Hi Bryn,
Nothing is easy or simple is it? From what I can see in the Guzzino book it looks like all bikes with out the white pinstriping on the tank use gold Eagle transfers. My earlier, hand change, 65cc Cardellino has gold Eagles but the later 73cc, foot change, white pin striping on the tank and has white Eagles. If I recall correctly the old Guzzinos with the gold and black pinstripes on the mudguards etc all had gold Eagles. If you describe yours to Marco at Guzziretro I’m sure he will know what to provide you with. You can also send him a photo. This is all assuming that the Spanish versions did not do something different to the Italians!!! I have a photo of one similar to yours that was taken in the UK and it has gold Eagles.
Cheers
Phil
Thanks Phil and Don for your replies.
I am in contact with Guzziretro and have asked or the “Gold Eagles” version.
Funny that the cost of shipment is E20 whilst the decals only cost E12!!
I will be trying to bundle a couple of things together to improve that ratio!!
Cheers till next problem, Bryn
Hi Bryn,
I think their postage costs are so high because they send everything tracked. Did you try ‘Classic Transfers’ in Glos?
Hi Guys,
A brief update and a call for help.
I have finally finished all the repairs and welding to the frame and seat and had all the frame and tin-ware powder coated RAL 3020. A bright red.
Also had a local sign writer pin stripe the forks, swinging arm and mudguards. They all look great so will be assembling that soon. Pictures will follow then.
In the meantime I am trying to recover / repair a very dirty electric 6 volt horn.
I have scraped a 3 to 4 mm layer of “something” from both the outside and the inside of the horn body.
Applying 6 volts to it and the diaphragm pulls down onto the electromagnet and stays there!! It does not release. There does not seem to be any points or current interrupter in the case at all. Obviously if I leave it connected it will burn out the coil.
I have attached a couple of pictures.
If any one can advise on how best to proceed I would be most grateful.
Cheers , Bryn
Hi Brynthebike,
From your posts, I guess you have recovered your seat? where did you get the cover from?
Hi slicemybacon,
The seat was a bit of a nightmare.
As you will be aware seat covers from Italy are expensive, plus outrageous shipping costs AND UK import duties. I recently had to pay about £40 duty and £30 shipping costs on a £150 parts order from GuzziRetro.
To try and reduce those costs I bought a simple sprung saddle off eBay; probably made in India. I (wrongly) thought it would be simple to adapt it to the Guzzino.
My Guzzino saddle was in a very sorry state. The frame was structurally Ok but the springs were broken / missing and the cover was almost non-existent, hence my thoughts of using the eBay cheapo option.
In the event, I hade to cut and weld the new saddle frame and fit new brackets to enable me to use the original springs. The new springs were too long and would have been difficult to adapt. Fortunately I have a good friendship with a local welder so costs were kept low. But in terms of time and fiddling it was quite a task.
I should perhaps mention that much of this work was caused by my desire to keep the bike frame and saddle mounting post exactly as original. If I had been willing to cut that then the new saddle could have been fitted quite simply.
So…as they say “yer pays yer money and takes yer chance”!!
With the benefit of hindsight it would have been MUCH simpler, and probably lower overall cost to have sourced suitable replacement saddle springs and paid a local car upholsterer to tailor-make a saddle cover for the original saddle frame. That will be my route next time!!
Just for the record, I resolved the horn problem. The alternator on the bike generates 6 volts AC, so the AC current makes and breaks the circuit itself. No need for contacts in the horn body. Can’t think why it took me so long to twig that!! All fixed now. Makes a horrible sound, but it is original.
Good Luck. Bryn
Hi, well the frame etc of my very sad 1953 Guzzino is completed now , together with newly built wheels. The pin striping on the mudguards looks great; really finishes the paint job. I’m slowly getting there !!
Now I’m working on the engine and have a possible problem.
The engine is in a bit of a mess. It was bone dry inside. Not even a hint of oil, so not surprisingly every bearing and bushing is completely shot to pieces.
EXCEPT the big end which has no up and down movement, but does wobble from side to side. So much so that the con rod has been rubbing the inside of the flywheels !!!
It is as if the flywheels are not completely pushed together.
So…can anyone please advise on how to split and re-assemble the big end assembly so I can try and resolve this issue. Is it just a press fit ?
On the same theme, what is the correct tolerance between the brass fuel inlet valve bush and the crankshaft ?? How much “slack” can be tolerated ?
Yes I have 2. A 1954 and a 1961 lusso.
Both are cosmetically unrestored but mechanically good.
They are fun to ride as long as you avoid fast buisy roads.
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is it an A.C. horn fed via the generator coil ?
I recall from my early training that some motorcycles and early cars used A.C. horns, thats why they dont have points
Gent of Leicester used to supply some big old horns, looking like a gramophone, they had no points but used A.C. mains to oscillate the diaphragm
Hi raphael_glynn,
Thanks for your thoughts which are indeed correct.
It took me a while to remember that it’s an AC generator on this bike !!
I was able to rig up a 6 volt AC supply to test the horn and it worked well, albeit a terrible tone !! I’ll live with that.
The restoration is now coming to completion, and it’ll be time to put it up for sale to fund the next project.
Cheers Bryn
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wont you miss out on riding it for the summer ??
a friend of mine purchased a 250 BSA a late 40s model at auction, didnt pay much, it seems the chap who overhauled it is in his late 80s and enjoys working on motorcycles more than riding them
he is rather pleased with the bike, and went and met the engineer to chat to him
the old fella says it keeps him busy and young !
whats your next project ???
Hi Raphael,
You are correct I won’t be able to ride it if I sell it, but much like your friend my enjoyment is in rescuing / restoring old bikes more than actually riding them.
If I do fancy a ride out I have a cheap, totally underpowered Chinese Jinlun JL125-11 which despite it’s lack of get up and go suits me because it has a very low seat and I am slightly vertically challenged and at my age need easy access to seat.
My next project is a very sill 1985 Peugeot 103 Z Vogue moped.
As yur friend says, it keeps me young, and I find it difficult to lift the heavier engines etc.
Some of my previous restorations have been a 1965 Francis Barnett Plover; a 250 Matchless G2 I think; a 1949 Sunbeam S8 rebuilt from a frame and six boxes of bits!; a 1973 Triumph T100P, the police version of the Daytona rescued from Burma.
Plus a few others that just needed some cosmetic recommissioning.
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I dont do anything with my motorcycle, other than clean it and check the levels
I pay Tony at TB motorcycles to look after it, because I dont have the patience
especially as my daughters have me booked for lots of building work !!
but as an act of punishment, I will shortly be starting the refurbishment of EVY my 1961 Morris Oxford, owned her for 30 years now
luckily my workshop is a long way from the house, so no one can hear me swear !!
since been rather ill and nearly a bit dead, I have cut back on lots of work I did for other people, and am in training for retirement, , so I reckon one day a week will get the old girl sorted
and I am only working part time now
its rather nice slowing down
I usually have a dog on hand to ensure things are done properly !!
Good to hear you’re back on your feet and planning some restoration work. Good Luck.
I’m still fettling the final bits and bobs on the Guzzino. I’ll get there eventually.
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