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Decided yesterday that I'm pulling the pin. As of 21st of Feb this year I'll be handing off Motomoda, the company I've been running for 30+ years to Michael, my offsider. He's spent the last five years absorbing Guzzi knowledge and is more than up to speed on everything built this millenium. Most of our work in the last fifteen years has been V11 and CARC bike related and that will likely continue, although it'll be his business to do with as he chooses. Im 67 in February, I don't have the time or the strength to learn another whole generation of bikes and my health has been declining rapidly. I have no desire to die in harness as it were. I'll still be around as Michael can't ride or move the bikes around but the roles will be reversed. He's the boss and I'll just be the hired help! Please patronise him for parts and service. He knows his shit and will need customers and your support to keep the wheels turning. Cheers guys. Pete

I don't believe this for a moment. Nope. "Retirement" is simply code for being tired of giving out free advice for decades. Now, you are going to hang out a consultant's shingle on the web, complete with (1) a bio for the two or three Guzzista on the planet who do not know of you; (2) a required waiver for those with dumb questions who bruise easily, and; (3) PayPal and CC links for take-it-to-the-bank answers to the questions that the innocent and damned might ask of the wizard from Oz. Nice plan. Seriously, best wishes to you, Jude, and Michael for success and happiness. Bill

Good on you! Probably hard to imagine, but there is a life outside the collective of Guzzi individuals. Good luck with your new role as the hired help! And don't be a stranger here.

Pretty common these days for Guzzi's of this vintage. Even cycle parts like Brembo callipers are advertised on websites and I know they haven't been available from suppliers for years. If you get a refund in full without transactional losses it's ok but I've been nailed with losses on the refund that's why I ask them to confirm with their suppliers that they have stock before I order and pay. The V11 is now getting to the point spares wise where it's not really the bike to put a lot of miles on anymore. New part supplies have dried up and SH parts can be risky to buy and are getting expensive. Phil

Congratulations Pete and thank you for all that you have done, contributed over all these years making Moto Guzzi such a special community of enthusiasts. If your next chapter in life (retirement) is anything like mine you will wonder how you ever had time to do that thing we call "Work"!

Pete , only you know what you need to do ! Don't think you are the only 67yr old on this site , you're not. I don't want to learn anymore but I can not stand "not knowing" and I know you and everyone else on this site feels the same. That is one of the traits of a MG owner. As satchel Paige said " Don't look back , somethin' might be gainin' on you" and "Work like you don't need the money".

So resale is probably not a crucial point, I expect. I'd go straight for Guzzi, if that's what he wants. But not straight to a V11. As has already been suggested, a small-block V7 would be a good way to ease back into it. Or a Breva 750. I've got one of those. A bit ugly, but cheap. I always advise beginners to not buy the dream bike straight away, but rather to ride something that doesn't mean so much to them for a while first, on the assumption the the first bike is almost certainly going to fall over somewhere along the way. For a bloke getting back into it who is interested in a Guzzi and doesn't need to count the pennies, a 750 small-block would be an easy to handle bike to get back into the routine. If it does happen to fall over, it would not be so tragic as chucking away a nice V11. If it doesn't, it could be re-sold, or retained as a run-around to spare the dream bike from the run to the supermarket. PS: the Breva, and even the V35 Imola, feel just like a big guzzi to ride, just lighter and a bit easier to handle. And less power...

It is a nice looking home! No way in hell would I be venturing out on a bike in weather like that either! Jeez, what a difference in our weather I had my first dip in the pool for the year yesterday and a vino on the balcony... I'm hoping my first ride of the year will be Friday before heading back to work on Monday! Cheers Ps Interesting about the doors, never took any notice before but ours here in Oz also open inwards.

Congratulations, Pete! A well deserved "retirement" with a great plan to stay involved. Michael is a lucky fellow to have your trust, support, and acquaintance! Best regards from all of V11LeMans.com and, by all means, keep us on your To Do List!

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

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

Kam's Kams https://www.facebook.com/reel/6252746388162146

Looking through this thread and there is a lot of dead links so I apologize if this gentleman has been submitted before. Just thought the purpose of the thread was to expose people to different artists. It's not rock

Each to their own I guess....

Don't get me wrong. I have a fine appreciation for people like this- in fact, I spend more than just a little time on YouTube looking at how complex technologies are handled in the third world. The tragedy amongst the comedy is how we first-worlders have lost touch with technology to the point that most would say this is impossible, won't work, won't last an hour, etc. because we think everything has to be CNC and assembled in a white lab coat in a climate controlled facility or it won't work at all. Anybody who's had a transmission scattered over the bed mat from a pickup truck under the headlights in the pits before Sunday's main event understands.

