Skeeve

Not as such: Herron, after all, was researching how to design more efficient aeroplane engines when he came up with them. And Herron heads were used in a 1964? vintage NA F-1 [Cosworth?] engine to achieve something over 100bhp/ltr, iirc. Moto Morini did pretty well with their 3&1/2 motor back in the 70s, so much so that it has become a cult bike. That was a Herron head design, too. No, what's inefficient about a Herron head is when you try to lead in the air from the side & make it turn a 90deg corner at the valve. All the modern J-brand transverse I4 engines [and BMWs new K1200] have intakes that are long and straight and only a small angle off the intake valve axis. Can't do that on a Guzzi, since the heads are way out there in the breeze... Coming from a "dirty sheet" redesign, by ditching the spine frame and turning the intake about 90 degrees toward the centerline of the bike & raising it a little, you could perch an airbox about where the fuel tank is now, and put the fuel cell over the tranny & in the frame [similar to what Buell has done w/ his bikes] and maybe realize an improvement in breathing (from a straighter shot at the cylinder) and more mass centralization. Heck, you could even put the oil reservoir for the shock in the airbox, for better cooling [it wouldn't have too much effect on the intake density, & might be worth while... ] But at the end of the day, would it still be a Guzzi? Ride on!

Yes, I think the FJ fitment is supposed to be the best fit, but since it's all rumour until we can get confirmation, it's good to know the NTV isn't the prime contender...

Earplugs are so darn easy to use, and so inexpensive nowadays, why the heck would you ride without? I splurged on custom-molded plugs back when CA forbid wearing earplugs that weren't "custom hearing orthotics" [legal language intended to exempt hearing-aids, but cut both ways: WTH should I lose my hearing because the law sez "You might miss the siren of an emergency vehicle" when my deaf friend can get a license and drive, regardless? Dumb@ss politicians...], but the foamies are now legal and regardless of what the law sez when I'm outside CA, my hearing is more precious than the cost of any citation. I've been legally deaf [> 30% hearing loss in both ears] and thru amazing good fortune, my condition was noted & treated before it became permanent. If I'm riding longer than down the street to the corner grocery [call it a 10 min. ride], the plugs go in before I get on. Even then, it's such a ritual that I have to consciously decide not to wear them; usually it's because the errand at the other end will be so quick that I won't want to have to remove my helmet [it's a flippy] and will need to be able to hear or converse or otherwise interact w/ a sales drone or something. Wear ear plugs, wear ear plugs, wear ear plugs. I just cannot fathom anyone not protecting their hearing when they have the choice... But intake roar can still be wearisome when constantly exposed to it, even if wearing ear plugs. I'd say go for the modified stock airbox & spend your money on something more useful. Ride on,

It's all about the intake tracts: air has mass, making it turn 'round corners (change direction) requires force, force requires energy, energy taken from the moving column of air slows it down, yadayadayada. These guys did their homework; if you take the time to stumble thru the horrible machine translation of the article, [which, btw, w/ todays computer power & AI programming you'd think the translation programs would have search patterns for idiomatic expressions & brand names built in, so that "Moto Guzzi" for instance would be translated as "Moto Guzzi," instead of "Guzzi motion..." all the time] you'll find that they really focused on application of modern combustion theory; Carcano was designing the Guzzi big-block V2 40 years ago, and the factory hasn't really changed the details all that much in the intervening years... and there's only so far you can go w/ 1940's technology! Between water-cooling the head [which allows higher compression before pinging sets in] and comprehensive design of the combustion chamber & intake tract [more of the same, + better breathing], and added displacement [no replacement for displacement, as they say!], the Big Bore is a great indicator of which way the factory could go [if Piaggio wanted.] Conversely, the Tonti-designed small block in the Breva 750 is pretty much stretched to its limits; without a comprehensive redesign of the intake tract similar to the Big Block [which will net smaller %age gains vs. the hemi heads on the big block Carcano motors], it just can't breathe well enough [there's some web data to support this out there (Eurospares, for one)] to do it, plus there's not enough strength in the cases [which started life w/ half the Breva's displacement, don't forget!] to handle too much more power. Anyway, that's the story as I heard it... Ride on!

You're actually in a position to help the rest of us here in V11LM-land out! Pyramid Plastics [the people who make Fenda Xtendas] don't have very great penetration here in the U.S., & moreover, there's a lot of bikes available in Europe that aren't, here[1]. Anyway, PP doesn't make a Guzzi-specific model for the V11sesesss's. After some digging, I uncovered rumours/legends/netmyths to the effect that Xtendas for the Yammie FJ1200/FJ1100 might be a good match; likewise, that the one for the Honda Varadero? NTV650? & quite possibly the SuziQ SV650 might be likely prospects. I believe there was a K'wakker model somewhere in that list too, but I don't have it handy & can't be bothered to look it up just now... How about you take your Goose down to a dealer that will allow you to try different models against your Guzzi's fender, and report back here? The only reason I haven't done this already is that I'd have shelled out over $100 in "possibles" w/ no chance to return them for a refund, since the U.S. vendor I contacted about this ages ago said they'd have to import all these special [they only carry a limited stock, not the full line] to find out which fits, and I ain't made o' money... Ride on! [1] BTW, when did the U.S., once the world's largest market for motorcycles, become a 3rd world backwater for which manufacturers can't be bothered to import their latest models?

