Generally, the purpose of modification can be divided into the next two.

• for reliability or life time
• for performance

Both of them is not essential for MOTO GUZZI. A normal GUZZI is already competent and sufficient to enjoy.
You can feel easy about this point. You don't have to modify it.

There're many examples of the modification of MOTO GUZZI. I will show some of the actual scene of them.

change the contact breaker to transistor

They say it makes maintenance free, engine start easy, and power up. But I don't say it's the best.
Frequent check wouldn't be needed. But it's not your profit. In many cases, ignition timing check is bike shop's business, not you.
GUZZI engine starts easily with original contact breaker, and its power is already sufficient for a normal rider.
And more. Attachable transistor system does not improve the ignition accuracy. It depends on the trigger arrangement board, which must be set up by human hand with strobe light. Contacts can be set up accurately versus crank rotate angle by mechanical gauge. It's not so bad.
Normal contact breaker has another advantage. You can change ignition setup very easily without cost. Are you town rider ? High speed racer ? You can fit it without ROM or that sort of special electrical objects. Right, I's also good for a study of engine basic.

change the air cleaner to power filter

Easy maintenance, good for power and responses, is the ad.
Inlet air resistance decreases with it. You must adjust the carbs to thicken fuel supply. But it depends on some situation whether it increases power or not. It makes inlet air warmer, just after the hot cylinder.
And there's more anxiety. It's filtering efficiency is low compared to the normal air cleaner. Most GUZZI has cylinders which inside surface is specially coated. You'd better to care inlet air keep clean.

LeMans1000 easy carb kit

Return spring of LeMans1000's carb is too strong, so it needs to add this kit to twist the wrist easily, is the add. That's very popular here in Japan.
Right, this kit makes the throttle grip light. Besides, its stroke becomes too long to twist at one time, need to re-hold it.
There's more problem. At high rpm, the carb barrel may be fixed by the strong engine breathing, and the weak spring could not recover it.
Both trouble can occur at very high speed, so its damage can be terrible.
There must be a reason why MOTO GUZZI made the spring so strong. You'd better to worry that the solution could not be so easy, like that sort of kit.

exhaust pipe : Two in one type, or cross type

Here in Japan, almost all the people changes the exhaust pipe or muffler. That seems it's like a exact aspect of national culture.
And the MOTO GUZZI bikes are the object, too.
You know, exhaust pipe could not be set up so easily, but there're many easy ones sold in shops. My friends, they are professional engine designer, said that some of these are just a trash. Especially, x-type crossover is stupid, it doesn't fit any theory of fluid dynamics.
OK, some of such pipes may rise peak power a bit.. Right, it's all. You will lost wide power band that the normal pipe had supplied.
"Just only peak power before red zone", No, I don't like such a suffocating setting. It reminds my wife's morning preparation. Ah...

oil pressure clutch release kit

The ad says it also releases you from a nightmare of sudden wire chopping off.
But the one I saw was apparently too weak, every pulling of clutch lever made it distorted. Clutch lever became much heavier, and its touch dead.
It would be much better to change the original wire a bit more frequently.

They could be summarized like the next comment.

Good (Japanese) parts or technical scheme can improve italian poor job.

No. It's just a imaging.
Job quality does not depend on nationality, but individual ability.
MOTO GUZZI's quality is not poor as the magazine or rumor says. Most of Its trouble is a conclusion of poor maintenance, I'd say.
Their basic design has reasonable and sufficient quality. And easy modification can disturb it, induce new accident or trouble, and results poor reliability or serious damage.

OK, reliability of MOTO  GUZZI is not fine as the bikes of Japanese big makers. But, almost all of aftermarket parts wouldn't improve its quality.
It's because, MOTO GUZZI's weak point is mass production quality, not design. Production amount of aftermarket parts is smaller than the maker : MOTO GUZZI. So its difficult to keep or improve GUZZI's quality level by aftermarket parts.
Modification should come after a careful examine of normal GUZZI. It must be a result of careful inquire, and should be done on your own determination and risk.

GUZZI is not fast as new Japanese bikes.
Sure, right. Ah, is there any problem ?
If you wish just a max speed, it's better to choice Japanese big bikes.
I'd say, your matter is, how you can enjoy the bike, not only a speed, isn't it ?
Normal and perfect GUZZI has sufficient performance for riders of average level, and very unique and good to enjoy for long term. maybe decades. And you can run on them for long distance, maybe few rounds of earth.

If you wish something barks, select dog. It's wrong to make a cat bowwow.
What I want to say about MOTO GUZZI is like that.
Well, and that unique kitten may love you.

Ombra
Dec. 2005

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