Moto Guzzi Donor

Background Refer also to the electronic fuel injection post. The throttle body blends fuel, air, and electric spark which is then delivered to combustion chambers in each cylinder. The unit is a complex casting — very difficult to replace — and Moto Guzzi has never made individual replacement parts available. Injector...

Background The “i” suffix in the California 1100i model name signifies “injection” as opposed to carburetor delivery of fuel. Moto Guzzi introduced electronic fuel injection (EFI) in the early 1990s largely motivated by emission control regulations. Since EFI deploys various sensors — air/oil temperature, throttle/crankshaft position, and barometric pressure — to...

Background While much of the original Moto Guzzi electronic engine (EFI) functionality will be retained in the cyclecar, the actual physical layout obviously does not conform to the new chassis and vehicle footprint. When removed from the frame, the harness resembles a snake’s nest with a jumble of connectors, thick loom...

Background The Aero cyclecar will reuse the Moto Guzzi swing arm, a fork-like structure that helps drive the rear wheel with the U-joint carrier bearing and two side pivot bearings, along with the bevel gear and transmission housing affixed to the rear wheel. The swing arm left end directly supports the...

Background The Moto Guzzi brake system incorporates two independent systems — one for the right caliper on the front wheel operated by a right hand lever, and one for the left caliper on the front wheel and the rear wheel caliper operated by a right foot pedal. Most of the system...

Background With the ultimate goal of removing the 1046cc V-twin engine and harvesting assemblies that will be “recycled” into the new vehicle, the Moto Guzzi California 1100i is dismantled piece by piece. First, the windshield, luggage side bags, top case, rear support rack and seat along with the taillight assembly were...

Background To assess the original condition of our 1997 Moto Guzzi California 1100i, the cracked windshield, soiled luggage side bags and tired top case were first removed. Then the rear support rack, pitted and rusted, was taken off along with the dirty rear seat and the cheap plastic taillight assembly. For...

Background Our Moto Guzzi engine of choice — the “big block” 1046cc V-twin — is spread out over nearly thirty years of production and scattered among at least twelve basic models with a host of minor variants. Moto Guzzi emphasized a proliferate approach to marketing, preferring small run lengths of customized...