Guzzirider

An MGS01 ridden by Glyn Jones entered this years Senior Manx GP. Looks like he did ok in practice- 4th place in Sat qualifying (107 mph lap) but only lasted a lap and a half in the race before retirement. Guy

Phone them up they speak Australian and do the deal over the phone! Guy

I have been listening to the news on the radio and it seems that the money sidelined for bolstering the flood defences to New Orleans was spent elsewhere, and many of the National Guard sent abroad. Best wishes to all who may be affected in the USA. Guy

Did you really mean spliff it in half? Sharing a large one will put an end to any fighting!

Yes the Jackal runs fine with the higher output bulb- and I used to have the lights on most of the time. I have recently sold the Jackal to my stepfather and my Mum is now riding pillion on it- she is 58 and calls herself a biker babe! I think the charging systems on modern Guzzis are ok- I run heated grips on my V11 with no issues at all. Guy

I would not swap my V11 for anything else- it is ideal for continental jaunts and the motor on mine is well set up and very sweet. Now for my confession- I have sold my Jackal to my stepfather (my Mum rides pillion) and I have ordered a brand new HD Fatboy. Recent events have convinced me to gently cruise now when I am on a public road and the Harely will keep me slow. V11 is still number one wife and will regularly taken to Europe as usual and take part in the odd trackday and hillclimb. There- I have admitted it- am I expelled from the forum?!! Guy

The satin finish is better but mine is flaking off the rear drive box. Probably something to do the amount of wet and frosty miles the bike has done in its life so far. My old 1100 Sport Corsa which I sold to buy my V11 had a satin finish that was perfect so I wonder why they changed it all? GUY

An easier solution may be just to upgrade your headlight bulb- I recently did this with the Jackal and it has transformed lighting at night. The charging system copes with it fine. I used a 100/80watt bulb which it technically illegal but you can now see at night which is nice! Will do my V11 too as soon as the current bulb blows. Guy

They now have a new section for modern classics- and I don't mind being called an old geezer even though I am 38- I like old geezer bikes! Guy

I used to have a Sport Corsa a few years back and replaced it with a Hawker Odyssey battery. Much tougher than standard units with good cranking power- last for years too. I am sure Motorworks will sell you one even they have stopped doing Guzzi spares- thats where I bought mine. Guy

Out of interest, this months edition of Classic Bike magazine has a reasonable write up of the 1100 Breva. Guy

Just dont try fighting a 52 old guy who can box!

Spooky Martin- the 15amp fuse on Helen's V11 blew this afternoon at a petrol station. This is after the starter circuit began to play up again after months of working ok. Had to wiggle the gear lever to get it started after I replaced the fuse so I suspect the neutral switch. Still had a lovely cruise in the sunshine around Ilkley- I have been off the road for nearly 2 months and have been gagging to get out again for ages. Guy

I can't remember exactly- I got them to sell them to me net of Italian tax. Drop them an email- they write good English. I paid for them by Paypal but I think they take credit cards too. Guy

There are a few secondhand Rosso Corsas advertised on the internet- hopefully by now any minor niggles that have arisen have either been sorted by the owner or on warranty. I have owned mine from new for 18 months and covered approximately 11000 miles in that time and love the bike. Speedo cables kept breaking- I went through 4 before my dealer agreed to retro fit the old 2 piece style cable under warranty and since then no worries with that. Worth changing relays to Omrons if that has not been done already. It makes an excellent tourer but is also fun in the twisties. BMW make decent bikes but the Guzzi has sex appeal- so go get one! Also, BMWs reputation for reliability is not as good as it used to be. You are right about the sound- with the right breathing mods the V11 sounds awesome and makes the ground shake. Guy

Here is a pic of the Rossopuro protectors. Thankfully I have not had to test them yet but they are well built and look as though they will make a lot of difference if I had a minor spill. Guy

A couple of standard cans in the UK on Ebay being sold as seperate items £49.99 each no bids so far. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MOTO-GUZZI-VII-SPORT...1QQcmdZViewItem http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MOTO-GUZZI-VII-SPORT...1QQcmdZViewItem Guy

The new ratchet arm for Helen's bike arrived recently after being on order for several weeks and the boss was definitely smaller than the original so hopefully Guzzi are providing the modified part for all new orders. I posted a few weeks back that my first attempt at ordering a new ratchet arm resulted in receiving one with an even bigger boss than the original so watch out for old stock. Incidently, the spring from my V11 (which broke by coincidence a few days after Helen's went) snapped in a different place to most of the other failures I have seen. It snapped about halfway along which makes me think it may have been due to a faulty spring. I never got a chance to measure the ratchet arm myself as it was fixed under warranty. Guy

I am serious actually- if somebody on this forum wants to race their MGS01 I am happy to support them with a few quid- if other members were happy to make donations we could set up team V11LeMans.com and kick some arse on the track. Guy

Have a look at http://www.abbastands.co.uk/ Does not look to be a distributor in USA (there is one in Canada) but you will be able to get the Abba in the UK to ship one to you according to their website. I have used one for years- really easy to use single handed with no danger of dropping your bike and they fit most other Guzzis too. Guy

Welcome aboard Lee. The shaft will be fine- just grease it in line with the service intervals in your handbook. Guy

Does the sofa ride that much better after some drink and drugs? How does the 0 to 100 compare to the Honda Fireplace?

You could try the Midway Truck Stop- there is a good cafe there and huge car park. They are biker friendlyand regularly have classic bike meets. Easy to find too. http://www.midwaytruckstop.co.uk/home.htm Depending upon the exact date I will try and make it- it is a nice ride from Huddersfield. Guy

Is this going to end up like South Park The Movie? http://www.moviesounds.com/sp/adams.wav

I wonder if the Voxan was one of the French guys who also entered the TT. I am happy to sponsor Guzzibun a few hundred quid if he enters next years UGP on his MGS. Guy