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GMG 2022... https://www.flickr.com/photos/v11_meticcio/albums/72177720301959930

Back in the mists of time a PC was the only way in the aftermarket to modify the map. The problem was, and remains, that they are a crude and simple device allowing only limited modification to certain aspects of the map. There are now numerous, better, alternatives that have the added advantage of not having to interfere with the loom and giving full access to if not all, then at least many more aspects of the map. The 15M and 15M-RC controllers are a completely open book as far as map manipulation is concerned. A PC I think appeals to some as it is often sold and perceived as a 'Magic' plug in filled with mystical Ju-Ju and the fitting of one will deliver the mystical/mechanical equivalent of a 'Laying on of hands' which of course it doesn't! They are also often marketed in the same way by people who really don't have much of a clue so the gullible are easily exploited. Quite simply there are many better options for enhancing performance, (And by 'Performance' I am not simply referring to power and torque figures.) than a plug-in box.

+1 on paper maps. This picture was the start of a great adventure. San Diego, CA to central Utah primarily on twisty two-lane roads. One sheet per gas stop. Just rotate in the tank bag window. I had another set for the way home. And here is Capitol Reef, the last point on the map in this picture. And I'll tell you my favorite paper map story... I'm on a 450 KTM doing a solo loop from Sedona AZ to Flagstaff and back. I get my trusty Federal Motor Vehicle Use Map from the ranger station and plan my loop. On the way back South I'm getting a little concerned about time so I'm moving quick and I get flagged by a ranger. He tells me I'm not allowed to continue on my motorcycle and that I need to turn around. This a HUGE time-sucking detour if I do it. I pull out my Motor Vehicle Use Map. I point to a spot on the map and ask, "Are we here?" He says "Yeah, I guess that road is open now, but only to motorcycles, go ahead." I make it back before dark. PAPER MAPS RULE. Now I confess, I also had a GPS mounted on the handlebars at the time and I was following the line I had laid down (based on the MVUM). On a sidenote, a "breadcrumb" GPS track can save your ass if you are off in the woods alone and get confused.

It is turning out that way. Yet, even if things were balmy and dry here, my middle name is Rainer (pronounced the way Reiner usual is). My German mother had a Weimar-era adolescent crush on Rainer Maria Rilke, so that “boy named Sue” sort of name has been part of me since the beginning. So, it is SpineRainer every time I come here! Bill

My Greenie by the red telephone kiosk in Matlock today

Dear All, After weighing all the options I found the most feasible solution to replace the faulty stock O2 sensor with the BOSCH Type LSH 24, LS 6206, part.no 0258006206, length 325 mm The „collar“ of the above mentioned sensor is 18mm which is slightly wider than the original stock sensor’s 16mm (for full details see my post from Sep 2 above), nevertheless, it fits in the place. I don’t have any info about actual performance because I need to reassemble the rear drive, put the wheel back, etc… So to recap -> if you are to replace your stock O2 sensor on V11 Ballabio 2004 (in the post above I have wrongly stated that I have Ballabio 2003, but in fact I have 2004) with stock cross-over, you might have to opt for the BOSCH Type LSH 24, LS 6206, part.no 0258006206, length 325 mm which is the one that can fit in the tight space and does not interfere with the engine block frame. Miro

I've had good results with electrical switches, after cleaning as you did, by using a generous blob of grease designed for switches. Lubriplate DS-ES is one of those that is easy to get if you live in USA. It protects switches against effects of hot/cold & wet/dry cycles. https://www.lubriplate.com/Products/Grease/Multi-Purpose-Greases/DS-ES/DS-ES/

Before that gets out of hand, let me say that overlook was the only one (going or coming) on the Cherohala that was not socked-in with 100 foot visibility drizzling fog. (Came just in time, too) . . . Joe's sweeeeet Rosso Mandello Randy's very fine Coppa Italia (complete with Randy!)

A proposito di GMG

Many thanks for this - I will set myself up to work through this next week - fingers crossed...

