Chris Wilson

I don't know how many here have actually had a frame made for them that is guaranteed 100% straight. I watched engineers make me one on a lathe bed and informing me of what was going on and the importance of it . First task is to use a datum line that represents wheel track and everything else is spawned from that. The reason of the importance of getting the track as accurate as possible is that errors multiply from that. If the track datum line is not as accurate as humanly possible then the projected steering head will radiate exponentially to the wrong spot. When I first rode the completed bike I was sincerely amazed at how nuetral it steered. Just my experiences, add salt to taste. Chris.

Surely the Ohlins equipped V10 [V100] would be light years ahead of Griso suspension? Part of the problem with the comparison of Griso vs V100 is that most happy Griso owners have modified bikes, windage plates, Matris suspension, as mentioned mapping, rollerisation, CARC recalls,start issues and different exhausts. Hopefully the V100 has learnt from the past and is problem free not needing any recalls. Chris.

Thanks guys, the alignment board trick is more to prove than chain adjustment marks on the rear of the swing arm can be WAY off.

Years ago I did the original 'Stay Upright' defensive riding course here in Australia and it included a vertible circus of low speed tight turns that vexed even the most experienced rider. I noticed that tip in differed when doing tight figure 8's and that's when I made an alignment board to check that both wheels were indeed tracking one behind the other. So although at the speed of death race conditions (where I don't ride) it may not be noticed but I can tell in a lot of carpark situations. And once noticed it hard to forget. So both answers are right, I want to be correct and I can feel the error. Chris.

With any mono mounted wheel shimming or skimming would allow the hub or the mounts adjustment. Personally, I would want to know if my bike had errors built in and would endeavour to correct them. On my Bellagio with spoked wheels it's simply a matter of tensioning the spokes to include offset 'if' it needs it . Chris.

Since most bikes have a chain final drive with a double arm swingarm and left and right vernier adjustments you can accommodate slight out of alignment with this. Failing that, and assuming all the sage advice about loosening the attachment points on the forks and resetting them is followed, you have something bent that a simple adjustment won't fix. If the frame is bent then remove front steering spindle and swing arm pivot, place in rods with tapered cones to centre and check perpendicularly. Install front suspension and do the same check using swing arm pivot and front axle journals and then install rear suspension and use front axle and rear axle journals. Check wheels for warps, install and finally check with alignment board again Why do you ask? Chris.

Also obtain a plank of wood longer than the bike, cut in two recesses out it on the same side half the width of each tyre. Place plank along both the tyre edges, making sure that both tyres are vertical and matching each recess to it's appropriate tyre width. This will shown the aligment of the tyres as a final check and is the end goal for any of this. Chris.

Getting back to the exhaust heat, I class ceramic coatings as 'homeopathy' for engines since, sure, you speed up sound with added heat in the pipe but with all road registered bikes you then slow it down dramatically with the use of a muffler by expanding and cooling the gas. So the pipe benefits but the system is only as good as it's worst choke point. The best advice I ever got with retained heat in piped exhaust system is to measure the heat at the tail pipe, if that runs hotter then you have an improvement overall in gas extraction. I would still consider wrapping at least the header section and measure the difference at the tail and 'feel' the difference whilst onboard. Chris.

Does the Le Man's triple plate have bosses underneath of it that can drilled to suit handle bar risers? Or if you are really stuck then any machinist should be able to make you a new plate that would work. Chris.

By the looks of that engine, and I know little about it except from looks, it appears that the inner thighs of the Vee are shrouded by the belt covers so does hot air pool behind them leading to such joys as fuel boiling, burning inside trousers, and general stagnant misery? If so then perhaps a fan may be best placed under the tank to scavenge out that hot air. Perhaps pulling air from behind the block instead of pushing it from the front would work out easier for you if frontal space is at a premium. Chris.

