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.

The good old air cooled Moto Guzzi 1064cc v-twin engine that I love, just does not have enough room for a larger factory alternator, so we make due with the rated maximum 350 Watts at 5000 rpm.  I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t ride at 5000 rpm.  I enjoy riding within 2600-3000 rpm range on average. Maybe an occasional shift at 4500 rpm the mood strikes me.  So, with the way I ride my California, the alternator just isn’t keeping up if I have the two factory 55 Watt auxiliary lights on.  This is a common minor issue with the Vintage, but it’s easy and can be very inexpensive to resolve.

The most simple way to fix this is to replace the factory 55 Watt H3 auxiliary light bulbs with 35 Watt H3 bulbs.  I’ll show you step by step below exactly how I changed them on my 2007 California Vintage.  I have no idea why I waited so long to do this.

For me, picking out which H3 replacement bulb to buy was quick.  We’re a single income family and I can’t justify spending a week’s worth of groceries for a set of high tech bulbs.  I went for just the 35 Watt standard halogen bulb for only $6 each.  But, if you are so inclined, or if you ride a lot at night, there are several high performance 35 Watt H3 replacement bulbs that will work great on the California Vintage or any other H3 lamp.

If you want to keep, or surpass, the Guzzi factory brightness while using fewer Watts, theH3 PIAA Xtreme White Plus 35 Watt (p/n 70323) bulbs will do the trick since they give off of an equivalent of 70 Watts (for about $42 each from PIAA, or about $39 from Motorcycle Superstore).   A slightly less expensive PIAA 35 Watt bulb is their Star White (p/n 70363) , which gives of an equivalent of 60 Watts for about $27 each from PIAA.

I have to keep my motorcycle expenses to a minimum so I decided to swap mine over to H3 standard halogen 35 Watt replacement bulbs for about $6 each from Motorcycle Superstore. (They also sell the PIAA Xtreme bulbs for about $39 each).  Total cost for my two standard H3 bulbs with shipping and a new copy of MotoUSA magazine was less than $19.  I considered this a good deal, especially because the automotive parts stores wanted $13 per bulb for the standard H3 halogens.

To replace both the auxiliary light bulbs, the only tool needed is a phillips screwdriver.  It took me about 15 or 20 minutes to do both.  I took the opportunity to have my 9 year old son help me so he could learn.  He also took all these pictures for me while I changed the bulbs.  It was a win-win deal.

Located on the bottom front of the chrome bezel is a single stainless steel  screw.  Loosen the screw slowly to avoid stripping the screw head with the driver.  After removing the screw, pull the bottom edge of the lamp bezel outward while  pivoting at the top of the lamp housing.  Lift the top of the bezel up over the raised lip and now it is only connected by 2 wires.  Hold the lamp assembly to avoid excess strain on the two wires coming from the rubber boot.

Carefully peel the rubber boot away from the rear of the lamp assembly to expose the wire connector.  For whatever reason, my California Vintage has a red/orange boot on one light and a black one on the other.  Anyway, slide the rubber boot back down the wires toward the lamp housing shell so that you can get to the covered connector on the white wire.  The connector is a locking type, but all you need to do is pinch it with your fingers to get it to release the blade on the white wire.

Next, you will see there is a small metal wire clip that is sprung into place to hold the metal flange on the H3 bulb into the receptacle.  Using your fingers, just spread the two ends of the wire gently to release it, but try not to permanently deform this wire.   Once opened, it can be hinged backward out of the way.

Lift the old H3 bulb out from the receptacle holding it by the white wire.  Be careful not to touch the bulb if it is still good.  Touching the bulb will shorten the life of it due to the natural oils on your skin.  Obviously, don’t touch the new bulbs either, just hold it by the white wire or maybe the metal flange.

Install the new H3 bulb in the same way, with round flange cutout to round side and flat cutout to flat side. Next, swing the little wire spring clip wire back over the bulb flange and cross the two ends of the wire spring clip over to lock them into their holding places.

