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Let me defend MG Cycle a bit. Rick (Cheesehead) and Gordon are long time Guzzi Guys that started small and have continued to grow. They are probably the most knowledgeable Guzzi parts guys in the country. They used to spend a *lot* of time on the phone explaining what part would work on what bike, etc. This seriously affected their time to pack and ship. Occasionally, when I was in Wisconsin visiting The Kid, I'd stop in and pick up parts.. but tried not to use up their time. They *were* working like one armed paper hangers. I mentioned that they really needed to get a young guy to at least pack and ship one evening when I stopped by with beer after hours. That has morphed into Andrew. They have now gotten so large that they really don't have time for visitors or phones.. They don't come to rallies any more because it was just another day at work. That is the price of success, I guess. On anything questionable, I shoot off an email now. I was trying to find a dog leg brake lever for the AeroLario. Even the stock ones to modify are NLA. I asked if a lever they had could be made to work, and received an email saying "this one can probably be made to do that. " Ordered it, fit it up and told them what mods needed to be made if someone else needed one for the Tron era switch gear/integrated brake master cylinder lever. Got another email saying thanks for that. I get it. That is also why I have never tried to make a living out of my hobbies. They turn into work.

Now this is too funny! Absolutely mimics some of my recent activities! I have now added not only US Ebay, but also Canada Ebay to my recent list of providers (for the Griso I might add, but anyway). Both MG and Harpers have been great to work with...sometimes there are lags in getting items shipped due to worldwide supply chain issues, but they eventually show up. I was pleasantly surprised however the other day to get a couple of items within a day or two of having placed the order... Stein-Dinse has the most amazing shipping speed of any vendor, honestly they must have their own planes with door to door delivery service...it's that fast!

So, yeah, front brakes are in pairs and front fork legs are in pairs. Each fork leg also has both an oil seal and a dust seal. Back on the day , (as recently as 4-5 years ago) I could get everything V11 from one place (whichever one). Now, it's a combination of MGCycle, Harper, Cadre, AF1, TLM, Stein-Dinse, Agostini, Amazon, EBay, and V11LeMans.com members. Right now, I have things coming from six of those sources at once . . .

IF, you want to talk on a phone to someone, call Harper's. The only problem is, you will most likely need the resources and parts from both MG Cycle and Harper's to get your V11 up to speed. I know this from buying and resurrecting a 2001 Rosso Mandello, purchased in February. I agree with Chuck, MG Cycle has a very nice selection and possibly the best Moto Guzzi Parts WEB experience, but most importantly, they are good people. Don't get discouraged, and accept the fact you will be spending some money to revive your classic. My wife complained a lot about credit card statements for 6 months. But my Rosso is now reliable, and I've ridden it to SSR and had a glorious time.

YUP Chuck..Anyone who who has ever started a 1 or 2 man business and is good at what they do knows this experience..ESPECIALLY if it is from your Hobby..its a good way to forever ruin the joy you had for it. If your good at what you do you will eventually have more work than you can handle, most of your waking time will be trying to put out fires. Like the perfectionist who works by himself in his home shop and does my major mechanical said last time we spoke.... 'I'm busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest"!! I might add..Especially when you have a small motorcycle shop in Snow country like Wisconsin..You have a short season and only a few months to make your nut. ( been there done that too)

Due to popular demand we have decided to add an extra weekend for all the South'n (US) Spine Raider's for 2023, so how about a spring Kentucky Spine Raid a little farther north around Dale Hollow Lake area? As for a date, seems we were thinking the weekend between Mothers' Day and Memorial day . . . (Seven months out, at this point). May 19-21, 2023 Consider the discussion started, thoughts?

