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I see the published seat height of the short frame V11 Sport, 1999-2001, is 800mm (31 1/2"). My Öhlins (not the OEM Guzzi part) is 5.5mm longer than the Sachs and the seat height is ~819mm (32 1/4"). So, my ride height increased about triple the change in shock length, but I went with a significantly stiffer spring and chose a more aggressive rider sag (25%) for the rear. I suspect without the stronger spring and increased preload (if only the shock length changed), the change in ride height would have been about (well, you know): "double-ish"

Student (docc): "Er, doubl-ish?" Engineering professor: "Young man, have you considered a transfer to the Business College?"

I can share my own experience, since I stopped being a motorcycle owner at the end of 1991; I resumed riding when I purchased my V11 Le Mans in December 2020. Now, I did rent bikes along the time, but it is not exactly the same as owning and being able to ride as you wish. Your friend should first and foremost go for the bike he wants to ride ultimately. The one that is going to bring a smile to his face each time he thinks about his next venture on it. There are no other considerations to be taken. Getting a bike to get back in the saddle is not a proper reason. I will explain the rationale latter. What I did, is to take a safety course, so I could verify my ability to handle the motorcycle. However, it was not a real trial by fire, since the motorcycles we used were small 125cc bikes, which did not present any challenge for someone who has ridden before. In April 2021, I went to Pensacola to get the Le Mans; the plan was to bring it back riding. An easy ride on I-10. I am not going to lie, I had a little apprehension as I exited the parking lot. The few traffic light stops before I-10 got me right back in, and I was easily cruising the highway when I suddenly realized the odometer did not increment. I then proceeded back to the dealership and left them the V11 to be sent to me, as I did not want to ride home not knowing if the low fuel light would come at all, having lost trust with the dealership who had previously ensured me the bike could be ridden back to H'town. Bottom line? once you have ridden a bicycle, you will always be able to pick up where you left off. The only difference is your physical aptitude. This is what you need to ascertain and find out. When I mean physical aptitude, I mean strength; muscles; shear force! The only exception to not buying the bike you really want, is that you are NOT certain you will enjoy riding again. An analogy is when your kid comes and says he wants to play guitar. You buy him a cheap one first, because you don't know if he will drop it after a few strums, like he did with all that he tried before. A few three thousand miles on his dream Guzzi will put him right back into it! trust me!

Anybody else thinking about going this year? I've wanted to attend for some time now and finally pulled the trigger. I'll be doing the ride the previous day on my '03 Rosso Corsa too. I think the ride fills up quickly, as it usually sells out. My motto "Fun ain't cheap" applies here too! https://www.axs.com/events/514048/the-quail-motorcycle-gathering-2024-tickets

Yes, it would be close to double. If shock travel is 2" and rear suspension travel is 4" that would be a two to one ratio, and that would mean a 5mm increase in shock length would equal a 10mm increase in rear ride height. The only fly in the ointment is that it is not consistent throughout travel. The ratio changes as the rear swingarm goes through its travel. The ratio should start lower and increase as the rear swingarm goes through its travel (raising rate). The one factor not shown in your diagram that is important is the shock itself. The angle the shock runs at also plays a part in how the ratio changes through travel. But rounding it to double, or "doubleish" as Phil said, would be safe. The other thing that would cause the actual results to deviate is that the seat is not all the way at the back of the back over the rear axle. So an increase of 10mm of rear ride height would not mean the seat is 10mm higher, it would probably be something like 9mm higher. Most of my experience with Ohlins is with the higher end Ohlins stuff. I have never had a bike that came with Ohlins out of the box. But I get that the OEM Ohlins stuff is not as nice as the custom Ohlins stuff. It kinda seems like it could be no other way. No doubt the OEM Ohlins stiff is better then the standard OEM stuff, but that gap does seem to be closing. All the Ohlins stuff I have used has been custom. Some of it has been more custom then others, but it was all high end stuff. The forks on one of our race Ducati's came off a Kawasaki superbike. It is a sweet piece of kit, it worked amazingly well. As Phil mentioned, the Penske stuff is also high end. And it is built to be fully serviceable. Having a fixed length shock that is longer then stock is fine. But better is having a shock with an adjustable length that allows you to adjust from stock Sachs length to longer, or even shorter then stock length if you are on the short side. It is better to be able to adjust the length of the shock then to use preload to set seat height. Preload should be set based on weight, not based on height.

