Hello Guzzisti-
Just a note to keep you guys informed - as feared our lad John has lost his lady to cancer - she passed last Thursday and the funeral was last Tuesday and was attended by about 70/80 bikes of all classes, as she had requested - it was a sad sweet day and became my first long run of about 200 miles on the Guzzi so was a bittersweet way to get back on the old thing.
We had a police escort across North Dublin to the crematorium and our last instructions were to give our motors some stick while her casket was being carried into the service - which we did.
All very fitting and so much better than a quiet exit.
Me and the Guzzi need to try a bit harder to suit each other - the ravages of time have given me arthritis in feet hands and other parts so the riding position is quite painful and I cant dance about the way I used to years back - but the beast pulls like a train and still handles sweetly -of course it rained on and off most of the day. So Im thinking about whether I need to look at something like a Griso or maybe rebuild my Cagiva 900 Gran Canyon which is also a V twin, my kind of motor.
Or can I alter the footrest position on the V11 without too much butchery?
I actually spent some of the run on a pals 1300 Honda naked thing,as he wanted a spin on the Guzzi, and the riding position was so comfortable and allowed me to enjoy the ride and realise I hadn't lost the ability, just the clip-ons and rearsets position is now damn uncomfortable for me.
Dash and bother as they say in Blighty.
So that's the state of play - I also have to chase up the paperwork for the bike as it has been first registered in England in 02, then imported to Ireland for a few years and reregistered - then sold back to England and put back on the UK number plate and now back in Ireland so needing to have the old Irish plate put back on-Irish civil servants being what they are this is going to be a headscratcher for them and I will need to be patient, which isn't my strong suit.But I will keep you guys informed - and try figure a few photos into the conversation. BTW your run to the Spine sounds and looks like serious fun- I hope old Dorian leaves you alone - we think we have problems with rain in Ireland but many parts of the planet would love to have our problems.
Ciao for now
Locky