Always had a soft spot for the LeMans, one of those 'bikes of our youth' things from when I first started biking in the late '70s in Italy and it was just one of those bikes that I really wanted, I'm also looking for a new project. Anyway a friend of my brother-in-law in Italy has one. It has been stored in his garage for some time, not been run or even started in ages and he's interested in selling it. BIL went to see it and says it's in nice, standard, original condition, battery's flat so can't start it. It's a 1980, Italian registered (and located), red with the small side fairings, under 20k (km). Anyone got any ball park figure for what it might be worth?
Can't help on the price but it may be worth less in Italy than here. Good bike mechanically pretty simple and can be made into a MK I look a likey with very little effort. 14-15k miles on a Guzzi is absolutely sod all, Ducatis they are not and although they don't have the performance, they'll run around the clock without a rebuild if treated right. I'm a BIG Guzzi fan. They are also pretty small so if your a short arse you'll love them if a 6'4" giant maybe less so. If you do get it and need special tools I may have them and I'd loan out for the price of postage John
As Old Jock says........... ...........they are sturdy, reliable (electrical issues can usually be traced to the Magnetti Marelli ignition coils............just change them)........ Mine would return 70mpg plus at constant 80mph cruising............It was also clocked at 149mph on the Snetterton Norwich Straight (the older one) when they were using it as a drag strip. Don't know what special tools Old Jock is talking about though................all I needed was a selection of hammers and an alternator puller I made out of a suitable bolt................Had the engine and gearbox right down to component parts.......... They aren't run-in until at least 10000 miles. If you want one in the UK, I doubt if you would find one under £5000 unless it was tatty and they are in demand.
I would hazard a guess at £1000 to £1500 ish, depends if the guy knows how prices have gone over here really ?
Interesting, I've spoken with BIL who says the owner's looking for €5000 which, given the favourable exchange rate is under £4k. I was really looking for something to 'do up' and would have liked to spend less but it appears to be a good bike that shouldn't need much doing. Obviously it's 1000 miles away so I'd have to ship it here which will add to the price, although it looks good enough to ride home... Here's some pics, taken today; See anything untoward?
Check prices and resources here: Moto Guzzi Riders Forum It seems anyone who's had a Guzzi and ridden it for any length of time, will always hanker after another, no matter how many years later
You guessed wrong buddy. @Dukedesmo, if it's clean it's worth 5 grand english all day long. Offer him 3 and no more, and let him talk you up to £4k. Depends on how it's gonna get to your house...
Looks really tidy - stored very well /not for that long. I acquired a III recently and had a look at the prices at the time late last year it has to be worth 3 upwards for starters
Could be wrong but to me for a MK II although not nearly as desirable as a MK I, 5K euro is a really good price. I don't think mechanically there was much of a difference between MK I & II Special tools well you can get by without a lot of them but if your venturing into the Gbx or need to lock the engine, pull the mains, or center the clutch life is lot easier with the tools. As Al said not a must but I found it made my life a lot easier getting the right tools and as I have the, just thought I'd share. Bike looks good from the pictures to me, from what I can see Oh and I think Al is spot on, looking at the prices MK I in good nick are fetching £10k+, MK IIs a good bit less but I doubt you'd find one like that in the UK for under £6, probably more
Take that seat off the bike, put it in a sturdy plastic bag and suck the air out with a vacuum, then put it in the loft for safe keeping. In ten years time the seat will be worth more than the bike. They are unobtainium...
nice bike ,does anyone remeber crossbow lemans? team . les burgen + asa moyce dominated ng races with the lemans late 70's early 80,s?
The mk I would be the one I really wanted deep down but, other than the round headlight/fairing being better looking, the MKII is probably a better bike? and I'm not really that worried about having the original plus the calipers behind the fork legs has got to be better from a practical point of view. So it seems that it's probably a reasonable price (in the UK) for what looks like a nice bike. Maybe they're worth less in Italy due to being more common or least less rare? I think the guy's owned it since new, he was a biking buddy of my BIL (BiL stopped riding about 25yrs ago). He's said there's nothing needs doing, other than the battery (and a service) even the tyres are 'new' so it should be good mechanically but more importantly the cosmetics appear good and they're probably more trouble to sort than mechanicals anyway. Apparently he's also got an 850 T5 to sell...
Well I am going over later in the year and whilst I had planned to fly because it's cheaper, I might just need to go in the car. My car is too small but I could take the Wife's people carrier which I reckon I might just be able to get it in if I took the wheels and a few other bits off? I'm going to have a word with the seller and see what sort of deal I can do, don't know what's involved on importing ref. the DVLA etc. but I reckon it shouldn't be too hard from another EU country? Watch this space...
Sod all the opinions............if you have the right amount of dosh, just buy the damn thing....you won't regret it. I wish I could afford one again..................my 1980 one cost £2600 new and wish I had never sold it..... Bloody sight more convincing than my Ducati. Yes, ride it home........but the OEM seat isn't that comfortable after 100miles....in fact it is downright painful...............find the custom seat that everyone fitted.
You have to pay to access any tech info on the Moto Guzzi club GB forum, so go to guzzitech.com, it's a US forum but packed with good tech and totally free. You have to remember, Mr R, that Guzzi twice won the british Avon Roadrunner production championship, trouncing the 900SS in the process (as did the heavy old Laverdas). But they are heavy old beasties, you'll give yourself a hernia just taking the front wheel out. What they do best is pound down A roads flat out, sweeping round fast bends. You have to rev that 850 engine, it's not all that torquey, but it responds well to a good hooning. And I wasn't joking about that seat, they are totally unobtainable, you'll get a grand for a clean one, so take it off and preserve it, and use an aftermarket one on the bike.
If it's any help, when I had my MkII, a mate of mine had one of the first 200 Hailwood replicas.......... .........he found that he couldn't lose me when we were having a good old blat around the safer roads in the early 80s.
Is the fairing original? Guzzi purists might not approve of faking but I'd have to lose that and turn the bike into a MK1 which was a thing of beauty:
