Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: 80CX100 on August 21, 2016, 09:36:07 AM
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I have a chance to pick this bike up for a reasonable price, most of the stock pieces are gone, engine has apparently been rebuilt with Arias pistons, rennsport 1102 super sport cam,lightened fly wheel,mikuni 38 mm flat slide TM carbs, double plugged head with dyna ignition, Dymag magnesium wheels, Magni Parallelogram swing arm, Brembo 4 piston Calipers,,,, it's being sold as a 1982 Lemans 2,,, the ser # is VE24394.
Most of what makes it a Lemans 2 has been removed, and gone,,, the ser #s listed on Guzzitech for the bike show it should be VE 17312 VE 24086,,, so this ser has the right prefix VE but is out of the number range by 300 approx,,, it would have been an original Canadian import bike.
What's the learned opinion out there,,, Is a Lemans 2 still a worthwhile investment, when most of the original bits are gone,,, were the VE prefixes only used on Lemans 2's,, or this this possibly an 850 clone?
How hard is it to locate an original or copy seat pan for the Lemans?
(http://thumb.ibb.co/mg5PJv/27_2.jpg) (http://ibb.co/mg5PJv)
(http://thumb.ibb.co/feCRWF/27_3.jpg) (http://ibb.co/feCRWF)
tia
Kelly
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If you like it as a rider, then go for it. As far as I'm concerned from a historical perspective, there's no Lemans 2 there. <shrug>
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"How hard is it to locate an original or copy seat pan for the Lemans?"
Not that hard to find, keep an eye on eBay as they come up fairly regularly, front fender can be found at MG cycle.
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If you like it as a rider, then go for it. As far as I'm concerned from a historical perspective, there's no Lemans 2 there. <shrug>
Tks for the reply Chuck,,, for riding I'm enjoying my DL1000 & DR650 more and more as time goes by,,always looking for a nicer more comfortable ride,,, I do have an old MG G5, that I will gradually redo and put on the road.
The asking price for this Lemans 2 was only 2500,,, it would purely be an investment, possibly long term,, nothing more
The reason I was asking about the availability of seat pans,,, I do have a spare seat already on hand from when I put the Stuchi on my CX100,, but I do realize that without the side covers and rear fender,, the stock seat would probably look a little out of place.
tks
Kelly
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"How hard is it to locate an original or copy seat pan for the Lemans?"
Not that hard to find, keep an eye on eBay as they come up fairly regularly, front fender can be found at MG cycle.
Tks very much BC
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basically it shouldnt be hard to make it look like a nice le mans 2
bodyparts/wheels are still easy to find, as loads of le mans 2 have been turned into fake le mans 1 , or a cafe racers.
the parts you remove should be easy to shift, loads of cafe racer builders around.
i should have the seat pan, mudguard, side covers and wheels, left overs from the Restauration of my own le mans 2 (http://i1375.photobucket.com/albums/ag459/huubc1/lemans1_zpsyx5o5jcb.jpg)
but i am in europe , so postage is probably way too expensive
anyway, at 2500 you cant go wrong, just the heads fetch half of that...
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basically it shouldnt be hard to make it look like a nice le mans 2
bodyparts/wheels are still easy to find, as loads of le mans 2 have been turned into fake le mans 1 , or a cafe racers.
the parts you remove should be easy to shift, loads of cafe racer builders around.
i should have the seat pan, mudguard, side covers and wheels, left overs from the Restauration of my own le mans 2 (http://i1375.photobucket.com/albums/ag459/huubc1/lemans1_zpsyx5o5jcb.jpg)
but i am in europe , so postage is probably way too expensive
anyway, at 2500 you cant go wrong, just the heads fetch half of that...
I've seen pictures of your bike before,,, very nice, well done. my CX is almost a twin but in red
(http://thumb.ibb.co/bGHzka/IMG_20151116_155533793.jpg) (http://ibb.co/bGHzka)
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Rear frame rails look chopped in the pictures, are they? If you are looking for an investment, look elsewhere. To much has been screwed with.
I'd buy it for $2,500 with out a second thought. It'll make a fun rider.
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http://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=291&products_id=3197
MG Cycle sells a repro rear fender.
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http://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=291&products_id=3197
MG Cycle sells a repro rear fender.
