Moto Guzzi V7 Racer Ride

I came across this,to me,fascinating video footage -on the post below - the other day and I'd say it's well worth a watch if you are interested in seeing how suspension is supposed to work.
 It's a V7 Racer fitted with a 'Muppo Fork kit' It looks to me that if you are into riding your bike at a quick pace,other than just on Motorways,that this kit or something similar is the way to go.
  As I have heard many times over the years ' It makes more sense to get your suspension sorted before you spend more money on gaining extra bhp' 
 My friend Tony and I have ridden with Todd - Guzzitech - on similar roads in those Malibu hills and he is a very quick rider / ex racer which is an advantage of course,but getting your own suspension improved would help your enjoyment / safety just that little bit more.
  Todd is also now doing B&B and Guzzi Rentals from his Malibu home........now there's a thought !

Moto Guzzi V7 Racer Ride

Moto Guzzi Scrambler by Officine Rossopuro

I previously said that I don't think many good looking early small block Guzzi's come up very often and here we have a another one.
   Regardless of how useful it would be off road, at least it genuinely looks like it could be, unlike so many of the modern V7's (and many other makes,Triumph,BMW etc) that are called Scramblers just because they are fitted with nobbly tyres and motocross style handlebars. 
  This could even give my friend Joe idea's as to what to do with his freebie V50 project
 Once again pics are courtesy of Bike Exif and view more pics of the same bike there.

Moto Guzzi V65 Cafe Racer by PJP Motocykles

I don't actually look at Bike Exif much these days,but still get Alerts via my Motonero email.
   I do however tend to look if a 'alert' has the words Moto Guzzi attached and I think that you generally don't see that many nicely modified small block Guzzi's,but this, I think is a pretty sweet looker,though not too sure about those downpipes.
  Go to Bike Exif for more pics

Moto Guzzi Cafe Racer Cylinder Head oil leak.

After chasing the higher than average oil consumption on my Cafe Racer - I'd originally thought it was rings / bores due to the apparent occasional puff of smoke on acceleration - I found, under further investigation that the inlet valve on the l/hand side overly soaked in oil. I went through my spares and found another l/h head with very good valve / guide fitment. So that should sort it............or so I thought ?
  I opened up the inlet to take the bigger Leman 36mm carb manifolds.
  Got it all back together and got out later that evening for a test ride. Twenty miles outside of Bristol,after my foot slipped while changing down a gear,I found that I had a oil leak. Got back home and found the cyl head oil feed pipe seemed to be leaking (not that uncommon) with a small puddle on top of the crankcase. Fitted another and the next day got out again. Twenty miles and all fine,so I'll go a little further. Another 15 miles and my foot slipped again with the same quantity of oil over my trouser leg etc,but no leak from the oil feed pipe this time.
   To cut a long story short and after another couple of trips out, after re-routing breather pipes etc and still not being able to figure out where the leak was coming from I decided the the head had to come off again as maybe the head gasket was somehow leaking without actually blowing..........??
   I took the cyl / head over to my friend Martin, who cast an eye over it with his specific inspection light / magnifying glass which can get into nooks and cranny's and  he spotted a hole in the casting between a couple of fins and a tiny pin prick of a hole which corresponded perfectly within the 'inlet' pushrod tunnel.
   It all makes sense, as the hotter the engine gets the more the hole would expand and the faster I went the more oil would get circulated.
  The head is back at the welders where hopefully he can get his torch close enough to weld the spot. 
  In all of my 22+ years of Guzzi ownership I had heard stories of oil leaks from porous cyl / heads etc,but had until now, never come across any.
   Oh well,it's all a learning curve and I just want to get any issues sorted before selling it !

There was a broken off r/box bolt in the top r/hand fixing.
I got the bolt out and then welded.  I tidied it up,drilled and helicoiled it

I opened the inlet up for the 36mm carb manifolds

I don't believe it !
The cause of my oil leak and I guess quite a decent sized hole,
at least on the outside

The corresponding tiny hole on the inside

Guzzi Cafe down to Dorset

I got out for a pleasant spin yesterday down to,first Lyme Regis onto Bridport / West Bay and then across to Weymouth and then back home a total of 201 miles. Even the traffic wasn't, for the most part, too bad either,though sadly the same can't be said for the state of the roads.  I know they've been getting worse and worse as the years go by,but yesterday I just seemed to notice them more..........a lot of quite deep and dangerous looking potholes including a number on bends where you could hit them while banked over,which could be interesting. Just what you need to now look out for, on top of the usual manhole covers. Actually on the way home,with only 20 miles to go, I did hit a slightly sunken manhole cover while banked over at approx 50 mph which caused the start of a tank slapper and the thought went through my mind that I was going to end up on the floor in a heap. Luckily I didn't.....phew !

Lyme Regis

West Bay

One of my favourite views - The Fleet Lagoon
and Chesil Beach 

To the left of the Fleet Lagoon
is the 14th century St Catherine's Chapel
standing alone at Abbotsbury

Triton Cafe Racer

A Dutch gentleman called Gerald contacted me a while back asking about a Alloy tank and seat that I had on one of my earlier Guzzi cafe racers. In the course of a few emails he mentioned that he was just finishing off a Triton build before embarking on his own Guzzi project. "Send me some pics when the Triton is finished" I said, and here they are.
   T100 engine in a nickel plated featherbed frame with magnesium manx brakes and yokes holding Roadholder forks. T140 cyl head on top of 750 alloy nicasil barrels,Dirt Track crank,Titanium valves,high comp pistons,billet rods,Newby Clutch and Belt. Alloy bodywork and Vincent speedo

Good looking and I bet a lot fun !