Apollophiles - The Apollo Appreciation Thread

[Guzziracer]

Also, how do you post photos to this list. ?

[uart]

Also, how do you post photos to this list. ?

You have to use an external image hosting site. For example, I upload my images to google photos, though some people have a bit of trouble figuring out the correct sharing settings and how to get the link there. Another option is ImgBB, which allows anonymous free hosting,and is easy enough to use if you don't mind a few ads. There are quite a few other options as well.

[Guzziracer]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/M39pipT4zuUZreiXA
Here is my Apollo Three..
So far all bearings , cables, handle bar tape, spokes, tyres and tubes and toe clips have been replaced.
Just wondering, is it possible to source tyres thinner than the 1 and 1/4” x 27” currently fitted.

[Rovert]

[Guzziracer]

Great job Ro, the choice of crank looks fantastic

[Guzziracer]

What’s the go with the RDZ range of Apollo racers.. I recently picked up an RDZ 1000 for $115 and there is another one for sale for $100 currently on eBay. As someone who has never even previously ridden a post 90s bike, the rdz1000 seems light, tight n fast, with amazingly accurate gear changes.. were these cheapies in their day or just haven’t weathered the vagaries of cycle fashion n trends? Any one know what one of these was worth brand new?

[Rovert]

Great job Ro, the choice of crank looks fantastic

From a distance you cant see the crooked factory installed head badge

[Rovert]

[Guzziracer]

I think the flat bars give them a bit of a “speedway bike” look, like Jawa and Westlake used to make.. I find it quite a cool look, but a long way from the classic road racing bike look .. I think it’s cool either way.

[Rovert]

[Guzziracer]

The guzzi collection is quite vast. Here is my mighty 72 v750 Sport post classic race bike at Eastern Creek.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/YGSnWWXXrwCAyBSRA

[Guzziracer]

I attempted campaigning an rgv in the new era 250 class but jumping off the guzzi and onto the rgv was just a bridge too far given the totally different types of motors and the fact I’m 6’ 1’
Later purchased an Aprillia rs 250 but my ever advancing years and the extreme ride position made things just a bit too ridiculous.. these days I’m fanging the Vintage Apollo 111 around the sutherland push bike racing circuit.. Max speed around the bottom turn so far has been 58kph entry, about 10 exit mighty technical corner that one : )

[Rovert]

[Rovert]

[morini]

"Ive been trying to find an edition of Performance bikes or similar that had a Guzzi in it that I spent probably a year dreaming of in the early nineties Cant for the life of me remember what model and cant find the magazine online.. Still want to put one in the line up in the shed next to the RGV M and the 1098S.. VTwin life"

90's? I've probably got all of the early Performance Bikes mags still. I wonder if it was a Daytona RS?

[morini]

The guzzi collection is quite vast. Here is my mighty 72 v750 Sport post classic race bike at Eastern Creek.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/YGSnWWXXrwCAyBSRA

Lovely bike. I'd love to own one of the original Telaio Rosso batch of factory race bikes. Rarer than Green Frames but I'm not sure if any came here until the V7 Sport. One of my brother's mates bought a brand new V7 when they came out. I was down the park playing cricket and he came past going for a ride on it out to Qld Uni. He came back 10 minutes later with a red t-shirt on. I went home half an hour later and here's my mum pulling road grit out of his back with tweezers. The Guzzi got into a viscous tank slapper and threw him off the bike so he ended up beside it until it let go. I notice you race with 38mm Cerianis and not the 35mm standard Guzzi forks. Totally understand.

[gr63]

Any help with suspension fork please. I have 2010
Apollo Summit with a bad (Enigma x-90) 50mm travel suspension fork. Not the later Suntour XCM. I have not seen another fork like it. No nuts on the bottom, a spring with preload on the right only a plastic push in cap on the left and from what I can see it is an empty tube!
First post sorry I cannot work out how to post pictures ‍

[Guzziracer]

The 35mm guzzi forks were actually ok for 1975 standards but the cartridges that controlled the spring rebound were extremely fragile. That’s the main reason people looked elsewhere. It was also much easier to “race tune” the more conventionally damped Cereani forks. I have a pair of 38mm marzocchis on one of my other Tonti guzzis . They are all horribly primitive by modern standards though.

[morini]

Yes I remember. You could still buy Biturbo cartridges a few years ago.

