Guzzirider

What make of battery was it Molly? Was it a Hawker Odyssey by any chance? If so, Optimates are not suitable for that type of battery- they come charged up out of the box and keep their charge for ages with no need for trickle charging.

Sounds terrific- thanks for sharing the info! Still no news on my order

Did you get to ride it? Excellent! did the dealer mention when the panniers will be available? What were the brakes like? I've heard that the 8v motor sounds ace! How did the motor feel in comparison to a V11? Cheers Guy

Glad you got a result John! Ok course if you had any suspicion that the people running it were not paying their full amount of tax, or maybe claiming benefits at the same time as working as a taxi driver, then it would be your duty as a citizen to ring the appropriate hotlines.

Letting thieving scumbags get away with it goes against the grain. I know in certain legal situations you can seize possessions in distress for payment of debts- obviously something a legal person would need to consider, but if so maybe he could seize one of their own vehicles and hold it to ransom until payment was made. Or how about a made-up letter from the manufacturer of the lift saying that there had been 2 recent fatal accidents caused by a faulty batch of lifts, and the lift was being recalled for urgent safety modifications, must not be used in any cirumstances and would need to be collected asap. Failing that:

Looks very big for me- spoils the lines of the bike. Guy

Yes I forgot that Martin was an "ironbutt"! Thanks for the route Doug- looks good to me- have explored a few of those roads myself and they are pretty empty and very twisty fun! I may have a word with Moto Ecosse- be worth them getting some V11 spares in for that weekend anyway! Thanks again Guy

Been trying to think of a nice route for a ride out when we are in Ken Bridge. Plenty of choice- I was thinking maybe of riding through the borders across to Northumberland, maybe to Holy Island? Or possible keeping to Dumfries and Galloway, and maybe lunching on the coast somewhere. Any thoughts or suggestions gratefully appreciated, especially from those with better local knowledge- Euan, Gyles? Cheers Guy Edit- Holy Island is about 176 miles away even by the most direct route so that's probably too far for a return trip!

Helen has calmed down now and has decided to keep her V11- a very sensible choice because its fully sorted and has a peach of a motor. The roads in Bolivia remind me of the roads "maintained" by Kirklees Council. Can't make it to any dealer days, even in disguise as I am unable to ride for a while following a minor op, so am not in a massive rush to receive the new bike. Are you thinking of a new purchase? Guy

Ended up booking on the phone direct with P & O quoting "MCN discount" was much cheaper than prices advertised on the web.

Helen has those exact grips fitted to her V11- work well and not too expensive.

Alas no news BFG, although there is still a chance it may arrive next week- but when I was in the showroom earlier I had a good look at the 8V Griso which you mentioned the other day. It looks very classy, well finished and the riding position seems more practical than the old 4v Griso, which you can't buy anymore. Helen was tempted- may have to sell some more bikes!

Cool. Best thing would be to swap mobile numbers and then if its convenient meet up- not sure exactly where we may be cos we tend to play it by ear.

By then I think we will have made it down to the Tyrol maybe. Will be passing through again on the way back- are you going straight home after Assen?

I will find out some news hopefully tomorrow!

I've bought some Mistrals for my cafe racer- reasonably priced, the upswept shape looks good and they sound rorty without being too anti-social around town. If you want some get in there quick as I understand that Mistral are now concentrating on building pipes for the newer models so the older stuff is getting scarce. Both Motomecca and Corsas sell 'em, or you can get them from Agostinis- about £300 a pair.

Yes Antonio I am going to Boxmeer- then off to play in Europe for two weeks with some friends- maybe down to Austria and the Czech Republic. The Harwich sailing is much cheaper but we like to go from Hull if we can as its much nearer and we can go straight after work- I was wondering if there are any Dutch travel agents because I know you guys pay less than us for the same crossing. Cheers Guy

Our usual travel agent who gets us cheaper ferry bookings is not able to give quotes at the moment for the Hull-Rotterdam crossing. Every UK based travel operator is quoting the same (very high) price. I just wondered if anyone could recommend an online booking service in the Netherlands for the same crossing- maybe its cheaper! Thanks Guy

The Road King is a pretty good ride as Harleys go- reasonable ground clearance and brakes. Trouble is that whenever I've ridden a Harley I've tried to ride it like a normal bike and it just doesn't work that way. I had some mental times on the Fat Boy I used to own, but I knew it was going to end in a crash so I sold it while we were both in one piece. Won't buy another until I'm old enough to draw my pension and fancy getting myself an 18 year old girlfriend! Guy

Yes they are good to do business with!

Was he admiring your Italian tractor?

The other day a 50cc scooter passed me while I was riding my Ducati at 30mph in traffic- did he smoke me? I certainly did not feel like racing him- was too busy enjoing the sunshine to play boy racers. V Rods can be fast- seen them at Santa Pod when I've been Run Wot Ya Brung drag racing- even a standard one is about a second quicker than a V11 on the strip. Throw some bends in and I reckon a V11 would be quicker with simlarly matched riders. Guy

Gyles has been lent the MGS01 by a kind hearted owner who is also on this forum occasionally- Guzzibun. Lats thing I heard is that he was getting some race bodywork made up and looking how to detune it so it does not exceed the class power to weight ratio limit. He was scoring regular 9th places last year against bikes that were lighter / faster than his Daytona- I can see him doing well this year on the MGS. Cheers Guy