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This year, I am going to blog it differently; rather than piecemeal following post additions, I will update the first post (if possible; I remember there is a limit to the number of photos one post can contain) as I complete the tour stops. Everything will be in a single post, at the front of the thread. Easier to follow. Here's the map for 2023 50 stops( not formatted for phone view): this year, there are three additional "Alternative stops" that can be substituted for any of the 50 contractual ones. Once I have made a stop, I change the color from red to green. I should report distance and gas mileage. The purple colored stops are those which I will replace with alternates. 22/23/24-Sep-2023 update: Panhandle/Marfa loop (North and West) 1753 miles (2821 km) - about 27 hours of riding time; Ten stops; total 50 stops including 3 Alternates, out of 50 Highlights: -Longest ride so far, with a single day ride of 579 miles (932 km) via US-90. -The 5:00 AM Mclean to Seagraves trip down the US-70/256 through the Caprocks Canyons -The Kent to McDonald Observatory 118 road; better than the Twisted Sisters -The US-90 scenic route back from Marfa instead of the typical I-10 -The I-20 and its 80 mph posted speed, the highest legal speed in the USA! I did take the opportunity to remove the carbon deposits from the V11. -No more fuel injection issues; I do not have any explanation other than fixing the left cylinder boot that had come out of the admission pipe. If this was it, then was a leak since I got the bike. Lowlights: -Difficult to find air at gas stations. It used to be a staple of what you could expect and now missing or not working at almost every gas station I fueled. When I departed from Mclean at 5:00 AM, the temperature was below 70 degF. With such temperature variations in Texas, it is important to be able to check tire pressure. -Drivers not switching to low beams when crossing you; driving down to Seagraves from Mclean, it was still night and most of the vehicles I crossed did not bother switching to low beams. It is especially hard with trucks with several additional lights. No nice! -In Pecos, I lost idle briefly. I think it had to do with the extremely high temperature +100 degF, combined with multiple engine starts in a short span of time (I was relocating the bike). Apart from that, the Le Mans was perfect. -I thought the temperatures would be in the 80's, but no. Most of the trip was well into the 90's or better, excepted for the early Mclean start in the panhandle. -I wanted to take a picture of the Le Mans under the starry skies of Marfa, but it was raining that night... better luck next time. -The wind! from Midland to Kent, on the I-20 SW, I had a head wind which was making the fairing waddle left to right continuously. Remember the posted speed is 80 mph on the I-20. Rear view mirrors shaking with the fairing; useless! -Fuel consumption; I rode this trip as I did all the others before. Yet, I averaged considerably less mpg. I suppose this may be related to having an improved fuel injection, but I have no rationale for it. In Pecos, there was a ribbon of plastic flying that got caught on my left turn indicator, and overheating on my exhaust pipe. It melted on the pipe and left a black streak which is very hard to get rid off. Fuel Management: 51.838 US gallons total for the trip. I noticed that it is only 1309 miles according to my odometer. Its a considerable difference with the theoretical distance from the google itinerary of 1753 miles.... Another noticeable difference this time around, is my MPG. On the way to Shamrock (Route 66), my fuel efficiency was lower than expected by a lot! I do not have an explanation for it. Also, the 3000 rpm Fuel Injection issue has vanished since I fixed the boot on the left hand side of the admission pipe. The V11 works without any fuel problem. Strange. Riding Gear & Miscellaneous I thought the temperatures will be in the 80's and I was completely wrong. It was still very hot, especially coming down from Mclean once the sun started to rise, all the way to Marfa. Nevertheless, I only wore my Bowtex Elite Shirt, and the SIXS undergarment which I have well documented on this forum. As stated in the summary, I departed from Mclean at 5:00 am, and I would have liked to check my tire pressures, but could not. This used to be a staple of what gas stations proposed. I do not understand why it is not available everywhere. Only Costco seems to have it available. Stop #36 This was my first stop after 8 hours out... this is the old bank vault with the jail right behind it... I should have explored more, but I was trying to get some rest, and the sun was pounding me at 1:00 pm! Stop #22: The depot was built in 1909 and is a typical example of the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. It was used as a passenger station and offices for the main line of the Quanah Acme and Pacific Railroad. Today it is a Museum full of memories from those days when railway was a main mean of transportation. Stop #7: This stop needs no introduction, since Route 66 is very well known; lots of tourists in the U Drop INN historical cafe, and a Tesla charging port right behind the complex. I bumped into foreigners following the Route 66, by car though... I would have waited for the night neon, but it was only 4 pm when I arrived, and the U Drop Inn closed at 5, so I would have had nowhere to wait. Elvis