We missed all this, we were off on a trip out to South Dakota with the Jeep pulling our RV trailer. Hit the Black Hills and the Badlands. While out there we had some good BBQ in the middle of nowhere, Kansas. Pete's BBQ. https://www.google.com/maps/@39.7851445,-98.7850115,3a,75y,345.3h,85.14t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sp87qiMvCS_rf1w9fgw_Shw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en We nearly missed the place as it did not look anywhere near as inviting as it looks in the google street image. It looked closed and maybe abandoned. But the Briskets was really good, and I was glad we ate there. And I always prefer to not add BBQ sauce to what they serve. If they wanted it slathered in BBQ sauce they would have done so. If it needs more sauce than it is served with something is wrong. Adding sauce after cooking seems like the cooking process was lacking. Most of the best BBQ I have had required no additional sauce over what it was cooked with. Also found a great place to eat in the middle of nowhere western Nebraska. Next time out that way we will adjust our route to hit that spot again. Also found a great hot dog joint in Athens, Ohio. O' Bette's Red Hots.

https://parks.ky.gov/burkesville/parks/resort/dale-hollow-lake-state-resort-park

Spring ride in the Upper Cumberland? 27 miles from home? I'm in!

Probably lodging discounts for Kentucky residents . . . @gstallons . . . Yo! Talkin' to you, bud. Both of your chiropractors have already written you Doctor's Notes. Could come down to a Southern-SpineRaid/West-Between-the-Lifts-at-gstallons-Shop-After-Hours (I tried to make an acronym out of that and choked like a cat on a hairball )

Docc , you had asked if I had any more info on my Silvery… Here is the sales literature for my 2001 “V11 SportCF Special Edition”. It does say “Available in North America only”. I couldn’t find any references to it online, I just had the printed page from 2003 in a file at home.

I’ am in ! I am officially committed to this plan or any variation of it. The lodge location sounds ideal in many ways, as in they have food, beds, showers and many rooms. The area in general has many great roads too. Let’s ride !!! <

Typical South N' Spine Raid pit stop after 80 miles of aggressive riding.

I've been there . I think ! Beautiful place .

The 1904 Train depot in Kingsville. Stop #38; 11/50. 466.5 miles (750 km). Under scorching temperatures, two showers around Victoria. My longest one ride distance yet. 7:00 plus the stops. A 10:00 hours outing. As far as I remember, I never rode that much in a single day. Next challenge will be to do the return trip to South Padre which is theoretically 12 hours (with no stops). My last refill was at a place named "The Texan"; it had a similar look and feel as "Buc-ee's". 39.5 mpg while keeping the Guzzi around the 5k rpm. Between Refugio and Victoria. I found that riding under the pouring rain, the faster you go, the better vision you have. It is like with an aircraft. They don't need wipers at high speed. Same effect on your visor. I am finally able to rest comfortably on the Guzzi. I tuck myself behind the front fairing, torso resting on the tank, elbows resting on my knees, and head down cutting on the wind and watching the road through the windscreen. I was not able to sustain that position long previously, because of the neck angle with regards to the body. Unfortunately, the Train Depot was under renovation, and I did not get to see the inside.

I've been so focused on my newly acquired V11, my V7 has been idle for a long time. Today, I woke it up, and rode 20 miles to work. WOW!!! I still love this bike so much. It is so zippy, and light weight compared to the V11. The wheel base and rake must be very different as the V7 turns so quick in comparison. I want the V11 for longer trips so the differences are just right for my needs. As for my V7, I'll never let this one go!

Been there will do that again! Docc isn’t part of the ownership experience at 20+ years old finding parts like a treasure hunt? As many are discontinued.

Add AliExpress. I specifically searched Moto Guzzi V11 fork seals, and they had numerous vendors with complete sets of which to choose. I checked brake pad set, same. The crazy thing is so many global vendors are sourcing their stock from Ali anyway.

You left out Mistral in Mandello Del Lario. I was surprised with the low Euro how far my low Canadian dollar went on a big exhaust order. They were excellent to deal with I have experience with most on that list and after a pleasant purchase with Mistral, I'll be dealing with them direct again. Sooner than I intended, now that I've fought with & understand the crossover/header bs. lol.

also the spring ordered is for a 5 speed, and the fork seals are for USD 5speed models. Did they advise you these would work?

Sittting at the counter Saturday , I realized "all men are equal (only) at a BBQ stand . You will see farm hands sitting next to Judges and they have one thing in common . a good sandwich !

Eggzactly.

