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You know you have fallen in with Class A Geaheads when they all gather to drool over bolts. Those are Class A Drool-able!

here is mine after adding new grips, bar end weights, the rizoma mirrors and reinstalling the stock airbox and side panels

All fresh with new shoes and ready for action.

In my continuing journey to improve my machining skills I decided to make replacement Titanium bolts and washers that mount the rear bevel box torque arm bracket to the bevel box. One bolt and two washers done one bolt to go. I've also got enough Ti stock to make a replacement bevel box torque arm bolt as well. Phil

This world in my hand dissolves when riding thru the bush in the hills to the syncopated beat - pulling into a no reception pub my pint filled hand soon becomes more than the sum of its parts In reality it’s a lovely break… from the matrix! My Guzzi rides are my grounding Cheers 🍺

For what it’s worth, i ride alaska every year, except during covid. Love it. Mosquitoes are a bigger problem than bears. Not joking. DEET, and/or one of those head net deals can important, though why they are thick a times and at other times not an issue at all, is not something i understand. Wind/breeze helps a lot, so being out of the trees when you camp CAN be helpful, depending on the situation. bear talk for alaska is like a motor oil thread… so with that in mind I’ll just note my own personal input: bear spray - yes. Gun, no, for the reason u noted, which is Canadian customs & law. And northern canada is where u want to be… fantastic. Be cautious with food, but an old friend who still lives up there and camps a lot each year always just ties his food in an REI type waterproof bag, attaches a line through it, and slings it up over a tree branch so its suspended in the air, away from tent. Best idea? I don’t know, it’s just what i’ve always done, and has worked fine for me. I’ll see bears every time i ride up there, but they’re always trying to run away from me, and I’m always trying to cautiously gape at them as sightseer. I just assure i have an exit path on the bike, and all’s well, with the deal being me just trying to be smooth enough to not scare them away. Being on foot and getting between mom and cubs, that extraordianary circumstance of note, well thats something to just avoid, like riding through thunderstorms (mostly avoidable if we’re careful, but not always when we’re enjoying the scenery and not paying attention :->) Note that a lot of the northern canada campgrounds are really great. I avoid US campgrounds, as i don’t want the noise of other people, or RV’s, or just other people at all (I’m a Scrooge that way). But those northern canada campgrounds are often deserted, yet well kept. And they’ll have the metal/concrete storage containers, which are basically garbage containers that seal, so you can leave food there while you camp (on the honor system, if others are around). Bear proof. And if the food is in that waterproof/sealed bag, I’ll even use the back of a fully enclosed garbage container (in the metal enclosure, not actually in the garbage bin) to stow the food at a campground that doesn’t have the bear container dealio’s. Sounds gross, but if that sealed garbage area isn’t filthy/gross and your food is in the sealed sack, it’s an easy stowage place. Judge that as you choose… and you can map-search for those campgrounds, since they are identifiable places on a map, versus just hoping to find something like a US forest service land access road that might lead you to a legal and quiet place to camp down here. For the satellite device, lots of info/options as u know, but the inReach or similar devices work really great now, and are cheap to buy and cheap to use for text, and when necessary to make a call. I haven’t used the call feature, but the text feature is used by some of my friends in AK quite regularly. Monthly charges aren’t that bad, with choice for either year round (cheaper monthly) or just seasonal (practical, but higher monthly charge), and usually includes lots of texts in the package. I have my old inReach i pack along, but friends have newer devices that apparently are simpler to use, pair to your smartphone via an app which makes it all work pretty easy. With a GSA you’ll not have any issues with fuel, but I’d generally not pass up the chance to top off and stretch your legs even when u think u may not need to. Peel off to visit Atlin if you can, up sort-of near Carcross, and the top of the route to Skagway. It’s one way in/out for Atlin, but only about an hour (from memory…. Double check that) each way, and a fun place to spend the night. Pretty, and interesting history. Couple of hotels on the lake there which are not “bush”, and probably overpriced, but nice break between camping nights. Route down to Skagway, White pass, is fantastic. Top 10 type of road. In fact, if i was designing the route, 100% that I’d visit Atlin, then go back up to the “main road” and then shoot down White pass to Skagway (lots and lots of tourists, but still neat to see), then take the fairly short but very enjoyable ferry ride over to Haines, then ride back up to Haines Junction from there to continue the journey into AK. Probably spend the night in Haines, which is less crowded than skagway, but fewer hotels at Haines, so not always feasible. (I lived there for a short while a long, long time ago). The hotel halsingland is worn out and not very well maintained, and not cheap, but it’s a great piece of history with great views, and an interesting/likeable owner. The ride back up to Haines junction is a true hidden gem of a ride. Climbs in elevation, so be ready for possibly cold windy condition, but in june probably all fine. Discovery Yukon lodgings up north in the Kluane area is where I’ve stopped many times. Little cabins on a grass airstrip, with a bunch of old WW2 stuff laying around. You can get a home cooked meal there and some mediocre Canadian wine, if you arrange it in advance. I think you can camp there as well, in their nice grassy areas, for a fee. Note that all these places, and the alaska ferry, are usually pretty full this time of year, so arranging things in advance is pretty important. Anyway, I’ve carried on too long… didn’t mean to ramble. If any of that is of interest, i may be able to fill in more detail where desired.

