Date: 17/06/2020
Condition: Used
Location: Gateshead, GB
Moto Guzzi V1000 Convert (Auto) in Black - yeeeHAAA! This is my lovely Guzzi V1000 Convert, in black. 1977 R-reg. Guzzi enthusiasts will adore this bike. The rest of you will say "a what?" These are rare bikes, not many around at all. They don't often come up for sale. This Convert is a bike that gets ridden often, but is not a polished up display item. That's reflected in some surface pitting on the chrome bits, but things like the exhausts are almost like new. For instance: The last big trip I did on this bike was to Portugal, for Christmas in Lisbon... down from Bilbao through Spain. It rides superbly. For anyone who doesn't know the Convert it's the same as a 949cc G5, but with the 2-speed auto gearbox and footplates. It was designed for American police forces to compete against Harleys, BMWs and Z1000s. Basically, you leave it in top gear and it goes like a train, but with no gearchanges needed. It's a wonderful thing to ride. Great on the open road, around town it's a peach. It still has a clutch (and clutch lever), but in practice you don't use it at all. You can use the lower gear for quicker response around town, but again, in practice the lower gear is not used. The bike is designed to ride in the higher gear all day long, on the open road or around town. It has no neutral gear, it idles using the torque converter, just as you would leave a car in "drive". It makes a very relaxing ride, with the comfy seat, original screen, footplates (not footpegs) and no gearchanges. Just a wall of torque. Like a giant version of a twist-and-go Hondamatic but with just one gear (in practice) and a far more characterful engine. It's great with a pillion, because they don't suffer whiplash from clumsy gearchanges, it's just a smooth surge of power. Of course it has the linked Guzzi Brembo brakes, a joy to use. Usually, only the foot pedal is needed (works 1x front and the rear brake). My Convert was new in 1977 in the USA. It was imported to the UK in 2017, and I registered it as a historic vehicle, so it enjoys being MOT exempt and no road tax VED. As far as I know it's all original. The V5 is present. The mileage of just 32,976 seems 100% correct. So, it's barely run-in. The Guzzi benefits from cheap classic insurance. Most parts are readily available from Gutsibits. It's always been fully serviced and has several extras fitted: Oxford heated grips, a USB/12v socket to charge phones etc, and an original Trucklite headlamp (one of the best LED headlamps you can get, not Chinese crap). It had LED sealed unit indicators (Land Rover items) as the original Italian ones were temperamental. It has the original Guzzi panniers and rear crash bars. It has original hazard lights. Nice American rear rack. It's got the 949cc big block engine, which is faultless and pulls like a train. All the instruments work. It has the long "LAPD" kickstand which cuts the engine when deployed and applies the rear brake, so American policemen can just jump off the bike without messing around, to shoot someone. Or kneel on them. As they say... Black bikes matter. New Avon Road Rider tyres, and new tubes when the tyres were fitted. It has never been crashed or dropped as far as I can see. As I said, it's a ridden bike, so there are occasional blemishes and scratches. Small patches of surface rust tend to develop... it's Italian. This is implicit on a Guzzi. It's 43 years old! Not a display queen. It's always had full servicing, and I have some spare service parts (eg oil filter, gaskets, plugs, points, brake pads etc). All the oils have been done less than 1,000 miles ago (engine, gearbox, torque converter and rear diff). The bike had new dampers and oil in the front forks after I got it in 2017. It has had new Hagon (enclosed) rear shocks fitted less than 500 miles ago. The seat is not ripped or torn and the battery was new 18 months ago. Starts on the button. Note: There is a red reflector lens missing from the side of one of the rear indicators. the mirrors are an odd pair (one chrome, one black). The footrest rubber could do with sticking down, or replacing. This Guzzi will give many years of service and is a bike I'd prefer not to sell, but I'm moving house and have nowhere to store it. The new owner will love this bike. I have a copy of the Oxford Motorcycle Engineers seminar notes, and some manuals to go with it. You can come and look at my Guzzi and prod and poke it at my farm in North County Durham, and it will ride away if you buy it. You can test ride if you leave me £500 deposit and show me insurance. I will deliver free in my van, within a 25 mile radius of Newcastle if you want? Further by negotiation. It deserves to be ridden, not left parked up somewhere. I'll start the bike at 1p, have some fun, see where it goes? You may grab a bargain!! I've added loads of pics, if you want more, just ask.
| Model: | i1000 Convert |
| Colour: | Black |
| Country/Region of Manufacture: | Italy |
| Start Type: | Electric start |
| Gears: | Automatic |
| Extra Features: | 12v socket |
| Fuel: | Petrol |
| Type: | Tourer |
| Year: | 1977 |
| V5 Registration Document: | Present |
| Street Name: | Guzzi Convert |
| Manufacturer: | Moto Guzzi |
| Engine Size: | 949 |
| Transmission: | Automatic |
| Date of 1st Registration: | 19770101 |
