Guzzirider

At least with a Guzzi you can fix most minor things roadside rather than spending an hour tearing off plastic fairings and removing coils just to get to the spark plugs like Helen's R6. When my gearbox return spring broke I rode 90 miles home in third gear- a pain in the arse but at least I was mobile and the torquey motor pulled from standstill with no issues. When Helen's broke, she had to ascend a long steep ramp on the Rotterdam ferry in 3rd gear- I can still remember the smell of that clutch but again she made it home. Guy

I hate earplugs for the same reason as Nogbad- I want to hear everything plus I like the music my motor makes. I never wear them on the bike. They are good for rallies when you have 20 tents full of drunken fat b**tards snoring like pigs near your tent! Guy (A snoring drunken fat b**stard)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/souther...ies/4613010.stm She has bigger balls than me. Guy

Gaffa tape Cable ties Pucture repair aerosol Leatherman 20mm allen key for removing wheels A few allen keys, spanners and screwdrivers Spare relay Gearbox return spring This is for long trips only- otherwise I take nothing apart from my leatherman. On my V11, I have only ever had to change a relay on the roadside (glad I had a spare) and cable tie my Tecko rack when I lost a bolt (was doing 130mph on the NW200 course and it must have shaken loose). For the rest of it, I always seem to be lending my tools to others rather than using them myself! Guy

I can't wait for it all to start again. Xaus is out of the picture for the meantime- he has broken his leg in a motocross accident but he crashed too much to be a serious contender anyway. Obviously Corser will be one of the favourites but as you say Bayliss will be up their too as will Lanzi who I think knows the tracks because he rode in WSS. Dont write off Toseland- a rubbish season last year by his standards but he seems fresher now and will have a very fast Ten Kate Honda. Haga will win some races but he needs consistency if he is to win. Chris Walker will ride his heart out on the Kwacker and may get a few podiums. I hope Max is up for it for the sake of the championship but he is not a fairing basher- lets see how it copes when it gets nasty as it usually does- will he be a man and join in or throw his toys out of the pram? Its a pity because the of the control tyre rules we don't have any wildcards anymore- Lavilla, Haslam and Byrne from British superbikes could beat any of these guys at Brands or Donnington, as I am sure could some of the AMA guys at Lacuna Seca. Guy

Max will get his arse kicked by Corser

Yes but the dual sport market is growing fast and if Guzzi make lots of money from selling Stelvios they may actually be able to afford developing a new sports bike- they will need the cash first. Guy

A spokesman for Moto Guzzi denied all knowledge of this bike in this weeks MCN. That picture is a computer mockup from the artists at MCN- not a picture from the Guzzi factory. Saying that, I hope they do make it! Guy

I like Alex's crossbow idea- am I right in saying that in Texas it is legal to shoot someone if a part of their body is in your car without your permission? Sounds like a good idea to me. Guy

An update- he cut himself while smashing the glass ( ) and the police took a sample of his blood- maybe this will help catch him. Guy

They are selling it as a damged repairable not breaking it unfortunately. Try Reboot if you want bits from a breaker www.rebootguzzispares.com

I know Nick- he's a nutter

To be fair there was not a lot the police could do when they turned up as he was long gone and last time I caught 2 guys trying to break into my car at 3am (luckily I stopped them just in time) the police turned up in 5 minutes with a dog van but again they were long gone because they had a car around the corner. What tends to happen around here is that a particular thief will be eventually jailed if he is a repeat offender but as soon as he gets out he starts thieving again and it takes a while to catch him again and when he is put away again it all goes quiet. There is a sense of injustice around the country re speed cameras and the government are trying to spin their way out of it but I can't see things really changing and as it stands I think fines and punishments for minor speeding will stay out of line compared to what punishment you get for car crime. The thing is I know the thief will be back in a weeks time or so- they always come back if they find rich pickings so I will keeping one eye open as I sleep! Guy

I used to know a guy in Australia that rode to Philp Island from Perth every year on his ST4 with his wife on the back- used to take him ages! Guy

The WSB round at Brands Hatch is often the most well attended sporting event in the UK- over a 100,000 fans on a good day and the atmosphere is great with visitors from all over the world and loads of foghorns which go ballistic every time a favoured rider goes past. The Formula One Grand Prix at Silverstone attracts about 60,000 but that gets better TV coverage for some reason. Last time I went I took a friend in the car who was a bit nervous about going pillion (ex-Manx GP racer but now a careful young mum) and it took 2 hours to leave the field I was parked in but it was still worth the trip. I still enjoy Moto GP but WSB gets my vote. Guy

On the subject of Law and Order some little b**tard just threw a brick through the window of my neighbour's car and nicked his Tom Tom Go from the glovebox hence I am up at 5 am. It was a Xmas present from hise wife (the sat nav not the brick!). I only saw the back of him as he ran away very fast. We have just driven to the estate 10 mins drive away where I know they have heroin addicts and where the usual suspects live but he was unsurprisingly long gone. Now if he got caught would he get as severe punishment as the two fingered salute rider who had not stolen anything and was not speeding? I think not. Guy

Yes the Petronas team is the same team as run by Foggy. Haven't seen a Petronas on the road yet but apparently they exist! Guy

Watch out for Craig Jones on the Petronas in WSB. Every time I have watched him race he is spectacular- backs it into the corners, is always sideways on the brakes and always gets lightening starts. Doesn't take any prisoners either. Maybe he is the guy to help move Petronas up a notch this year- even if not it will be a treat watching him. Guy

I think the motorist will have had his hand in the opposite direction to Churchill's. I like the forward facing cameras in Switzerland where you can stick your tongue out without retribution. Guy

I just take whichver one is not broken!

One of the guys in the Pennine Branch is doing next years RBR- "Dangerous" Dave will be on his maroon Nevada. He rides everywhere in all weathers so I reckon he will do well. Good luck with your presentation in Feb Martin- will you get a trophy? Guy

I have fond memories of riding in Australia- the scenery is stunning . I hired an XT600 and rode from Darwin to Melbourne with about a third of it on unsealed roads- some of the nutty Aussies do these sandy or rocky tracks on road bikes rather than off roaders the madmen. Took 3 and a half weeks to do the trip and we camped in the Bush most nights. I thought at the time I may move over there but work and women has kept me here so far. Guy

Yes chapter 4 is dedicated to spine frames and has quite a lot about both Sport carbs, Sport Injections and Daytonas. Has a photo of a yellow Sport Corsa in it too. Guy

Is anyone going to the Guzzi Club GB Scottish Rally at Traquair House? Brewery on site (weakest beer 5%), lovely countryside- rivers, forests, empty moorland, on site cafe and bar and curry house down the road. If you want you can ride the short distance to the Samye Ling Buddhist monastry where they will give you a cup of tea and some organic cake. Went to Traquair a couple of years back on the bike- a very nice place and Scotlands oldest inhabited castle I believe. Dates 28/4 to 1/5. Guy

I have had an email from David (AKA BFG) this evening. He has not run away with Antonio for 2 weeks of man love- unfortunately he has not been very well over the New Year / Xmas period but is back at work today so hopefully is on the way up again. Guy