allegedly sat in a booth in this Inn, he was staying at an hotel nearby in between performances. Stop #5: The "Devil's Rope" Museum, a.k.a. barbed wire. For those of you interested in history, the barbed wire as we know it was patented by American Joseph Glidden in November 1874. It was an amelioration of the invention of the French Louis Janin in 1865 himself having taken the idea from another Frenchman, Léonce Eugène Grassin-Balédans in 1860. Barbed comes from the French "Barbel", hence the French name of barbed wire: barbelé. The great contribution from Joseph Glidden was a fast way to deploy it, using reels. The Museum contains all kind and variety of barbed wires, including those not so nice used during the first and second World Wars. Overnight at the Cactus Inn, Mclean TX A unassuming hotel, clean and owned by an elderly couple. I found that some families are living in this hotel on a permanent basis. Like the driver of that truck parked upfront. When you ride early in the morning, using the back roads, you are practically alone and able to absorb so much of the beauty surrounding you. I had a schedule to keep, unfortunately, but needless to say that I could have taken countless gorgeous photos. Texas is full of wind turbines! when it is dark, they have these red blinkers on, and if there is no visible moon, it looks eerie to see those lights above ground, but nothing else.... Stop #45, Hotel Texan Seagraves; I stayed there last year, but they had no vacancy this time around. For a good reason, when I arrived there, they were preparing for the annual town festival. Some of the people setting up nearby invited me to stay, and I wished i could have had. But the road to Marfa was still long. Stop # 24 Permian Basin Museum, Midland TX; What Texas is all about, or used to be all about maybe? oil and gas. I did not have time to visit the Museum, but I will one day. It contains a lot of the historical technology that started it all. Midland is a bustling city with a lot of jobs looking for willing people. Stop #12, Odessa TX; Fortunately, only a few miles away from Midland. I was told a lot of the oil and gas workers live in Odessa since Midland is now so expensive. Stop #14, West of the Pecos Museum, Pecos TX. I will not keep a good souvenir of Pecos. The town was a gigantic traffic jam, mostly due to 18 wheeler going in or out. This is also where a long plastic ribbon got caught on my left turn indicator, and melted on my exhaust pipe. It is very difficult to remove now. As mentioned in the recap at the beginning of this report, the 118 road from Kent to Fort Davis is a motorcycle rider's paradise. Twist and turns, up and downs. The catch is there aren't many vehicles on this road, and there isn't any connectivity either. Don't overdo it because there are plenty of places with sharp drops, and you are mostly on your own. Probably a good reason to never ride alone? you can see the McDonald Observatory further up, and the cloudy skies was a good indication that I would not catch any stars that night. Stop #28, McDonald Observatory TX; The ride to there was unbelievable fantastic, and more was awaiting from there to Fort Davies. I left that site at 4:30 pm, to head to my last stop of this 2023 tour: Marfa. Stop #34, Marfa lights viewing area, Marfa Texas. It is going to rain soon, I took the pictures for the tour, and decided to go to the hotel and come back at night. The sun was trying hard to go through the clouds at this moment. On the way back to Houston from Marfa, I chose to go through the US-90 instead of the I-10. The US-90 should be considered a scenic road as it is really crossing some beautiful landscape. Here's a photo of the bridge crossing the Pecos. That's all folks! 2023 Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas is complete... 22/23-Jul-2023 update: Dallas/Abilene loop (North and West) 1050 miles (1690 km) - about 17 hours of riding time; Eleven stops; total 40 stops including 3 Alternates, out of 50 Highlights: I did it! I rode in the currently challenging extreme temperatures of Texas. Met many interesting characters along the way, a lot of kindness and courtesy extended by strangers. I mean people stopping to ask if I was ok. Definitively, there is still some good in this world. Lots of compliments directed at the Guzzi, even if people have difficulty to differentiate a BMW from a Guzzi. Not a single issue with the V11 even in 116 deg F (46.6 deg C) which is the maximum temperature recorded on the Formotion thermometer between Albany and Abilene. That being said, the engine missing at low revs was exacerbated. Lowlights: From early morning until about 09:30, temperatures were bearable. Afternoons temperatures made the ride strenuous at times. I will expend about weather conditions below. The Formotion Thermometer sheared from its support during the trip. This is the second time. I had installed it on a rubber boss for this trip, but that did not suffice to impede its loss. Unfortunately, because I am doing the stops marathon style, my timing does not always coincide with the business hours of the places. Fuel Management: As reported here, I had to refill the tank with 87 Octanes fuel since nothing else was available. This was the 200 miles / 48.0 mpg entry. I was outside Abilene and the reserve light came on. Although I could not feel any difference, I stopped at each successive gas station to mix higher octane fuel. This is why I have three