Moto Guzzi 254

[leafman60]

I was not familiar with the 4-cylinder Guzzi 254 (cc) until I saw this pic from the recent Harper's auction.  It brought $2200.

http://i0.wp.com/hooniverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_3972.jpg

[265coupe]

It was a badge engineered version of the Benelli from when De Tomaso had both brands. There were a few 2 stroke enduros as well. Looks like a close copy of an earlier Honda SOHC four.

[Huzo]

It was a badge engineered version of the Benelli from when De Tomaso had both brands. There were a few 2 stroke enduros as well. Looks like a close copy of an earlier Honda SOHC four.

Does look a bit "Japanese" doesn't it ? But it might have lots of hidden differences... Somewhere.

[Lannis]

I was not familiar with the 4-cylinder Guzzi 254 (cc) until I saw this pic from the recent Harper's auction.  It brought $2200.

http://i0.wp.com/hooniverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_3972.jpg

Maybe it's because I'm "not in the loop" for parts, component service, machine work, etc for this sort of short-term orphan, but I'd cringe at the thought of taking that home and making it roadworthy.   

Maybe there ISN'T a loop ...!    I get spoiled working on old Brits and common MG twins, where you can just order up what you need, or call someone who has 20 assemblies sitting on the shelf ....

Lannis

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Every time I see a needy old Brit bike, I cringe just thinking about working on them. I'd much rather tackle most anything else (except a Harley). A Benelli 250 four would be a "piece of cake" unless it needed really serious work. Just refurbing one from storage would be fun to me...

http://benelliparts.de/

[Testarossa]

As a Honda 500 guy, I was really interested in the Benelli version. The bore, stroke and valve size were identical but there were a lot of differences -- I think the Benelli case was a little narrower because of the layout of the alternator, the cylinder head appears to have been set up for easier access for valve adjustment, etc. There was a 350 version of both engines, and Benelli's 750 Sei was the 500 with two extra cylinders.

[Lannis]

Every time I see a needy old Brit bike, I cringe just thinking about working on them. I'd much rather tackle most anything else (except a Harley). A Benelli 250 four would be a "piece of cake" unless it needed really serious work. Just refurbing one from storage would be fun to me...

http://benelliparts.de/

Well, then, obviously there IS a loop, and you're in it!   

Lannis

[jas67]

.....and Benelli's 750 Sei was the 500 with two extra cylinders.

Which later grew up to be the 900 Sei.

[BMCMOTO]

I have actually ridden a 254, certainly an eye opener. Very weak suspension on both ends, lackluster engine performance. Really a very charming bike, I'm serious it was great, rode it around Deland Florida for an hour or so and really enjoyed it. It really acted like a 250cc motorcycle should. I got to ride several other bikes from a collection being auctioned off that weekend including a Bimota Tesi that lofted the front wheel in the first three gears while I was unawares, didn't know it till it touched down and gave ever so slight a front end wiggle. It was great fun that day.

Brian

[leafman60]

A little while back, I became interested in the small multi-cylinder bikes.  I was looking at the Honda four-cylinder 350's and 400's.  Fascinating that they can build such a small 4. I thought I wanted one. 

Then, a friend of mine bought a cherry 400/4 Honda and offered me the chance to ride it when he discovered that thought I wanted one. I very quickly lost my desire to have one. 

The bike, despite being in prime condition, was a dog to ride. It had very weak power down low.  You had to rev its guts out to gain any acceptable propulsion.

I'll stick with my Nuovo Falcone!!!

[BMCMOTO]

Small lightweight 4cyl bikes are not the torque monsters that most of their single cylinder brothers seem to be, that is true. For me it is like thin crust pizza or thick crust pizza, canned green beans or frozen, samething only different. I happen to enjoy either, others only enjoy one or the other. What a wonderful world with such variety!!

Brian

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

A little while back, I became interested in the small multi-cylinder bikes.  I was looking at the Honda four-cylinder 350's and 400's.  Fascinating that they can build such a small 4. I thought I wanted one. 

Then, a friend of mine bought a cherry 400/4 Honda and offered me the chance to ride it when he discovered that thought I wanted one. I very quickly lost my desire to have one. 

The bike, despite being in prime condition, was a dog to ride. It had very weak power down low.  You had to rev its guts out to gain any acceptable propulsion.

I'll stick with my Nuovo Falcone!!!

Agreed. The 350/4 I owned for a short while was a dog as well. My Morini 350 K2 would "eat it for lunch".

[Lannis]

A little while back, I became interested in the small multi-cylinder bikes.  I was looking at the Honda four-cylinder 350's and 400's.  Fascinating that they can build such a small 4. I thought I wanted one. 

Then, a friend of mine bought a cherry 400/4 Honda and offered me the chance to ride it when he discovered that thought I wanted one. I very quickly lost my desire to have one. 

