NGD - 1979 V1000 G5

[kidsmoke]

An inordinate number of G5's are finding there way to central Indiana. Brought one home yesterday. Seems it's been a midwest bike it's whole life.

1979, originally purchased in Lansing Michigan. Couple of Illinois owners in the later years, the last of which, like myself, moved to Indy for work. That owner bought an RnineT and this bike was too heavy, and generally too needy. I was glad to help out.

lots of service records from a Chicago shop one Guzzi guru says is solid. This bike has had very few miles in the last decade, but it has had it's fluids/carbs serviced and maintained regularly. Mostly there, with original bags, windscreen, seat pan. Few head scratching changes have been made, but nothing that can't be remedied. I'm happy.

[yogidozer]

Looks great, like the Johnny Cash sticker too 

[brider]

Yeah, I LIKE the black effect, and that's the most like-able version of the sculpted king/queen seat I've ever seen, not even really a king/queen. I'd use it.

Congrats, nice score!

[larrys]

A decent example of the model. Whadja have to give for it?
Larry

[chuck peterson]

Nice! I’d be surprised if that seat wasn’t awesome

[Moto]

That looks very desirable to me. It's got the T3 dash and headlight, which I think was not ever offered on the G5 (though I could be wrong). Much better than the bigger dash, to me. Too bad about the original stainless steel fenders.

Want to sell the seat??

Moto

[Don G]

Fenders are easily fixed, pull them off and give them a squirt of paint stripper and a power wash! DonG

[lucian]

Nice find, I like the twin mirror set up. I have done the same thing on my Tuono and get nothing but grief from the purist. I keep the bar ends adjusted for a wider view to the sides.

[Shorty]

  Nice!

[T4halo]

If it came out of Lansing in 79, it was sold by Larry Kline of MG Cycles. I wish he was still around. Great shop.

T4

[kidsmoke]

Nice! I’d be surprised if that seat wasn’t awesome

It seems to be a high quality seat. And I think it fits the bike pretty well, surprisingly. I'm pretty leggy, however, and it keeps me right up on the tank, which makes it tougher for foot controls because my knees are forward. Pegs would help, but.....

Seemed very comfortable on the short ride I had. Need more miles to make a fair assessment.

Want to sell the seat??
Moto

You've got dibs. Highly likely.

Fenders are easily fixed, pull them off and give them a squirt of paint stripper and a power wash! DonG

glad to hear this! what would you do with the valve covers to end up with a like patina to the rest of the block?

[kidsmoke]

If it came out of Lansing in 79, it was sold by Larry Kline of MG Cycles. I wish he was still around. Great shop.

T4

Yup, per the original owners manual, also present.

[Chuck in Indiana]

That looks very desirable to me. It's got the T3 dash and headlight, which I think was not ever offered on the G5 (though I could be wrong). Much better than the bigger dash, to me. Too bad about the original stainless steel fenders.

Want to sell the seat??

Moto

Austin's '82 has a similar dash to the T3.
2019-03-13_07-53-48 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr

The G5 is the perfect midwest mile muncher. Comfortable and competent for it's day, it's still a viable motorcycle.

[Groover]

Great score, I know you've always seemed to be fond of the G5, so welcome to the G5-side! I agree, I like how this one was done. subtle changes, but it all comes together nicely. In regards to the small dash, those were offered on the later year ('81) 2nd generation. which would have also come with the floorboards, so it looks like maybe a 1st generation with a few 2nd generation parts. The bars are 1st gen. My G5 also came from MI, Clio which googling it now looks like about 1 hour from Lansing. Never thought of the dealer of origin, but sounds like it may have also come from GT Motors, and now that makes two bikes from Larry Kline in my garage (the other is a Le Mans SE).

That seat, though I agree probably the best king/queen seat I've ever seen on those, is probably locking you in to position too closely. Sounds like you could benefit from the stock seat type which is more flexible on seating position (you can move back a little and not feel crunched to the floor boards)

[Groover]

It does have a few clues of a police bike.. not the case? The tank type and the fenders (if not SS) would indicate that..

[Chuck in Indiana]

Kip, I would approach the black removal with fear and trepidation. Since its been on there a long time, it was prepped well..which might have included bead blast.

