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Spine Registry & Pic Thread
- Thread starterGTM®
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Congrats.
Yeah,the yellow livery's a bit weird, but I have a HDM EV, so cannot throw stones.
Besides, Guzzisti should revel in their own their machines' quirkiness.
In 2001, on way back from Virginia to Atlanta,I happened to ride by the (then) N.C. "headquarters" of Moto Guzzi. I wish I could remember the fellow who showed me around -- good guy -- but he popped the top of a crate with what he said was the last Centauro to be delivered to the U.S. It was that dark cherry and gorgeous. Regrettably, it went to someone else.
A few years later, got to ride one -- a bright red with white stripes -- and understood the charm ... and siren call of those. What a beast.
Great vid, too. Had not seen that before. Did not realize that you could drop a Centauro's oil filter without removing the sump. Cool fabricated "special tool," too.
Only one negative, and that so subjective as to be worthless.
I had a Ballabio once -- a pox on me for ever selling it
. But, having heard Centauros, albeit not in all can configurations, I think mine, with Mistrals, represented Basso Profondo even better. But, it's all opera. Bravi. 
So, best wishes for many miles of smiles with your latest addition to your moto-harem.
Bill
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Congrats... So, best wishes for many miles of smiles with your latest addition to your moto-harem.
Bill
Thanks so much Bill!
You just made my day.
Cheers,
Scott
Personally, I really like the yellow liveried Centauro. One of my favorite colors it came in. I like loud paint schemes.
I am jealous, but as we have four Guzzi's between the wife and I (including a V11 sport, a Daytona, and a Lario) I can't really complain.
But congrats to you on the new ride. Very nice.
I am jealous, but as we have four Guzzi's between the wife and I (including a V11 sport, a Daytona, and a Lario) I can't really complain.
But congrats to you on the new ride. Very nice.
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Oh wow! You have a NICE collection there! I always loved the Daytona but my back, not so much! That's how I ended up with a Centauro in the first place.
Thank you for the kind words. It's nice to find people who celebrate other people's Guzzi addictions!
I had issues with the Daytona as well. So while I converted the front forks to GSXR forks (the originals were pitted a little and needed work) I added handlebars instead of clip ons and removed the front fairing. I could not get the fairing to work with the handlebars I went with (although I am trying to figure out how to put the front fairing back on). I also converted the rear sub frame to a V11 rear sub frame and seat. It is much more comfy now, I can ride it all day. But, as mentioned, I am looking into how I can put the front fairing on without going back to clip ons. I am trying a flat drag bar now, if I can get the fairing back on with those I think that will be it.
I bought the Daytona from one of my best friends, I first rode it way back in the 90's the day he bought it. I told him then and there that if he ever sells it I will buy it. That was how I first became interested in Guzzi's. I went on to buy my own, a Griso, and my wife bought a V11 (back in 2001). But eventually my friend decided to sell me the Daytona. He had cancer and knew it was going to need a home. I will never sell it. Everything I have done, the front forks, the rear sub frame, it is all bolt on and can be un-done to put it back to stock. I doubt I ever will put it completely back to stock, but these bikes are kinda rare (as I recall my vin # is 7) so I don't want to butcher it.
The Lario is also seriously cool.
You are starting a decent stable yourself.
I bought the Daytona from one of my best friends, I first rode it way back in the 90's the day he bought it. I told him then and there that if he ever sells it I will buy it. That was how I first became interested in Guzzi's. I went on to buy my own, a Griso, and my wife bought a V11 (back in 2001). But eventually my friend decided to sell me the Daytona. He had cancer and knew it was going to need a home. I will never sell it. Everything I have done, the front forks, the rear sub frame, it is all bolt on and can be un-done to put it back to stock. I doubt I ever will put it completely back to stock, but these bikes are kinda rare (as I recall my vin # is 7) so I don't want to butcher it.
The Lario is also seriously cool.
You are starting a decent stable yourself.
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Hell yes the Lario is seriously cool. I'd love that too. With regard to what Bill said about his Billabio, I totally was in love with that bike too when it came out but I already had so many motorcycles I couldn't swing another one at the time.
