1974 Eldorao -- Got my first Loop Frame! - Update, rebuild complete,on the road!

[jas67]

Ha ha, I got the email last night, but judging from the number of typos in the OP (even a lot by your standards) I'm guessing I had no idea how excited you were. It's nice to know that someone can have 30 bikes in their garage and still get as giddy as school girl for another one.

Not quite 30 anymore.   It is actually closer to 24.   

I have to agree with a few of our fellow Guzzi nuts about the fairing, it looks period correct, and I kinda like it with those bags. I know how tempting it is to run that naked because it's so good looking, but I'd be torn personally.

It is definitely period correct, and mounts/unmounts in minutes, so, who knows, maybe I'll use it in colder weather.

I'm definitely going to keep the DB bags.   The one is pretty scraped up, so, they'll need repainted, which I'm planning on doing in black w/ white pinstripes to match the bike.

So you going to tackle the cylinders yourself or give it to Charlie? If the former, I might have to make a trip out there to "help" (i.e. drink a few beers, and poke fun at you the whole time).

I'll probably do the cylinders myself, but, will have Charlie or Art do the heads.    UNLESS, the chrome cylinders have already started flaking, in which case the whole motor goes to Charlie or Art.

[jas67]

Congratulations. Hopefully we can meet up one of these days for a loop frame ride.
.....

Cam and I were just discussing that last night.     We're thinking that it is high time for a Loop Frame meet-up, ride, rally type thing.    Hopefully, we can plan one next year.

[jas67]

Nice looking specimen you picked up. I'd suggest that if Gillardoni's are available get them in lieu of plating and new rings. With the Gillardoni's you get all new parts. Also stick with the 850 kit. The 1000cc kits really don't add a lot to the bike unless you want to start cam, head and carb modifications to get more air/fuel flowing. Even if you do you've only got so much brake to stop. Lots of go and little whoa is not a good combo.

You'll enjoy the Loop it is a true motorcycling experience. Like driving a backhoe that handles well. When shifting chop throttle, pull in clutch, toe or heel the shift lever and hold down, let clutch out, roll on throttle then lift foot off shift lever. If you do it properly you will be rewarded with smooth shifts. If you do it improper the Eldo will let you know.

Someday I'll get another.

Did you sell yours?

I did notice that it wasn't re-listed on CL when you last re-listed a couple others.

Really nice Guzzi.

What military generator is that?

MEP-831A that I finally got around to getting batteries for, and installing a 240V outlet to connect to the house as a backup.  I'm also adding wheels and a handle to make it easy to move around.

It is a 3KW/3.8 KVA (military rating, so, likely good for more like 4KW) diesel (Yanmar L70A), variable speed inverter type unit.    Like the popular Honda and Yamaha ultra-quiet inverter generators, the frequency is controlled by the inverter, thus the engine speed can vary with load.   It also is enclosed in A.S.K. (some kind of military acronym for sound-suppression enclosure).    It is amazingly quite compared to the open frame china-clone L70A powered unit that I've been using.

This one isn't for sale, but, I do have a few others that I want to sell, MEP-701A (quiet/enclosed), MEP-016E (one running, one not), MEP-016D (not running).

[Perazzimx14]

Eldo , Convert and Royal Enfield have all bee sold. T3, V7 and 850T are next......Hopefully .

[oldbike54]

 Damnit , make up your mind , is it Jason or Jay  Not gonna repeat what that frat brother calls you 

 Dusty

[Triple Jim]

MEP-831A that I finally got around to getting batteries for, and installing a 240V outlet to connect to the house as a backup.  I'm also adding wheels and a handle to make it easy to move around.

I wonder how many times I've seen your board name and didn't realize I was seeing it both here and on Steel Soldiers.      You probably know, but I have an MEP-003A, and make AC and DC regulators for them and the 002A.

[jas67]

Damnit , make up your mind , is it Jason or Jay  Not gonna repeat what that frat brother calls you 

 Dusty

Never has been Jason.   jas is my initials.

Eldo , Convert and Royal Enfield have all bee sold. T3, V7 and 850T are next......Hopefully .

Are you reducing to only the DR?

[canuck750]

Wow! What a great looking Loop!

