Got into bikes as a pillon to my future husband. Being my own person it wasn't long 'till I started looking around at what I really like in a bike. Went through the restricted licence period on a Yamaha 250 and finally found my dream Moto Guzzi. A V50 III which I feel is just right for me. I do both touring and commuting and wouldn't swap it for anything else. I'll send a picture one day. Great site.
Peter Clare Last bike was a Ducati (900SSD) but parted company several years ago due to lack of time to enjoy it (due to study) and the partners reluctance to pillion after a minor accident. Have been building the special since 1994 and finally finished it in February 2000. This is the first Guzzi I have ever ridden, and its a hoot.
Murray Barnard I have raced and ridden bikes since 1970 and have accumulated a ton of bits and pieces in the process which can become a real pain. I find the net a cheaper alternative to racing these days and have directed my writing activities from Classic Motorcycling and Bike Australia to my website where I run a Guzzi photogallery among other things. I have had my Le Mans since 1978 and have ridden it to the Kimberley and Kakadu. It is still going strong and is the only bike I would never sell. It handles well, is solid and reliable and I just love the way that engine pulls on up-hill bends and purrs along the open road. The Lanfranconis, poor old Ted Stolarski gave me, make a lovely rumble as well.
I was kind of embarrassed to say what bike I have because people have told me that the V65 is a bit of a go slow daggy bike :( Well, I like it, and I just feel good riding a bike that sounds as nice as mine does.
Ken Eddy
Rarely been without a bike since 16, if you count Lambrettas in the Mods and
Rockers days in the UK! Triumph T100 shortly after, then a succession of
Orientals. Knew I'd get a Guzzi after sitting on a V7 Sport for the first
time in '72. Took a while but can't see me ever getting another breed. As a
serious touring type can't imagine a more comfortable way than owning a T5.
age: 45
location: Boreen Point Queensland
email: keddy@tpgi.com.au
bikes: T5-1985
Member of Ulysses. Cali is red and black and FUN. I'm a counsellor and trainer specialising in fast, effective work usually using NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming).
The first Guzzi I remember seeing was a really rough, bad idling, early Le Mans. And I though 'I never want one of THOSE things!' Years later, after the almost compulsory CX500 apprenticeship, I was looking for just the right bike - shaft drive, no more than two cylinders, more go than the old CX, and better looks than a BMW. Well, what else was there?? The fact that I fell in love with it, when everyone was saying 'wouldn't an XJ900 be more practical' helped a lot.
Riding on and off for many years (mainly push bikes!). First bike '69 Honda 90cc something. Previous bike before LeMans, '80 Yamaha SR500. Started lusting after big twin shafty for touring late 80s, Walked past The Bike Factory one day in Dec 93 and there she was in the window, invited by salesman to take her for a spin. O.K. Up the SE freeway (Hahndorf and back), SOLD!! Lovely handling, noise, touring motorcycle. Tours to Alice Springs, Brisbane, Tassie, Phillip Island and many early Sunday morning fangs through the Adelaide Hills. Bloody marvellous. Used (almost) every day for comuting. Odo 83000km. Current ambition - ride to this years Ragged Fringe. See ya there.
I began riding in 1982 and have covered over 250,000km on Guzzis since 1985, mostly commuting and numerous sorties into them thar hills. First came two V50 Monzas then a Lario, 850 LM/3 and a 1000S in November 1990 - the only brand new purchase. The second V50 (sadly deceased @ 107,000km) gave me 68,000kms of enjoyment and is now an organ, err, parts donor so that others may live on! Continuous usage has seen the 1000S cover more miles than the rest put together, reaching the (Life begins at...) 140k mark without contributing to the expensive paperweights collection; well, until a few weeks ago when the U-joint said ouch. It's also had a valve grind at ca. 90,000km and I haven't yet bothered to get the fork dampeners repaired for the third or fourth time. But with a decent dollop of pushrod power available (and '70s retro-styling) it still seems to be able to embarrass the rice rockets on favourite twisty roads. Last year I decided to make a positive career move and returned to full-time study... Oh, I also met the Adelaide Guzzi Frats.
Gerry LynnBeen riding 23 yrs... Previous bikes- sh*tloads of chookchasers and RD350/400's, A10 Beezer, 3 Norton Commandos(sentimental favorite), BMW R80/7. I had to wait 14 years and 360,000kms for the Beemer to wear out before I could justify a Guzzi..... 'Wasted a lot of years, but I'm making up for it now... I wanted a Lemans so bad, but my rickety old knees won't handle rearsets any more so the Gooz is slowly transforming into a floorboarded, windscreened sorta-Cali-sorta-thing. It looks like an oddball but it's my bike and I love it. The pic is out of date now, but I'm such a slack bastard I haven't taken a photo, (too busy riding it...) It is now burgundy red and has a new larger Givi screen...'will send a pic when I get round to it. P.S. Cars suck.... :)