Although Moto Guzzi is probably best known for producing long range, high capacity tourers, that wasn't always the case. Starting early in its history, Moto Guzzi was soon a real force in Grand Prix, TT, and Pukka events gaining countless small track victories and several world championships. Carlo Guzzi, along with several brilliant designers like Giulio Carcano, saw to it that Guzzi was viewed by the motorcycling world as the company you could count on to introduce cutting edge racing models that had the competition scurrying to catch up. Names like Albatros,

Jim; "The only problem is they aren't as sexy as the Le Mans' or Sports." The T really has proven to be the ultimate standard in Guzzi's line-up. Shipped bare bones, the T is an excellent platform on which to express your personal tastes or particular

Phoenix anesthesiologist Dave Thrope fell in love with the brutal, no nonsense philosophy of the Thrasher too, and approached Jim with the proposal of building him one of his own. "Dave showed up here a few weeks later with a battered, 1983 850 Le Mans III and gave me a simple set of directions; 'Do this one.' Normally, I'd advise against cutting up a Le Mans, but this example was really beaten down; lots of hard miles, cracked bodywork, and the usual signs of suspicious wrenching. The motor was tired, the suspension sagged, even the electrics were crunchy. It was a good choice, even in its sad condition it still ran and gave a pretty decent showing for itself. It was -afterall- a Le Mans, and you always save those. No matter what." The 850 was rolled out back and completely stripped, with Jim making careful notes on what could be re-used, and what was destined for the scrap heap. Dave wanted premium sportbike parts, high-end chassis and motor components equivalent to what was fitted on the round head prototype. With the chassis bare, the frame was sanded and smoothed, saved for a few of the stock mounts Dave wanted kept in the event some future owner would want to return the machine to stock specifications. After prepping the frame, swingarm, and centerstand, they were sent out for a coat of cobalt blue powdercoating, with the wheels finished in a silver-grey closely matching the paint sprayed on them originally. When the frame returned, the steering head was fitted with a new set of bearings before a complete 38mm Marzocchi fork and triple tree assembly was carefully set-up and slid into place. Until the release of

edgy lines with squared-off cylinder heads and Nigusil coated bores, replacing the pressed-in steel liners Guzzi had been using since 1976. The T2's square heads were removed, disassembled, completely cleaned and bead blasted. New guides and valves were installed, the intake runners and exhaust ports reshaped and polished. Guzzi Le Mans models, beginning with the Mark II in 1979 were fitted with an airbox that is both restrictive and difficult to service. As a result, most owners junk this component and attach individual filters, the most popular being K&N's. One problem: The back side of the carburetor is unsupported and in time can work loose from the rubber intake that attaches it to the cylinder head. A wonderful solution to this problem is found in the special aircraft-grade plastic intakes manufactured by G&G Industries that securely attach the T2's twin 36mm Dellorto pumpers with no chance of sagging, due to the rigid construction of the intake, dampened by a rubber o-ring that fits inside of the carb mouth. Jim ports the head to match the inside diameter of the Delrin intake, improving breathing and atomization. Due to the excellent quality of the stock, Guzzi high dome pistons and Nigusil cylinder coatings, Jim simply removed the slight glaze with a hone, and after fitting fresh rings to the pistons slid them into the 83mm bores. The flywheel and ring gear on the back side of the alloy lump was lightened then balanced before fitting two new, deep spline clutch plates and a matching input hub on the nose of the T2's 5-speed gearbox. Lovely and durable Fren Tubo stainless oil lines are used on the twin external feed lines located on the back of each cylinder, with a matching pair used to

With the finished motor and lower frame rails waiting on a lift, Jim guides the main frame of the T2 over the mass with a special, ceiling mounted crane of his own design, then bolts the halves together. Next on the chassis is the swingarm, replete with a new driveshaft, carrier bearing, u-joint hooked to the rebuilt rear box. With the wheels fitted, the project can now be rolled around the shop for the remainder of the assembly. The next step is EP&F's special wiring harness, based on the factory V7 Sport loom (still available at press time from Moto Guzzi) but modified with a generic automotive fuse block located under the fuel tank. A small but powerful

Prescott, Arizona based metal-bender Evan Wilcox is nothing short of an artist. Evan's work, featured in many motorcycle magazines (including a recent cover of Cycle World with supermodel Leeann Tweeden and one very lucky Norton) simply has to be seen in person to be believed, and appreciated. Over the years I've inspected several alloy bits available to Euro bike owners, and the Wilcox parts are the only ones as beautiful underneath as they are on top. Starting with flat sheets of aluminum alloy, the rough shape is cut from a template, then skillfully hammered and rolled on a "English Wheel" before the halves are welded together. Hours of sanding, grinding and polishing are required before the part can be delivered. If you have an application that Evan hasn't designed or built yet, a donor motorcycle will have to be supplied for fitment. Check Evan's website for availability and contact information and remember; Real art doesn't come cheap, nor is it ever hurried. For the owner desiring to adorn his/her European classic with the finest quality bodywork available, Evan is the person to contact. A fine, humble gentleman with an extraordinary talent, these products are truly the illustration of old world craftsmanship in a world where such attributes are increasingly difficult to find.

Thus, the application of Evan's handiwork is the perfect finishing touch to Thorpe's T2. The owner favored the "kick-up" spoiler on the stock fiberglass tailpiece, so Evan incorporated that into the alloy seat section, and the fuel tank mimics the shape of the tank found on the early Le Mans. As a whole, the T2 differs from the original Thrasher with slightly sharper, more angular lines that showcases the squared-off motor. It looks just a bit more brutal and purposeful, almost menacing. Squeezing the polished fuel taps to the "on" position, a bit of choke and a flick of the key is all that is needed for the T2 to light. Once running, the rumble emitting from the ceramic coated BUB Hyper fills the street with the sort of glorious road music that only a healthy Guzzi twin can produce. Once warm, the T2 responds to a quick twist of the throttle with instant application of horsepower to tarmac; shocking the unsuspecting with the sort of acceleration not expected from a simple pushrod twin. Settling into the wide, comfortable seat your feet are perfectly placed on the trimmed (passenger pegs removed) Agostini rear-set's, while your upper body is angled slightly forward in the classic cafe riding position. Gear change-ups dip the powerband back into the center of the torque curve, setting you back against the saddle's bump stop. Handling is neither quick or slow, just predictable, with plenty of cornering clearance and grunt from the alloy lump that is dominating the experience. The T2

never feels breathless or burdened, ostensibly enjoying -encouraging- rowdy behavior. This was the essence of the original Thrasher; that no holes barred tough guy. Built for heavy duty riding and plenty of it, it didn't take me long to realize Jim had built the same sort of personality into the T2. Its addicting...imagine the loud, imposing roar of a dump truck banging down the path in a Volkswagen-sized package. That's the Thrasher experience. Sadly, my time on the T2 was brief, and seeing as how the motor was still extremely tight and its owner hadn't even seen the finished product yet- it was time to return the T2 to Jim, who is still not satisfied with the idle or rear suspension action. Only when the bike has passed his final inspection, will the owner be called. My problem? Extreme covertness; I don't want to turn the machine over, I want more time..much more. Where do I sign? Moto Guzzi ownership isn't for everyone. There will be some who disdain the sort of relationship between man and machine the Guzzi demands, and there areotherbikes for them. The EP&F T2 is MotoGuzzipared down to its elemental

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