Newbie 650TT 650NTX

[DeCoot]

Hello everyone.
I am a newbie to Moto Guzzi and this forum so please forgive any newbie questions.
I am and Englishman living in northern Israel, about an hour north of Haifa.
Any parts have to ordered from Europe or USA so any help would be most welcome.
 
I have acquired a 650tt and a 650NTX which from what I can gather are the same bike but wearing different dresses. There seem to be more 650's here tt/ntx than anything else.
The NTX is in pieces with all the parts present although most of the plastics has been eaten by the sun.
The tt is rolling with some parts absent, the tank being the main part. The seat looks wrong too, but at least it has one.

Questions for the small block aficionados out there are:
1. Are all the 650/500 frames the same?
2. Are all the 650 tanks interchangeable 500/600?

Thanks Tim.



 

 

[guzzisteve]

Same frames, tanks will interchange.      750 NTX also interchanges

[brlawson]

Recently a gentleman posted a thread on ADVrider on doing a rebuild of one. Some of the links to pics are broken but it still a decent article. There is also a person on this board that makes a modern electronic ignition that retrofits to those engines.

http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/moto-guzzi-ntx-650-recent-addition.945502/page-2

Ignition supplier:

http://www.c5ignitions.com/



Up early Steve?

[Sasquatch Jim]

  Here-in is contained an awesome amount of information on these bikes.  click and read, with photos.

  http://www.odd-bike.com/2014/04/moto-guzzi-v-twin-off-roaders.html

[dan_s]

Hello Tim, rumour says that TT gear problems were rectified in the NTX. I know little on small blocks but I can refer you to friends in Israel who know more and may have some TT spares. Send me a PM if you'd like it.
dan

[v65tt]

I have a pair of V65TT  ( a lightly modded imported 1984 in Grey and a later Uk 1988)


Both are stunning bikes and great fun.

Not aware of any gearbox problems on the TT, box is the same as most of that era ( v35/v50/v65/v75) only difference  is the size of the input splines and the number of splines on the output shaft

I have monza 15/22 primary gears in my 1984 , oddly its much faster with the higher gearing and will hit 70mph / 115kmh in 3rd at 7000rpm.  Very easy and worth while upgrade and brings the benefit of the V65/V75/Breva/V7 Clutch plate.

Frames are similar to the V50 but engine cradle front mountings are different, the TT/NTX has later roller taper head bearings ( v35/v50 /v65 have the loose ball bearing setup)   the tank / seat mountings and side cover mounts are different as are the rear frame rails.

[auzziguzzi]

Frames are similar to the V50 but engine cradle front mountings are different, the TT/NTX has later roller taper head bearings ( v35/v50 /v65 have the loose ball bearing setup)   the tank / seat mountings and side cover mounts are different as are the rear frame rails.

The NTX frame has two flat sections pressed into otherwise tubular frame members on the right hand side, behind the side cover, to clear the exhaust

[Jukebox]

Hi Tim
Your questions have been answered as always as the guys here are always helpful.
Can you keep us in the loop as your fix these up and picture are always welcome.
Always like these bikes.

Harry

[DeCoot]

Thank you gentlemen for your answers.
I have read about the final drive being weak. Does this mean fifth gear or the rear wheel bevel box drive?

Jukebox, it'll will take me a while for some finished bike images, possibly years.
Auzziguzzi, thank you. From your description I have one NTX frame. I'll have to check the other one.
v65tt, I read somewhere that the tt/NTX had the 500 gearbox and not the V65 gearbox for slightly lower gearing?
Sasquatch Jim and brlawson, thank for the links which have now answered some of the questions I was going to post.
Guzzi Steve, thank you, good to know if I have to se something else?
 

[Ariel]

Hi Tim,

You live in Israel, and you buy an old Guzzi?
You are a very optimistic person!
There is a very small group of Guzzi fans in Israel, I'm one of them.
We have some small block expert in our group that can answer all your questions.
I'll send you my email and we can talk offline.

Ariel

 

[v65tt]

the final drive weakness on the TT / NTX is the reported to be the swing arm bearing carriers on the back of the gearbox. To be far your would have to try very hard to damage them


All the small block gearbox's are the same basic unit, if you look at it you have the main 5-speed gearbox and then a small separate set of input gears between the bell housing and the gearbox

There have been various updates to the main gearbox over the years but nothing massive.

You can chop and change the drop gears to change the ratio with very little effort ( aslong as you use a clutch plate with the same size splines)

[huub]

the only final drive problems i had was the casing from the final drive breaking when landing after  jumps.
unless you are going to take the bike seriously off road that is unlikely to be a problem.
the rear of the gearbox is no problem.
i never managed to break a gearbox, no matter how much MX tracks i did.
make sure you get the steel sleeve in the gearbox,
the UJ is quite fragile if you take the bike off road, and a broken UJ destroys the gearbox without the sleeve.