My signature picture needs updating because I also owned a Cal 1100i and a V11-EV as well, and they were both rocking bikes too. I've got some pretty damn fine memories aboard Moto Guzzi motorcycles. Best smiles per mile of any motorcycle I've ever ridden or owned! Man I am really looking forward to this Centauro showing up at my door.
My signature picture needs updating because I also owned a Cal 1100i and a V11-EV as well, and they were both rocking bikes too. I've got some pretty damn fine memories aboard Moto Guzzi motorcycles. Best smiles per mile of any motorcycle I've ever ridden or owned! Man I am really looking forward to this Centauro showing up at my door.
MedicAndy
Tuned and Synch'ed
Here is my Moto Guzzi lineup.
1985 Lemans V1000 IV with 5600 miles. I have the original exhaust in the barn.
VIN# ZGUVVAVV2FM100052 – Andreas Boehme – Willow Spring, NC, USA – D.O.P. 04/16
1997 1100 Sport with 7,200 original miles: Original from Germany, so the speedometer is in km/h only. She was displayed within the Wisconsin Motorcycle Museum for most of her life. A friend of mine, who is the owner of Moto Motivo here in Raleigh, bought several of the museums motorcycles during a liquidation sale after the museum declared bankruptcy. Luckily for me that he is a big collector of Ducati and Bimota motorcycles, so this Guzzi didn't fit into his lineup.
VIN # ZGUKFAKF4VM112439 – Andreas Boehme – Willow Spring, NC, USA – D.O.P. 07/16
1997 1100 Sport with 24k original miles: Original yellow bike, owner liked red better, so bike was repainted in 97 in BMW red. I really like the deep red shiny paint on this bike. I may one day repaint this bike in black, which would then give me four of the five 1100 Sport available colors, but that red just looks so good! I also received with this purchase an extra gas tank, new front tire, a complete hand-written detailed maintenance log, the original exhaust system, air box, new spare mirrors & a new spare windscreen, lots of other spare parts, and several service manuals.
VIN# ZGUKFAKF2VM111709 – Andreas Boehme – Willow Spring, NC, USA – D.O.P. 11/16
1996 1100 Sport with 21.1k original miles: Bought this bike out of Vancouver for only $1.5k. Cost included a new set of Michelin Pilot's. She has a couple of cosmetic issues, but I may repaint this bike, which would make her look like new again. Or I may leave her as is. Only time will tell. After all, a bike is only original once!
VIN# ZGUKEAKEXTM100142 – Andreas Boehme – Willow Spring, NC, USA – D.O.P. 12/16
1997 1100 Sport with 33,100 original miles: This is a project bike. She was sitting for seven years under a tarp outside. I almost turned this bike into a parts bike, but I just can't get myself to part her out! I just completed an oil / filter, gearbox, and final drive fluid change, and installed a new set of plugs. My next task is to remove the gas tank to get all of the old fuel drained, and a new fuel and air filter installed. I will then install a new battery and see if she comes back to life! I sure hope so. I will then need to remove the rims, to get them sandblasted and power coated since the rims paint is flaking really bad. I already had new mirrors and a new wind screen from the previous bike which I will need to use on this bike. I also had to buy new brake and clutch handlebar assemblies. I was lucky that I received an extra passenger seat with the blue 96 I bough, so I am going to replace the yellow passenger seat with that black one. Luckily, the last owner filled the tank up to the top with fuel before parking this bike, so there was just a little surface rust around the fuel cap which I hopefully can sand away.
VIN# ZGUKFAKFXVM112073 – Andreas Boehme – Willow Spring, NC, USA – D.O.P. 01/17
Together pictures:
1985 Lemans V1000 IV with 5600 miles. I have the original exhaust in the barn.
VIN# ZGUVVAVV2FM100052 – Andreas Boehme – Willow Spring, NC, USA – D.O.P. 04/16
1997 1100 Sport with 7,200 original miles: Original from Germany, so the speedometer is in km/h only. She was displayed within the Wisconsin Motorcycle Museum for most of her life. A friend of mine, who is the owner of Moto Motivo here in Raleigh, bought several of the museums motorcycles during a liquidation sale after the museum declared bankruptcy. Luckily for me that he is a big collector of Ducati and Bimota motorcycles, so this Guzzi didn't fit into his lineup.
