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When Neil joined the Squadra Guzzista forum he uploaded a curious avatar...it showed what looked like some bloke wringing the butt off a red loop frame whilst banking round round a track! I later found out it was an 850GT...one of my favourite Moto Guzzi models. Of course, I badgered Neil, like I do to most people, to write about his track rocket!


"Moto-Gusssi ? Moto-Gootzie?? There’s probably as many variations on the pronunciation as there are peoples reasons for owning one. I drifted in to Guzzi ownership in about 1996 when, after having restored ridden and then sold a couple of British bikes, I wanted something else.

I didn’t know what I wanted at the time, but a Laverda riding friend suggested that a Guzzi might fit the bill. I was a little dubious as popular ‘wisdom’ said that they had unreliable electrics, poor finish etc.. anyway, to cut a long story short I spotted an advert, took said friend along to view what turned out to be a thoroughly sorted T3 and bought it, mostly based on the fact that he said he would if I didn’t. There followed around 7 years of great fun and adventures on the bike, although we ultimately parted company during a period of personal upheaval – yep, we’ve all done it and regretted it later, add me to the list.!

So move on about 9 months after selling the T3 and I was still looking for another bike, and once again didn’t know what I wanted. Idly browsing E-bay one evening I spotted a 1972 850GT. I don’t think I’d even seen one in the flesh before, but had always liked the look of the V7 series.
From reading the advert the owner was obviously an enthusiast, and his reply to my questions confirmed it.. one problem was that there was only a couple of days to run on the auction and the bike was nearly 100 miles away.


There was no chance to view it, but I decided on what I’d pay for it based on the worse case scenario of having to fix it or sell it on if it turned out to be horrible. Fortunately I ‘won’ the auction and it was mine!! So the first time I got to see the bike was when I drove down to pay for it.. the seller was reluctant to let it go, he had previously advertised it then changed his mind, but unfortunately personal circumstances meant it had to go – add another bloke to that list..!

He’d imported it from Teo Lammers in the Netherlands about 6 or 7 years previously, and a quick look round it confirmed my suspicions that it had been used and ‘loved’.. I’d not been able to arrange a lift, so drove down, paid for it and agreed for it to be collected a couple of days later. Finally the day arrived for a man with a van to pull up outside my house and unload the Guzzi.
A closer inspection more or less confirmed my original assessment, although I wasn’t keen on the white paint, nor the chrome mudguards which came as standard on this model. The only real fault with the bike was a very slight weep of oil from the front of the crankcase.
Couldn’t see what caused it and the previous owner said it had been like it all through his ownership, so I decided to just ride the bike through the Summer, see if any other problems came up and then decide what to do with it.
So after a quick look round, I took it for my first ride. To use a well worn cliché, all controls fell readily to hand, and I felt at home on it straight away. The riding position was similar to my old BSA, and mechanically the 850cc engine and 5 speed box was all familiar territory.

That Summer passed without problems, confirming my confidence in Guzzis as great all rounders – they are as happy being ridden down to the shops as a 300 mile day out, taking it all in their stride. The weep from the crankcase had started to niggle me, and the engine was showing signs of needing a freshen-up. It would’ve soldiered on for many more miles I expect, however I had decided that this was a ‘keeper’ and strangely I had some spare cash in the bank (its not happened before or since!), so arranged for Nigel at NBS to take the bike over the Winter, fit a new set of barrels and pistons and have the crankcase inspected/repaired.

I’d not used Nigel before, but he came highly recommended, something that I would also now happily do. The engine ‘freshen up’ turned in to a full rebuild, ironically the ‘suspect’ barrel and pistons were probably the best bit of the engine.! The bike came back to me after Christmas, which resulted in me being out on as many cold, bright days as I could manage to try to get some running-in done.

As well as putting a smile on my face during the ‘off season’, it also ment the bike was ready for the Summer. I mostly used it for days out that Summer, the longest trip being down to the V Twin rally at Fordingbridge. The bike performed well all season, with just routine maintenance, which I carried out myself. As we reached the end of Summer I decided it was time for a bit of more in-depth maintenance and maybe a bit of cosmetic work.


