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Skylark Takes Flight. My Lodola 175.

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Doug View Drop Down
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    Posted: 23 Oct 2016 at 20:57

Around about April of this year I put a wanted ad on this forum for a project and I ended up with a 1957 Lodola 175. I've been quite busy with it over the last few months and although it's not quite finished and I'm sure it'll offend some purists I thought I'd post the results of my efforts.

I managed to get most of the parts I needed from various suppliers on ebay and a couple of Italian Gumtree/CL equivalents. Thanks must also go to Jezguz for all his help in supplying bits and pieces. Pics are not the best quality but you'll get the general idea I'm sure.
 
The bike was in bits when I bought it.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
But fortified by plenty of this.
 
 
And using the latest in tool technology.
 
 
 
I set to work.
 

The frame, swinging arm, forks, wheel hubs and chainguard got a coat or two of Rustoleum "Hard Hat" red paint, all I can say is that I won't be using that again.

 
Woo-Hoo USD forks.
 
 
Roller tappets too.
 

V Strom is my daily commuter. Bit of a size difference

  
 
Sporti 1100 is for high days and holidays. Bit of a weight difference.
 
 
Wheel rims were shot, they had cracks around the nipple holes and cracks on the outside edge of the rims.
 
 
They were replaced with chromed steel rims. 
 
 

The oil tank, battery box and mudguards got Fiat Red Orange, the fuel tank got the same red but I put VW Alpine White panels on it with a gold pinstripe.

 
This is more or less the stage it's at now although I have put some gold Moto Guzzi decals on the tank. Paint is a lot better than it appears on the pics.
 
 
 

The carb was flooding very badly when I rebuilt it as unknown to me it had the wrong type of float needle in. So when it came to trying to start it I just turned the fuel taps on enough to get some fuel into the bowl then switched them off again so it wouldn't flood. So it was ignition on, full choke and kick away. It gave a bit of a cough and fart on the first kick and the bloody thing started on the second. Here's a link to a youtube vid I did on start up.

 

To finish, I need to sort out the spacer arrangement on the rear wheel as the brake drum is catching slightly and it needs a speedo cable and some of the fasteners need tidying up. There's lots of odd metric sizes M7, M9 and M11 in both fine and normal pitch so I've had to make some studs and nuts and bolts.

Other than that it'll not be long before it's on the road.

 
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Tarquin View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tarquin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Oct 2016 at 21:00
Great job. Well done and thanks for a good write up.Thumbs Up
California 111,California 1100i,Suzuki FZ50, Yamaha YB100, NSU Quickly,


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Jerry atric View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jerry atric Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Oct 2016 at 21:45
Looks great to me
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Oldrat View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Oldrat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Oct 2016 at 22:42
Nice one Doug, a good job there.

Thanks for taking the trouble to document it.



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kateguy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kateguy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 2016 at 05:42
Enjoyed this...thought when I saw the flywheel painted you mite be runnin the bike without the cover which is what I do with mine....plus a bicycle clip !
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iceni View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote iceni Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 2016 at 08:05
I thought same as Kate. The external / exposed flywheel adds a certain novelty to the machine, even if it's supposed to be covered.  
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italianmotor View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote italianmotor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 2016 at 09:15
Having sold the 175 project to Doug in the first place, I'm really impressed to see what he's has done with it, and so quickly too. It was a motley collection of bits but what it did have going for it from the off was that it was the core fo a 175 with correct and matched frame and motor, and it had both a dating letter and NOVA for it to be easily registered.
Guzzi lover doing my own thing: http://www.italianmotormagazine.com
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johnno View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnno Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 2016 at 17:14
nice work , that's a good cross section of bikes Thumbs Up
1100 sport corsa , Yam R1, guzzi 650tt rider
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jerry atric Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 2016 at 21:36
Whats the story with the spanners, Doug? most intriguing.
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Doug View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Doug Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 2016 at 22:00
Thanks for the positive comments, can't wait to get it on the road, neither can my neighbour who's watched me getting frustrated and listened to me swearing for the last few months.

The spanners have different uses Jerry, the double ended one is for metric or imperial nuts, or sometimes used for right or left hand threads, the one with the hammer end is for straightening bent nails. Or maybe not.
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Brian UK View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Brian UK Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Oct 2016 at 22:53
I thought the double ended one was for left and right hand threads.
 
The other one, just a plain Brummie's screwdriver.
 
Brian.

Better 5 minutes late in this world than years early in the next.
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Jezguz View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jezguz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Oct 2016 at 01:20
Looks good DougApprove, I must get my finger out and get my pile of bits into a similar stateErmm
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