I’ll be proudly putting my Moto Guzzi California Vintage’s police motorcycle heritage into action as a motorcycle marshal in the Bike MS Breakaway to the Beach bicycle event in September.
About 12 of us rode the course on a practice ride last weekend from the greater Charlotte, North Carolina area to Sunset Beach, NC via Florence, SC. As usual, I was the only Moto Guzzi rider in the bunch.
…continue reading California Vintage as Motorcycle Marshal
A few articles ago I showed how and why I installed 35W bulbs in place of the factory 55W bulbs in the fog lights on my California Vintage.
To put an end to any lingering battery worries, I bought a Deltran Battery Tender Junior. I love this gadget and wanted to share a few installation tips and photos.
All the popular online motorcycle parts stores carry them, including JC Whitney, Motorcycle Superstore, Cycle Gear, and Bike Bandit. Prices vary at each, so compare policies and shipping as well as price. I bought mine at a local motorcycle parts store for about $30.
…continue reading Battery Tender Junior installed on Guzzi
One of the easiest ways to improve the handling and riding comfort of your Moto Guzzi California is to adjust the front and rear suspension to match your needs. At the request of a reader, I demonstrate in this article some of the basic suspension adjustments that Cali owners should be aware of.
…continue reading Moto Guzzi California suspension adjusting
The good news is that the Moto Guzzi California Vintage comes standard with two very bright auxiliary lights, sometimes called spotlights, fog lights or driving lights.
The bad news is that if you casually ride around town with these on for any significant period of time, you will drain your battery.
Here I show you how I changed these bulbs to reduce battery drain.
…continue reading Installing 35W bulbs in fogs on Cal Vintage
There are a variety of windshields to choose from if you are looking to just replace or to update the looks and function on your Moto Guzzi California motorcycle.
Here we’ll explore a few different brands and styles that have versions available for the Cali.
When selecting a motorcycle windshield, the recommended height is to have the top edge of the windshield just slightly below eye level, about the height of your nose. Of course, the best height is whatever makes you comfortable for how you like to ride; however, windshields taller than eye-level can be really difficult to see though when they’re wet.
…continue reading Windshields for Moto Guzzi California
I own and ride a Moto Guzzi California motorcycle. Actually, it is a Moto Guzzi California Vintage. A Cal-Vin, skunk, cop bike, whatever you want to call it. I love it and the many variations within the Guzzi California series, including the Bassa, the V11, and so on, all the way back to the 850 California.
So, what makes a Moto Guzzi California motorcycle so good in my opinion? Here’s my top 5 list of reasons why this is the right motorbike for me:
…continue reading Top 5 reasons to own a Moto Guzzi California motorcycle
In an earlier article, we looked back at the 75th anniversary edition Moto Guzzi California motorcycle. An even more exclusive limited edition California EV was produced for the 2002 model year to celebrate Moto Guzzi’s 80th anniversary, the EV 80. These bikes sold for around $13,990 US, which was about $3,000 more than a Special Sport and a whopping $2,000 more than a standard EV at the time.
An unexpected benefit of being a Moto Guzzi owner was being able to participate in the annual Motori Italiani show in Charlotte, NC. The event, described as “a celebration of Italian motoring”, was held on March 20th, 2010.
The Charlotte Area Ferrari Enthusiasts (CAFE) with help from Foreign Cars Italia, Lamborghini Carolinas and Vespa of Charlotte put on an eye-popping gathering of vehicles. Thank you to Kevin of CAFE.
In 1996, Moto Guzzi introduced a special, single-year edition of the California to celebrate Moto Guzzi’s 75th anniversary in business which began in 1921. Guzzi is the oldest European motorcycle manufacturer in business today.
Production of the 75th anniversary edition California was limited to just 750 units. Let’s take a look back to re-examine this special Cali.
…continue reading Moto Guzzi 75th Anniversary California
For those looking for a pre-owned Moto Guzzi California, something to be aware of is a recall that involved several 2003 to 2005 models.
Those California 1100 engines were designed with hydraulic tappets. Because of some manufacturing problems, a recall campaign was issued by Moto Guzzi for refitting these engines with new components.
If the present owner is not sure, you should check the VIN number with a dealer to find out if the recall service was performed on the bike.
…continue reading Hydraulic tappets in 1100 California ’03-’05