(http://www.mgcycle.com/images/atrex/14460751.jpg)
Not a CX/LM 2 fender.
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Rear frame rails look chopped in the pictures, are they? If you are looking for an investment, look elsewhere. To much has been screwed with.
I'd buy it for $2,500 with out a second thought. It'll make a fun rider.
Good eye, upon speaking with the owner,, the rear frame has been chopped,,, throws my idea of getting a seat pan and using my spare seat out the window
tks
Kelly
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Good eye, upon speaking with the owner,, the rear frame has been chopped,,, throws my idea of getting a seat pan and using my spare seat out the window
tks
Kelly
You can pick up an old frame for little money, chop off the rails and have them welded back. But then this is turning into a money pit so you will have to get the seller down in the price or just leave it as is.
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The asking price for this Lemans 2 was only 2500,,, it would purely be an investment, possibly long term,, nothing more
That bike will never be an appreciating investment at any price, I'm afraid. There will always be nice stock unmolested ones that will be the ones appreciating.
This one might be a good rider, but I doubt if it will ever be worth more that what you pay for it.
Lannis
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This looks like it would someone a great rider. Why not let it pass and let someone who wants to ride a real Guzzi sport bike enjoy it?
Pete
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Forks look off, but that could be the wheel/fender/fork gaiter combo throwing my eyes off. That Frankenstein BUB headpipe / V-11 sport exhaust has to go.
I'm a bit confused as to why one would go to all of the expense of fitting a magni swingarm , dymag wheels, all of that engine work, and then throwing together and installing a crap set of pipes like that. A descent exhaust, tail section from airtech and a paint job would do wonders for this poor thing.
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http://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=291&products_id=3197
MG Cycle sells a repro rear fender.
I know it's an early 850 LeMans. But wouldn't it work if frame rails weren't chopped?
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I know it's an early 850 LeMans. But wouldn't it work if frame rails weren't chopped?
If the frame rails aren't chopped or are restored to stock length, then yes, that rear fender would work. It wouldn't however be "correct" for a Le Mans II because of the taillight mounting area.
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Like I said in the first post.. it's not a LeMans 2 any more, and to my mind "investment" means original unmolested, or can be made original without much work. Sure, you *could* make it into a LeMans 2, but you'd have more money in it than it would ever be worth. Just MHO.
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Forks look off, but that could be the wheel/fender/fork gaiter combo throwing my eyes off. That Frankenstein BUB headpipe / V-11 sport exhaust has to go.
I'm a bit confused as to why one would go to all of the expense of fitting a magni swingarm , dymag wheels, all of that engine work, and then throwing together and installing a crap set of pipes like that. A descent exhaust, tail section from airtech and a paint job would do wonders for this poor thing.
Good eye,, the forks are 38 or 40? Marzochi sp? off another bike,,,
The exhaust are Hindle cans and Lang Hindle (exhaust guru/god in Canadian MC racing) came up with the measurements and design himself, then built by the owner, fwiw, (he does apparently have very good fabricating skills,, he also did the fork brace)
I agree,,, as soon as I saw it,,, I thought ouch!,,, but then I remembered my spare seat(just missing a pan),,, and pictured the bike without the garish seat, and a nice solid red paint color,,, and figured if it was a legit Lemans 2 for 2500, it would be a safe investment.
The owner seems very knowledgeable,, states he has owned the bike for over 30 yrs,,, he was talking all the right names for people in the hard core racing community up in this part of Canada,, mechanics, machinist etc involved in work or advice in the mods,,, claims to have talked to Dr John personally a few times during the build,,, and one of the Magni son's on a few occasions(I thought only the Pope ever spoke to those guys lol),,,
I'm starting to think it might have been a campaigned race bike,,, definitely sounds like she spent a lifetime ridden hard and pushing the limits of her design.
Personally,,, I think he got a bit too carried away, trying to capture his Dr John theme to the extreme.
tks
Kelly
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This looks like it would someone a great rider. Why not let it pass and let someone who wants to ride a real Guzzi sport bike enjoy it?
Pete
You're absolutely right,,, a young guy with a good back and neck, wanting a nice vintage ride would probably do well with it.
tks
Kelly
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Like I said in the first post.. it's not a LeMans 2 any more, and to my mind "investment" means original unmolested, or can be made original without much work. Sure, you *could* make it into a LeMans 2, but you'd have more money in it than it would ever be worth. Just MHO.
