model: 750 S3
country: Berlin, Germany
frame number: VK2 15564
name: Charly
email: CharlyLKA@aol.com
notes: Charly in his own words describes the story of his beautiful S3
"Since I was 15 years old (that was 1977) I always liked the sound of those Italian big twins from Moto-Guzzi and I always wanted to own one one day. So in 1999 after being left by my fiance I needed some distraction and decided to search for on old Guzzi as a rebuild project (in good condition there are quiet expensive here). First I tried to get a Le Mans I but it would have cost too much. Than I got the idea of an S3 because it looks more classic with its spoke-wheels and those stripes on tank and sidepanels. From a local dealer I heard about a S3 which had been brought from Italy just some weeks before. Some days later I got the opportunity to take a look at that wreck. It was in very bad condition, more than half of the parts were lost or not usable any longer. It had a Le Mans I tank, seat and tail. Donīt ask me why but I bought it and so it began that I was searching for parts for months after. In Germany there exists a kind of newspaper or journal especially for Italian bikes, itīs called MOTALIA. You can recieve it every month and it has a big market of small ads for free.
By the time I got to know the italian bike scene with lots of friendly people and dealers all over Germany. Eventually I got all parts which were missing, even those rare "750-S-3" side-plates. The frame was powder coated, also some other parts which like to rust very fast. tank and sideplates have been varnished by the Berlin Police workshop because of some special connections (Charly works for the Berlin Police Department - Adam)... Engine and gearbox were in acceptable condition and so I only cleaned them, also the carburators and the rear drive unit. New tires, new exhausters, new lights, new instruments, new seat and so on. It swallowed up much more than I ever thought at the beginning but donīt askhow much!!. Than I had to take the hurdle of the obligatory technical inspection which is nessecary to get the license to use it in public traffic. But everything went well and now it is back on the road again since July this year. By the time I learned that the bike had in fact been brought from Italy already in 1993 and stood all the years in Berlin-Spandau under open sky while beeing wrecked up more and more (a new friend of mine from the Guzzi scene has some parts from it on his machine). It must have been crashed in Brescia, Northern italy and was bought with two others Guzzis from a local scrap dealer. I know that because of a certificate from the comunity of Brescia which was given for the customs declaration.
So I donīt know anything about the first owner in Italy and about the circumstances of the crash (the frame is okay after beeing measured), also nothing about how many kilometers it has run till that crash (compression is okay and everything inside the engine didnīt look very much used). What I know is the frame number VK2 15564 and the building year 1975. Till today I have run about 1500 km without any problems. It's very enjoyable lot of fun although it doesn't have that easy handling from modern Triumphīs or BMWīs, but that is part of the special feeling only an old Guzzi will give to you (as you know very well I presume). During the building of the S3 my brother was also caught by the Guzzi virus too. Just two months ago he bought a 1978 V 1000 G5 which now is taken to pieces and will be built up in the coming months. Same procedure as last year!"