Behold! The latest turd!

[pete roper]

Sure, it's a turd! It hasn't had the 'Final' upgrade,(Its a Hydro.) but it's my turd now and it comes with a full set of HB bags, backrest and all of the other EV crap.

It cost me exactly what it is worth. A grand. It will make a great sidecar tug when I've fixed all its shit!

Pete

[Paul Brooking]

Excellent


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mr Revhead]

I've got one of those! But it's a lot shinier and if you call it a turd I'll cry/kick you in the nuts 
Nice price! Even if it needs all that work.

[Muzz]

Looks all right for a grand!

No doubt by the time you've finished it will be one of the sweeter turds in Australia.

[reidy]

Pete

I know that you are in the business but how do you find deals like that. Most if not all of the California's I have seen advertised of late have been 6 and up to 15 times that asking price for a 10 to 15 year old bike. I must admit that most seem to be on the market for a long time. I understand that your new bike requires work and dollars spent on it but at least at the end you know what has been done and if it was not done correctly you can take yourself at the back for a good flogging.

Steve

[pete roper]

The truth is almost as harsh a mistress as the laws of physics and thermodynamics.

This is a fifteen year old motorbike. Just think about that for a minute. What would you pay for a fifteen year old Honda Prelude?

It also has a host of *Issues*. I think it has a twin plate clutch so that's good but it doesn't have the 'Final' cam upgrade. Factor in at least $1500AU in parts for that.

Then there is the possibility it has a dodgy lower triple clamp. While I'm going to be going down perhaps another route vis-a-vis steering if I stick with telescopic, even modified clamps, if I crack test the clamp and it fails then it needs a new one. Bulk $ even if available or I get a set machined. Again, I wouldn't see change out of $1200AU.

I don't know offhand how far it's actually travelled as I never care about that with older, (10 yrs plus.) bikes but I think it's in the high 80's Km. But it has shitty bearings in the gearbox and who knows what the Hookes couplings are like in the UJ.

Bevelbox may be stuffed and even if it isn't to gear it for a chair I'll either fit it with a 7/33 bevelbox or smaller wheel rims. Since it's a later rear wheel the best solution will be to rebuild a 7/33 with a deep spline crownwheel carrier. So cheapest option $380 and a 7/33 bevelbox or gear set $ unknown.

It will also need almost every bearing in the chassis replacing.

We haven't even got to the cylinder heads or crank yet....

Shocks are useless. Forks will need rebuilding at the very least....

Still sound like a 'Bargain'?

Perhaps if you're willing to ride round on an unsafe and under maintained turd it's the bargain of the century! For me? Not so much.

Pete

[Mr Revhead]

Bevelbox may be stuffed and even if it isn't to gear it for a chair I'll either fit it with a 7/33 bevelbox or smaller wheel rims. Since it's a later rear wheel the best solution will be to rebuild a 7/33 with a deep spline crownwheel carrier. So cheapest option $380 and a 7/33 bevelbox or gear set $ unknown.

This is something I'd like to do to mine as i'd quite like to have a 5th gear I can use at legal speeds. I've been quoted at $1000 for a gear set, after that I stopped looking 

[Chuck in Indiana]

Just the same, a running turd big block generally sells for 2K here plus or minus depending on condition/equipment. I see that  converts to around 2750 Austrian dollars, so even a better deal.
That'll make a fine tug.

[Sheepdog]

It's a fine looking bike, Pete. I'd say it was worth saving...

[JJ]

CONGRATS...and please post a photo when you set it up with a sidecar rig...

[guzzisteve]

Welcome back to the Tonti generation Pete, I know it's hard after being spoilt on all that CARC junk. That crap is now all old junk too. AND it's all waiting to corrode in a big pile of dung. Those lil wires will be carbon soon and all kinds of dash lites, bells and whistles will not shut up. There won't be any old 8V cause all the owners got their head in the sand thinking it wont happen to them, meanwhile the metal is grinding away happy to self destruct.
You'll have lots to do in retirement.

[Tusayan]

My newest bike is 16 years old and all nine of them run and look great.  Real motorcycles can be maintained indefinitely by design, and aren't at all like 15 year old cars, or new cars.  That's why I own them.

[Nic in Western NYS]

Entropy v. Pete Roper.  Advantage Roper

[Shorty]

You won't be happy until that mess is baby shit green.....

[guzzisteve]

My newest is 20, still has good wiring too. I don't think anyone can ride w/o a dash any more, can't just go and shift. They have to have all this info bullshit that really distracts you from the ride and surroundings. If your bike ain't right you'll know it.

