Ballacraine

'Offensive' hmmmm Once again we are in the area of differing perceptions. Perhaps 'Positive' or 'Decisive' may be a better adjective? Nige.

I can sympathise with the irritation, but........ I think that might be frowned upon.........It may even be illegal! Nige.

Good lad! Nige.

Well, razzin at everythin'.... What do you like? Nige.

Ahem! Nige.

Does this fella like anything??!! Nige.

Well, we use both. American customers and some British prefer imperial, European prefer metric. Nige.

Sounds favourite to me! Nige.

Thanks for that...Makes sense. Highly optimistic! I don't believe any statistics are impartial. Results will be weighted to give the answer the people paying the wages want. Cynical.....Almost certainly. Not necessarily. Obviously a brighter colour will be more visible...The point I was making is that the human eye & brain is geared up to shape recognition rather than colour. Well, I don't agree that 'loud' (however that is defined) environmental noise doesn't have any effect. The first clue you get that race bikes are coming is the noise, from whatever relative direction. There probably is some equivalent nefarious organisation in the UK.....We are fortunate that we have our own more benign government. Thanks, matey! I always try to keep an open mind on things...Trying most before I put forward an opinion. Being a bit of a dinosaur though, I am slow to change. I have never been mainstream. Well, TBH...I am going to be busy with marshaling and doing my own thing. The most up to date info will be on www.iomtt.com Me? Race?....I have neither the skill nor bottle. At least now I have the excuse of being an old git... The older I get the faster I was! Yeah right! Nige.

A very good attempt there! I'm impressed. It is called 'Triskillion.' 'Quoquonque Jeceris Stabit.' That is the Latin motto...Odd really, since the Romans never came here, but there you go. 'Whichever way you throw him, he stands.' Nige.

The main reason I opted back into the Guzzi world was that of all the modern machinery it is still one of the best, if not the best option for home mechanics. By the state in which it was delivered to me, I certainly wouldn't let the local Guzzi dealer work on it again. All extending service intervals does, is mean less is done to a vehicle for a longer time. I would rather have that intimacy with the bike, know what has been done and not been done, know the potential trouble areas and try to minimise or eliminate them. That is why I posted this thread. Nige.

Whats a BDC? Exactly,.... relying on just being seen only is shaky at best. Annoying doesn't help judging distance and speed. Statistics can be made to prove anything. No any block colour is going to be more visible than a splintern/ camouflage outfit. Exactly, so anything extra you can add has to help! EPA, whoever they might be, have no jurisdiction where I live, thankfully. Done thirty years like this, ( touch wood ) without serious accident or prosecution. Never had any complaints from neighbours either. I am fortunate enough to live in a very motorcycle tolerant area. Probably the most tolerant in the world, actually. Nige.

Oh I don't doubt they will put on something special. ( I sent off my marshaling forms last week. TT is nearly here again! ) Don't forget there is the Southern 100 and Manx Grand Prix too! Nige.

Exactly right! A variation on that is when a young offspring presents you with a bit you thought you fitted an hour and a half ago. Nige.

( Thanks for the input too, Guy! ). Nige.

I agree with a lot of what you are saying, but........ The trick I am trying to perform is set it up for a few years 'trouble-free.' I am going to try and eliminate the problems before they develop. Tall order isn't it! Nige.

I know what you mean, Big J. You can sit and look at something for ages, then fifteen minutes after you put it back you remember something else you should have checked. Nige.

Literally, it is the seed of a tree. Colloquially in English it is a very old topic of conversation which is subject to frequent argument. Nige.

Well, I hope it works for them. I would like to see it sell as well as the V50s did in their heyday. ( Wishful thinking there, I reckon! Nige.

Well, I was looking for a garage project for next winter. I didn't think it would be my recently bought V11 though! I really like this machine and hope to keep it even longer than my much missed 750-S3 For my own piece of mind though, I think I may attack it with hammers & spanners. Put the things right that shouldn't have been wrong in the first place, you know..... Like putting in the pistons the right way up! My knowledge base is from the Tonti 750-S3 & Le Mans 1 & 2 models. It seems though, that the V11s have more than their fair share of avoidable problems. Now, I know there are dozens of threads about all sorts of assembly and material related problems or potential problems throughout the site. At the risk of depressing everybody (Sorry! ) Would you folks mind helping to post a definitive list on this thread, so I can eliminate all likely problems whilst I have it in bits. I think it may be a useful quick reference for all owner / amateur mechanics too. I'll start the ball rolling with these: The recently flagged up valve stem issue (poor material and or heat treatment by the sounds of it). Poor finish on casings. A potential spring problem in the gearbox? Dodgy RAM (copy?) single plate clutch, on some models (Tenni, Scura, Rosso Mandello?). Recently improved with a revised design by report. Once again...... Sorry if I am off base posting this, but I really want to get this properly sorted. Nige.

I'll cover the helmet chestnut later...... Probably! Nige.

Another perennial chestnut. OK I'll bite. I really get choked with these folk who insist 'This is the safe way.....I'm right & you're wrong.' There are differing views. I'm not saying that mine are correct, or even widely accepted, for that matter....Just what seems to work for me, and I have been riding for over thirty years without (touch wood) a serious accident or prosecution for noise pollution. Headlight modulator and safety vest? IMO having a headlight on in daytime may make life more difficult for other road users to assess distance and speed. (Yes, I have tried it on occasion and I thought the results were less than impressive). Safety vest...OK if you think it helps. All of the above rely on being seen. ( As an aside, correct road positioning should help). The human eye is geared up to recognise shapes rather than colours. Think about your average race-rep / sports bike owner. Garish flashes of contrasting various colours on the bike and rider apparel (leathers & helmets). Now think about camouflage paint schemes designed to break up the form of the item you are camouflaging......Garish flashes of contrasting various colours? Seem familiar? Solid colours for bike and rider apparel are probably a lot safer. I also think that modern bikes are dangerously fast and quiet. If someone is coming up at warp speed behind me I want all the warning I can get, not just being dazzled for a fraction of a second by a main beam in the mirrors. What do I wear?.....Usually all black leathers & matt black helmet on a black motorcycle. No headlamp apart from when visibility is reduced, and 'fruity' exhausts. Two of my three bikes have 'freer breathing' exhausts.....Not to the level of offence but enough to give rider satisfaction and maybe help from the safety aspect a little too. The other has a standard big can. On average riding the same route on the same day at the same time usually results in three pull outs or near pull outs to one or zero with the 'fruitier' bikes. Yes, I am looking for a freer can for it. The chances of other road users being blind and deaf is significantly reduced. As ever it is a combination of factors, not just one element, that is significant. I do not have a problem with anyone having a differing opinion. It is just the 'I'm right... you're wrong!' attitude that gets me. OK, Tin hats on, boys! Nige.

£950 for the carbs! I wonder what that reserve is going to be Nige

That is not a motorcycle... It is a motorway RTA! Nige.

Excellent! Another recruit to the Guzzi Experience. Nige.