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Thank god it is not the same for Italian motorcycles... There is only one....

Ah, 2 strokes. I cut my teeth (and my lips on my teeth) on a Yamaha MX360 flat track racer, later a Bultaco Astro 250. I was much happier later on a Honda XL350 4 stroke. More to do with my talent than horsepower. I had a '75 Kawasaki 500 triple. Matched ports, expansion chambers, K&N shocks, dual discs. I rode the wheels off it. Rewarded me with a broken collarbone at about 40mph. Replaced the 500 engine with a 750 and found on the first ride why the 750 frame was much longer. Insanity. I rode it maybe 300 miles and sold it to someone I didn't know who couldn't live without it. Never saw it or him again so he may have got his wish. Watching the old 500GP riders lament the 2 stroke days...I get it. Though they never disparage the new bikes or the riders on them, you can tell that they know in their hearts these kids couldn't keep up on those old bikes. Or what racing could be like with light 200hp electronically controlled 2-strokes.

Sell the Kawasaki.....

Quite apart from the fact that I find the Imola very pretty, and the riding position is pretty much perfect for me: I rode a Suzuki GSX 250 E, similar to this but silver and red, during my L and P plate times (for non-Australians: Learner and Probationary. At the time, a 250 was the largest capacity bike those licence categories was allowed to ride) By Mark247nz at English Wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Off2riorob using CommonsHelper., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6916719 A good little bike, but as an up-and-coming motorcycle legend, one always wishes for more. The Imola has quite similar power and weight figures to the GSX 250, but is just better. The motor has more character, the handling is tighter, and so on. It is, more or less, the bike I was wishing the GSX were. After I got off my P plates, I bought a Z 900. These days, as an established and experienced motorcycle legend who has been there, done that, got the t-shirt, and has nothing more to prove, the Imola is just really good fun.

I can think of a few bikes I'd like as a second bike, but it'll never happen, so just me and the green one and I'm ok with that.... Cheers Ps I watched a review of a V35 Imola the other day and Father and son both loved it. You might be onto something Mick!

It's easy to forget that India was a very large part of the English Empire and many Indians still think of themselves as part of England, in a way. Many of their leaders, in every realm, were educated in England and these marques are as much a part of their sentimentality as they are ours, actually probably a lot more.

Another example of devotion to branding versus "rebranding?"

No mate, get a bigger garage.

I so appreciate where the postings here take me . . .

Fiat Dino

Dinos were named after the Dino V6 engine. There was the Ferrari Dino and the front Engine Fiat Dino. Some say the Fiat was faster and lighter. Ferrari did build a successor. the 208/308 V8 Dino. mid engine 2+2. Gorgeous in it's own right. The prices have gone through the roof in the last couple of years. Particularly the cars with the euro bumpers.

I hope you find something, but it might be easier to have the existing seat re-covered.

If we must rename Mt. Magasin, are we destined to be "looking out over the [Little John] river valley " . . .

Yep, apparently "Dino" was his nickname; died at age 24 in 1956. The Dino were produced 1957-1976, initially as the single seat racer. Probably worth saying that "Dino" was not a car, but a Ferrari sub-Brand that produced various cars over its run..

Didn't Enzo name this car "Dino" after his son Alfredo ?

Mine is sun damaged. I'm happy to consider both stock and aftermarket seats. Thank you!

Well, you certainly remember the 70's and the arrival of the Japanese cars, later followed by the Korean ones, arrival depending on your home base. At that time, where I lived, we used to make fun of those who purchased the cheap Mazda cars. In France, Mazda used to be a battery brand. Slowly we learned to change our mind. While they looked funky for some, they also started to make some ground. I remember the first time I saw that Toyota Celica GT... The Chinese have been manufacturing motorcycles, motorcycle engines for some of the European brands for a while now. It was only a matter of time before they would start making their own. KTM is one of the brands that uses CF Moto to manufacture engines and complete bikes. As we have been witnessing, Chinese (Indian companies too) companies have purchased a lot of the brands that we grew up with. But today, they are coming strong with their own brand name. Iron Power Sport in Houston carry CF Moto. They are already sold out of every Ibex, the dual sport of CF Moto. I only like older motorcycles, and the one brand; I am wondering if the Chinese brands are going to take over the motorcycle market the way they did the EV market in Europe.

Heh he, I credit a CR125 motocrosser as being the bike that sorted me out..... Talk about a light switch, nothing till 7,500 then 20 hp all at once in 3000 rpm! Bloody thing only weighed a wee bit more than me at 80 something kilos too! Loved the thing! Cheers

Two that have left us way too soon. What could have been.

A conundrum. Personally, I have to be 'in the mood' to ride any particular motorcycle, and I just can't see myself in the mood to ride that Kawi. But then I still have a very soft spot for Iron Sportsters, too.

I have high hopes for BSA, their models have the right look and with the resources of Mahindra behind them will have no cash flow problems. Considering the success of Royal Enfield and the competitive nature of Indian corporate philosophy, BSA should become a viable marque and handsome motorcycles.

Here's one. Note cover only price. https://www.topsellerie.com/en-gi/designer-style-seat-cover-HSD8340-moto-guzzi-v11-sport_955.html

There was a company on ebay selling covers for the V11 sport a few years ago. So aftermarket covers exist. Phil

"Dino" . . . an attempt to "re-brand" Ferrari? Certainly. Successful? No doubt, desirable, after all these years. And twenty years of "Dino", so maybe a success (?) These new age Chinese and Indian branding attempts are not all successful. Or desirable. Royal Enfield has proved to be an exception, yet they have not "re-branded", but stayed true to the brand.

