Guzzirider

1/ I am too young to grow a beard. 2/ I have not ever ridden a BMW, do not wear leather shorts and do not enjoy watching grown men wrestling. 3/ I have no idea what the BMW "drop off" riding formation entails. 4/ I prefer ladies to men. 5/ Don't eat porridge- thats for men in skirts painted in wode. As a broad minded adult, I have no objection at all to others (such as Antonio) partaking and enjoying such activities but its not my cup of tea. Guy Hope this clears things up

Thanks for posting the video BFG and I am sorry to hear about your short sighted dealer- by ripping you off a few quid he is now unlikely to get any more business from you- maybe you would have bought a bike from him one day but now he has blown it just for a pair of socks! I have just heard that Motorworks in Meltham are closing down their new and used Guzzi spares business and selling all their stock to Moto Ecosse in Scotland. Bit of a pain for me because they were only 10 mins ride down the road if I needed a part in a hurry. Good job that Motomecca are still going strong- I have always had good service from them and bits I order always arrive quickly, usually the next working day if it is in stock. Guy

I dropped my Rossa Corsa off at my local dealer this morning for a service and some warranty work and he lent me a Breva 1100 for the day so I could get home. I was not sure what to expect but I am really impressed with the bike. Looks very well finished, its very comfy, nice soft big seat and it goes well too. Front end is very good and braking is excellent. Rear shock is set up for comfort and is a little soft but the bike handled well and the low seat and high bars make it excellent in busy cities (I have to ride through Bradford to get home). Power is lower down in the rev range than the V11, but it pulls well and does not seem significantly less pokey than my V11. Was extremely comfortable once I got onto the motorway and started cruising, and I can understand why it has got good reviews from road testers. The instrument console is a bit of a mess but that is my only criticism. Not as rorty or sexy as a V11 but very able and practical- looks like a step in the right direction for Guzzi. Guy

Well done that Bear- I bloody hate that frog!!

The Garmin Quest is designed for motorcycle use and is fully waterproof. Mine has taken one hell of a bashing this year being carried around Europe camping, and getting drowned this weekend in Mid Wales and has been completely reliable. I used to be a doubter but am now fully converted after actually using Sat Nav- more time riding and less time getting lost in city centres! Guy

I think mine was manufactured in 2003 although I bought in March 2004. Having the job done under warranty, by coincidence I had it booked in for its 12000 mile service on Thursday- I'll let you know how big the boss is.

Bugger!! After Helen's spring breaking the other day, guess what? Mine broke near Stoke leaving me to ride home 90 miles at 6500 revs on the motorway, like sitting on a jack hammer!! Guy

Teknos no longer available? I recently ordered a pair for Helen's V11 and got some no problem. Guy

Just popped into the garage to have a look and it seems that the mounting points are identical for the Ohlins and Sachs. My Ohlins bike is, in comparison to a Sachs bike, jacked up at the rear. The bike is visibly higher and I do not suffer any of the ground clearance problems that some complain of. I have recently ridden a Sachs V11 and the Ohlins is light years better in terms of ride quality.

I have a Rosso Corsa too and have mounted a RAM bracket for my Garmin Quest on the left hand clip on- here is a pic. The unit powers itself at the moment with a 20 hour battery but I will soon be converting it to run from the bike's battery as soon as the lead is available from RAM. I have found the Garmin a real asset for navigating big city ring roads and it got us around the roadworks nightmare of Antwerp last week but it is not infallible so you need to keep your wits about you still. Guy

I'm afraid it will be porridge and men where you are going, laddie!

Definitely the big mama. He will never be the same again afterwards- mentally or physically and will spend the rest of his days living with her in a high rise council flat living off micro chips and pop tarts.

Whoops I nearly got you into trouble Antonio!!! I'll come and visit you in jail!

I got the spring from Mal who had a spare (I have ordered 2 more, one to replace his and another as a spare). Ordered the ratchet arm from Motomecca yesterday and it arrived today- I wonder whether it was old stock on the shelf- not going to worry about it too much as the factory are now out of stock of this part (Jason at Moto Strada checked on his computer) and I need to get the bike back on the road. Have not measured the spring yet- will do so tomorrow- but its the same size as the old one I reckon. Off to the local motocycle engineers tomorrow to get the ratchet arms machined down- they are beardy Harley types so I wil have to walk "bad" and stick my gut out when I go in. Out of interest, has anyone who has replaced the ratchet arm for one with a 15mm boss had another failure yet? Guy

Just received a new replacement ratchet arm (part no 04 23 51 01) in the post this morning to help with the repair of Helen's broken spring and guess what? The boss is actually bigger than the original and is well over 16mm. I ordered the new part because the boss on the original was 16mm and after reading the very helpful FAQs on this subject I wanted to fit the updated part and was expecting to get one with a 15mm boss. In the interests of getting a fast repair done, I am getting both bosses (the new and the original) machined down to 15mm tomorrow, meaning I will have a spare in case my Rosso does the same. But it seems that you are not guaranteed to get a ratchet arm with a 15mm boss if you order a new one. Guy P.S. Big thanks to Mal who is helping me with this job!!!

How is the road? It be twisty and hilly! Max speed? Don't matter if you have Dutch plates- just go for it! Speed controls? Don't worry! Too much paperwork for the local police if you have foreign plates!

Using higher octane fuel also helps.

Its funny how riders are either cut out to ride a Guzzi or are the complete opposite. For every person that loves Guzzis and stays loyal to the brand forever, there is always someone who just can't get it and sells up after a short while and goes back to Japanese bikes. The good news is that this keeps a constant flow of cheap second hand Guzzis available for those who really love them! Guy

I believe that the guy who runs the workshop at Moto Ecosse is Mel Robinson who advertises in Gambalunga. I have never had any dealings with him personally but have read many good recommendations from other riders about his ability to get a Guzzi to run properly. Guy

Very kind offer BFG- I'll see if its repeated first. I loved that Britten- the guy was a true engineer shame he left us so early. Guy

I dont think Antonio can afford my pimp fees!! Slight change of plan- I found out today that have an operation lined up for 12th July which will stop me riding for three months afterwards, so myself and 2 mates are riding up to the Highlands this Sunday instead so I can have a last Guzzi blowout before being laid up for a while. Also blows out my plans to ride at the club trackday at Mallory on the 21st (ARSE!!). I hope you guys have a great time at the V11 rally. The campsite at Spean Bridge is a wee walk from the hotel if you intend to get bladdered. Guy

Keep it and perservere- you will be pleased you made the effort. BTW- Ohlins is fuggin brilliant once set up properly. Very sensitive to adjustments- your bike should handle beautifully once its sorted. Try a few more PSI in your rear Bridgstone (I use 2.9 bar) but keep the fromt at standard pressure. I second the comments about getting a PC111- get the fuelling set up on a good dyno and you will love it again. Unfortunatley V11s need a heavy investment of love, attention and money to get them running to your satisfaction. Guy

Some of us were sitting in the garden drinking cider- damn too bloody late!! Guy

I have heard other riders warn people away from Speedaway motorcycles and Twiggers. I am in Yorkshire and can recommend Moto Strada but that is fair way from Shropshire. If you could get the bike to my house, I would be happy to assist with an oil change (need to do both our V11s in the next few weeks) and take your wheel to a local tyre shop to get your rear changed. Guy