Guzzi California

A mate of mine rides a Silverwing/CX550 combination. The bike's just about
knackered now and he wants to change it (although he has been offered a 78
CX with only 24k on the clock) and he's been offered a Guzzi California.
Apparently all the switches have been changed to Japanese ones wo overcome
those weaknesses [1]. What say the FOAK, is it worth a punt? He can only
ride a combo by the way.

[1] He says that he was told Guzzi electrics were crap but the Jap switches
should help. I know bugger all about these things.

--
Malc
R1100RS old and tatty

You laugh at me because I am different
I laugh at you because you are all the same

 

I believe the consensus is that yes, they're worth a punt. They also
keep their value rather well.

That depends very much on who did the work. I've seen some right bodges
with stuff like this...

 

Erm, a 500 or a 650, but not a 550.

Guzzi electrics are actually rather good. Bosch components, mostly.
Switches on the old ones were a bit pants, and Jap (usually Suzuki)
switchgear was a common mod.

Tell him to stop farting around and go for it.

 

That's not actually a good thing these days.

 

CX550? Very rare, those.

Well, I'm no expert on Calis, but what era? The later ones are
probably OK but Guzzi went through a low period in the late nineties
when quality control was a bit iffy. My Quota hails from the late
nineties.

Anything built in the last decade or so will probably have modern-ish
switchgear. Quotas and V11s of that era, so probably other moderls
too, had dodgy relays but these can be replaced easily, or the
contacts scraped clean to get you home.

 

If it's a round barrel machine snap it up. Pretty much unburstable.

This irritates me slightly. The early Le Mans switch gear were prone to
fall apart but that was corrected on later bikes and the rest were fine
(generators were made by Bosch, later ones Suprissa). However, bike
magazines perpetuated the myth.

IMO, they were no worse than contemporary Jap bikes - any problems I've
had on my '79 T3 have been down to age and bodges and I've had very, very
few problems.

 

*Ding*.

JB

 

And my hearing isn't so good either.

I shall. Thanks


--
Malc
R1100RS old and tatty

You laugh at me because I am different
I laugh at you because you are all the same

 

so it was a suprissa when you break-a-down-a?

 

Lucas

 

Exactly how knackered is the CX?

 

Don't do it.

Unless you want t spend a couple of weekends seeing if we can fit that
Wessex chair I've got sitting behind our garage. Much cheapness to you
Sir.

 

I have a mates CX650 in the lockup looking for a new home.

 

I like CXs, and a working setup with shonky cycle parts/engine would be easy
enough to fix up. Also, I haven't a bike suitable for hauling a chair, so a
complete package would be ideal. And there's someone else, much closer to
home, also trying to foist a superfluous chair on me.

 

Bung a chair on it and you're set for the next big adventure. You know
that when we're pissed we'll decide to do something stupid so you
might as well start preparing for it as soon as possible.

 

Good point.

 

The thing is, CXs have spine frames like MZs, so you're into subframes and
shit. Which is why one that's already set up is a good starting point.

 

See this?... this is me not asking how much it is.

--
Lozzo
SV650S K5, ZX-7R P4, CBR600F-W, SR250 SpazzTrakka, SR250 Project
SpazzCaffer
I see a bright new future, where chickens can cross the road with no
fear of having their motives questioned

 

CX650 brakes aren't exactly famed for their excellence. If that's what you
want it for, you must be pretty desperate.

 

What sex life?