[oldbike54]

Never has been Jason.   jas is my initials.

Are you reducing to only the DR?

 Was poking fun at myself , of course I know your name is Bob , er Jay 

  Dusty

[Perazzimx14]

Are you reducing to only the DR?

No just trying to get down to 4 bikes. Tired of insuring and storing stuff I don't ride.



 

[jas67]

Just an update.   The rebuild is complete.   It only needed, well, everything.



I'm not sure what the actual mileage was on this bike, but, the motor was very well worn out.  Thankfully, the original chrome bores were in good shape, so, no chrome flaked off to cause serious damage.    Still it took a 2nd undersize grind of the crank, cam and lifters were all reground.     Near bearings all around, new, nikasil, cylinders, pistons, rings, etc.    New valves & springs.    Rebuilt the carbs, new exhaust.   Transmission and final drive both torn down cleaned, a few bearings replaced, and near seals.     The u-joint was shot.    Some of the bearings were so bad that the caps had broken, and the needles fell out.   The yokes were pretty beat up, so, I ended up getting a new one instead of rebuilding the old one.

They say if you didn't spend more than the bike is worth to rebuild it, that you didn't do it right.    I guess I did it right.

It's a joy to ride, and makes some glorious sound under acceleration and up hills!

Next project on this bike is dual disk brakes up front.   I've got all the parts, plus, the forks on the disk brake bikes already have the mounts for the left side caliper.

The Amal 930's seem to work well enough, though, despite new gaskets, the right one is leaking a little at the float bowl gasket.


I also scored a nice set of Wixom bags off eBay that I'll be putting on it.

The Amal 930's seem to work well enough, though, despite new gaskets, the right one is leaking a little at the float bowl gasket.

[oldbike54]

 ^^^So it's all original then ? 

 Dusty

[jas67]

^^^So it's all original then ? 

 Dusty

AFIAK, yes, on the outside, aside from tires, it's all original (paint, rims, chrome bits, excepting exhaust).

Oh, I did forget some other work that needed to be done, both wheels were badly out of true, and the rear one had six broken spoke nipples.    So, the rear wheel has been re-laced with new stainless spokes and nipples from MGCycle.   And, of course, I put new tires on it    The tires that were on it when I got it were at least 20 years old, maybe 30.

The wheel bearings were notch on both wheels as well, so, those are new.   Surprisingly, the swing arm pivot and head tube bearings were fine, so, they just got new grease, and put back together.   The forks got a fresh fill with ATF.

The rear shocks appear to be original.    Surprisingly, they work pretty well.    They're no Ohlins, but, they're better than what came stock on my any of my (small block, modern-era) V7's.

[Markcarovilli]

Very nicely done - just in time for spring....

Mark

[Dharma Bum]

Very nicely done!

[Travman]

Did you get the racks to go with your Wixoms?

[twowings]

So beautiful...nice job!

*needs a fairing, though* 

[jas67]

Did you get the racks to go with your Wixoms?

No, but, already have a set of racks that came with another pair of bags that need a fair amount of work (the bags need the work, the mounts are fine).

[brider]

I also scored a nice set of Wixom bags off eBay that I'll be putting on it.

Don't suppose you have any plans to put the DB bags that it came with on the market?

[Kiwi_Roy]

I say run it naked in the warmer weather just as you show in the 3rd picture No Bags!, Loops are too nice to clutter with all that extra crap then slap the bags fairing and leg shields on for winter riding.

I run mine naked year round, if I have to carry anything I cargo net or strap it to the seat, I do attach the rack if I'm camping.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I say run it naked in the warmer weather just as you show in the 3rd picture No Bags!, Loops are too nice to clutter with all that extra crap then slap the bags fairing and leg shields on for winter riding.

I run mine naked year round, if I have to carry anything I cargo net or strap it to the seat, I do attach the rack if I'm camping.

I like to go to shows, swap meets and other events of that sort. Saddlebags are a secure place to store your riding jacket, pants, gloves, carry snacks and water, etc. IMO, Wixoms and Bucos don't "clutter" up the looks and I keep mine on year round.

Leg shields only go on for cold weather, the factory "polizia" fairing replaces the little "flyscreen" I made.

