PJPR01

Hhhmmm....very nice indeed! Maybe I'll get mine today at home as well...I can spend an hour sewing it on next to the Guzzisti Nomads and 100th anniversary patch! Next year, will be doing the Tour, but probably a mix of Guzzi/Honda for a bit of variety!

Thanks for the update here P6X! Much better for you !! I had the Scura out last weekend for a nice romp… very cool weather made for a comfortable ride! Winter riding should be much more enjoyable than the inferno of July and August!

Congratulations!! 50 stops…super well done! I’m way behind at only 30 stops but good enough to earn a patch!!

Well I managed to get in 10 more stops this weekend…and now headed to Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas for some riding in the twisties and a rally…up to 30 stops now…will see if time permits to get any more this year. Big Bend is more tempting than Amarillo… so maybe will get another 5-8 stops. Has been a glorious weekend to ride so far!!

That's a fine looking Coppa indeed!! Any major technical breakthroughs during the monster garage at the lodge to share with those who could not be there in person? Sounds like only 1 breakdown amongst the group...not bad!!

It feels solid to me, given the weight, it's a nicely built piece. I will see if I can find a schematic of it somewhere. I'll check the temp next time I ride, but I think it's in the 100 to 120C range normally when warmed up.

The metal dipstick is a little harder to read, some people have put a minor notch in it...but I compared the two side by each as they say...plastic vs. metal so I would know where the reading should be. The bike doesn't consume any oil, so I can't see any movement...I check it from time to time out of curiosity, but it never moves! The visual is nice to have...I just check it for consistency, not for a specific temp.

Here's an item that can give you that oil temp info...some folks here (myself included) have it...yes, it's a farkle, but it's quite nicely built. Easy enough to check off the bike while you're tanking up or at a coffee stop. https://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=5327

I sympathize!! I was spoiled too when I lived in Spring Branch for 5 years…having MPH at exactly 12 miles door to door was a nice treat…the ride to Hempstead for me now is about 30 miles. Mike did all of the major Scura work at his house workshop many years ago…it’s a good excuse to have a Saturday or Sunday coffee maybe at Hempstead…a couple times we had a few other Guzzi riders join as well, maybe we can do that again if Mike is open to it. The Bucees ethanol free difference is a head scratcher, but the 290 location also gets a massive amount of traffic of people leaving town, including motorcycle riders and clubs, exotic car clubs so maybe they see more demand…either way I put it in all the bikes and the 911 when I’m up that way on a ride. I too wish they had some tables or seats, but in the absence of something formal, I just drink my coffee and enjoy a breakfast taco while sitting on the bags of feed outside or near the folding chairs section….good for a 5-10 minute break after hitting the clean restrooms!

Hhhmm...interesting indeed. I guess I'm lucky that my "local" Beaver has 92 Ethanol Free...of course, it's only a few more miles up the road to Mike's MPH location too.

We're still waiting after 20 years for the "high speed" train between Houston and Dallas...what makes it even worse is that if it does happen, it will be done by Amcrap...which means the safety record will be questionable...as they have trouble with "slow speed" trains too! Having a Eurail pass, city pass or other monthly pass makes it so easy to get around in Europe...Freccia Rossa or Bianca, TGV, OBB High Speed, IC trains...an amazing, smooth and fast network with very few incidents. China is developing ultra latest generation high speed trains that will probably rival Euro trains and Japan...meanwhile, we have Amtrak!

Hi P6x…the ethanol free gas at Bucees in Hempstead on 290 at FM362 is 92 octane…always been good quality with no issues. I’ve had bad premium gas from small stations a couple of times only …once in Sedan, Kansas after leaving the Cedar Vale rally and once in Utah near Vernal. Both times I used a gas treatment and the problem was solved…

If I recall correctly, the plastic receptacle into which the threaded inserts are embedded has that sort of "ridged" structure, hence the alternating length of the screws...I think looking at the bottom of the plastic would reveal more clearly... I only noticed that same issue when I took the filler cap and screws to "blacken it" to make it look more "Scura like"...I do love the darkness and every silver screw exposed just needed to be blackened!

Ooh…a modern Morgan! Lovely styling and colors!

I'm anxious to get a few more stops...at 20 so far! It may be September at this point unless we get a week in the 90's. With a heat index of 110 or above during the day, I'm probably going to have to ride at 5 am and watch for deer to avoid the heat. Not a great choice!

I haven't been on the bike for several weeks now...just not enjoyable being outside in these conditions...the swimming pool is much more enjoyable!

Hi Art, I was successful in opening the headlight...quite easy to do. I did JB Weld the broken diffuser and it worked for a few hundred miles and then broke again from normal road vibrations, so unfortunately it's rattling around inside the headlight again. Opening the headlight is quite easy, not hard at all to do. I will try again and see if I can find a better material to use to bond the piece together...barring that I may just leave it off. I'm not doing much night riding on the Scura anyway, so it's not critical...but I think the Stein Dinse option is the better one for a long term fix! One thing I noticed when taking the headlight out was the two bolts holding it in were different, so off to ACE hardware to get a nice new set of matching black bolts...

A Quorum of Quotas! From the Quota Treffen France 2023... Italian/German/French all rolled into 1 meet...

This is what the Slimbuds do…Bluetooth connection to the earbuds.

I have one extra brand new never used set of Slimbuds if you ever want to try them.

Oh...what a pity...hopefully the Decibullz may provide a good solution for you...I have a couple of unopened new ones as well at home (blue and orange) in case I ever lose my current ones. Having the tube going thru them with a cap on it really helps to avoid that odd feeling of muffledness.

P6x…I found that leaving the IPhone in my jacket pocket I could easily control the the volume if needed…I keep The music low enough just to have some company. At one point long ago I did have a remote Bluetooth device within easy reach wrapped around a mirror stem, but decided against that even though I would really only use it at a stop and not while riding. The Slimbuds are so comfortable that even without music they are excellent wind protection. When I get tired of music I swap them out for the Decibullz…which also have multiple Ear foam sizes for a perfect fit and the tube that goes thru them solves the issue you raise. plus they also come in many vibrant colors so they are easy to see in case you also have vision issues!! i couldn’t ride without ear protection, it’s physically exhausting after a short period of time and too painful. With great ear protection all day riding is a pleasure…not a chore.

3 really good items I use regularly: Slimbuds - wireless, bluetooth, exceptionally soft comfortable and low profile...all day comfort, can stream music for some company, but also great at blocking wind noise Decibullz - custom molded earplugs for $25...soak the plastic in boiling hot water, mold to your ears, has a tube going thru to eliminate the odd feeling of being in a tunnel and reduces the pressure, also fits flush, no pressure on ear drum, all day comfort. Silicone Swimmer Ear Plugs - if you want truly quite, full seal, but can still hear vehicles, but zero wind noise...also easy to use, especially on warm days...

Racing w/o rules...sounds like a recipe for disaster....oh wait...we already have that! We have rules and lots of crashes already as the riders go right up to the edge, and over all of the time. I think for safety reasons, creating a non paved area would lead to more injuries....not great. But at the end of the day...Marquez does seem to be finished...the accumulation both physical and mental of the injuries along with what appears to be an even more reckless style of riding is taking its toll on him and other riders. He probably thinks he has a few more seasons in him, but the results don't suggest it...a bit like Tiger Woods...may win from time to time but not nearly as consistently as in the past.