centauro

[Twin AH]

Hi all......... not sure if anyone out there can help on this but,here goes.

Was wondering what factory colors were offered on the Centauro for North America?

Also if I were to be looking for one what year would be the most desireable?

And if one should find a low milage unmolested such creature what would or could be considered a fair price to pay?

 

P.S Anyone out there have one they may be willing to part with?? PM with pics if you do.

 

Regards;

[Chuck]

Hi all......... not sure if anyone out there can help on this but,here goes.

Was wondering what factory colors were offered on the Centauro for North America?

Also if I were to be looking for one what year would be the most desireable?

And if one should find a low milage unmolested such creature what would or could be considered a fair price to pay?

 

P.S Anyone out there have one they may be willing to part with?? PM with pics if you do.

 

Regards;

 

Ok, in the US, there were the superior Anthracite/Grey, Anthracite/yellow, Maroon/silver, British racing green with white stripes, and Red with white stripes. The green and red were only offered with sport plastic. The others were offered with sport or GT livery. Or maybe neither. My anthracite "GT" came with the GT seat, luggage rack and sport plastic.. Those crazy eye talians..

Low mileage unmolested? Good luck with that. Not to mention that they *barely ran* when stock. It's a really long story. Sign up with the Centauro Owners Group and ask away.

Just MHO, but if you're looking for an investment, and you seem to be by what you've been looking for, I'd go for a Daytona.

[Twin AH]

Hi all......... not sure if anyone out there can help on this but,here goes.

Was wondering what factory colors were offered on the Centauro for North America?

Also if I were to be looking for one what year would be the most desireable?

And if one should find a low milage unmolested such creature what would or could be considered a fair price to pay?

 

P.S Anyone out there have one they may be willing to part with?? PM with pics if you do.

 

Regards;

 

Ok, in the US, there were the superior Anthracite/Grey, Anthracite/yellow, Maroon/silver, British racing green with white stripes, and Red with white stripes. The green and red were only offered with sport plastic. The others were offered with sport or GT livery. Or maybe neither. My anthracite "GT" came with the GT seat, luggage rack and sport plastic.. Those crazy eye talians..

Low mileage unmolested? Good luck with that. Not to mention that they *barely ran* when stock. It's a really long story. Sign up with the Centauro Owners Group and ask away.

Just MHO, but if you're looking for an investment, and you seem to be by what you've been looking for, I'd go for a Daytona.

Hey Chuck.......... thanks for the reply.Will be noted....I apreciate you doing the history check on me to know that I have a weekness for all of them,but mainly unmolested pretty ones. What do you think of the one on E-Bay right now??

By the way I have not given up on my quest for the same in a Nero or Rosso....... any thoughts?

And yes for those that are curiouse..... I do ride.. not so much collect.... but I have a weakness for these marvels.

PS. Is Rossie doing well?

 

Best Regards.

[Chuck]

Hey Chuck.......... thanks for the reply.Will be noted....I apreciate you doing the history check on me to know that I have a weekness for all of them,but mainly unmolested pretty ones. What do you think of the one on E-Bay right now??

By the way I have not given up on my quest for the same in a Nero or Rosso....... any thoughts?

And yes for those that are curiouse..... I do ride.. not so much collect.... but I have a weakness for these marvels.

PS. Is Rossie doing well?

 

Best Regards.

 

Rosie is doing very well, thank you. She just returned from the Kentucky rally where she was the class of the gaggle. Well, at least I think so.. That Centauro on Ebay is a *really* nice one.. but.. there are things you should know about Centauros if you are planning on putting miles on them. As I said, join the COG, listen and learn. Good examples are slowly going up in value, if that floats your boat.

[Skeeve]

 

Low mileage unmolested? Good luck with that. Not to mention that they *barely ran* when stock. It's a really long story. Sign up with the Centauro Owners Group and ask away.

 

Actually, a low-mileage Centauro is likely to be more or less "unmolested," which explains the low mileage per your observation above about how poorly they ran stock. I have memories of an unrelenting series of complaints from an original owner back in the late 90s. He gave up on it after a couple of years; this was before options like a PCIII or Cliff's MyECU became available; I'm sure he wishes he had it back now. The secret is pretty much punting the original P11? ecu and fitting up something modern that can be tinkered with: even the last reflashed eprom by [whassname, his chips were the only ones that came close to getting the Centauros running right] is just a bodge compared to fitting a better ECU, from reports.

 

Best use for a Centauro I can imagine is dumping the execrable body work on ebay & using the funds to buy Airtech Sporti plastic to make up an ersatz Daytona RS. I've only heard of one person doing this, but they were rapturously happy in the end because they didn't have the too tall 1st gear from the Daytona close ratio gearbox, which wasted on that torque monster of a motor anyway... Still love the brutish good looks of the HiCam motor, even if the Nuovo HiCam that Piaggio is putting out now is a much better engineered donk...

[Chuck]

 

Low mileage unmolested? Good luck with that. Not to mention that they *barely ran* when stock. It's a really long story. Sign up with the Centauro Owners Group and ask away.

 

Actually, a low-mileage Centauro is likely to be more or less "unmolested," which explains the low mileage per your observation above about how poorly they ran stock. I have memories of an unrelenting series of complaints from an original owner back in the late 90s. He gave up on it after a couple of years; this was before options like a PCIII or Cliff's MyECU became available; I'm sure he wishes he had it back now. The secret is pretty much punting the original P11? ecu and fitting up something modern that can be tinkered with: even the last reflashed eprom by [whassname, his chips were the only ones that came close to getting the Centauros running right] is just a bodge compared to fitting a better ECU, from reports.

 

Best use for a Centauro I can imagine is dumping the execrable body work on ebay & using the funds to buy Airtech Sporti plastic to make up an ersatz Daytona RS. I've only heard of one person doing this, but they were rapturously happy in the end because they didn't have the too tall 1st gear from the Daytona close ratio gearbox, which wasted on that torque monster of a motor anyway... Still love the brutish good looks of the HiCam motor, even if the Nuovo HiCam that Piaggio is putting out now is a much better engineered donk...

 

I have to respectfully disagree. Mine ran beautifully after many mods which included the Creedon chip on the stock computer and a power commander. I put 42K miles on it before selling it. The two owners since then love the way it runs. I also had a friend's Karsten chipped stock computer bike running very well until he got the V11 sport hots.. so, if I can do it, any one can do it.

Certainly, the Nuovo HiCam is better engineered.. the original was kind of a lash up for Dr. John's race bike. And, you're right. The transmission gear ratios are perfect on the Centauro.

As far as I'm concerned, getting it to run right is the least of the problems on the engine. The aluminum timing gears and the unbushed oil pump gear, all fixable with a liberal application of money.. are the big problem with them. Not to mention some of the top end parts are unobtainium and it's an interference engine. If I had that red one on Ebay, the first thing I would do is tear it down and fix stuff. Is it worth having??

Yep.

[mznyc]

This shouldnt be in Technical Topics,Older Models.

 

I thought there was a Rosso in the classified section? No?