Update from Holland

Just a short update on the Guzzi. Since getting it street legal it has been a learning experience.

After many years of agricultural MZ gearboxes having one where going from neutral to first could be achieved silently was a revelation. I have also fitted a windscreen to shelter behind as the riding position is rather sit-up-and-beg, rather like the Noddy Bike of fond memory.

I, or rather Hannah, discovered that the previous owner always rode solo, as during a trip to The Hague and back, she discovered that the rear seat was badly shaped causing pain in her tail bone.

I found a place nearby in Pumerend where the owner makes choppers and his wife makes the saddles. For a small fee she re-sculptured the seat to remove the problem. Why this problem did not appear during the trip to Harwich remains a mystery.

Like the Morini, the Guzzi has an oil pressure warning switch of dubious reliabilty. Unlike the Morini it is almost impossible to replace the (insert expletive) switch when it fails without first splitting the bike in the middle, also like the Noddy Bike. It has started flickering at all revs but a quick email to the Guzzi club confirmed it was the switch and yes, it is a pig to replace. I was advised it is usually safe to either ignore the light or disconnect it, replacing the switch when an engine strip will necessitate splitting the frame and exposing the switch.

I have found a Guzzi dealer in Amsterdam and may take it in for the switch to be replaced if I chicken out.

The previous owner also had a fondness for jubilee clips to hold pipes and induction tracts in place, and also rather stiff petrol pipes to boot. The combination caused nightmares when I needed to clean out the petrol taps a few days ago and supple piping will replace the cracking current pipes shortly.

Terry