Keeping this motorcycle is a tough decision. The first time I sold it I had the first right of refusal to buy it back. I bought it back. It was the first motorcycle I bought because I wanted it. Quirky. Italian. I just put a new clutch in it. And rebuilt the gear selector. And had to re-weld an oil cooler bracket back onto the frame, because it's Italian. The neutral light works sometimes. The indicators work sometimes. Sometimes the clutch lever pivot point falls out when you're doing 120kph riding into Spokane Washington on a Saturday night, and you'll improvise a small rock into the clutch pivot and you need to hold in place with your index finger as you ride to Home Depot to (hopefully) find a nut and bolt that fits into that sloppy hole.
When I bought it back we went to the licensing office in Calgary only to discover it was still in my name. The guy I sold it to never transferred the ownership. Kind of poetic, really.
And now that I've cracked the engine, stripped it down to frame, I kind of feel like I own it, and it owns me.
You can't tell from the photo, but it's running. Considering how many pieces it was in, I'm as surprised as anyone that it started. So there it is. 2001 Moto Guzzi Rosso Mandello, anniversary edition. #144 of 300. I think I'll keep it.
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