Moto Guzzi Club of Queensland Forum

Well, It's not new. Nor is it new to me.

Compare it to today's modern sportsbikes and it doesn't go, doesn't stop and doesn't handle. It has strange traits like you would not believe. But i love it.

It's a 1989 Moto Guzzi Le Mans 1000 Mark V. 20 years old and very sentimental to me. It's the very first bike I rode, which is a story in itself as I rode under the arm of a gigantic header (ie harvester) - which was taking up more than the whole road - with my head on the tank and my eyes closed on the return journey of my first ride - my Uncle saw the whole thing and was just about laughing his guts up. But I was only 15 and that's a story for another time... Not the same make and model, but the actual bike.

So here I am, 20 years later. My Uncle bought this bike new in 1989. He has been the sole owner and it was my first introduction to riding. 20 years later he has, despite my ongoing encouragement, given the game away some time ago, and it now resides in my garage because I couldn't cope with seeing it any where else. It was a 1650km round trip to pick it up on the Easter long weekend. It has 25,284 genuine kms and is in pretty good nick, other than the deterioration of time, but on the otherhand also needs a fair bit of work, which I shall enjoy doing. But first things first. Tonight I transplanted my gsxr's battery (as the Guzzi's was dead flat and would not take or hold a charge) - but it was about 4 times the size of the gixxer's battery... everything on this bike seems to be over-engineered... Anyway, with a drain of the 3yo fuel since it was last ridden, drain of the carby's, new fuel & valve lubricant and a battery transplant it revved into life tonight for the first time in about 3 years. Aerostart was on standby but surprisingly not needed. Lots more to do; quite a big list over and above regular maintenace actually, but that's the first tick off the list. The engine is running. And you should hear it - it has a sound that is absolutely nothing like a japanese v-twin. Not necessarily better or worse, just different. Louder, Deeper, throatier, rougher. Like a couple of worked chev 350's with headers and hot dogs. You can't even hear the dry clutch. The bike is so long, high and heavy. So long I had to mount a massive overhanging steel c-section to carry it on my trailer which has no trouble carrying the gsxr or rmx.

So the next ride up the mountain the GSXR will be staying in the shed and i'll be on the Guzzi. I'll be arriving last, but i'll have the biggest smile and be drifting back in time... : )

Bargain

Mate
What a way to start your "Real" bike experience.

The Gixxer may leave you in a flash on the straight but a good pilot on a on song Mk 5 can have the Gixxer getting a complex in the twisties.

Guzzi's have their own character and take a little bit to get the most out of but they sort of soak into your soul. On the Gixxer you go for a ride, on the Mk 5 you go for a conversation. After a while you will be taking the Guz for the run instead of the Gixxer, see if I'm wrong.

Anyway, welcome to the Guzzisti and don't hesitate to ask any questions. We're not Ducatisti. We even let Wal be the Vice Press so we're not that elitist.



JohnM

PS. Tommy Newell at Don Newell Motorcycles in Deshon St, Buranda is "The Man" to talk to re servicing, parts, problems etc.

Wait till ya meet Wal, as mad as a farkin' cut snake, he'll tell ya your bike is garbage or something cause it ain't a Cali, Wal only likes Cali's, must be something wrong with his head, actually he might not tell ya it's garbage cause it ain't a Breva, wait till ya here him go off about Breva's farkin' funny as.
Why they ever made him VP again is beyond me, you think they would have learned last time.
+1 on Newell's, Tom took over from his old man, so they've had a Guzzi shop since damn near the start of Guzzi's in Brisbane. He's also a club member & easy to talk to (he'll give you time) & will tell you straight up what you can do yourself & what needs the pro touch.

Hey JM, how's steak & kidney, guess the crazy farkin drivers haven't run ya over & killed ya yet?

G'day cornish, and welcome to the forum. You've got yourself a real keeper there. The Mk 5 is a beautiful machine, and as the last of the Tonti frame Le Mans it will no doubt be ever more valuable and collectable as the years roll by. It looks like it is in very good condition, it even has the mid sections on the front fairing which on most bikes I've seen are missing or removed.

I have to agree with John that you may find yourself prefering the Guzzi to the GSXR. Guzzi's have a strange way of getting into the soul of a real rider. Before you know it you will find four cylinder bikes, no matter how fast they are, to be quite boring and characterless.

Also put me down as another who cannot recommend Tom Newell highly enough. Give him a go if you need anything, you'll be glad you did. If you are in the Brisbane area we'd love to see you at a club meeting or event.

All the best, and enjoy the bike

Plus + 1 on Tommy Newell. A wealth of information, advice and encouragement. Fair prices and one of the few bike shops in Brisbane where the owner actually rides a bike. (If ya don't believe me, check out who rides to work at a Team Homo store)
I must say she is a beaut and doesn't look like a big project to get back to A1.
I'm only new to the Guzzi scene myself. After years of Suzuki GSXR's and a SV 1000s, I got the chance to ride and enjoy a GT Mille and even thou it only had 70 odd horses, it had more character in it's heavy clutch than my 125 horse Suzuki ever had. Since that day I've been lucky enough to pick up a beautiful 1100 Sport and now our garage is blessed with the wife's little Nevada. Horse power is nothing, Sophia (The Sport) produces more torque at 2500 rpm than the Suzuki SV1000 did at full tilt and it has that made to last engineering that the throw away Jap bikes could never possess.
Handling is pure Italian, a perfect balance for everything a road can be, not a fickle razor blade that will bite hard if your slightly out of line.
As ya can see I have found out what a true riding experience really is, and I can see you now have an alluring Italian mistress yourself. Cornish, Enjoy a true love affair, just don't let ya wife find out (they'll never be able to compete) .
Rgds
Peter

Great story cornish.
Hope you are in Bris or environs, and we get to meet you and the Le Mans at a meeting or on a ride soon.

