Moto Guzzi Nuovo Falcone

    This was a sort of Christmas present to myself.  Bought from North Leicester Motorcycles on January 2nd, 2003, for the grand sum of  £ 2250.  This is a thirty year old bike which has never been used.  The Italian government stockpiled thousands of them, then with the introduction of new "green" legislation, found they could no longer run them.  A brand new, tax exempt, 500 single.   That'll do me, thank you.

    The Guzzi even went to the Isle of Man.  Here it is sat at the Point of Ayre.  I must admit, it actually broke down - well, the clutch cable snapped.  Being of the old school of biking, I carry spare cables.  A ten minute fix by the road side at Laxey and I was back on my way.

    The one thing the Guzzi is good for and that is touring.  It ain't exactly quick, but you can load it up and it just rolls along nicely.  That massive external flywheel makes for some interesting gear changes, to say the least.

    Speaking of that flywheel - on the original Falcones the flywheel was always painted red, hence the nickname of "Bacon Slicer", so not wanting to feel left out I duly painted

my flywheel red.  Now seeing as it lives beneath a large alloy cover, the next step was to mill some slots in the cover so that you can see the flywheel.  I've since painted black

quadrants on the flywheel so that you can tell it is actually moving.