Glistening Moto Guzzi

EASTON, CT – When Mark Esposito acquired his 1971 Moto Guzzi Ambassador last September, it was a mess. “The motor was in the frame. The gas tank was on it. The rest of the parts were kind of scattered all over the place,” he recalled during a break in a weekend ride.

But just look at it today. Seriously, look at it. It’s jaw-dropping gorgeous.

Easton resident Esposito found the Moto Guzzi on Craigslist. It was located fairly close by in New Haven. “I was always looking for one and they’re not really easy to find,” he said. He paid $2,000 for it, and then invested four times that amount to make it sparkle.

Friend Chris Skalkos of Skalkos Welding in Fairfield, CT “…helped me with all the welding work, some of the machine work and some of the paint,” Esposito said. “We cut the gas tank open and sent the two side panels out to have them chromed. Chris welded them back together.”

To get the color scheme – white fenders with back pin-stripping and black gas tank and side covers with white pin-stripping – Esposito consulted the website of  restoration specialist Cycle Garden Moto Guzzi in Huntington Beach, CA. “I just chose it. I’m glad I went that route. It just shows off much better,” he said.

The restoration obviously took much work. The original wheels and spokes required a lot of polishing. The project began in October and didn’t finish until March.

Esposito owns three other bikes – a 1971 BMW R60/5, a 1988 BMW R100RS and a 2014 Honda Gold Wing. He likes the Moto Guzzi because it’s “just unique.”

The 757cc 1971 Ambassador produced 60 horsepower and has a top speed of 100 miles per hour. It cost just under $1,700 when new and NADA book value today is more than $11,000 in excellent condition. For the record, though, Esposito has no plans to sell it.

– By Bud Wilkinson