Differences between v50 II and III

[chrisk]

Hi, I've looked up the differences between the v50 II and iiii and anything I've read generally says "cosmetic and a few improvements" but no details.

I've noticed that the III has the calipers behind the forks but I've seen this on a II, is this right or did all II's have them in front ?

Also the weird read tail piece on some III's.

Anyone have a list of the changes?

[lucian]

I think the lll has points and mechanical advance and the ll is Bosch electronic ,and parts are now hard to come by. Completely different engine front, cam ect. 

[chrisk]

I think that's the diff between the I and II but thanks

[wrbix]

Re: Differences between v50 II and III
� Reply #1 on: Today at 08:45:44 AM �
Quote
I think the lll has points and mechanical advance and the ll is Bosch electronic ,and parts are now hard to come by. Completely different engine front, cam ect. I think that's the diff between the I and II but thanks

You're both right
I - points
II - electronic
III - return to points

[boatdetective]

III has larger 28mm PHBH carbs. Brake reservoir on II is under the tank (pITA). The III is the one you want

[Moto]

wrbix and boatdetective are right.

Mick Walker's Moto Guzzi Buyer's Guide (1992) lists a lot of changes between the II and III. Besides the ones already mentioned, there is a duplex timing chain instead of the simplex, 2 extra horsepower claimed (due to bigger carb and valves, and less restrictive exhaust), halogen headlight, plastic front fender (instead of the "rust-prone" steel one on the II), brake calipers moved to behind the forks, and better paint.

[Chuck in Indiana]

The III is the one you want

 :1:

[Guido Valvole]

Engines look the same but are quite different. The ii uses the same Bosch electronic ignition as contemporary Ducatis, BMWs, and Laverdas and maybe Benelli. Same part number on it (I found a spare long ago when I had a Ducati Darmah with those). Pricey now and it would be hard to fit something else as Dyna and Lucas RITA use the points plate advance mechanism. Since the points plate is at the front of the camshaft, the front cover is different.

The iii has bigger valves and carbs (which are more-common PHBH 28mm vs 24mm square VHBs on the ii). How much power difference is there? I have a ii and a Monza, which is a iii with cafe bodywork and higher primary gearing. The ii is geared better for tight backroads but gets awfully busy on the highway. 100 all day long is fine as long as we're talking kph. The engine feels revvier than the Monza's, which may just be gearing. I'd like a 6th gear for the ii; the Monza will happily bury the needle of its 80-mph speedometer but since at that point I'm still getting passed by more cars than I'm passing, accuracy may not be too great� Never felt the need for 6th there but that's the primary gearing. The Monza is not a suited to the tight stuff as is the regular V50.

You can and should fit electronic ignition on a iii, and the ii's BMW-copy remote front brake reservoir and mismatched master cylinder suck big time. I delinked, plenty of dual-F05 mc-lever combos readily available.

Since the V50 iii has the "big valve" engine and lower primary gearing, it's the one for twisty fun. Monzas are the prettiest but other than the primary gearing the differences are cosmetic. Monza footpegs are a bit further back and there are clip-ons, but those are reasonably high. I fit perfectly but I'm 5-4 with a 29/30" inseam.
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[chrisk]

All good stuff thanks.

Also, do engine and frame numbers match
and what year did the iii come out?

Is there an engine number range from where
iii's start?

I want a way to check if a bike is a 2 or 3, the bike
is miles away and
the person isn't very techy so I can't get them
to check the carbs or ignition and I've seen
ii's with master cylinder changes. It says 2 on
the side panels but the calipers are behind the forks
and the paint has been changed.

[Chuck in Indiana]

All good stuff thanks.

Also, do engine and frame numbers match
and what year did the iii come out?

Is there an engine number range from where
iii's start?

I want a way to check if a bike is a 2 or 3, the bike
is miles away and
the person isn't very techy so I can't get them
to check the carbs or ignition and I've seen
ii's with master cylinder changes. It says 2 on
the side panels but the calipers are behind the forks
and the paint has been changed.

Well, unless the sidecovers have been changed, too..  it's a 2. Got a picture? Especially of the front of the engine?