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Radical Guzzi

T

tryengel

Tuned and Synch'ed
GT Famiglia
Joined
Oct 18, 2012
Messages
63
I am building, having built, a retro/classic/modern Moto Guzzi by a Guzzi specialist Radical Guzzi in Germany. Here are some short videos of custom Moto Guzzi builders, three in Italy, one in Germany. Radical Guzzi is the first one profiled. http://www.garagemotoguzzi.com/en/the-spark/

The frame is a Tonti, circa 1980. To get the bike imported as "vintage" it must be documented as something at least 25 years old. The gear box is an older 5-speed. A1200 8V Griso motor with 1400 (1380 cc) cylinders and pistons. It will have carburetors; 41 mm Keihin FCR's. The forks are off a MV F4; Wilbers twin shocks for the rear. The swingarm is custom, to accommodate a 6" wheel and modern rubber.

The frame is finished - there were a lot of modifications to handle all that added hp. The tank and seat were shaped first in polystyrene and are being fabricated in aluminum. I am expecting the bike to be completed by early next spring. I will do my best to keep the Forum updated and display photos. I am happy to answer questions.
 
Upload 2014 11 5 22 1 48
This is the frame, without the bottom tube(s). The subframe has been kicked up at the rear. This is pretty much the design we came up with for the seat and tank - done in polystyrene. They are now being hand formed in aluminum.
 
I like the way the frame is kicked up at the back there, I think that's going to look pretty smart :)
 
Very cool, looking forward to seeing the finished product and pics along the way. That thing is going to be a beast.
 
Over time I am hoping members feel free to offer their insight and suggestions. Some of the custom builders I researched preferred I handed them a (big) check and say, "surprise me." I didn't want surprises; I wanted an active part in every decision of the build - and I want input from (other) Motorcycle and Moto Guzzi enthusiasts.

Just looking at the printed press, books like "The Ride - New Custom Motorcycles and Their Builder" and TV shows like Cafe Racer, I think the retro thing is going to grow exponentially. The V7 was a smart move for Piaggio's. Ducati dropping their Supersport bikes was a dumb move.
 
Nice one :) I always like to hear about people taking an active part in their builds, personally I tend to do as much as possible myself-mainly because I don't have much money to pay anyone else for their work ;)
 
tryengel said:
I am building, having built, a retro/classic/modern Moto Guzzi by a Guzzi specialist Radical Guzzi in Germany. Here are some short videos of custom Moto Guzzi builders, three in Italy, one in Germany. Radical Guzzi is the first one profiled. http://www.garagemotoguzzi.com/en/the-spark/

The frame is a Tonti, circa 1980. To get the bike imported as "vintage" it must be documented as something at least 25 years old. The gear box is an older 5-speed. A1200 8V Griso motor with 1400 (1380 cc) cylinders and pistons. It will have carburetors; 41 mm Keihin FCR's. The forks are off a MV F4; Wilbers twin shocks for the rear. The swingarm is custom, to accommodate a 6" wheel and modern rubber.

The frame is finished - there were a lot of modifications to handle all that added hp. The tank and seat were shaped first in polystyrene and are being fabricated in aluminum. I am expecting the bike to be completed by early next spring. I will do my best to keep the Forum updated and display photos. I am happy to answer questions.
Click to expand...

Very nice project! Where did you source the 1400 cylinders and pistons? What mods were needed to use them with the Griso motor? Would they fit a 2V 1200 Sport?
Deryl
 
derylt said:
Very nice project! Where did you source the 1400 cylinders and pistons? What mods were needed to use them with the Griso motor? Would they fit a 2V 1200 Sport?
Deryl
Click to expand...
The cylinders and pistons were purchased from a dealer. They are stock California pieces. Little is needed to make these work with an 8V motor. You can use either an 8V heads or the stock California heads. I don't know if they would fit a 2V 1200 Sport. I have a 2008 1200 Sport with the 2V motor. At one time I thought about looking for a crashed Griso and installing the 8V motor. I think the fuel tank for the 8V is different - different part number.
 
Time for a xmas-ish update? pics please. Looking good so far!

1380cc???? I hope it doesn't have a kick start ;)
 
The build is progressing. For now it's all about building the motor and gathering parts. The bike will be 90% assembled; albeit without any paint. Once all the pieces are decided upon and come together, the motorbike will be disassembled for paint and polish and final assembly. Not exciting, but here are the cylinders, both the stock 1200 Griso pieces and the 1400 California cylinders/pistons. The cams are CAM F1.

IMG 1329 IMG 1328 IMG 1327 IMG 1326
 
The wheels and fuel tank. I will most likely paint the entire fuel tank. I'm not crazy about the polished look. I am thinking of painting the tank a Mercedes Crystal Laurite Silver from a circa 1990's SLR. I will add a bit of Moto Guzzi Tenni Green as a vertical stripe, or some other design.

IMG 1336

IMG 1335
 
It's going to be a beauty Alan, thanks for the continued posts. I'll be curious to see how the rear wheel mounts to the final drive.

You've inspired me to take a different direction with my compressor motor, and I priced the cylinders and pistons from the C14. :eek:
I'll be watching for a salvage motor.

I'll be starting my project next week and will post under a separate thread.

Keep the info coming!
 
Tonti frame and 5 speed. Curious about your chosen wheels, look like PVM? size? & weight? (lighter than stock wheels ;))
Converted BST carbon fibre wheels for an Aprilia RS250 to fit my CARC Bellagio. Love engineering challenges.

Ps. Alloy tank doesn't look anything like the poly template, change of plan?
 
ghezzi said:
Tonti frame and 5 speed. Curious about your chosen wheels, look like PVM? size? & weight? (lighter than stock wheels ;))
Converted BST carbon fibre wheels for an Aprilia RS250 to fit my CARC Bellagio. Love engineering challenges.

Ps. Alloy tank doesn't look anything like the poly template, change of plan?
Click to expand...

Yeah, the tank isn't from the original design pattern. I decided on a more bulbous design because it will (I hope) better complement the look with standard handlebars and a (more) upright riding position, versus clip-on bars. Hopefully I won't regret the decision. The relieved portions of the tank, particularly the forward portion of the tank, to accommodate the upper fork legs at full lock, are more pronounced that I would prefer. I hope a good paint scheme will negate the look that is a bit too pronounced.

Choosing a design for a tank and seat cowl was trying. It would have been easy if I was going for the cafe racer look. There are many beautiful examples to key off of.

The wheels are PVM; a 6" rear to accommodate modern (180/55-17) rubber. I do not know the weight. There are not a lot of options for rear wheels to choose from. Most are fabricated to accommodate current single-sided swing-arm/cardan Moto Guzzi's. The left side of the wheel (brake rotor side) is for a GSX-R Suzuki. These are special order pieces from PVM in Germany; they took a while to secure.
 
A couple more photos: The front rotors are Brembo "Groove". The beautiful, CNC from Billet, intake manifolds are for a brace of Keihin 41mm FCR carburetors - no FI. The custom swingarm, to accommodate a (modern) 6" wheel width and 180/55 tire.

AllanE Build1

AllanE Build2

AllanE Build3
 
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Making progress. Those are not the shocks that will be on the bike. I will be using Wilbers TYP633 TS's with adjustable ride height. Most everything will be assembled prior to painting and finish work, than disassembled.

Anhang1

Anhang2
 
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