VIN # ZGUKFAKF4VM112439 – Andreas Boehme – Willow Spring, NC, USA – D.O.P. 07/16
1997 1100 Sport with 24k original miles: Original yellow bike, owner liked red better, so bike was repainted in 97 in BMW red. I really like the deep red shiny paint on this bike. I may one day repaint this bike in black, which would then give me four of the five 1100 Sport available colors, but that red just looks so good!
I also received with this purchase an extra gas tank, new front tire, a complete hand-written detailed maintenance log, the original exhaust system, air box, new spare mirrors & a new spare windscreen, lots of other spare parts, and several service manuals.VIN# ZGUKFAKF2VM111709 – Andreas Boehme – Willow Spring, NC, USA – D.O.P. 11/16
1996 1100 Sport with 21.1k original miles: Bought this bike out of Vancouver for only $1.5k. Cost included a new set of Michelin Pilot's. She has a couple of cosmetic issues, but I may repaint this bike, which would make her look like new again. Or I may leave her as is. Only time will tell. After all, a bike is only original once!
VIN# ZGUKEAKEXTM100142 – Andreas Boehme – Willow Spring, NC, USA – D.O.P. 12/16
1997 1100 Sport with 33,100 original miles: This is a project bike. She was sitting for seven years under a tarp outside. I almost turned this bike into a parts bike, but I just can't get myself to part her out! I just completed an oil / filter, gearbox, and final drive fluid change, and installed a new set of plugs. My next task is to remove the gas tank to get all of the old fuel drained, and a new fuel and air filter installed. I will then install a new battery and see if she comes back to life! I sure hope so. I will then need to remove the rims, to get them sandblasted and power coated since the rims paint is flaking really bad. I already had new mirrors and a new wind screen from the previous bike which I will need to use on this bike. I also had to buy new brake and clutch handlebar assemblies. I was lucky that I received an extra passenger seat with the blue 96 I bough, so I am going to replace the yellow passenger seat with that black one. Luckily, the last owner filled the tank up to the top with fuel before parking this bike, so there was just a little surface rust around the fuel cap which I hopefully can sand away.
VIN# ZGUKFAKFXVM112073 – Andreas Boehme – Willow Spring, NC, USA – D.O.P. 01/17
Together pictures:
Bigbear
Cruisin' Guzzisti
Wow,
Only just read this forum thread - fantastic.
Have always thought the spine frames deserve a bit more recognition.
Will post my bikes chassis No's a pt a later date.
My favourite is red 96 1100 Carb'd sport ex USA (mph not kms ) but once I have finished converting my 97 yellow 1500 mile Centauro to a Guzzi Sport ( similar to Dr John pic) with 1100 Sport rear & full fairing the choice may be more difficult.
Interestingly if one takes their time, such a conversion does not cost the earth & is quite straight forward.
The Centauro frame & original parts can be reused, e.g. Raising rear subframe allows 1100 rear fairing, seat etc to bolt straight on, reversed instrument brackets lower the instruments & the Centauro bikini fairing brackets bolt straight onto alternator cover & angle under the headers to pickup the full fairing.
I thought I was obsessed, but Medic Andy's lovely line- up blows that thought away!
Only just read this forum thread - fantastic.
Have always thought the spine frames deserve a bit more recognition.
Will post my bikes chassis No's a pt a later date.
My favourite is red 96 1100 Carb'd sport ex USA (mph not kms ) but once I have finished converting my 97 yellow 1500 mile Centauro to a Guzzi Sport ( similar to Dr John pic) with 1100 Sport rear & full fairing the choice may be more difficult.
Interestingly if one takes their time, such a conversion does not cost the earth & is quite straight forward.
The Centauro frame & original parts can be reused, e.g. Raising rear subframe allows 1100 rear fairing, seat etc to bolt straight on, reversed instrument brackets lower the instruments & the Centauro bikini fairing brackets bolt straight onto alternator cover & angle under the headers to pickup the full fairing.
