audiomick

As far as I see it, plastic is not only to do with price. It is also lightweight. Alternatives to plastic for the same weight are significantly more expensive to produce. Ok, so maybe it is just price. Anyway, I can see that. Changing out plastic bits for metal bits, without increasing the weight, makes sense. Can be expensive, but I can understand that There are a few things on the aforementioned V35 Imola that I would like to change. The seat, for instance. It is really heavy, and that on a bike with not much power, and a total weight of not much more than 160 kg. It would have to look the same as the original, but I have a vision of how it could be done. Saving weight on that bike would be an advantage, but very expensive, I fear. There are also any number of bits that one could exchange for Titanium substitutes. Probably wont happen, but maybe. One day.

That is a very pertinent point, I reckon. And this What good arguments are there for mucking up a perfectly good bike when one can just buy a different one that fulfills the objective? On the other hand, I can perfectly understand wanting to build the "ideal bike" oneself. I've always wanted to, but have never managed it. The closest I have come is my V35 Imola. I bought on a whim, and it was dead when I bought it. It had been in a cellar for about 19 years, had no ignition switch, and the wiring and ignition system was in a dismal state. In the meantime, it has a Silent Hektik electronic ignition and alternator, a short-throw throttle grip, Koni rear shocks, and a clutch from a V9 which is much lighter to activate and lighter in weight than the original. I'm working on a Valeo starter motor because it is lighter than the 3 ton Lucas original. And I've got a fair bit of a 4-Valve 350 motor that I might one day get complete and install. The real point is, I have dis- and reassembled everything on that bike myself, except the final drive assembly. I gave that to a workshop who has experience with that, as I wasn't inclined to learn how to set it up properly by trial and error, or to buy the necessary bucket full of shims to get it set up. So that bike is mine. I know it, in every last detail, intimately. I like that. In that perspective, I can understand wanting to modify a bike to make it "personal". But, as @Lucky Phil has already written, it should be all about making it better. Putting things on a bike purely for visual reasons is bullshit. Individuality is also a thing. I can understand it, but somehow the quest for individuality seems to inevitably lead to "one more cafe racer" or "one more chopper". So called "custom bikes" tend to always end up fitting to a pattern. And when a bike is visually "customised" without first paying attention to getting it mechanically perfect, well, that is bullshit too.

That brings back memories. The other bloke, with a lot of Australian accent, is Darrell Eastlake https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darrell_Eastlake Listening to those two whilst watching the bike races was a compulsory event.

Sorry, couldn't help myself. The title is visible. If you click on it, it's your own fault.

Update for curious bystanders: I've sent a message to the seller on kleinanzeigen.de, but he hasn't reacted yet. I expect he doesn't look in that often, as the ad was first placed in February this year. I take the fact that it is still there as an indication that the part is still available. As far as I know, kleinanzeigen ads get taken down after a month or six weeks or something if one does not actively renew them.

That gets better. The thing is called a Fagott in German. Not entirely fair, I feel.

Not just the performance. That is the gag with the whole composition. One melody that is repeated by various different instruments, then combinations thereof. And the whole time that snare drum, getting gradually louder the whole time. And the buffoon is one of my favourite instruments. Would love to learn it, but I hear it is really hard to play.

And then this popped up. Don't know why.

And incidentally....

And having said that, there must be this, even if it doesn't have all that much to do with Jazz. The Redneck bit can be debated at will. It's amazing how a bunch of old farts, the singer definitely drug-farked, can still deliver.

But getting back to the vitally important Genre of Redneck Jazz, there is this to be taken into consideration, of course: And if that doesn't work, here is the search result page on the Tube. Everyone here should be able to find one in there that plays, I reckon. Maybe... https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=black+sabbath+planet+caravan [docc edit: if those are not visible in your location, try this link . . .