For making coffee at home, we have settled on a French Press. As with all machines It requires starting with good coffee... and prefer the darker roasts. The press is fabulous, because it is simple to use, and you can let the ground soak for a while before pushing the plunger down, to extract ALL the flavor. We like a double-walled, insulated press (as opposed to glass ones that are most common) as the coffee will stay hot enough to enjoy the second cup. I even have a mini french press for camping, as all I need to do is boil water to have a proper coffee. We also have a Breville Barista Touch machine, which makes a fine espresso and steams milk for all the fancy drinks. We're very happy with that machine. And a coffee story... A while back, I had an opportunity to goof off for a couple days before work in Germany. So I rented a 1200GS and went to Austria. From there, I set myself a mission to have a cup of coffee in three different countries on the same day. Woke up and coffee at the Hotel Enzian in Landeck (which is very motorcycle-friendly). Then another cup of coffee atop the Stelvio pass in Italy. The third was in Switzerland at a roadside cafe on the way back to complete my loop. Coffee Rated by Quality High to Low: 1) Italy, 2) Austria, 3) Switzerland Coffee Rated by Price Low to High: 1) Austria*, 2) Italy, 3) Switzerland Winner: Italy *the Austria coffee was "free" as breakfast was included at the hotel

I saw the "The Fall Guy" yesterday at iPic. Throughout the movie, Ryan Gosling, a.k.a. "Colt" is craving for coffee, with many unsuccessful attempts using different machines. Can anyone remember a show where coffee is an important element of the plot? I will start: a Korean show, "Would you like a cup of coffee" that revolves about an apprentice Barista that must learn how to brew the perfect cup of coffee from the owner and master of the bar. I like the philosophy that revolves around making good coffee, on top of the Korean search for perfection in the respect of others. It would be considered shameful to serve anything but perfectionism. Since we talk about Bars, there is something that I miss a lot from my younger days. Bars, Café, Pubs.... you know, places where you would encounter anybody and talk to like you had known them since you were born. I must admit that I don't find this any longer here, or there. Anywhere you go where people congregate, it is all keeping to oneself. Silence. No more exchanges. I still remember the days when we would go to the bar after any major event, to discuss it with perfect strangers. Whatever opinion they had, we would always reunite around a café, sometimes adding strong liquor in it; We would always repair the world, making it a better place. We should go back to those Bars, Café, Pubs... Pronto!

Machined up the other special bolt for the rear drive.

You just named off a bunch of great places to ride around too! I’ve spent more time in the NW part of mountains in Italy than up around Bolzano, but the time i have spent up there to NE keeps it hot on my “get back there” list. Ideally on a motorbike, but even way back in my old worn-out-clutch 78 Ford Escort (German made ford) I enjoyed poking around that area. All the espresso i drank only made me even more anxious when wondering whether I’d make it up some of those grades with the clutch slipping so bad on that car. And to link the espresso and motorcycle themes together in this thread/post, I have the distinct memory of driving up some of the steep grade switchbacks up in the mountains around Bolzano, clutch slipping, and being passed like i was standing still (ok, i almost was…) on the outside (left) of a right hand switch back by motorcyclists just haulin-ass and scraping pegs. 5 months? Wow, that sounds like a helluva gallavant.

