Austin's G5

[Chuck in Indiana]

He texted me this picture from his road trip.. 
2018-09-22_11-37-58 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr

[John A]

The best of both worlds, it's a very different trip. While it's really good to be out on just the bike, thousands of miles from home, as I age I can appreciate driving somewhere , setting up a base of operations and exploring from there. Nice bike!

[Chuck in Indiana]

This is the dragging it home picture..  but I agree, John. My days of droning across the plains to get to "interesting" places are over.

[brider]

They make a class 3 carrier that will carry that capacity? Most light truck class 3 hitches have a 500 lb capacity, I thought.

[Chuck in Indiana]

I have no idea.  Apparently, it got it done, though..

[jpv7]

They make a class 3 carrier that will carry that capacity? Most light truck class 3 hitches have a 500 lb capacity, I thought.

+1.  I thought those were for dirt bikes...

[rss29]

I have a Versahaul carrier I use on my mid sized truck. The carrier is rated to carry 500 lbs though I have never loaded more than about a 400 lb bike. Even at full capacity and factoring in the 100 lb weight of the carrier it would be well within my 900 lb tongue max (Class IV). It actually tows well and the bike doesn't move around much at all even on rough roads. I strap mine down a lot more firmly than what we see in that pic however. Not sure how heavy one of those bikes are but it doesn't look particularly light.

They make a class 3 carrier that will carry that capacity? Most light truck class 3 hitches have a 500 lb capacity, I thought.

[Chuck in Indiana]

+1.  I thought those were for dirt bikes...

That's what he carries his KLR from Hell (tm) with. I imagine expediency was the mother of invention on this trip. All big blocks weigh five fiddy, so it's (sort of) ok for a short trip, I would think.

[Groover]

Nice! '81? Looks perfect. Is this a family addition?

[Chuck in Indiana]

Nice! '81? Looks perfect. Is this a family addition?

It's Austin's family addition. He was wanting a road bike, so I sent him out on my G5. He came back grinning and said, "It's like an airhead, only better. I want one." I told him good luck finding a G5, maybe he could find a T3, they're still fairly common.  He found a G5, even though I found him a V11S for less money.
From the pictures he's shown me, it's nice, indeed. The guy bought it new. Still has the service records back to the first service. Decided he couldn't ride any more and sold it to a guy that promptly fell off his roof, I think. At any rate, Mike Skaggs bought it to resell. I told Austin Mike was a stand up guy, and you could believe what he said. Now you know as much about it as I do. 

[nobleswood]

  

Looking forward to the clean up report.

[Huzo]

Was the carrier built with that bend already in it..!

[Groover]

Looks like a great score to me. Has all the tell signs of the last year made ('81). The biggest one being the heavier lower triple with the reinforced leading edge. Confused about the spoke wheels though. Maybe the wheel type were an option that year? (I thought they were all cast that year). Really hard to find G5's in general, especially unmolested like that one. Congrats to Austin!

[Unkept]

Great looking bike. :) The G5 population in Indiana is growing. 

[Chuck in Indiana]

Maybe the wheel type were an option that year?

I wondered about that, too. Maybe the answer will be in the original sales paperwork. I haven't seen it yet, but in the pictures I've seen, it looks really nice. Maybe Austin will bring it over today.

[Groover]

Sounds like Christmas morning. A "new" bike AND paper records? Sounds like a fun filled day!

[Chuck in Indiana]

Austin with his new toy.  Never mind the bungeed on HF bags for whatever reason. He has the originals. <shrug> He was bringing tools and stuff for work and didn't want to mess up the original bags.  It had been sitting for 10 years with the tank and carbs drained.
2018-09-23_12-47-49 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr
I did a quick tune by ear on the carbs, and it runs great.
Needs the rear master cylinder overhauled. Probably.
No telling what else.. but it is not bodged at least. No idea why it has wire wheels.
Pretty nice scooter.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Austin with his new toy.  Never mind the bungeed on HF bags for whatever reason. He has the originals. <shrug> He was bringing tools and stuff for work and didn't want to mess up the original bags.  It had been sitting for 10 years with the tank and carbs drained.
2018-09-23_12-47-49 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr
I did a quick tune by ear on the carbs, and it runs great.
Needs the rear master cylinder overhauled. Probably.
No telling what else.. but it is not bodged at least. No idea why it has wire wheels.
Pretty nice scooter.

Looks fantastic! Better off with the spoked wheels rather than the heavy lead/butter alloys, IMO.

[nick949]

Yep, lovely.
All it needs is that 5 speed to be ripped out and a decent auto put in there and it would be perfect 
(can you tell I'm smarting about having gearbox issues with my Eldo?).

Nick

[jas67]

Yep, lovely.
All it needs is that 5 speed to be ripped out and a decent auto put in there and it would be perfect 
(can you tell I'm smarting about having gearbox issues with my Eldo?).

Nick

I don't get the attraction to the Convert.

If anything, whenever I see a Convert, I think, "All it needs is that automatic to be ripped out, and a decent 5 speed put in there and it would be perfect

[nick949]

I don't get the attraction to the Convert.

