placed cooling fins keep the engine remarkably cool while under way. I believe this is one of the primary reasons why Guzzi’s seem to last forever. For example, if you ride an American air-cooled V-Twin for a few hundred miles and stop for a break, the engine will ping and pop as it cools down…especially the rear cylinder. On the Guzzi, you can shut it down after hundreds of miles of riding and there is no sound at all. No pinging, nothing. You can even place your hand on the cylinder head for a second and it won’t burn you (don’t ask me how I know)! The engineering and design is remarkable and timeless. Riding the Guzzi is a unique experience. The engine and exhaust note is pleasing, sounding very similar but somehow different from a regular V-Twin. It’s hard to explain but you’ll know it when you hear it! At low RPM’s, the Guzzi shakes from side to side…it’s as if your riding a fish. But once underway, the bike becomes smooth. This is especially true at higher RPM’s. Typical V-Twins like to be lugged, but the Guzzi is not typical. She wants to be ridden hard and performs the best when she’s humming along.
Over the years I have done quite a bit of work on the old Guzzi. Not because anything broke, but because 40 years and 100,000 miles will wreak havoc on non metal parts. In fact, it never left me stranded and I never had to actually fix anything! But to keep her running like new I have replaced all of the fuel lines, electrical lines, airbox, and switched it from a points ignition system to an electric ignition system. In 2022, I decided to do something special for my pops. He and my mom live in a small town in Florida and although pops is getting older, he still loves to ride! He has a beautiful old Harley that he rides all over the place, but it isn’t the most reliable bike. I decided I would totally refurbish the Guzzi, try to keep it as stock as possible, and give it back to my dad. I spent about a month tearing it down, cleaning good parts and replacing rubber/plastic parts. When I was finally done, I rode the bike down to his house and handed him the title and the keys. The excited look on his face reminded me of when I was a kid! He graciously accepted the keys, and promptly left my mom and I standing in the driveway while he rumbled away on his long-lost Guzzi. He has since been all over the state of Florida on that bike and it still runs perfect to this day! I’ve owned a lot of bikes, but this one is my favorite.
The old Guzzi has been all over the country! Here she is on some back road in central TX.
Near Astoria, Oregon.
Somewhere in southern Georgia!
Performed a complete tear-down and refurbish to surprise my pops.
Finally finished and ready to deliver it to pops!
Pops with his beloved Harley and his Guzzi in Florida…he’s one happy ombre!
The Guzzi and the Harley in pops garage. He still rides often, and the Guzzi will come back to me once he finally retires his riding boots…I have a feeling that won’t be for a while (God willing)!
Sport Touring Cycle Adventures 