My very own Guzzi single at last!

[Turboguzzi]

I've been running around in circles for a while trying to find a 500 single I'd like to own. 

Shouldnt be restored - dont like bling/shiny, and the accompanying price...

Should have that special patina to keep, but not gone enough it needs full restoration to enjoy. 

It needs to be in good condition, but shout that it needs me and my skills

And above all,  has to have that "extra" thing that grabs  me....

And being in the right price range also helps...

Well, I found it, it's in my garage and it has A LOT of that "extra" attraction, at least for me. 

Lets call it a very un-ortodox Falcone

Regretfully im super busy with guests im taking to the event in Mandello this weekend, so will post just a teaser.

Dont fry your brains, impossible to guess what it is... :)

More updates after the weekend

[pouma1954]

Laverda front wheel with a Grimeca 2 ls brake?

WwBMW Earles fork?

Paul

Envoyé depuis mon appareil Galaxy

-------- Message d'origine --------

De : Turboguzzi <sch...@gmail.com>

Date : 02/09/2026 22:47 (GMT+01:00)

À : Guzzi Singles <guzzi-...@googlegroups.com>

Objet : [guzzi-singles] My very own Guzzi single at last!

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[Turboguzzi]

Nice hit on the wheel, not on the fork..... all will be revealed :)

do you still need to rebore your carb? the machinist is back form holidays

[Patrick Hayes]

On 9/2/26 13:47, Turboguzzi wrote:
> Lets call it a very un-ortodox Falcone

That is very strange. Guzzi only used the leading link front fork on a
very few models. Almost all of them had a 'full' piece of sheet metal
bracing from the lower fork. This one has a big relief or
'weight-reduction' hole in the lower fork support. The only one I can
find in book research would be on the front of a V-8 racer. You
mentioned a price range criterion and that would be way out of line.
The V-8 was the only one with a vertical shock mounted in front of the
fork tube.

Must be some strange collection of left over bits from various models.



--
Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA
Trustee for the 1994 Cattarin Family Living Trust

[Rick Yamane]

I was checking the V8 racer and it said that bike used telescopics. That fork looks familiar but I can't place it. I'll probably spend way too much time looking for it. That said I did find a photo of that fork on a race bike. Couldn't really tell what was under the fairing but there was a Guzzi winged emblem on the outside.

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[Phil Packham]

Hi Rick. 

Was that AI or a real source eg a book? 

I am looking at the accurate Protar model and its definitely NOT a telescopic fork! Leading link for sure.

Must give it a clean [shame…]

Cheers

Phil

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[Andrew Nahum]

Not BMW.  The leading link pivots from behind the front wheel.  

Sent from my iPhone

On 2 Sep 2026, at 22:01, pouma1954 <poum...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Rick Yamane]

Get Outlook for iOS

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From: 'Phil Packham' via Guzzi Singles <guzzi-...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, 02 September 2026 16:13:25
To: guzzi-...@googlegroups.com <guzzi-...@googlegroups.com>

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[Rick Yamane]

It was an article on the web. I don’t think it was AI but maybe. It was wrong anyway. When I got home I made a beeline to my Colombo book.

What I found was the Otto’s were all shown with an Earles fork very much like the one in Mr Turbo’s photo. All of the other Earles type Guzzi forks appear to have the dampers and springs concealed in the fork tube. I also found the same photo I saw online. I'm going to put the photos in another message so this one does not get too unruly. Plus I think I'll have to post from my phone since the photos didn't make it to my iPad yet.

Get Outlook for iOS

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From: 'Phil Packham' via Guzzi Singles <guzzi-...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, 02 September 2026 16:13:25

To: guzzi-...@googlegroups.com <guzzi-...@googlegroups.com>

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[pouma1954]

Thanks for the carb.

I haven't looked into it yet.

I've just finished rebuilding the brakes on another bike and we're off to the Isola dei Pescatori on the lago Maggiore tomorrow. I'll be riding one of my old 750 Laverda.

Paul

Envoyé depuis mon appareil Galaxy

-------- Message d'origine --------

De : Turboguzzi <sch...@gmail.com>

Date : 02/09/2026 23:30 (GMT+01:00)

À : Guzzi Singles <guzzi-...@googlegroups.com>

Objet : Re: [guzzi-singles] My very own Guzzi single at last!

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/guzzi-singles/25e49100-a53d-4013-881a-46c9ae688061n%40googlegroups.com.

[Michael Scanlon]

This might help with your fork identification….

Sent from my iPhone

On 3 Sep 2026, at 07:18, pouma1954 <poum...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Phil Packham]

Turboguzzi's bike is a real interesting one. From a good look through M Colombo’s volume it seems no civilian Guzzi bike had the leading link fork, they only ever appeared on the racing models, the V Otto had the added damper/spring Girlings to provide better handling when motoring at 200 + kph, handy…..

The Turboguzzi bike I am guessing maybe was built by one of the Guzzi race shop engineers/mechanics/racers as his personal bike? 

It would be interesting to track down its original owner. 

Someone at the museum might know, or maybe Alis Agostini? Maybe it was her dad’s bike?

Yes, it does look like a Grimeca brake, maybe the front wheel is ex an early 650/750 Laverda as Paul suggests. 

Cheers

Phil

On 3 Sep 2026, at 5:39 pm, Michael Scanlon <mike.e....@gmail.com> wrote:

This might help with your fork identification….