As I talked with the owner, almost every single unique Lemans piece has been removed, seemed very unusual, didn't make sense to me,,, but from the parts list that has gone into it,,, sounds like it has had some serious coin and work thrown at it over the years,,, but all of that means zero to me, stock would suit me just fine,,, and you're absolutely right, zero to a future investor, if the Lemans 2 is no longer there.
tks very much
Kelly
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From what little I've learn is that published serial numbers should be used as a guide, not gospel.
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The exhaust are Hindle cans and Lang Hindle (exhaust guru/god in Canadian MC racing) came up with the measurements and design himself, then built by the owner, fwiw, (he does apparently have very good fabricating skills,, he also did the fork brace)
Might be Hindle cans, but I'm calling BS on that exhaust story. That is a BUB headpipe with what looks like a V11 Sport lower section welded together. between the two is a connecting pipe that was bent at a muffler shop, look close at that bend.
I'm not trying to be a jerk, but something is not adding up here.
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Might be Hindle cans, but I'm calling BS on that exhaust story. That is a BUB headpipe with what looks like a V11 Sport lower section welded together. between the two is a connecting pipe that was bent at a muffler shop, look close at that bend.
I'm not trying to be a jerk, but something is not adding up here.
I had asked him about the header pipes, he did state they were Bubs,,, but that Lang Hindle had taken all his engine mod specs into account, and recommended a 34"-36" exhaust length to the muffler for the best performance,,, I got the impression that was the reasoning for the the extra length at the 2nd welded cross over. fwiw
I agree something doesn't add up,,, he did state that he worked in a bike shop when he was younger,,, could this have been a total rebuild crash/burn bike back in the day?,,, or were his bike parts used to rebuild a write off Lemans 1?,,, another unsolved mystery perhaps,lol.
tks
Kelly
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If it runs well and the title is good, I'd still pay the $2,500. It has a lot of potential for a "special".
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I'll buy that for 2500 no problem. Just tell me who to call!
Hunter
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Yes, I'd buy it for $2500, where is it? I'm missing my 850 Lemans majorly! Any of that "incorrect" stuff doesn't bother me in the least. The fork is probably an improvement.
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"How hard is it to locate an original or copy seat pan for the Lemans?"
Not that hard to find, keep an eye on eBay as they come up fairly regularly, front fender can be found at MG cycle.
I've got an original seat in good condition if you want to make an offer. It's surplus so will let it go cheap plus postage.
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Don't know what your intention is for this LM II whether for riding looks or riding comfort but I've had a `81 CX100 for over 30 years and put almost 100K miles on it 1 & 2 up. That original seat is uncomfortable and I put a Corbin gunfighter & lady on mine decades ago. There are also other decent solo euro seats available for them too. Riding on that stock seat is like riding on a 2X4 piece of wood! :evil:
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From the patina of the head pipes they could be off a newer model bike.
I could be wrong, but they look right.
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From the patina of the head pipes they could be off a newer model bike.
I could be wrong, but they look right.
The original header pipes are painted flat black just like the what looks like original mufflers, of which I have both. In fact my CX100 is mostly original since it had 6K miles on it since I've owned it. But I took off the lower fairing and added conventional handlebar to go with the clip ons that are still on it. I'm the 2nd original owner and there is no rust anywhere. These days it sits needing an alternator. I have too many other rigs to bother getting it operational again, tho I added new Nickasil cylinders/pistons/rings to it and rode it that way for a few miles. Have since put a 16" mag rim on the front for quicker steering(110/90) vs. orig.18" mag(100/90). Liked the quicker steering of my `87 LM IV w/16" front mag.
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I'll buy that for 2500 no problem. Just tell me who to call!
Hunter
I've let the owner of the bike, know that I won't be buying it, and that I would forward his ad to anyone that is seriously interested.
Interested parties should be aware that the bike has high u/k mileage, estimated 300-400K kms,,, the clutch has apparently just been replaced, not started and tested yet, (will be done shortly) and is located in Canada, in the province of Quebec a few miles north of Ottawa Ontario.
If you're interested send me a pm, and I'll reply with the ad. Hunter expressed the most interest, and sent me a pm, so I want to give him a fair opportunity if it's the right deal for him.