And in a few short years...the Beatles. Phew!

Uhh, yeah. Titanium is another thing entirely to cut.

So who will win first? Acosta's first or MM's next?

Most pundits are saying it is not a question of if, but when. Look at the sprint race that just finished a few moments ago. MM93 is second behind Bagnaia. Tomorrow, with Bagnaia's penalty to surrender positions on the grid, we may see the 93rd Ducati race win by the #93. Jorge Martin did not finish the sprint race. MM93 is clearly in the world championship title race too, and he is fighting for that red Ducati alongside Bagnaia next year.

The biggest consideration with galling, as opposed to corrosion and electrolysis, is differential of hardness. For reasons only seasoned metallurgists understand- maybe- materials close in hardness tend to gall, whereas a hard and soft pair tend not to. Whether the pair is hard or soft only affects how much pressure is needed to gall, not so much that it will happen. What to use on threads when assembling is a whole 'nother science, considering materials, environment, vibration etc. WoooWeee! says Mr. PBH. Mr. Phil's machining skills are def. Pro level.

Stop talikn' like that . I have never had food like that . the only exciting foods i have had were farm cooking and soul food cooking . These are both wonderful menus but I am sure there is more. although candied sweet potatoes from a farmer's table or ribs from a backyard full of brother's is making me hungry right now .

It looks like you do superior machine work !

How very cool...if my memory is correct, we would often visit a very small village up in the mountains near Bolzano called Brez where my Dad had lots of friends from his earlier days roaming around Europe...I distinctly remember the old timers drinking a lot of Grappa, at age 13 it tasted awful To get there we had to go up a very twisty curvy road...I would love to go back there and ride a motorcycle. The food was amazing, the water very tasty, but lacking in iodine it seems as many of the older people had goiter. Really interesting trip... My parents had spent a lot of time in Ortisei (St. Ulrich) in the early 60's...so my sister was born in Bolzano...and he would go back and visit a lot. Lovely scenery all around...every road a tasty treat. Going back and forth over the Brenner several times was a treat.

Did this stop working or has it been bad for a LONG time ? Support the rear wheel . When you are disconnecting things be sure there are no broken / missing parts. Remove the adapter from the gearbox and see if the output rotates when you rotate the rear wheel. Make sure this is a positive action by trying to stop it w/a screwdriver. If this works install the adapter and test the adapter to see if it is a positive engagement by trying to stop it w/the screwdriver. . If this works , install the speedo cable and test for positive movement at the top of the speedo cable . Install the cable and test for speedo operation on the new head and the old head .. All connections have to be snug. Let us know what you find .

Just in case you all missed it the first time.... Jeez dunno what happened there!

Looks very nice!

#600. Is that the last Scura to come off the assembly line? Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

To be complemented by "Life is too short for bad wine"! Perhaps just as important!

Second bolt made and fitted.

Taking apart an old Jap salt water outboard, hmm Cheers Tom.

Not disappointed at all I'm aware of this and buy a lot of stuff that's made in China, pretty hard not to these days. The thing to bare in mind though is that at least large "known" brands have the buying power and leverage with the manufacturer to ensure high quality and sometimes I suspect better materials. There is also the question of quality grading. I have bought identical machinery tooling and accessories like rotary tables etc from a particular retailer and the exact same part from the exact same factory from other independent sources a few times now and the part from the original large retailer is always slightly better quality, fit and finish. I suspect they have the buying power to make the manufacturer send them the first quality items only and the lesser outlets get the second grade stuff. Phil

My Griso makes a wonderful racket when I ‘Give it the berries’! Thing is it’s wonderful for me. The intake honk and exhaust note are just fine, and I ride with earplugs in every single ride because I’m half deaf from a youth of working on noisy motorbikes because everybody knew that noise=power! Really, pipe noise is simply a way of pissing other people off. They don’t want to hear your f*cking noisy motorbike! Now there are some machines that sound sublime, even if un-muffled. A V11 or Honda VTR with a full set of Staintunes are a couple of examples, but even then their use should be considered. Gunning it away from the lights in a built up area is, simply, antisocial. Any of the CARC bikes with a 2 into 1 system sound like shit anyway, the 8V’s particularly, if they are unmuffled, to the general public. Why piss people off? Especially as it will do absolutely nothing in terms of increasing performance??!!

