I'm slightly mystified by the prices the 77 Strada bits are realising on Ebay. Only 20 quid for a good, though needing repainting or powder coating cast rear wheel complete with a nicely scrubbed in Avon AM23 club race tyre. 16 quid for just a chain guard - though the pukka stainless item TBF. To a German again. Oh, well just the frame and swingarm left in the shed now. Definitely going to split them as I think the swingarm and good spindle will be more sought after than a frame with no registration document. Oh and 16 quid for the ratty though leak free Puch Grand Prix moped tank - to Belgium. The moral? Never throw any functioning or even repairable bike part away without sticking it on Ebay at 99p. -- +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Pete Fisher at Home: | | Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" | | Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
I'll compare these with 400 Four prices. £100 for a good wheel. Add 50% if it's been rebuilt. £50 for decent usable one with no major corrosion or dents. £100+ for NOS or similar condition. You speek da troof.
The chrome chainguards rust. If Moriini use stainless steel, then they don't. Plus, and this is the kicker, nobody seems as concerned about a 100% standard spec on Italian classics as they do with Japanese bikes. So much Italian stuff was shite that things like decent switchgear, alloy rims instead of chrome and suchlike are regarded as improvements.
In communiqué <1juw1vb.w6rask141debwN%>, Perhaps they want to ride them not just look at them ;-) As I said... -- +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Pete Fisher at Home: | | Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" | | Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
If Laverda are anything to go by, that'll be because no-one has a frigging clue what 100% standard actually is. I mean, they made under 500 SFC1000s but they made them with: cast wheels or wire wheels Smiths Clocks or Veglias (& different dashes for the different clocks) 2 different oil temp gauges 32mm or 36mm PHFs 3 - 1 or 3 - 2 exhausts the 3 - 2s came with satin black, chrome or polished alloy cans I think they only fitted P8 Goldline calipers as OE although I know one bloke who swears his had P9s. Oh, and they did a batch of them with black bodywork (by spraying black over the standard red paint)
Heh, very like Morini it depended what was in the parts bin at the time. Though at least with them everything pretty much after a certain year is cast wheel (ignoring the Camel and Kanguro). The temptation with the 350s is to turn them all in to wire wheel double sided SLS braked Sports. bit like all the Thruxton Velos and Gold Star BSAs. I try to keep the GFRs something near original as they are like hen's teeth but the 2C/375 Morini is comprehensively enhanced for riding pleasure. Though it even has the original still functioning CEV switch gear! -- +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Pete Fisher at Home: | | Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" | | Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
<snip> Ducati were like that, too, in the early 1980s with the last of the bevel drives. There seemed to be no such thing as a standard spec - they were put together with whatever they found lying around the factory.