If anything, whenever I see a Convert, I think, "All it needs is that automatic to be ripped out, and a decent 5 speed put in there and it would be perfect

An acquired taste - ask Charlie M.  Despite the other five runners in my garage (4 of which have gears), it's my go-to bike at the moment. Oddly satisfying, but not for everyone.

[Cam3512]

Nice score!  Looks very clean.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I don't get the attraction to the Convert.

If anything, whenever I see a Convert, I think, "All it needs is that automatic to be ripped out, and a decent 5 speed put in there and it would be perfect

Have you ever ridden one? You might change your mind if you did (or maybe not). I'll let you have a go on mine when we head down to Pipestem in a few weeks. There is nothing like one for around town and out touring backroads in the country. Acceleration is plenty brisk, especially in low range. I just love playing with "muscle cars" at stop lights - the Convert just launches with zero drama.

My buddy Leo (former "died in the wool" BMW Airhead fan) said he'd never own any automatic, much less a Guzzi one, until he rode my second Convert. He ended up buying it from me and it's the only vintage bike he has left now.

[jas67]

Have you ever ridden one? You might change your mind if you did (or maybe not). I'll let you have a go on mine when we head down to Pipestem in a few weeks.

No, haven't ridden one, but, have ridden several scooters with automatic CVT transmissions.   I can appreciate that the scooters are better in stop and go traffic, and that, riding the convert would be like rinding a big motorcycle-shaped scooter.    I find clutching and shifting to make riding more involving.     That said, I demo'd a Honda Africa Twin with DCT (dual clutch transmission, auto shift manual).    My left hand and foot kept looking for something to do when on the pavement, but, once we got into some single track, and I was standing on the pegs, I found the DCT to be brilliant.    So, while I went into the demo ride wanting to hate it, I really did appreciate it.    I didn't end up buying it, because, I wanted something much lighter for off road, but, if I were to buy an ADV bike, it is at the top of the list.

As for your offer, sure, I'll give it a go, so long as you don't mind riding my modern computer managed, fuel injected V7 III.   

[nobleswood]

Austin with his new toy.  Never mind the bungeed on HF bags for whatever reason. He has the originals. <shrug> He was bringing tools and stuff for work and didn't want to mess up the original bags.  It had been sitting for 10 years with the tank and carbs drained.
2018-09-23_12-47-49 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr
I did a quick tune by ear on the carbs, and it runs great.
Needs the rear master cylinder overhauled. Probably.
No telling what else.. but it is not bodged at least. No idea why it has wire wheels.

Very nice. Look forward to seeing it at a Rally 
Pretty nice scooter.

[leafman60]

That G5 appears to be the iteration without the big blockhead instrument pod.

What were the years of production for the G5 and when did Guzzi go to the twin instruments over the big black rectangular instrument pod?

.

[brider]

No, haven't ridden one...    riding the convert would be like riding a big motorcycle-shaped scooter.  My left hand and foot kept looking for something to do..

Common learning curve when first owning an Auto. I was living in St. Louie many years ago and got to know the Missouri rep Ken Sieving, and told him I was looking for an Eldo. He said he didn't have one, but just happened to have "Convert" he'd sell at a good price. '77, 12k miles.

When I first rode it I could NOT figure out how/why I didn't have to shift, then struggled over when to use the clutch. That was in '93, and I've been an Auto owner ever since. Bought a Cal 2 Auto for the longer wheelbase and endless cockpit room. Eldos and now a LM IV mixed in, but the Cal 2 Auto has always been the go-to bike. When I get caught on the LM in Least Coast traffic, I long for the Auto, there is just nothing so relaxing and soothing. When traffic is crawling at 5 mph for miles behind a stupid idiot who rear-ended the guy in front while looking at his cell phone, I can sit upright and ride one-handed at an idle. Try that on any geared bike.

And as Charlie hints: They're really not that slow off the line up to 60 or so. I think they're the most under-rated Tonti.

But I WOULD LOVE a G5 for the, yes, FUN of shifting and also riding on the most comfortably ergonomic platforms on 2 wheels.

[Groover]

That G5 appears to be the iteration without the big blockhead instrument pod.

What were the years of production for the G5 and when did Guzzi go to the twin instruments over the big black rectangular instrument pod?

.

The information is a little all over the place on the production years for the G5, but here in the US I'd say it's safe to say that '79-'80 are the 1st Generation with the square dash and hooded tail light (and a few other things), and '81 marks the 2nd Generation with the 80mm dash and the sp/lemans style tail (amongst a few other details differences as well).

[Chuck in Indiana]

I just had a quick look at Austin's 81 yesterday, but the first things I noticed that are different from my 79 are the gauges, taillight, carbs/manifolds, sidestand, centerstand, floorboards of course with EV looking shifter and brake assemblies.

[Groover]

That's mostly it. The lower triple I mentioned earlier (which Austin's '81 appears to have as well) is also the final clue from what I can tell. The '81 has the heavier lower, which is different in a few ways (taller tube, taller leading edge reinforcement, and uses the later style black lock nut) see pics.