The essence of a motorcycle: Moto Guzzi V50 II
'1981 model V50/II, with front brake pump under the tank. I started
with purchasing (from eBay ;-) complete technical
documentation (in English): user's manual and
spare parts catalogue
(links to PDFs). For reference, I purchased also the same for Moto Guzzi V50/III, since I've read (someplace on the Net) that, although these bikes look very similar -- except for the brake pump on the handlebar -- many parts are incompatible. So here they are for
those who may need it: user's manual (in German) and spare parts catalogue for Moto Guzzi V50 III.
Restoration started March 2004 by complete disassembly and thermal painting of the
frame and other details. Restoration was performed in the garage of
Polmotor (motoguzzi.pl), Polish representative of Moto Guzzi.
- Engine: in concordance with the "indestructability" myth of Moto Guzzi engines, it was found in nearly perfect condition, except for the leaks, which stopped after two iterations of dissasembly and replacing the seals. Runs - and sounds - great!
-
Air intake: this was the only one major (apart from the tank painting
;-)) modification of the original setup. Airbox, of generally bad
opinion in these models (c.f. http://www.hfeltsadas.cistron.nl/guzzi/techno/models/v50/air_fil_leak.html),
was replaced with cone air
filters and a custom made breathing for the crankcase. This also gave
the bike a better look leaving free space between the cylinders.
-
Electrical installation: all wiring was rebuilt from new elements to
fit also the above modification. The original Bosch ignition and
rectifier are no more available; fortunately I bought two ignition
boxes from eBay, and the rectifier was adapted in
the garage. There were also problems with battery charging system, but
after replacing most of the elements with brand new ones it finally
works :-)
-
Tyres: I put 10" oversize - comparing to the manual - on both front and
rear; now taking a wheel out requires deflating the tyre.
-
Rear suspension: the bike I bought had Marzocchi oil-pneumatic dampers,
I do not know whether they were originally assembled in this model or
replaced by an owner. After regeneration they work perfectly.
- Silencers: "loud pipes" shorter than standard, apart from a great
sound they probably give some power increase. The subjective feeling of
power is equal to a new Breva 750 (with catalyser and Euro 2 norm
silencers).
Restoration took half a year, plus some €€ (click here for a more detailed description in Polish).
