Meet Nigel and Kirsty Glover (also known as Hedgehog and Tigger, don’t ask) and meet their 1978 Moto Guzzi Le Mans.
This bike is special because it carries memories of a departed friend, so restoring it to its former glory has been a labour of love as well as a technical challenge. This Guzzi was bought from a friend 25 years ago, ridden and used as it should be, then neglected for a while due to health issues, until there came a moment when a decision had to be made about its long-term future. Sell it or restore it? Decisions, decisions. As you'll have guessed, restoration got the nod, but we'll let them tell you about in their own words.
But first, a bit of a back story… Kirsty: “When you’ve been riding for years there will be that ‘landmark’ bike that taught everything you know about not only riding bikes, but also looking after them. My eyes become misty when I recall mythem as the steel ones were prone to breaking just behind the heads); keep an eye on swingarm slack; be aware of the vibration in the left-hand peg that meant that the UJ in the final drive was about to explode; and reach three figures on the A5D.