[MGrego]

Haha !!  I just acquired this '04 twin to yours !  $2350 USD.  This one has had the hydro fix, has the double plate clutch, and supposedly isn't affected by the crack prone triple tree.  Previous owners did some light "chopper-like" modifications  by changing the front fender, handlebars, etc,  -- but I'm going to bring everything back to stock as much as possible --  The big plus is my girlfriend will actually ride on this one !

[JJ]

Moto Guzzi California Classic - Actually, quite a handsome modern Guzzi!!




a list of robert frost poems

[Chuck in Indiana]

Haha !!  I just acquired this '04 twin to yours !  $2350 USD.  This one has had the hydro fix, has the double plate clutch, and supposedly isn't affected by the crack prone triple tree.  Previous owners did some light "chopper-like" modifications  by changing the front fender, handlebars, etc,  -- but I'm going to bring everything back to stock as much as possible --  The big plus is my girlfriend will actually ride on this one !

That's a lot of bike for that kind of money.. 

[JJ]

This Guzzi / sidecar rig looks pretty good!!!

[pete roper]

Hydros make a great tug. Here's a couple of glary pics of Townsville Peter's rig on the hoist at work.







I probably won't be going down the whole 15 inch rims and leading link path though.

Pete

[twowheeladdict]

Pete

I know that you are in the business but how do you find deals like that. Most if not all of the California's I have seen advertised of late have been 6 and up to 15 times that asking price for a 10 to 15 year old bike. I must admit that most seem to be on the market for a long time. I understand that your new bike requires work and dollars spent on it but at least at the end you know what has been done and if it was not done correctly you can take yourself at the back for a good flogging.

Steve

Because people think their turds are crown jewels. 

Anyone can post a bike for free and see if a sucker comes along.  Some are just delusional.   Others say "yes dear, I will post the bike for sale."  When she mentions that maybe the price is too high after a month of people saying the price is too high,  he replies "I'm not going to give the bike away or let them have it for a steal!"

[Bill Owens]

How can I positively identify a final cam kit?

[pete roper]

Aluminium valve spring collars and 'Snap off' adjusters on the rockers are the easily identifiable indicators. If you yank the cam it also has cross drillings in the lobes for extra flow rather than relying on splash.

Pete

[reidy]

Pete

I was not under the impression that the bike would be ride around Australia, or even possibly the block ready. I agreed with everything you said.
It is the same with 20 year old Harley's not that I want one, although they have dropped back to only mildly ridiculous of late in Australia. I would love to by a Calli but all the ones I have seen locally have been priced between really high to ridiculous with out evidence to back up any, if not all of the things you have mentioned have had at lest some attention. The saying well maintained meaning I changed the oil from time to time and every few years put a new set of tyres on seems to be abused in Australia. The strange thing is, some seem to sell for the high money. I am reasonably mechanically inclined so for most things I would not have to factor labour, but it does not take long at all to rack up a couple of thousand dollar parts bill and when the box arrives there is not much in it. I guess understanding the price of second hand guzzi's in Australia will have to go in the same list as other things I don't understand such as how a woman thinks.

Steve

[pete roper]

Reidy, my mate Steve bought a Bellagio and soon found his immaculate last generation EV Touring was surplus to requirements. It had all the fruit and was very well presented. He was the second owner I think, might even of been the first,but he'd paid pretty much top dollar.

It was probably three or four years old when he wanted to move it and it had very low Kms.

It sat for months, then a couple of years while he progressively dropped the price. The only calls he got were from sad, lonely old men, (His words.) none of whom actually had any money or wanted to buy the bike. They just wanted to reminisce about the 'Good Old Days' and how they don't make motorbikes like that any more. Steve's a pretty polite bloke but even he eventually got to the stage where he was telling people to f#@* off!

He did eventually get rid of it but for a disappointing amount of money, 5K or some such. They aren't worth a lot. It's simply a matter of being in the right place at the right time. As for this great pus-bucket of mine? As I said it has heaps of issues to address and as a Hydro it's already a sadly un-loved orphan. The previous owner tried to talk me up on price but I just said no and explained why? He accepted that and capitulated. I think it was a fair deal.

Pete

[pete roper]

Welcome back to the Tonti generation Pete,

I never left Steve. My ‘Vert still languishes in my garage unloved and neglected but it will rise again! At least I hope it will before I cark it! 

As for the outfit? Well Peter and I are doing a lap of Oz next year on Stelvios. I think it only right we should do a lap the other way on a pair of shitty ‘Unreliable’ Hydros towing chairs!

Pete

[Chuck in Indiana]

I probably won't be going down the whole 15 inch rims and leading link path though.

You will like it a *lot* better if you do. Just MHO.

[rodekyll]

Is this what you have in mind for the 10-spring clutch setup, or are you going to"Convert" it?