[kidsmoke]

Great score, I know you've always seemed to be fond of the G5, so welcome to the G5-side! I agree, I like how this one was done. subtle changes, but it all comes together nicely. In regards to the small dash, those were offered on the later year ('81) 2nd generation. which would have also come with the floorboards, so it looks like maybe a 1st generation with a few 2nd generation parts. The bars are 1st gen. My G5 also came from MI, Clio which googling it now looks like about 1 hour from Lansing. Never thought of the dealer of origin, but sounds like it may have also come from GT Motors, and now that makes two bikes from Larry Kline in my garage (the other is a Le Mans SE).

That seat, though I agree probably the best king/queen seat I've ever seen on those, is probably locking you in to position too closely. Sounds like you could benefit from the stock seat type which is more flexible on seating position (you can move back a little and not feel crunched to the floor boards)

This is definitely your fault, Groover. Your G5 has been on rotation on my work desktop for years, since shortly after I joined WG. It remains the gold standard IMHO.

The dash on mine is from a T3, as Moto observed. Definitely not original to the bike.



I'd be surprised if the bars were original as well, but I'm not an expert so I'll defer to you on that. They've got the same rattle can treatment as the fenders, which I'm 99% certain are stainless under there.

I've got the original seat. It's been recovered once....that was the plan for me.

[Moto]

I've got the original seat. It's been recovered once....that was the plan for me.

PM me if you'd like a tracing of the original panels that made up the original T3 (and T) upholstery. I gave them to my reupholsterer as a pattern and wound up with a very credible reproduction of the original profile. (This is not the same as the G5 original, however, which was a well-known road sofa.)

Moto

[kidsmoke]

well, sometimes the stars align....

started here



and in a little more than 2 weeks...







all orignal, correct authentic Guzzi bits.
 
now I need a white one.....

[Don G]

That certainly looks much better!  G5's are great mile munchers   DonG

[larrys]

well, sometimes the stars align....

started here



and in a little more than 2 weeks...







all orignal, correct authentic Guzzi bits.
 
now I need a white one.....

Nice do over! Your grass is greener, too.
Larry

[chuck peterson]

Love the remake!

but which one does the dog ride?....he’d look good on the blue

[brider]

How in the heck did you do that in 2 weeks??!! Did you have a donor bike? Love the stock seat.....best one my butt ever touched.

[Chuck in Indiana]

That'll get you an Attaboy with a big A, Kip.. 

[Groover]

Great job, and fast! Let's see what I've done in two weeks.......... I'm thinking nothing 

Looks like you found some nice '81 parts. That tail, and the seat with the chrome strip on the side is definitely an '81 - nice finds!

[Two Checks]

That's the same color I painted my T and the seat, which I got from a friend's G5 which was terrible. The foam was worn out.

[kidsmoke]

Looks like you found some nice '81 parts. That tail, and the seat with the chrome strip on the side is definitely an '81 - nice finds!

How in the heck did you do that in 2 weeks??!! Did you have a donor bike? Love the stock seat.....best one my butt ever touched.

you've heard the saying "there's no accounting for taste"

well, lookey here....



That hack was thorough and professional resto job by a friend to many of us Hoosier Guzzisti some 15 years ago. It found it's way to another good friend of mine, who is much younger and is STRONGLY drawn to the "rat" side of the moto world. He owns several Guzzi's, a T, an Eldo, and two Converts. He bought that hack as a platform, with every intention of undoing it's refined state, but having a technically perfect ride. It's what he loves. And one could argue...when it comes to an old Guzzi, would you rather see a pristine bike Mothballed, or rat'ted and ridden? That Hack got approx 3k on it in 10 years. It'll likely be getting that at least annually now.

When I acquired the G5, and he saw the rattle can fenders and the poorly done valve covers, along with all the black in general....his eyes got wide and we quickly knew what was about to happen.



hence, my 'stars align' comment.

[Groover]

That swap looks like a win-win for both. I think I've seen that sidecar setup (in blue) posted somewhere recently too, not sure where, here I think though.

[kidsmoke]

That swap looks like a win-win for both. I think I've seen that sidecar setup (in blue) posted somewhere recently too, not sure where, here I think though.

Yup, i shared it in another thread a couple of months back.

[kidsmoke]

Nice do over! Your grass is greener, too.
Larry

Yup, my dog is reborn and my pickup is running like a top, and my ol' lady broke it off with that dude from the pool hall.

It's true what they say about buying that next motorcycle!