Happy Birthday....

[Denis]

Moto Guzzi! 92 years old today!

[uwe]

That's almost a century of Guzzi owners being kept busy!!! 



Italian products are never boring.

[Pilgrim]

That's almost a century of Guzzi owners being kept busy!!! 

Italian products are never boring.

True!  And they always have personality. 

[drbassman]

True!  And they always have personality. 

Personality = quirky unreliability!   

[OldManC]

Mine ran like a clock. Loved it.

[uwe]

Built during German occupation then.

[drbassman]

Built during German occupation then.

HA! HA!     Good one!

[Pilgrim]

Built during German occupation then.

Which is the reason it takes six expensive, special tools to work on them.

While the Italians or Americans would have done the same work with a hammer, screwdriver and 1/2" and 9/16" wrenches.

[Highlander]

Do they come with reverse gears as standard...?

[Pilgrim]

I'll show my age by admitting having read Bill Mauldin's book of WWII cartoons Up Front a number of times.

In that book, he claimed that Italian convoys stopped mainly by smashing into each other's bumpers.

[Denis]

Mine ran like a clock. Loved it.

I love this photo! It's an ex-police bike or at least has a ton of ex-police bike parts on it! Is that a '71? It has a 5 speed in it, which is cool because Ambassadors were 4 speed bikes.

[OldManC]

Good eye, Denis! I think it was a civilian model with the mods done on an older build/restoration (CA DMV computers listed it originally as something weird like a trailer). I bought it as shown with the 5 speed added by some previous owner. I loved how gunning the V engine felt a lot like doing the same with my various 4 speed V8 Chevies over the years. That slight pull off center balance was the first thing my Triumph riding friend noticed when he first rode it.

[Denis]

Haha, thanks! I've sure seen my share of Eldos and Ambos and looked at enough photos of them!
Yours has police handlebars, dash and front lights and the police tank with the screw on filler cap. The floorboards could be police but they were also commonly added as aftermarket items.  I can't tell but the sidestand location indicates it might be as police item as well.
Great looking bike!

How long did you have it?

I have a big valve Le Mans which pulls like a freight train and sounds like a stock car!

[OldManC]

I have a big valve Le Mans which pulls like a freight train and sounds like a stock car!

I had the bike for two years. I loved it but sold it when my son was born and my ex was going nuts. I should have kept the bike (and kid, of course) and gotten rid of her then!  

I'm trying to remember if the frame had the siren mount but I just can't and I hate to claim it was a former police bike if it wasn't. I just know it was my favorite of all the Guzzis I looked at before I bought it.

[uwe]

That's a real nice bike, Herr Carlston. The exhaust pipe alone is sheer bloody art.