entries with lower mileage in between refills. The 48.0 mpg/200 miles and 35.0 mpg/60 miles are most likely not accurate because I did not fully refill the tank with 87 Octanes, but I did for the successive refuel. Also, the "Alon" Gas stations mostly found in rural Texas only propose 90 Octanes premium. In any case, I am confident my Le Mans does about 45 mpg average on highways, and 35 average in the city. Riding Gear & Miscellaneous I did the trip using the Bowtex Elite Shirt, and the SIXS shirts and padded shorts. In these extreme temperatures complicated by humidity, nothing is going to spare you the heat. The Bowtex offers some minimal protection against abrasion and hard falls, and SIXS gear is really the best I have found for this kind of weather. The Shirts are lighter than sports shirts, and the padded boxer shorts really help to alleviate the backside pain on long rides. Prior to my trip I ordered and received a top cover for the Guzzi, from "More Shade" at ETSY's marketplace. I am glad I did, because not everywhere was I able to park my bike in the shade. Not so much to avoid having a "hot seat" but rather to spare the tank from the UVs. I wore the Quies Earplug designed for Motorcyclist; they are more comfortable than the Alpine. The rings are smaller which combines with larger extraction tab, make them easier to extract. Unfortunately, with this kind of temperatures, it was unbearable to have ear plugs. I took them off at the first gas stop. More testing is required. Hearing Aids and Riding Care to Share your experience? HEAT! It was really hot! The first few hours from 05:00 until 9:30 were fine. Especially outside of Houston on the I-45 to Dallas. From 09:30 onward, riding became unpleasant at times. Opening your visor would equate to opening an oven door and getting a whiff of potentially burning air. The Formotion temperature were taken during stops, and with the gauge in the shade. During my ride from Albany to Abilene, on the highway, the thermometer read 115 degF, with the thermometer protected from the wind and direct sunlight. Suffocating! I also noted that while traveling you could feel temperature differences; probably due to changes in humidity. For those of us who have been in a sauna, it is the same feeling as when you pour water on the stones. The temperature is the same, but the heat index quickly increases. I did not carry any water, and did not drink between gas stops. But that's me. I have worked in deserts before, and I think I am resilient to heat. In any case, there are numerous stops offering fresh water along the way. Now, I admit that if I had had a break down, I may have regretted to not carry water with me. I simply have no room. I have seen very few motorcyclists during this trip. The majority of them were in San Angelo, on a Sunday morning for church. No helmet, T-shirts only. I bumped into another Texas Grand Tourer at the Vintage Cars Museum in Weatherford. It was his last stop, and he told me he had done the rest in May. Stop# 6 Moto Liberty Addison (near Dallas): They are a tour sponsor, returning each year. Stop# 37 Rider's Biker Supply Lewisville (Near Dallas) Sponsor, returning each year. Stop#15 Decatur: I did not understand the meaning of that mural. Stop# A3 Jacksboro (this is an alternate stop): This is the chamber of commerce of Jacksboro; unfortunately closed. This was the third alternate stop. Stop# 30 Vintage Cars Museum Weatherford: The museum was open when I got there. I looked at these cars with nostalgia, trying to imagine how it was to navigate the cities with them. I actually had the opportunity to ride in a Cadillac DeVille in the 80's, while in New-York. This was an incredible challenge to park. There's also that Suzuki 250, which seems to be at the wrong place. But it looked pretty nice! Stop# 9 Mobley Hotel (1st ever Hilton Hotel) Cisco Conrad Hilton was in Cisco to purchase a bank. Instead, he purchased this hôtel which was making good revenue by renting the same rooms to multiple individuals. This was called "hot bedding". There were some oil workers, working 8 hour shifts, and not enough hotel rooms. The lack of Hotel rooms got Hilton interested. The rest of the story is that we now have Hilton hotels all over the world. The hotel was restored by the Hilton group recently, and you can visit it. But I could not since I arrived before visits started. Stop# 44 Sinclair Gas Station Albany There are plenty of these former gas stations, restored by the cities. Memorial to the older days. Stop# 39 Fort Phantom Hill near Abilene Interesting story, but I did not find any rattle snakes. Probably too hot even for them! Stop# 48 Harbord Kourt Hotel Coleman Coleman was my overnight stop for this trip. I could not get one of the 5 rooms they typically rent unfortunately. Sold out; third year in a row. I had dinner at a local Texas dinner, and was the only one without a cowboy hat... I felt odd. I am still finishing my digestion since the amount of food they give you could probably nourish an entire school for several days! and all that for a few dollars less, not more! Stop# 31 Railway Museum San Angelo I got in San Angelo around 09:30, and the city was bustling with people going to church, including a lot of Harley Riders with their better halves in tow. Again, the museum was opening at 13:00, so I had to continue to my next stop. Stop# 26 Mural in Eden This was my last stop for that trip. The return to Houston was just as hot