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Ian
Adkins
When
I bought the bike, I knew little of the name, let alone the different
models. My desire was to acquire an
older motorcycle, fix it up and reacquaint myself with riding. Initially I wasn’t sure what I wanted, but
my thoughts were of something unique… possibly something British. I was soon to see the error of my ways.
My interest in Moto Guzzi was sparked one
day when I spied a beautifully restored red Eldorado with white fenders,
resting among unfinished projects in a dark and dingy shop. The sharp contrast between tired, old,
broken-down motorcycles and the seductive lines of this impeccably restored
machine impassioned me to search for such a bike. The
hunt for a Moto Guzzi was on. Eventually I was rewarded with an unfinished restoration project.
The 1969 Ambassador (a 750cc predecessor of
the 850cc Eldorado I had seen in the shop) was exactly what I was looking
for. Since my main interest was to have
something older and unique that I could ride, my first objective was to get the
bike running and on the road. Though I
knew it was Italian, I wasn’t aware of the company’s long history or anything
about available color schemes in 1969 (My bike came with primed fenders and
tank.), nor did I really care. I simply
wanted to ride again. However, over the
past four years of “bonding,” my interest in the brand has grown. As I have progressed along with the bike, I
have come to learn much about my beloved Ambo, the marquee, and the other
people who ride Moto Guzzi. Although
much could be written of my experiences over the past few years, this article
is concerned with what I have learned about my “Rare Bird,” a 1969
“preproduction” Ambassador - one with the letter “A” preceding the 5-digit
serial number. I call this series of
Moto Guzzi the “A-series” Ambassador. I
first became intrigued with the history of my bike while visiting a local
shop. The owner, more interested in
Ducatis than Guzzis, still had considerable knowledge of the latter. He
mentioned that he had a book of Guzzi serial numbers. Looking into it, I was surprised that the letter “A” did not
prefix any of the Ambassadors. Knowing
that my bike was indeed a complete Ambo, since the same serial number was
stamped into the steering head and the engine case, I began to ask questions. I
inquired as to the origin of and the reasons behind the “A” in the serial
number. Through the Moto Guzzi Correspondents List (MGCL), an Internet mailing
list with over 800 members around the world, brought speculation. Apparently the “A” was the company’s way if
identifying this series as “Ambassador.” My inquiries also lead to four other Ambo owners with the rare “A” in
front of the five-digit serial number. It was one of these owners, Scott Larson, who appropriately coined the
name “Rare Bird” to describe this series of bike. We discovered that all of these serial numbers are in the 12xxx
range. Bikes with serial numbers 13xxx and above lack the “A,” and to date I
have yet to find anyone with a machine with serial numbers 10xxx or 11xxx. I wonder if they were ever used. The
first Ambassadors were introduced in 1969, after the company felt they needed
to increase the power in their very successful 700cc V700 model, introduced in
1967. The new series was basically a
V700 with bigger cylinders, but little else. Bore was increased from 80mm to
83mm while the stroke remained the same. The heads remained the same, with the smaller valves being operated by
one spring (as opposed to larger valves operated by two springs found in the
later Ambassadors). In fact, much
remained similar to the earlier model. Right side shifter, tank, single speedometer housing, battery side
covers, taillight assembly, and headlight bucket were all the same as
components on the V700. It is
speculated that the company was using up existing supplies as they tooled up
for the new civilian Ambassador series, a practice that is still common in many
companies today. New colors for the
bikes (from the original red tank and gray fenders) were black, white or red,
with white fenders. Pin striping was
added as well. Although
Greg Field makes reference to this “pre-production” series (as well as showing
a picture of this model – page 28 in his thorough and well-documented book Moto Guzzi Big Twins),
he makes no reference to the “A” in the
serial number. To date, I can find no
official account of this series. Guzzi guru Ivar de Gier wrote to me in an
email: “The
first Ambassadors were V7's, which were simply bored out versions of the V7 to
750cc. They have many of the same cycle parts as the V7 and really are mostly
the same. Not many were made; they are rare. I have no access to frame numbers,
etc. but I believe you have one of these.” So
what does this all mean to the world of Guzzi enthusiasts at large? Some may think that this “pre-production
Ambassador” is merely a V700, with the components of that model and the engine
and name of the Ambassador. However, I
think this series is unique. It is
neither a V700 nor a true Ambassador, and the company felt the need to identify
this version with the “A”, if only to distinguish it from the other two. At first look, one may not be able to tell
the difference between these similar machines, but with only 5 “A-series”
Ambassadors known to exist at this time, it truly is a “Rare Bird.” Currently I am trying to create a list of
the V700s, Ambassadors, and Eldorados that still exist today. Many have been
parted out over the last thirty years and it is unknown how many remain. Moto
Guzzi’s success may have begun with its single-cylinder engine back in 1921. It
was a true leader in its class during that time, with many races won and
numerous records held. However, over the last 35 years, the continuing success
of Guzzi has grown out of the rugged and reliable V Twin engine designed back
in 1965. The basic engine design remains the same to this day and is unique to
Moto Guzzi. It is difficult to know the future, but it can be assumed that if
this legendary motorcycle company were to disappear, likely so would the V Twin
engine for which it is so well known. If this were to happen, no doubt all Moto
Guzzis would some day be identified as “Rare Birds.” |
As
one rebuilds any motorcycle (I call it “bonding”), his or her interest in the
history of the machine should increase as well. Such was the case in 1996 after I purchased my first Moto Guzzi
motorcycle, a 1969 Ambassador.