Yes, but the phrasebooks always seem to ignore the most interesting & useful ones!

Sh____, anyone can do that [given years of practice, an english wheel, planishing hammer, some ball peen hammers and a shot bag, oh, & don't forget the TIG kit & many hours of practice driving that, or you'd better know a good welder...]! Piece of pie! Easy as cake! No big deal, not like making an obelisk full of stars or anything...

Yowza! What a tasty morsel! Best of luck finding a replacement for her; she's gonna be a tough act to follow, I'm sure! Ride on,

In answer to the thread title: Yes. I've never understood the appeal of the baby-poo green of the 2000 Sport; it looks nothing like the phosphate-green paint of the 50's Guzzi racers, & more importantly, it doesn't match the green of the Italian flag or the piping on your seat (so much for "tri-color!") The bike looks really "unbalanced" with the silver fender up front; if you really like the fluorescent yellow-green of the tail section, match the front fender to it, and you'll end up with a much more visually pleasing result. Look, I don't mean to trash your choice: if you really like this, that's what counts. But about all I can say for it w/o being negative is that any driver who pleads "I didn't see you!" to the judge after cutting you off & causing an accident had better have his license yanked, 'cause he's frickin' BLIND! Ride on!

Our public school systems ["Public" as in "free, paid for by taxes (which isn't free, actually)," not "Public" as in U.K. private schools] are ever devolving, since the teachers can no longer impose order by smacking the kids whose parents don't love them enough to beat them when they do wrong. The poor social behaviour of the wild kids then spreads to the rest, and nothing gets taught. Combine that with fundie parents who get in the way of quality education by insisting on textbooks that don't teach the theory of evolution, other parents who insist on dumbing down the whole system so that their precious angel [who they won't beat for bringing home failing grades] will pass, etc. and the quality of the teaching materials & curriculum devolves almost as rapidly as the classroom discipline. Combine this with a school system that refuses to recognize that a substantial percentage of the kids within their walls will never go on to so much as a junior college/technical school, let alone academia, yet refuses to offer useful trade indoctrination [vs. the German "gymnasium/technetium" scholastic split], and you end up with a public education that considers the ability to read at a 5th grade level for high school seniors a "success." Oh yeah, and lest we stray too far off the "foreign language" options: most school systems don't even allow for learning a F.L. until the Junior High level, which is at least 5 years too late to offer true, native-speaker comfortable life-long fluency by the time the kid graduates from high school. And before anyone asks: no, I'm not a teacher, I'm just someone who has spent virtually their entire life being told "you should be a teacher!" and the grandson of a very successful teacher who had the good fortune to retire prior to the sweeping changes to our laws here in California that gutted what was once one of the nation's best public school systems. [/rant mode] Ride on!

Are those handguards you've got on the ends of the bars? Can we get a closeup of that action? Cheers!

They did (sorta); there was that 3-wheeled front-loader just after the war, around '49 or '50, was there? Looking forward to Piaggio putting the SXV 'priller motation unit into their new 3w leaner [presently labeled "MP3" in a blatant & most likely fruitless attempt to appeal to the Gen Y'ers out there...] - or hopefully something even bigger - instead of the pointless 250 they've got in it so far. All the extra weight needed for the double-wide [for you trailer trash out there! ] front end requires extra got-up-&-went vs. their regular scooters; once Piaggio realizes that fundamental fact, they could have a real hit on their hands! It's make a nice alternative to the Guzzi for all-weather commuting... Hey, there's an idea: Piaggio could market the open-road version w/ a serious motor under the Guzzi banner: Guzzi owners are, after all, widely recognized as being somewhat idiosyncratic...

Welcome! "A man's got to know his limitations" - The Pale Rider In this context: what kind of riding do you prefer/do most? If you're looking for racking up serious touring miles, well, the Cali is almost certainly your better bet; if you enjoy a more sporting/aggressive riding profile w/ shorter ride durations, then the more sport-oriented spine frames would be your cuppa. The Breva seems to be the happy medium of the newer models, delivering a good combo of the Cali's touring capabilities w/ the Sport models' handling and vigor; a "good all-rounder" as they say, although that's kind of "damning w/ faint praise." Me, if I had the money, I'd have a bright yeller Griso in the stable, but there's no way I'm replacing my LeMans w/ one: it'd have to be an addition! Best o' luck w/ your website plans!