Tks for everyone's input,,, with all of the big money improvements to it,,, I found it a tough deal to walk away from,,, I even considered doing a little custom flat tracker bike out of it,,, but there are too many parts missing to make it easily doable,,, and almost sacrilegious, considering the bike and builder's original design intent.
take care
Kelly
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OH NO, not the 16" front wheel, it will kill you!
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The original header pipes are painted flat black just like the what looks like original mufflers, of which I have both. In fact my CX100 is mostly original since it had 6K miles on it since I've owned it. But I took off the lower fairing and added conventional handlebar to go with the clip ons that are still on it. I'm the 2nd original owner and there is no rust anywhere. These days it sits needing an alternator. I have too many other rigs to bother getting it operational again, tho I added new Nickasil cylinders/pistons/rings to it and rode it that way for a few miles. Have since put a 16" mag rim on the front for quicker steering(110/90) vs. orig.18" mag(100/90). Liked the quicker steering of my `87 LM IV w/16" front mag.
From the owner of this LM2, the wheels he put on were 18" in the back and 17" in the front running tubeless, fwiw
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OH NO, not the 16" front wheel, it will kill you!
According to who? I liked the 16" front wheel so much on my LM IV I put 1 on my CX. :boozing: Far as improved handling all they both needed doing that is a 110/90-16' front tire. Until you've btdt, you don't know what you're talking about. 120-80 front tire was the bugaboo. :boxing:
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I may be going to Ottawa Sept 28,it better be sold by then :grin:
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After receiving some pm's concerning this bike,,, it sounds like there are a few people that may still be interested in it,,, bear in mind, I don't know the seller nor the actual condition of the bike,,, buyer beware,,, if you contact the owner Frank, feel free to tell him you got the info from me,, I promised him I would forward his ad, so here it is, good luck!
http://www.kijiji.ca/v-moto-sport-promenade/ottawa/lemans-ii-very-modernised/1192001125?enableSearchNavigat ionFlag=true
take care
Kelly
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According to who? I liked the 16" front wheel so much on my LM IV I put 1 on my CX. :boozing: Far as improved handling all they both needed doing that is a 110/90-16' front tire. Until you've btdt, you don't know what you're talking about. 120-80 front tire was the bugaboo. :boxing:
Most everyone on the net says 16" tires are dangerous because of quick turn in. Meanwhile gobs of Wings, Voyagers and others had 16" wheels.
Uh...I've ridden one with the 16"...see my sig line...
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Most everyone on the net says 16" tires are dangerous because of quick turn in. Meanwhile gobs of Wings, Voyagers and others had 16" wheels.
Uh...I've ridden one with the 16"...see my sig line...
So a MG book says a 16" front wheel is bad on a Guzzi and that's the end of the story for you and others? No one wants to find out for themselves and see if that complaint can be dealt with? That complaint was derived from a combination of a 16" front rim @ 120/80-16" front tire that did make the front end a bit twitchy but not unrideable. I put on a 110/90-16" front tire(taller OD) and the issue went away. Having the 16" vs. 18" front tire is like power/truck steering. Just light enough to be more comfortable like a 17" vs. 18" front tire. :boozing:
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It's all going right over your head. Slow down, read the posts again. The light will come on...I hope.
Again, I have ridden the16"... se my sig line
Actually the real problem was the 16" with the taller head stock but original length forks. It changed the rake making it twitchy...er.
Notice I said bikes like Wings and other had 16" wheels and no one said they were dangerous? Just like integratedbrakes. Bad on Guzzi, not mentioned on Honda etc.
Have I rambled long enough for you to get it?
All in fun, now.
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It's all going right over your head. Slow down, read the posts again. The light will come on...I hope.
Again, I have ridden the16"... se my sig line
Actually the real problem was the 16" with the taller head stock but original length forks. It changed the rake making it twitchy...er.
Notice I said bikes like Wings and other had 16" wheels and no one said they were dangerous? Just like integratedbrakes. Bad on Guzzi, not mentioned on Honda etc.
Have I rambled long enough for you to get it?
All in fun, now.
Maybe the problem is I'm not that touchy on how my bike handles......like Casey Stoner. Just make the best of what I've got to work with. I don't make excuses for tire conditions, shocks, etc.