From Italy With Guzz: 1983 Moto Guzzi 850 Le Mans III

With a claimed 5,300 miles, this striking 1983 Moto Guzzi 850 LeMans III is a gem for a certain type of collector. The most BMW-like of the Italian set, Moto Guzzis take some getting used to – although many quirks are amazingly similar to the air-head set. Jump on a similar vintage Beemer and thumb the starter: the twin settles into a lumpy idle with requisite valve clatter. Blip the throttle and the bike wants to lean over all on its own, thanks to the crankshaft orientation and gyroscopic effect of the flywheel. Drop the tranny down into first gear with a solid thunk and drop the clutch – the rear end rises thanks to the shaft drive trying to climb the pinion. And when you’re done riding, don’t forget to shut off the fuel petcock lest the floats stick and drain gasoline over your boots. With the Italian bike the exact same caveats apply, except you are more likely to bang your knees rather than bark your shins due to the vee angle, and the gasoline will be deposited courtesy of Dell’Orto rather than Bing carbs.

1983 Moto Guzzi 850 Le Mans III for sale on eBay

Comparisons to the German marque go deeper than idiosyncrasies. Build quality is high, as the use of top shelf components are evident in both. Unlike some of the other Italian brands that only utilize Italian gear, Moto Guzzi presented a premium offering based on the best available parts and pieces. And like the BMW, the design goal was very much the same: high speed transport for extended periods of time rather than hypercycle sport bike. The cockpit is a comfortable place to spend a few hours, the instrumentation is adequate and the wind protection is much better than one might expect from such a small fairing.

From the seller:
1983 Moto Guzzi 850 Le Mans III in great original condition. Well maintained and stored. Runs great with no issues at all. Motor,gearbox and running gear all great. Starts on the button. Idles well. No smoke or funny noises.

An excellent survivor that can be shown or ridden.

By the standards of the competitive Japanese machinery, the LeMans must have seemed like an utter failure. It was heavy, was not particularly powerful (75-ish HP), was slow in the quarter mile, and lacked the razor sharp nature of the best sport bikes. But as if hewn from solid rock the Guzzi chugs along, making miles and providing the rider with a different type of experience. By today’s standards even the cutting edge Japanese machines of the era appear antiquated – but still the LeMans series has held up. The looks are iconic to be sure, and there is something stately about the presence of the overall design.

Reasonably rare due to high costs, marginal dealer network and lack of US interest, the LeMans of any vintage can be considered a collector. Sure, there are more valuable Guzzis than an early 1980s model, but the Mark III was perhaps the most modern of the line that remained true to the original. Prices are all over the map, but today’s seller is asking a cool $10k for this one. That is pretty big dollars, but then again we don’t see these all that often. Check out all the details here, and then jump back to the comments and let us know your favorite LeMans model. Good Luck!!

MI