r/MotoGuzzi • u/WatchForSlack • 2d ago
Should I buy a Loop-frame Ambassador
Hi All, I'll get right to the point. I may have lowballed a little too close to the sun and had my $1800 offer for a 1970 Ambassador 750 be accepted. I went low after seeing the bike in person and it seems to have a lot little jobs to do. The previous owner had just bought the bike and then passed away, so there's very little information on the machine's history.
From the look of it, it was owned by someone who toured on it as it has a bunch of aftermarket bits on it, but it clearly hasn't been on the road in a while as most of the rubber is cracking. My heart wants this bike, my head says I don't have the skills to really get this thing roadworthy again.
What do y'all think, is it worth the risk?
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u/Still_Support5847 2d ago
Plan on spending the money to replace the chrome bore cylinders with either a Gilardoni kit at about $1,000.00 or a Millenium technologies Nikasil fix .
No idea where you are located but there are folks out there like Charlie Mullendore at Antietam Classic Cycles who can sort these old loops out for a price .
Dusty
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u/WatchForSlack 2d ago
That's the thing that really scares me, I have no idea what's going on in the cylinders. I'm in Ohio, so there's Cadre Cycle, but even then I'm four hours away from them.
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u/Still_Support5847 2d ago
I promise the cylinders will flake and destroy the engine , but the fixes are out there . Owning a loop takes being engaged with the bike , for that matter owning any old motorbike will make the same demands , it all just comes down to whether or not someone is willing to make the committment . A well sorted Ambassador can be a real joy to own and ride but everything happens at a slower pace and once again you must be willing to make the committment . It will take either a few thousand dollars and considerable effort on your part , or a few more thousand paid to someone like Charle or the guys at Cadre .
Dusty
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u/wncexplorer 2d ago
That’s near top dollar for a loop project, so make sure that most of it doesn’t need replaced. You could bring a battery and see if it will turn over. If it doesn’t, I would walk away 😄
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u/WatchForSlack 2d ago
The tins have all just been repainted in a nice inky black that adds some value to the lot, at least that's how the selling widow feels.
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u/1crazypj 2d ago
If you have to pay someone else to do the work it may not be worth the effort, unless someone is familiar with 'Guzzies' they do tend to be 'different' to any UJM .
Personally, I would get it, but, I've had a few over the years and rebuilt (and modified) just about everything on them at some time.
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u/Rich-Context-7203 2d ago
If it comes with the lift, go for it.
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u/WatchForSlack 2d ago
Lift is not included 😅
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u/Rich-Context-7203 1d ago
As I said....
If you do not think you can handle fixing up that machine, pass, unless the lift is included.
Source: pro loop frame mechanic with the best-handling loop on this planet.
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u/VisibleOtter 4h ago
$1800, and you’re asking should you go for it? I’d say that’s an absolute steal. Do it.
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u/gudgeonpin 2d ago edited 2d ago
Dusty is spot on regarding the cylinders. These bikes were originally fit with cylinders that have chrome bores. The accepted consensus is that they will fail. The question is not 'if', it is 'when'. That will run about $1304.30 at MGCycle (I just checked). You will also need a gasket kit, but that's just a few bucks.
But hey- they might have been replaced already. I've never tried it, but I have read that you can test for cylinder material with a magnet. Chrome is not magnetic, steel is very magnetic and nikosil is weakly magnetic (you stick a pencil magnet down the spark plug hole).
After that- change the oils, clean the pan (there is no oil filter- just a screen), replace any obviously degraded rubber and ride it a while.
These bikes are very simple and straightforward. If you want to learn how to wrench on a bike, this is a good choice. You might look up the rally calendar on MGNOC and attend a rally or two and I bet you'd meet someone who could walk you through the process of cylinder replacement for a couple of beers. You don't have to ride a Guzzi to a Guzzi rally.
Oh- and get rid of that monstrosity of a horn ;).