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Vintage racing bike

V

vghp

Just got it firing!
Joined
Apr 1, 2009
Messages
2
Hi everybody,

I went to my first track day last week and I think I have the bug. My question for all of you is this:

What reasonably priced Guzzi would make a fun project/track bike. I am thinking a mid 80's to late 90's bike and converting it into a track only bike. I would rather play with an older Guzzi and have a unique bike rather than buying gsxr or r6. Am I wrong or does RacerX ride a cali stone or similar?

I look forward to your opinions.

Vaughn
 
Welcome!

Not sure if you're wrong (nor on what), but Todd does ride what once was a Cali Jackal ;)

Have a look in the small-block and Tonti sections too for ideas!
 
Everybody will have their own preferences, but I think the early V11s were the best handling Guzzis and most suited to track use. If you want a vintage legal bike that won't work.
Good luck whatever you chose, as long as its not a modern Japanese sportbike (just kidding, they're ok too).
 
I have to say track days are about the most fun I have ever had. I had to get rid of my little SV in order to fix up my house, but as soon as I have extra money again I will be back at the track. As far as a track bike goes I would love to do it on a Guzzi, but there are several reasons why something from Japan is practical. My experience is with a Suzuki SV650. This is a great track bike, and after doing some suspension work will out corner the 600's and 1000's. Only problem is you have to pass everyone on the brakes and then squirt out the other side extra fast. That way they don't pass you on the straights again. It can get annoying if you have some goon that can't corner but knows where the gas handle is on the straights. If you are actually good they will never see you again. If you suck like me and its a track with more straights than curves they can get back by you.
Anyway back to the case for any Suzuki. Everybody in the paddock has one. You can buy one for next to nothing. Parts are everywhere and can be had very cheaply on Ebay. Since lots of privateers race them theit take offs are constantly being sold. They are stone dead reliable. You can abuse the crap out of them for a whole lot of track days and they will just keep going.
Drawbacks they are boring and everyone has one. A guzzi will definitely be fun but could get annoying when you find out you are no Racer X.
 
I would probably wait until you have more than 1 track day under your belt to make a track bike purchase,...unless money is no object, but you've already alluded that it is. 80/90's Guzzi would not be high on my list. They take too much work to make enjoyable on the track. You have to really WANT to race a Guzzi.

Much better choice would be 650 Cagiva/Ducati Alazurra/Pantah. Relatively cheap, easy to make fast, and most importantly it's an Italian twin. I've put about 10-12 of these on the track. Contact me off list for more information. An early V11 sport might work too, they're cheap these days at ~$4500.

Or just ride what you already have...


Ed
 
Daytona RS or 1100 Sport IE?

This is my Sporti:

1100Sport1.jpg



Also take a look here:
http://www.fastguzzi.nl/ :)
 
It depends on with whom you want to race. I think WERA makes it nearly impossible to be competitive on a Guzzi in Vintage. Don't know much about AHRMA BOT (AHRMA Vintage places Guzzis at a major disadvantage) , but they only come to my town once per year. SMRI is my local group and also make it hard for Guzzis, unless you race a loop-frame.

So I race a stinky 2-stroke (OSSA). Its eligible and welcome (a real crowd-pleaser) everywhere and super-competitive (with a better rider, of course!). :woohoo:
 
vghp wrote:
I would rather play with an older Guzzi and have a unique bike rather than buying gsxr or r6. Am I wrong or does RacerX ride a cali stone or similar?
Click to expand...
Hey Vaughn, my $.03... if you want a Guzzi to do track days on, you really can't beat a '00-02 California. Yes, I ride a very well modded '00 Jackal... but my bud Rich R's is still pretty stock and goes very well on the track too. Nothing beats a Tonti for feeling like a hero on track days.

The V11S' series is fun, but a LOT of work, and not all too confidence inspiring as delivered. You'll spend $1500 + tires to get them into the ballpark.

You certainly do *NOT* want an older Guzzi to play with. Hope that helps.
 
