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Agreed on everything here. My 1000 used to live in my lounge room. I never tired of looking at it,it was just the most beautifully designed and executed motorcycle I've ever seen. Fairings off was even better. Every part was perfectly designed and a thing of beauty no exceptions. I only sold my last one because I missed riding a twin. No matter how beautiful the MV was I couldn't deny the pleasure of a big high output twin, hence the purchase of the 1198. The 1198 isnt half the looker of the MV but it has the feel and sound over it. You cant have it all. One of my most vivid memories was as a mechanic at the WSB round years ago at Phillip Island working for a friend running a 996 Corse. Starting that thing was a sensory overload. I'd be at the back with our starter, a Honda stationary engine with a go cart wheel and tire mounted on the crank fitted to a wheeled frame with handles and a twist grip throttle. The 996 was on its stand and my mate stood next the the bike chest on the tank and holding the bars. My job was to hold the Honda engine flat out with the go cart tire hard against the back wheel of the 996 spinning the wheel up to god knows what speed but fast. You could hear the wizz of the chain over the Protesting little Honda engine. My mate would be looking at me and I'd give him the nod when I thought we were at maximum wheel speed and he'd pop the clutch on that big angry racing twin and it would start instantly. Both Termi outlets pointing straight at my chest 1/2 meter away. The sound was overwhelming as was the experience. We'd then hand it over to our rider and he would take that frightening, brutal thing out and do battle with it. There's not many things in this world as visceral and emotive as a big racing twin at full noise. An inline 4 doesn't even come close. Not even the beautiful and magnificent MV. Ciao

I replaced the generator cover with a carbon fiber unit.

One time when I was grumbling to Curtis Harper about my valve covers leaking first the left & then the right one the SSR, he mentioned flattening them on some plate glass with sandpaper. They are only aluminum after all & tightening them down incorrectly can twist them out of shape. Mine were twisted enough to need attention. It may not make a difference but it doesn't hurt either.

Those bike looks too nice to turn into track day bikes. Unless the goal is to have a nice street bike that is tracked upon occasion. For the former, I'd look at a salvage or auction bike. For the later, it's a trade off between style, performance and cost that only the buyer can know. I'd like to take my Ducati on a track day or two but like my Greenie, it's a street machine, not a track bike.

Yikes. I had just used some deep breathing techniques to get myself to relax and take my time, then u screw things up by showing me that DS! :-> hmmm.... Now, if you were willing to eyeball it for a poor fellow stuck in the rain, at work, up in the NW, that could push me over the edge (the purchasing edge...)

OK - when we do find the correct spec, you will have to add the height of the stock clip ons (in fork rings) to the spec to get the correct setting for your bike. I'll take a look at mine for you later today - but it will be the same for all of the Öhlins-equipped bikes - not just Scuras.

Baja has been a life-long fascination for me (along with [Paris] Dakar) . . . How do you start a race-prepped Ducati? With a Honda, of course!

Yup re star pattern there and anywhere else fasteners are grouped. "Wrench art?" I'm not smart enough to make up that sort of word wizardry. Got it from John Zibell. It may or may not be original with him, but he must be smart as he's a (real) rocket scientist. I know what it means and can occasionally paint a passable picture. As for original gaskets, amazing. I just ordered one of these -- Motion-Pro Gasket Scraper -- because I can occasionally reuse a gasket, but mostly can't and thus worry about gouging the mating surface where the gasket residue resides. Bill

Nice, I went straight to the aviation section and looked up PW 1830 and Wright R-3350 gaskets. R-3350, now there's and engine for you. Ciao

Well, happy new year!

