Rob Ring in V50 Guzzi in 2015
Rob Ring in the much-changed Monty Billington V50 Guzzi Phasar, at the 2015 BruceFFest in South Wales. One of John Bruce's Honda Dream-based Codas can be seen in the background.
UPDATE August 2020. This machine is back in the Bruce workshops and undergoing further modifications at the hands of its new owner, Martin Vermeire. PNB
Photo: © Paul Blezard
Styling.
I think you'd need to be brave to ride that in it's current form, with that colour scheme. That paint job accentuates the fugly nose, but it looks like a great bike under the bodywork. Great to see another historic FF being updated, and getting back on the road.
Braver pedestrians
You'd hope that any pedestrians captured by that nose don't sue. Fortunately rules on pedestrians safety in vehicle design don't apply to PTWs for some reason - probably Piaggio lobbying in Brussells.
I'm with Henry Ford on the historic aspect ("History is bunk") But I support the idea of a "Classic FF" Section for Bikeweb, VMCC rules, 25 year cut off. so that everyone else can get on with with the future (like saving up for a modern E-powered FF, made, of course, in another country).
Actually the VMCC is probably the best place for these 'Classics' ("Of rare and good quality"...) My own Classic FF is even on their machine register and has appeared in the VMCC magazine (in a piece on the trigger throttle). You get an insurance discount and wind up all those old Bikers that gave you a hard time about FFs in the last millenium, much better than bewildering any young folk who visit here out of an interest in efficient transport today.