Still another project bike...

1975 1100-TV

I picked up a $400 T3 back in 2002, and paid a guy coming my way $100 to deliver it from Ohio.   It was a rolling hulk, ugly, and missing a bunch of parts, I stashed it out back for further contemplation.   In 2003 a friend of mine went into a tank slapper on his '99 V11EV coming out of a corner on the way to the WI Moto Guzzi Riders Rally, and he and his bike went tumbling down the road.   He recovered and survived, and now the heart of his bike is rolling again.  This project bike is a combination of parts spanning decades.  The frame, wheels, brakes, fuel tank and side covers are 1975 850-T3.  The engine, transmission, and swingarm are 1999 V11EV.  The fenders are Ambassador or Eldorado.   The seat, seat rail and luggage rack are California II.  The fork is Marzocchi 38mm intended for LM3.   The goal was to build a smooth riding, powerful, roomy, two person highway hauler.  I think this fits the criteria, I named it the 1100-TV.   I had Joe Kenny (http://www.swva.net/jkenny/) make up a set of side cover badges announcing the fact.  Joe does very nice work.

I ditched about 40 pounds of wire, sensors, injectors, electrical boxes, and associated gizmos to install a set of new Dellorto PHF36 carbs and a good old Magneti Marelli distributor.   The PHF36 carbs fit perfectly to the intake port of the EV cylinder heads using delrin manifolds.  The distributor tunnel on the EV block was not fully machined from the factory, so a small handful of Hamiltons and a visit to the local machine shop resulted in a completed distributor tunnel and a the distributor dropped right in.  Guzzi no longer includes a distributor drive gear on big twin camshafts, so a Megacycle 620x3 cam was installed, providing better breathing and a distributor drive gear at the same time.  New timing marks were stamped into the flywheel and a  Dyna electronic ignition was installed for accurate timing and excellent adjustability.  It rocks.  I'm looking forward to running this bike alongside a standard V11California model.   

Exhaust is a combo Stucchi double crossover head pipe system with Lafranconi Competizione mufflers for California models.   Original EV Ducati charging system was retained.  The regulator/rectifier unit is hidden under a stainless steel cover, shown above between the super loud snail horns.  Crashbars are California II.  Driver floorboards are from the EV, passenger floorboards by Moto Spezial.  Not being a fan of the fork gaiter look, I conceded to function to protect the relatively rare Marzocchi fork tubes.  

The GIVI bag mounts from the EV were a simple cut and weld to reconfigure to fit the T3 frame.  The longer EV swingarm required new shock studs, located further back, to be welded to the T3 frame.  The T3 triple clamps were machined to fit the 38mm fork tubes, and the axle was machined and fitted with new spacers to account for the new fork tube spacing.  The rear brake carrier from the T3 was adapted with the addition of a small machined piece to extend the brake stay.  Chrome fender supports are for Cal2, the Amb/Eldo front fender had it's mounts cut and welded in a new orientation, and the fender fitting points on the fork were fabricated with hand tools.  Turn signal/running lights were $15 a piece at the local truck stop.  The extra tall version of the Cal2 windshield gives good protection, reaching high and dropping low at the same time.   The long version Cal2 seat and associated rack and rail was a nice ebay find, still in good condition, and quite comfortable for me and my wife.  The dog will be in a kennel on the luggage rack soon.

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Updated April 15, 2005