Paul LeClair new project and 1982 Mirage 1200 TS Series 2 FOR SALE

Paul LeClair

Paul LeClair

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Location
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Hi all

I just bought, sight unseen and from its original owner, a black and grey 1998 Moto Guzzi V10 Centauro 8 valve. Typical of many of my motorcycle purchases I have bought it sight unseen, from a description over the phone. I don't even have a photo. Apparently it has been off the road for a number of years and needs reconditioning. When I did an internet search I then discovered I don't even know if it is a base model, a GT, or a Sport, bloody hell. Guess I will find out when I pick it up later this weekend :unsure: ;)

the quick internet search says it is basically the Daytona frame, high end suspension and brakes, very low production (1,918 split between the 3 Centauro variants total), and a retuned Daytona 8 valve motor. Apparently the bike I have purchased has been "chipped" to rectify apparent fuel injection deficiences from the factory.

As this relates to Laverda's, my lack of garage space, and my previously stated desire to downsize the number of motorcycles in my garage, my Guzzi purchase makes no sense whatsoever. Something else has to go, and of my the Laverda triples, my gorgeous Laverda 1200 Mirage Series 2 is advertised in the For Sale section here. It is one of the best in the world. It needs to go to a happy new owner. Anyone???? I would assist in getting it crated and to a shipper. I would also happily sell the 1957 Gilera 150 Sport as I am negotiating right now on a 1968 Ducati 250 to build for next years September 2023 Moto Giro.....

Paul LeClair
 
Paul LeClair said:
As this relates to Laverda's, my lack of garage space, and my previously stated desire to downsize the number of motorcycles in my garage, my Guzzi purchase makes no sense whatsoever.
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A disease we all share to varying degrees! Congrats (?) on the Guzzi purchase!
 
1998 Moto Guzzi V10 Centauro is now home in my garage. Last registered in 2018. Not presently running. Appears very stock from what I can see so far. 21,000 miles showing.

A few photos. Styling must have been shocking in 1998, styling looks modern enough to be new on a showroom floor in 2022 to my eyes. Bike is a lot smaller and more compact than it looks in the photos.

Internet tells me 1,918 built in total overall production, 300 of that production apparenty came to the USA, seller had this one imported from the USA (so not original owner as I thought), and says this is 1 of 3 in Canada?

Now, someone buy my 82 1200 Laverda TS Mirage Series 2....... ;) :cry:
 

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There are a high-tech gadget that responds to mods in a massive way for sure, hate to be negative but to me, they fall into the aesthetically challenged Guzzi style lately. Add the fluro green that lots came in was pretty shocking back then. Eye of the beholder and all that. I suppose I am reluctant to embrace design change. A mate has a similar Guzzi and was trying to get me to buy it, I told him I just couldn't get past that look, and his comment, it rides fantastically and what the hell do you do, ride past shop windows looking at yourself. He had a point.
 
Vince said:
There are a high-tech gadget that responds to mods in a massive way for sure, hate to be negative but to me, they fall into the aesthetically challenged Guzzi style lately. Add the fluro green that lots came in was pretty shocking back then. Eye of the beholder and all that. I suppose I am reluctant to embrace design change. A mate has a similar Guzzi and was trying to get me to buy it, I told him I just couldn't get past that look, and his comment, it rides fantastically and what the hell do you do, ride past shop windows looking at yourself. He had a point.
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Hi Vince

I have been internet searching, reading about the "polarizing" look of the Centauro back in the last 1990's, people seem to either love it or hate it... Better than bland. What attracted me is the Daytona 8 valve motor, belt driven overhead cams, on a GUZZI, bloody hell. Lots of technology for its time, great suspension, very high build quality. The other thing that attracted me is the limited production numbers, not likely to see another one when out for a ride. I had never heard of the Guzzi Centauro model before earlier today;);)o_Oo_O I sort of knew knew about the 8 valve Daytona, and this Centauro is apparently the Daytona frame and retuned Daytona engine.