You guys might check out the movie "Ferrari". Dino's death was the central issue in their troubled marriage. Even more so when Laura learned of Piero.

That'd be it, I reckon. From what I have read here, I have the impression that US registration laws record the year of manufacture. I don't know how the UK handles that. Here in Germany, the date of first registration is recorded. That means, if the vehicle sat in the showroom for two years, it may have been manufactured in 2003, but will have 2005 in the papers. Anyway, nice that it all seems to be falling into place.

Otherwise, like something out of Through the Looking Glass : Attorneys are eventually going to own everything and rule the world. If you don't like the way things are going , hire China . . .

MMMMMMmmmmmmm. Maybe.. I would take M/V Agusta , Ducati , etc. No , there are a lot of beautiful Italian bikes. The Italian bikes are created w/passion !

Well done on the Coppa mate. I love the Pirelli Angel GT2 and am on my second set, doubt you'll be disappointed! Cheers

With regards to KTM, it seems they are really in deep doo doo. I read their debt is in the billions... if the sources I read are correct, they even are in difficulty to pay employees for December... I hope they manage to come through. I wonder if potential KTM interested purchasers are going to think twice. I does not really make sense to continue in MotoGP.

The trick is getting the load through Kentucky. Not so much from the rev'nuers, but the hi-jackers. Those Kentucky boys are all Big Bourbon talk. Until the moonshine shows up.

Great tips, and some applicable to my 98 EV that I'm trying to resuscitate as well. Thank you!

Lots of pretty Italian cars. Hard to pick one. Back to the subject, that TWR Supercat ain't gonna make anyone's pretty list. Looks like a local garage-built dirt racer stock car from the '60's. Just knock all the windows out, and it looks ready for the 3rd Heat Race. It looks like it already has a fencepost for the front bumper.

hmmm.... that's a very strong statement; let me retort!

W/O this group , my V11 would be at the bottom of the pond down here in the field .

Ohhhh yeah . You don't want to waste a lot of time ... Someone had done this earlier this year and left a ring terminal off.

As always, I am thankful for this community. Without you, my Sport would be a shambles. I'm sure I wouldn't be as well . . .

Happy Thanksgiving to you sir. I have much to be thankful for this year.

Great job Davey and it saved me doing it

I mentioned further up that I got to ride a TZ 350, a pure race bike on slicks. That was on a closed circuit, of course, and I had done a number of laps on my Z900 before I rode the Yamaha. That was here: https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/11692249#map=17/-37.216168/145.083636 The first time round going down the longer straight, I braked for the right-hander at the end of the straight where I had been braking on the Kawasaki, and actually accelerated again to get up to the curve. Even then, the bike could have no doubt got through the curve a good bit faster than I was able to ride it.

Awright! he is excused then.... incidentally, I left the Facebook Moto Guzzi Quota group a few days ago. I don't like the format, the restrictions; I thought I had finally found one possible way to use Facebook, but then navigating the way they want you to post, the contact photos which require the user to flip through them to see them all, the automatically hidden replies chosen arbitrarily, so you have to click to have all the answers, sometimes multiple times. Garbage! I am better off it.

Well, as the saying goes, to each, his own... I rode Japanese bikes until they stop making two strokes engines. Personally, the two strokes had something that four strokes never offered. But let us not go there, because two strokes are just a thing of the past, and if you never had one, then all the discussion would remain opaque. If we go past the early Guzzi models, once they got that distinctive engine architecture, they never deviated from it. You will always know its a Guzzi because it has that powertrain look unmissable. The same could have been said about BMW and their flat twin, but they have also added water to their wine. Most of the other brands always were eclectic in what they chose to power their creations. Honda being the best example. I think they have just about built any possible engine architecture during the years, including a Guzzi copy in the CX. I thought Ducati would have stuck to the L shape engines, with the desmodromic distribution, but this year, they have also started one with conventional distribution. Yesterday, I looked at a Suzuki SV 650 on the one hand, and a Suzuki 9S on the other. However, today, the engine architecture that prevails everywhere, is the vertical parallel twin. This powertrain is now everywhere, including on the Chinese brands. There are some exceptions; Indian and HD are still sticking to the past. I don't know where we are heading, but I am going to keep with what I feel corresponds to what I think a motorcycle should be. I am most likely obsolete, but when I look at that Suzuki 9S, I see nothing that I wish I had.

I like this guy's videos, watched a few. I've always said, "ride a slow bike fast", it's much more fun. As for 100hp, that's fast! I've done 160mph on a RC51 years ago and ride over 100mph nearly every time I ride. Frankly though, even 50hp will get you where you need to go, with a smile on your face.

I like the Supercat, but I've always been an XJS fan, come close to buying one a time or two. I love the box fender flares, these are probably more a Renault LeCar to R5 Turbo 2 transformation than a 924 to 944, but well done. My biggest gripe would be the headlights, I wish they would have done a modern version of the European flush headlights instead of the US DOT headlights. But I would wager if you have one, you might find a beautiful woman you hardly know to do something for/to you.....

Did you watch the video? The car on the front is only their test mule.