If you only ride 50-100 miles a day, then "naked" is great, but my average "Sunday ride" is 300 miles and wind protection and carrying capacity is helpful, I'm less worried about looks.

It's Jay's bike to do with as he wishes. 

"Summer" mode (event though this was taken in December):




"Winter" mode:

[Kev m]

I say run it naked in the warmer weather just as you show in the 3rd picture No Bags!, Loops are too nice to clutter with all that extra crap then slap the bags fairing and leg shields on for winter riding.

I run mine naked year round, if I have to carry anything I cargo net or strap it to the seat, I do attach the rack if I'm camping.

Winter, why would he ride this restoration in the winter when he has what about 15 other registered bikes and another 15 that COULD be registered with a little work... Ok some more than others.

[Tom]

'cuz pick a reason.....crazee.. ..don't know what he's doing or.....you're related.     Any of those work for me.

[Kev m]

'cuz pick a reason.....crazee.. ..don't know what he's doing or.....you're related.     Any of those work for me.

All of the above! [emoji848] (K)

[wymple]

He said it's "UGLEEEE".

Well, he is wrong....!

[jas67]

Don't suppose you have any plans to put the DB bags that it came with on the market?

One of them is scraped up from sliding on the ground.    Funny, the bike shows no evidence of a crash, maybe it happened on another bike.   In any case, I won't use them w/o fixing the gelcoat and painting them first.

I've got this nice set of Wixoms that look way better, but, the DB's are have likely 2X the volume, so, they might be handy to have for any touring I do on it.

Are you interested in buying them?    The fairing is definitely available, as I have no intention of using it.

I say run it naked in the warmer weather just as you show in the 3rd picture No Bags!, Loops are too nice to clutter with all that extra crap then slap the bags fairing and leg shields on for winter riding.

I run mine naked year round, if I have to carry anything I cargo net or strap it to the seat, I do attach the rack if I'm camping.

Winter, why would he ride this restoration in the winter when he has what about 15 other registered bikes and another 15 that COULD be registered with a little work... Ok some more than others.

 :1:

I've got a great windshield on my R1200RS, as well as heated grips, and plenty of electrical power to run all the heated gear I want.   That is my cold weather bike.    I've also got heated grips on my V7 Special, Monster 796, and even my WR250R.   

That said, I put a Scrambler Cycle alternator conversion kit on the Eldo, so, it's got plenty of power to run all the heated gear too.   I do have a big wind screen that I used to use on my V7 Classic that I could put on it too, though, I'd be more likely to buy a police-style shield for it.    I likely will ride it late into the fall, but, as soon as any salt hits the road, all the Guzzis and any other vintage bikes stay off the roads until all traces of salt are gone.

I like to go to shows, swap meets and other events of that sort. Saddlebags are a secure place to store your riding jacket, pants, gloves, carry snacks and water, etc. IMO, Wixoms and Bucos don't "clutter" up the looks and I keep mine on year round.

I too like to have luggage on my bikes, even for just day trips, for all the same reasons that Charlie mentions.   If a bike has some form of luggage, I'll use it way more than if it doesn't, and on longer rides too.

The Wixoms will likely stay on most of the time.   I don't think that they detract from the looks of the Eldo at all, in fact the complement it.    The DB's, well, they're sort of ugly, but, definitely functional, so, maybe I'll hold onto them for trips.

Great pic!

[Tom]

My Eldo has a hack.  So definitely a different ride. 

[jbell]

Just an update.  The rebuild is complete.   It only needed, well, everything.

Gorgeous!  Right decision on the mufflers.  BTW, those Wixom bags make your tail light look fat.      Just kidding, I know that's a Beemer, they're my favorite vintage bag.

[jas67]

I mounted up the Wixoms, and then ran some errands along with about 1 1/2 hour ride.
Gotta love the scrambler cycle alternator upgrade, as the temp was only 37 degrees.   It's nice being able to use heated gear on a vintage bike.

IMG_2829.JPG-1 by jay_snyder67, on Flickr

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

 

Loops have enough electrical "surplus" even with the stock Bosch or Marelli generator to run heated gear, but the Scrambler Cycle alternator kit is a nice addition. I'll be putting one on my V700 "Tutto Terreno".