as the rest That's all for this trip! see you on the next one... 26-May-2023 update: Frio Canyon loop (South West) 620 miles (998km)-10hours 25 minutes ride Five stops; total 29 stops out of 50 Highlights: Did the FM 337 (one of the three twisted sisters) from Medina to Leakey, coming from Bandera's Flying L Ranch. Last year, in 2022, at the same stop the V11 would not start again, forcing me to abort and go back home. At the Texas Motorcycle Museum, I could see a Moto Guzzi Daytona RS up close and personal for the first time!!! the bike is stunning! Lowlights: I installed a bracket to hold a camera so I could record the 337 run on video. Unfortunately, this is a camera equipped with gimbals, and the actuating motors are not strong enough to withstand the wind. I did some trials before the trip, with the camera perfectly behind the screen. But I changed the placement and found out the hard way that if exposed to the wind, the gimbals lock and the camera stops recording. I realized my mistake, and made a second attempt, keeping the bike beneath 40 mph. I will check the footage and post it if interesting. At the Frio Canyon Motorcycle stop, as I was backing up the Le Mans to park, my foot slipped on gravel; I nearly dropped it. Fuel details for the trip: I started on May 26th at 06:00; tank top off on May 31st after running errands. Something to take into consideration: the more refuels with less mileage in between, the greater the possible error. The three main refuels during the trip are all around 47 mpg and almost exclusively without any traffic. In the city, the mileage is around 40 mpg. Stop #32, Alamo BMW in San Antonio Stop #10, Flying L Ranch in Bandera Stop #23, Frio Canyon Motorcycle Stop near Leakey. See the gravel on the ground? hazard when backing up the bike on the incline.... Stop #21, C-47 Aircraft, Gillespie county airport near Fredericksburg Stop #29, The Texas Motorcycle Museum, Johnston City 01-May-2023 update: North East Texas 644 miles (1036km)-10hours 36 minutes ride six stops; total 24 stops out of 50 Highlights: In Corsicana, a driver stopped to talk to me while I was taking the Clint Eastwood Mural picture. He saw the bike, and told me he had a V7 Sport Guzzi when they came out in the 70's. In Gladewater, a young rider and his girlfriend came to chat about the Moto Guzzi brand which there weren't aware existed. In Jefferson, met a retired Policeman who did active duty on Moto Guzzi 750 and later 1000. he shared some photos of him while on duty riding those bikes. He was quite emotional telling me that since he retired, this was the first time he saw a Guzzi. Lowlights: Because of road flooding, I could not take the quickest itinerary between Jefferson, my last stop, and Houston. I had to take the 59 to Center, then the 96 to Jasper, the 190 to Jefferson, and resume my planned road. From 619 miles it became 644. This Eastern part of Texas has lots of forests, single lane roads, lots of lakes, nice to ride however.... On the 190, a truck towing a boat on a trailer turned left in front of me. I do not know if he saw me, but I had to brake in emergency to avoid hitting the trailer. The speed limit is 75 mph on these roads, and the guy turned left all of a sudden. No turn indicator. This was a close call. If I had not been pressed by time, I would have chased him to make him aware that he had cut in front of me. Fuel Details for this trip; Notice the differences in gas prices with Houston and the rest of the towns I visited... my fuel mileage is pretty good on the Le Mans. One detail, I tuck myself behind the windscreen on highway rides. It probably helps a lot. Stop#11 Clint Eastwood Mural in Corsicana Stop#1 Transformer Statue in Terrel Stop#17 Derrick in Gladewater Stop#18 Gladewater Museum Gladewater Stop#16 Old Fire Truck Gladewater Stop#46 Jay Gould Railroad Car Jefferson Trip done on Monday 24th, April 2023; page updated on Thursday 27th, April 2023. Count: 18/50 Texas Side Cars loop; 5 stops; 1 alternate. Itinerary: 539 miles (based on Google Maps; Total riding time 09:00 hours (estimated). Fuel details for this trip: Stop #4: Donnie. Stop #49: Old Fort Parker Grœsbeck. Stop #19: Gulf Gas Station Waco. Stop #42 Humble Gas Station Lampasas. Stop #40 Hill Country Motorhead Museum Burnet. Stop ALT-2 Henrietta the Hippo Hutto. Trip done on Monday 20th, March 2023; page updated on Tuesday 21st, March 2023. Gulf Loop: around 400 miles total. 40 to 50 degrees F: Fuel details for this trip: Stop #33 former Kingsbury post-office: Stop 38 Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum: Stop #20 Edna Movie Theater: Stop 43 Hotel Blessing: I was warned beforehand! one of the best buffet for homemade real food... they only accept cash unfortunately. Stop #ALT1 Pete the Mule (in lieu of Stop #50 Lonestar Rider who is doing a 48 States ride): Stop #02 Buddy Holly Center: Stop #03 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum: Stop #41 Historic Comanche Depot: Stop #8 History of Coryell County Mural: INITIAL Mileage before starting the 2023 tour; Stop #27: Navasota Classic Rock Coffee Co. & Kitchen: Lady #683: I did the same mistake parking with the front end first here. This is an incline and with a heavy bike, you cannot get out anymore. Fortunately, the car parked on her left hand side moved. Stop #25: Houston Red Roof Hotel: Red Roof is a sponsor of the tour; Stop #47 Galveston Naval Museum: Approximate calculated mileage Stops 27, 25, 47: 281.3

