Subject: Re: My loops.. Long!!
Author: Robert Hawkes
Date: Jan 11, 2002, 6:29 PM
Post ID: 1709363392
Great Story and not too long at all, thanks. Bob Hawkes
----- Original Message -----
From: DannyR <rawi-@bellsouth.net>
To: <Loopfram-@topica.com>
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2002 12:27 PM
Subject: My loops.. Long!!
| ============================================================ Encourage early learning in your child with Your Big Backyard. Crafts, puzzles, coloring and a poster are in each issue. Subscribe now and get FREE binoculars with your paid order. http://click.topica.com/caaafvVb1dfltb1FlG8a/YourBigBackyard ============================================================ At 05:22 AM 1/11/02 -0500, you wrote:
I bought my first Guzzi in 1973. A 1971 750 Ambassador with 12,000 miles |
| it, from a guy named, David Smith from Ohio, who pulled a 12 foot self |
| "Puch" trailer to New Mexico. I was living in a trailer park in Tijeras NM |
| he arrived and lived in his 12 foot trailer. He wanted an 850 Eldorado so |
| could mount a sidecar and have more stability when pulling the trailer. So |
| bought his 750 Ambassador. I wanted a brand new 1973 850 Eldorado, but I could not afford it. |
| were $1800 and I got a two year old Ambassador for $1400, still a lot of |
| back in 1973. He sold his hack to somebody in Albuquerque who wrecked it |
| killed himself and his rider shortly after he bought it. I rode the Ambassador until 1978 when I blew a head gasket. I pulled the |
| and saw they were badly carboned. I checked them carefully and found the |
| guides were also badly worn. The chrome on the cylinders was also coming off. I lived in New Orleans by this time and I put the bike aside until I could |
| it. In 1984 I sent the heads, cam and cylinders to Rissman Motors, |
| Henry Rissman told me the cam lobes were worn, the lifters bad, the valve guides worn. I bought a set of 950 LA Sleeve cylinders, new pistons, |
| cam, used lifters, new valve guides. I put it all together and the bike |
| really great. We rode the bike from 1984 until 1991 when I found I could |
| release the clutch as we exited the interstate and approached a red light. |
| intermediate plate had warped. The transmission was whining real bad. The |
| had 24,000 miles on it by then. I wanted a five speed transmission and rear drive any way so I bought a |
| five speed transmission but found it was for a Tonti frame since the speedometer was in the wrong place. The Ambassador rear splines were worn |
| and so I bought a used wheel, hub and rear drive. I still needed a five |
| transmission so I bought my 1973 850 Eldorado in 1992, complete but |
| everything. I was going to take the five speed and rear drive from the Eldorado and put them on the Ambassador to make my Ambassador into a five speed model. That project went out the window when I found that this five speed was worn out and needed a rear cover since the bearings were loose in the housing. I finally found a used five speed at Doc Storms shop in Dallas. While I chased parts I found a 1977 850 T-3, original owner, pristine condition, |
| thought. I bought the bike, with all the DB stuff on it in very nice shape. But something was wrong with the way it ran and I worked on it until I could |
| find anything else to do. I contact Godfrey DiGiorgi and he help me find |
| problem. The PR had installed a Dyna III and installed Hi Performance distributor springs in it, along with K&N filter and a new exhaust system. This made it run very lean. The springs made the timing advance too slow and |
| causing the headers to turn bright red, and since the Dyna sensors were |
| timed properly, the right side glowed more than the left. After I |
| the original exhaust, standard distributor springs and re-jested the carburetors, the bike runs like a sacred rabbit. But I then wanted more |
| and finally gave in and bought a brand new 1998 EV 1100, in March 1999. Finally I had my brand new Moto Guzzi. Back in 1972 when I first fell in love with the look of the Ambassador I thought I found the love of my life. I had lived in New Jersey and had |
| 1966 Yamaha twin jet 100, a brand new Honda 450 Scrambler, which I sold after a month. I had worked in the automobile business and knew of Berliner, in Hasbrook Hts., not 10 miles from me, but I had never heard of Moto Guzzi |
| I moved to New Mexico and saw the Ambassador which I bought. I wanted a |
| Guzzi and could not afford one. When I could afford one the Eldorado was |
| available and only the 850-T and the V7 Sport was being sold. I hated the |
| of the 850-T. It looked just like all the other Japanese bikes, chrome |
| the seat, dumb gas tank, polished stainless fenders. I loved the look of |
| big black fenders on my Ambassador. So I did not think of buying a Tonti |
| until 1997 when I saw an 850 T-3 for sale. I bought that bike and it was |
| the second Guzzi I drove. It was so different from the loop frame. It had brakes, it steered tighter, it had a hinged seat for access to the |
| the gas tank attached with a rubber strap so taking it off was so much easier |
| the Ambassador. But even though I am getting used to the Tonti look, I |
| love my loop frames more. The EV is a really great bike, comfortable and powerful. I just hate the way it looks. A couple of years ago Moto Guzzi NA wanted to know what we wanted |
| bike. I wrote to them and said I want a modern loop frame. I wanted disk brakes, like the last of the Eldorados, I wanted a tank in the same shape |
| the Ambassador/Eldorado, with the same or more capacity. I wanted the same side profile, the way the headlight sits on the forks and the chrome trim on |
| front fender. That front fender was still used on the 1100, the EV was |
| first Guzzi to get a new front fender, except the T's, T-3, G5 and a few others. Why would they start to use that fender with the chrome bar up to |
| EV and then go to a non braced front fender with plastic chrome strips |
| on the sides? The final thing is that I loved the loop frame battery covers and tool |
| The shape, size and location was perfect. The only problem with the side covers were the bolts are long would be very hard to screw down, this was |
| the snap on side covers on the early Tonti's. Problem was they were ugly. |
| what did they do with the EV, they got ride of the easy to take off Tonti metal side covers and installed plastic screw on types, which crack where the |
| go through. Another step back. I got a used four speed for the Ambassador, since I now have two other |
| with five speeds. I put the transmission in and got everything back |
| up to the point where I had to install the clutch cable. The free play in |
| linkage is too short and I cannot get the cable connected to the handle |
| and still have some free play. I can get it connect with the clutch partially released. I am using the same clutch cable and everything else from the |
| except the transmission itself. I now have put that project aside, since I have the other bikes running. I guess I will have to pull the transmission out again and see what the problem is. Anyway, I love my EV. I really like my 1977 850 T-3, but my real love is |
| my 1971 Ambassador, which I still have, and my to be restored 1973 "needs everything" Eldorado. Loop frame's forever!!! Danny ============================================================ Debt Worries? Get Relief Now! Free Online Consultation Settle Your Debts for Pennies on the Dollar! We Work For You Resolve Your Debt! No Bankruptcy! Attorney Representation http://click.topica.com/caaafyBb1dfltb1FlG8f/NationalDebtNetwork ============================================================ |