Guzzis, Ducatis and Agustas Oh My!
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I saw a yellow Duck 750S in a Yamaha/Duck dealership on Hollywood Blvd in 1974. It was love at first sight. Solo seat and hollow aluminum tubuluar footpegs. At the time Japanese chassis technology was way behind everyone else. So the Duck was definitely unique. Being dirt poor at the time I could never afford it. And later when I learned that none of the reliability of Ducati's singles had transferred to the 750S it was probably better (It became nicknamed the Ducati time bomb)..... but dang it was a gorgeous bike. It'd be worth owning just to stare at.
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When I got out of the Navy in '79 one of my shipmates was selling a '78 850 in black w/ gold pinstripes.
I tried to buy it to ride from Virginia back to Tacoma but for some reason none of the banks or credit unions would loan $2000 to a soon-to-be unemployed 21 year old sailor with no permanant address and nothing but a sea bag full of clothes and $500 in his pocket.
I wound up "going Greyhound", which was a trip in itself.
I tried to buy it to ride from Virginia back to Tacoma but for some reason none of the banks or credit unions would loan $2000 to a soon-to-be unemployed 21 year old sailor with no permanant address and nothing but a sea bag full of clothes and $500 in his pocket.
I wound up "going Greyhound", which was a trip in itself.
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94 Posts
Re: Guzzi Configuration
Nice article, love those jellybean tanked Ducatis.
To be nitpicky, though, the Guzzi twin is actually longitudinally mounted in the frame. The configuration refers to the relationship between the crank shaft and the frame. Thus, a Guzzi or a BMW is longitudinal and a Harley is actually transverse.
Nice article, love those jellybean tanked Ducatis.
To be nitpicky, though, the Guzzi twin is actually longitudinally mounted in the frame. The configuration refers to the relationship between the crank shaft and the frame. Thus, a Guzzi or a BMW is longitudinal and a Harley is actually transverse.
Good point, the Moto Morinis (sp?) were spectacular/ futuristic / exotic to my eyes. The first time I saw a V-twin 350 in the mid seventies I must have spent half an hour walking around it. I was partial to the big MV Augusta's and Benelli's (a friend had a 60's Benelli 250 Single that seemed to accelerate/top out as well as my 400/Four Honda). I didn't get the Ducati/V-twin Sportbike thing, a day on a 749 through So Cals canyons cured that bigtime. A 50cc/36HP Guzzi Sportbike?!
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1,754 Posts
I think you've got a shot. Aresenio Hall had one for years. You've got to be better than him.
I think Seruzawa would make an excellent sidekick. Sarnali could do the man-in-the-street stuff.
And the crowning touch/dramatic tension/comic foil: You're band leader is the Great Motorcycle Prophet himself, Kpaul.
I would pay to see that. A lot.
I think Seruzawa would make an excellent sidekick. Sarnali could do the man-in-the-street stuff.
And the crowning touch/dramatic tension/comic foil: You're band leader is the Great Motorcycle Prophet himself, Kpaul.
I would pay to see that. A lot.
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17,449 Posts
Bravissimo!
I loved this article! You guys showcased a lot of my favorite motorcycles here. The best part of MO is it's variety. You guys go from "Here's EBass tooling through the countryside on a Hardley-Movingson", to "Here's a collection of Ducks, Gooseys, and MV Agustas!" Keep us guessing guys, I love it.
-=Goggles=-
I loved this article! You guys showcased a lot of my favorite motorcycles here. The best part of MO is it's variety. You guys go from "Here's EBass tooling through the countryside on a Hardley-Movingson", to "Here's a collection of Ducks, Gooseys, and MV Agustas!" Keep us guessing guys, I love it.
-=Goggles=-
Re: Barbermuseum.org
I recently spent a few days at the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham Alabama and exhausted a great deal of time in George's Vintage Motorsports Museum. The sheer number of Agustas on display and other significant motorcycles and racebikes covering the last 100+ years is breathtaking. The interior building architecture and displays combine to form an unforgettable experience to anyone who appreciates motorcycles or art. Immense glass walls provide a view of the beautiful Barber track grounds below. A must see. The highly technical track is awesome on 2-wheels or four. A must ride.
I recently spent a few days at the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham Alabama and exhausted a great deal of time in George's Vintage Motorsports Museum. The sheer number of Agustas on display and other significant motorcycles and racebikes covering the last 100+ years is breathtaking. The interior building architecture and displays combine to form an unforgettable experience to anyone who appreciates motorcycles or art. Immense glass walls provide a view of the beautiful Barber track grounds below. A must see. The highly technical track is awesome on 2-wheels or four. A must ride.
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3,415 Posts
I just got back from a day watching WMRRA races, A guy had a 'guzzi in the vintage class that looked and sounded great.
There was also a nice Norton twin and what I think was a Rickman framed Triumph, way cool. Lots of neat old Honda 305's and 160's and a water cooled Suzuki triple as well.
There was also a nice Norton twin and what I think was a Rickman framed Triumph, way cool. Lots of neat old Honda 305's and 160's and a water cooled Suzuki triple as well.
For those of you in the northeast, don't miss European Motorcycle Day at the Museum of Transportation in Brookline, Mass. This year it is on Sunday, October 10. That late in the year in New England is often cool and damp so it brings out the hard cores. There's usually everything from Bimotas and BSAs to Velocettes and Vincents and a lot of Guzzis and Ducatis.
Check out: http://www.mot.org/
Check out: http://www.mot.org/
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126 Posts
Ah yes! The Larz Anderson Classic! I go because I like to get rained on at least once a year 
(Why does it always rain that day?) Seriously though, it is a great show with lots of exotic machinery you don't see anywhere else. Last year BMW, Aprilia and Moto-Guzzi brought demo bikes with them for test rides. I took a V1100 Balabio (sp?) for a spin. Almost wadded it up when it started pouring during the demo and I was riding an unfamiliar bike in the rain on unfamiliar leave-covered wet streets. Scary.....
(Why does it always rain that day?) Seriously though, it is a great show with lots of exotic machinery you don't see anywhere else. Last year BMW, Aprilia and Moto-Guzzi brought demo bikes with them for test rides. I took a V1100 Balabio (sp?) for a spin. Almost wadded it up when it started pouring during the demo and I was riding an unfamiliar bike in the rain on unfamiliar leave-covered wet streets. Scary.....1 - 20 of 27 Posts
