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Well, the more things change...or, the older I get...

scottmastrocinque

GT Godfather!
GT di Razza Pura
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
5,683
Location
Lima, Ohio
Well, here at 53, I've come full circle in my motorcycling ways.

I've owned two previous California Models (1997 1100i (died at 27 days old, hit by 10' aluminum ladder bounced out of truck - nearly taking me with her) and 1998 V11-EV).

I always missed my V11 and regretted selling her. Young men do dumb stuff. I did not fully appreciate the wonderful characteristics of the Moto Guzzi cruiser. Just like a hot woman, Ducati 996, GSXR-1000, BMW's K- S - F bikes galore, Moto Guzzi V10 Centauros and 1100 Sports and all the other fast stuff, occupied my attention and muted my ability to appreciate the California's charms.

Now, 21 years later, I really love the gentle cadence and comfort of this bike as well as her elegant rugged simplicity of construction. Quite different from my 2012 Stelvio NTX and 1997 V10 Centauro.

So looking forward to picking this beautiful girl up and bringing her home next week.

It is insane, just how much motorcycle you can buy used these days. 1 owner. Complete records. Less than 7,700 miles and a paltry $5,000.00 !!! What a smoking deal! I feel I should have worn a ski mask and carried a gun! LOL

Anybody else here that has a California Vintage? If so, I would love to chat about your experience with it.

Cheers!

~ Scott 5d614f15ac63083c50189f03 5d614f15e619520a5706a40d 5d614f15e357545dd25905a5 5d669f342f0d696f9e3f80c9 5d669f332f0d696f9e3f80c7 5d614f1577f6d672a60b49c3 5d614f15277dec5745471ef6 5d614f1577f6d615862e6243 5d614f15e3575464f9469165 5d614f1577f6d672a60b49c3 5d614f15ac630874ee7a655a 5d614f159da3d172865f64b3 5d669f332f0d696f9e3f80c8 5d614f15fde051021b60e0d1 5d669f332f0d696f9e3f80c6 5d614f15dbe2cd770827cb73 5d614f157b22cb41a6086539 5d614f15806e102fe01a6235 5d614f15806e1034044d2dcc
 
Well, here at 53, I've come full circle in my motorcycling ways.
I've owned two previous California Models (1997 1100i (died at 27 days old, hit by 10' aluminum ladder bounced out of truck - nearly taking me with her) and 1998 V11-EV).
I always missed my V11 and regretted selling her. Young men do dumb stuff.
Thanks for that recap Scott... don't think I can recall that you owned EVs. As you know, I heavily evolved my Cal 1100 Jackal from the minute I bought it late '99. I read enough to know that the platform was an AMA Pro winner, and as such, I sure did enjoy it for ~265k miles here in SoCal (mostly).
If you think the Cal Vin is cheap, price a Breva 1100 lately? Give away pricing. As you likely know, the Cal Vin is largely a Breva 1100 motor, which is pretty bullet-proof. Intake, exhaust and fueling mods will really wake it up -- I've done dozens. From there, suspension and brakes of course. ;)

Only downside of the Cal Vin is the speedo/tacho. The ITI units have short lifespans. Not (worthy of being) rebuildable of course. Look for a solution there, and you'll have a long road ahead of enjoyment with it.

Keep us updated here on your travels on/with it!
 
Scott besides the tach and speedo issues with those machines, I would be looking for some EV wheels so you could run without tubes.

Wow John,

Thanks for the info!

I didn’t realize these were tube required rrims! How strange considering both my previous Californias had tubeless spoke wheels. These must be Borani rims I bet.

Wonder why they did that...
 
Well, here I go again. Just got back last Saturday from a 2 day ride from Kansas City, KS only a month after picking up that beautiful California Vintage in Kansas City, MO.

This time, I purchased another "lived it's whole life in a climate controlled garage" - "CREAM PUFF", verified 1 owner, 5,600 original miles, 2008 Breva 1200 Sport for another obscene "should have brought a ski-mask and gun" cheap price ; substantially less than the California vintage! Am I the luckiest bastard on the planet or what?

It still has every warning label on it and the protective film coatings on the tank emblems and the VIN plate! Even the "objects in the mirror are closer than they appear" stickers are still clinging to the mirrors. The factory tool kit had never been opened and the pliers were still in the oiled plastic bag. Unopened owners manual too. All keys including the immobilizer one, and even the rubber key code plate. Unreal.

What a magnificent motorcycle! It is 2V perfection.

So, 4 Moto Guzzi's in the garage now.

Life is Beautiful!

IMG 0680

IMG 0681

IMG 0682

IMG 0683
 
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