I'd fully serviced my relay connections with DeOxit, tightened spades and installed genuine (?) Omron relays per much discussion. I was in Daytona this weekend (not preferred, but old friends in town) and after a half hour of stop-n-go traffic in hot sun, 88*, just as I approaching a parking lot I began losing power, eventually barely moving, then only idling, then sputtering to a stop. Fortunately I drifted into a parking spot. I immediately removed the rear seat and felt the relays (1100 sport has 4) 3 were hot, #2, fuel pump, was too hot. I restarted twice, both times with sputtering and dying. I installed one of the spare relays we all carry and it seemed all was right again. Obviously, the air, pavement, and engine temps were very high, with no air movement under the seat. Also, my bike only holds 12.4 volts at idle, so current through the relay was higher than at RPM. It's rare that I enter any sort of traffic, but I thought a simple enough solution is to mount a computer fan to blow across them. There's plenty of room outboard in the tailpiece, so I'll be doing some discovery on that pretty soon. I'll see if I can't engineer some test scenarios with heat gun and pictures.

No engine heat problem, to far away. Smells more like a Shindengen fix . Cheers Tom.

It's interesting how when something sits for years it begins to show its age, even if it is sheltered. Paint and other finishes oxidize, as of course do metallic parts, and plastics can do weird things too as they age, especially if they were cheaply made. If one hasn't checked on it for a couple+ years, it is always amazing to find something like corrosion or peeling paint and wonder "how did that happen?". ...time happened For example, my bike has been sitting covered for many many years in a garage, and cleaned and started at least a few times a year, but the garage is not climate controlled. So condensation, humidity, dust, "air" have still taken a small toll on some of the finishes, and in a few cases a more serious toll. One example is the front subframe. The left side where it bolts to the engine has rusted significantly and the paint on the subframe around that bolt has peeled away. I can only assume this is where condensation from humidity settled for years and got under a knick in the paint. It's not a big deal, I actually have a spare NOS subframe, or can just have this one repainted, but is interesting to see how things can deteriorate even when sheltered.

