1981 MOTO GUZZI V1000G5
"CHiPs," which stood for California Highway Patrol, followed the daily beats of two state motorcycle patrolmen as they patrolled the freeway system in and around Los Angeles. Officer Jon Baker was the straight, serious officer while Frank "Ponch" Poncherello was the more free- wheeling member of the duo.
The story begins about 11 years ago when a certain gentleman came on a RetroTour. His next door neighbor was a family of Italophile motorcyclists: Mom and Dad and their son, Allan. Years roll by, Dad passes, Mom’s health begins to fade, and Allan suddenly has 3 motorcycles in the garage that have not been ridden in a very long time. Incredibly, one is a pristine Benelli 900 SEI, another is a Moto Guzzi 850 LeMans III, and the third is an ’81 V1000G5, an LAPD style tourer.
I swear, I was not looking for any bikes to buy, especially not another Moto Guzzi, but the package deal that was worked out was just too sweet to walk away from. Fred came into the deal as my partner, and we presold the 900 SEI. Fred lusted after the LeMans (who wouldn’t?) and I wound up with the V1000 for practically nothing, which of course did not run. With a fuel system overhaul and a new battery it fired right up and sounded OK. I placed it in an auction at a local dealership but there was zero interest so back home it came for a more thorough resurrection. With new tires, fork seals, wheel bearings, and a master cylinder rebuild it became more roadworthy. I removed the delipidated king/queen seat and installed the fresh stock saddle which is large and as comfy as your favorite TV couch. The Krauser bags that were installed were discarded in favor of the small but stylish originals. The bike then went on 2 shakedown RetroTours and passed with flying colors.
The one liter V-twin has much to offer. It will lug down to idle and then pull with authority past 5,000 rpm. Riding the torque curve is like surfing on a 20 foot tall wave. In addition, the Italian handling is immediately noticed and appreciated: it rolls like it’s on rails. The integrated brakes work reasonably well once one remembers to use extra pedal, and the heel-toe shifter, well, it takes a bit of getting used to, but once you acclimate, you can channel Erik Estrada AKA Frank Poncherello. All this bike needs is a flashing blue light and a siren, but even without, sitting upright and cruising effortlessly while nailing the curves as you roll on the throttle to wake up the big V-twin you will feel a certain presence; it definitely has character, and most importantly, it will bring a huge smile to your face.
This bike has been around. With 60,000+ miles showing on the odometer, and stickers from several foreign countries, it is obvious that Allan’s Dad was a dyed in the wool rider. The trove of parts that came with the bike included all the parts that had been renewed over the years, many fresh spares, a shop manual, and a parts book. While this bike may be different in many ways from other bikes in the RetroTours fleet, it fits right in somehow and above all, it is so much fun to ride. You should really give it a try and see if you agree; I believe that you will.