Next, plug the blade on the white wire into the connector on the blue wire and make sure the little detent finds the hole on the blade so it locks.  Slide the insulating cover back over this connector.  Slide the rubber boot back towards the new bulb, being careful that the black wire and blue wire pass back through the hole of the boot.  Work the rubber boot into it’s original place on the rear of the lamp reflector.

Place the lamp assembly back into the rear lamp shell by hooking the top of the bezel on first and swing the bottom closed.  Check that the screw hole lines up properly and that the ribs in the lamp lens are straight up and down – correct as needed.  Turn on the lamp top make sure it is working, then turn it off,  insert the screw and tighten it down.  Repeat these steps for the other lamp and you’re done.

I consider the auxiliary lights to be a safety feature, and I flip them on in the daytime when I’m on a busy road that has a lot of cars turning in and out of places.  I also run them when I’m at busy 4-way traffic intersections.  By changing them over from 55 Watts to 35 Watts, I can now use them without worrying so much about the battery.  Of course, I’ll still not leave them on while idling for very long.

I’m not sure why the Moto Guzzi factory does not install 35 Watt bulbs in the California Vintage auxiliary lights instead of 55 Watts, other than for Wattage bragging rights, but this is something the factory should be doing.

If you own a Moto Guzzi California, but not one that came with factory driving lights, Hepco & Becker offers a nice looking kit for about $260 USD. Part number is 400.521 for the California, Jackal, Special and Stone.  Harper Moto Guzzi is one of the places that sells these.

Interestingly, the early publicity photos of the California Vintage seem to show this same round chrome tubing bracket like Hepco offers.  I would not be surprised if it was from them as they supplied factory Guzzi accessories for several years.  For some reason, Guzzi changed to the two aluminum brackets rather than keeping the much more attractive (my opinion) chrome tubing.  Since the Hepco & Becker lights come with 55W bulbs, you’ll need to do the same swap to 35W as I did.

If anyone has tried converting the stock lamps to LEDs or has tried other solutions, please leave a comment to share what you did.  Personally, I’d like to swap over my clear fog lenses to amber color lenses, but so far I have not found any that are a direct fit.  Does anyone know if there are amber lenses that are completely interchangeable with the clear factory auxiliary light lenses?

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.

For the California Vintage, Rifle Fairings has replacement windshields that are pre-drilled to fit the factory mounting hardware.  National’s standard width is 22.5 inches and is 1 inch wider than stock.  As an extra-cost option, you can order 25.5 inch width.

The Rifle aftermarket California Vintage windshield is available in three different heights: 19.5 inches (1 inch taller than stock), 21.5 inches (3 inches taller than stock), and 23.5 inches (5 inches taller than stock) as measured from the top of the headlight to the top of the windshield.  Color choices are dark gray, light gray or medium bronze.

The stock Moto Guzzi Cal Vintage windshield is polycarbonate (says “Lexan FMR” on it).  This grade of polycarbonate has excellent impact resistance as well as hard coating for abrasion resistance.  Good stuff.

Many aftermarket windshields, including these specific models from National Cycle, are acrylic instead of polycarbonate.  Generally, acrylic is not nearly as impact-resistant as polycarbonate.  National does offer polycarbonate windshields, but not specifically designed for the Californias.

For the Moto Guzzi California EV, Rifle offers similar to the above, except heights are 15, 17, 19 inches, and widths are 22 inches or the “slim” version at 2o inches.

National Cycle (available at Motorcycle Superstore) offers several different options that can be fit to a variety of Moto Guzzi California motorcycles.  A minimalist windshield, called the “Flyscreen” just about covers the gauge cluster and provides a little wind deflection, but no serious protection from the wind.

Other National Cycle windshield options for the Guzzi California are the Street Shield, the Street Shield EX, Deflector Screen, Deflector Screen DX, and the Plexistar 2.  The greatest wind protection comes from the Plexifairing 3 which as built-in lowers as well as hand grip coverage.  The Plexistar 2 is similar, but does not have the lower extended shield feature.  Costs for these vary between $100-$200 USD.

