Skeeve

Well, sorta. Per Dave Richardson [of Guzziology fame], all post '01 [Aprilia era] Guzzis are 50-state bikes. In other words, any '01-'05 V11 originally imported for U.S. sale is CA-legal and identical to other v11 models of that year whether sold in CA or the other 49 states. Which would also explain why the info for "front x-over models" doesn't work for the ones sold in the U.S., since the Euro-spec front x-over models would have been tuned for the new Euro 3 spec while no specs for U.S. bikes were required to be changed until the '06 model year [new EPA specs went into effect for '06 bikes, which is why almost all 600cc+ streetbikes in the U.S. went to FI from carbs the previous year if they weren't already FI, in case you hadn't noticed... ] As Greg Field has posted, no U.S. Guzzi so far has the cats [altho' I had read otherwise in moto rags, but that could just be blind transcription of Italian "press release" copy targeting the EU market & not intended for U.S. consumption. "Journalism" being a loosely-defined word in these modern times.] Ride on!

Very cool info, thanks! Will the Omron be a plug-in replacement like the GEIs, or will some whittlin' need to be done on the relay socket to use the Omron for the starter relay? Again, thanks for all the research!

Given that the last (only) time I was in Norway was 20 years ago, my info is somewhat dated & very suspect, but whatever, you said "any advice.." so here goes: 1) Two words: youth hostels. My experience in Norway/Sweden is that they used the college dorms 'cause ALL the students are gone for the summer, so it's empty space. Neither country gave us [my gf & I] any guff about bunking together, as more southerly countries split us up into male & female barracks. Very cool! 2) Wouldn't know about speed limit enforcement: we were traveling by train and/or bus [b

Sounds like you got a little rue extract in your morning beverage of choice there, Todd! Sorry to hear it. If it's any consolation, I think anyone here in V11LM interested in the SoCal MGNOC rally in '08 is also plugged into the wildguzzi & Guzzitech forums anyway, so that may explain the lack of replies to your post here. I know I'd like to go, but it's entirely dependent upon whether my mom's failing health improves & my live-in gf (who's been largely unemployed the last 2 years) is still in the picture & working or not. Otherwise, Skeeve is a very dull boy [ie, "all work & no play."] Meantime, I follow your posts here, there [wildguzzi] & everywhere [Guzzitech/MGGriso/whatever website name di giorno you're nailing down], as your support of the Guzzi community is fabled. & oh, BTW, what's up on the Supermoto front? You can post that info too, even tho' it's not strictly Guzzi related, as I'm sure a lot of people are interested in what else is going on in the moto-world that's isn't necessarily taken over by big money yet like MotoGP & Supercross. Ride on!

You mean the ones that look like a skateboard wheel bolted to the (cylinder) head guards? Try the row of sponsor's links at the top of the page: you've got MPH, Rossopuro & TLM, all of whom are likely to have'em. If not, you can always chase down some of the other Guzzi parts specialists. Personally, I think they look pretty dopey, but if they keep you from breaking the sparkplugs off when you drop it so you can still ride home to fix the other rashed parts [which the stock head guards are proven not to do], who cares how dopey they look? Ride on!

This thread needs to be "stickied!"

Thankyeww! Thankyewww! Thankyewverramuuuch! [bows, waves] I'll be here all week! Try the veal!.. [exits stage left]

That "flat green" is the whole point of the paint, my friend! Also, it won't show dust the way a shiny paint job does. Learn to live w/ it & count your blessings!

Huh? 5 qts to the Imp gallon vs. 4 qts to the U.S. gallon, last I knew. What's up w/ your calculator, or am I just ? That was the old days. We've got multi-vis oils now, that as long as you're working in normal conditions [shirt sleeve temps, not crawling around under car or bike w/ a parka on 'cause it's too frickin' cold![1]] pour pretty much same same whether at the "ouch!" hot stage or "aw nuts, wheres the shop rag" temp. I know, I've checked: cold or hot, the oil pretty much comes out like warm maple syrup [only lots blacker & slicker...] The fresh oil pours in more slowly, 'cause the "thickeners" haven't all been used up yet, so it behaves more like the 20wt that's the middle of the spectrum than the 10wt that the old oil acts like. So don't burn your fingers or waste your time & gas running the engine to warm the oil before draining. Unless it's 0c in your garage: then you'll want to warm the engine up just to heat the garage a little! Ride on! [1] My uncle's dictum is that "any place that's too cold for palm trees is unfit for human habitation" which is what he uses to justify his reluctance to go back to Texas and visit the family homestead...

Hey, hey, HEY NOW! The Cub is the greatest because it got more people on 2 wheels who never would have considered a bike before than any other motorcycle before or since. It's still in production [w/ minor changes] and likely will still have daily riders in use after I'm dead & buried [which I don't plan on doing for a long time yet!] It earns the #1 spot, not from beauty or outright performance, but from sheer dogged determination & longevity. Darn near indestructible [as proven by the U.K. tv show where they threw it off an 8? story building, & while the wheels needed replacing, was essentially still ridable] and still has much fun to hare around on as the 1st time you rode one as a pre-teen. And, as a lay-down single, it's a motorcycle even Carlo Guzzi would love. Heck, it's almost a knock-off of the galleto, isn't it? Ride on!

What things? You mean your Guzzi came w/ an owner's manual? Lucky git!.. FYI, not all new Guzzis came w/ one. Part of the "exotic Italian mystique" don'cha know...

DAYT NA?

Wow. Thanks for the 1st-hand info, Jason, & more power to you!

