MOTO GUZZI 850 LE MANS: ITALIAN CLASSIC

[weeksy]

https://www.bikeexif.com/moto-guzzi-850-le-mans

This one should tick a few boxes in RTTL world. Sadly it's a bit lacking in content this time.

[Horse]

There were three versions, that's the earliest.

Quick visual reference spotter's guide:

Mk1
Nose cone only





Mk2
Three part fairing




Mk3
Wings

[GuzziPaul]

More detailed visual guide to a Mk 1
Fork caps smooth slight dome with only an alan bolt, unless upgraded
Instruments speedo and tach round with small rectangular hard to see warning lights. Expensive to replace if dong a Mk II to MK1 swap.
Switch gear extremely basic, light switch rotates around handlebar often replaced, very expensive if you want original ones and fiddly to repair/replace as the wires run through the bars and have to be desoldered to remove if you want to put them back
Petrol cap roundish and chrome on a mk1, rectangular flap on a Mk2.
Mk2s have a plastic cover over the starter solenoid.
Engine and frame numbers all start VE, however there doesn't seem to be any agreament where a Mk1 ends and a Mk2 starts.

[Taipan]

Always loved these. Where we used to meet up there would be Yamaha RDs, XS1100, Suzukui X7s, Z900 etc. A guy used to rock up on this and it seemed dated, yet we all fawned over it!

[Trogladyte]

I had a III for many years. It had a 950 big bore kit, high compression pistons, all gear timing, extended sump and 40mm Del Orto pumpers. It was an absolute joy. I loved it to bits and assumed I would grow old with it. Sadly it had a meeting with another Italian ( Fiat) in a bus lane in Brixton. I bought my first Speed Triple with the insurance payout. The engine ended up in a three wheeler.

[Druid]

A bit of useless information; the Mk1 used the fairing from the Benelli 900 Sei

[Kneerly Down]

Rather annoyed I didn't get the Mk1 when I had the chance to get one for just under £3k...remember posting up about it on the old place, possibly the old, old place.

[Yorick]

I remember MCN did a group test with this, Z1 and a GS750, late 70s.

They had a jolly round Europe. The stand out point was where they let the Guzzi loose on the Autobahn and it showed about 150 which was awesome then. They were all gobsmacked.

Until they put it back to back against the others and saw it had a specially tuned speedo

120 ish was the truth.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Cheaper than tuning the engine

[GuzziPaul]

Speedo on mine is tuned like that, reads about 10 to 15mph fast and gives an option of speeds at higher speeds. 30mph is and indicated just under 40 and 40 is around an indicated 45. I've ussed my satnav to try and work out speedo vs true speed.
Just been out in the garage sorting out an oil leak from the bevel drive. The oil level plug wasn't done up tight enough to crush the aluminium washer, but, to take the plug out (and when checking the level) the swinging arm and bevel drive have to be horizontal. So I pulled the shocks from the top mounts ( with a ratchet strap already in place) and jacked up the rear wheel till the oil level plug was level then topped the oil back up till it dripped out. Plug back in and tighted up sufficiently this time to crush the washer.
The threads on the bevel drive are aluminium and notorious for stripping which is why I was cautious when doing it up last time, however doing lockdown 2 I did rebuild the drive with new bearings and seals and at the same time helicoil both the level and drain plugs so a bit of extra grunt should be fine.

[Dickyboy]

Student me on a mates mk2? Also had a mk5 as a company bike in the mid 90's

[Horse]

Amply demonstrating why owners of classic Italian bikes need to have short legs and long arms

[G.P]

I'd love a blue MK2 like the on in the pic above. An old school mate of mine had one, he worked on the Rigs 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off so spent literally half of his time in he summer touring round Europe on it.

[Dickyboy]

Amply demonstrating why owners of classic Italian bikes need to have short legs and long arms

You spotted my ape index of +8cm then

[Ssray]

I had one of the first batch of mk1's they had a different rear light. Hated it, crap brakes, had to send it a letter if you wanted to get round a corner, mates had early gsxr750's etc at the time
Good point was the noise, fab noise though

[Scotsrich]

A mate of mine had 2 of those and they both went up in flames after he low sided them. Including one that slid under a taxi then caught fire. Though to be fair on that occasion he hit a patch of diesel where the busses used to do a u turn. Possibly some vulnerability of the carbs/fuel system I’m not sure.

He could make it move though and it handled well to the extent he could get the barrels touching down. (Possibly why they low sided).