Clearview Shields of Colorado offers their classic (16.5 or 20.5 inches height) and sport (15 inch or 17 inch height) acrylic windshields for the Moto Guzzi California EV, Stone, Titanium and Aluminum.  Also available are replacement windshields for the EV and Stone touring fairings.  Stock windshield size is 18 inches high x 20.5 inches wide.  Their model GT22 is 21.5 x 21.5 inches for extra coverage.

One of the better deals for a windshield for the Moto Guzzi California touring fairing is the Slipstreamer replacement fairing windshield p/n 10696G available at JC Whitney for about $63 USD depending on what size option you choose.  It is guaranteed to fit the factory fairing.

Whatever type of Moto Guzzi California windshield you choose, be sure to keep it clean the right way.  Be very careful when cleaning a motorcycle windshield, otherwise you could create tiny micro-scratches that can make it look hazed.  Those scratches could take some effort to get rid of, depending how deep they are, but usually they can be polished away to a like-new shine with some effort.

What make and model of windshield works best on your 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:

1.  It’s a motorcycle for motorcycle enthusiasts.  Time proven.  No fluff (well,  not too much anyway).   A work-on-it-yourself kind of bike, built for the long haul and years of riding enjoyment.

2.  It’s not a me-too motorcycle.  It’s Italian, but not a Ducati want-to-be.  It’s classic, but not a Harley want-to-be. Overall it has a classic and timeless design that makes it hard to tell how old one actually is. I’ve seen 1998 and older models that look just as good as a 2010 model of any motorcycle on the market.

3.  Practical features.  For example: shaft drive, linked brakes, forks that you can adjust while riding, adjustable rear shocks, adjustable steering damper, choke/fast idle lever for quick cold start, easy access valve train and heads.  Sure, other motorcycles have such features, but usually they are mid-to-high end sport bikes, not standards.

4.  Guzzi owners.  Of course, there are going to be jerks everywhere, but I believe that people that own a Moto Guzzi seem to be real people.  What does that mean?  Well, partly, they’re not trying to put on a “bad” image.  The entire bad biker thing is lame and old if you ask me, but to each their own.

5.  Class-less.  Wait, that sounds bad,  what I mean is, a Moto Guzzi California is pretty much in a class by itself.  It’s not a cruiser.  It’s not a sport.  It’s not entirely a standard either.  What is it?  It is a unique and darn good handling motorcycle that you can enjoy riding for years and years, and not get bored with. Oh, and all that plus a touch of style, Italian style.

This is just my feeling about Moto Guzzi California motorcycles.  I’d like this to grow into an all-time list of best reasons to own one, directly from the the world-wide community of Cali owners.  So, what are your top reasons that the Guzzi Cali is the right motorcycle for you?

The seat, the removable panniers, the grip covers and the ignition key for the 80th anniversary Moto Guzzi California EV were done in a very bold red leather, which certainly was not your ordinary biker-style leather.

The leather on this Moto Guzzi California EV was produced by the high-end Italian leather goods manufacturer, Poltrona Frau.  This is really what made this special edition Moto Guzzi stand out from just about any motorcycle on the road.

As with the 75th anniversary California, this one also has a special serial number plaque mounted on the handle bar clamp indicating the rareness of it.

Some get confused by the EV 80 name.  The “80″ stands for 80th anniversary.  The engine in this motorcycle is the standard Moto Guzzi California 1064cc (V11) engine.

At the time of writing this, there is a EV 80 Moto Guzzi for sale with only 3200 miles on it, with an asking price of for 5995 GBP (about $9000 USD or 6700 EUR) at Moto Strada in Shipley, near Leeds in the UK.

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.

The popular local restaurant 131 Main was the host this year.  Their parking lot at Blakeney served as a perfect setting for what I’d estimate held more than $2 million worth of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis and more on display.  The outdoor patio was packed. Thanks to 131 Main for providing the gift cards to us participants and for hosting this gathering.