Shane wrote:
[

So I race a stinky 2-stroke (OSSA). Its eligible and welcome (a real crowd-pleaser) everywhere and super-competitive (with a better rider, of course!). :woohoo:[/quote]

Ossa is a fine machine. It was the best of the Spanish bikes. Ossa then Montessa.

I picked up an 03 Stone reasonable. With some suspension mods it handles quite well. It would make a good track bike.
 
RacerX wrote:
vghp wrote:
I would rather play with an older Guzzi and have a unique bike rather than buying gsxr or r6. Am I wrong or does RacerX ride a cali stone or similar?
Click to expand...
Hey Vaughn, my $.03... if you want a Guzzi to do track days on, you really can't beat a '00-02 California. Yes, I ride a very well modded '00 Jackal... but my bud Rich R's is still pretty stock and goes very well on the track too. Nothing beats a Tonti for feeling like a hero on track days.

The V11S' series is fun, but a LOT of work, and not all too confidence inspiring as delivered. You'll spend $1500 + tires to get them into the ballpark.

You certainly do *NOT* want an older Guzzi to play with. Hope that helps.
Click to expand...

????
My wifes V11 and the couple of other V11's I ridden were definetely the sharpest handling Guzzis I've ever ridden and very confidence inspiring. The 4 valve Daytona I rode was cool but not as good a track bike due to the slower steering but I would not hesitate to take one of them on the track either. It's kinda like the difference between the new Ducatis and the older Ducatis (To me "older" is late '80s as that's when I first rode one). Used to race against a guy on a LeMans with my 750 Sport. Did not notice anything wrong with the LeMans. Maybe it depends on what else you've ridden.....
 
vaughn, Guzzimoto,
the newer tontis are way more fun with a few key mods. Every spine frame (v11sport) rider/owner that I have let ride my Jackal say I'm cheating because my bike is so easy to ride fast. as you will see by my signature line, I own a v11sport also. I have pulled the rear ohlins and the Ohlilns forks and hope I can get the ohlins shop to make my V11 as rock solid as my Jackal.

My bike appears almost stock at first glance but I have changed front wheel to a 17x3.5 with a 120/70-17 Dunlop Qualifier D209, the rear is still stock (17x3.5) and run a Dunlop D205 sport touring tire :) I changed the handlebars, foot controls (bought rearsets that Todd E designed), raised seat this put me in a better position over the bike. I also fixed stock front forks with wilbers springs and other stuff :), then I replaced the rear shocks with the Wilbers high end piggyback shocks with high/low speed comp, rebound and preload, I also added a second front brake and changed the master cylinder to a 19mm radial. These changes made my Jackal into the ultimate low key hooligan bike! now on the performace end I changed the mufflers to lafrancone comp, open airbox lid with K&N filter and a PCIIIusb. the engine, tranny, and rear drive are stock. this bike is soooo much fun to ride everywhere! it is a do everything bike, and shocks the trackday crowd. :p

Now to put it in prospective, my bike is stock when you put it next to Todds! :eek:hmy: :angry: ;)

when you go down the spect sheet on new vs older Tonti the things that will stand out are the 45mm fork legs, better brakes, more power, better version of frame with 3 more x braces. very hard to beat the 98 and newer tontis and they are more affordable than some of the 80's and 90's Guzzi's...I also have owned a CX100 lemans, and a SPII that was modified to be a Lemans II...my Jackal, EV11 and V11sport all work better than my CX100 and SPII ever did. hope this helps, Richard a sportbike guy that has accepted the crusier bodywork as a badge of honor.
 
I'm just going to say "ditto" to Richards comments. I rode a spine frame (Centauro) for 10 years, and just now got a well set up Jackal....the difference is very notable. The Centauro had a few more horsepower (both have PC's) but the Tonti frame bike is much easier to ride fast.
 
I have no doubt the newer Tonti's are better then the old ones. And I would not be surprised if for many people a new style Tonti is easier to ride then a early V11. But being easier to ride fast is not the same as being faster. It is cool that people like you put in the effort to make a Tonti quick, and I am glad you enjoy doing so. But I'll stick with the early V11's being my track Guzzi of choice. We all have different things that bring us joy. To some it is going faster then you would think you could on a bike that you wouldn't expect. To me it is the sharp precise handling of a well setup early V11 doing exactly what I tell it to.
Different strokes.

