It all began on the annual september market in Imola 1997, when I was looking for an Aermacchi 350 to share my garage with an already finished 250 Alazzura. The only interesting Aermacchi 350 was sold to our dutch friends who seemed to buy everything, except Guzzi singles. At saturday 13.00 I have bought the Falcone Civile for milleottocento lira. The bikes engine looks very similar to an aermacchis engine, just bigger in every size. This fact takes comfort to me.
On the long way home to the most western part of germany my thoughts were full of new ideas how to recreate the bike to something light, strong and much more beautifull.
| The bike, as bought |
I start to modify the Civile to a Falcone Verde, inspired by the beautifull Guzzi racers of the late 50`s. First of all I have thrown away all the unnecessary metal which is not usefull to rise up speed. Then the basics (frame, engine, fork and wheels) look quite sporty so I start to build it up as a racer style bike. A friend stores a very nice steel tank from an early Yamaha racer, myself I had things like a Marzocchi fork, a duplex Ceriani brake, Magura clip ons and much more....
| Offering up the tank and seat on the frame | A first try with a friends steel tank and a glassfibre seat, not bad... |
After designing the fixation points for the new fuel tank and the fibreglass seat shell I began to remove all the unnecessary metal supports. Reminding the heavy starting procedure I take the decision to remove the sidestand and to use the central stand. I had to add some bolts for the rear braking lever and so on. After those modifikations the frame looked quite straight and light (in fact is was lighter!). The new 35er marzocchi fork (origin to a 250 2-stroke Guzzi) has to be fit in the steering head, a pair of new Konis from a local dealer are making a perfect rear suspension.
| Views | of the bike | without engine |
For building up the wheels I use a Ceriani single-sided duplex brake (origin MV or Laverda item) and the Falcone brake at the rear. The flat alloy-rims are made by acront, the spokes are made in chromed steel. The mudgards also made in alloy, I have to save weight wherever possible. The next part to save weight and earn reliability was the chain. I bought a 520 DID x-ring chain, an alloy (of course!) chain wheel and a front chain wheel from a Suzuki RGV250. In the front wheel I lasercut (that’s my bussines) the contour of the gearshaft drive. A lot of small parts were made like a new battery holder with integrated ignition key, support for the front flasher and an instrument tray. Finally the frame was painted black, the fuel tank coloured in a fresh green and the seat upholstert in black leather. The rolling chassis was coming to its final result.
I choose for a two-seater because of the enormous length of the frame. Even with the long monza style fuel tank a single seater would look a bit curious in my opinion. Maybe my wife will join me on a trip through the Eifel (somewhere north to the Nürburgring).
Main modifications have to be done on the engine. In original condition it is giving a sound and behavior as an old diesel single, a bit breathless at all. So I start from the bottom and blow up his lungs.
The first step could be reboring the original cylinder sleeve, but the attainable capacity would be around 570 ccm. Not enough, of cource. I start to lathe a new liner from a high quality aluminium tube to fit a well sized 100 mm diameter piston. The capacitiy grows to 644 ccm which looks more interesting to me. By the way if you go to extremes, the bore can be risen up to a maximum of 105 mm which means a capacitiy of 710 ccm. But I am not extrem, of course!
A forged piston was made by a german specialist named Wahl. The design was homemade and the result looks and works quite nice.
To fit the new cylinder sleeve into the crankcase I have to spindle some aluminium away, thanks again to my friend Michael.
| Barrel, liner and piston | Liner and piston |
You are right when you say that the piston does not work in a pure alloy baRRel. I have to spend the same amount of money for a superb Nicasil coating as for the piston. The new clearance of the piston to baRRel is 0.04 mm and it works. The piston rings are coming from a BMW F650, you have to look for the right material combination between ring and coating.
| Piston fitted in lined barrel |
The Guzzi conrod is looking quite strong so I take the decision not to buy a carillo but to rework the original crankshaft and conrod bearing. Most of the Guzzi special spare parts I have bought from Moto Falcone in Ohlstadt, a company which still does not exist anymore. Now you can try a business with new people at www.moto-falcone.de.
| Crankshaft and conrod |
The next important step in every four stroke engine is the valve steering. I send the camshaft to my old institute for lasertechnologie in Aachen to laserweld some extra material onto the camshaft. Now it could be regrind to some extra millimeters of valve lift and steering time. After some discussion about the camshaft profile I have taken a profile of a Opel (Vauxhal) touring car from the mid eighties. The Opel valve kinematic is nearly the same than the Falcone as also the rev limits. I decided at that time not to rev over 6500 1/min. Mind that the engine has still not done one ignition pulse...
| Raw camshaft | Finished camshaft |
The weight watchers program at the push rods was simply done on a lathe. The fat drum sticks to translate the valve lift to the valve insult my eyes. Why did they not use a fine alloy tube for that job? I do.
| Pushrods |
The weight reduction was nearly the half weight and was worth it. Now going up the head much more standard work is following. Take some new valves with 8 mm stems and redesign them to 48 and 43mm in diameter for IN and EX. Valve springs you will find in a beautyful Porsche 911, some titanium collars as well. In the head I rebore and grind the inlet tubular to fit a 40 mm carburettor. I am still testing between amal smoothbore and dellorto PHB and not shure what is best.
One of the reliability things was to perform the poore lubrication of the camshaft. Therfore I make an extra oil tube from the oil pump to the end of the camshaft. Then I drilled (laser work again) 2mm holes the camshafts ground circle to let some oil flow in this area. I have not installed a separate oil filter, instead of that I change the oil every 2500 km, just like my old Bonneville likes it.
| View of inside crankcase, showing oil feed |
To redesign the primary drive and the clutch is one of my next ideas, but I do not have all the necessary machines for that job. I do not want to stress my friends to much at a time. After completing the crankcase it was time to refit it into the frame, a certain kind of maRRiage. I apologize for the poor picture quality.
| Right view of fitted engine | Left side |
I was never forgetting the main thing, to get as most unnecessary metal away as possible. I hate the dynamo on the engines backside. It might be useful for agricultural things but not for a motorcycle (you are right, even MV is using them on the street models). I remember that I still have a 1100 Suzuki generator and because I want to redesign the flywheel as well, why not integrate this 300 W item? This thought was easier than reality. You mind the words: "The difference between theory and practise is in practise much bigger than in theory".
| New left side cover with alternator |
A light aluminium cover was lasercut (yes, still my bussines) and a fixation for the generator welded. The magnetic rotor wheel was intergrated in the new smaller flywheel and the whole bussines is now looking more smooth. Just a carb between me and the horizont.
| Inside of new flywheel | Outside |
After that the main job was done, only a new wiring harness must be homemade and a few cables connected. To my own surprise the engine started very well and was running also very smooth.
Now I could start doing some turns around the hills.
| View of instruments and 'bars |
| Left side view |
| Right side view |
The exhaust can is a dunstal type and the pipe is homemade
I am honest that some problems did occur. On the third trip on our country roads I have lost the complete flywheel and I thank to God nobody was thrown to dead. The conical fixation at the cranshaft needs some more NM of torque and a bit of Loctite to stay in place. By the way, without flywheel the engine is running as peaky as a two stroker, believe it or not.
For the future I am planing to optimize the clutch and primary drive and maybee I find a nice electronic ignition to fire up a twin spark.
Technical data: so far as known
Capacity: 644ccm Bore: 100 mm Stroke: 82 mm Power: not yet tested, my aim is around 35 bhp dry weight: 139 kg fuel capacitiy: 17 ltr. Top speed: 175 km/h @ 6500 1/min.