Among the motorcycles featured in this years Motori Italiani event were several Ducatis, most of which were members representing the US DESMO Ducati club.

There were a handful of us with our Moto Guzzi Californias, including Frank with his nice blue/blue V11, a white EV, and my black ‘07 California Vintage.

My friend Jim had his   ‘06 Breva 110o, and there was a racy red V11 LeMans there too.

Other fine Italian motorcycles included the motorcycle class winning ‘06 MV Agusta 1000, a vintage ‘73 Laverda 750, a very interesting Ducati-powered ‘97 Bimota db3, and an ‘03 Aprilia Mille R Haga Edition.

Fortunately, the weather was perfect after a one of the coldest and perhaps wettest winters we have had in Charlotte in many years. Like a fool, I ended up with a bad sunburn, but had a great time enjoying all the cars, motorcycles, and conversation.

In retrospect, maybe I should have removed my Givi top case.  Even though I thoroughly enjoy the top case,  I do think it might be a little scooter-ish looking on my California.  I kept it on since Givi is Italian and felt it was a good match for the show anyway.

My Moto Guzzi California motorcycle didn’t win any of the judging, but I was happy just to be there and to have met a lot of nice folks that appreciated the cars and bikes as much as I did.

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.

Motorcycle Cruiser magazine featured the bike in their October 1997 issue.  Obviously, MotoGuzziCalifornia.com is biased here, but two quotes from that article stood out.  One was “Guzzi obviously built the California for serious riders.”  The other was “After riding the California, it’s easy to understand the fierce loyalty of Moto Guzzi owners.”  Couldn’t agree more.

The Moto Guzzi California 75th Anniversary edition retailed for $11,390. USD, which was $400 more than the standard California that year.

For your extra $400, you got the special red and silver paint scheme.  The standard two-tone colors for the regular Guzzi California were navy blue with beige, red with black, red with red, and green with black.

Each 75th anniversary California was numbered, as limited editions of things often are.  The number was placed below the gauges on the large aluminum handle bar mounting clamp.  Just below “GUZZI” was labeled “Serie Anniversario xxx/750″, where “xxx” here represents the unique number of 001 thru 750.  On the side covers, the anniversary California also got a “75″ just below the California logo.

The Kelly Blue Book retail value for a 1997 California i is about $4000 USD.  The anniversary edition of course should go for more, but is not listed.  NADA lists an average retail of about $2900.  Quite a difference.   Who knows how much a Guzzi enthusiast be willing to pay for a 75th anniversary California today in excellent condition.

It’s just a guess, but I’ll say about $400 more than a regular one.   However, when is the last time you saw one in person, or had a chance to buy one?

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.

You don’t need to avoid or fear these model years.  Owners have described these as the smoothest running and smoothest sounding Calis ever.  A multitude of riders have put very high mileage on these without a problem.

In fact, I know of a sweet ‘03 EV Touring near Charlotte, NC that I would buy it right now if I didn’t already have my own Cali.  It’s  a one-owner bike, had every scheduled dealer-performed service, and has been described as the best running California that some of the highly experienced Guzzi riders there have ever been tested. ($4900 ready to ride – contact me if interested and I’ll send you the details.)

There were two groups of bikes addressed, one was the group of unsold Calis and the other was the group that was already sold.

Back in 2003, there was a service communication issued to dealers regarding “noisiness of the timing system” due to premature camshaft wear.  This involved the Guzzi California motorcycle models of Stone, Titanium, EV, and EV Touring.

• California Titanium, frame number: ZGUKDC1203M133654

• California Titanium (USA), frame number: ZGUKDD0074M133659

• California EV and  EV Touring, frame number: ZGUKDC1203M112261

• California EV Touring (USA), frame number: ZGUKDD0024M112346

• California Stone with frame number: ZGUKDC4203M111687

• California Stone (USA), frame number: ZGUKDD0164M111418

The remedy was to inspect the wear of the cam, and if found to be excessive, to inspect the oil sump and engine for metallic debris.  Aside from replacing the cam and tappets, the engine itself would need to be overhauled if the metallic debris was found to have circulated through the engine.