I converted my current Marzocchi 38mm forks to Showa (Honda VT 1000) cartridges a few years ago. On a different set of Marzocchi I got a bit experimental and had them honed out to 39mm to create enough clearance to use some 595 mm Yamaha XJ stanchions because they have a bush bed on the bottom of the tube then machined a seat recess in the sliders for a top teflon bush under the oil seal seat. It worked beautifully until I put them on my bevel and turned the handlebars, they turned but the front wheel didn't. The problem was wall thickness and unsprung weight. Standard heavy cast iron discs + Brembos + wire wheels and added to the Yamaha's very lightweight forks it all flexed. You'd remember Jap stuff had a habit of doing that back in the 70's and 80's. Ron Young now does a conversion to Ceriani or Marzocchi forks. You have to tinker or we'd all ride modern crap.

[rkelsen]

Has anyone got any mid-1990s Apollo catalogs scanned? I'm after 1995 in particular.

[mysteriouspyro]

https://imgur.com/a/Wm6okys

Hiya all, found myself here when I was researching a little before landing myself an Apollo III.
Initially just wanted a bike to commute but seeing this thread makes me want to do some resto, bit by bit atleast

just wondering if i can get some pointers to start-
- was looking at the idiots guide to salvage, and OP mentioned to check for rust and run if theres more than surface rust- how do you tell if its beyond it?

- why are centre pull brakes that bad? i had a go at riding it, and sure, it takes longer to break but still manageable if breaking in advance it seems

- The bottom bracket does seem to have a little play- am hoping it is an easy fix and service when the daylight comes up

- any main items on Apollo III that owners in this thread would recommend at least changing for a commute ride?

-where do you guys source lever hood for these bad boys that doesn't break the bank?

- haven't tried a saddle with springs before, are they meant to feel abit bouncy and oscillating slightly as you peddle?

- aesthetically, what's the usual method you guys could do DIY to clean it up and give it a nice shine without spending massive coins to repaint?

cheers!

[uart]

Hiya all, found myself here when I was researching a little before landing myself an Apollo III.

[elantra]

just wondering if i can get some pointers to start-
- was looking at the idiots guide to salvage, and OP mentioned to check for rust and run if theres more than surface rust- how do you tell if its beyond it?

- why are centre pull brakes that bad? i had a go at riding it, and sure, it takes longer to break but still manageable if breaking in advance it seems

- The bottom bracket does seem to have a little play- am hoping it is an easy fix and service when the daylight comes up

- any main items on Apollo III that owners in this thread would recommend at least changing for a commute ride?

-where do you guys source lever hood for these bad boys that doesn't break the bank?

- haven't tried a saddle with springs before, are they meant to feel abit bouncy and oscillating slightly as you peddle?

- aesthetically, what's the usual method you guys could do DIY to clean it up and give it a nice shine without spending massive coins to repaint?

cheers!

The picture (thanks UART) appears to show that the bike is in a good state of preservation.

That’s always promising- shows that the bike has either been well cared for, or hardly used and stored indoors !
But it’s obviously at least 40 yrs old - this raises possible issues of corrosion, stuck seat posts / stems etc or metal fatigue.
It may need new chain, and quite likely to need new brake cables, new brake pads, and new tyres.

I like Centre-pull brakes, I reckon they potentially work really well - if properly adjusted and if the pads are in good condition.

The brake lever (hand) mechanisms on your bike are definitely antiquated. If your budget allows, see if you can pickup some nicer ones off the fbook Retro Cycling Marketplace Australia.
Actually I much prefer the recessed cable type levers, and you can sometimes pick these up (new) from the deeper recesses of old stock in bike shops (usually with a faded price tag from 20 yrs ago )
But the recessed cable type levers are not always compatible with a (front) Centrepull brake.

One of the good things about these old Jap frames is that they have plenty of space for fatter tyres. All the better for commuting (or gravel) duties.
BUT if your bike runs the “old” size 27inch wheels, this may prove to be a bit of an annoyance.
Because theoretically you can use a more modern 700c wheel but in actual fact you often can’t because the brakes may not have enough adjustment to reach the rims of the (slightly) smaller wheel.
The only real problem with 27 inch wheels is that your tyre purchasing options are much reduced.

And oh - the saddle !
However good or bad you think your original saddle is - a modern saddle is almost certainly heaps better!
Some new saddles are horrendously expensive.
But not all ! Velo is a Taiwanese brand of saddle that is good quality and generally very comfortable and not too expensive.
Hope you enjoy riding this bike. Cheers.

[uart]

- why are centre pull brakes that bad? i had a go at riding it, and sure, it takes longer to break but still manageable if breaking in advance it seems

Make sure that the rims are clean and that the pads are clean and in good condition. If possible try to adjust the straddle cable so that it's not too long. A shorter straddle cable usually gives better mechanical advantage with both cantilever and centre pull brakes.

