Replacing a modern Guzzi w/a Tonti

[Travlr]

As I get older I appreciate the Tonti framed bikes more.  For me they are lighter, smaller and easier to handle than the later stuff.  But they are getting old.  My LM 3 and LM 5 are both 30+ years old.  What I’d like to do is some sensible mods to bring them closer to modern specs.  Make them more reliable and still fun to ride.

Updated electrical?  What are some sensible changes?

Updated brakes:  change the pads?

Updated switches? 

Radial tires?

Other?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Mike

[harrytief]

Here is my daily ride


And this

[bigbikerrick]

I would say that the one most important improvement on my 85 LeMans is getting rid of the stock sidestand,and replaced with a "Browns" kickstand from Boxerworks. Best $300. Ive ever spent. The stock kickstand on these bikes is evil!




fb img photos

Rick.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Really the most likely thing to have issues with is the old wiring harness and unsealed connectors. Going through it occasionally.. say once a year.. taking apart connectors, giving them a dose of deoxit, *looking* at spade connectors and replacing as necessary (they get brittle with age) should keep it running until the apocalypse. Oh yeah, don't forget to take the ignition switch apart, clean out the old grease, shine up the nibs with scotch brite, and apply fresh Vaseline. I use HH pads on the brakes.. they're fine.
I want to save the weird Harold "Tron" switch gear on the AeroLario, and have put relays on the lights and ignition. I think they'll last forever, too.
The rest of the machine is as durable as a hammer, and will outlast you. 

[LowRyter]

Every Tonti I've ridden, and I own one, has been a solid and sporty ride.  Not extreme but safe, versatile and fun.  I don't think they will ever get old or go out of style, insofar as anyone wants a reliable bike that you can safely ride 100 mph. 

Find a one you like, personalize and keep it going.

[acguzzi]

the brakes are fine, if you want you could upgrade the suspension and change to radial tires, you can spend as much as you want on that, all the way to 17 inch wheels for modern rubber. Electricals are old and could be updated for reliability, it's probably the only thing you "need" to do, including the ignition have you already switched to electronic ignition?

[mtiberio]

Suspension!
Lighter (edit: tubeless) wheels

[Guzzistajohn]

IF I rode daily, and I don't ride to work due to travel. I would ride this one of my three, the previous owner had converted to handlebars, and I had the saddle done at Seargent. This is the most user friendly street bike I've owned, Comfortable to ride, cruises at 80 easy, pushes around in the garage easy, to me just a really nice manageable machine and all around grocery getter or 300 mile day Ozarks corner carver! 

[Turin]

My 850T ;  FAC damper and wirth springs, ebc rotors with 4 piston caplipers, ikon shocks, bigger carbs... Runs and stops great and reliable as an anvil.

[Kiwi_Roy]

I'm thinking along the same lines, replacing my Griso 1100 with an old bike I can put a collector plate on, just put it on Craigslist yesterday.
One Guzzi I would really like to experience is a Convert
Anyone in Canada with a Convert like to swap for a Griso?
John, anyone 

[Stevex]

One thing I wouldn't call light is my LM2. I regularly move 4 bikes around my garage and the Le Mans I like moving least, even after the Honda CB1300.
Mods I've done which I think improve the bike over standard:
Lighter flywheel.
Stainless discs with ceramic pads c/w un linked brake system, imo far superior to oem.
Showa fork internals and rebuilt Konis with softer springs.
LED headlight 'bulb'.
Startus interuptus mod.
oem side stand out, Triumph one in; it no longer flips up.
The electrical system was cleaned inspected and connector protection applied a few years back and has never had a problem.
The only other thing in the pipe line is radial tyres to replace the cross plys.

[wymple]

Suspension!
Lighter (edit: tubeless) wheels

I've been using tubeless tires on my Tonti bike's wheels forever.

[Murray]

How much money do you wish to spend? Well as I'm spending you money (theoretically) lets say all of it! :D
A set of FCR flatsides lighter throttle more responsive and hold their tune.
Paralelagramo rear swing arm with some higher end springs and shocks set up for you.
Rather than messing around with brake pads and disks from a bygone era a modern sports bike front end, forks brakes wheel and all lighter works better more tyres available easier to tune etc etc.
B10 cam lighten flywheel port and polish and maybe a twin plug head conversion.
Gearbox under cut and bring it down from five to a three dog engagement system you'll increase the clunk a bit but will be able to mash through the gears faster.
Finally a better electronic ignition system pull the dizzy completely and look at a flywheel sensor vacuum advance system there a a few tune able aftermarket systems around.
Battery tray/gearbox reinforcement plate make the frame a bit stiffer I'd also look at going away from the existing charging system to something that doesn't involve brushes.

[Testarossa]

I have two Tontis. I acquired the 850T in 1983 and over the decades have made numerous improvements to make it a reliable, enjoyable daily rider. It started life with a weak charging system and switchgear, inadequate brakes, stupid sidestand, no oil filter, etc.

In no particular order, I installed:

• 280 watt alternator from a T3, along with LED bulbs throughout except for the idiot-lights, plus solid-state regulator/rectifier and a voltmeter. This solved the charging issues.
  