Well, theoretically, the amount of cooling depends upon the differential between the temp of the air and the temp of the convecting surface, so the cooler intake side of the head supposedly doesn't heat up the passing air sufficiently to make a difference on cooling the hotter exhaust side of things, while getting direct cool air into the intake & making the exhaust plumbing as easy as possible has decided benefits. All of which is fine for other designs; on a Guzzi, this just means your knees are gonna need asbestos liners! And the theory really only seems to work well for liquid-cooled bikes; seems like the a/c 2-smokes they used to try this on always seized! So I am in ageement with your thinking the time & energy spent doing this would be better utilized in other activities.

Probably better off registering it as a "special construction" unit, depending upon where you live, if you can't get it reg'd. as a Moto Guzzi. I doubt very much that G&B bothered jumping thru all the DOT's hoops to sell their bikes over here...

Very interesting article, if you can get past the massacred (machine) translation. Particularly interesting was the bit about improving the Guzzi's combustion dynamics with increased swirl. Absolutely follow the link even if only to scope out the pics at the bottom of the page: nice shots of sectioned cylinder head(s), displaying the water cooling galleys, the combustion chamber, etc. Notice also the details like roller lifters & rockers [i've only mentioned these like 1/2 dozen times since joining v11LM! ] in addition to the 106x76mm cylinders? Yowza! I wonder if they'll really be making this available as a kit, like they hinted at in the interview text?

Welcome! Good luck w/ your project! You might do better to try and sell the lowered seat on eBay or arrange a swap via this & other Guzzi 'boards; someone out there who's been thinking of lowering his seat might be happier to swap his standard seat to you for free rather than paying to have his own seat sculpted; you both come out ahead... Tail pipes should be no problem, as it seems everyone wants to ditch the stockers for lighter/louder aftermarket cans anyway! Same w/ the head guards: there're some nifty aftermarket units available out there for not much more (or maybe less) than the cost of the stock replacements. Looking forward to hearing & seeing pics of your progress here on v11LM!

You ARE planning on recording this for posterity, right? Not above paying a nominal fee to get it, altho' a posting to YouTube might be in order, since it'll probably be funnier than their last few hits...

Congratulations! Color me Tenni green w/ envy; I missed out on a Tenni here in So.Cal. a couple years ago, before I realized what a deal it was; somebody scooped it up the day before I went in to buy it! Grrr... I had to pass on it when it came up for sale again 1.5 years later, w/ 4k miles and the seller asking for more than he paid for it, as I had already picked up an '03 LeMans in all black livery from MI in Seattle... Bring on the pix; we all want to see your new pride & joy!

Just out of curiosity, what might those be? Since MA is providing the crib notes for the PRK's assault on our civil rights, I'd imagine about all that you lot in MA can use anymore are charcoal-burnin' front stuffers, and the redcoats from Boston will soon be marching on Lexington & Concord unopposed to take even those away from you... Since I've been the de facto Shoot'n'Scoot organizer for the L.A.Bikers here in the PRK [except I haven't done one for the past couple years; too busy], I have a slightly more than casual interest in seeing what goes on there, since it will be coming soon in a piece of poorly-written legislation from Sacramento.

& not to mention, "dolce fa niente!" [w/ thanks to Sophia Loren for the only lesson in Italian that ever seemed to stick... ]

Couple of questions: 1) What's an NCD? 2) Why would you be surprised that an insurance company would be willing to add more vehicles to your policy? It's all money to them, & for the added amounts charged, pure gravy since you can't be riding both at once! Ride on,

"MV Monomoto Unique Motorcycle Art" "This MV Augusta 60cc Monomoto Superleggera is the experimental machine ridden by young wealthy Italian Luiggi Bandini, during practice for the 1954 Milano-Taranto Road Race. Bandini tragically lost control in a misty mountain section, while waving to a pretty spectator. His grief stricken father, Count Enzio Bandini, “The Falcon,” never again permitted anyone to ride or even view this advanced design, and knowledge of its whereabouts faded. Eventually, rumors of this fascinating machine reached the motorcycling bon vivant Todd Fell. On a trip to Naples, Italy, his quest to find it was rewarded at the Bandini country villa, where in 2004, fifty years after the tragic accident, the late Count’s family was persuaded to part with the treasure." [HINT: "Bandini" in the U.S. is a fertilizer company, aka, synonymous w/ "bullshit!" ]

Maybe the person who suggested MZNYC "check the solenoid" intended to steer him to the block of relays? After all, a solenoid (as used for 'lectric starter motors) is basically just an extra-super-heavy-duty relay... Best o' luck!

Great prices, nice of you to make the offer, but AFAIC, the only reason to swap out the stock muffs is to save weight [altho, on the 2003+ bikes, a real performance gain could be realized by eliminating any restriction caused by the cats...] Yeah, yeah, I know: some people actually think the aftermarket options look better; I'm in the minority here: I actually think the stock pipes look good! So, any indication of what the total weight saved vs. the stock pipes would be realized by the 3 different options? Call me curious...