- The bottom bracket does seem to have a little play- am hoping it is an easy fix and service when the daylight comes up

The BB is usually pretty easy to service. It could probably do with a re-grease and adjustment.

[mysteriouspyro]

just wondering if i can get some pointers to start-
- was looking at the idiots guide to salvage, and OP mentioned to check for rust and run if theres more than surface rust- how do you tell if its beyond it?

- why are centre pull brakes that bad? i had a go at riding it, and sure, it takes longer to break but still manageable if breaking in advance it seems

- The bottom bracket does seem to have a little play- am hoping it is an easy fix and service when the daylight comes up

- any main items on Apollo III that owners in this thread would recommend at least changing for a commute ride?

-where do you guys source lever hood for these bad boys that doesn't break the bank?

- haven't tried a saddle with springs before, are they meant to feel abit bouncy and oscillating slightly as you peddle?

- aesthetically, what's the usual method you guys could do DIY to clean it up and give it a nice shine without spending massive coins to repaint?

cheers!

The picture (thanks UART) appears to show that the bike is in a good state of preservation.

That’s always promising- shows that the bike has either been well cared for, or hardly used and stored indoors !
But it’s obviously at least 40 yrs old - this raises possible issues of corrosion, stuck seat posts / stems etc or metal fatigue.
It may need new chain, and quite likely to need new brake cables, new brake pads, and new tyres.

I like Centre-pull brakes, I reckon they potentially work really well - if properly adjusted and if the pads are in good condition.

The brake lever (hand) mechanisms on your bike are definitely antiquated. If your budget allows, see if you can pickup some nicer ones off the fbook Retro Cycling Marketplace Australia.
Actually I much prefer the recessed cable type levers, and you can sometimes pick these up (new) from the deeper recesses of old stock in bike shops (usually with a faded price tag from 20 yrs ago )
But the recessed cable type levers are not always compatible with a (front) Centrepull brake.

One of the good things about these old Jap frames is that they have plenty of space for fatter tyres. All the better for commuting (or gravel) duties.
BUT if your bike runs the “old” size 27inch wheels, this may prove to be a bit of an annoyance.
Because theoretically you can use a more modern 700c wheel but in actual fact you often can’t because the brakes may not have enough adjustment to reach the rims of the (slightly) smaller wheel.
The only real problem with 27 inch wheels is that your tyre purchasing options are much reduced.

And oh - the saddle !
However good or bad you think your original saddle is - a modern saddle is almost certainly heaps better!
Some new saddles are horrendously expensive.
But not all ! Velo is a Taiwanese brand of saddle that is good quality and generally very comfortable and not too expensive.
Hope you enjoy riding this bike. Cheers.

Thanks Elantra & Uart for the hot tip!

Had the chance to give the bike a quick ride & checkup- It looks to be quite okay in regards to the tyre, the previous owner seemed to have fitted a 32 x 630 schwalbe marathon, rides pretty smoothly so far and with decent groove still. Wide enough to survive the tram tracks for now


Lucky enough to be able to adjust the seatpost but it does look abit scratched up with some groove (but maybe thats on purpose by design?)- or should i be looking to get a new seatpost


Brake pads seems fine but the straddle cable & caliper's cable does look abit worn out and frayed out on the ends - or does that look okay for now? If the caliper cable looks too worn does that usually mean just replacing the whole caliper?



Thanks for the marketplace suggestion! Are recessed cable type levers referring to the modern levers where the cables are hidden within bartape? I do intend to keep the vintage aesthetic with the non-aero levers for now or atleast until I can no longer stand those cables The right hand side brake lever do feel less smooth and jaggedy in its trigger, so i might just have to shop around eventually..

@Uart, thanks for the straddle tip- will have to adjust accordingly once i get new cables i think. The brake at the back does feather lightly but then have a sudden strong jolt in braking power when it reaches the end of lever, any idea if its to do with the cable condition or the alignment of brake?


Some of the aesthetic things I'm looking to change up for now:-

- Changing that blue nut(?) to something flush with the lever, its currently too annoying on the hood ride and will be an issue fitting some hood cover over it..although the only video i can find showing the removal process, involves some hammering- or am I looking at the wrong video


- White bartape with gum or white hood cover + some new outer cable (brown?) & inner cable for brakes.

- Also the bike had some hook attached to the handlebar (first image), any idea what it might be?


I'm gonna give this image sharing another go...
https://imgur.com/a/BpkolRr