That's pretty in white. I can easily imagine a tall-bar / tall-screen version with a set of painted luggage. And a police version.

widget

@docc

I spent my high school years doing high Sierra backpacking in California with friends, going off trail and traversing passes and glaciers — when there were still glaciers up there 😢 — all around Mt. Banner, Mt. Lyell, Mt.Ritter, et al. This was done with USGS topo maps and a compass. It is really great to have an analog in a topographical drawing to look at the land to see things with added dimension. As a youth I spent many happy hours leafing through the map drawers at the USGS office in Menlo Park, CA. Probably about my favorite place to be, second to the library. I like paper road maps. I have AAA maps, Benchmark maps, and some of the Butler motorcycle maps. I also like reading about routes and looking at them on maps. Then I can use my phone’s map app to make a crude distance and arrow chart to put in the tank bag window. Call me an ignorant Luddite or a romantic curmudgeon, but I like not-too-much information, particularly when going off on a road trip. The great thing about a paper map is that the next leg of the journey may only be three inches…..of what? Let’s find out. The older that I have gotten the more I have grown to dislike and resent digital technology and devices. I have a real love/hate relationship with my phone because I have adapted it into so much of my life and so much depends on this tool to interact with and accomplish things, yet it and its ilk draw me away from the real things in the world that I could, and did, engage with. I am to blame for letting myself succumb to the digital malaise that I see and feel in my life. I know better. But I have gone back to writing on typewriters outside of work. It slows you down and is a nice visceral and physical experience in making a text. I am old enough to remember the good old days before computers, when there were plenty of pay phones and public drinking fountains around and everyone did fine. I have always had an analog aesthetic for things, whether audio, visual, or mechanical. And while I am glad to have a bike like my V11 with FI and a good ECU, I am turned off to TBW, different ride modes, etc., on bikes. I understand having ABS and traction control as a safety feature, but I have never had those things on a bike and have never felt the need for them. I am currently looking for a touring bike, and I am leaning toward a Stelvio NTX (it does have ABS and traction control! 😬) rather than a V85TT, partly because it is not TBW and is more old tech. When I throw a leg over a bike and ride away, one of the things I am riding away from is all of the crap of the modern world. All I want to look at is the road. All I want to hear is the bike and the road, although I ride with earplugs to dampen the wind noise. A mileage and arrow chart in the tank bag window and a trip meter or odometer have been enough to get me down the road, as well as keep me from running out of gas. If I need more info I’ll pull off the road, have a smoke and look at a map. I am sure I am ignorant, and probably part or full-blood idiot, but that’s how I like to go. Use maps! They give you something to mull over and mark up while you’re taking a break and having having a cup of coffee, and they will become old and creased.

Farewell our beloved Queen, God save the King.

@docc In fila per la parata ufficiale!

You Know What You Must Do, Grasshopper......................................

At that age you can persevere through just about anything. Not sure if the cramp buster is the best way to go but taking some of that stress off your shoulders and arms can go a long way. It's just when doing trips like this driving day after day things you normally would ignore have a way of manifesting themselves. Clothing that rubs you the wrong way can become a boil. Pressure points in your helmet can become hot spots.

Thanks for the advice. I have a check up.

Thanks for the info guys. My fears were completely unfounded. Got a few shots of contact cleaner in it and cleaned up some of the gunk on the outside edges. Both switches seem to have pretty good action. I made a point cycling them to scrub the contact cleaner. Hopefully, I'll be good to go.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/v11_meticcio/85d7v13WM9 Un piccolo assaggio...

Most "warped rotors" I have encountered turned out to be more about the pads and the uneven distribution of resins onto the rotor surface. Does this occur riding or just rolling the bike around? Only backward?

Nope.

Bled brakes and changed fluid yesterday. Caliper fine. Goes rhonk rhonk rhonk (warped brake rotor noises). Piston stuck some last year and I think it's catching up with it. I can still ride, not an issue. Just annoying hearing Rhonk Rhonk Rhonk.

Good luck..Do you normally ride long ride alot of back to back long rides? 500 per day is certainly doable but it seems like a lot 5 days in a row on a new to you bike. Don't push yourself too hard, smell the roses..:-). Have a safe and enjoyable trip!

Overwhelmed with home maintenance jobs over the weekend, apart from pushing some bikes in & out of the garage, didn’t manage anything Guzzi related…

Wow. It's been five years . . .

I find the fragile plastic parts, switches, ign locks easyer to deal with, with a little help from a hair dryer or. Cheers Tom.

This is quite possibly my favorite modded V11.. And it's made to look like a MKI

Might be better no one can clearly see what's going on. Spin control is easier this way . . .