However good your V11 (I didn't check to see what year) would be with all that effort you put into the Tonti, it still might not provide you with the joy your Tonti does. But that is as much the owner as the bike.
 
But being easier to ride fast is not the same as being faster. It is cool that people like you put in the effort to make a Tonti quick, and I am glad you enjoy doing so. But I'll stick with the early V11's being my track Guzzi of choice. We all have different things that bring us joy. To some it is going faster then you would think you could on a bike that you wouldn't expect. To me it is the sharp precise handling of a well setup early V11 doing exactly what I tell it to.
Different strokes.
Click to expand...

as far as "being easier to ride fast and Being faster. I really do know the difference. at 23 (1984) I owned a '80 CX100 Le Mans had a lot of fun on that bike. Then I bought a '87 spII that I made to look and work like my CX100 since at that Time I didn't like the look the new Le Mans had gone to. The spII was my forever Guzzi there was no way that bike would be cast aside...then I bought a '98 EV11 to ride two up touring. This would let me make the SpII into more of a solo sportbike...Yeah, laugh now because that is what I was doing. As I adjusted the stock suspension for me. I could ride the EV11 faster than my modified SPII which was faster than the
Le Mans it replaced...it bugged me because this was my TOURING BIKE and it did everything better than my SPORT Guzzi...I then bought a Jackal modified it into a "under the radar" sport bike. I then sold the SPII because i rarely rode it now that I had the Jackal. I wanted a Guzzi sportbike and picked up a V11 sport Scura, so now I had a Guzzi sportbike with Ohlins, imagine How I felt when the Scura looks like my fastest bike...and I ride it the slowest of the three Guzzi's I own :unsure: but to be fair the EV11 and the Jackal have "set up for me" high end suspension systems, the Scura has OEM Ohlins but not valved or sprung for my weight, that is being corrected as I write this. I should have a razor sharp V11 sport shortly and the statement...at this time I can ride my Jackal the Fastest of all the Guzzi's I've owned, this is stated to me by my friends that have ridden with me for a real long time on the track and the street ...will change and the V11 sport will be the fast bike! :blush:
 
The V11 likely will be the fastest of your bikes, but even with the suspension set up for you it very well may not be the easiest bike to ride fast. V11s are not as easy to ride fast as Jackels. The are top heavy feeling with a distinct feeling of sitting on top of the bike rather then in the bike and do best if you ride the bike the way it wants to be ridden. Faster bikes are sometimes harder to ride fast. A more precise and capable bike not only swiftly executes all your talented commands but also all your mistakes and bad habits.
Hope the reworked suspension makes your V11 all you want it to be and more.
If not, lighter wheels would be a huge step forward. The stock wheels are reported to be pretty heavy.
 
my V11 sport is the bike I want to ride at the track but two things make it hard for me...as I've become older and less active have lost range of motion/flexablity in knees and hips(major surgery to both knees '84)...so the peg to seat distance is too tight I've changed seat (little taller/one inch back) and am in process of lowering pegs. This combo should allow me to move around bike the way I want/need to. The soft suspension is getting corrected, these changes should make it real fun for me and I agree with you it will be my fastest Guzzi BUT it will also be more work! I don't think it will be a huge diffence.

other versions of V11 sport's that would be fun at speed are the Bellabeo(sp?), cafe sport. the '04 seemed to have the suspension worked out and tube handlebars helped give it a relaxed/forgiving ride quailty yet still sporty feel. I like riding these the best of the V11 sports. But my favorite to ride is still my Hot Rod Jackal. second is a 1200 sport, I got to ride one for several sessions at the Guzzi national trackday, what a blast even with the greasy tires and soft for me suspension...my favorite to look at is my Scura ;) I want it to be my favorite to ride, so i hope these changes get it there! :blush: :cheer:

on subject of wheels, yeah it would be nice to have lighter wheels but price is too steep...maybe one day...
 
I prefer the early V11s with lighter, quicker steering. But any V11 is nice and you can pretty much mod a newer one to ride like an early one if you want.
 
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