I am going to go through it top to bottom, front to back, new tires, new brakes, all fluids, all new rubber bits and hoses and lines, sort everything out and dial everything in, and see if I can scare up a set of openish less restrictive mufflers for it. I don't intend to open the motor other than new cam belts and basics, unless I discover issues.

This bike just fell into my lap earlier to day while I was casting about for this winters motorcycle project. Laverda project bikes in western Canada have been very very thin on the ground for a few years now, basically non existent. I have not seen a worthy Laverda project bikes since I bought the 1982 1200 TS Mirage Series 2 several years ago now, and I have kept looking.
 
I am a sucker for the weird and wacky. I remember the Centauro well and as with similar oddballs like the Bimota Mantra, Gilera CX, etc I always liked them. The Centauro's bum is a bit droopy, like it was overheated during final paint curing or something, but otherwise reckon they look great and like you say Paul, the bones underneath are all Daytona so it's an interesting mechanical package for sure.
I guess the Griso is the spiritual successor but it's not so interesting on the technical front (engine anyways), although it does look more 'normal' - another bike I like the looks of and perhaps others don't.
 
Dellortoman said:
Bearing in mind that bikes often look better in photos than in reality, it looks like it's in good condition. Any clues as to why it's not running?
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Hi Cam

bike came to me by a bit of a circuitous route. I have a riding buddy who really likes Guzzi's, Ducati's etc, and he was hunting for a Guzzi Daytona. He found this Centauro and becasue of the Daytona frame and 8 valve Daytona engine he arranged to purchase it. Then he immediately found a Daytona earlier to day. He called me this afternoon saying he would rather buy the Daytona, so I stepped in and took the Centauro and he took the Daytona.

The back story of the Centauro seems to be that the owner aged out of riding several years ago, but kept the bike registered until 2018. I don't know when it was actually last running or ridden. "Running when parked"...... so I am hoping new battery, fresh fuel (when fuel was added this evening it is already apparent there are several fuel leaks) whatever new fuel lines/seals etc., clean up the injectors, then hoping it should fire right up if all the planets are aligned, we'll see. A 1998 Guzzi with only 21,000 miles would seem to indicate it likely has had a pretty easy life. It looks pretty good generally, but I didn't get any mechanical service records so don't know if the cam belts etc have ever been done. I have already checked and the two cam belts are roughly only $90 USD per belt and I am just going to do a full major service anyway before trying to start it.

I think I am going to enquire with Bring a Trailer about possibly listing the 82 Laverda 1200 TS Mirage Series 2 on their auction site, we'll see.
 
breganzane said:
I am a sucker for the weird and wacky. I remember the Centauro well and as with similar oddballs like the Bimota Mantra, Gilera CX, etc I always liked them. The Centauro's bum is a bit droopy, like it was overheated during final paint curing or something, but otherwise reckon they look great and like you say Paul, the bones underneath are all Daytona so it's an interesting mechanical package for sure.
I guess the Griso is the spiritual successor but it's not so interesting on the technical front (engine anyways), although it does look more 'normal' - another bike I like the looks of and perhaps others don't.
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Hi Steve

I like the oddballs as well, and this thing was simply too "cool" to pass up, odds are I'll never have a chance to buy another one, so best to dive in with both feet. I like the historical direct lineage of the engine back to the pioneering work of Dr. John. It is overhead cams driven by belts, but the bloody belts are apparently driven by the original cam down in the block repurposed from driving pushrods to driving over head cams - fanstastic.

I still keep an eye out for Laverda projects but it could be a long time until another Laverda project crosses my path, if it ever does.
 
Tank/seat unit has always been questionable re style. When I bought my 96 1100 Carb sport, with styling closer to the Daytona, I looked at a Centauro advertised as still having the ’Italian air in the tyres’ but I couldn‘t bring myself to try to love it, so I passed. Eye of the beholder, though.
 
Legs said:
To me, it looks pretty shmick for a cruiser. IMHO the Guzzi engine has got to be one of the best looking on two wheels.
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I had to look up "shmick".

