Jesse Open

Taken at Lake Champlain, Upstate New York on a weekend ride.
Huh?
Actually, I understand. Your acquired taste comment is spot on. For many years I too turned away from the Guzzi bikes. My habit back then was to haunt the bike shops and buy derelct Britbikes to get up and running . I just had to have at least 5 project bikes to get through the winter. At one point I was down to zero projects and was nearing panic state. All I could turn up was a very pathetic looking 1971 Guzzi Ambassador at Anderson's Motorcycles in Pontiac. In desperation I made the deal for $150 . Next day my brother in law drove me and my tool box out to the shop. We got the bike running in the parking lot so I decided to risk the 20 mile ride home. Halfway home, my attitude towards the Guzzis was already moving up the scale. That old bike became the favorite for trips, daily riding. The looks were awful but I didn't even think of that while riding that bike. The only problem was the previous owner had cross threaded the spark plug in the right cylinder to the point where it was barely holding. I was putting off doing the Helicoil for some reason and rode the bike anyhow. One night in late fall on the way home from work doing about 65 mph. I heard a pop followed by that open air compressor sound and a drop in power. Almost immediately thereafter I was felling the power of the spark plug surging through my leg. There I was, flailing my entire body and kicking my leg sideways trying to lose that plug wire that would not leave my leg. After what seemed like forever (probably 10 seconds) the plug wire finally let go and I limped home on one cylinder. For the next two weeks when I rode the Norton Commando home I still spotted that plug wire on the shoulder. I gave it the finger as I passed by!
I sold that ugly old bike to a buddy .Many years later he decided to restore it . Maybe Dave will like it as he painted it green.