I thought I was obsessed, but Medic Andy's lovely line- up blows that thought away!
Bigbear
Cruisin' Guzzisti
Your'e not wrong there Scott.
I wonder if he finds the Carb'd Sport a different beast compared to the injected brothers?
The Mk5s I have had handled super once a few little tweaks were made & despite all the criticism the linked brakes are magic for hard riding in the wet where you can demoralise a few moderns (without ABS of course).
But my Carb'd 1100 is just that much more, although I nearly thru it away on a windy road that the Mk5 was very quick on so initially tried reverse steering to get it to drop into the corners, (once down she tracked on railway lines like Guzzi's do). Now though she has being tweaked to handle well, plus reinstating the SS exhaust collector which Dr John said made more hp than any engine mods ( despite the restricted USA muffler cans) & reducing the air box bleed points ( water drainage holes & closing the rebreather tube) plus jets & K14 needles she is just as smooth as any injected Guzzi & seems to have much more top end grunt than the Centauro ( admittedly being run in) but even remembering comparison to a 93 Daytona I once had).
A Guzzi owner will always regret selling ANY Guzzi they have owned!
I read your thread re Centauro purchase so can empathise with you regarding them.
I purchased a (yellow/black) one from a USA bike shop where it had sat for around 17 years with 1500 miles!
It came with the bikini fairing, a full Australian StainTune exhaust system ( which costs $$$ & sounds like the video link you posted but X 2 decibels!) & I surmise a Will Creedon chip as the seal was lifted & taped over - as she runs very strong - definetly not lean. The bars were curved back from the pedestals, so when I rotated the bars they made the bar ends rake down - she really looked the bit!
However believe it or not the 1100 mile eater was still the choice of ride ( no wonder they ate into the Daytona sales & were called hot rods).
I always wanted a Dr John lookalike, so it only took my BMW riding mate kept to keep telling me that the rear end of my "Guzzi Bee looks like a fat arsed scooter" - that the mould was set - ( buddies do that sort of thing ).
Initially I put a 70 profile 17" rear tyre on ( instead of the 60 profile)to match the diameter of the 1100 18" rear & gear her up a bit for top end.
Won't lie when I stood looking at her all dismantled thinking WTF r u doing???? It was a NEW bike
But now I've gone past the point of no return & shes 98% done - so will post some pics by weeks ends for you (& everyone else interested).
The colour scheme will still be black & yellow, with the full fairing black upper & yellow lower which will have "GUZZI" on each side, but further down will be just a letter "B" (for my mate sake as he cannot even say Ghezzi Brian so to him it will be Guzzi Bee )
I wonder if he finds the Carb'd Sport a different beast compared to the injected brothers?
The Mk5s I have had handled super once a few little tweaks were made & despite all the criticism the linked brakes are magic for hard riding in the wet where you can demoralise a few moderns (without ABS of course).
But my Carb'd 1100 is just that much more, although I nearly thru it away on a windy road that the Mk5 was very quick on so initially tried reverse steering to get it to drop into the corners, (once down she tracked on railway lines like Guzzi's do). Now though she has being tweaked to handle well, plus reinstating the SS exhaust collector which Dr John said made more hp than any engine mods ( despite the restricted USA muffler cans) & reducing the air box bleed points ( water drainage holes & closing the rebreather tube) plus jets & K14 needles she is just as smooth as any injected Guzzi & seems to have much more top end grunt than the Centauro ( admittedly being run in) but even remembering comparison to a 93 Daytona I once had).
A Guzzi owner will always regret selling ANY Guzzi they have owned!
I read your thread re Centauro purchase so can empathise with you regarding them.
I purchased a (yellow/black) one from a USA bike shop where it had sat for around 17 years with 1500 miles!
It came with the bikini fairing, a full Australian StainTune exhaust system ( which costs $$$ & sounds like the video link you posted but X 2 decibels!) & I surmise a Will Creedon chip as the seal was lifted & taped over - as she runs very strong - definetly not lean. The bars were curved back from the pedestals, so when I rotated the bars they made the bar ends rake down - she really looked the bit!