The bike, despite being in prime condition, was a dog to ride. It had very weak power down low.  You had to rev its guts out to gain any acceptable propulsion.

I'll stick with my Nuovo Falcone!!!

Once upon a time, though, most all of us, especially those who rode two-strokes, were USED to that, and were able to enjoy our bikes regardless.   

It wasn't even just two-strokes, bikes like EX-250 Ninjas are the same way.

We've gotten spoiled by bikes that have usable torque down to idle (and old singles which always had that).   Japanese two-strokes like RD250s, or high-revving 250 twin four-strokes, have always had to be ridden at high RPMs to get anything out of them.

NOTHING until 5000 RPM or so, then EVERYTHING all at once.   That was life, and when it's all we had, we didn't mind it so much .....

Lannis

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Once upon a time, though, most all of us, especially those who rode two-strokes, were USED to that, and were able to enjoy our bikes regardless.   

It wasn't even just two-strokes, bikes like EX-250 Ninjas are the same way.

We've gotten spoiled by bikes that have usable torque down to idle (and old singles which always had that).   Japanese two-strokes like RD250s, or high-revving 250 twin four-strokes, have always had to be ridden at high RPMs to get anything out of them.

NOTHING until 5000 RPM or so, then EVERYTHING all at once.   That was life, and when it's all we had, we didn't mind it so much .....

Lannis

I owned and rode a Yamaha DS7 250 and RD400 early on. Either seemed to have a lot more torque than the CB350F.

In '91 I took a Honda VTR250 and Kawasaki Ninja 250 for a demo ride while at the AMA's Heritage Homecoming in Athens, OH. Both were very underwhelming - no power unless revved up near 10k rpms. My '86 Morini 350 K2, that I rode to the event, felt like a torque monster by comparison.

[Testarossa]

Looking at top speed alone, the fastest bike I've owned is the TA-125, which would do 120mph at 13,000 rpm. But the power came in at 9,000 so it was hard work to get around a course, and really hard work to get a competitive start. I've never taken horsepower seriously since then -- only torque is useful in the real world, thus twins and singles.  The fun in riding a slow bike fast lies more in maintaining momentum around corners than dancing on the shift lever. YMMV.

[Lannis]

I owned and rode a Yamaha DS7 250 and RD400 early on. Either seemed to have a lot more torque than the CB350F.

I owned those same two bikes, as well as an R5.   

The RD400 was a bit of a different case - it was an amazing bike with power everywhere, and easy 70 MPH cruising at 5200 RPM or so.   

The 250cc DS7 needed a bit of stick to move out, as did the RD250.   I always thought the RD250 was "peakier" than the DS7 even though it had reed valves mean to plump up the lower end a bit.

Lannis

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I owned those same two bikes, as well as an R5.   

The RD400 was a bit of a different case - it was an amazing bike with power everywhere, and easy 70 MPH cruising at 5200 RPM or so.   

The 250cc DS7 needed a bit of stick to move out, as did the RD250.   I always thought the RD250 was "peakier" than the DS7 even though it had reed valves mean to plump up the lower end a bit.

Lannis

The piston port DS7 and R5 were less peaky than later reed valve engines in my experience. I had my DS7 in high school - I was known as "Evel Boll Weevil" due to my wheelie antics in the parking lot. Easily done by just rolling on the throttle in lower gears.  My brother's RD350 wasn't quite as easy to wheelie.

[bigbikerrick]

The piston port DS7 and R5 were less peaky than later reed valve engines in my experience. I had my DS7 in high school - I was known as "Evel Boll Weevil" due to my wheelie antics in the parking lot. Easily done by just rolling on the throttle in lower gears.  My brother's RD350 wasn't quite as easy to wheelie.

Hey Charlie, it sounds to me that you were " The Fonz" of your high school!!
 
Rick.

[Lannis]

The piston port DS7 and R5 were less peaky than later reed valve engines in my experience. I had my DS7 in high school - I was known as "Evel Boll Weevil" due to my wheelie antics in the parking lot. Easily done by just rolling on the throttle in lower gears.  My brother's RD350 wasn't quite as easy to wheelie.

Five hundred total in our high school (all four grades) and I was the only one with a motorcycle.   I rode it in every day I could, because it was the alternative to the school bus, which was a 45-minute ride.   Yamaha CS-3, 200cc electric start twin.   Pretty peaky itself in retrospect, but I was ON WHEELS on a bike I could ride to another state, I could not care less at the time about the engine power characteristics.   Getting my helmet out of my locker and walking (probably strutting, if I'm honest) to the parking lot was a good part of the day.

Lannis

[OlDogface]

Strutting to the parking lot to swing a leg over my 50hp little monster is still a very good part of my day!

 

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Hey Charlie, it sounds to me that you were " The Fonz" of your high school!!
 
Rick.

I thought of myself more as the "James Dean" of our class, a view not shared by anyone else!