Let's see some cafe racers!!!

[chuck peterson]

This is the closest thing eye have to a cafe......... ;D :BEER:


Tim in Illinois

flip those bars back over and i'd think you have it

[Amboman]

Not really a "cafe", but I thought y'all might enjoy this photo of my friend Joseph's '56 Matchless G11CS. Ran for the first time on Saturday afternoon. He bought it as a basketcase and has been rebuilding it (with some help from me) over the last two years. Not totally correct (18" rear wheel vs. 19", 19" front wheel vs. 21", different tank, Dellorto VHB27 vs. Amal, etc.) but I think he's done an excellent job. Notice the two things he thought were necessary for a successful "first fire" - holy blessing and an assortment of Whitworth spanners. Just out of frame is the fire extinguisher...  ;D

[weevee]

Left the Guzzi at home and took the MV for a run today.  Great fun, but very different from the Le Mans.  Unlike that on the Guzzi, the shaft on the MV has no discernible effect on the gear-change.  It just snicks into gear like a chain-drive machine.  Brakes are drums, so nowhere near as good as those on the Guzzi.  (..in fact the brakes limit the performance of the MV much more than the engine!)  Engine's actually a belter, it pulls like a train.  It feels like it has the edge over the Guzzi - it's certainly more responsive lower down in the rev-range.

The MV feels a good deal larger/heavier/more unwieldy to man-handle than the Le Mans, but on the move (..and at sane speeds) the weight seems to disappear and it handles just as well.  Its steering is very neutral.  It's not as happy as the Guzzi in dealing with the cut-and-thrust of city-centre traffic though, 'cause the clutch becomes 'grabby' as it gets hot.

The sound the MV makes as it climbs above 5,000rpm is ungodly.  It actually hurts my ears (..and that's despite my wearing ear-plugs!) - for this reason the Guzzi is by far the more relaxing on any high-speed cruise.  If I ever need to cover the miles, the Guzzi is my first choice.

Three hours today on the MV, and whilst the sun was glorious the temp was down at freezing point.  My hands soon became numb.  How I wished for the Guzzi's twin-pots to keep my fingers warm!!


ps. To comment belatedly on a post I read not so long ago regarding the prettiest fuel tank ever fitted to a motorcycle: The Le Mans' is just pipped by that on the MV I'm afraid.   :o    


 

[Pescara]

The MV is really wonderful - thanks for the riding impression.

[chuck peterson]

we have a winner!

damn that looks glorious...

[Pescara]

Old is good, not 'retro', not 'nostalgic'...  old  :D

[Cal3Me]

They can be upside down and still be low enough for this old back side. And still have the look ,,,,,,, ;D


Tim

[Dean Rose]

To comment belatedly on a post I read not so long ago regarding the prettiest fuel tank ever fitted to a motorcycle: The Le Mans' is just pipped by that on the MV I'm afraid.   :o    

 

I'd love to have a steel copy of that tank on my '02 EV.

Dean

[oldmanjob]

Does anyone have a photo of a V7 Classic with clipons?
I am very interested to see what it would look like

It's going to look almost exactly like a V7 Café.

Where did that metal tank come from?? And the valve covers?

The metal tank looks good.  The valve covers look like standard 1980s small block - identical to the ones on my V50iii.

I have looked on flea-bay, nothing, anyone know where I could get a pair of these valve covers, as I would like to change the boring ones on my V7C

Bill

[Route140]

Not really a "cafe", but I thought y'all might enjoy this photo of my friend Joseph's '56 Matchless G11CS. Ran for the first time on Saturday afternoon. He bought it as a basketcase and has been rebuilding it (with some help from me) over the last two years. Not totally correct (18" rear wheel vs. 19", 19" front wheel vs. 21", different tank, Dellorto VHB27 vs. Amal, etc.) but I think he's done an excellent job. Notice the two things he thought were necessary for a successful "first fire" - holy blessing and an assortment of Whitworth spanners. Just out of frame is the fire extinguisher...  ;D

Nice job on the Matchless. How does the Dellorto work on it? Not sure I've ever seen one on a British bike before (except for my Cotton 175, but that had an Italian Minarelli engine).

[Pescara]

To comment belatedly on a post I read not so long ago regarding the prettiest fuel tank ever fitted to a motorcycle: The Le Mans' is just pipped by that on the MV I'm afraid.   :o    

Ahhh... the age old "who has the prettiest fuel tank" question  :D  The early Le Mans tank is a good one, but I think the Daytona RS's is better... and better even than the indisputably cool MV's tank.



I have an elaborate mid-70s 750 America fold-out brochure that has some really cool period photos.   It came from a guy who was friends with my uncle. Apparently he bought one new, and I got the brochure years later.  The story was that after a couple of years he decided it was no a no-good, unreliable archaic thing, sold it, and bought a "much better"  Honda 750 instead....  From that I learn that contemporary reviewers and new bike buyers very often don't 'get it'. When it comes to motorcycles, popular opinion has value only in presenting bargains to the better educated buyer.

Notice that the gas cap isn't straight on the RS tank... they are all like that. :D

[muzak]

Oldmanjob,


Look here 3/4 way down the page.


http://www.corsaitaliana.com/index.php?f=data_v7_classic_&a=0

[weevee]

To comment belatedly on a post I read not so long ago regarding the prettiest fuel tank ever fitted to a motorcycle: The Le Mans' is just pipped by that on the MV I'm afraid.   :o    

Ahhh... the age old "who has the prettiest fuel tank" question  :D  The early Le Mans tank is a good one, but I think the Daytona RS's is better... and better even than the indisputably cool MV's tank.