I believe I have mentioned my nephew on occasion. He's a good dirt rider and has a Husqvarna TE250 (the older Italian street legal, 4-stroke made in the MV years - not the new Austrian TE250 2-stroke). Dammit Husky... the model numbers are so inconsistent over the years. Anyway, he's the one I tried to convince to buy my BMW K75s when he wanted his first street bike, but he just had to have this new MV F4. Emotions won over practical - he got the F4 and I sold my BMW to a neighbor boy as his first street bike. So... he lives in Orange County but recently got a good job in San Diego so he's been living with us for a while. I, of course, said that I had room for his motorcycles in my garage (see Phil's insightful devil comment above). I commuted on it yesterday, which is a very bad idea. There are a few curves on the way to work that beg to be taken quickly. But the MV never lets you know that you are going fast. It just begs you to give it more gas... and how can you deny it? That fast and that red... I think I would lose my license if that was my daily ride. It's a lovely machine in every way. I've ridden it a few times, but It's not something I'd want to stay on for 200 miles at a time - unless those 200 miles could be covered in about 90 minutes. Then I'd be happy to do it, and the bike would be in it's happy place too. Did I mention how great it sounds? Glorious.

I took my 77 KZ1000 to a "mechanic" around 15 years ago to make it run right. Four cyl, four carb, valve adjust, ign, old ...neglected ...bla bla bla. His name is Ross. He had a small private shop in an industrial park. He took half his estimate when I brought it in, which I handed over after seeing his shop full of vintage bikes in various stages of repair, and enough various toolage to make him appear competent on some level. He at least seemed capable and interested in his work. After about five months of bs excuses, my surprise visits, seeing my bike pushed further to the rear of the shop, I emailed one day, as he stopped answering the phone, and said push it to the front, I will be picking it up tonight. He responded with pictures of disassembled carbs. Three weeks later I picked it up. It ran maybe 20% better, but it ran, and I hated him by then, so I paid the bill, which was higher (shock!) and took it home. On close inspection, I noticed the carb balance tube caps were used and mis-matched. I had provided all the new parts he would need and then some, including new caps. After some riding and realizing it was not properly tuned, #2 stopped firing, #4 intermittent, I confronted him. He said he needed the caps for another bike, and that they were "insignificant parts." The translation being .. I was an insignificant customer. I had served his purpose, cash infusion. I said to myself ..I can @#!#$# it up, alot faster and cheaper than shyster Ross, and at least learn something. I used several sources and tore into it. Rebuilding the rebuilt carbs, re-shimming the ignored valves, installing electronic ign. etc. #2 carb was better but not right. After cleaning twice more, I sourced another, rebuilt it and problem solved. I found an ex dealership tech to balance the carbs. He said they were very close already with my static setting. (an eighth inch drill bit). The spirit that gets properly brought to life in a Kaw Zed is a wonderful thing, especially when you owned showroom new one at age 26. So now I'm a "mechanic". Only for my own stuff, and only to a limited level. I will still sub out some things.. mostly to get to an oem baseline, but now do all maintenance and straight forward repairs myself. My recently acquired Guzzi Ohlins with 25k miles, went to a factory trained, and respected Ducati tech for said baseline rebuild. But the next time, I will do it. With my Guzzi's, the issues I am not comfortable with, I come here, V11LM.com,. to mooch advice and instruction from the keyboard mind of the experienced pro tech and the "extreem hobbiest". Advice given to help like minded owner/riders of a marque they love enough to want to keep on the road, even though it's not their own. Mechanically, I help friends with what I can, with marques I'm acquainted. If I charged for it I'd be a charlatan for sure. Ross stopped advertising and closed up shop a few months later. On my last visit with him I noticed someone had broken out his office door window, and Ross was wearing an ankle bracelet monitor. I'm guessing he fled the area to start up his scam in some other town, to take advantage of the (then) recent vintage boom. Watch out for him. finished and smiling....

Guzzi claimed 135 MPH or 216 KPH.

Yes thats me, my primary track bike is a GSXR1000 K7 (2007) I use that for Phillip Island and secondary Island bike is a Ducati 1198. My 2003 Ducati 1000DS at the small and tight Broardford track. The Suzuki and the 1198 would be too much bike there. My advice is to go for a second hand Japanese 600 thats had cosmetic crash damage and fit it up with race glass, good tires and a muffler. It will be a way faster track bike than you are a rider and will take a beating with almost zero maintenance. The very last thing you want to be dealing with on a track day is doing any type of mechanical work on the bike. At most some basic suspension adjustments. You want to be totally focused on the riding and enjoying the day not the bike and the best way to do that is with a Japanese bike, plus you wont be crying if you crash it. No emotional attachment,its just a tool. Just like a pro racer:) Ciao