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Seems that, if Piaggio is going to cover the popular market segments with a family of V100 models, it has now completed two of the big three: an all-arounder/"sport-tourer"/travel model (V100 Mandello) and the requisite Adventure bike (V100 Stelvio). Is a V100 Audace (cruiser) next? I cringe . . . Don't get me wrong, I think that 1400 Audace is a really cool cruiser. In the cruiser world, it is a performance giant with a big attitude. I just hope that is not where the next V100 in the family is headed . . . Yet, Dave Richardson said this on a GrisoGhetto post about the V100 to emphasize that what we existing, even devout, Guzzisti are looking for will not sustain the company going forward: (Richardson): I remember being at the Guzzi factory in 2001 for the 80th anniversary and talking with their marketing manager. He said to me, “You see these people here,” referring to the vast crowd of Guzzisti in attendance. “These people will not save us.” [Thanks, @KINDOY2 for the link to the GrisoGhetto post!]

I have loved this lady forever. Well, certainly since her 1975 Elite Hotel album. That she is still bringing us music in 2024 is just so moving and endearing . . . Emmylou Harris, ladies and gentlemen . . . This was an amazing performance just last month! Skip to 1:06:00 or 1:16:00 if you need the abridged version . . .

My favorite cut from that collaboration:

The most annoying with "Gros Monos" (that's how we used to call them when they came out), is the lack of low rev torque. When I was in Sicily, I had an HD Sporster, and all my colleagues some sort of Honda Dominator, Kawasaki KLX, Suzuki DR; I rode those on the sand of the beaches, and it was a bit like two stroke engines. You could easily stall if you were too low in the rpm. I never tried a modern fuel injected one, I suppose those are probably not exclusive. Although, Suzuki still sells the DR650 with a carburator, which must be unique given emission controls nowadays.

I get it. If the V100 Mandello and Stelvio don't pump the numbers up, not sure what variants will. I don't have a clue what sales numbers are. It would be interesting to see how much interest they generated. Everybody has great things to say about them, but where's the money?

I dated a single back in college, but once you get started with twins, well . . .

@docc Mine too. The song was inspired by Stefan Johannsen, a former Ferrari F1 driver that raced Indycars before he retired. Some of the sentiment was about the dangers of driving open wheel cars on oval tracks. A riding buddy (Suzuki Bandits) and myself took my travel trailer to the Indy 500 for the race weekend. I played the song so much, he asked me to stop. Sorta like my experience on the board here.

@docc based on what I saw in Paris, the cruising bikes are mostly replaced by GSs and wannabe GSs. In the USA, the cruiser continues to make sense. I also noticed a lot less motorcycles than on my previous visits, and more mid-size engined ones, combined with the usual scooters, including electrics. What has really exploded, is the use of new mobility devices, including mono wheels and E bicycles. The Parisian roadways are set to include new boundaries to the ICE powered traffic, but not only. They want to limit drive through vehicles. If you are not going to have a stop to make in that zone, then you cannot transit through it just to get somewhere else by the shortest possible way. I mostly walked, which is also good for me. In districts like the Marais, on weekend days, there are so many pedestrians that sidewalks don't suffice. I think adventure bikes are eating into the cruiser's market, outside the traditional biker's population. ADVs are just as comfortable, and offer more versatility than your typical cruisers. Purist will stick to cruisers, but they are not getting any younger.

I also have a thing for big singles having ridden an SR500 (road version of the XT) from Melb to Darwin back in the day... Yeah, it had a nice thump and it was a hoot at idle with the front wheel shaking or rocking back and forth, but if you want VIBES you can't beat a big ornery two stroke....! I vividly remember hammering a mates PE400 ( detuned RM motocrosser ) along a back road in NZ, she was flat out somewhere near the old ton and by bloody hell I thought it was gunna shake every filling outa my teeth and hands were useless for some time after the ride.....Loved it! Cheers

Emmy Lou shared a record with Mark Knopfler. Real Live Road Running

Docc, that will carry me through the job I have in my kitchen tomorrow. Here is a short classic Emmylou @ around 30 years old. It's too bad more video/audio from that era didn't have Martin Scorsese recording.

Unfortunately, I didn't see this myself, but anyway... When I was a kid, probably about 12, my dad bought himself a Yamaha AG 100. I, as a kid, thought it was really big. What he used before that around the paddock was a Honda CT 90. Dad was pretty chuffed with the Yamaha, and even bought a helmet and got a license, so he could ride it the 7 or so km. into town. (that didn't last long...). So he's ridden the bike into town to the Cobram Agricultural Show, where the Victoria Police trick motorcycle riding squad was present. He got into a conversation with one of them. This is the Cobram Showgrounds https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Cobram%2C Victoria%2C Australia#map=18/-35.920689/145.653144 The building in the top left corner is, or at least used to be, the scout hall, and there was a tree trunk lying on the ground in front of it. Maybe 3 feet high, maybe only 2 1/2, but a serious tree trunk. I can envision the situation; my dad (no idea about motorcycles, actually) with his new toy engaging the professional rider in conversation about motorbikes and such. The end of the story: the police rider got on the Yamaha AG 100 and rode it over the tree trunk. To this day, I am still impressed by that.

MY WIFE AND I WERE AT THIS CONCERT A SEVERAL YEARS AGO..FRONT ROW CENTER..GREAT PERFORMANCE BY BOZ, DREW ZINN ON LEAD GUITAR...( BOZ WAS MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR IN SAN FRANCISCO IN THE Early 70'S) (interesting story, when Boz was recording in 1969 he had finished the Album and the producer said they needed one more. to fill it up., Duane Allman happened to stop by the studio that day and Boz asked him if he wanted to sit in ) Boz said here was a song he had heard Elvin Bishop do a couple times back in San Francisco clubs called , "Loan me a Dime" and would Duane like to try it with him "they cut it in one take..jamming. The rest is history.

Mick.. while I *love* the Guzzi twins, and have kept 17 (!) of them over the years, I have a thing for singles. Always have, since I started riding a Harley eyetalian thumper back in the 60s. I'd be on a modern Falcone like a duck on a June bug, but that will never happen.

Today, November 4th 2024, a legend went to write and produce more music with Michael Jackson. Of course, you knew Quincy Jones for MJ's Thriller and many more. But Quincy Jones has produced so much good music for so many, including himself; So many of us danced to that song.... Ai no corrida...

@KINDOY2 while we're on Neil Young.... EDIT: silly motorcycle, but I like the song.