billgreenman1

I'm constantly searching BaT and craigslist for one of the cars from my youth. I'm not entirely sure that this is the right approach, but it is a plausible passing fantasy....

Ooh I want one of those small torque wrenches!

Zappa lyrics come to mind with the "sex on toast" riff. "Sir Richard Pump-a-loaf, a demented bread boffer.....still better than polishing electrical connections....maybe....word association gumbo.

Motivation gets harder to come by during these bleak winter days,and it usually takes a couple hours to get my garage warm enough to be comfortable. One more excuse I know.

This forum helped me get the courage to work on it myself. Without it I'd either have a piece of static sculpture ( which happens often enough) or I would have passed it on to someone else and I would not have the pleasure of the sensations of this visceral machine.

Are those Napoleon bar end mirrors? How do you get them to stay put? Gorgeous!

The price now would be an amount equal to getting another one, a new helmet, tires and other kit......maybe not.....

Didn't Glenn Curtis (aviation pioneer and general speed freak) strap a v8 onto barely a bicycle frame and get a speed record? Again the aviation connection...🤔

How is A.I. supposed to decide whether to aim for the possum or not?😁

It is definitely a blessing to have a a shop with a reputable "Guzzi whisperer". I'm not so sure I'd rely on the V11 as day to day transport and luggage options are also a bit constrained. To each their own though! I still have a 4-wheeled box complete with windshield wipers and a heater, and a BMW r1150r as a daily summer mule. But the V11 stirs the soul differently. I've got the semi rare and slightly goofy stock tank bag and some Ortlieb panniers and have toured, but it is kinda like bungee-ing a milk crate onto a Lamborghini......

I sat on the black frame burgundy that I now own at a motorcycle show in Indianapolis, and was enchanted enough to stay in touch with the small "dealer" in a small town north of mine. I made monetary rationalizations and negotiations and bought it. The feedback from riding was unlike anything else I'd ridden and since it isn't the easiest machine to ride, it keeps one's attention more active in my opinion. Mountain roads in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, etc. sealed the affection. Then the dreaded electrical gremlins came, and it sat languishing for several years in the garage. A crash ( obviously on a different bike) left me grounded and slightly spooked for a couple years. When I got the desire to return to riding back, no mechanic would touch it without a suitcase full of unmarked bills and Methuselah's scheduling. Somewhere I heard the phrase "If it's going to get f***ed up you might as well do it instead of paying for someone else to. " Around that same time I remembered this forum and was encouraged. The first startup after relay exchanges and the "decent tune up " brought tears to my eyes, and I thank you all...

Happy holidays to all. Santa didn't give me improved electrical connections on my Guzzi, so I'm gonna have to do it myself. I guess he knew better than to open that can of worms....😅

Point, squirt, repair, replace, repeat.

Part of me wonders if we'll even be around by that date....

Good to see the Lawrence quote. +1 on the "quirkiness" being a desirable trait. I relived the Brough vs. Brisfit moment about a decade ago rolling towards Mid-Ohio. An ultralight was buzzing beside me and waved before peeling off. I like to think that it was Neil Armstrong, since it was near Wapokoneta. (Sp?)

I like the ones that have the little plastic loops so they stay on the valve stem. Aerostich used to sell them but I'm not sure if they still do...

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that I could only rely on consensus. My "grape ape" naked is registered in Indiana as a Rosso from the VIN...

Still have the t-shirt ( I wish he'd signed that!) One of my favorites. It has a LeRoy Neimann-esque pic of Ago in one of the (I assume) 500 MV GP bikes in a cool multicolored silk screen image.

I used to have the pricey Aerostich sidestand plate ( in carbon fiber " Ooh la la!) on an orange paracord but lost it through time ( like half my shit....)

I stood in line for Ago's autograph back when MV was the showcase marque at Mid-Ohio's vintage days. I also demo-ed the F4 that they were releasing. The man was cool, the bike was terrific and terrifying ( mostly because of the price). I lost the autograph that same week touring on Skyline Drive when I proved the axiom that nothing is truly waterproof when riding in strong rain... I love the round headlight on this new one, but I'm sure I'll never be able to afford it.

The optics are fantastic and it may be the safest way to travel in Paris. 😅

A big torquey single with zero aerodynamics may not even need 90hp. I can get behind farting around on both city and back roads, and maybe tucking down for " the ton", but we'll have to wait and see. It may just be for posers and perfume commercials....

Well if money is absolutely no object the Godet Egli Vincent is a grail bike...

Who is next, Velocette? Does anyone know who owns the branding?

Of course, if I had a boatload of disposable money and I wanted a kooky neo-retro I'd go a couple hours north of me to Goshen Indiana and get a semi-custom Janus! I sat on one at a show pre-covid and it took quite a while for me to shake off the idiotic grin on my face! (And that's enough hyphens for one post.)😁