A Tale of Two Centauro’s

[HadaDaytona]

Back in December I bought a yellow 1997 Centauro basket case with 21,000 miles (all the fairings are off it) but I saw a video of it running. Today I purchased a 1998 yellow Centauro with 18,000 miles and a cracked head. Both owners were not Guzzi guys and I got them dirt cheap .

My hope is that I have one good engine that I will put belts on. I also am pulling the bad head to see what collateral damage took place when the right head got cracked. Is the piston still good ? If so should I put the good head on the damaged engine and replace belts and see if it will run ?

I will pull the bad head soon and do an inspection.If the results are positive, I might be in need of a used V10 right side head if anyone has one laying around.

I have already begun sourcing Daytona parts to convert one Centauro into a Daytona RS.

PS - I made a phone call to discuss the bad engine and was told to totally tear down the engine to inspect the crank .🤔hmm

 

[Speedfrog]

Best looking Centy I've ever seen!! 

Good luck with your project!   

[Lucky Phil]

  On 3/28/2025 at 3:52 AM, Speedfrog said:

Best looking Centy I've ever seen!! 

Good luck with your project!   

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You need to get out more, lol. that's got no class or elegance at all. Ignoring the silly inlet trumpets I offer this as a much more classy exhibit.

 

Phil

Edited March 28 by Lucky Phil

[gstallons]

Well , they took the ugliest bike ever produced by MG and turned them into something pretty good looking !

Edited March 28 by gstallons

[HadaDaytona]

Years ago I saw a Centauro for sale in Los Angeles for top dollar that was painted flat black and described as  Stealth . 🥷 

I actually thought it looked pretty cool and it sold pretty quickly. Anyone ever see it on the road in California ?

[pete roper]

I’m a big fan of the Centy, but I’m me……..

[Pressureangle]

  On 3/28/2025 at 3:58 AM, Lucky Phil said:

You need to get out more, lol. that's got no class or elegance at all. Ignoring the silly inlet trumpets I offer this as a much more classy exhibit.

 

Phil

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That looks like a stunter's GSXR after too many wheelie loops. Nice tank, tho.

[audiomick]

I gather the package, motor, suspension, brakes, is very good, even verging on excellent. The few times I've seen one in the flesh, my reaction ranged all the way from "what the fark is that?" to "hmm, actually not bad". But if I had one, it would have to be modified. A German company made a thing that they named "Scandalo". A Centauro with (I think) a Sport 1100 tank and a seat and tailpiece that they made themselves. Looks a lot like the photo that @Lucky Phil posted further up. If I had one, it would have to go a long way in that direction to make me happy, but of course with clip-ons instead of that silly chook-chaser handlebar.

 

Here, a picture of a Scandalo stolen out of the internet

Edited March 29 by audiomick

[docc]

If I got a Centauro, I would have to get the Dondolino it was "drawn from" . . .

 

[Lucky Phil]

  On 3/29/2025 at 12:55 AM, docc said:

If I got a Centauro, I would have to get the Dondolino it was "drawn from" . . .

 

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Something got lost in the translation.

Phil

[Lucky Phil]

  On 3/29/2025 at 12:24 AM, audiomick said:

I gather the package, motor, suspension, brakes, is very good, even verging on excellent. The few times I've seen one in the flesh, my reaction ranged all the way from "what the fark is that?" to "hmm, actually not bad". But if I had one, it would have to be modified. A German company made a thing that they named "Scandalo". A Centauro with (I think) a Sport 1100 tank and a seat and tailpiece that they made themselves. Looks a lot like the photo that @Lucky Phil posted further up. If I had one, it would have to go a long way in that direction to make me happy, but of course with clip-ons instead of that silly chook-chaser handlebar.

 

Here, a picture of a Scandalo stolen out of the internet

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Elegant. Sensible airbox

Phil

 

Edited March 29 by Lucky Phil

[Weegie]

Interesting that it has a MotoSpezial V Sump (Guzziladen was still selling these last I heard)

Installing one onto a Broadsump isn't straightforward and unless provision is made for an oil cooler, of doubtful gain in cooling.

Paul Minnaert is the only guy who installed one onto a Daytona that I knew of, but  there are obviously more out there

Paul installed a cooler using a sandwich plate behind the oil filter to feed a cooler.

I thought about a similar setup but the deepsump wouldn't fit as mine has a bellypan.

Suppose the external filter is a gain and the Vee reduces the chance of pump pickup starvation, but a Roper Plate does much the same thing.

@HadaDaytona are you going for a US Daytona RS? 

I think the US Daytona RS and the Centi engines are the same. 

European bikes got "absolutely mad" C kit cams which make them enormous fun, but they run hot (100 C in free air) and overheat very quickly in traffic. More suited to a track than the road.

EDIT

For clarity the C kit cams were only installed to the Daytona RS exceptions being Dayona RS imported to Switzerland, Singapore and the US. The exceptions had the original Daytona cams.

The Centauros sold everywhere had the original Daytona cams too.

Edited March 29 by Weegie
Clarification

[Pressureangle]

  On 3/29/2025 at 1:03 AM, Lucky Phil said:

 

Elegant. Sensible airbox

Phil

 

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Is that the same tail piece as the green one posted above? Perhaps it's the angle of the photo that makes the green one look like a frog's butt? This one is so close but so much better.