34 years 3 months and six days ago.

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  • Far Canal
    Far Canal
    5 years ago
    I bought this bitsa Guzzi. It has been a fantastic bike and has given many fond memories.
    Today I sold it. Felt I was getting too worn out, dodgy shoulder and back, to enjoy it anymore.
    A bloke flew over from Perth to ride it home. I was surprised he was 8 years older than me.
    He left my place in driving rain and 7 degrees temp for the long ride back from the southern mountains of Tassie to Perth.  I hope he makes it safely.


    Back then

    Yesterday.

  • Baloffski
    Baloffski
    5 years ago
    Good stuff, mate. Shit, is the same bloke on his Lemans..........
    Know exactly where you coming from. Guzzi rider for 20 odd years, had Mk1V, with lotsa stuff changed. Your LeMan"s was a nice looking bike.
    Rode one around beautiful, Tasmania for months, working there. Heart strings, man.
    Now, move on from grieving to "New Project", hopefully. Good photos.
  • fatbat
    fatbat
    5 years ago
    Good post and pics. Must be sad to see it go. I'm surprised you sold it after all that time and memories. How much is a bike like that worth?
  • jayu
    jayu
    5 years ago
    Yeah bit sad when u gotta let the old timers go cause you more old timer than them. I'm cooked too. Just gave all my bikes too my sons ... I couldn't sell them
  • Neale
    Neale
    5 years ago
    Wow....I woulda cried.
    I put 207,000 kms on my 850 T5, fun bikes.
    Nice pics.
  • Far Canal
    Far Canal
    5 years ago
    Did not cry, although it was a bit sad to see it go. So many good memories with it. It had been up for sale on gumtree for some time so my mind was made up. The head down arse up riding style was no longer fun and I hardly rode it anymore. Also have 3 bikes left to enjoy that are more comfortable so things aint that bad.
    It'd be worse selling your last bike when you get so old you can only ride your walking frame, hopefully that is a long way in the future.
    Put about 200,000ks on this one and had re-built it to better than when it was bought, so sold it knowing the new owner was getting a good machine.
  • Baloffski
    Baloffski
    5 years ago
    Agree, with the head down and bum up stance statement, older we get, gotta be more comfortable, us "old pricks".
    Did you ever get the Guzziology manual? 
    Still have mine.
    Hoping an enterprising fella can produce, same for Harley, as info was great.
  • paulybronco
    paulybronco
    5 years ago
    Nice story, wish i had never sold my last CBX 1000 but i did. 
  • paulybronco
    paulybronco
    5 years ago
    And a great photo as well 
  • Baloffski
    Baloffski
    5 years ago
    Quoting paulybronco on 16 Jun 2018 09:18 AM

    And a great photo as well 

    Agree PB,  "cept for the young barstead, turning into a "wizend good old barstead"...we laugh.
    Have had over 70 Motorcyles , Wish I had kept a handfull.
  • Far Canal
    Far Canal
    5 years ago
    Quoting paulybronco on 16 Jun 2018 09:18 AM

    And a great photo as well 

    Quoting Baloffski on 16 Jun 2018 09:24 AM

    Agree PB,  "cept for the young barstead, turning into a "wizend good old barstead"...we laugh.

    Have had over 70 Motorcyles , Wish I had kept a handfull.

    Ha Ha, The bike is better now after those years but me..well not the case.
    There aint no contest when you put a man against a machine.
    Thanks for the kind comments you guys.
    Pauly, do you really reckon you would still enjoy riding a 6 cylinder behemoth?.
  • paulybronco
    paulybronco
    5 years ago
    Quoting paulybronco on 16 Jun 2018 09:18 AM

    And a great photo as well 

    Quoting Baloffski on 16 Jun 2018 09:24 AM

    Agree PB,  "cept for the young barstead, turning into a "wizend good old barstead"...we laugh.

    Have had over 70 Motorcyles , Wish I had kept a handfull.

    That photo is a timeframe of your life....you are still that person with a world of life experience, you dont look a great deal different! Sadly beer found my belly...lol
  • paulybronco
    paulybronco
    5 years ago
    Quoting paulybronco on 16 Jun 2018 09:18 AM

    And a great photo as well 

    Quoting Baloffski on 16 Jun 2018 09:24 AM

    Agree PB,  "cept for the young barstead, turning into a "wizend good old barstead"...we laugh.

    Have had over 70 Motorcyles , Wish I had kept a handfull.

    Quoting Far Canal on 16 Jun 2018 09:31 AM

    Ha Ha, The bike is better now after those years but me..well not the case.
    There aint no contest when you put a man against a machine.
    Thanks for the kind comments you guys.
    Pauly, do you really reckon you would still enjoy riding a 6 cylinder behemoth?.

    I am actively looking for a decent CBX 1000 again so if you know of one......
  • Far Canal
    Far Canal
    5 years ago
    Another interesting side note.
    When I put the add on gumtree some weeks ago I put on the add "Text messages will be ignored" as you get so many scammers texting from there.
    Anyway after about 10 minutes of the add being posted I get a Text message saying "Did you buy this bike in Leichardt, Sydney a long long time ago?"
    Fuck me if it wasn't the guy I bought it off in 1984, I gave him a call and had a great old laugh. He recognised the bike from the exhausts and wondered if they were in fact the same ones (Car hot dog mufflers welded on to exhaust pipe). They were not incidentally, I had replaced them cause they had rusted/worn out but they sounded so good I re did em exactly how they were.

  • markwoumla
    markwoumla
    5 years ago
    Nice , (kinda sad) story … The garage just wont be the same without her parked  in her spot, (all the memories etc)….  But,,, onwards and upwards I say …. If the weather is ok tomorrow , take one of your other girls out for a ride , and have a ride down memory lane …. Cheers Mate..... 


  • graz
    graz
    5 years ago
    Great photos and story mate. Most of us look back and wish we hadn't sold some memorable machines.
  • Far Canal
    Far Canal
    5 years ago
    Quoting graz on 16 Jun 2018 10:29 AM

    Great photos and story mate. Most of us look back and wish we hadn't sold some memorable machines.

    Yeah well, what is one meant to do with it?. Don't have a son to pass it on to and if I did I'm not so sure I'd want him riding this machine. You can get into trouble very quickly on it.
    Still got my Harley and a couple of old 750 Four Hondas. Plus mrs has a Triumph bobber which is a hoot to ride.
    No regrets here.
  • Vic
    Vic
    5 years ago

    Far Canal, as a Guzzi owner myself , I would of found that very hard to sell mate.

    I find mine uncomfortable for long distances but fine for the 2 to 300k trips.

    Plan on keeping mine and when I eventually retire I'll restore the old girl,

    they're a bit quirky lol, but that's what makes them special.

    You can always fill that gap in the shed with something else!

  • Wideglider
    Wideglider
    5 years ago
    Great comparison photos there.
    Sounds like the bike went to a good home - someone who appreciates what its all about. An upside is that you have made room for a new 'project'. 
  • B0GN
    B0GN
    5 years ago
    That’s a good read. Crazy cool about the original owner seeing it, that’s awesome. And for the dude that bought it, what a great way to get to know the bike. That’s a hell of a ride. 
    Hehehe. I was just about to hit send when I remembered there was a Perth in Tassie. Still a decent ride but not the epic journey I had first though ;-)
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