To the subject, Suzuki SV650, plenty around. Any of the new 600-700 parallel twins if you don't wanna go used. Of course that's advice for a younger first time rider that might have trouble balancing a heavier machine, not so much from a strength perspective so much as experience and balance. For someone getting back in it, any bike he wants. Just tell him, if you drop it, it might get expensive. Most important thing is coaching. LEARN TO USE BOTH BRAKES. Practice some emergency stops, do some slalom turns in parking lots learning to make quick lefts and rights. Get feel for balance and turning.

@activpop What changed in 25 years? Before: After 25 years!

There is a follow-up article in the Washington Post today, about the software update deployed by Tesla to address the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concern with crashes while on autopilot. The journalist verified the upgrade after it was uploaded on his own vehicle. During his drive, he verified that he was still able to activate the autopilot in an urban environment where it was not conceived to operate in. While the update was supposed to force the driver to keep his hands on the steering wheel and his eyes on the road, he was able to have the autopilot on while keeping his hands off for longer than one minute at a time, and obscuring the interior camera that checks that you are paying attention. The journalist's conclusion is: (snippet from the Washington Post dated 31-Dec-2024, author Geoffrey A. Fowler)

Royal Enfield Interceptor 650. Incredible value to buy, good quality, modest but adequate power, zero vibration 650cc fuel injected parallel twin with balance shaft, easy home maintenance, ABS both wheels, spare parts very cost effective and fast to get (example $350 usd for a new painted fuel tank shipped to your door) With aftermarket Stainless mufflers shown ( $350usd) 205KG and low C of G. Lots of aftermarket stuff available. I decided I'd like to use black front and rear guards instead of the standard silver so I purchased a set of new genuine RE front and rear guards from India. I had them in 10 days for a cost of $65usd delivered. Cheaper than painting them. Have a silly garage tip over and damage stuff? Well no grief to the hip pocket there. A brand new instrument set is around $125usd from memory. Delivered of course. have the same thing with your new Ducati or Guzzi and you'll be at the bank re mortgaging the house. Can't go wrong. Phil

I'm going to sound like a broken record here but this every day of the week. Phil

It would be easier to just go out and swap shocks docc, lol. My 2-3mm is clearly wrong as I halved the additional shock length instead of doubling it and subtracting a bit for the shock and swingarm angle. BTW the Penske suggestion is a good one. I've had one of these apart on the race bike and they are excellent quality and a step above the OEM Ohlins. People don't realise that Ohlins suspension comes in different grades and the OEM stuff while decent isn't the magic gold people thing it is. It's a marketing exercise by the manufacturers more than a massive upgrade in suspension quality. The Ohlins "benefit" has reduced as time has passed because the Japanese/Italian OEM suspension is so much better than it used to be. I say this not to denigrate the Ohlins stuff but to make people aware that there is many other superior options out there from aftermarket manufacturers that people seem to ignore in the "worship of the gold". The money asked for a second hand Ohlins shock for a V11 is ridiculous these days when you can buy a superior tailored shock of better quality new. Remember the original V11 Ohlins shock is now 25 year old tech and materials Phil

A great beginning, without having to already own a bike, is to take a local Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Beginner's Rider Course. A weekend course, typically, with some classroom, but a lot of "range time" performing specific skill exercises on a 250cc bike (usually various models to choose from). The course culminates with a riding evaluation and many states accept the completion certificate for a motorcycle license (varies by state). They offer a range intensive Experienced Rider's Course that is perfect to come back on the new rider's bike of choice.

Courtesy of @Randy and @KINDOY2: