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If you plan on riding it as it should be ridden install the plate quick-sticks.

I have made a couple of posts, but it was solely by way of introduction. Admired Guzzis from afar. Still have the '77 850 LeMans brochure. At the time I posted, I was looking at an '02 LeMans, and I wrote "because no one is selling a Ballabio." Well... wouldn't you know it, an '04 Ballabio came up on Craigslist shortly thereafter. Hmmm. Three hour drive but what the heck. The owner was, no surprise, a "mature" fellow. Had 20 bikes. RV. Airplane. Bad knees. Agreed to buy it on the spot. Garage queen with 4500 miles (no sign of replacement speedo cable). All records and the usual Guzzi spares, manuals, etc. Has fresh Pilot Roads, a Laminar Lip, MRA spoiler, Staintune cans, Hepco & Becker bags, a SS Aussie windage tray in a box and a few others. Trailered it home. It is cleaner now then the pics (when I can upload them, that is), as that is the proper thing to do. Pulled the bag mounts and MRA spoiler off. Low-mount pegs have to go. I have never owned a bike with pegs back far enough to suit me. They are "Motobits" forward/lowered style, but may not be that brand. OEM pegs came with it. Will have to find a pic of the OEM foot controls as installed, as it seems a few bits might have been reversed with the modded pegs. Has an LED Duc taillight. I just installed an LED headlight bulb after cleaning the haze from the inside of the headlight lens (assembly workers smoking?). Washed and waxed and rubber bits - not the tires - armoralled. Iridium plugs and now it fires off first press. Now it's raining. EDIT: Pics added. Oh, for any who may not know (not likely here) that little red tab behind the pegs is a centerstand. It needs some re-engineering, as it is only usable when the rear tire is rolled up onto a 2X4. Otherwise, there goes the back. Bike as it was. Bike with stuff. Basso profundo.

Indeed its a rare breed.. Its kind of cult bike over here. Based in the previous owner 5 unit was imported in 2005. Two unit an expats brought it back to Germany, two unit badly damage due to accident and mine is the last unit

I have 50 years of poor-to-fair riding, but this bike is the first with real suspension and brakes. I dialed rear compression down and it actually went down. I suspect that the other adjustments will be as good. Just have to get the dirt bike bars and cruiser pegs off of it and it'll have some zoom-zoom. Now that I have the pegs pretty much figured, next comes the top triple and bars. I can either raise the tubes a bit more and use clipons above the clamp, or maybe luck into a LeMans triple and bars. Have had two back surgeries and a knee surgery, but can still do the sporting crouch - it's actually easier on my back.

I'd bloody well hope so otherwise I'll have to find out who has nicked my design here and go and put a turd in their letterbox......

A big welcome po18guy! You've got a great jump on your Ballabio and you are definitely in the right place, here at V11Lemans.com. You can upload pics to your Gallery or add them as attachments, but file sizes are limited. Using a hosting site is recommended. ( like SmugMug, flickr, etc. ) Personally, I use imgzeit, built by one of our members "well known to me." It is no-nonsense, reliable, and worth the look, IMO. Looking forward to following your experiences!

Cool! Thanks for that. Yeah, I'm saving all of the stuff. Sad to say that nearly everything I own is "period cool." Found a parts diagram online and it shows the "shift lever" orientation, so I shall be swapping that back.

My 2003 Le Mans Rosso Corsa which was converted in 2010 to dual ignition and a different camshaft to improve midrange response, by HTM Aachen, now approx. 30,000 Km (and..... not for sale anytime soon).

I was there. (He was gaining on me)

Only true SpineRaiders will cherish a ten minute video of a Guzzi Sport idling. Even the dude on the balcony broke into a sweat about minute-6 and had to go in for more Vodka . . . On my sound system, the tympani and timing sounds like an underwater Brazilian percussion band with occasional fly-overs from a Stearman bi-plane . . .

Sew... I just bulk uploaded a bunch of video to YouTube. The files ending in 'F' are the front camera, 'R' rear camera. Some of it is typically boring, following minivans etc. Some are ok. There's Cherohala, Tail, and hwy 22 south in there, as well as Ballpark road going North. Better than Judge Judy for background noise, I guess. Spine Raid footage

Blast from the past: with the Rossa on the Nordschleife in 2016...

Honestly, I've only touched down a few times. I'm of the opinion that touching down hard parts is an indication you've screwed up and blown your entry speed or line. I still can't see any other way that bolt could have bent. Haven't touched anything down since this last suspension revision. Headed to the north Georgia mountains next weekend and may find the limits there . . . There's this road called "War Woman Road" . . .