Rotella T Synth diesel oil. When I could find it at the Mart of Walls, it was about $20/gallon; was just there last weekend & the local Wally's was sold out. I'll start checking more diligently as I get closer to my next oil change. On older air-cooled bikes, the plain jane Rotella 15-40 works dandy, but my water-cooled SuziQ calls for 10-40; the Rotella Synth is rated at 5-40, so I use that. Diesel oils still have all the zinc & phosphorus that they've taken out of the SJ & onwards rated car oils. Also, according to Pete Roper [who's opinion in these matters I hold in very high regard!], no "friction modified" oil should be used in an air-cooled mill like our Guzzis. This is easy to spot on any U.S. oil can as the API rating is a bulls-eye kind of logo w/ the oil's nominal "wt." in the center dot, w/ an upper & lower rocker surrounding the dot. Look at (o) and imagine it rotated 90 degrees for an idea. The "friction modified" will appear in the lower rocker. Don't put any oil w/ that info in a motorcycle w/ wet clutch or air-cooled motor, unless you prefer wrenching to riding. Ride on!

Yeah, not sure that makes the most sense. I guess they want all the snow-bound riders to get a glimpse at the new models so they'll be fair drooling by the time the spring thaw rolls around...

Here in So.Cal. they've given free parking to motorcycles ever since they moved it away from Anaheim [who charged the same parking rate for bikes as cars, & then wouldn't let you park in a car stall: corners & painted "islands" only, please!] to Long Beach. I forget who, CMA? hosts a free "gear check" too, so you can walk in, buy your ticket & park your ride gear whilst inside. Really makes up for the ticket price [which as far as I'm concerned, should be absorbed by combination of manufacturers & vendors inside the show trying to sell you something, and the city & business outside the show selling you gas, food, etc. after you get out... ] Great, great venue, too bad downtown LBC has gotten so built up; it's become quite a zoo down there now. Que sera sera...

Haven't bought anything from Todd, but I've met him [years ago] & he's good people. I got my LeMans from MI, & they're good people too. I doubt very much that any customer of either would find fault w/ their service or support unless they were actively seeking to find fault for some nefarious reason. Brick & mortar businesses need to utilize the 'net these days to leverage their investment in meatspace. Some inveterate Luddites like myself will only deal w/ the B&M side of an internet business for certain items or convenience' sake. Conversely, many 'net businesses can exist fine in etherspace, but will find that having a B&M business [if it suits their product line] only adds to their profitability because it lends substance to their "business brand." It's a strange & marvelous Brave New World we live in, innit?

Warning! Warning! Incipient oxymoron alert!.. Ah, home of Burt Munro & the world's fastest Indian. Great flick, I'm sure you've seen it: anyone else out there in V11LM-land who hasn't absolutely must: it's time well spent! What an inspiration... Nice of the AMA to finally put him in the Motorcycle HoF (last year was it? '05?); he should have been inducted shortly after his friend Rollie Free, AFAIC... What? Only 90-odd years before the U.S. instituted a 40h work-week? Jeez, you lot down there certainly do believe in arriving early to a party! Thanks for the great ride report! I guess you're just heading into prime riding season, while many of us Stateside are looking at putting the bikes up for the season. Luckily, I'm in So.Cal., so I get to ride year round. But keep posting those great reports, for all the poor sods snowbound in bulk of the Northern Hemisphere to keep'em from going stir crazy! [or maybe to rub their noses in it a little? You decide... ]

I may be in the running for the former; definitely not the latter! I do know that there's a fairly low limit (5? 8?) for the number of emoticons allowed per post; I know this 'cause I keep banging off the limit & having to go back & edit! Ride on!

When/where will the actual circus, er, performance be held? If you're arriving the 22nd, that's our Thanksgiving holiday, so the airports will be jammed. Hope you like turkey or ham: those & TOFUrkey are about the only options on the menu that day anywhere in the U.S! The following day, "Black Friday" is the biggest shopping day of the year, but fortunately I'm working it [i'm not in retail any more, thank heavens!] & get to skip the crazed holiday shoppers. The following weekend should be fairly quiet (maybe some toy runs,) & the weekend after that is the CWIMS motorcycle show in Long Beach. Just trying to give you an overview of what all is going on stateside over the same interval so you have a better idea of what *you'll* want to do. Dunno if the CWIMS show will be doable for you, but if you don't get much in the way of motorcycle "new models for 2***" down under, you might want to pencil it in... Hope to get to meet 'n' greet while you're in Lo-Cal So. Cal. [where the money is plastic & the people are too!]

Huh? What? SPEAK UP SONNY, I CAN'T HEAR YOU!

And six months later (or thereabouts) it was down to about $.90 = Euro. I remember thinking at the time "this looks like a job for ARBITRAGE MAN!" but of course, had no $ to take advantage. (sigh) In case anyone in Euro land is thinking of buying dollars to hold against the inevitable swing back, bide a bit. The dollar is going to keep sinking until we start shipping troops home from the Middle East: this drop is caused by the govt. inflating the money supply to pay for the war, & it's why none of the f/x of doing so were felt until the first troop rotations came back home ['cause they've got nothing to spend their pay on in theatre.] When you see the U.S. start pulling out of Iraq, then start buying dollars. Ride on!

Well, as long as the dollar keeps dropping against the euro, the price is going to remain high. I'd advise opening an offshore account denominated in euros & start saving now...

Clearly a man from the Ministry of Funny Walks...

I haven't seen it, & I used to know a guy who worked for Novell back in the 90s who'd send me his Brit rags for free! [What a guy! Too bad he left Novell & couldn't use their internal mail to shuttle me his used bike magazines anymore... ] I haven't noticed it on any of the major newsracks [barnes & Noble, BookStar (before they folded), etc.] here in So.Cal. either. So thanks very much for the link! Ride on!