Subject: Valentina has a birthday
Author: Richard Arimoto
Date: Jul 6, 2002, 9:13 AM
Post ID: 1710555178
Loopsters:
Valentina because I made the decision to buy "her" on Valentine's Day.
She's red. And of course there's that extremely lovely Cycle Garden
Guzzi Girl named Valentina.
Anyway, she's an Eldo. I bought her this year and have been getting her
back in shape since then. I've mentioned the bike several times on this
list--I bought the bike from a fellow in Michigan, basically sight
unseen. I did see some pictures and also called the large Guzzi shop in
the Midwest who did the restoration (some of the work was quite good,
some not good at all). The bike had only been ridden a couple hundred
miles in the past 2 yrs. A significant risk doing this but it turned
out incredibly well.
According to the VIN plate she was built in July of 1972. I figured
July 4th is a good a day as any for her 30th birthday (or maybe build
day).
On the 4th, I took a ride from Carlsbad, NM to Lubbock, TX to celebrate
and to visit a friend in the hospital. About 375 miles r/t. Not the
most exciting ride in terms of scenery or the road, but this was my
first chance to see how she does on a longish trip.
For much of the ride I was cruising along at 75 mph, maybe a little
more. Aside from a little oil from the breather and a broken pop rivet
that holds the baffle in the muffler, the bike ran flawlessly. Not
quite as comfortable as riding my Bassa, but I sure had quite a grin
chuffling along on a bike of Valentina's vintage.
An amazing and wonderous machine.
Rich A