• Dyna III ignition to eliminate the infrequent job of resetting/replacing/retiming the points.
  
  • J&S switchgear and a simplified wiring harness using modern heat-shrink spade connectors and Bosch relays for the headlight, Fiamm horns and ignition circuit. Valero starter. This ended startus interruptus and all other electircal reliability issues.
    
  • Blade-style chain tensioner.
    
    • Later-model left lower siderail to mount a cop-bike sidestand.
      
    • Sargent saddle.
      
      • Uni filter pods.
        
      • 12mm master cylinder, steel-braided brake line and stainless floating rotor. Big difference in front-brake power and feel.
        
        • Upgraded clutch lever to preserve clutch cables.
          
        • Shoei F5 (unobtainium) fairing.
          
          • Modern brake liners, accurately arced and accurately adjusted to eliminate on-off character of the rear drum brake.
            
          • Never got around to installing an oil filter so I change the oil religiously and clean the pickup screen annually, not that it loads up. I installed a strong magnet on the pickup screen to seize any ferrous bits floating in the oil.
            
            • Koni shocks. After the fork-bending accident I replaced the front end with a T3 unit with FAC dampers. For cosmetic reasons I replaced the fork sliders, and the top triple clamp with a nice-looking unpainted aluminum version.
              
            • SD-tek clutch plates with lighter clutch springs.
              
              • Upgrading to tubeless tires would be a great idea but I love the original Borrani rims so will probably never get around to it.
              
              The Mille got an LED headlamp and taillite bulbs and voltmeter, plus the SP fairing, which required a new upper triple clamp and different-shaped handlebar. K&N pods and H&B boxes. It will soon get braided steel brake lines and a Dyna III ignition. The saddle is tolerable for a six-hour ride but could be improved.  I'll consider a tubeless tire upgrade, maybe.
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
              

[BillinPA]

My 850T ;  FAC damper and wirth springs, ebc rotors with 4 piston caplipers, ikon shocks, bigger carbs... Runs and stops great and reliable as an anvil.

How is your rear brake? I had a T tarted up V7 sport style, great fun bike. I could never get the narrow shoe brake to work right, it was like a light switch. I sold the bike shortly after cresting a hill and a service van with the door open blocked the lane. I got on the brakes and the rear locked, I went sideways, I rode it out but it was the end of my messing with that brake setup, I had plenty of other bikes so it wasn't really missed.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

How is your rear brake? I had a T tarted up V7 sport style, great fun bike. I could never get the narrow shoe brake to work right, it was like a light switch. I sold the bike shortly after cresting a hill and a service van with the door open blocked the lane. I got on the brakes and the rear locked, I went sideways, I rode it out but it was the end of my messing with that brake setup, I had plenty of other bikes so it wasn't really missed.

Looks like he did some work to the rear brake: Modern brake liners, accurately arced and accurately adjusted to eliminate on-off character of the rear drum brake.

[BillinPA]

Thanks Charlie, makes sense, stock they were unpredictable.

[Turin]

I bought new brake shoes from one of the usual suspects, and they were too wide. Had to take off some material.

I find the biggest problem with the rear brake is the long lever... too much leverage. When I fit rearsets I cut off half of the lever and tapped a new hole for the brake nub.

Works great now.

[Testarossa]

I went down a couple of times locking up the rear brake. Then I took the time to study up on double-leading shoe brakes and learned that the geometry makes the leading edges of the shoes "tuck" or self-amplify -- the same geometry means the brake doesn't want to hold aggressively against rolling backward (as at a San Francisco stoplight). The solution is to grind the linings so they accurately match the curve of the brake drum's steel liner, and adjust the operating links so the leading edges of the two shoes truly engage simultaneously, a process analogous to synching the carb slides or timing the two sections of the breaker plate separately). It takes a fair amount of trial and error to get the adjustment right. The newer lining material has kind of a rubbery feel to the touch, unlike the hard powdery feel of the original asbestos-content brake shoe liners. The result is a smooth progressive braking action that can actually be feathered. No more locked-brake skids.

[mtiberio]

I've been using tubeless tires on my Tonti bike's wheels forever.

Which wheels?

[wymple]

1984 Cal II mags.

[Chuck in Indiana]

I made this bad boy tubeless a year or two ago. Time flies.. doesn't leak as much as my cast wheels.

[JayDee24ca]

I'm thinking along the same lines, replacing my Griso 1100 with an old bike I can put a collector plate on, just put it on Craigslist yesterday.
One Guzzi I would really like to experience is a Convert
Anyone in Canada with a Convert like to swap for a Griso?
John, anyone 

Sorry Roy, you're going to have to find your own Connie. I like mine too much! There is a guy here in town that has one. I'll ask him how attached he is to it.
JD

[Tiny Tim]

Vintage Brake in Sonora CA. 209-533-4346 are the guys to help get the drum brakes working as good as they are going to work. Check out the Vintage Brake website. When I was road racing with AHRMA these guys made all the difference.