I Happen to like Bill's 5 in 1 tool can be used to adjust spokes or that pesky TPS. Can even be rotated 180 degrees for a hammer.

In this situation I'm the exact opposite. I well remember the glut of second hand Ducatis around Melbourne in the late 90's and early 2000's from people that fell in love with the big Ducati sports bikes until the first major service bill was shown to them. Then it was on the market and the head made the next decision. The heart decision is fine when you're young and malleable and adaptable and can live with massive compromises but you lose all that and get some insight/wisdom as you get older. The last bike I'm going to buy these days is a Sports bike I'm afraid and if I was in the "returning to the fold" position I'd go for the rational decision not the heart. There's time for the emotional decision after you've got back into it and can asses the extent of your new passion with some recent experience under your belt. So light weight, value for money, economical replaceable parts for the inevitable minor oopsies at the start, not to much power, easy to service and reliable. My advice. Phil

I was in the same boat years ago when I was returning to the fold... Pretty sure I wanted a Guzzi but had the money to go with whatever I wanted (within reason), so in the end a couple of things influenced my decision. My wife decided she didn't want to ride pillion so that meant I can go with whatever...and I had every intention of test riding bikes that intrigued me. Ducati Monster Triumph Speed Triple etc. BUT before I could do so a certain Green V11 Sport popped up. Ha ha, a few mates had also told me to go with the heart when making the decision too. Well originally the colour of the V11 put me off (it wasn't mentioned in the ad and I can actually remember asking the shop on the phone about it...It's not that lurid Green one is it...) but as soon as I fired her up the heart was a goner and yep the salesman was right in that the colour grows on you! I love it and don't regret it for a second. Guzzi's are a long term commitment that get better and better the longer you own one.. So my advice is to... GO WITH YOUR HEART. Cheers

This is on my list, maybe this year's list! I want to check with my usual riding partner, see if she's interested. If not, maybe I'll go it alone, and meet up.

Congrats on your retirement, Pete. And best of luck to your friend Michael in carrying on the business. Were I on that side of the world I would certainly give him my business.

Fair enough. Zero question that all such things are simply in the eye of the beholder. For me, the stock signals have always been somewhat of an eye sore, looking a bit hokey and out of place, from the first day years ago when I saw my friends otherwise beautiful V11. But I also don’t like the look of most obvious mods. It’s mostly a “who cares” thing, but i happen to need to repair the signals on greenie anyway, so I’m wading in to trying to figure out what I actually like, which is something that isn’t the stock setup, but also which blends/fits in. Those little black ones on back are probably a bit too small for my preference, and maybe too “brit-bike”…

My jury is still out on those little LED’s on the back end. I like that they’re less gaudy, but not necessarily a home run. Price wise they are nice, as compared to the nicer, slightly larger but similar option from a British retro bike site. The ‘03+ signals on front (or in any position) look slightly but clearly better to me. In the eye of the beholder. Fly screen going on soon on the front. Which sort of changes the look, but not having the old yellow signals stick way out there is a good step in my humble opinion.

Interested.

No cold butt ride here. Too cold, only 40 today but I did test ride my new Napoleon grill. Smoking a couple of racks of ST Louis ribs.

Now, yer just pissin' me off . . . How about some of those "Pics from down under?"

Doors: here in Germany, most doors open inwards. A door that is an official fire exit (in a public building) must, according to law, open outwards. They don't always do that, though. First ride: not going to happen for a while. The bikes are all waiting on a bit of work, and the weather is about to go bad again. It's been unseasonably warm the last week or 10 days, with temperatures around 10°C. And a fair bit of rain. Within the next couple of days it is forecast to go down to 3°C or so, and stay there for a while. With more rain.

Beautiful home Tom. I'm reminded of an architectural factoid I once heard that Scandinavian residences have entry doors opening outward. I take it that it is the norm? It seems to make more sense than inward, as is the norm for USA. Better security. Better to seal closing. No awkward positioning of the door when opened into the home, walls, furnishings, rugs, floor mats. No need for the 'storm door.' I imagine the US way of opening inward may have something to do with our 'front porch, screen door' lifestyle. Not so typical these days for people to leave the front door open for circulation.

