Subject: Museum Piece
Author: Greg Field
Date: Aug 8, 2005, 11:01 AM
Post ID: 1719267084
I drove a friend 200 miles over to the dry side of the state to look at
an Eldo yesterday. The seller said it was a 74 Eldo California Police
with chrome fenders and 4LS brakes. He said it's been ridden on short
rides regularly and always garage kept and had 9,000 miles on the
odometer. The guy bought it in 1974 and had the dealer pimp it out with
big bags, a windshield, and a trunk. He also said it was nice and ran
perfectly, but you never really know until you see and hear it.
We got there and were just blown away at how beautiful it is. It's
actually a 1973 model (build date "Maj 1973"), probably one of the
unsold Euro Californias the Berliners brought in when they could no
longer get enough new Eldos. I actually had 8,850 miles. Stock white
paint. Perfect chrome on fenders and tank. Paint in great shape with
just a little honest wear from the rider's legs and a slipped
screwdriver or two. The only non-stock bits were some really loud
mufflers (he said he loves to hear his bikes while riding them) and a
Valeo starter. He had the complete original tool kit, without even a
hint of corrosion on it, the rider's manual, the dealer setup check
list, the original plate (this is cool because in WA you can register
bikes as classics with the original year plate they came with), all the
keys for the bags and trunk and bike on the original key ring from
Drager's Moto Guzzi in Seattle, plus all the service records.
It fired right up and ran as well as they can without an exhaust
crossover. No smoke from the exhaust and no noises. Brakes even worked
great. He rode it home, turning over the 9,000-mile mark on the way
back, grinning all the way. Another Eldo freak was born . . .
GF