Weekly now I make a 100 drive to see the grand-little-one. There are thirty (30) speed zone changes. And many clever locations for "bacon behind the bush" lying in wait . . . Occasionally, I get to take my motorcycle route over the ridges and along the river. It takes longer, but is so relaxing. Not just the lovely curves and nice scenery, but the absence of regulatory stress.

Yep, every ride here demands constant vigilance regarding speed!! And then sometimes a nervous wait for 2-3 weeks if you have a close call. It does get old I can tell you. Cheers Ps Yeah, and the attitude from the ----wits who've swallowed the safetycrat koolaid hook line and sinker just adds to the whole experience!

Yes, and that is where I grew up and lived until I came here in 1996, and where I spend a good part of my time any time I get back over. As I have already indicated, I like the German Autobahn. In a lot of ways a lot more relaxing than the Hume Freeway, even if you have to contend with impatient bastards coming up from behind 80 km/h faster than you are doing, and you are already doing 170 km/h. Or you are doing that sort of speed, and some whacko doing 110 km/h pulls out in front of you to pass a truck (they are only allowed to do 80 km/h, even on the unlimited sections) because he can't wait 30 seconds to let you pass. So you are very, very concentrated on the Autobahn, but it is still better than constantly watching the speedo and looking for the bacon behind the next bush. On the unlimitied sections, apart from taking account of what the traffic is doing, you can just drive at whatever speed you and the vehicle are most happy with.

If you simply roll off the throttle it simply slows down with moderate engine braking if in one of the 'Auto' modes. If you 'Change down' using one of the selectors it will move the pulley to whichever ratio is appropriate but with a higher engine speed so you get more braking. Hit the shifter again and it will move the pulleys to a higher point again and you can do that until it detects that going 'Down' another ratio will cause a dangerous over-rev. When the TCU detects that will happen it won't shift any further and let's you know by sticking a bloody great exclamation mark up on the dashboard screen! If using the 'Faux Manual' mode rather than there being a tacho there is a row of lights that illuminates across the top of the dashboard to warn you of the fact you're approaching the rev limiter and in the lower ratios as soon as they start appearing you'd better be ready to shift up as hitting the rev limiter with the throttle wide open can be, errrr? *Exciting* to say the least. I have no idea really what sort of engine speed the lights actually start appearing at. Only thing I know for sure is that in fully automatic 'Touring' mode the engine isn't spinning very fast at all when you're just cruising along at 100-110kph/60-70mph and it's very smooth and comfortable. To make more rapid progress, for overtaking say, simply crack the throttle open and the engine and transmission take over and you'll quickly find yourself doing the old 'Ton' with little effort. If you want it to it will happily cruise at 90+mph all day but it's not its forte. Just bimbling along at that 65-75mph zone is super relaxed and pleasurable.

To be sure, I'm not riding the 'Sport. I'm riding my '04 BMW GSA Adventure. With new tires, a new driveshaft, a new rear drive main bearing, new brake pads, new oil, new shock absorbers... I don't expect to use the phone for anything other than texting once we leave the US. I have a Garmin Montana 600 with new battery and learning Garmin Basecamp to have up and return routes mapped out without requiring cell service, and on a device I can leave up in the rain. My trusty old Aerostich is a size small, so I found a thrice-worn Klim Badlands set that's actually a bit big, but I *really* hate being cold so it will accomodate layers and the electric jacket underneath. New Shoei Hornet X2 ADV helmet- which BTW is better in the wind with the visor than my old GT Air... Can't carry a pistola into Canada so it'll be a pawnshop K-Bar and bear spray. We are camping whenever we can, but there won't be no jankey remote wildlife adventures. We'll carry no food beyond gas station snacks and ditch anything before camping. I might carry in the US and hand the hardware off to a friend in Port Angeles, WA before crossing. Haven't decided. I've assembled a trauma kit, I've meant to carry one travelling by auto for a long time but this makes it do-or-don't. A couple band-aids, iodine, and tylenol should take care of anything less. Mosquito nets for over helmet stops at construction, etc. I've never been a road camper on a long trip, so I'm packing minimally but thoroughly. <shrug>