Moto Guzzi Club of Queensland Forum

You've got such interesting smilies. I wonder if that could be used as a pick up line?
Back to saying 'HI' to all here. I'm a new member here and you obviously have no quality control but i'm happy with that.

I gave up on Moto Guzzi back in '73' when I returned from a tour in Germany with the Army and my local dealer told me there would NEVER be a 1000 cc 5 speed from the factory. The guy (salesman?) completely put me off and i gave up the idea of trading in my Norton Commando for a LeMans. IF I had only kept my temper and took the 850 LeMans for a road test I would have been hooked. But this little 'event' with the horses arse pointed me to the 'dark side'.

I got the bug to own a Harley. Not just anything but the first Harley I could AFFORD. This led to the dirt cellar of a barn in Southern New Hampshire and a sweating fifty plus kicks on the start lever of a basically stock 1958 FLH Panhead. With such a workout like that JUST to hear one 'POP' of combustion how could I resist buying the bugger from the field stone dungeon that FLOODS every Spring??

Years of wrenching and patching AND kicking it over kept me busy along with a Wife who took a note on her car in order to buy this bike rather then piddly things like furnitature ( we had a mattress).

Years went by, decades actually,and the bike thing got worse with a Kawasaki Concours to get me the round trip of 160 miles a day to work in Texas the year long. The Insurance company bought that bike twice over and finally took it with them leaving me to get another Sport Tourer as the Harley was back in New England in a drier cellar.

I'm short and the Concours kept falling over alot, so replacing the same thing wasn't the deal at all. That led to darker moments with an '85' BMW K bike ( K100RT).

This led me to buy a '77' R75/7 which was MUCH more to my liking. How could you not like a bike that you could go trail riding on or take it ONTO the beach and then load up and go cross country touring?? Still have both the Harley and the Beemers although the K bike tried to kill me twice and is awaiting transformation into a power source for a garden tractor i need around the place.

The R75 got me BACK to twins. But I wanted a soul stirring twin so i put Norton Pea shooters on the R75, which about kicked me out of all bMW circles and clubs that i was participating in.

It was at the Damn Yankees Rally in Heath, Massachusetts (BMW Rally) that the Moto Guzzi folks showed up and had NO imhibitions about having FUN and Wine tasting on Sunday morning with the left overs of Saturday night. What's not to love??? Hearing their bikes fire up and seeing the grins as they motored by got my attention.

I visited a friend in Pennsylvania and he took the R75 for a ride but threw me the keys to his V-11.

After almost forty years of riding ,,,I finally found my two wheel 'soul mate'.

I've got eight bikes now, all projects as my Wife says that i am a real piece of work in my own right. A '73' Eldorado is waiting for me today to get an alternator conversion bolted in and go into Boston to retrive some glasses left at the doctors office. There is a '74' Eldo with a foiur shoe front brake waiting desperately for a complete restroration as i was lucky to be able to push the rusted relic under the shed roof.

There is a bent frame '77' 850 T-3 and another same vintage Ftb T-3 with a Globe side car attached. And then there is another 'Barn Find', a 1933 Chevrolet Sedan Delux in about 98% original unrestored condition. A car right out of the Ganster era of Bonnie and Clyde and AlCapone.

The only bikes i don't have now is the Norton and the Kawasaki. So there youare. And i say hello. Larry

That was a very eloquent, "HELLO", Larry. It must be the best introduction I've ever read on any forum. Yes, you have been to the dark side but who cares. At last you have seen the light.
Welcome from Bill.....
custard tart consultant for the east coast

Hey Larry,
Welcome to my clubs home forum, it's not as full on or busy as Squadra, but there are some of the same Aussie heads here.
Rod (King of the Small Blocks) posts occasionally,Terry (Swagzz) graces us with his presence, Bill (Ostrider) sticks his head in, a few others that at present I can't rmember, but I'm sure that they'll abuse me for forgetting them

And the worst one of all...................................................................



The dreaded Wal

Wal
Don't call me Grace,
someone might notice.
Hi BM58, welcome to the nut house,
It took me almost 30 years to get my first Guzzi so I know the feeling
that I should have done this years ago.
Also wine tasting is compulsory on sunday mornings whenever possible.
later swagzz

Welcome Larry. Like you it took me way too long to get my first Guzzi, oh the wasted years. Still it's all good now and the addiction is just getting stronger. Enjoy!

Agree about the addiction. It took me about 35 years to become addicted though.

G'day Larry and like a lot of other Guzzi forum members have said welcome aboard. These Moto Guzzi's are a bit like the Eagles song Hotel California because once you go there (ownership of a Guzzi) you can't get away so we enjoy our time with them.