No 1jan ride here, have beer. -20c next week. Cheers Tom. Sent fra min SM-S906B via Tapatalk

Additional motorcycle riding course is indeed very important. I do think this is most effective if you have just the experience to automatically control your bike and you have the basic feeling for brakes and leaning into an average corner. The small block Guzzi's imho are easy to control, have a low seating position, ABS and nicely made. They have acceptable maintenance. For new riders and restarted, I would wish they don't have worries about the reliability and little things that bother the concentration. Anyway, I wish him a lot of pleasure.

I agree with getting re-educated first, and properly licensed. The way to try a lot of bikes is to sign up for Riders Share, and rent from private owners. That way, he can go on extended test rides and really see what he likes.

Found and utilised.

That six sylinder Benelli woud be the correct bike to get back on, just lissen Cheers Tom.

Never seen a Rosso Corsa with higher bars, you know sellers. Beautiful bike, I prefer black rear fender and grayish wheels. Cheers Tom.

Newbie Rosso Corsa owner here in Idaho. Has handlebars, Full Mistral Exhaust etc. Previous owner bought out of a collection in Fla several yrs ago and there was mention of the handlebar conversion being done at the factory as a special order in order to qualify it for some specific racing class? Not sure about the legitimacy of this but maybe one of the experts on this site have more knowledge of such things. Regardless, it’s a really nice bike to ride. That said, I might like to convert back to either stock clip ons or quality aftermarket units since the handlebars do limit the range of the steering circumference due to mirrors interfering. Also not sure about the gold wheels and red rear hugger? Might like to convert both back as well.

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.

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

Without a refresher course, it is best to crash a Honda than a Guzzi. However, one of the smaller Guzzis is an excellent idea, as the V11s tend to be rather large dance partners. If he has ridden 1000cc and above, the weight might not bother him.

He wants something that that stirs the soul. He saw my bikes and would love to have one of them, a V11. He will ultimately make the choice, but docc's suggestion I like best from a safety point of view for a guy getting back into it. I want him to be prepared as possible for the current breed of drivers out there and to reset all that needs to be reset. After all, I'm going to be known as the guy who got him riding again, and I have no clue what his family thinks of this. But that is not to lessen all the other comments. All are great! When you are brainstorming, no idea is a bad idea.

If it is to be a commodity bike, any Honda will do and likely has the best resale. It is best to be passionate, to focus on the perfect moments, be capable of performing maintenance and have something in your wallet to own a Guzzi. There are many prior Guzzi owners. How much passion does your friend have to invest?

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.

I can only imagine this scenario with one of my own friends. That said, if he wants a Guzzi, get a new, small block. I would caveat to him, "you should buy something you can resell, possibly within a year". Given that advice, I'd recommend a Triumph twin over a Guzzi. Because, it's a great 'standard', with a larger dealer network and community.

Kam-bodia?

@Speedfrog Bingo! the guy answered; it has 31,000 miles, one owner. The actual seller bought it from the owner's estate, so he does not know anything about the bike but he said it looked in good condition. I believe that he is some kind of liquidator? his wording led me to believe the owner passed away. I am planning to go to Arizona to check it out the first week of January. If I like it, I will drive it back to Houston.

confirmed - the '03 and later signals fit, as expected. the damaged signals on back are now a retro-look LED, and up front its the '03 signals minus the metal spacer, which I think cleans up the look. jury is out on the rear retro signals... not sure i'll keep those. pics may follow for those interested.

Perfect! Thank you. Can someone guide me to the forum fund please? Not contributed for a while.

The low fuel sensor grounds 12 volts via an internal thermistor. The voltage comes from Fuse 5 through the Headlight Relay (#2, from the front) flowing through the 1.2 watt instrument panel bulb. The bulb has constant power to it and only lights when the sensor (thermistor) heats up and provides a ground (earth) path. I hope this explanation is helpful, @Cabernet !

Looked closer at your photo of the manometer. Perhaps it is not a true manometer. Instead it is a balance tube in which the pipe is one piece , coming from one cylinder manifold then down the wooden support and looping round then going back up the the other side to connect to the other manifold. This will work with most fluids as the difference in height is only the difference between the two cylinders. My dislike of this system is that if one of the pipes connecting the engine manifolds comes loose the fluid will be instantly ingested. The same may happen if the carbs/throttles are completely out of adjustment. Hopefully there will not be enough fluid in the pipe to cause a hydraulic lock and a bent con rod. An improvement to the 'balance pipe' device is to have water traps at the top of the tubes. These can be complicated float type shut off valves or a large chamber that can hold the total amount of fluid. An advantage of the chamber is that it damps out the fluid level oscillations.