RossoAndy- my bike is at-least a 4 owner lower mileage example that sat in a garage for about 8+yrs before Shaun bought it and got it running again. That said, many new parts have been installed in the last two years of my ownership. The rear tail has has touch up respray some time ago and looks dull, the front carbon fender could use a clear coat spray to bring it back as it’s dull too. As we have taken the bike apart to repair it, I have obsessively cleaned & detailed on it. There are detailer sprays on the market that bring the shine back and make a big impact. When most people approach the bike they comment how clean it is for its age, some argue it can’t be 22yrs old. I get the desire to make it perfect, but it would be a tall ask to replicate the same assortment of colors and get the results you would demand. When someone resprays a Rosso, even if it’s just the valve covers, it’s the first thing I see on their bike as standing out for all the wrong reasons. ✅ My vote is clean detailed to shine again patina.

It would be interesting to know if the heat comes from internal to the relay, or just from the engine. If engine heat is the cause of your problem, then an added baffle and reflective panel may be simpler to fit than a fan. I'm not familiar with the 1100 Sport, but is it possible that a cooling air path past the relays is blocked by extra gear under the seat? Something like a pack of spare relays? Have you considered vapor lock? I fixed a similar problem on my external pump V11 by adding reflective insulation on the pump and filter.

Wow that 1999 (actually must be 2003 at least) is in excellent condition? My god

Nothing wrong with the . He fitted them to his Norge but only ran them once and decided he preferred the chain and sprockets. Each to their own. Anyway he phoned me asking if I knew anybody who might be interested and since there is a lot of chatter about them here I said I'd mention it. They cost him either $1,100 or 1,300 landed, I can't remember which honestly, but he suggested $800AU plus postage. If anyone's interested PM me and I'll put you in touch.

Looks like someone bought that Rosso Mandello. So we may see a new member show up that may have some questions about its history. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/717903563380381/ "Sold · 2001 Moto Guzzi rosso mandello v11 sport $6,200" Would be curious to know for how much he eventually actually sold the bike.

I received the shirt yesterday. I have not worn it on my motorbike yet. It looks like in the pamphlet above; a sweatshirt with protections. The fabric feels pretty tough. Is it going to be better than a jacket in the Texas hot and humid weather? I will let you know as I am going to start riding with it from today. By the way, if any of you were to purchase one, the midsection is particularly form fitting ; I guess I am going to have to cut down on French cuisine... I am a medium in the USA, I ordered Large European. The shoulders are spot on, but the abdomen requires a 16 years old body...

