CAFÉ RACER 76: CAFE RACERS

YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD the word ‘bitsa’ thrown around these parts if you’re a regular here. For the uninitiated, it’s a motorcycle that has ‘bits of everything.’ Bitsas are the mongrel dogs of the custom motorcycle world… and just like mongrels, some of them are hard to look at.

But others are cross-bred in just the right way. This Moto Guzzi 850 T3 has Triumph, Norton, BSA and Dresda Triton bits on it, and it’s a total knockout—thanks to French builder Jeremy Tagand, who spins spanners at Deus ex Machina’s Australian headquarters.

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Deus’ client for this bike is a chap called Roger, who already has an enviable collection of customs from the Sydney shop. And then he called them up for another one: he’d picked up a tired 1975 850 T3 from a local Guzzi guru, John at Motociclo.

After ironing out the finer details of direction with Roger, Jeremy tore into the bike and Roger started scouring the web for the parts they needed.

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With the Guzzi stripped down to just the frame and motor, the first step was to perfect its stance.

The 18” wheels went off to Ash’s Spoked wheels for refurbishing, with the rear upgraded to a wider unit to accommodate a fatter tire. The hubs and rims were powder-coated black, then laced with new stainless steel spokes, and finally wrapped in classic Metzeler Lasertec tires.

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Next, the forks were spruced up with new internals, and their outer tubes shaved down. Jeremy added a Tarozzi fork brace, and polished the hell out of the triples. A set of Matris shocks does duty at the rear, supplied by Terry at Shock Treatment.

With the Guzzi now sitting right, the next task was sorting out its bodywork. A stock 850 T3 is by no means ugly, but neither Roger nor Jeremy were happy to leave it stock. So on went an alloy tank from Stein-Dinse in Germany, complete with polished sections.

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The seat is a Dresda Triton unit, which Roger had been storing for the last 30 years. Jeremy modded it to fit the Guzzi’s frame, then altered a pair of aftermarket side covers for the Triumph Thruxton to match the build. (That last part reportedly took some doing.)

If that front nacelle looks familiar, it’s because it’s a period correct Manx Norton part. Once Jeremy had that sitting pretty, he finished off the bodywork with a short front fender, and a polished alternator cover.

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This Moto Guzzi isn’t just a show pony though—Jeremy had a good look at the mechanicals too. The motor underwent a full service, the clutch was replaced, and the ignition was upgraded to a contemporary electronic ignition system. Then the carbs were swapped out with 30 mm Dell’Orto units with velocity stacks.

Roger then dropped off another pair of pick-n-mix parts: the mufflers off a BSA Rocket Goldstar. Hi-Tec Mufflers built a two-into-two stainless steel header system to accommodate them.

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The T3 was also treated to Tarozzi rear-sets and a set of Ace bars to nail that classic cafe racer riding position. Other bits include an Acewell speedo, Kellermann bar-end turn signals and Atto DF indicators at the back.

With everything in its right place, the bike was stripped one last time, and all the brackets and minor bits sent to PCS for powder coating. The motor and body work went to Dutchy’s Motorcycle Spray Painting—a frequent Deus collaborator who has decided to hang up his spray gun and focus his attention elsewhere, making this his last job for the shop.

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Roger wanted a simple, yet sophisticated color for the Guzzi. So he picked ‘Miami Blue’ from the new Porsche 911 catalog, and Dutchy rounded it off with ‘WTS’ emblems in the style of the classic AJS logo. (‘WTS’ stands for Westlake Tagand Special).

The motor was blacked out, with the fins and valve covers polished to a mirror finish for contrast. And as a final touch, the seat was covered in croc leather, by Dave at Badarse Trim Co. Yes, croc.