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In my continuing quest to find something a bit different for my Moto Grappa concert series, I just ran across something that should get me through the looming winter storm. Quite frankly, I had no idea such existed, but have so far withstood the temptation to listen to more than the first few seconds. After all, the best of life is all about delayed gratification. I remain as always, gentlemen, your most humble -- indeed, obsequious -- faithful, obedient servant and unfeigned friend, etc., Bill

I prompted this and it answered. I won't bore you with it but... I'm reminded of a quote from the Terminator. "and it absolutely will not stop, until you are dead"

My first long tour of the US was done on a 1980 ‘Vert. I bought it back from the US to Oz and kept it until a couple of years ago. I’d stopped riding it by then, not because I didn’t love it, but because I simply love the CARC bikes more and by then I’d got my Mana for my ‘Auto’ fix and I was totally ‘Over’ using 40 year old bikes as daily riders. I got to know them pretty well, including their quirks, they are a great machine but you either love ‘em or hate ‘em. There’s really no in between with a ‘Vert!

I've known of the Converts, but would have to review their history. Honda has been offering a sort of CVT on a number of models for several years, IIRC. My first riding buddy, a Mr. Bruce Heath R.I.P., was very fond of the Honda-Matic bikes, both 750 and 450. He was most adept at giving all of his machines appropriate pet names and called his last 450 (that he rode up to the year he passed at 82) "Flo" (short for DynaFlow, a Buick/GM automatic transmission in service 1948-1963). He had a little brass plaque on the tank: I shifted gears for fifty years. At times, it seemed like fun. But anymore, it's become a chore. And me, a shiftless bum.

We have a kind of act together. Every question I ask turns out to be a dumb question. He starts with, " Did you touch it yourself, then we charge double, hahaha". I just like to go there for my cars. 🤣🤣 For Guzzis we are blessed in the Netherlands with several top guzzi specialised workshops that embrace the old ones as wel. The old V7-range is still rather popular and in good condition also worth dealing through the bigger Guzzi workshops.

What you describe is pretty much my "tactic" too. There's a workshop not far from me. Chaotic, but the owner used to have a Breva 1100 himself, and I regularly see Guzzis there. He does the things that I don't want to tackle, either because I don't have the tools (tyre changes, for instance) or knowledge, or just don't want to do (brake fluid, for instance, which I just hate doing), and the bi-annual roadworthy certificates. He's now known me long enough that I can go in there and ask dumb questions any time I like. Works for me.

When calling around, I would not start asking for a quote. I would try to get some long term relation. I do this for the older cars that I have. And I also allow the work shop to do easy stuff that could be cheaper elsewhere (or easy diy), tyres, oil change etc. If they mess up (it happens), it is part of the deal, I pay the hours and parts and we settle with a bottle of wine. Tricky things, 25 year old diesel injectors to be calibrated or replaced, we give it a try and otherwise it is a total-loss. The workshop owner doesnt like it to much, but the mechanics do. It is a bit like walking on a thin line.

This anecdote comes to mind. I may have first read on this forum: A fellow pulls into his shop with his car barely idling and stalling repeatedly. The mechanic pops the hood for a look and walks back into the shop emmerging with a small screwdriver. Deftly turning one screw the motor smooths out and idles stably. The driver says, "That's amazing! What do I owe you? " The mechanic replies, "$100. " D: "A hundred dollars to turn one screw ?!?" M: "No, just a dollar to turn the screw. The other ninety-nine is for knowing which screw to turn. "

I am a member of a mechanic's forum and a few years ago a member was overhearing two managers of fast lube service joints talking and one was bragging about how his store was under the target of incidents per/1000 service jobs . Wow ! I wonder how the 101st Airborne feels about a 95% success rate on parachute packing ?

Somehow, I want to combine the two in 3:4 time. "Give me an A" . . .

I only have access to Grok so no sound promps or playback. Took all of 2 seconds. Am I using it, or is it using me.

Were you aware of this one? I found one for sale on Facebook, and I had to look it up because I had never heard about the "Convert". Did you?

It's been some time since I went to this show. Frankly, it's mostly cars, but today I needed a ride. I show up and there's something like 300 cycles parked in a row. Granted, mostly all Japanese, mine was the only Guzzi. I met an Englishman now living in SC that owns a Coppa and a Greenie. Maybe he's on here as well? Hope to see him there again, maybe some others on this board that are local.