I have a friend who has his old BSA Gold Star that he used to race at the Isle of Man, and after coming back from his usual once a month ride around the block was shaking his head. He got off saying, it doesn't go, it doesn't handle and it certainly doesn't stop. And that's a true and accurate account from someone who loves the bike. It would seem that the love for old designs is compatible, it 'was' good compared to what was available at the time. This is what BSA, Royal Enfield and perhaps Triumph twins are up against, when compared to what is available at 'this' time can they be classed as good? I sincerely hope to there is a point of seperation with retro singles, long stroke and heavy flywheels might be enough to put them in a class of their own but simply relying on nostalgia ain't going to work. Chris.

Radiant heat is little effected by gas flow and air draught. Quick question, I get why black on the pipes looks good but why adopt a coating that slows heat transfer and then paint it black? It's the most emissive tone and if the goal was to prevent transfer then surely white was a better option? By the way, lovely bike. Chris.

"The argument AFAIK for lagging is to keep the exhaust gas hot increasing velocity and moving hot gas clear of the head quicker and to keep external temps down. " I was under the assumption that the theory on this to keep 'internal' temperatures up at the furthest point and thereby increasing draw through the entire engine, a negative pressure turbo charger if you will. Anyhow, looking at the design of the bike dispassionately, there would no worse place to mount a cooling element than in close proximity to the hottest external part of the engine. Further the pipes are blackened to increase radiation. So, if you insulated the part that wants to reject heat against the part that doesn't want to absorb it perhaps there maybe a benefit? For example if you raised the exhaust temp by say 30C by insulation and lowered the ambient heat in that area by 10C so that the oil cooler may have a chance to run cooler. And I don't think that raising the exhaust header temp by 30C will relate to the block being raised by the same amount since it must get past the point of contact through a gasket. If flow reversion worries you then that's the point of the wrap, to promote flow towards heat. Put it this way, does double walling headers really effect the engines state of tune? Do heat shields? Probably not by much but do they reduce temps in the local area? Absolutely! Not much to loose but much to gain. Chris.

Exhaust wrapping might help to keep heat out of the enclosed area too.

https://jagg.com/products/vertical-fan-10row Fan-assisted Vertical 10-row Oil Cooler System PART # 751-FP2600 Default Title - $ 575.00 USD It's just a thought, but if your air cooled engine is not cooled enough by air flow restrictions then artificially boost it. I think that in your case a fan is a must as it assists what finnage you already have on the engine as well as it only applies itself above certain temps. Chris.

Something like this?

". Running them in parallel wouldn't work." So run them in series. Use a thermostatically controlled fan?

Could you mount a larger oil cooler vertically and plumb from the side?

Like this? https://classicleatherfobs.co.uk/product/moto-guzzi-original-vintage-1990s-rubber-keyring/

https://drivetribe.com/p/jay-leno-meets-the-vee-two-ducati-NwKBZOBESQW3lCNQ9PuL9g I have yet to meet a rider who doesn't want to try this. Chris.

Your right, what I saw was 2 second hand complete Alchemy bikes for sale and no idea as to what level of spec they were at. Even so, highly desirable, and yes, I could afford it if I truly wanted to. Check out their Facebook page and drool. What is it with far flung Western Australia? Thunderbikes and Vee Two are both over there and the local market must be incredibly small for such niche businesses. Hats off to the both of them. Chris.

The complete Alchemy is quoted at $25000 AU, what is a V100 worth?

Any bike from these guys, it's what Ducati should have been but right now . https://www.veetwo.com Chris.

115hp, 1042cc, 77 foot pounds of torque, engine 4" shorter than the latest small block etc.

What I find strange is that if you asked a room full of Guzzi enthusists what they would like in a new Guzzi it would be more power, more range, better brakes, shorter wheel base etc and yet when it's delivered it gets compared, again, to what it's not. It's the latest evolution of a species and not meant to be a top predator. As to a cross the frame V twin having to use a shaft drive, there is no reason why the bevel box could not be redesigned onto the back of the gearbox and using a chain or belt final drive instead. In other words the engine layout doesn't exist because of the shaft drive. Chris.