To do the fix, dealers needed to order two different kits which were readied for delivery around February of 2005. One kit included the special tools required, and the other kit included the new parts.  The factory calculated this to be a 6 hour job per motorcycle.  Once all new unsold Guzzi Californias were fixed, then the recall campaign for customer’s motorcycles would begin, around March 2005.

It has been argued how Moto Guzzi handled this problem, but in the end, the problem was addressed, bikes were fixed, and many owners of “hydro” Moto Guzzi Californias have reported years of enjoyment.  If you’re considering buying a used California 1100 “hydro”, just have a Moto Guzzi dealer run the VIN number to see if the recall service has been performed.

Another thing about the 2003-2005 hydraulic tappet California 1100, is to remember to use the proper engine oil.  These are supposed to use 5W40.  Solid tappet Calis call for a different weight of oil.  For example, my ‘07 California Vintage calls for Agip 4T Racing SAE 10W60.

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Two were helping us, and when I answered that I ride a Moto Guzzi California, one never heard of the brand, and the other had.  The one that had proceeded to explain to the other, with a lot of enthusiasm, how he knows two people that have owned Moto Guzzis for many years and how amazed he was that one of their Guzzis has over 200,000 miles on it and the other is approaching 300,000 miles.  He went on about how amazingly durable Moto Guzzi engines are and that he has never seen or heard of anything quite like it.  This is a non-Guzzi dealer sales person spreading the love, which I think is just awesome.

My second story is about a guy I met that was working at a BBQ joint one day where I was with my son on my California Vintage for lunch.  By the way, this BBQ place is just about a mile from the dealer that I mentioned above.  So, we ate our lunch and as I was paying the bill, one of the guys that worked there came over and asked me if that was my Guzzi in the lot.

As it turns out, he also rides a Guzzi California, an older one, with over 100,000 miles on it. He said that it had about 80,000 miles on it when he bought it used, but it ran great and he knew Guzzis, so he bought it.  The only problem he mentioned was that he had to have a worn out tire changed recently.

Finally, my local Guzzi dealer tells me about a Guzzi that comes in for service with over 300,000 miles it.  That’s amazing – at least to me it is.

I’m positive that there are loads of similar stories out there.  How many miles or kilometers can a Cali take?  Probably a lot more than any rider is willing to try.  An interesting article about high mileage Guzzis is on the GuzziTech site, and has some good stories with it.

As for me, I’m just starting my personal Guzzi California mileage adventure.  I have absolutely no plans to replace my California Vintage, and no extra money laying around to add to the stable.  I’m in it for the long haul on this machine and hope to share my own “how I did it” story about the high miles on mine.  In the meantime, let’s hear about your stories by commenting below.

I stumbled across an old Guzzi V 850 Eldorado rider’s manual while I was doing some research, and some of the maintenance portion got my attention.  It also reminded me just how advanced motorcycle have become.  Not just Guzzis, but pretty much all motorcycles.  I started to get what my dealer friend was actually saying.   It sort of woke me up to how we motorcyclists take for granted the most basic of advancements in motorcycle design that just about exponentially improve our enjoyment of these machines.

Straight from the Guzzi Eldorado rider’s manual are some select examples that seem almost wild now that modern motorcycles (and the required lubricants) have advanced so much.  Most of this was within “shadetree mechanic” capabilities, but it certainly would mean a lot more dedication on the owner’s part than is often found by today’s riders.

