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Friday 28 March 2014

Moto Guzzi Mille .......... Yet another project !

A week ago yesterday I went down to Cornwall, enlisting the help of my friend Tony and his van, to collect yet another potential project Guzzi  - a 950cc Mille GT. It was on Ebay as a 'buy it now' or 'best offer' deal.
 I don't know whether it helped in my quick purchase,but it turned out that I knew the 'Seller' 
  It is only showing approx 20,000mls on the clock and overall condition would suggest it's correct. Either way,the engine sounds sweet enough and the only downside  is the rather pitted 46mm Japanese forks,chrome on the rear shock bodies and Harley silencers. Still very happy with the purchase though !
The day after picking it up and giving it a bit of a clean


Sunday 23 March 2014

USA Trip by Two Guzzi's continues ..............New Mexico,Colorado and Arizona

The computer completely stopped working a couple of weeks ago and have now purchased a refurbished one via Ebay, so now I can continue with a few updates.
 With the last USA trip post we were just starting to head from Santa Rosa into Northern New Mexico heading for Santa Fe. As it turned out,and I didn't realise it at the time,this was the original way that Route 66 took.
We came from this direction and already quite a way up
in New Mexico having passed Santa Fe.


Maybe Heinrich Himmler didn't commit suicide afterall ?

This group of students were Geology students on a field trip from
a Alabama University.

We were heading in this direction
Further on, we did go through hilly,green forested area
which I believe was possibly a Apache Indian Reservation land.......
....well we stopped for a coffee and the place was owned by Native Americans

By this time it was early evening and we were in Colorado.
At one point on this road I had been thinking to myself how mild it still felt,but minutes later it was almost as though somebody had opened a fridge door and I was bloody freezin'

Our Motel for the night in Cortez,Colorado which was ran and owned by a German lady
and her 'Great Dane' .....I mean the breed of dog and not a huge fella from Denmark.

The next day and heading for Monument Valley.
I think this sign was just after the 'Four Corners' Monument
where the four States of Arizona, Utah,Colorado and New Mexico meet.

The main road that takes you to the those most famous
of Rock formations and also into Utah.


If you like 'remote' then this could be the place for you.
Better make a list when you go shopping as you wouldn't want to forget anything eh !

This is actually a day later as we'd stayed in place called Page near the North rim of the Grand Canyon
the night before.  It had actually meant that we went quite a few miles out of our way,
but seemed the best option at the time.
This is that next morning and on our way to the South Rim

The road that takes you to the South Rim Visitor centre and luckily, for me,
there was a petrol station there too..............rather bizarrely !

Sunday 2 March 2014

Moto Guzzi Cafe Racer

A few days after getting my Black Guzzi back together I finally got on with sorting out the Cafe Racer that I built last year.
  After my trip to the Bike Shed Event in London I realised that the Guzzi seemed to using too much oil though it wasn't smoking or seeping out of anywhere. 
   I of course decided not to pursue trying to sell it,as that could wait until 2014. It was close to the end of the traditional biking year so there was no real urgency.
  The engine is mechanically very quiet and with very little wear in the valve guides and decided that new rings should be the answer,which I have done,honing the barrels and fitted new rings.
   When the weather has calmed down and I have the time I will get out and about on it putting on a few hundred mile and check oil consumption. When I am happy that all is at it should be,then I will re- advertise it.
Even though I built this bike 'To Sell' I have become quite attached to it after
riding it around last year



I love this colour !