Moto Guzzi 850 Le Mans Mk1 Series 2 buyers advice requested

[Rob Farmer]

That's an outrageous price for a Guzzi.

Is that bike in Derby? It looks awfully familiar. If it is it wasn't red a few months ago.



Just found the advert. It's a dealer in Stowmarket so not the one I thought it was.

Joe Carruso is your man, lives round the corner from me and restores, tracks down Guzzis for people. Get in touch with him or his brother John through here http://www.giovannimoto.com/home.html

[Bongolia]

Originally Posted by Rob Farmer

That's an outrageous price for a Guzzi.

Is that bike in Derby? It looks awfully familiar. If it is it wasn't red a few months ago.



Just found the advert. It's a dealer in Stowmarket so not the one I thought it was.

Joe Carruso is your man, lives round the corner from me and restores, tracks down Guzzis for people. Get in touch with him or his brother John through here http://www.giovannimoto.com/home.html

I thought it was a bit OTT. Thanks for the link, Rob.

[Bongolia]

Originally Posted by Lornce

10-4 on the classic status. Completely understandable. They're not making any more of them, etc.

Mate of mine has a few bikes he might finally be willing to part with. Original '75 Duc 900SS, '86 Duc 750F1, '68 or '69 (I'm not sure?) Velo Thruxton, '77 Bonneville Silver Jubilee...

Maybe worthwhile shipping to England?

Theres a good market in the UK for classics at the moment. I think the 900SS and the Thruxton would fetch a good price. The Silver Jubilee isn't so desirable at the moment from what I can see. Don't know about the Duc F1..

I'll see if I can find example prices in Classic Bike.

[Bongolia]

Thanks Irutt & Magnon, appreciated.

[guzzimike]

Originally Posted by Magnon

Some LM2s had chrome plated bores which can be bad news - I don't know about the 76-78 (Mk1s). My LM2 has Nikasil with no sign of wear after 45k miles although I've had K&N filters fitted most of the time

Chrome bores were never fitted to any LeMans.
Mk1 & early Mk2 had cast iron, later Mk2's had nikasil.

[Pampera]

With the exception of the rear brake line it looks 100% original.

MkI series 2 had that type of rear lamp (1978) and the fairing in one colour (without the SeaFlare Orange centre).

I know what I'm talking about here, I worked for 3X motorcycles in 1978 - 1979.

Check the bleed nipples aren't seized in the brake calipers.

Check the condition of the drive shaft UJ by putting the bike in gear on the centre stand and rotating the back wheel. If it 'clonks' the UJ is on the way out.

The moulded seat is prone to cracking, inspect the area in front of the pillion 'hump'.

Centre stand looks worn, back wheel should be higher than that.


Nice bike: is it worth the money? Only if you think so.

[farmer fred]

Originally Posted by Pampera

With the exception of the rear brake line it looks 100% original.

MkI series 2 had that type of rear lamp (1978) and the fairing in one colour (without the SeaFlare Orange centre).

Maybe where you are, but here in the US they all had the day-glo panel. My 78 was a one-owner when I bought it and it had it.

You can't currently get Le Mans 850 nicasil kits and you can't find oversized Le Mans pistons either, making top-end work frustrating.

[Bongolia]

Originally Posted by Pampera

With the exception of the rear brake line it looks 100% original.

MkI series 2 had that type of rear lamp (1978) and the fairing in one colour (without the SeaFlare Orange centre).

I know what I'm talking about here, I worked for 3X motorcycles in 1978 - 1979.

Check the bleed nipples aren't seized in the brake calipers.

Check the condition of the drive shaft UJ by putting the bike in gear on the centre stand and rotating the back wheel. If it 'clonks' the UJ is on the way out.

The moulded seat is prone to cracking, inspect the area in front of the pillion 'hump'.

Centre stand looks worn, back wheel should be higher than that.


Nice bike: is it worth the money? Only if you think so.

Thanks Pampera. What's the going rate in the UK for a good one?

[sjc56]

Having done a few Guzzi's and working on a 77 LeMan's. Everything that has been said plus seals, rear main seal like to leak, check the under the bike where the gear box meets the motor and see if it is dripping from the small slot. The clutch splines wear and make for notchy engagement.

[aerone]

I've always wanted to get Convert cylinders with pistons and put them on my LeMans, retaining the stock big valve heads. I believe it is the only other iron sleeve bike of the round jug years and a 1000cc.

[photomd]

Originally Posted by aerone

I've always wanted to get Convert cylinders with pistons and put them on my LeMans, retaining the stock big valve heads. I believe it is the only other iron sleeve bike of the round jug years and a 1000cc.

I have a set of iron cylinders and pistons in the garage I could sell ya from a v-1000sp. The piston to cylinder clearance is slightly bigger than spec and one cylinder has two small pits. However, when these were on the bike, it tested 150psi per side and ran great. I'm replacing them with nikasil bores and pistons since I have the engine completely disassembled.

As for the OP, that price seems steep. You can google up bikes in the US for $6000-$7500. Also do you want it for an 'investment' or the Guzzi experience? Don't get me wrong...I think they're great bikes, but that seems a little steep price wise.

[farmer fred]

Originally Posted by aerone

I've always wanted to get Convert cylinders with pistons and put them on my LeMans, retaining the stock big valve heads. I believe it is the only other iron sleeve bike of the round jug years and a 1000cc.

But the Convert/G5 pistons are low compression, so you'll lose the advantage of the Le Mans spec motor.

MG Cycle sells a kit of round-fin nicasil cylinders with the mid-valve 949 engine pistons, but you'll have to have the spigots turned down or the cases opened up to fit.

[Bongolia]

Raceco in the UK do 950cc barrels, pistons and rods. Or they did.

http://www.raceco.com/

[Pampera]

Originally Posted by King Bongo

Thanks Pampera. What's the going rate in the UK for a good one?

Really difficult to say as there are so few good ones and so many fakes.

The SeaFlare paint on the early Mk 1 fairing faded to white in about 3 years, hence it was soon dropped by the factory.

I have to say (an I've only seen the pics) that the one advertised looks cleaner, and more complete and original than any I've seen here in the UK for a long time.

If it has a registration number starting -AA, -JT, -LJ, -FX -PR or -EL and ending with a T or V, then it's a Three Cross supplied bike, and I probably uncrated it and built it up as an 18 or 19 year old kid.

What lovely bikes they were: starting from cold they sounded like a steam engine.

Most of the modern Guzzis are so ugly in comparison.

[lrutt]

Originally Posted by Pampera

What lovely bikes they were: starting from cold they sounded like a steam engine.

You know you're right, when you flip that enrichner lever and crank it you would swear it's a steamer.

I know when I bought mine I scrutinized it very closely as the price was almost too good to be true, but it was a true 850 Lemans, with the ZD straightcut racing tranny to boot. Lovely old bike. Record keeping by Guzzi back then left a lot to be desired to VIN tracking can be a bit of a challenge.