1. Every 600 miles:  Lubricate cable ends. See -Lubrication of clutch, front brake and air cables.  Remember the days before hydraulic brake and clutch actuation?
2. Monthly: Check electrolyte level in battery monthly (every 15 days in summer).  The modern maintenance-free sealed battery sure is nice, isn’t it?
3. Every 1800 miles:  The distributor cam felt pad should be lubricated with a few drops of oil and the contact points inspected to ensure every are clean. If dirty or greasy clean them with a petrol soaked cloth.  Unless you ride an oldie, when’s the last time you lubricated a felt pad in a distributor?
4. Every 6000 miles:  Clean commutator of generator using a clean cloth slightly moistened in petrol.  Had to clean your generator commutator lately?
5. Every 6000 miles:  Strip carburetor and check all parts. Use an air jet to clean out all ducts.  Thank goodness for EFI.
6. Every 6000 miles:  The cylinder head should be removed decarbonizing. The combustion chamber and piston crowns are best cleaned with a blunt scraper and a wire brush and washed off with petrol.  Check that the valve seats are properly sealed by pouring some petrol through the inlet and exhaust ducts and observing if any seeps through between seats and valves.  If so, the valves should be dismantled and the seats ground in with emery paste. At the end of this operation the head and valves should be thoroughly cleaned with petrol and compressed air to remove all traces of the abrasive.  I think I’d be a little more selective on my rides if I knew every 6000 miles I’d have to take scrape the carbon from the piston domes and cylinder heads.
7. Last, but not least on 850 Eldorado list of chores is the “Cleaning of mufflers”:  Internal cleaning is carried out by filling them with a solution of boiling water and caustic soda (20%) and leaving them to stay for about 1 hour. The mufflers are then emptied and rinsed out with boiling water while shaking vigorously.  There’s nothing quite like shaking heavy steel objects full of leaking boiling water for a fun thing to do on a Saturday.

Even after reading about all the old-fashioned maintenance tasks associated with most any motorcycle back then, I know I’d still love to own a Moto Guzzi California Eldorado.  Maintenance and all.  Although some of that has probably decreased based upon modern lubricant additives.  I’d probably be somewhat selective about  miles on it though!

As a husband and father, it’s rare for me to be able to ride my Moto Guzzi California for long rides.  Any of you that have a young family know what I am talking about.

Let’s face it,  I’m lucky to be able to have a motorcycle, and I’m not complaining. When I do go for a pleasure ride, short as it may be, I ride my Moto Guzzi on my favorite back roads of northern Union county North Carolina to make the most out of it.

Related to short, but high quality rides, Rider magazine has an excellent article each month that I look forward to reading. The article is a department called “Favorite Ride”.  Normally, the favorite rides are quite long, at least compared to what I can realistically do at this point in my life.  In other words, these are great to imagine, but are not within reach.  When I read Adam Zuckerman’s favorite ride “Winter in Connecticut” in the February 2010 Rider, I finally found one I could relate to.

Adam rides a two-tone blue Moto Guzzi California V11, which is pictured in the article. Having lived in the upstate NY for most of my life, I  understand snow, ice and the very desperate feeling to want to get out and make the most of a warmer than usual winter’s day.  Adam’s article starts out by saying “Sometimes the best motorcycle ride in the world is the one that you can actually take.  Even if it is only an hour or two on familiar roads near home.”

When I saw the Guzzi California and read that opening statement, I related to it instantly.

His description of starting his Guzzi V11 in the cold was a bit dramatic. However, it clearly relayed the passion that Moto Guzzi owners share about their motorcycles.  He’s right.  Moto Guzzi motorcycles have  “descended from Italian Air Force biplanes of The Great War”.  And even though the Moto Guzzi v-twin wasn’t developed for decades after, it does seem to have the genes of an air-cooled airplane engine.

Here in the Carolinas, our winters are mostly motorcycle-friendly.  I went Christmas shopping on my California this year and took one of my favorite, although brief, rides to the antique shops in Waxaw.  This place is a great riding destination from any direction or distance.

The California Vintage has good luggage space because it comes with lockable hard bags.  The Givi top case that I installed, also lockable, really came in handy too on this ride.

Sure, the Moto Guzzi California is made for long distance riding.  And yes, the California Vintage is a very nice, traditional touring motorcycle.  Although I don’t get the opportunity very often to take a real road trip, the favorite rides like Adam Zuckerman and I take on our California Guzzis are absolute gold.  Thanks Adam for sharing your favorite ride and your Moto Guzzi California with the readers of Rider magazine!