spring required for rear brake pedal on loop frame Guzzi?

[tpeever]

Putting my early VIN V700 back together and noticed that the first few editions of the parts books show a spring that hooks around the rear brake pedal and the frame presumably to help return the pedal to position after depressing it to actuate the rear brake. My bike has the rear brake pedal on the left side and was missing this spring. Interestingly, later parts books that cover the Ambassador and GT850 models do not show this spring despite the fact that the brake got moved to the right side entailing a much longer and heavier linkage across the bike from left side of the back wheel to the pedal on the right side. So I am wondering if this spring is actually required and why it appears only in the very early parts books.

Tobin

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I'm not sure it's really necessary, haven't had one on my '69 Ambassador with left-foot brake for 18 years. Like you say, the right-foot brake shaft has more friction and the pedal is much heavier and it's not used with them. The shoe return springs supply plenty of pressure, the only thing opposing them is the spring inside the rear brake light switch.

[tpeever]

I'm not sure it's really necessary, haven't had one on my '69 Ambassador with left-foot brake for 18 years. Like you say, the right-foot brake shaft has more friction and the pedal is much heavier and it's not used with them. The shoe return springs supply plenty of pressure, the only thing opposing them is the spring inside the rear brake light switch.

Thanks Charlie! I am going to put it together and test it out sans spring and see how it goes.