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Finding the Guzzi

Son attempting to find father’s motorcycle

Gordon and Jeanive Solheim ride the Moto Guzzi shown in this 1977 photo taken at Harrington's in Sherwood.

Paul Solheim is trying to find his father’s 1972 Moto Guzzi 750 Ambassador. The Platte, South Dakota, resident has been dreaming of locating the motorcycle his father Gordon Solheim owned, ever since Gordon Solheim sold it back in 1980.

Paul Solheim said just a week before his dad sold the bike he had called and told him he wanted to buy it. The last known location was Antler, North Dakota.

Gordon Solheim was pastor at the Bethel L.B. Church of rural Antler, and from 1976 to 1991 the Solheims lived in the Antler area. Pastor Solheim appreciated the people from that church so much, said Paul Solheim.

Ever since his father’s passing, Paul Solheim said he knew he needed to put some wings on his dream of finding his dad’s bike, or that dream was never going to fly.

The day Gordon Solheim and sons Paul and John went to pick up the Moto Guzzi, son John ended up purchasing an identical twin Guzzi and Paul purchased a new Kawasaki 350 triple. When they actually went to pick up one bike, they rode home on three that day, said Paul Solheim. He said he can still remember the amazing sound of the two big piston V-Twin Moto Guzzi’s leaving his 350 in the dust.

Gordon Solheim and his wife, Jeanive, were together for more than 70 years when Gordon Solheim died in 2020. Jeanive Solheim is on the cusp of turning 99 years young, said Paul Solheim.

The Solheims took many memorable family vacations on their cycles, including a trip to the Ozarks. Paul Solheim said he can remember his sister, Becky, splitting time between John’s Guzzi and Paul’s 350. Solheim said she liked riding with him on curves over her brother, John, as John leaned into the curves and she did not approve of that.

Paul Solheim said travelling on cycles as a family really brought them together and he wouldn’t trade those days for anything. He said his mother may not disagree, but after a long trip of sitting on the Guzzi all day, she could hardly walk and joked that it was worse than child birth.

While he would love to buy back the motorcycle, Paul Solheim said he would settle for just hearing a little more of its story since his dad sold it.

Anyone with information about Gordon Solheim’s ’72 Moto Guzzi, can contact Paul Solheim by email at solman_65@hotmail.com.

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