I see the engine paint..:-(

2003 V11 Sport, Henderson, NV $5,900 https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/3312017119050644/

Would replacing the OEM "mini" relays as used OEM with the larger "cube" automotive relays help with the ongoing relay issues that many are having over the last 20+ years? As in cars, one sees both these "mini" and larger "cube" relays mixed in use, clearly to account for higher electrical demands. Obviously the larger relay(s) would take up more room, but perhaps only certain high current circuits would benefit, so not all would need to be changed. In theory, one could even build (or maybe one exists) an adapter cable that could plug into the existing "mini" socket and extend to a remote location for the larger relay.

I'll be curious about the dealer network and, of course, the MSRP. I'm kinda turned off by current Guzzi dealerships as I'd have to go from Indianapolis to Cincinnati to reach the closest one... As with any new type I think I'd wait a while to see about the bugs getting worked out...

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/mcy/d/hayward-moto-guzzi-v11-sport-ballabio/7592064648.html https://austin.craigslist.org/mcd/d/austin-2004-moto-guzzi-v11-ballabio/7587670810.html https://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/mcy/d/pahokee-2001-moto-guzzi-v11-sport/7588401113.html

Am I understanding this correct? I ship them my forks for measuring and such, thus helping them make a template for shop. In return I receive a free set of upgraded fork internals? If so, I'm game!

Those covers started off kind of orange anyway, right? Like the Rosso Corsa and Nero Corsa that don't match anything else on the bike (porkchops were darker red).

You know you're on Lago di Como when the dock fenders are old motorcycle tires . . .

This topic has been raised numerous times over the now two decades of this forum's existence, and there have been a handful of examples where owners have tracked down a paint or powder-coating color that approximates the OEM "anodized" red finish on some of the V11 Sport/Lemans models "porkchop" (sideplate) and valve covers. Since neither the porkchops nor the valve covers were actually anodized, it proved difficult to find a finish that would replicate the OEM faux anodized appearance. And unfortunately the finish on the "porkchops" didn't prove very durable, and the finish on the valve covers often faded as well. So the search for an appropriate finish started almost immediately. And BTW, I was told by an anodizing shop that one can't just get those parts anodized due to the type of casting... at least not the valve covers. Well, I recently obtained a powder coating sample from Prismatic Powders, called unsurprisingly "Anodized Red", that looks remarkably close to the original OEM finish before it faded and cracked: https://www.prismaticpowders.com/shop/powder-coating-colors/PPB-5936/anodized-red ANODIZED RED (Item: PPB-5936) I haven't applied this finish to a part yet, but the sample looks very good. So if you are looking for a finish to repair or replicate the OEM V11 "anodized" red color, this might be an option to consider.

I know this is an old thread, but as a recipient of the warranty replacement engine cases for the bubbling 2002 finish, I can concur with Jaap that the replacement cases were the same fuzzy/textured black finish as the originals, not the later 03+ smooth semi-gloss/satin finish. The new cases were a near exact match to the transmission, although they were a bit darker since they hadn't yet been exposed to road grime, etc.

Well, then, I owe you another one, mate . . . I just cannot stress enough how the V11 just devours this cool, dry air. While the cylinders ring like trumpets at the gates of heaven . . .

Strive for right angles . . .

Do a run Chuck. You need 10 minimum, right. So do at least 12. I'll buy the unclaimed ones and resell them at the same cost along with my "bustling" pawl spring business. I might tuck one away in case another V11 ever follows me home.

Nice work Chuck, I'm familiar with the process. I design, build, race iceboats. I appreciate you taking time out of what you really love doing and making those parts for us. SKIP

And one of my all time favorites: Playmate Tanya Dexters at the early 2003 Brussels Salon on the 2003 V11 Playboy EE (Exclusive Edition). Is this really the only known image from that photo shoot?

As great and hot as these pics are, I keep coming back to Ann-Margret as the ultimate Guzzi girl. I know these pics have been posted before, but look in her eyes, and the lines of her body on the bike. She’s one with the bike, the power of the bike is coming through her. She really knew how to work a camera. And she really loved riding motorcycles. Mmmmmm.

BSA produced the "Brown Bess" and her daughter known as "Black Betty" for whom a famous British marching song was named, that later became a negro field song and even later a famous rock song.