Back on the road, after a 27 year rest.

[Silk]

I got my 1974 Moto Guzzi Stornello back on the road today, last registered for road use in 1988. Sadly neglected, and spending 10 years on an island in the Hauraki Gulf didn't help at all. Not a restoration, just a strip down, clean up and put back together. I had to replace the 42 year old tubes, but the 1975 tyres are still on there. No instruments, I smashed the alloy cluster in 1985 in a highside....I'm making a new one from a stainless sheet. A vehicle over 40 years old has a cheap rego here, but I have to put it through a compliance check first...more money. I'll just ride the back roads for now.

I've owned it from new, bought as unsold stock in 1978. We got 5 of them, worked out at $650. It had been stored with a full synthetic, the book called for a 20-30, and I've put 2 litres of Mobil Delvac MX 15-40 in it.

Photos posed for Shannow's benefit.

 

[Danno]

Sweet bike, but 40 year old tires? Seriously?

 

[Silk]

Still good on gravel. If I was young and stupid, yes that would be a stupid thing to do. Know what you are riding is the bottom line. Tyres are on the list, I needed to ride it first to see if other problems are there. I only made one dab at the brake on a downshift, but memory comes back pretty quick.

 

[eljefino]

hot!

 

[CourierDriver]

nice ride, good for you, enjoy, nothing like a good ride.

 

[John_Conrad]

love it and the story, thanks for sharing the pics.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Parked under coal conveyor for generating station?

 

[Silk]

Yes, New Zealand's only coal fired power station, but it hardly runs on coal these days, mostly gas. Conveyor certainly wasn't running when I was under it.

 

[daves87rs]

Very nice bike!

 

[Silk]

There were only 8 of these bikes in the country,only 2 were sold and a friend found them sitting in an old kauri villa in 1978. We bought 5 of them....I've lost track of them over the years, but have found the guy who was importing them. I stopped riding it in 1988, when it was last registered.

Sadly I got an email on tuesday - an immaculate blue Stornello 160 has been stolen in Auckland. Why would someone steal a rare, but low value bike like this, it can't be sold or stripped down for spares as the whole Italian and classic bike scene in this country will know about it. Probably was an easy steal, it'll be thrashed around some local streets and dumped down a bank somewhere.

 

[Spazdog]

You never see Guzzis in the states that aren't V-twins.

Awesome!