<image0.jpeg><image1.jpeg><image2.jpeg>

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[Turboguzzi]

Yep, the fork was very much inspired by the solution in the space frame dustbin fairings racers 350/500 with tubes extending to the top triple clamps.

Bike is surely not an ex-works racer or client racer, couldnt afford that in a life time.... :)

But we are heading in the right general direction here! 

Let me take some decent pictures.... 

[RICHARD YAMANE]

Like Patrick eluded too I was thinking any genuine ex-racing parts would've put the value of your new bike beyond the budgetary constraints you were claiming. The color might hint at possible military origins.

Rick Yamane
Importer of Vape/Powerdynamo ignition systems and Polisher of bikes at Motion Pro

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[Rick Yamane]

There you go! Seeing this a little late. It would still be a rather valuable piece of equipment to put onto a street bike. Interesting stuff though. That bike could tell some interesting stories.

 

From: guzzi-...@googlegroups.com <guzzi-...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Michael Scanlon
Sent: Thursday, September 3, 2026 12:39 AM
To: guzzi-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [guzzi-singles] My very own Guzzi single at last!

 

This might help with your fork identification….

 

 

 

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[Gordon de la Mare]

There were quite a few race bikes with linking link front forrks.
Gambalunga, Bialbero, Bicyylindrica, V8 plus a few other 350GP variants
Mick Walker's Moto Guzzi - The Racing Story book has lots of photos of the various front fork types.
I'll take a pic of Sammy Miller's V8 and his Bicylindrica when I am at the museum ( next week) for comparisons.

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[Turboguzzi]

Okay, told you my single is going to be un-orthodox.

So, what's the story of this bike? The original builder is no longer with us—a certain guy named Franco bongranni, Born in Parma in 1926. I bought the bike from Giorgio, a 93 yrar old riding buddy friend of him, who inherited it after he died some ten years ago.

The bike was built in 1964 using a 1951 Falcone Sport as a base, but as you see from the pictures, something like 90% of the parts on this bike are handmade and custom-designed for this prototype. The only parts that survived from the original motorcycle are the engine, the rear wheel, and the main spine of the frame from the steering head down to the engine fixing points.

The bike has been used between 1964 and 1982 for long touring rounds, mostly to the Dolomites, Franco on his Special, Giorgio, the man who sold me the bike on his Gilera Saturono that is also up for sale. Regretfully, the builder had no successors, son no photo albums survived and there is very little information on how this genial piece of work was built. Giorgio just remembers seeing bits and pieces being made after hours in Franco's garage but not that many details. 

Crazy stuff for a 1964 Special? Works racer-like forks, hot-rod motor (dual plug head, hi comp piston, full downddraft carb, dondolino camshaft, custom exhaust in stainless), underslung oil tank, self made electric starter (no, it doesn't use any parts from the so equipped "corrazzieri police bikes"), hand beaten tank, the list is endless really. 

[Turboguzzi]

[Turboguzzi]

[Turboguzzi]

[Alan Comfort]

A real treasure! Get 'er running, new tires and a general return to service, then ride it as found.

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[Turboguzzi]

Thats the intent Alan, it's a great testament to how people hopped up bikes back then. Other than some peeling areas in the "featherbed" frame, paint is quite ok

Here is Giorgio saying goodbye to the old friend, though he rode this bike very occasionally, only when Franco let him to.

[Andrew Nahum]

Ride as found!!  It’s the only way now that new paint and chrome costs more than the bikes are worth.  The paint on my latest Airone has a nice tone but close up it looks like crocodile skin !  But it chugs along nicely. At my age I am just happy if they just start and go.  A few years ago I would have wanted them to go faster!!   Not anymore.  

Sent from my iPhone

On 5 Sep 2026, at 19:01, Alan Comfort <alan.c...@gmail.com> wrote:



A real treasure! Get 'er running, new tires and a general return to service, then ride it as found.

On Sat, Sep 5, 2026 at 10:13 AM Turboguzzi <sch...@gmail.com> wrote:

<WhatsApp Image 2026-09-05 at 18.14.41 (1).jpeg>

<WhatsApp Image 2026-09-05 at 18.14.41.jpeg>

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[pouma1954]

Lovely

Paul

Envoyé depuis mon appareil Galaxy

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Date : 05/09/2026 19:13 (GMT+01:00)

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Objet : Re: [guzzi-singles] My very own Guzzi single at last!

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[robert mcwilliams]

Well don't that take the cake. Robert.

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[RICHARD YAMANE]

That's pretty cool! It's great you have as much of the history as you do. It'll be interesting to hear how it rides.

Rick Yamane
Importer of Vape/Powerdynamo ignition systems and Polisher of bikes at Motion Pro

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[guzz...@aol.com]

pretty cool machine ........ thanks for sharing !

Tim

On Saturday, September 5, 2026 at 12:16:22 PM CDT, Turboguzzi <sch...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[jerry atric]

What a privilege to be the custodian of such a work of art! It really is something, congratulations. I have to say, I'm with Andrew on my needs these days but wouldn't it be great to give that Beaty a flat-out blast down an empty road.😍

[Turboguzzi]

Yep, pretty much how I feel... Custodian of some sort of Guzzi heritage, even if it's not a works bike or something.... And sure, gonna see how much she'll do at one point. Certainly going to ask questions here... Tnxs for your warm reception!