I like that formulation. It indicates that "proper" tools last a long time, and have a kind of life of their own. Whatever, I know that good tools "talk" to me the same way good musical instruments do, even if I can't play them.

Would you, as a recognised Guru and experienced Convert owner (ex), care to list "their quirks"? I've read some stuff, but haven't retained it, as a Convert is not on my shopping list. The only thing I can remember is that one cannot shift from "high range" to "low range" without stopping. Not a real problem, most "proper" 4WD cars are the same, if I recall correctly. But one must know such things.

I seem to be on to something here: The "Perfect Handle " https://progress-is-fine.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-perfect-handle-screwdriver.html edit: A bit more reading online (some call that "research", but reading online can be accomplished without all the screaming monkeys common to actual "research"), I found a reference to early "Perfect Handle"-style screwdrivers having a numerical size number in a triangle on the blade. I have never noticed this on this little tool in the fifty years I have been its steward! Thanks, again, to @activpop for asking!

You know automatics are basically and American and Australian thing. On our recent trip to Italy the vast majority of Italians drive manuals even in the big cities like Rome and Milano. On our first day in Rome we were walking past cars parked in the street and I commented to the wife that no one here drives autos. Fuel costs are too high for autos and also they suck power from smaller engines and Italians like to "drive". Of course larger and luxury cars are autos there as well but even Taxis and delivery vans are mostly manuals. My wifes new KIA is a 1 litre turbo but has a DCT transmission and it goes really well. I've just had to go SH car shopping for my 22 YO daughter for an older 4 cylinder car as she smashed her's up ( not her fault) and of course she drives an auto. I pointed out the above facts to her and the fact that adding a manual as an option opened up the choices of cars available and you could save a thousand bucks in the purchase price. So we ended up with a manual for her and she's not too bad at using the clutch except for the hill starts. I've told her she'll get the hang of it and it will just "click". The only issue I've heard with Converts is they chew out the drive shaft from the engine to the transmission pump and I think the fix is to use a better material for the drive shaft. Phil

I think I saw Honda are making one again. Phil

@activpop noticed a curious screwdriver in another thread that I enjoy using for valve adjustments. As he surmised (somehow), I inherited that from my father. The tail end looks made for some light tapping. Not sure if that style has a specific name? Here is the Irwin in matching style, as well as the little knurled aluminum screwdriver with the blued shaft I inherited and learned decades later its origin and purpose. The tiny brass-handled pieces I found when I was six years old investigating a water meter access on the walk home from school. Much later, I learned that they nest into a set that includes a hammer (GAM Mfg):

This is good advice... Any shop likes to get the easy jobs, not exclusively the ones that nobody else can do, which are rarer even if they earn more. The shop needs to continuously be busy to survive, it will welcome any kind of sustaining activity. Being a returning customer is what helps. I go to Sealy, 50 miles away, to change oil on my 911. I could do it around the corner from where I live. I have built a solid relation with Rennsport Porsche Works there, they are family owned, they are very reasonable price wise, and accomodating in any other way. MPH has done all the heavy lifting on my two Guzzis; but these guys are unique, and they have more work they can handle. So they would rather not do oil changes. Every time I go there, their atelier is full of motorcycles waiting their turn on the elevator tables.

I'm feeling cautiously optimistic. Snow last night and this morning here, with Temp. around 1°c. The warm front is coming through right now ( 3:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon). In the next couple of hours the temperature is expected to go up about 5°C, bringing rain through the night. By tommorow midday it is expected to be around 13°C with 20% likelihood of rain. Here's hoping.... Tuesday night it is supposed to snow again.

The other edge of the sword . YouTube can show a video of a complete R60/5 rebuild in 3 20 min. videos. A customer then becomes an expert on time and skills required to do the job ! They get the impression "anyone can do this" or just look under the hood and a flashing red LED will show the defective part. Things are not as easy as they used to be. No intelligence , knowledge , experience , skill or any unseen abilities or $75k worth of tools / shop equipment are considered when you start to bill for your labor. Now , would you rather do a valve adjust on a 20 yr old V11 or a new anything else ? These dealerships don't know and don't care to even look at anything else to see . Now , this does leave an opening for someone to do repairs on these "vintage" bikes.

Here, let me throw some cow dung onto this fire lol Too many quick oil change racks have forgot to put in the drain plug, and discovered the problem upon starting the engine resulting in preventable warranty claims. Maybe that's not provable or even true, but we've all seent it.

I don't have an answer for you. there are many reasons . I DIY because I trust myself and myself only .