audiomick

Yes, "Gummikuh". Refers to things like the R80 and R90. Softish suspension, but still surprisingly fast.

Indeed it is.

First up, I've seen a nine T "in the flesh", and thought it was not a bad try for BMW. Secondly, BMW's have the nickname "HTG" in the German Guzzi world. Look here: https://www.deepl.com/de/translator#de/en-us/hängetitten guzzi Says it all, I reckon. Keep the V11. You'll find room for it, and in a couple of months you'll ride it and think "what was I thinking of?" In the meantime, have fun with the HTG.

Same here in Germany.

Sounds like a bloke I could get on with.

Indeed, and that this thing "Z" is a "Zed", and not a "Zee". On top of that, how is it that someone who is convinced that his opinion is worth making a Video for posterity (in as much as one can consider You Tube as such...) doesn't take the time to read the instruction manual of his microphone and find out where the front is, i.e. which side should be pointing at his mouth. That bloke got it wrong. Fail on all counts.

Good move.

France: as far as I know, your gloves have to have an intact CE tag in them as well. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_marking bloody annoying, actually, because they are usually sewed in just inside the cuff of the glove, and get in the way. I always used to cut them out until I learned of that ruling. Not that I am likely to go to France on the motorcycle, but you never know.

The pool and a Sauv Blanc sounds good to me.

No, never mind. He annoyed me with his quick and unexplained reference to "3dB". What most people seem to not understand is that a decibel is not a defined quantity of something, but rather expresses a ratio related to a reference. If you want to, look here. It might well make your brain hurt. I only retain enough of it to give sensible instructions to my colleagues (make it 3 dB louder...). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_pressure#Sound_pressure_level https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_energy_density https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decibel

Indeed. The parallels are surprising. I don't really like Honda bikes. Too sterile. But I started on a Honda CT 90 on the farm when I was about 15. You meet the nicest people on a Honda. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_CT_series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_CT90

What the man said is correct, but he strikes me as an idiot who hasn't really understood what he is talking about. PS: I've earned my living as a sound engineer for the last 40 odd years.

OK, what does it do? How does it work? And is the bike still legal with the device fitted?

Going by the photos here, the fairing is original. https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/Laverda/laverda_rgs1000 82.htm https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/Laverda/laverda_rgs1000_84.html

Long, but very interesting. I read "Zen and the art..." a couple of decades ago, and now I think I should perhaps have another look at it. What I remember most is his questioning of how someone can work in a concentrated manned on an engine with the radio going in the background. That stuck in my head, as I ask the same question myself. The concept of a "Gumption Trap" is fascinating. I'd never heard of that, but having consulted the Wiki on the subject, I realise that I am very susceptible to those. Hmmm... EDIT: thinking about it, I reckon the more one is a perfectionist, the more likely one is to be susceptible.

Yes, but... I remember reading a test of the RGS 1000 back in the day, and thinking "I want one of those". For someone who wants one of those, that one looks pretty good. EDIT: a closer look at the naked orange Laverda picture posted by P6X further up makes me think that the bolt was that long originally.

That's never happened to me.

For the sake of completeness, also in Europe. Wendel in Berlin https://wendelmotorraeder.de/ansauggummi-sp1100iv11brgr_gu01114390-p-1034021.html?ref=expl Stein-Dinse https://www.stein-dinse.com/de/item-1-1020293.html I'm pretty sure that in both cases they are not original parts, so apparently someone is making "after-market" replacements. PS: in my opinion, the best lubricant for fitting rubber bits is silicone spray. Works wonders. A judicious application of a hot-air gun is also often a good thing.

Have a good look at all the rubber bits under the tank whilst it is off. That is, of course, a good idea for any bike that is a bit older and has been standing for a couple of years. On the V11, a particularly close look at the breather hose that goes from under the frame up near the steering head down to the back end of the motor is to be recommended.

Thanks for the link, Joe. There was something in there that said that they are "going back to the roots". Jaguar was traditionally a brand that offered interesting vehicles just under the luxury market. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar_Cars Maybe the brand is getting back on track.

I'd be very suprised if they weren't. Owning a successful soccer team, for instance, brings in quite a bit. The air races, too. Cost a lot to stage them, but earn a lot selling TV rignts etc. .

Fair enough, and actually good marketing, and even fair, to let people try the features out and then decide if they want to keep them or not. Fair because the customer gets a chance to try before buying, and good marketing because I reckon the majority of owners would have a hard time giving up on something they have had the use of, even if they never really noticed the full benefits of it. A motorcycle is, after all and if we're really honest with ourselves, a bit of a status object, and everyone wants his or her motorcycle to be the best one of all.

I can't comment on KTM, because I haven't paid attention to them. I find their bikes very ugly, so I don't look in that direction. As far as Red Bull goes, that is a success story. There is lots of money in the company. This bloke was co-founder: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_Mateschitz A colleague had dealings with him, ended up working in his TV Station in Austria, I believe. He said Mateschitz is a nice enough bloke, and told the following anecdote: As Mateschitz was setting up the company, he got a good deal on a company car from a particular Opel dealer (used to be GM subsidiary in Europe). Because he was pleased with the deal and thought the handler was a good bloke, he continued buying all of the Red Bull company vehicles from that handler, even after Red Bull had grown beyond a multi-million dollar company. Looking at these two articles, I'm also impressed that Mateschitz went into business with the bloke from Thailand, instead of just pinching his idea. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Bull https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Bull_GmbH In the first of those two links, you can find an explanation as to why the company spends so much money on sports events And it works. Everyone here knows what Red Bull is. Particularly in Leipzig. Red Bull bought a minor league soccer team here, and pumped money into it until it got into and was consistently winning in the first league. That annoys me a bit actually. The stadium that the team uses is about 4 km from me, and the most prominent feature in an otherwise rather nice view out my kitchen window is the Red Bull advertising on top of it. PS: I can't stand Red Bull myself. Tastes like liquid jelly babies.

Of course it is. Silly question.

Well said @docc. The 350 Guzzis were created to cover a market created by the Italian registration or insurance laws (I don't remember which, exactly). Same as 400 in Japan (motorcycle licence regulations) and 250 in Australia back in the day when I started riding (Learner Permit and Probationary licence). These days, motors have got bigger, and at least some of those criteria don't apply anymore (in Victoria, Australia, it is now a power-to-weight regulation, as far as I know). Even in Europe, where "small capacity" motorcycles is a relatively dynamic market, I think Moto Guzzi is well served catering to the market that buys a V7 850. There is a market for smaller capacity motorcyles, but it is already well served, including products from Korea and China. Moto Guzzi is no longer an "Einzelkämpfer". DeepL.com says that means "Lone Fighter", which is pretty close. It is now part of a large concern with a number of brands, and does not need to try and cover the whole market. Better said, the mother concern would be making serious marketing mistakes in trying to cover the entire market spectrum with each and every brand in its porfolio. So I'm expecting Piaggio to develope the lines that it has been working on for Moto Guzzi for the last, at least, 6 or 7 years, i.e. the V7 range and the V100 range, and probably not make any radical new steps that no-one saw coming.