Still here but spent all my money. Would like to return with a suitcase full of cash for the Ducatis but I'm out for now.
That's the intention. Just waiting on the shipper to collect it - hopefully next week, then need to 'legalise' it for use here. Looks like I need to get an MPH speedo and possibly a headlight to get it certified? but hopefully be usable soon. Here's another pic;
Looks in great nick, looking forward to hearing more about it That link Arquebus sent is a great source, Gregg Bender's "This Old Tractor" site has loads of info Some others that are good and worth getting an account for Wild Goose Chase (Can be a bit cliquey, but a great place to ask questions) General Discussion Guzzitech (Technical based and also great for questions) GuzziTech Forums Guzzitech DK (sub forum of This Old Tractor and good for some how to's on Guzzis, check out Technical & Technical - The Complex Stuff) guzzitech.dk archive | courtesy of Jens Lyck Also Get yourself a copy of Carl Allison's wiring diagram for the bike, very useful and way better than Guzzi's pathetic effort BEWARE OF SAUCY ADD AT THE TOP (not bad but may not be work friendly). Scroll down the LM II is there and works in both pdf and gif. sportissimo.html Hope that all helps John
Thanks for the info, very useful. I'll need to give it a service as it's not been ridden for a couple of years and only done 2,000km in the last 25, so although the valve clearances were OK back then and shouldn't have moved in such a low mileage I think it wise to check, plus the oil must be past it's best. That said it started up after a couple of pushes of the starter, idles smoothly at around 1k even when cold and ran well enough on the ride from the it's old owner's to my Sisters's house, albeit only around a mile. Can't wait to get my grubby hands on it...
Servicing Guzzis is child's play. Checking the tappets is 5 minute job. The filter is a bit odd to get to, 14 cap screws on the base pan, including the 4 that are on the pan and not on the periphery, to drop the pan. Even if you had a deep sump I'd still do this, just to check the gauze filter and clean off sludge in the pan. A lot of people put a jubilee clip around the filter as a belt & braces to prevent unscrewing, not that they are prone to this. I'd change all the fluids including gbx & bevel box. They really are a joy to work on compared to Ducatis, except the bloody clutch which is a pain to get to, but still simple enough, just a lot of extra bits need removing.
Baines Racing may have the speedo and other bits you need.......apparently they took all Bernies of Watford spares when they closed. As Old Jock says, servicing is a doddle and if you can get one to tick over at 850 rpm on one cylinder, then you know you have got it dead right. You may find electrical issues / misfire in damp weather.......Just change the Magnetti Marelli coils.....they are crap. I did a clutch with the engine still in the frame.......a bit awkward, but possible.........Swingarm out etc........However, I doubt yours will need doing for some time......they aren't run in until 10,000 miles.
What is the finish of the inside of the fairings (both nose and lower)......Is it smooth black or is it rough glassfibre (IE no gel coat)?
I can't really tell from the photo (although the nose looks like a rough finish and the lowers look smooth)...... But anyway, if they are rough finish inside, they are pre-mid 80 fairings.........they were prone to cracking on the lowers where the bottom part of the fairing lower joins the upper part via that thin black section........ .....the paint finish on the early ones could have hairline cracking as well. The later fairings were stronger and the paint finish was better. However the frame paint finish was shite up to at least the MkIII.............I don't think they even used a primer.
Yep....Mine was a 1980 registration built 1979......I had the bad (rough) fairings but they were replaced under warranty because the cracks were so bad after 1000 miles. The nose fairing may be OK paint wise, and the glassfibre shouldn't crack; but you may have to do a bit of reinforcement on the inside of the lowers.....where the two yellow arrows are on mine below. That's assuming of course yours haven't already been replaced.
Just been reading the owners handbook and the intro/first section on the correct way to use the vehicle is wonderful, it's in Italian but it basically says; We remind you that this model with it's exceptional characteristics is almost a race machine and therefore requires a sportive ride. I don't know if they still write stuff like that in this modern, pc, health n' safety, liability obsessed world? but they're basically telling me to go out there and ride the tits off it. I'll try not to disappoint...
Don't get caught out by the action of that big flywheel.....(You can see the evidence when it's on the cenre stand and ticking over).......... ......once you get used to it, you can use it to your advantage in the bends..... .......as you can with the linked braking system....... I once had to hit the brakes hard on a wet road in a bend......... The brakes and the flywheel just picked the bike upright and I rolled to a halt. The handling is very forgiving though..........although it did give me the sh*ts one day when I accelerated in second gear having just swept through a short right / left junction.........damn front wheel lifted while the bike was leaning over.
Here's the medallion, not sure what to do with it? at 6.5" long it's a bit large to wear round me' neck...
You could try riveting it to your helmet...............(Wince) Alternatively use sticky pads so it sits under the screen on the instrument console.....
