Subject: Visit to MG Classics
Author: joe jump
Date: Jun 30, 2003, 1:00 PM
Post ID: 1713589020
Last week I was on business in Los Angeles. I finished up early on Tuesday
so I decided to make my way down to Signal Hill to stop into my favorite
Guzzi shop. When I got there Mark and another gent were crouched around an
Ambo, revving it up to see if their manipulations had gotten the generator
to come on line. The machine sounded real nice, but talk about a rat bike-to
say the least, it was rough! All the chrome was rusty, all the alloy was
pitted & black, the leather solo seat was exfoliating & the stitching was
rotted, but it was all there. Then Mark let me in on the story: The bike was
brought into his shop by the trash man. He had picked it up on his
rounds-someone had put it out on the curb for pick-up! He brought it in to
see if Mark could get it going. To make a long story short, Mark made an
offer & the guy accepted. He then replaced the pistons/cylinders/heads with
some used items he had & it started right up. While I was there he had the
carbs adjusted so it would idle at about 200 rpm. He calls this one Trasher!
And by the way, it's not for sale. While I was there a regular customer was
doing all he could to talk Mark into selling it to him-no dice!
So then Mark asks if I would want to go with him & Keith
(customer who wants Trasher) to some weekly bike show being held in the
parking lot of a local bar & grill-no need to ask me twice! Keith offered me
his customized (vintage loop style) Stone to ride while he rode Trasher &
Mark rode Tetanus to the show. The 1100 injected bikes have gobs of torque &
that Stone would really bark, especially with the Conti replica Bub
mufflers. Note: Muffler is a misnomer for these items-they are more
accurately described as megaphones!
The show was the same ol thing....Harly, Harly, Harly (big
yawn), but it was a gas to see the leather boys stopping and studying
Trasher & Tetanus, especially when they realized that Trasher was still
idling! Keith just put it over on its side stand & walked away without
bothering to shut it down! They would walk right past the custom Fatboy with
the aftermarket roots blower, but they would stop & stare at the bike that
came out of the dumpster! Mark was in his element...he looked like the guy
selling tonic in the town square. He was convincing them they could have
more fun on a ratty old Guzzi for under $1000 than they could have on their
$40k custom-what a salesman!
If you're ever in L.A. make sure you stop in to visit Mark.
You won't be disappointed!
By the way Mark, I'll be back the week of Aug 5th!
Joe in St Louis
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