Moto Guzzi Le Mans - 850 Le Mans

850 Le Mans

Released in 1976, the 850 Le Mans was styled as a cafe racer. Although often referred to as the Le Mans Mark I, the first Le mans model was known by the factory as the 850 Le Mans, and is part of a long list of Moto Guzzi motorcycles developed since the company's inception nearly 100 years ago. It had debuted at the Milan motorcycle show in November 1975, although the groundwork started several years before the eventual production version appeared. It was developed from the earlier V7 Sport model but moved performance far beyond the interim 750S and the 750 S3. The power output measured at the back wheel was some 71 bhp, giving a top speed of around 130 mph.

The Le Mans used matt black instead of traditional chrome to offset paintwork, and debuted the tank-hugging one-piece seat made from injection molded foam. A marketing success, competing with other Italian superbikes, it spawned four later models until its ultimate model of the late 1990s. It was named in homage to the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race track in France. A 1973 factory prototype finished 4th in the 24-hour race at Barcelona's Montjuïc circuit. In 1977 Roy Armstrong won Britain's Avon Production Machine championship on a standard bike fitted with production race kit, and it had multiple race success during the AMA Superbike Championship in the US.

The Mark I had two production runs with slight modifications. The first run, known as Series 1, used the roundish CEV stop/taillight used on many Italian bikes of the decade and is known to have continued until at least September, 1976. Fewer than 2,000 of the round taillight bikes were made. The second production run, known as the Series 2 and totaling around 4,000 bikes, used a De Tomaso-designed rectangular taillight/reflector and modified rear guard. This was also used on the Mark II and SP models. The taillight and guard was the biggest change between Series 1 and 2 but other modifications included later inclusion of a tripmeter, black fork lowers, a more generous dual seat that replaced the split-prone original seat, exhaust pipe heel guards and inferior fuel taps and altered front indicator stem bracket. The extra cost compared to the "cooking" T3 model paid for performance items such as high compression domed pistons, larger inlet and exhaust valves, Dell'Orto 36mm pumper carbs with filterless mesh grey plastic velocity stacks, Tomasselli clip-ons and quarter-turn throttle. Most Mk I bikes were brilliant red and black although a very small number were painted in metallic ice blue. An exceedingly small number of Series 2 bikes were white. All bikes had a poorly-primed matt black frame and exhausts prone to rust.

Bikes imported into the United States were distinguished by two major visual differences. They were fitted with yellow side reflectors on the black CEV indicator (blinker) bodies, both front and rear. More significantly, the US bikes were fitted with a sealed beam headlight to meet Department of Transport approval instead of the non-US poor quality OEM Aprilia headlight with removable 40/45W bulb. The US sealed beam units protruded significantly in front of the bikini fairing, changing the flush lines of the bike when seen in profile.

Both engine and frame numbers for the Le Mans are prefixed with "VE". Engine serial numbers are stamped on a lower left hand side casing rib. Frame numbers were allocated a different sequence to engine numbers. Frame numbers commence from VE11111 and engine numbers commence from about VE70500. Due to poor priming some frames were replaced under warranty, adding complexity to the number sequence. Frame numbers and data plates are on the headstock, opposite the Neiman steering lock. Confusion about fake based on numbers further rests in part because of veteran motorcycle author Mick Walker's specific warning that a Le Mans 1 outside the frame range of VE11111 to VE13040 is likely to be a fake. This erroneous detail gained further credence in the Introduction to a compilation of period magazine reviews. In fact, it is the Le Mans Series 1 (with roundish CEV taillight) frames that are numbered VE11111 to VE13040. Le Mans Series 2 (with rectangular taillight) are numbered VE13041 to VE17311.

A Mark II bike reconfigured to look like a Mark I bike has been nicknamed a "Mock I". The Le Mans was also affectionately nicknamed the Lemon. This was not for reasons of unreliability. It gained popularity when published as an entry in Bike's Quote of the Month, after a reader sent in a cutting from Motor Cycle Weekly highlighting a typo in which Le Mans was spelt Lemons — similar to the French pronunciation. The story reiterating how the nickname came about was reprinted in 1979 when Bike reviewed a newly released Mark II bike (registration number plate DRO205T).