Orson

excellent routing! especially la Route Napoleon...excellent....in fact all of the south of France is one big motorcycling playground. I enjoy it more than the Alps. The weather is nicer and the roads are in better condition (due to the milder winters I reckon). Andorra is a tax haven that is overun with motorcycle apparel shops. Excellent prices on helmets, leathers, boots, etc, etc. Buy some stuff and ship it home Take pictures and post them in the travel section!

I know that inline 4's create a gyroscopic effect at higher RPMs that makes the bike want to stand up straight whilst in mid-corner. My question is...are Guzzis immune to this particular effect due to their longitudal layout?

Guzzi sure had some unique paint schemes prior to the 2003 model year. Then it seems as if the painter retired and they started coming out with Honda-like paint schemes I can't even tell what color Staedtler's bike is but it's nice Then there's the deep, dark purple, the champagne, the neon green....all unique and never to be mistaken for another brand. Edited to add: come to think about it...that's about when Aprilia took over.

click here for my Tuscany trip report in November '04. A nice place to stay in Tuscany is Villa il Poggiale, about 30 km south of Florence. Family owned and run, friendly English speaking staff with reasonable rates. I'll echo what others have said about the Moto Guzzi museum. It's a must see. It has weird hours though...something like 4:30 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.

I also enjoyed reading it. She does a good job of conveying the mystique of motorcycling that many of us feel but can't put into words. Great book to give to a non-motorcyclist to explain why it is that we are attracted to motorcycles.

Rule #1 of vacationing in Italy is...don't go in August. This is the month that most Italians traditionally take their vacations. Everything is closed for the holidays. Even the motorcycle shops. I loved Tuscany. Great motorcycling roads. Great scenery...mountains, beautiful medeival villages. Northern Italy is great to with the Alps. The highest passes don't open until late June but there are plenty of other great roads to ride. A lot of gas stations close down from about 11:30 A.M. until 2:30 P.M. Even if the sign says they're open, they'll be closed so, be sure you top off your tank before 11:30. That said, Italy is going modern and now has convenience stores that stay open 24 hours...really. You just have to find them. Italians eat a small breakfast around 9 or 10....then have a late lunch at about 2. If you miss lunch, you're outta luck cuz restaurants won't even think about opening for dinner until about 7:30 P.M. They eat late. When in Rome...drive like the locals which on a bike means, any gap you can fit your handlebars thru is fair game. Straddle the center line to pass a string of cars with oncoming traffic? Not a problem. This is Italy...anything goes

I saw the new Tuono at Milan. It looks as if it were beaten with an ugly stick maybe it's just the daft paint job? re: Martin's exotica. Maybe we should resign ourselves to flying below the radar. If there were a Guzzi on every corner, maybe we wouldn't feel as special.

with all due respect to Eric Buell...if Harley-Davidson took a page out of Ducati's "Paul Smart Replica" playbook and created a Cal Rayborn Replica...I would be seriously tempted. This one was featured in the October issue of Cycle World. Ironically, it's made by a custom builder in Japan. Go here to see their gallery. He makes some tasty bikes.

those super scooters look just like a real motorcycle from the front. I'm continually tricked into waving to these pseudo motorcyclists! Damn thee super scooteristi!

I'm not sure I believe you I'll let it slide...this time. just no more references with the words Tenni & scooter in the same sentence, please

I'm still trying to figure out if that was a subliminal jab at Tenni owners I read an interesting quote in Motorcyclist magazine that there were rumors that Aprilia might be #2 in the hierarchy behind Moto Guzzi. That's news to me.

I'm crying crocodile tears... 4 world championships is nuthin to sneeze at but arrogant, imperious, whiney don't let the screen door hit'cha on the other hand he did spice up the proceedings kinda like the villain on TV wrestling

2004 Triumph Thruxton 2000 Aprilia RSV Mille 1978 Ducati Darmah (basket case)

while it's not really trail braking....I find that if you find yourself going a bit too fast mid-corner and drifting to the road's edge...a dab (not a stomp) on the rear brake tightens your line up nicely without upsetting the bike.

Hey now! you just set the ruffty tuffty individualist Guzzisti image back several steps with this "if the girlfriend lets me business". You need to be the Donald Rumsfeld of the household!

I thunked there was an unwritten code of honor that stated covering the v twin lump was a punishable offense?

I am planning on riding Norway next June. I just might be able to fit this in. I was thinking of going up the coast to the Nordkapp...because it's there. What kind of time frame am I looking at to make it all the way to Nordkapp and back? Is June too early to tackle the Nordkapp? Plenty of hotels on the way to Nordkapp? Any info is appreciated

Oh sure...plan around me In all fairness, I probably wouldn't be able to match everyone else's schedules. That and I probably wouldn't be able to keep up pint-wise during the ferry crossing though it would be nice to launch an invasion on Norway with a platoon of Guzzis

I'm hoping to ride to Norway next summer. I wonder if June is too early

Holy moley! I must admit to be ignorant of history. I Googled Rorke's Drift. I was aware that there had been British-Zulu wars but I always assumed the Hollywood movie with Michael Caine was just that...a Hollywood story. I never realized that the movie was based on actual events. All I can say is "wow".

Just curious if my spring holds the record at 42,000 km? I've never won anything before in my life, maybe I can get an award button like a quiz point maybe they'll want to enshrine my Tenni in Mandello? course I've prolly jinxed myself again maybe I shift gears like a girl

I like it that you can "fly" over the Alps Get over the Alps...tilt the view down to where you're almost horizontal then drag and release the mouse. It looks like you're flying over the Alps on a cloudless day.

I saw one in the shop but didn't try it on so I can't help you. I thought it looked a bit too much the dorky moped-ista... but then I'm a poser

I don't know where that photo was taken. I doesn't look like the IOM TT. I would guess it's one of those crazy Irish street courses or the Macao GP.

Somebody's house near Oswestry, Wales. Approaching Snowdonia. Heading back to Whitchurch. All in all, i had a great time in Wales. Although the skies threatened to rain every day, I never received more than a smattering of rain. I was very impressed by the quality of roads in Wales. Fast sweepers to your heart's content. It's kinda like Northern California without the sunny weather. I look forward to returning in the spring!