Moto Totali - The Moto Guzzi Quota 1000
Ever stumbled across a bike that just found you? Not one you were looking for, but one that landed in your lap, looking worse for wear, begging for a second chance? That's the story behind Darrell's journey with a rare beast – the Moto Guzzi Quota 1000.
From Mower Engines to Moto Guzzis
Like many of us, his biking story started young. "A kid in the 1970s," he recalls, cobbling together a minibike from a frame sent by an uncle and a salvaged mower engine. Fast forward to the 80s, and getting a road licence wasn't about some deep-seated passion, but pure practicality. "It was cheap to ride a motorbike and cars were really expensive... it was there, it was cheap, it was easy."
His early road bike, an old GPZ, had one major drawback for the time: its chain drive. "Back then chains weren't what they are now... I used to have to tighten the chain every week." Getting tired of the constant maintenance ("I got jack of that"), he asked himself a simple question: "What motorbikes have got shaft drives?"
The answer led him down a path he's followed ever since. The contenders were Moto Guzzi and BMW. At the time, the choice was clear, if perhaps a little superficial. "BMW at the time was not in contention because old fellas rode BMWs and they really didn't look good in comparison to the Moto Guzzis... I just liked the look of them." That initial aesthetic appeal sparked a long-term relationship, with five or six Guzzis passing through his hands over the years.
The "Swiss Army Knife" - Enter the Quota 1000
Despite owning several Guzzis, he reckons his current ride is "probably the best Moto Guzzi I've ever owned." He calls it the "Swiss Army knife of all motorcycling... it just does it all. Dirt roads, hills, if you want to plow a field you can do that with it as well."
The bike? A 1996 Moto Guzzi Quota 1000. This isn't a common sight Down Under. Globally, only around 600 were built between 1992 and 1997. His, a fuel-injected '96 model, is believed to be one of only six officially brought into Australia. "The guy that originally owned this bought this bike new from Frasers Motorcycles in Sydney," he explains. "He told me that there were four of these on that showroom floor... and two of them were in Perth." Today, through club connections, he only knows of three still running in the country.
The Quota's origin story is as robust as the bike itself. Legend has it Moto Guzzi was approached by a North African nation needing bikes that could hit 100 mph, be fixed roadside, and last 20 years. The result was this "enormously robust build" with a massive spine frame – arguably "enormously overbuilt," contributing to its 230kg dry weight. But on the move? "You don't feel that when you're riding it, it's very nice handling machine."
The Discovery: A Barn Find Like No Other
He never set out to find a Quota; he'd never even seen one in person. The bike found him. A mate planning a trip to Cape York needed a suitable ride. His brother-in-law, living up near the QLD border, offered up "just the thing" – a bike that had been sitting dormant in various barns for about 15 years.
When the mate got the bike, he realised the restoration was more than he wanted to tackle, but he knew someone who might be interested. "He gave me a ring and he said 'Oh you're not going to believe what's in my garage.'... He says 'It's a Moto Guzzi, but not one I've never seen one before.'"
Intrigued, Darrell went over to check it out. The sight wasn't pretty. "There's this sad looking thing... It didn't have a dashboard in it, it had no screen, the front mudguard was not the right guard, the side covers were missing, the fuel tank was sort of wobbly... the seat was loose and it was tied up with a bit of rope to the wall." His initial assessment? "There's a lot of work in that and I know that that bike is really hard to get parts for."
The barn stay hadn't been kind. Rats had feasted on the wiring loom, and sparrows had nested in the exhaust pipes. "When I pulled it apart we saw the wiring had been roached pretty much... when we started it the first time... goes boom... a whole bird's nest came out of the exhaust pipe... did it again then another one come out!"
The Resurrection: A Community Effort
His first reaction was "No, I don't want it." But the seed was planted. Talking to fellow Guzzi enthusiasts, the idea of getting creative – using parts from other models, thinking "sideways" – began to take shape. A second look revealed a crucial box of parts containing the elusive side covers and plastics.
The restoration journey began, photographing everything dismantled, knowing it would be a long haul. Parts sourcing became a global and local scavenger hunt. A reproduction dashboard came from Germany. Mario at Thunderbikes supplied other crucial bits. Mates chipped in – the regulator, a replacement rear gearbox plate from a Sydney club member.
He tackled the rat-chewed wiring and ECU himself. "I don't know anything about that... here's a blue wire, here's the other blue wire, I'll join those together... I didn't really expect it to work to be honest."
Amazingly, the core of the bike, the big 949cc motor, was sound. Despite 15 years of neglect after clocking up around 29,000 km, it needed nothing more than valve clearances checked, fresh oil, and a clean-up. "I've done nothing on the motor, the bottom end is exactly as it was the day it rolled out of the showroom and so is the top end... it just had a little rest." He attributes this to Guzzi's over-engineered, robust design. "People kind of laugh at them because they are a bit stone age... but these big block 949 motors are great." Knowing this engine was shared across models like the Mark V provided some peace of mind – worst case, another Guzzi heart could be transplanted.
The Reward: 30,000km and Counting
With help from many friends, the Quota came back together. Since its resurrection three or four years ago, it's clocked up another 30,000 trouble-free kilometres. "That's testament to the fact that Moto Guzzi builds an extremely robust motorcycle."
For Darrell, the bike is special not just for what it is, but for the story behind it. "The story of getting it, pretty amazing. The story of fixing it, also pretty amazing... and why it's always a keeper for me." It's become a bike shared amongst mates, a talking point at gatherings.
"I'm just fascinated by the fact that a bike can be so ignored for so long, you can get back on the thing and do as I did and ride it 12,000 kilometres in one trip."
It might not be the fastest or the flashiest, but the Quota 1000 embodies a certain spirit. "It'll start every time, and if it stops you can probably fix it... it doesn't care if it's on a dirt road or a sealed road... it's just a bike that is Moto Totali – the total motorcycle."
Want to see this incredible Moto Guzzi Quota 1000 in action? Check out the full video over on YouTube!