Subject: V-700 questions
Author: Ron Komoroski
Date: Sep 28, 2004, 12:15 PM
Post ID: 1717609237
Fellow Loopers,
I picked up a V-700 to work on this past weekend. The owner is new to Guzzi,
& bought the bike sight-unseen on E-bay. He was told by the seller that the
bike was "a very rare classic completely restored & ready to ride". Well,
the bike is a solid V-700 that has been "tarted-up" to look good in
pictures. Half-assed paint job on the sheet metal, silver paint on the motor
& transmission (the parts easy to see at least) & gray paint on the
cylinders!!! Cheapest Asian tires, J. C. Whitney mufflers, wiring is an
abortion, clutch has problems etc. etc. Question is, how much $$$ to put
into this gem? Just how rare are they & what will it be worth if everything
is done "right". I'm not talking "concourse" show bike class w/ EVERYTHING
"correct" but a clean custom resto that will gather a crowd at a Guzzi
rally. Owner is thinking about repainting in the stock pattern of silver/
red, but slightly different shades.
Bike is titled a 1967, motor # is 1168. No ID plate on the front of the
steering neck, (did those come later?) MOTO GUZZI *1141* stamped on the
right side of the neck. Bike looks very similar to the "very early
production or preproduction V700 for the US market" pictured on page 20 of
Greg Fields' MOTO GUZZI BIG TWINS. Only differences I can see (other than
paint colors &painted over chrome on tank), are slightly longer ribs cast
into block below cylinders, bigger knobs on tool box & side cover, & "long
nose" headlight bucket.
In conversation w/the owner I mentioned 3 V-700s that are regularly ridden
to rallies in the Mid Atlantic area & he seemed a bit crestfallen, I think
he was told they are REALLY rare. Mick Walker only gives the V-700s 3 stars
in his MOOT GUS BUYERS GUIDE, is Europe crawling with them? What is the
wisdom/experience of the list?
Thanks,
Ron Komoroski