Guzzirider

...was very entertaining today- especially the second race. Try and catch the highlights if you missed it. Guy

Shall we insist that all attendees must actually ride a V11 to the meeting! That would keep the riff raff away!

Well at the time I needed to sell a bike so the Stelvio was the one I chose to get shot of because we just had not bonded. Bikes are a personal thing but I just love the big triple which oozes character. Still love my Guzzis though.

What you need is a nice new British bike! At least you can easily find someone to punch if it goes wrong!

Yes a Welsh meeting would be fun sometime but Denmark or Switzerland sounds good to me. Maybe have a Danish meet in May, and how about a UK meet as well at the Manx GP on the Isle Of Man in late August next year? I think we will be going to the Manx anyway. Guy

Well done Paul! You got there at last!

There is no meeting in 2009 to the best of my knowledge. Maybe in 2010? Even Guzzi won't know until next summer, and by the time they announce the dates it will be too late for many to make plans...

Cheers Steve!! Yes the triple is a luvverly motor- will always love my V twins too! Enjoy your rally! Regards Guy

I picked up my lovely new black Sprint ST from Cobb and Jagger on Wednesday, and because I have an upcoming tour of Scotland, wanted to run her in quickly and get the first service done next week. On Thursday I decided to take a trip down from Huddersfield to my see my brother and family in Hereford, and had arranged to meet Malcolm at a campsite in Dinas Mawddy in Mid Wales that night. Initial impressions of the new bike were mainly good- gearbox was a bit tight and the panniers were stiff, but that was to be expected. I decided I was not going to go anywhere near a motorway so had a superb ride through the Peak District, travelling via Glossop, Buxton to Congelton before heading down through Newcastle Under Lyme to Shrewsbury arriving at my bothers two hours late because I was enjoying the twisty roads so much. Even at running in speeds, the Sprint was swift enough to dispatch any other traffic that halted my progress. After a swift cuppa in Hereford, I got straight back on the road and headed into deepest mid Wales and enjoyed one of my best evening rides ever, sunshine, great dry road surfaces on a bike I was really beginning to bond with. By the time I reached Dinas Mawddy, I had been riding seven and a half hours on nothing but hilly twsisty roads and although I was a little tired, I was much fresher than expected and really impressed with the comfort of the Sprint. Mal on his V11 had arrived 45 mins earlier and we enjoyed a pleasant evening in the local boozer. We had already planned to spend the weekend in the Dales at a Guzzi rally in Settle where I had arranged to meet Helen on her V11, but Mal had caught the Triumph bug too, so we headed up through North Wales towards Woods of Abergele where he had booked a test ride on a Speed Triple. We avoided the main roads, and had an epic ride on very twisty well surfaced back roads and by this time I was really bonding with the Sprint, enjoying the superb handling and the torquey motor which was beginning to loosen up nicely. After Mal had taken his test ride, we headed up to the Dales, and enjoyed a cracking little rally in Settle, including a nice tour around the Trough Of Bowland in the sunshine. By the time I got home today, the Sprint had covered 595 miles and I loved every one of them. Likes: Superb motor- torquey smooth and powerful with loads of character- sounds great with the TOR end can. Handling- bike feels much lighter than it looks and steers sweetly. Had to dial in a little extra rear preload to cope with me and the camping gear. Comfort- amazing how a sporty bike can be so comfortable- the gel seat works well and bars are just right for me. Economy- I was getting 11 miles to a litre which means 200 miles plus tank range at running in speeds. Dislikes: Paint finish- the paint on the tank is very thin and has already started wearing where my knees grip the tank. Gearbox- got half a dozen false neutrals- maybe this will improve as the miles roll on.

Oh shit! Hope its not too bad Fergal.

You guys are being charged a fortune for Ducati servicing- much cheaper in the UK- in fact the local Duke dealer charges less for a main service that the local Guzzi dealer does for what are in theory, simpler bikes. This is the independant guy many use once their bikes are out of warranty. Ducati John Of course if you can DIY then its much cheaper! I think the S4Rs is much better to look at than the Streetfighter- always thought it would look great with clip ons and regular (high rise) silencers. In fact clip ons would be a great idea because the front end will rise at the slightest whiff of throttle. Pity about the paltry tank range.

Will take some pics when I get back on Monday! Busy packing now.

I'll share my full thoughts when I have finished running her in- going camping in mid Wales tomorrow, then off to the Dales. Initial impressions- excellent bike, well built, rorty motor, great handling and comfortable too. Looks wicked in black. Guy

Superb Supersport race today brilliant close action with great TV shots. Wish I was there to watch in person!

How mentally fast was John McGuinness today!? Awesome.

That motor is a peach- same as what was in my S4Rs- 130rwbhp with race kit and ECU. Great brakes too. I think everyone should have at least one no-Guzzi in the garage just to keep them sane. Nice bike

Think they are just over £500 new but probably cheaper to buy direct from Mistral. Most v11s already have aftermarket cans so maybe the demand won't be great but worth a punt on eBay and who knows what will happen?

If they are in good nick, maybe £150?

I find shutting my eyes and thinking of my V11 makes it bigger.

I just want to know which fat bloke stole my bike and thrashed it around Cadwell Park?

Walked past a GTR1400 Kawasaki on Saturday and could not believe the size of the silencer! Makes a Griso pipe look sleek! The Z1000 used to look smart with its 4 small silencers but look what they have done to it now: I am sure the Kawasaki engineers must be able to design a solution that looks better. The aftermarket exhaust manufacturers must be rubbing their hands!

Who cares? I'm going in whichever!!!

Not sure- just found it on Google images- was looking for something to do with Triumphs and it popped up.

Excellent! Thanks guys!