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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: dsrdave on January 30, 2015, 07:29:53 AM

Title: early 850 lemans starter color ????
Post by: dsrdave on January 30, 2015, 07:29:53 AM
I'm getting close to painting the starter on my early Lemans and I'm finding conflicting info.  The second gen bikes all seem to have a black starter but the first gen I think is different.  Possibly all silver or parts of it silver.  I haven't been able to find good photos of when the bike was introduced showing what I'm looking for on a first gen bike (round taillight).  Anybody able to help out without guessing ?????  Thx, Dave.
Title: Re: early 850 lemans starter color ????
Post by: lrutt on January 30, 2015, 07:47:01 AM
My 77 had an all black starter, and I'm quite certain it's original and had not been repainted.
Title: Re: early 850 lemans starter color ????
Post by: steven c on January 30, 2015, 07:49:01 AM
 My 77 also was, is black.
Title: Re: early 850 lemans starter color ????
Post by: leafman60 on January 30, 2015, 08:00:34 AM
For what it's worth, Colombo's book shows the 850 LeMans, an early version with the molded-in tail light bracket on the rear fender. The engine and transmission are natural bare but the starter and solenoid are painted black.

Page 264, 4th edition

The same is true in Mick Walker's Moto Guzzi Twins , page 74 where a 1976 picture of an early LeMans shows the starter and solenoid in black.

Both of these show the entire starter/solenoid as would be detached from the engine as painted black.

.
Title: Re: early 850 lemans starter color ????
Post by: luthier on January 30, 2015, 08:16:30 AM
Paint the f@$&ing thing black fer F$%k sake. Stop c$&tizing about. Everyone has black starters, it's a Guzzi thang.
Title: Re: early 850 lemans starter color ????
Post by: leafman60 on January 30, 2015, 08:39:52 AM
In actuality, one or two early twins are shown with silver starters/solenoids but not the LeMans model as far as I can determine.

I don't fault a restorer for wanting to get things correct.

The LeMans I is a valuable and significant bike.


.
Title: Re: early 850 lemans starter color ????
Post by: dsrdave on January 30, 2015, 11:49:11 AM
Thanks for the help guys.  It's no more work for me to do it right, I just need to know what's correct.  I don't trust Walker much, some of it is due to euro/US differences and some of it is just wrong.  I have a reference bike to look at but it is the second gen '78 year and there are a number of minor things different between them.  Again, thx for the help and I better look at Colombo's book too.
Title: Re: early 850 lemans starter color ????
Post by: pauldaytona on January 30, 2015, 12:06:09 PM
I think the bosch starters were all black. Sometimes in books they have the factory pictures that are of pre-production pictures. Where they din't have all parts complets so had some parts of earlier bikes. So exists there pictures of the v11 sport with the old 5 speed gearbox. ANd a single seater tai, that went never in production. If you don't look good you don't notice.