My mate Shaun invited me to attend the Indian Riders Club rally at Kenley airfield over the August holiday weekend. So i loaded up the camping gear on the W650 and headed out for the weekend on a sunny Friday morning.
After a tricky ride around the south of London avoiding all motorways, I finally made it to Kenley, ready for a good weekend catching up with friends.
A friend up in Scotland bought this old loop Guzzi from eBay USA way back when, and it is now restored and back out on the road, great job Dave, the bike looks fantastic.
Today was a cold, bright day, with little wind, a perfect day for a walk around Kempton bike jumble..
SLIDESHOW HERE… https://kevindean.zenfolio.com/p31196653/slideshow#h2857f846
The head scratcher is a Turner By Van… http://turnermanufacturing.org.uk/other-products
This past weekend, we adjusted our clock’s and put them forward an hour into British summer time, and this same weekend the Moto Guzzi club UK, have the first of two rallies, this one being the “Clox forward” rally, the other in October is of course the “Clox back” rally. Now as it happens I have not made a bike rally on a bike for the last two years, ill health and covid having put paid to any thoughts I had in this design, But Friday saw me getting home from work, and loading my W650 for the first of the two clox rallies, and heading out into the Friday afternoon traffic as I pointed the front wheel west and Tewksbury, and the destination for the rally at the Lower Lode inn, on the banks of the river Severn in Gloucestershire.
So March is upon us, and the warmer days are just over the horizon we hope, and with that in mind I try to spend a little time down at my lockup, and try to get the Guzzi closer to the road. I also took the chance to try the Cali seat, but I am not sure right now?
Last summer under the covid lockdowns, I pulled the paint set from my 1973 Eldorado to get them painted in my preferred colour of Burgundy and white, my Eldo had been painted once before from what I could tell, and the stripes on the old white tank were not the best, so I had no problems with losing original patina, as so much of this bike had been changed historically before it came into my possession.
Unfortunately the weather has got to the bike itself even though it is locked away, but a year of no use pays a toll on surface condition, and the chrome etc shows where the salt of winter has blown under the door, and will need some steady work over the spring.
For a while now I have liked the Kawasaki W650, and it would appear I am not alone as the prices for nice ones continue to rise as the bike gains a semi classic status, since the release of the W800. And as a consequence I had to look long and hard to find the right bike for myself, and this 2005 model is just that bike, full service history, dealer pack, both keys, no damage, with 20k on the clock it is obvious it has been well cared for, and only two previous owners, perfect.
Backstreet Thunder 