However believe it or not the 1100 mile eater was still the choice of ride ( no wonder they ate into the Daytona sales & were called hot rods).
I always wanted a Dr John lookalike, so it only took my BMW riding mate kept to keep telling me that the rear end of my "Guzzi Bee looks like a fat arsed scooter" - that the mould was set - ( buddies do that sort of thing ).
Initially I put a 70 profile 17" rear tyre on ( instead of the 60 profile)to match the diameter of the 1100 18" rear & gear her up a bit for top end.
Won't lie when I stood looking at her all dismantled thinking WTF r u doing???? It was a NEW bike
But now I've gone past the point of no return & shes 98% done - so will post some pics by weeks ends for you (& everyone else interested).
The colour scheme will still be black & yellow, with the full fairing black upper & yellow lower which will have "GUZZI" on each side, but further down will be just a letter "B" (for my mate sake as he cannot even say Ghezzi Brian so to him it will be Guzzi Bee )
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You are SO LUCKY that I didn't see it, because I would have snatched her up in a second!
Although it pains me to hear of the demise of such a prize, I am looking forward to seeing the pics. If you pull it off, you will be the first person whom I have seen actually create something more beautiful than a stock Centauro.
Everything to this point that I have ever seen, has just been a dreadful butcher job like this ham-fisted disaster, but, I'm admittedly prejudiced!
Bigbear
Cruisin' Guzzisti
Hi Scott,
Obviously you must have an eye for style too - well at least I'm hoping I have!
I am recovering from the flu but that didn't stop me from covering 300 miles in the weekend on the 1100 Sport' & despite an early morning cold fog the Ol girl just got into the groove & was really loping along by the end of the day - have to get a Rocky Road Radar or I'm going to get a ticket soon
Having trouble loading pics from my iPad, but will try now with the Centauro of where I'm up too.
Let me know what you think - be brutally honest.
PS I did see a red Centauro on eBay USA recently for $6000 which has still got to be a bargain.
Obviously you must have an eye for style too - well at least I'm hoping I have!
I am recovering from the flu but that didn't stop me from covering 300 miles in the weekend on the 1100 Sport' & despite an early morning cold fog the Ol girl just got into the groove & was really loping along by the end of the day - have to get a Rocky Road Radar or I'm going to get a ticket soon
Having trouble loading pics from my iPad, but will try now with the Centauro of where I'm up too.
Let me know what you think - be brutally honest.
PS I did see a red Centauro on eBay USA recently for $6000 which has still got to be a bargain.
Bigbear
Cruisin' Guzzisti
The before pics of the Centauro!
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Actually, it looks kinda cool so far. I will reserve judgement until you give a total side profile and get a little further along, but it definitely is tasteful and not a hack up job like that god awful mess I posted the pic of.
VIN#ZGUKEAKE1TM100174 (carb) - PAUL C. blakbird@msn.com - Alpharetta, GA, USA - D.O.P. 4.13. Pic to follow
MedicAndy
Tuned and Synch'ed
I finally had some time to get my # 5 1100 Sport going today, which was followed by her re-assembly. I bought this bike with the left injector not receiving a signal / pulse from the ECU. I took one from a different bike and installed it in this bike, and everything fired up as it should! I then re-assembled the yellow 1100. I have another yellow 1100 that I am currently working on, but that bike won't be ready until next spring. I'm thinking about painting that bike in a deep gloss black paint.
Bigbear
Cruisin' Guzzisti
Fantastic pic - soooo many 1100 Guzzi's
Makes me drool
Have seen a very low mileage black one, that upon closer inspection, appeared to be a very dark metallic brown - it was stunning.
Makes me drool
Have seen a very low mileage black one, that upon closer inspection, appeared to be a very dark metallic brown - it was stunning.
MedicAndy
Tuned and Synch'ed
I saw a 97 also for sale on eBay about six to eight month ago. This bike was located in Georgia. The bike had just over 3000 miles on the clock. It sold for $4.600.00
I should have bought that bike......
This is a Google picture, and not of the bike from Georgia
