Guzzirider

No worries- I will be in LA in July enjoying the sunshine!

Just got back from a nice 120 mile ride over Holme Moss, Snake Pass, Ladybower Reservoir then back along the back roads to Huddersfield. Sunny but extremely cold wind, and still freezing on the tops- several large patches of thick ice in the shade underr tree cover. Guzzi is caked in salt but I loved every minute- making the most of my time cos I have to return to work soon! Guy

Hi Steve Theakstons have now been sold to a large brewery chain and are no longer independent. The guy who used to own the company has set up his own small brewery in Masham and sells a great beer called Black Sheep which is now more popular than Theakstons. Regards Guy

Found it here Mark http://www.motorcyclenews.com/nav?page=mot...esource=3039656

Shall we start a handbag v tankbag thread??? Dlaing can fight the corner for tankbags- Ratchethack would you mind defending handbags? Let's have a sensible scientific debate on this subject. Guy

I think rather than comparing to a Greaseball, its more in the vein of a Jackal or Stone and looks much more purposeful and muscular than them. I see the UK dealers now have red Grisos in stock rather than just black- can't wait to see a yella one. Guy

How about a nice trundle up to Hawes, mug of tea and a bacon butty then back down past Settle, through the Trough Of Bowland and back along the A59? We could meet at the Liitle Chef on the A59 / A65 roundabout near Skipton. I don't mind where we go as long as we avoid the towns where possible! Do you mind if Helen brings her V11 too? Guy

It was sunny and dry today- only 6 degrees but bearable. I went for a 150 mile round trip to Devils Bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale, and had some fun because the roads were pretty empty. Were around 20 bikes there- Spring is nearly here!!!! Guy

Q. What do you call a biker in a suit? A. The accused! A shoulder bag- what bloke needs a bloody handbag???? What are we going to put in the thing? Lipstick? Tampons? What a lot of rubbish! Guy

The great thing about the IOM is that they shut the roads for racing- would never happen in England. Does birching still happen Nige? Guy

The Vango range of tents is pretty good and cheap too. The range starts from tiny to huge. Even our large 4 berth only weighs 8kgs and is pretty compact when packed and fits on my rack fine. It has enough space for a living area to sit in if its pouring down with rain. Get the biggest you are comfortable with and go for easy access- don't want to be crawling in the mud to get in. Best to go to camping shop where they are already erected and have a poke about inside, then look at the bag and hold it in your hands to see if you are confortable carrying it. Ours cost £55. Sleeping bags- go for the warmest you can afford- preferably a 4 season bag- that way you are fine if it is cold but if it is warm at night you can use it as a blanket. Also look at the bag when packed- is it compact enough for you. Hope this helps Guy

Defo the Guzzi! Will have my Fast By Ferracci high comp pistons fitted by then. Guy

Just in case you have been kissing diseased reindeers!!

Hi John Its a well known problem which I believe is caused by the motors at the time not being degreased properly at the factory before being painted. If it was still under warranty, your dealer would have taken out the motor and got it stripped and resprayed for you. I presume the warranty has expired by now if it is a 2002 model. Did you buy it from a dealer or was it a private sale? If it was from a dealer you could try and persuade them to sort it out. Helen's bike is a little flaky (well so is she!) and we don't worry about it. P.S. Are you in the Guzzi club? If not please feel welcome to come along next Monday night to the Pennine branch meeting. Several other V11 owners will be there if you want to chat- details on www.penninebranch.co.uk. Regards Guy

Have exchanged a couple of emails from BFG this evening- he wanted me to post this on his behalf: " I don't know what oil I should be using, since I changed tyres before Christmas and put on Metzlers. I reckon the old stuff worked well with the Bridgestones, giving an extra 500 miles duration as it leaked onto the rear tyre over the summer. But will it be so beneficial with the Metzler? Somehow I doubt it. My guess is that you can't just coat Teutonic tyres with the same stuff that's tuned for Japo rice based rubber . Nobody else seems concerned about this, so I'm too embarrassed to come and ask. Has anybody tried that 'JB German Oil'? No, no. I really can't ask." Guy

Hi Macguzzi Do you have LEDs in your RS250 tailamp? If not I have a quality LED board for an RS250 from Nippy Normans which I bought by mistake last year and has never been used. Let me know if you want it, and I'll flog it for a sensible price. Its similar to the one on my V11. Here is a pic of the LED board in my V11- they simply plug into the bulb holder and are much brighter and come on quicker than standard. cheers Guy

Don't forget the ace Tapas bar and Fanny's Ale House. And BFM for cheap tyres and brake pads. And World Heritage Site Saltaire with the Hockney museum, and the site where Scott motorcycles were built. I should get a job promoting tourism there! Guy

Welcome to the forum Rob! Ok, most of us will be biased but we do love our V11s. I find my Le Mans very comfy for long distances and you can get both soft (Tekno) and hard (Hepco und Becker) panniers. Some people have difficulty sourcing the Teknos but I belive you can still buy them new. Others have adapted Givis to fit. There are a couple of different luggage racks available, and Guzzi make a nice tankbag with straps (plastic tank so no magnetic bags). Taller screens are available from MRA. If you like track days you will find that V11s are not the fastest things out there and run out of revs quickly, but you can still have a lot of fun. Power is fine for normal road riding but that does not stop some of us throwing shedloads of cash at them just to eek out a few extra ponies. If you like to get your hands oily most normal maintenance jobs are pretty simple. They do have the odd gripe- mainly minor things like crap relays, and if you look at some of the posts here, you could be forgiven for thinking that each V11 is going to blow up or fall to bits any minute now because only doom and gloom tends to get reported. If you do have any issues you need help with, this forum is an excellent source of information and someone else will have had the same problem and found a fix. In summary, a bike with lots of character, fun to ride, stands out from the crowd but needs a little love now and then. Buy one Guy

I wonder if that is down to the type of roads they cycle on. The commuter carving up the traffic on his mountain bike is totally focussed on what the cars are doing, and in general the traffic is moving slowly. The club cyclist in a group on a fast A road on Sunday morning in the Dales when big 4 x 4 s are thundering around blind bends at 60 mph? Maybe more dangerous, especially when they are riding 2 abreast and chatting, maybe not concentrating on the other traffic? Out of interest, in a previous job when I used to do a a four mile commute by mountain bike through Southampton city centre, I could do it 5 mins quicker than if I took my motorbike, although now I would probably have a heart attack after the first 100 yards with all these hills. Guy

It would be a good way to go- the funeral directors may have trouble nailing down the coffin lid though.

Sounds good John! I'm up for it. Guy

Viagra?

Keep them all- if you need the cash sell a kidney instead. Guy

Max will not be part of WSB this year- sounds like he wanted to be number one rider over the reigning champion Corser- dream on Max: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport...kes/4689594.stm

Do we actually have any Guzzi riders on this forum under 30????? What gift shall the 70 year olds get? A zimmer frame? Incontinence pants? A BMW? Guy