It all started with the decision to get the brake shoes relined. Whilst I had the wheels and brakes out, I thought the brake plates would look good blasted and polished. And I had a pair of decent valve covers which would look good polished. I’d also been collecting parts since I bought the bike, so had a pair of decent steel mudguards, so seemed a good time to get those painted-up. I also had a pair of NOS (New Old Stock) fork covers, and a perfect headlight shell to replace the slightly bent one on the bike… you can see where this was heading!!!

Before I knew it, I had bits scattered everywhere, the project just grew and grew. In hindsight I wish I’d done it on a more planned basis, however the chaos is sometimes part of the fun – although not sure if my friend Andy who helped me out with the rebuild would agree! With the ‘guards, fork covers and headlight painted it was time to put it back together, the plan being to keep the white tank and side panels for this year.

The painter then announced that he was painting a Ducati shortly, so he could do me a bit of a deal! So I paint-stripped the tank and side panels and dropped them off for a coat of ‘749 Ducati’ Red. The tank had a slight weep, which over a period of time had resulted in a brown stain on the surface, so I cleaned and sealed the tank from the inside. Whilst the bike was stripped down, I took the opportunity to carry out a few other jobs – new steering head and wheel bearings, tidied up the wiring including re-wiring and relocating the handlebar switches and adding a pair of Fiamm horns, new control cables, fork springs, and sundry other little jobs… and of course I fitted the relined brake shoes, which is how all this started!

Despite a more in-depth ‘tidy up’ than anticipated, I still managed to beat my target of getting the bike back on the road before easter. This more or less brings us up to date, having ridden all through the Summer without a hitch. One highlight was taking part of the Moto Guzzi Club GB ‘parade’ lap of Mallory Park during the Festival Of 1000 bikes.. the ‘parade’ lasted for about 30 seconds before everyone decided to make the most of their 15 minutes out on the track. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, mixing it with Guzzis of all ages – its got to be the only time I’m ever going to share track space with an MGS/01! The bike handles quite nicely, with a low centre of gravity, the main limiting factor being the low set centrestand which can ground out if you’re cranked over on a bumpy surface.

To finish, I’ve looked at Joes list of ‘suggested content’ and realised I’ve ignored most of it! So a quick summary..

Me – I live in Lincolnshire, but born and spent most of my life in Berkshire, followed by a spell in Sussex-by-the- Sea. I passed my bike test in 1980(!) after a couple of years on a ‘Fizzie’ followed by a small Honda. I then went to the darkside and spent the next 10 years bike-less as my time and money went on old British and American cars, followed by a return to bikes with a BSA A10, Triumph 3TA then eventually my first Guzzi mentioned above... I currently also own a 2001 Triumph Thunderbird Sport.

The Bike – It’s a 1972 V7 850GT. I t makes me smile, I love it, except for the times when I hate it!! Fortunately this doesn’t happen often, although there was a frustrating, but thankfully short, period where I seemed to have to take a spanner to it before each ride.
Its low centre of gravity and seat height means that its ideal for bimbling around single track roads watching the world go by, but its equally comfortable enough to sit on all day.

Maintenance is straightforward, even the wiring as it has a Generator rather than Alternator, and points rather than electronic ignition. Theres no proper oil filter on this model, so regular oil changes are advisable, but again this is a straight forward job. Spares are currently quite easy to obtain, I tend to use either Corsa Italiana/Spares GB or Teo Lammers who have an easy to use webshop, with all items listed by part number, and of course E-bay has helped me buy things that I never knew I needed!

The Current Range – I think finally they have a proper range of models, that appeal not only to the die-hards but will bring new owners in to the fold. Previously it was basically either a Cali or a Sport, neither of which appeal to me, hence my purchase of the Triumph when I wanted a modern bike. I’ve had a sit on a Bellagio, and despite my concerns about how well it fits me, I may well have one of them once they’re old enough to suit my wallet..."

"Before I knew it, I had bits scattered everywhere, the project just grew and grew"

Thank you Neil for this fabulous article, you own a truly marvelous Guzzi. If you would like your bike featured in this way, please download the following attachment: GO, to give you some prompts, and send your words and pics to joe@guzzista.com.