Moto Guzzi make fine motorcycles, good for touring, great handling and generally reliable. So if you want to own one what do you look out for? First off, you must decide what you want the bike for. It's no good buying a Le Mans to tour on or a California to race at track days. Next consideration, do you really need a 1 litre bike weighing a quarter of a ton, or would a neat handling V50 do the job? To be honest, if you seldom exceed 80 mph a 650 would do the job easily. When buying any Guzzi from 1972 onwards the most important things to look out for are the following:

Always check that the engine mounting bolts are not siezed up, this is costly and difficult.

Be aware that the early electrics are prone to poor connections and high resistance,

Similarly, early switchgear can be problematic.

The carbs are generally good although the fuel tank, taps and pipes can give problems.

If buying a bike with original points, be aware that patterned points are not so good.

The seats on T3's and early Spadas tend to rust out.

Best bet is to buy Guzziology and join your local club.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, Gerry.