Eldorado in the arctic
If you recall the litany of mechanical woes I documented in RC 183 and RC 185, you'll remember that after battling with gearbox and engine rebuilds, my darling 1972 Mato Guzzi Eldorado was back on the road, running without any nasty mechanical noises and ready for new adventures.
After a quick 350 mile shakedown day I declared the bike ready for anything. Low speed running was a bit erratic, but once the old girl was rolling she ate the miles with her accustomed ease, and I felt sure I would be able to tune out any minor problems on the fly. With no work on the horizon to interfere, and a credit card in my wallet, I told my wife I'd be away for three or four days - just a quick trip to northern Ontario to see if everything was OK.
I don't want you to read what follows as further evidence of Guzzi's fundamental unreliability, as nothing could be further from the truth. Rather, it shows how little issues - which are not really the manufacturer's fault - can hide, almost driving you batty in the process.
That first day the bike ran well as long as