I have an elaborate mid-70s 750 America fold-out brochure that has some really cool period photos.   It came from a guy who was friends with my uncle. Apparently he bought one new, and I got the brochure years later.  The story was that after a couple of years he decided it was no a no-good, unreliable archaic thing, sold it, and bought a "much better"  Honda 750 instead....  From that I learn that contemporary reviewers and new bike buyers very often don't 'get it'. When it comes to motorcycles, popular opinion has value only in presenting bargains to the better educated buyer.

Notice that the gas cap isn't straight on the RS tank... they are all like that. :D

I like that one, I must admit.  Very clean lines.  But in visualising it without its adjoining fairing I'm not so sure.  I think I still prefer the early Le Mans item.

The MV tank really needs to be seen in three dimensions to be fully appreciated.  It's almost flying saucer like in the way its base spreads to cover the full width of the engine.  (..MV produced a small single cylinder bike in the late fifties called the Disco Volante - 'Flying Saucer' - which took its name from the way its tank spread at the base in much the same way).

My own bike is an SS - although it's currently wearing 'Sport' livery.  The SS was a model based on the Sport, but it was fitted with larger carbs (..even larger than those fitted to the later 850cc Monza) higher compression head etc., and a long alloy tank/single seat.  There were only a handful of these models built & sold in Germany and the UK.  Mine came to the UK from Stuttgart fitted with the tank you can see in the second photo, but I found it was too much of a stretch to the 'bars so retro-fitted it with a 'Sport' item.  I've an 'America' tank to go on it too when I feel the urge to switch!  



ps. Some - ahem! - MV gurus say that the SS is a mythological creature, and that it didn't/doesn't actually exist.  Others disagree!


    
  

   

[Amboman]

Not really a "cafe", but I thought y'all might enjoy this photo of my friend Joseph's '56 Matchless G11CS. Ran for the first time on Saturday afternoon. He bought it as a basketcase and has been rebuilding it (with some help from me) over the last two years. Not totally correct (18" rear wheel vs. 19", 19" front wheel vs. 21", different tank, Dellorto VHB27 vs. Amal, etc.) but I think he's done an excellent job. Notice the two things he thought were necessary for a successful "first fire" - holy blessing and an assortment of Whitworth spanners. Just out of frame is the fire extinguisher...  ;D

Nice job on the Matchless. How does the Dellorto work on it? Not sure I've ever seen one on a British bike before (except for my Cotton 175, but that had an Italian Minarelli engine).

Strangely enough with Aermacchi 350 jetting it worked pretty well right off. A little fine tuning is under way - it seems to need a larger pilot jet, smaller main and starter jets. Joseph had it laying around and his Amal was knackered, so I rebuilt the Dellorto and machined an adapter to mount it.

[Pescara]

Neat stuff on the MV!

Thanks

[jhoemmken]

Hey Guzzi Freunde!!

That`s my Cafe Racer. It`s a 1100 Sport.






 FOR SALE !! MORE INFO`S  --->     moto-guzzi-11@web.de

[st2lemans]

Hey Guzzi Freunde!!

That`s my Cafe Racer. It`s a 1100 Sport.






 FOR SALE !! MORE INFO`S  --->     moto-guzzi-11@web.de

Nice, but FCRs with K&Ns on the end really suck!

(I know, I had my LeMans set up that way for a while)

Tom

[italianmotor]

Here's my baby, factory cafe' racer, so perfect almost straight from the tin..

[Old Jock]

I love that S3 one of the first bikes to attract me to Guzzi, although in those days I could only stare at them and have a poster.

I'm with Weevee, the best sculpted tanks bar none were the MVs. My Magni is similar in shape and when you look at them from different angles it is simply amazing the way they curve and swoop in 3D. Definitely gotta be seen in the flesh to be appreciated and mine is just a poor copy of the real thing that Weevee is privileged enough to own.

I believe that The Tank Shop may start to make tanks similar to the MV/Magni shape possibly towards the end of the year if my grape vine is correct

John

[JBU]

My first 'complete' rebuild.  Just got it running this week.  Still some minor tweaks to be made.  linked brakes still are not working as well as I like, front suspension a bit rough.

1976 850T3






joël (yes I still have plenty of reflective eagle stickers) urruty

[guzzipaddy]

Hey.....that looks nice.....I'm building a 1976 T3 along very similar lines. Any more pics? ;-T

[JBU]

If you insist.  This is my first attempt at an automotive paint job.  I went with a flat black with gloss black stripe.  It is inspired by the 750S one of the best looking Guzzis in my opinion.  

[nick949]

JBU - I like the subtle paint job. It really looks nice. 

Here is my 750S in original paint (except frame, which is from a '72 v7 Sport ).

Nick

[guzzipaddy]

Thanks for the extra pics. The paint job is real neat. Very subtle yet very effective. Enjoy her!! ;-T

[italianmotor]

I've only just seen this! Funny how these photos get everywhere. That's me riding a well-worked over T3. It rode beautifully. I could probably dig out some more spec from somewhere..

Is this one of ours..?



--

[kevdog3019]

Well... not exactly cafe, but close enough.  She's a racer and has clip-ons.   

[JJ]

Same for me, so these two are not exactly "true, pure" cafe-racers, but certainly close enough, and definitely not classified as Cruisers! (lol) :) ;) :D ;D

[ponti_33609]

Far from a true cafe racer but I think it is slowly heading in that direction?







Bob

[kevdog3019]

Bob... nice tank man!  Actually, in Motorcycle Classics magazine they listed the Sport as a nice cafe to own, so there you go. 

[JJ]

Far from a true cafe racer but I think it is slowly heading in that direction?







Bob

Tampa-Bob - - your bike is "lookin' good!" 8) ;-T ;-T :)