Map of the Dale Hollow Lake. https://www.plotaroute.com/route/280181

Sorry no one else followed up on this last comment. Personally I think insulating the stock airbox is a good idea. My Daytona had an airbox that was under the seat, not wrapping up and forward to the V of the engine. But I think overall the V11 airbox is a better design. But one drawback of the V11 design would be engine heat. Anything that slows the transfer of heat to the airbox should help reduce intake temps. Reducing intake air temps should help make more power. Will it transform a V11 into a fire breathing monster? No. That ain't gonna happen. But more power is good.

5970 State Park Rd, Burkesville, KY 42717

Thanks Doc! I plan on taking a closer look at the Lemans after I start & finish my eldo that has a right fork leak, I'll be taking this thing apart for the 4th time now...I almost think the lower leg may have an undetected crack thus far. And, after I remove the broken generator bracket mounting stud from the top of the block. Even though I don't plan to tackle the Lemans for a while yet I wanted some idea of the scope of work I have to look forward to. Art

I can find a French translation for "why", but struggle with the Italian "Why" . . . Perhaps a production mold question for Acerbis?

My understanding: 1) yep 2) yep 3) ? Is a sealer required for the metal core gasket? And then, just on one side?

No affiliation with pets or pocket mice, what type of dog & pony show (idea) you running here? 🐶🐴🎥🎬

I agree, having access to food close or adjacent to the motel is a big deal. There are some folks that might have missed the SSR (an "idea" not to be confused with a > rally < ) get together early this fall & this gives them two chances to make one in 2023.

gstallons reply was directed at the thread drift about our riding experiences and the potential for a "spring South'n Spine Raid " in southeast Kentucky next year. I have redirected that discussion to Joe's topic in "Meetings, Clubs and Events." I noticed the "shift return spring in your parts order. No use changing that unless also installing the Chuck-engineered SuperSpring and performing the Lucky Phil Shift Improvement:

Hello @p6x…still out there! All Ok? Today I completed the required 25 stops to earn the patch for the 2022 tour! It’s been spectacular riding weather these last two weeks so I was able to get a little time off work and knock off many stops! I had previously covered Navasota (with you as well), Texas Sidecar in Donie (I missed getting Lone Star rider at that event!!), Camp Hearne, Lufkin, Terrell, Paris (3 stops), Gladewater (3 stops) and in the last 2 weekends covered Cuero, Buda (Creedmor), stop for BBQ in Lockhart with Galveston Dave, Burnet, Llano, San Saba, Brady, Mason, (Luckenbach…unofficial stop!), Center point, Bandera, Alamo BMW San Antonio, Johnson City, Texas City, Bolivar and Red Roof! What a fun tour!! Will see if I can get Beaumont next weekend! I'm not sure I'll have the time before mid November to make it down to South Padre or the valley, would like to try to get 30 stops, no way this year to get the full 50 however.

Well, for what it's worth, check the indexing of the shift lever on the shaft coming out of the transmission. Mine was way off, causing the lever to hit the frame on downshifts. Once set up properly and adjusted for your preferences via the shaft between the transmission and the shifter lever, shifts like a dream, both up and down