I found two definitions

- schmick. Smart, stylish; excellent. Schmick (sometimes shmick) is a relatively recent addition to Australian English. The form smick is found once in the written record in the 1970s, and may be a blend of the words smart and slick.

- To schmick someone means to initiate sexual intercourse with an asleep partner. The partner initiating the intercourse will need lubricant. It is a german- ...

I am going with the first definition in this instance....☺️🤣:eek:
 
Don't overlook servicing the universal joints! Strip, clean and fresh grease! At least on Christiane's V65 it is not in the factory service schedule so I was oblivious of it and the front one seized up and broke, taking out the rear gearbox housing in the process and luckily happening at an almost standstill. From memory the Centauro/Daytona has exposed joints, as it has the initial quite-crude DrJohn style implementation of the floating bevel box. Easy to service but also exposed to the elements. The one on the small block bikes is all enclosed which gives the impression it is all sealed but it's not really, and they need to be periodically serviced.
 
DaveB said:
Tank/seat unit has always been questionable re style. When I bought my 96 1100 Carb sport, with styling closer to the Daytona, I looked at a Centauro advertised as still having the ’Italian air in the tyres’ but I couldn‘t bring myself to try to love it, so I passed. Eye of the beholder, though.
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Hi Dave

can I interest you in buying an exceptional 1982 Laverda 1200 TS Mirage Series 2, described by Wolfgang as one of the best in the world....?
 
Paul LeClair said:
I had to look up "shmick".

I found two definitions...
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Reminds me of me signing off a work email about something or other with 'YMMV', which I understood to be a pretty commonly known acronym for 'your mileage may vary', meaning 'that's what I found but you may get a different result'.
Said workmate got back to me and said he was not familiar with the term so googled it and found urban dictionary. He advised that he had decided I did not mean "Yo' mamma's manky vag-...."! :oops:
 
I’ve got a Centauro- the later ones had the race kit motor from the Daytona RS ( forged pistons and Carrillo rods but a road cam not the race one) , in fact apart from rear subframe , tank, bodywork they were identical to Daytona.
The main fault is the alloy gear driven oil pump, the oil pump bush wears then the driven gear teeth don’t mesh and snap off - kaboom! The trick is to either get new steel gear ( unavailable at moment) or revert to chain driven set up and an 1100 pump. The Centauro forum is virtually dead but is a good source. Coolest Guzzi motor ever.
 
The first definition is the correct one Paul, the term has been around quite a while and is in common usage.
Some would also say that the Guzzi engine is grouse ;)
 
Exmoor beast said:
I’ve got a Centauro- the later ones had the race kit motor from the Daytona RS ( forged pistons and Carrillo rods but a road cam not the race one) , in fact apart from rear subframe , tank, bodywork they were identical to Daytona.
The main fault is the alloy gear driven oil pump, the oil pump bush wears then the driven gear teeth don’t mesh and snap off - kaboom! The trick is to either get new steel gear ( unavailable at moment) or revert to chain driven set up and an 1100 pump. The Centauro forum is virtually dead but is a good source. Coolest Guzzi motor ever.
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I found the Centauro forum, lots of info I am now reading through.

As current interest dies in various bikes, some of the various forums sort of fade away. As you said the Centauro forum is virtually dead. I have been referencing the Kawasaki KZ 650 forum during my recent KZ 650 work, it was slow 12 years ago when I rebuilt the bike the first time, now there are only a few active posters. Glad to see our Laverda Forum seems to still be going relatively strongly at least in comparison.....
 
Paul LeClair said:
I found the Centauro forum, lots of info I am now reading through.

As current interest dies in various bikes, some of the various forums sort of fade away. As you said the Centauro forum is virtually dead. I have been referencing the Kawasaki KZ 650 forum during my recent KZ 650 work, it was slow 12 years ago when I rebuilt the bike the first time, now there are only a few active posters. Glad to see our Laverda Forum seems to still be going relatively strongly at least in comparison.....
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That's all because of recycling. We should consider ourselves lucky, remember Soylent Green.

Paul
 
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