Halfway Around the Globe for My Dream Bike

While I was in Rome this summer, I was invited to go with a friend to a sales show that was going to have cars and motorcycles. There was no way I was going to pass up the chance to see some nice Italian bikes. For quite some time, I’ve considered buying an older motorcycle but wasn’t sure which one to look for or where to even begin in my search for one that would be perfect for me. I had looked around a little from my home at some of the California auto shows, but nothing caught my eye the way I wanted it to. The sales show in Rome changed everything.

With less than one week in the country, we attended the show. My intention was to just look around and admire what I saw and maybe try to find something comparable once I returned home from my vacation. After an hour or so checking out bikes that were missing handlebars, needed new tires or looked like massive piles of metal and motor, an amazing and in perfect condition, Moto Guzzi caught my eye and I had to check it out. I have always loved Italian bikes and the Moto Guzzi, along with Ducati, has been something of a dream bike for me. This is where my girlfriend usually drags me away and brings me back to reality, but since she was in the U.S. and I was in Rome without her, I got to check the bike out up close and personal.

This was a 1971 Motor Guzzi, Falcone 500 with beautiful chrome pipes, four stroke, single cylinder and a great red, white and black paint job. It looked to be in mint condition and the price was less than $1500 USD. If you know anything about a Moto Guzzi, especially one that is in perfect condition, then you know that $1500 USD is a steal. I had to check it out a little closer, and the seller let me ride around the block. Instant love. That’s all I can say about how I felt when I hopped on the soft leather seat and felt the way this bike handled when I took it around the block. This bike fit me like a soft leather glove and I decided then and there that it had to be mine. I offered the seller the exact amount he was asking and within 20 minutes, I owned a spectacular vintage Italian motorcycle.

My only issue, and it was quite a big issue since I was roughly 6300 miles from home, was to figure out how I was going to get the bike home. This was, of course, something I should have thought about when I was forking over money to buy the bike, but in my haste and admiration for the bike, the thought never crossed my mind even once! I called a few motorcycle transporters but settled on A-1 Auto Transport, Inc. They offered a set price and scheduled a carrier to pick the bike up within only three days. This was perfect since I had 6 days before I had to hop on my flight back to the states. Thankfully, I had the necessary paperwork and proof of ownership with me since I had just bought the bike. Since it’s an older bike and in such great condition, I opted for enclosed transport and I paid less than $3000 for shipping including my taxes and customs fees. Not bad at all.

Now, I have my Moto Guzzi sitting in the garage with my other bikes and I take it out quite a bit on weekends or when I want to check out a rally close to the house. I ride my newer bikes, especially my 2015 Harley-Davidson 500 when I got to and from work or just want to ride down the coastline to relax a little on weekdays but my Italian bike is something I like to show off every chance I get. Sure, it’s a Moto Guzzi and it isn’t packed with loads of power, but it’s a neat bike and one that I made a great deal on. Aside from that, I think it’s cool that I could buy my first vintage Italian motorcycle while I was actually in Italy.