I did it! would I do it again? no! it is not about the physical limits, it is about being on the clock. I did not take all the photos to document the trip the way I wanted to. The time lost to get to the South Padre Island stop and other incidentals put me behind schedule. Stops 24, 29. 17/50. 805.8 miles (793 miles recorded by the ITI Odometer) (approximate)1297 km in a single ride. Funny to think that in Europe, on such distance, I would have crossed multiple borders. In the USA, I could remain within a single state albeit, the second largest. Edited on June 28th, 2022: I refilled the tank and attached the detailed fuel log to the post. 19.522 Gal of premium gas exactly; which for 806 miles is quite good! (91 liters for 1300 km) Highlights: What an Incredible experience! The Le Mans managed better than expected in the sizzling heat; Riding in the night is great too! Lowlights: Stung by a (which kind?)bee while riding; Stopped for speeding Incredible traffic from Port Isabel all the way into South Padre Island. Why can't motorcyclist go through the lanes? Unpleasant moment with Customs and Border Protection coming back from South Padre Island My legs were the weakest part of the trip. The fixed curl angle is killing.... Details: Between Wharton and Victoria, I got my first police pull over ever, for going 84 mph in a 75 mph zone. This came as a surprise, because in Texas, I thought the unwritten rule was 20 mph above posted speed. The police officer was quite nice and asked me a lot of questions about the Le Mans. So many, that I am thinking he just pulled me over to discuss it. I explained him it is difficult to read 75 mph on the speedometer, because the tick is blending into the dark background of the instrument. Besides, I don't see well at a short distances so it is all a blur. He was very young, and maybe he was not expecting a senior guy speeding? Between Wharton and Victoria (again), I got stung by an insect. It got caught between the top of my jacket and my neck, and decided it was my fault, defended itself. I am not allergic, but having a large red volcano on the side of the neck ruined my otherwise casual looks. This morning, it itches very much. What makes it funny, is the first stop in Hidalgo was a Killer Bee artifact. Fate maybe? painful one too. I had been stung before, and I knew what it was right away. I let the pain ride its course, did not try to touch it, stopped at the next gas station to check it out! The ride in the Texan humid heat was not a problem at all. I was not expecting it would be, and it did not affect me. I drank water, and coffee at my refueling stops, every 150 miles even if I could have pushed to 200 given that my average fuel consumption is around 40 mpg. I would have liked to have had a co rider, to have someone else's opinion. I did not cross many other bikers. The ingress to South Padre Island was a real nightmare. Saturday of course, vacation too, but Port Isabel had road works to add more lanes for the future, reducing flow to just one lane per side. The biggest choke point is the causeway to South Padre. There is room for two lanes, a motorbike could easily go through the cars. However, this is prohibited by law in Texas. South Padre island was also packed and bursting at the seams. Flow was complicated by multiple golf cars offered everywhere on rental, because of the price of gas? The view from the South Padre Island causeway was breathtaking; Somewhere on the 69E or 77, there is an immigration check point. I should have known there was one because of the proximity of the border, I would have been better prepared. All cars and commercial vehicles were checked. I thought it would be a formality, but when you are not a US citizen, it gets complicated, especially if you do not carry anything but your state issued driver's license. The only question you are being asked is about your citizenship. If you are a denizen, you need to have a proof that you are not an illegal migrant. Problem was, I did not expect that you had to carry proof of legal residency within the US. I was planning to carry my documents for the Big Bend trip. The last part of the ride from Victoria to Houston I did in the night. Although I try to avoid riding after dark, it was pleasant to be in human temperatures. The Le Mans liked that too. The traffic jams under the scorching sun, not so much. The V11 was constantly eructing its displeasure to move at snail pace during stop and go motion. I definitively need to change the lamp to something with more lumen in the head light. The yellow spot in front of the bike does not really help. It is not a problem on highways, plenty of traffic around you to show you the way. The way back I had to alternate postures which works fine when you use the tank as a crutch for your bum. However, what cannot really change is your legs' position. Having them recoiled all the time is difficult to sustain. Reminder of the map of that trip: The times and mileage of the trip; not included are the numerous incidental stops for gas and undesirable events: The Gas refuels record. The last one is missing, since I have not yet replenished the tank: The temperature early in the morning is a clue of what it will be later after the sun cooks us down! First refuel in Victoria at "The Texan" a copy cat of Buc-ee's. They still have a long way to go, but the principle remains the same. Some sort of gas stop supermarket for the people in motion. The first Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas stop of the day; isn't it funny that this was also the day I was stung by a bee? Temperature before I took to home: The last stop. Observe the youth playing basket ball in the shadow of the Water Tower. Even then, the temperature is brutal! Back at the Texan, I am gratified by a beautiful sunset, which is kind of the cherry on top of this outing! the colors are beautiful and the heat haze makes it looking like a halo...

Texas Forestry Museum in Lukfin. Stop #32, 10/50.s 261 miles (420km). Nice temperature too. 73 degF (23 degC). A free museum (they accept donations) retracing the origins and vanishing of the paper mills and wood industry in Texas.

Don't have a MotoGP pass for watching this year, so did Marquez earn a track limits warning for the last left hand turn at 2:47? Looks like Pecco was dominating in smoothness and drive. Thanks for sharing!

Let me see if I can channel my inner Pete Roper... the No-Mar bar is as useless as a dead dingo's donger. In other words, I'm still using the Mojo lever. And Ru-glyde. Have not tried the No-Mar lube yet. And get those tires nice and warm in the sun - makes life easier.