badmotogoozer

I think you should quit smoking and save your $ for a real one. (well, you did ask...) Rj

Watch out Mike! I don't think it is your quiz points he's envious of... Might be yer "lucky charms". Rj

I remember riding out here a couple years ago. I likely only remember it so well because the biggest damn bug I ever saw hit me in the forehead at speed. Knocked my head so far back I had mild whiplash. Thought it was a bird until I saw chunky green bug guts all over the helmet. It even plugged the vent in the top of my helmet and ended up in my hair. Wish I'd had a good look at it so I could figger out what it was. Damn though that Eldo! If you're ever looking for a home fer that thar donut chaser... I'd probably be what, 20th on the list? She is a beaut! cheers, Rj

If she was checking me out she'd have to be blind. Completely. Rj

My dealer did the same thing when my trans recall was done (the only time the bevel drive has ever been off the bike). Off by one spline. I never noticed until I took it apart last fall and made note of the white lines. horror of horrors... It was like that for 6K kms. Probably why everything on the bike started rattling loose since. All good now. I hope... Rj

Not all who are hearing impaired are completely deaf. There are many who can hear music but not able to make out the words from all the sounds. Just like not everyone with a white cane is completely blind. Rj

bong. definitely a bong.

I made a tool for removing wheel bearings in just such a case. Requires a lathe... may not be for everyone but works a hot damn. Excuse the extremely child-like pic I whipped up in Paint (no graphic artist skills here...). I used mild steel. Overall length - min 50% longer than bear-bear distance. Diameter - largest diameter just small enough to slide inside bearing/spacer. Hole through center large enough for your favorite long tapered punch. Cut center line with hack saw/ band saw. Slide tool in from the side opposite bearing being removed. Line pointy bit up where bearing and spacer meet. Push your tapered punch into center hole of tool from the side of bearing removal until pointy bit well seated between bear/spacer. Butt other end of tool against something solid. Whack punch a couple of times. You should now have room to punch out bearing normally. If not whack it a few more times. If this made sense to anyone - you obviously are not drunk enough! cheers, Ryan

Yes! Let's get back to something far more interesting. Like spiders on drugs. Did you SEE that caffeine spider go??? I went home, smoked some and watched him go! Wasn't the same without a hammock though... Rj

http://www.filecabi.net/video/spiders-drugs.html Don't do drugs! Or at least don't let your spiders do drugs. Rj

http://www.norbsa02.freeuk.com/goffyelectrex.htm scroll down to "battery status monitor". Putting one in my notoriously weak charging Duc GT. Maybe the goose too... Rj

ditto on the Twinmax! No fuss, no muss, not terribly expensive. Excellent value for $100. But if "no money down, do not pay until 2010" is your game, then go with the water mano. Avoid the mercury. The spill risk just isn't worth it. Rj

Yup - I've had this one too. Started getting some shake and noticed the tell - tale sign of loose head. (hit front brake, clunk) Same thing top bearing done in. Don't know if it came loose and toasted the bearing, or if the bearing toasted and allowed the nut to loosen. I've replaced a ridiculous number of bearings in a bike with 12K kms on it cheers, Rj

$150??? That's almost worth living in Minnesota for! Maybe not... My insurance in Vancouver Canada for one year full coverage on my Guzzi, including a 44% safe driver discount, is ~$2K CDN. Your BMW was probably classed as a tourer and the Guz is likely classed as a sport bike. Sport bikes often have higher ins. rates due to higher incidence of squid crashes coupled with expensive plastic body work. Doesn't matter if it is correctly classed or not. If somebody somewhere thought a Guzzi is a sport bike, that's how it is. Rj

No test rides without a serious down payment. If they haven't brought any cash with them, they are not serious buyers and can piss off. Your liability insurance should cover any damage he does to the bike, himself or others. (You DO carry at least $1M right!) Check with your insurer just in case. If your Spider senses are tingling for any reason, no test ride. If you DO allow a test ride make sure you SEE their bike license - no license, no insurance. Write it down. good luck! Ryan

It's OK - they're all following the same principle. Rj

I like my old bikes. They are fun to ride, fun to work on, and have introduced me to many friends. They hold their value and sometimes appreciate. I wouldn't spend $35K on one though - I'd never ride it for fear of wrecking it! Wouldn't spend serious $ on a watch either. Wear it in public and risk loss/theft/breakage or leave it in the drawer safe. I would never wander around with $10K in my pocket, why would I wander around with $10K on my wrist where anyone can see it? Seems a bigger waste to me than on old bike... but that's me. Stopped wearing a watch 10+ years ago when my Tag's face broke rock climbing. It's like a newfound freedom! There are so many clocks around and people with cells that I've never had problems figuring out the time. In a drawer somewhere is a smashed face Tag... Buy what you will get the most enjoyment out of. If you are buying something to just sit there in the hopes that it will appreciate, 99/100 it won't. If what you bought appreciates, bonus! Antonio - bet you'd have bought 30 Water Buffalos at the time if you could see the future... I'd have loaded up on round case Ducati bits! Rj My mantra- He who dies with a million $ loses, he who dies owing a million $ wins. Spiraling debt, my friend; they can't chase you into the afterlife! Rj

I'm putting my valve back in (thanks Greg for sending me a used one! ) as my bike fell over in my shop last spring, dumping a ton of gas on my tile/plywood shop floor. Comes out a lot faster than you'd think! Between that and BigBikerRick having his bike go up in flames after a very low speed drop have convinced me that this valve is rather important. Will be mounting it vertically next time tank is off. cheers, Rj

Good work John! And an exceptionally good attitude! Nobody should be chastized for questioning the validity of any studyor investigation. If we were all to just accept what we have been told, there would be no need for anyone to defend their Masters thesis or present their studies for discussion. There are some here who refuse to accept any critique whatsoever without insulting the intelligence of said critiquer. Keep up the good work! Rj

No worries! I'm heartened when I hear most have reliable, jump on and ride V11's. If I didn't believe I could get mine to that point too, I'd have ditched it long ago. cheers! Rj

I've had the same GIVI since new! IMO - best screen for the V11 - works and looks good. Especially after I peeled off the Givi sticker, painted it gloss black to match bike and added a MG decal where the Givi sticker was. Looks fantastic - until it fell last spring and gouged the paint and decal Highly recommended - the fairing, not the gouging! Rj

Thanks Jim! I've thought about heading out to the 'Whack and just leaving the bike with them. Part of the reason this is all taking so long is my learning curve, this being my first bike made after 1980! I want to do the sorting myself and learn the bike inside out. If I get it close I may take it out there... Should head out for the coffee anyway - haven't seen you in a looong time now. cheers, Rj

Is there any other difference between small and large other than hole size? 8mm could be drilled out if same centers... but then if they're making them anyway... Rj

I thought there were folks here who had them on their Guzzis?? Maybe that was other bikes they were talking about... Please do let me know when/if they become available. I like them better than the flashy CRG's. Rj

Stuff it Nog! Between what Guzzi buggered, what my dealer buggered and what I've buggered, reliability may never again be used in the same sentence as my bike. On the plus side, I got her back together over Xmas. Suspension, running gear, bearings, fluids should be sorted. Next - pull the bottom of the motor apart and install slopper/change shells. Last will be TB balance, TPS, replace crappy plastic temp sensor with brass. Might even swap in a new sensor as I think my mileage problems might partly lie here. If that sorts things, then dyno tune and replace levers and damper. If not she goes on the block. Or in the chuck. Thought I bought this thing so I wouldn't have to work on it.... at least not so soon... or so much. Happy New Year everybody! Rj