1978 Moto Guzzi Warning, purchase of this vehicle includes people driving beside you while filming your Cycle Car, on their phone, asking at stop lights what the hell is it, and just asking a bazillion questions about this critter they have never seen before. This is a replica of a 2011 Morgan M3W cycle car, built by Mike Ziadeh of Mansfield Ohio, it took him about 2 years to build it, he did a great job. He even included the following Owner's Manual, what a deal for a forgetful guy like me.
Vehicle specs:? 1978 Moto Guzzi 1000S (949cc) engine, mated to a Moto Guzzi Convert 2 speed automatic transmission. It has low and high but I only run it in low, and recommend you do the same. This is an unusual pairing that the factory did not offer. Typically, the Convert bikes had 750 cc engines. This is a larger engine mated to the automatic transmission. This confused me a bit in the beginning. So it’s a 1000S motor, with a Convert transmission.
? A custom built driveshaft mates the transmission to the rear final gear. The final gear is from a '78 Moto Guzzi Convert. The company that made this is in Grafton Ohio, contact info Henderson Driveline & Axle, (440) 892-0411. To access the driveshaft, disconnect the e-brake, slide the center console forward approximately 2-3”, and lift upward. You will see a pillow mount for the shaft. There is a zerk fitting spot where you can use to grease the joint occasionally.
? The rear wheel/final drive is an 18" OEM Guzzi wheel and the Moto Guzzi Convert final drive gear ratio.? The front wheels are MG knockoffs, 19" & 18". The front tires are 19x4.50 & 18x4.50, the rear is 18x4.0, a Metzer ‘’safety tire" meant for a motorcycle sidecar, meaning it can hold up to the lateral stress better.? The rear brakes are OEM Moto Guzzi, the front brakes and rotors are for a 1980 Toyota truck.? The steering rack is 1976 1.4L chevy chevette steering rack and tie rods. The spindles have been modified. The hubs are chevy chevette with VW spoked wheel adaptors.? The rear shocks are standard 13" Harley shocks, the fronts are QA1 dampeners with 200 lb. Springs.
? The fuel system consists of a 5 gallon racing fuel cell, meaning it has foam inside so if you roll over it doesn't all come out. This means that it only holds about 60% of the 5 gallon capacity, the foam takes up a lot of volume…. Something I didn't know when I bought this. You can remove the foam for the full capacity, but I have learned to live with it. The fuel gauge is pretty accurate, but it will show "E" long before you run out of fuel. I've never truly tested it but running out of gas, but on average, from "E" to "F" is about 1.75-2 gallons. If you overfill the tank, it will vent through the small breather filter on the firewall in front of the passenger, and can vent gas drops in turns. I usually fill it about 2’’ from the top. I get on average 30 MPG.
? The fuel system feeds dual mikuni carbs. There is a fuel cutoff knob located right by the carbs. I tuned these using a wide band 02 sensor, note the bungs on the exhaust pipes.? The build has (2) Mikuni VM 30-83 "round slide" carburetors. Settings:32.5 idle jet 160 main jet Middle clip. Manual choke, which helps if it’s cold or has sat for a while, but you should only need for a moment. *These carbs do not have an accelerator pump, so if you "goose" the throttle, it will stall.
? I use 15w-40 Rotel motor oil. Capacity: 3 liters. You have to drop the oil pan to access the internal filter.OEM oil filter is a Italian made UFI 2314900 oil filter Final drive oil type 85-140 full syn.? The electrical system is pretty straight forward. Small car battery in the rear, main fuse, battery kill switch. (I disconnect the battery if it's going to sit for more than a few days. The battery is a year old, but the GPS speedometer "pings" to stay connected to the satellites (i guess) every so often and I found it would wear the battery down).
? To remove the battery simply slide the wooden panels out of their track.? The battery cables run inside the center console, to a set of power and ground terminal boxes, and relays.? The headlights, transmission cooler fan, and horn all have relays with fuses under the hood. I have zipped tied the fuses in as they were slipping out.
? The headlights and fan each have a green indicator light on the dash. The horn is the small, flat button, the last switch doesn't do anything. (I originally had high and low beam, but I just run high all the time and pointed them slightly down).? The switches from left to right control: Master power, headlights, horn, fan, nothing.? The steering yoke has a power switch that controls a programmable sound box, activated by the right thumb button. The left button is not hooked up to anything. If you pop the yoke center cap off, you will see the sound box/battery assembly. It takes (3) AA batteries if I recall correctly. You could change the sounds it makes with a usb cable hooked up to your PC. If you would ever need to remove the dash, the machine head screws are meant to facilitate that…. I tried to build this with as much ease of maintenance in mind as possible.
? The dual master cylinders are in that area, I just use a mirror and flashlight to check those levels.? To check the engine oil you need a 3/4 " socket and extension. The dipstick is located near the exhaust on the driver's side cylinder.? The transmission reservoir is located under the hood. Its dipstick is right on top. It uses standard synthetic ATF fluid.The Moto Guzzi engine was used because it allows for a straightforward drivetrain assembly, with a slight offset towards the passenger side. They are very powerful engines, with known longevity.
?The charging system is OEM moto guzzi, using a bosch system. They are similar to BMW “airhead” systems of that similar time. The distributor is a dual points OEM Moto Guzzi system.
They have pointless CDI systems if you’d like to upgrade it in the future, but most say it’s a wash.
The trike was made using a box steel frame, with 16 ga. 3003 aluminum riveted to it. The finish was intentionally dulled to give it a vintage look, and all the painting was done by hand, except for the Japanese flags and Air Force star decals. The body can be washed using a mild soap, and most automotive waxes would be fine to apply to the aluminum body to prevent oxidation.
The interior is marine grade vinyl with upholstery grade foam underneath. Again, mild soap, and a vinyl protectant product would be fine. The wind deflectors are made of lexan and can be cleaned with a microfiber and mild soap. This concludes my owners manual, if you have any further questions, please let me knowThis gets a lot of attention wherever you drive it, people always want to talk about it. Wouldn't be selling but had house mold problems and needed new roof and a lot of drywall replacement. It's titled as a 1978 Moto Guzzi. More pics in FB album >> https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=chuck.foster1957&set=a.7109370665744232