It will be updated as and when something breaks, or I fit some new go-faster bit to it.
I found the bike on e-bay while I was in Australia, and took a chance that it was a decent one.
After I won the bid I had to wait a few weeks till I was back in the UK before I could collect it.
I hired a transit and headed off to Wiltshire to pick it up.
Now the ad said it was dirty, but would pass an MOT first go.
Well, it would have if the MOT tester was blind, but I decided to have it anyway, as I had always wanted a 1000S, and they don't come up for sale too often.
I already had a T3/Spada bitsa, so was reasonably competant with the spanners!
I asked to hear it running, so the owner gave it some button!
After a lot of coughing, farting, and misfiring it fired up, sort of (when I asked the guy why he didn't use the choke he said it didn't need it, when I got it home and checked them, the choke cables were rusted solid) As well as being dirty, it was badly neglected!
The rear wheel was buckled, one of the Lafranconis was rusted through, the rearset gearchange lever was held on with a bent nail etc etc, and so on.
It basically needed a fair bit of work to get it 100% but as it was all there, mostly it needed a damn good clean, and a few bits replaced to make things better.
The first thing I did was to remove the Sprint full fairing so I could check all over the bike.
Thankfully, although it had 5 previous owners, butchered wiring, and obvious cowboy spannerwork was not evident.
One good thing was that this was a 1990 model, so had the LeMans 5 engine, with the big valve heads and 40mm carbs!
At the moment, its a slow process of taking bits off, cleaning them up or repainting them, and putting them back on.
The rear wheel was straightened (thank you Maidstone Motoliner) and the tank and side panels were blasted and repainted.
I've always wanted a yellow bike, so that is how this one will end up.
Some Guzzi fans would object, but I just say bollocks, if you want a stock 1000S, go and buy one! This one is going to be tailored to suit ME!
That god awful back light is being junked, along with the huge indicators!
Thats about it for now, I'll keep you posted on anything new....
Helps keep the spam generators off my back!
The rear drive box was nearly dry of oil, and as expected, the frame paint is falling off.
I've picked up some second hand stainless silencers (loud) and a parcel arrived yesterday full of bits (new ignition switch, HT leads, plug caps, plugs, filters etc)
Which will keep me occupied over the holidays!
Happy Xmas......
I gave it a new front tyre (bridgstone BT45) and discovered that the front wheel was deformed as well, so back to Maidstone Motoliner for a true up!
Lots of rusty fasteners have been replaced with stainless, and lots of paint has been applied to the frame.
The front end was stripped, and given new seals and a clean up, as was the back end.
The Koni's were ok, so just had a good clean.
God knows how, but the centre stand was really bent up and distorted.....I think he fell off the bike, and thats why he sold it!
The Tank has gone off to be blasted and powder coated, the side panels are already sprayed yellow, as has the cafe fairing I found on e-bay in the states.
Most of the bits I got before Xmas have been fitted, and now the rear sets have come off for a clean up.
A 1000S went for 3 grand on e-bay last month, for what I paid for mine, and the bits I've had to buy, I still reckon I got a bargain!
More news later.........
