This one has me stumped. This ’82 Moto Guzzi V50 Monza looks like it is all there and the asking price isn’t crazy high. So why do I hesitate? While the ad doesn’t state it, this bike appears to have been used for racing (there is a vintage racing organization sticker on the fork). Anyone who has road raced a motorcycle knows that everything on the bike is stressed way beyond what happens on the streets. While road racing a motorcycle the engine spends a lot of time at redline, the brakes are used so heavily that the brake fluid can boil and everything from bearings to clutch plates are pushed to the max of their limits. I do like how the seller left a baby stroller visible in the background (the reason the bike is being sold) and there is a Cretin’s Motorcycle Club sticker on the bike. Still, unless you know your way around a Guzzi, I think I’d pass on this one.
The phrase “Running When Parked” (RWP) is code for a once treasured possession that has been neglected in the corner of the garage or tool shed for far too long. Lacking the energy, time or resources to bring the little beauty back to life, the owner lists it for sale in hopes that a new owner will massage it back to health. Our collection of RWP bikes fall into two distinct categories; treasure or trash. And you are the only one who can properly judge which category the bike belongs in.