New member

[Guest Britcheflee]

Greetings from N Califonia!!

I am a long time old Guzzi owner - have had a love for 850Ts for some years and have a 74 850T which I bought as a junker on e bay and have been working on over the years. I have wanted another bike to go with this and my old KZ650B (1979) but was not really into the styling of many of the newer ones until I saw the Ballabio - purchased a very nice 'used' 04 with 1000 miles on clock!!! Still has 1 year warranty and 1 year roadside assistance and looks like it just rolled off the dealer floor - should be picking it up this weekend.

Anyway, this looks like a great site and hope to get some good advice from you.

I have a couple of questions...one concerns the exposed drive shaft entering the rear bevel box - all the other earlier guzzis I have seen including my T has all this enclosed with a rubber boot and enclosed shaft into bevel box...this looks like a spot for dirt and abrasive road items to get into - I want to keep my new bike running as well as possible and want to know if this is something I need to keep washed out or is it perfectly ok like this?

I am British and have travelled extensively around the world (international brat).

 

Thanks,

 

Lee

[dbdicker]

Welcome --

 

I cut my guzzi teeth on a T3 -- Those bikes are like crack cocaine. Once you own one, you can't seem to get away from Guzzis for life. They get in your blood somehow.

 

Nice looking new Billy bobo.

[Guest ratchethack]

Greetings from N Califonia!!

I have a couple of questions...one concerns the exposed drive shaft entering the rear bevel box - all the other earlier guzzis I have seen including my T has all this enclosed with a rubber boot and enclosed shaft into bevel box...this looks like a spot for dirt and abrasive road items to get into - I want to keep my new bike running as well as possible and want to know if this is something I need to keep washed out or is it perfectly ok like this?

Welcome, Lee! I've heard many an "old-timer" Guzzi rider comment about what to them evidently appears to be the alarming, even potentially dangerous exposed drive shaft design. Rest assured that this is NOT a cause for any concern! IMHO, The only concern you're likely to have is how to access the zerk fitting on the front u-joint. Beyond this, you'll very likely never have to give it another thought - except for the usual cleaning attention you give to the rear wheel and bevel box, and I'd venture to say that you'll likely have even less cleaning concerns on the shaft than this. It's a robust, clean, proven design. A wide range of techniques for accessing the forward zerk are presented here, accessible via search.

 

Enjoy your new Billybob - WARNING - for a relatively antiquated design by modern standards, it just MAY make your 850T seem even a tad more antiquated - but not by TOO much!. A great pair of Guzzi's IMHO.

[callison]

Good old Placerville. I lived on Green Valley Road across from Raley's when I graduated from Ponderosa High in 1969. Haven't been back much since. Even less likely now that I've bailed from California and settled in Oklahoma. Placerville has some pretty nice roads around it though and I'm going to miss the Hwy 49 and Sierras some.

 

Welcome to the forum. You've found a new home!

[Alex-Corsa]

Wellcome to the site Lee.

[Guzzirider]

Welcome aboard Lee.

 

The shaft will be fine- just grease it in line with the service intervals in your handbook.

 

Guy

[Guest volo]

i go kayaking on the S fork acouple of time a year. i'll keep my eyes (and ears) open!