Subject: RE: How did you come by your Loop and why?
Author: Tim Crump
Date: Nov 30, 2003, 7:27 PM
Post ID: 1715366751
Ian Adkins wrote:
Hey All, OK...too cold to ride here in North GA...so I decided to spend a little time reflecting on my passion...Loops. I was wondering if some of you would like to offer a short anecdote as to how and when you became aware of Loops and your first aquisition. Here is mine: |
I did my story some time back in the MGNOC newsletter when they had the
"My First Guzzi" column.
I was raised on little japanese bikes, like most guys my age. But I had
met a guy in college who had ridden his Harley to Costa Rica and back in
1967. So I knew long distance travel was what I wanted to do. I was in a
Suzuki shop in San Diego in December of 1970. I stumbled across this
beautiful black motorcycle with white pinstriping. It had a fairing and
streamlined bags, all matching the bike. It only had a few thousand
miles on it. It was a 1970 Ambassador. I was only 20 yrs old, so, as a
Christmas present, My Dad cosigned with me to get a loan. I loved the
feel of a real touring bike after so many little sewing machines.
I even joined MGNOC when it was $7.50 a year!!!
1970 had a few bad crankshafts, one of them mine. I got it fixed while I
was in Viet Nam, and when I came back, I went and filled out the papers
to buy a new Harley FLH. Then I rode the repaired Ambo to deliver it to
a buyer, and fell back in love. I tore up the HD papers, and bought the
new 1972 Eldorado, which was just that much better than the Ambo.
About ten years ago, just as I got rid of the two BMW's I had been
riding, a friend took a 1969 Ambo as partial payment for a carpet job.
When he decided it was too much for him to deal with, he sold it to me
for $500. It is the one I own today, the spitting image of that first
one, and I wouldn't part with it for any amount of money.
Tim Crump
AMA#664988
MGNOC #262
FSSNOC #3057
AMF#100239
98 Moto Guzzi V10 (1000) Centauro
69 Moto Guzzi 750 Ambassador
"I'll believe in skepticism when I see it"