Thanks for the feedback guys, much appreciated.

I took it for a short run today (as I'm on hols) and it was great. Except I need to get a lighter action for the throttle - it's a killer on the hand lol. Oh I should have mentioned I'm on the mid-north coast of NSW. I did search, however I couldn't find a NSW site. One prob exists and i just had a 'man look' & it didn't jump out at me!

Welcome
Mid North Coast sounds like a good run to the Ruptured Budgie Rally in about a month at Mingoola which
is just west of Tenterfield.
Probably see you there

Yep....a hop, skip and a jump (or a really nice Guzzi ride) to the Ruptured Budgie!!
BTW.....there's a link to the NSW Guzzi Owners from our web-site, or come to think of it.....
www.mgoa.org

You may get used to the throttle but you may not. I have a MK III and its exactly the same.

I haven't bothered changing it but I can give you your options. Beside one of those little rocker clips for the throttle a throttle lock will give your wrist a rest on longer trips.

Your PHF 40's have an internal spring. There is a lighter spring off a P## 30 that fits. Tom should know, if not I can look it up in Guzziology. The bell top on the carby increases throttle response but it can be removed and replaced with a "flat top" conversion. Cables will need to be changed too. That should lighten things up.

I'm sure your uncle will just tell you to harden up!

I mentioned Guzziology. Get it, keep it, read it before you ask any questions and you probably won't have to ask. The Haynes manual for older Guzzis is good for pictures too.

The internet has a wealth of Guzzi technical information and enthusiasts sites.

Manuals and wiring diagrams are available online. Even how to rebuild and engine or repair a gearbox:
http://www.guzzitech.dk/english/index.htm

Cheers

It also notes that there is no cure for the Guzzista Syndome

Nor would I take a cure if offered....

G'day guys,

Unfortunately I have been moving house so I have not had time for playing with the guzzi lately. In the small spare time I've had I've needed to install another timing retard eliminator on the gixxer (calling for all jokes involving retards and gsxr's LOL ) and order a another exhaust for it. Can't wait for delivery of it, should be a pearler but that's another story! I also need to service the old 2 stroke dirt bike soon as it wasn't a happy chappy kicking over last weekend.

Anyway, I've been for a couple of little rides and have thoroughly enjoyed both of them. It feels fairly sweet in the handling. I've set the suspension back to stock as a base setting and will set the sag and play from there. I'm sure the forks could do with an oil change. It's surprising how much corner speed you can still maintain on a 20 yo bike as long as there is reasonable feel in the front end. At present it has Pirelli MT69 Strada's front and rear in the stock size & profile, which are very square and hard. Budget permitting I would like to fit stock size tryes with a (front particularly) soft tyre. I have read about Avon tyres for 18 inch rims that are being used for historic racing classes, however they are about $680 a set. Fark me!!! If anyone would be kind enought to detail a sticky front that would fit (stock 18 inch 100/90) I would be very appreciative. Open to suggestions. Small variances to size & profile would be ok as long as they're available in a matched set. It's getting hard to buy tyres to suit. It would put a smile on my face to hold a good tight corner line in the company of much newer machinery... hehe. May even surprise a few people...!

Well I hope you are all enjoying your rides as much as I am.

Cheers,
Matt.

PS yes I will update my avatar with a pic of the lemans!!

A tyre thread! Oh goodie, this is like walking in a minefield.

I like the Bridgestone BT45 Battleaxe. They are a budget tyre but stick. The rear is dual compound but the front is single. I do find that if ridden hard the front can tend to cup near the end of its life but what the hell.

Some like the Pirelli Sport Demons. I have no experience with them but would try them if available from reports. As for the others, don't know, don't care.

Hi Cornish

How are you enjoying riding a bike with a bit of character about it?

Tyres - like Rod says, you can open a can of worms with this subject. All anyone can recomend is what pulls their own chain I guess.

Like Rod, for the price I think the Battleaxe gives good (stick) value for money on my Mk 1 BUT (and there is always a BUT with this subject) I am getting sick of the cupping that happens long before the tyre centre runs out of tread. This may be because of my riding style but I think it is more from the fact that when you are riding the Guzzi hard they really do chew the fronts. You tend to power the Guzzi's hard through the corners while cranked over because the front geometry and tyre profiles are set up for that "on the rails" feel so you use it but it comes at a price. They don't burn the backs like modern sports bikes so there is a plus side to this. The Ducati 900SS used to do the same to the fronts as they had very similar geometry and you rode them in much the same way.

I am going to try either the Avons or the Metzler Lasertecs for my next lot to see how they compare. We used to use the Avons when racing "back in the day" because they gave a more progresive feel on the edge of traction. The Pirelli Phantoms used to stick untill, all of a sudden, they didn't!! (with sometimes spectacular and deadly results)

DON'T go for the "biggus dickus" wider tyre profiles as they ruin the sweet turn in and handling of the Guzzi. I tried the 120 in the back and went back to the 110 as it handled better and there was no benefit. Stock is the best.

Nearly every three or four days I go for a blat up and down the Old Pacific from "The Pie" to "The Slab" (you Sydney guys know what I am talking about - about 40 Ks of sublime twisties and a LOT of ) and the number of Jap sports bike riders that come up to the back of the bike, look and and ask me "How the F___ is that thing going around corners so fast on those tyres?"


Have Fun
JohnM