helicopterjim R.I.P.

Thanks for the superb write-up Bill ... even with your mid-ride drama (glad both you and your bike are repairable) ... it made your adventure feel very real!. I had driven some of those roads 30 years ago and thought about biking them back then .... now I want to ride that area more than ever! I hope when I do it will be to join a future raid!

Wish I could Bill, trouble is I am an aircraft engineer and it goes against the grain to pay to fly, I prefer it when they pay me. I know how you feel ..... !!

I remember that now .... and the triple clamps are different but thankfully there are a set with the forks. There are some early V11 wheels for sale but like you say it just gets more complicated and more expensive. Might be an option to hold over until proper forks are found ....!

Hmmmm ... I might just catch the Bellingham gig when I come back from seeing Hawkwind in Toronto. Too bad they can't get along yet ...... all of them weirdly talented!!

How is your project? I would like to see the finished bike.

I think that would be a good start but more important they would have to bring plenty of beer money!

I'm thinking of just an old style traditional tach and then look for the smallest GPS type mph indicator I can find. I want a minimal instrument set-up.

My opinion ..... maintained properly it is a good thing. Don't neglect it ...!!

You could try ReBoot Guzzi Spares - http://www.rebootguzzispares.com/order.htm He doesn't have any Ohlins models that he is breaking at this time but it wouldn't hurt to send a request. I bought a set of forks from him and the shipping from France was ridiculous cheap and the package arrived in 5 days.

First question ....was the shipment insured or does the shipping company have any responsibility for compensation regarding the missing forks? If so then it is essential that you make it clear that the conventional forks are a discontinued item and have been superseded by the Ohlins with radial brakes. If you are stuck with the full replacement then I suggest searching hard for the Ohlins as there is a substantial difference between the stock fork and the Ohlins. The value of your bike would suffer probably proportionally more with this downgrade. I know others know more about the details of the forks (Paul Minnaert is very familiar with them) so finding non-Guzzi replacements could be difficult. I have heard that GSXR front ends will make a suitable replacement. Somewhere there is a thread about the different Ohlins used on Guzzi's - there were some not so desirable Ohlins used on the early models. I find it sad that you would have to include the option of parting out the bike but I do understand your thoughts. I'll search some of the sites I know and hope that a solution can be found to your dilemma.

The dealer here actually got a paint code from Guzzi for the RM and it is composed of two colours .... a base with a red on top. I can try to find the code from them when I get home.

If it fits I can't see any drawback to the deeper pleats .. only benefit. There have not been any certified aircraft filters that I know of for many years. It has been shown that aircraft engines lose power when paper filters get wet and there were some documented cases of paper filters collapsing due to moisture , snow and/or ice causing dramatic power loss leading to unfortunate consequences.

There is a lot of smoke and mirrors in some of the "testing" done on filters. First of all it is important to know if you are riding in an environment of particles in the air that can damage your engine. The average bike doesn't get exposed to very much so these ultimate cleaning filters are not always necessary. The other factor is that a paper filter reacts to humidity ..... BIG time. If you live where the humidity is high you are probably loosing a significant amount of intake capacity (ie horsepower). I did read about some high end paper elements for automotive applications but due to their increased ability to clean the air they also restrict airflow so the solution there was a larger filter ...... not an option for bikes. All I know is I use a BMC on my V11 and K&N pods on the Centauro. I clean both at least twice a year or if I have ridden in dusty conditions. Clean them with dish soap and warm water and oil them with fluid for aircraft filters (the helicopter I fly has a BMC/K&N type filter - the filters are cleaned with a soap and then oiled every 300 hours or as needed - there is an airflow sensor to indicate reduced flow). If it's good enough for a turbine .... it's good enough for me!

Heaven help us ......!!

On second thought .... I don't think I'm ready to go that route quite yet .....

My other crazy idea was to build upon the Centauro's ungainly lines to tray and make something very, very retro .... as in the 50's and earlier Guzzi racers like the Dondolino and Gambalunga. The Centauro tank and tail end could actually be a starting point for these lines but that would mean a whole different level of fabricating.

I have a V11 tank to start with and an old style Ducati 900SS seat. I'll mock up and see how that looks. If I don't like that then I will try and make a deal with a motorbike salvaged parts shop to try several old tanks (likely from Japanese bike) but I am pretty sure the 900SS seat is what I will want. Maybe do some mock-ups - take pictures and post here for feedback. I'll have to make a new rear subframe and probably relocate a lot of the electrical to the seat tailpiece. I also have some spoked wheels that should look nice (I'll have to cut down the excess flange from the rear drive). Still not sure what I want for handlebars ..... go full-on clip-ons or keep the flat bars - or something in between. All I know is .... I have tried to like the looks of the Centauro but it just ain't happening. The handling is OK .... a relaxed version of the V11. The suspension is OK and the engine is an absolute blast. It doesn't have the grunt of the V11 but at 5,000 it feels like a 2-stroke coming on the pipe and red-lines at 9,000. It has a chip to help it run better and with a different exhaust I may want to get a PCIII or even a MyECU but this bike isn't going to be about perfect power ....... it will be about a fun Sunday afternoon ride AND a fun Saturday night special.

I most certainly will ..... I would prefer to start with a V11 chassis and use the V10 motor but I'm really not too concerned about having the best handling bike. The Centauro is OK by my standards and the WP forks feel better than the Marzocchi's. I am thinking I want it to be as bare bone as some of the Tonti cafe bikes ....... very minimal ..... I have a Bub exhaust that will be perfect and it weighs very little. I am curious as to just how light I can get the bike .... there is a lot of necessary mass but I think I can get rid of maybe 30 pounds ..... and that is before I go on a diet myself! If anyone is looking for Centauro body work there will be some good deals coming soon!

Any more news on 4V conversions and engine switching? I hope to start my project soon.!

Pigs Ear beat a pigs arse anyday ......

ohh man.... hey a cobber has a 15yr glenlivit and I sampled a dram last week end, holly farking ell... god damn necter They actually allow you to have alcohol .....?

I had a similar story at my 50th ... a bottle of 1981 Singleton ...... managed to salvage a wee bit in the end.

See what happens when you start with beer and end with whisky ...... someone has to start a scrap .......

WOW!! Not only is beer more than just a breakfast drink .... it's a religious drink tooo!! Grandiloquent Word of the Day: Gambrinous (GAM•bree•nus) Adjective: -To be content and happy due to a stomach full of beer. This word comes from a legendary (fictional?) king of Flanders, Saint Gambrinus, patron saint of beer and brewing. Used in a sentence: "It is my intent to be gambrinous each and every Sunday." Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Yup. Fox started out making motocross suspension components then jumped into the MTB industry much later. They built Motor Torpedo Boats? Sorry for the off topic stuff guys...