In remembrance of the Bal d’Or from 1971, when a Moto Guzzi 850 made a podium finish after 24 hours, came the Le Mans 850. This Mark 3 has all the good stuff, revised heads with bigger valves, air-charged suspension, full-featured dash, and still wears its early 1980’s emissions and noise regulation gear. Complete as only a refurbished barn find can be.
1983 Moto Guzzi Le Mans III with 3,364 miles for sale on eBay
More often seen in the factory’s favorite orangey red, this Le Mans is white with clean aluminum castings and black rubber, and original decals. It has the newer “square” heads ( with tip-over protectors ) and the crankcase has its stiffeners on the outside. Guzzi norms like shaft drive and linked braking system were an inside job. Air suspension was new for the III but reviewed as too stiffly sprung. God help you if you keep the turn signals on with the size of the reminders on that dash.
A recent restoration from Alabama, this Le Mans looks very close to NOS, but it’s almost all original. From the eBay auction:
I have recently changed all fluids- brake fluid, engine oil, transmission oil, final drive oil and replaced all rubber parts as well as all operating cables. The foot peg covers and bar grips had deteriorated with age. New Pirelli Sport Demons are installed as well as new brake pads that replaced the original pads. The valve lash has been set on all valves and the head torques checked. The carbs have been cleaned and tuned with mercury stix. Everything looks great and it runs like a dream.
All numbers are matching and it does not appear to have ever suffered any notable wreck damage. It has the stock air box intact as well as the totally stock exhaust system.
Still marching to their own drummer, Moto Guzzi has pinpointed the motorcyclist in many of us. Fans of the brand are individualistic and self-reliant, and as the model reviewed – fast and stable. This one is offered on a serious buy-it-now without the “make offer” button – independent perhaps to a fault…
-donn
This is an excellent looking example but still, for me, the styling doesn’t come anywhere close to the first gen LeMans. I have 2 of the first gen models (76 and a 77) and they are beautiful, if agricultural, beasts and ride incredibly well considering their age. Plenty of torque and the handling is so nice on flowing roads. No it’s not a point/shoot kind of bike but on any road on the straight side of Deals Gap, they will have you smiling in your helmet. The riding experience on this LM3 would be just as good as the original, aside from the ugly dash. They say Guzzis are an aquired taste but I liked them as soon as I rode one, and this is from a guy who was raised on jap sportbikes and dirt bikes.
I watch the market and have never seen an LM3 bring $9500 though, so good luck to him.
First time for everything.. nice to see these great bikes finally get some recognition by collectors.