Known colloquially as the “Mark IV Le Mans”, the Moto Guzzi Le Mans 1000 was an evolution of the company’s big sporting v-twin motorcycle. By the mid-1980s, Guzzi was definitely struggling against the Japanese manufacturers, and the new bike soldiered on with the same basic frame design the company had been using since the mid-1970s V7 Sport. Introduced in 1984, it was mechanically similar to the Le Mans Mark III that preceded it, with heavily revised styling to match the company’s smaller-displacement V65 Lario.
While styling may have been much more modern than the Mark III, the Le Mans 1000 was powered by the same basic powerplant as the previous model. Displacing the same 948.8cc as the Mark III, compression was now 10:1, up from the older bike’s 9.8:1, and the bike used larger 40mm Dell’Orto carburetors. The result was a claimed 85 crank horsepower that could push the bike to 141mph. In a nod to safety, the bike continued to use Guzzi’s linked braking system that connected one front caliper and the rear caliper to the foot pedal via a proportioning valve. The other front disc was operated by the handlebar lever.
One word of warning: for the new model, Guzzi switched to a 16″ wheel that was used until 1987, when it was replaced with an 18″ item from the earlier bikes. That might seem like a retrograde step, as the 18″ wheel gives the bike a decidedly old-school look. But that smaller 16″ wheel apparently ruined the Guzzi’s famous stability, and many older bikes were retrofitted. This bike appears to have had this done, but it’s hard to tell from the pics and it would be worth reaching out to the owner before a purchase to confirm.
The Le Mans 1000 should have been fitted with a belly pan from the factory but, being Italian, this particular bike may have shipped without one. In any event, it appears to be missing… The advice when buying any old Italian bike? Buy a complete, well-maintained example: these Guzzis aren’t particularly valuable bikes yet, so the price difference between a good example and a bad example shouldn’t be all that much, and sourcing missing parts could be a nightmare, depending on exactly what’s gone AWOL.
From the original eBay listing: 1985 Moto Guzzi Le Mans for Sale
Amazing ride, beautiful bike. It’s in great condition and ready to go. Recently serviced. Pick up in Queens, NYC or buyer pays for shipping.
That’s not very much information, but Guzzis don’t generally need all that much attention to keep them going: the engines are simple and robust and the bike’s shaft drive makes drivetrain maintenance a snap. It’s hard to tell from the low-quality pics just how nice this one is, but it does look complete and at the very least worth further investigation. There are just over 24 hours left on this auction, with no takers yet at the $4,500 starting bid.
-tad
Hi Tad,
The LMIII is 850cc.
White is more rare than red LM.
I can’t tell if the black chrome exhaust has been painted. If not – good. If yes – bad.
I never really liked the swoopy rear fender, but that’s my opinion.
Looks like an 18″ front wheel to me but should check w/ seller to be sure.
Disclaimer: a silver LMIII is my favorite early LM.
Yeah, it’s not in pristine condition: the dash looks pretty faded. But it’s really hard to tell much from the pics. Might make a great usable, practical classic. Also: nothing wrong with the LM III, I kinda like them.
This bike is running an 18″ wheel. The rotors look much larger on the smaller 16″ rim. The belly pan and tank fairings are missing.
The Lemans 1000 has an 88mm bore vs the 83mm of the lemans III. The 1000 also came with much bigger valves, high domed pistons with a bigger combustion chamber, and the B10 camshaft that was the race cam for the earlier lemans bikes.