And as far as Genius goes, one of my all time favourites. Straight tempo, but only 5 musical elements, about 15 minutes long, and it doesn't get boring. The snare drum part has to be one of the hardest parts in the entire classical music literature. PS: getting back to Brubeck and "Take five", my measure of a drum solo is whether I can count through it. Try that with that video, i.e. start counting a bit before the drum solo, and see if you are on the dot when the piano starts up again. I was, which means the drummer isn't just doing acrobatics, he has the tempo in his head all the way through.

Since you mentioned it, unavoidable... and while we're at it, not a constant time signature but rather alternating 3/4 and 4/4

Not to my taste. Too much bling.

Recently, someone wrote something that I can't find anymore about the pins for the swing-arm, including some slight confusion about whether they were 20mm or 22mm. If I recall correctly, they seemed to be a bit hard to get hold of. I just discovered that Däs Mototec offers both sizes in stainless steel, so I thought I'd put it in here: https://shop.daes-mototec.com/de/Fahrwerk-7/Fahrwerk/Schwingenlagerbolzen-M-20x1-aus-VA-und-Kontermutter-aus-hochfestem-Aluminium.html https://shop.daes-mototec.com/de/Fahrwerk-7/Fahrwerk/Schwingenlagerbolzen-M-22x1-aus-VA.html

Ah, thanks. Didn't notice that. So it's a Bellagio frame and swingarm, but by the sound of it not much more that is original. And it's quite pretty, I reckon.

Where did you see Bellagio on the linked page? I couldn't find it. Never mind, I think that could well be the basis. The Bellagio was a sort of soft chopper with a 940cc motor. https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/moto guzzi/moto_guzzi_Bellagio 07.htm It seems, however, to be a fairly popular basis for rebuilds. There have been maybe half a dozen of them reported on the German forum I'm on. Maybe the popularity comes from the combination of what is essentially still a Tonti frame with the CARC swingarm. Drawing of the frame here on page 114, which seems to be consistent with the visible parts of the frame in the photos in the linked page. https://guzzitek.org/parts_list/gb/940/Bellagio_PL_Compil.pdf Still, if it was a Bellagio, they've either bored and stroked the motor massively, or put a completely different motor in there.

I find myself hoping that they are really having fun, and not fulfilling the ego of a parent or something. Flash website here https://thegraystones.com/about-2/ Expensive gear, most likely a multi-track recording for the video and post production Someone is behind them and supporting them, so I hope it is because the kids are really into it all off their own bat.

No, that would be the sub-genre Redneck Hippie Jazz PS: A Banjo through effects pedals and a Fender Twin is an interesting concept. I wonder what he uses as a pickup?

@Lucky Phil ok, I'll pay that.

Sie müssen flexible sein! @Molly it's not a Harley. Try using the upper 2,000 revs of the rev range. You might be surprised how rewarding that is.

Well done, very creative. It makes me wonder if it would be possible to build a sewing machine that sews with zip-ties. Anyway, I'll send you a PM with my mobile telephone number. It would be good if you send me yours. My first trip down to Altusried is later this week.

Good idea for the short term, but I think I'd rather have the seals done and get the mechanic to clean out the guts and have a look at how much wear has happened in the 70,000 km. that the forks have done. What happens after that will be on the back burner for now, but at least I'll know where I stand.

Yeah, but I'm having trouble even finding time to wipe my arse at the moment. The bi-annual roadworthy is due this month, and I just want to get it back on the road as quick as possible. The motor needs some attention too. Nasty hiccoughs between 2 and 3.000 rpm that I need to sort out.

It took some time, but progress has been made. I didn't get around to bolting it all up to have a look, and ended up buying one of these to replace the original mount on the lower triple-clamp with the spherical joint in it. https://www.frantos.com/de-en/din-444-eye-bolt-marine-grade-stainless-steel-m-8-x-40/138889 That will solve the issue of two spherical joints on the one bolt causing a "dead" point in the damping action. A question, though: does the pictured spherical joint need lubrication? I'm inclined to think it doesn't. A bronze (or something similar) bush, and a chromed ball should be fine without, I think. And grease or oil would only tend to collect gunk and feed it into the joint, I think. Am I right, or should I put a bit of grease in there?