Topica Loopframe_Guzzi Archive
 

Subject: RE: GOOSEY

Author: Jesse Open

Date: May 15, 2003, 5:38 PM

Post ID: 1713012576


Hello Sam,
Yep they have their charm . They are all great bikes .
Clunk equals wear. With U joint pushin $200 ,drive shafts with couplings
$100 etc, I try to avoid the clunk :-) . Driveline wear is a weak point
in loopers. The later bikes with cush drive and bigger U joints/carrier
bearings helped a lot.

I really enjoyed driving the Model A Ford for two years but the next car
, a 1940 Chevy coupe was at least as cool and it had synchros in 2nd
and 3rd . It was also a whole lot more practical as an every day driver
.I bought that one when I was 17 and drove it till I was 24 . I only
sold it so I could buy a new Triumph Trident . Wish I still had the
Chevy , I don't miss the Ford as much .

sam heath wrote:
 the clunk is part of the fun of riding an old bike....

sam

Jesse Open <Beaver-@comcast.net> wrote:
Actually just dragging the clutch a bit will give about the smoothest
shifts you can get out of an Ambo. I have riden MANY mile on the old
Ambos but the miles on an Eldo brought me a real appreciation for the
closer gear spacing and the forces of nature NOT working against clean
gearchanges ,especially when the riding gets a bit "sporty".
The first 2 years of my automotive driving were in a 1931 Ford Tudor.
The non synchro gearbox will give you appreciation for technique in
gearchanging both up and down.
Still for the most part even the best Ambo rider cannot overcome the
basic laws of physics . They may "enjoy" the clunk ..more power to em .
3haw-@bluefrog.biz wrote:
 
Charlie,
It's ironic. For me the smoother the bike the less I like it. Last
Fall I
tried a brand new BMW 1100RS. Really fast freakin' bike but it was so
smooth it made me nauseous.... and dizzy. Why? I don't know. I just
tried
a 1984 BMW 850. It was so boring I practically fell asleep. For me to
like
it, it has to be Goosey like a Guzzi! Bob
----- Original Message -----
From: Charlie Mullendore
To:
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2003 9:28 PM
Subject: RE: British & European Classic Motorcycle Day


When I first bought the '69 Ambo I clunked every shift. Of course I was
accustomed to my Morini K2s sweet snick-snick shifting. After a while
though
I got in the groove and learned how to upshift quietly most of the time.

It
was mostly a matter of coordinating my inputs better, but I think
mimicking
the movement of the shifter with my (right) foot helped too. Instead of
dabbing the lever with my toe and not moving my ankle, I started to keep

my
toe on the lever and move my foot at the ankle. That probably just
effectively slows down and smooths out my shifts. Now downshifts...
clunk,
clunk!

All of the acclimation it took and concentration it takes to ride the
beast
well is what drew me in and keeps me interested. Modern bikes are just
too
damn easy to ride - I get bored after a while. It will really get
interesting next year when the '71 Ambo (left shift, but same
"backwards"
pattern as the '69) and V7 Sport (left shift, "normal" pattern) join the

'69
in riding rotation. Can't wait! Cheers,

Charlie

Jesse Open wrote:

 We'll know if you take the Ambo.... You can hear those old four speeds
shift half way across the country :-))

Nice to have good alternatives !



Ambo-@netscape.net wrote:
 I'll be there, just can't decide what to take or ride - customer's '66
Falcone to display, my V7 Sport to display? or just ride the old '69
Ambo as usual? May depend a lot on the weather. See some of y'all there!

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