Frenchbob

I haven't, Chris. France isn't as well provided for as the UK in respect of engineering and specifically bike services, it's true. I've no experience of valve guide liners, and my instinct would have been to steer clear, but your experience with the T3 suggests otherwise. I think I've a spare set of S3 guides somewhere if you want me to look them out. I'm going on a run with the Amicale Limousine des Motos Anciennes on Sunday [they should be voting!], and I'll ask around for you. I'll also ask my local Guzzi/BMW/Harley guy.

Near enough.

I was just going to mention that he forgot the 2 people necessary to start arguing about how light bulbs affect GW. There's also the one who smugly gives us the archive link to his post on changing lightbulbs in 2003. Good one, Ryan.

Salut, Chris! The only French vehicle we have is the wife's Clio [the others are Italian or British], and of course I've never looked at that. In defence of Lucas alternators, though, I'll mention that my Thunderbird's original one still works fine, having survived a fire that melted the carb and rocker boxes and then spent years in a drawer! It all begins to make sense with the Valeo: French glue is about as effective as French paint. Perhaps we should have a thread written in Franglais, being rude about French products. That was a joke, of course..................... Interesting that the one on Ebay is being advertised as a replacement for the Bosch ones. I don't know of any Bosch ones that have worn out or broken. Since I had trouble with the Valeo I've discovered that they're everywhere, and mostly broken.

You could improve on that only by having the beer in a glass and the girl in a nurse's outfit.

For those, if any, who haven't gone to sleep, the plunger in the solenoid was considerably gummed up. I've freed this off, oiled it and lightly greased the worm gear. While the starter's off, I'll clean t'other end as well [the electrical bit]. Then we'll see. I'm also slightly concerned that the plunger mechanism [rocker] is held together by an interference fit pin, with nothing but friction to stop it falling out. Very odd. When I got the starter off, I discovered that it had a "Made in France" label on the hidden side of the casing......................!

He had impeccable taste in motorcycles, women and the matter of which country he decided to live in, IMHO. One of the greats indeed.

Starsky and Hutch? I rest my case.

Yes, we're old, Ben. In fact, you may be the only young person on here! We ride old, slow Guzzis because we're old.................and your excuse would be? I checked......my Sgt Pepper album is still with me, although I can't play vinyl because my turntable is still in the box I put it in, under all the other boxes I brought when I last moved house and haven't opened. I have it on disc, though. I wonder what's in the rest of those boxes..................

Murray, I have a 200km run out on 10th June with my local club, and I shall be going on.............you guessed it..........a horrid, old, Lucas-equipped, Pommie-built pile of **** which I can rely upon to start Thanks for everyone's suggestions, though: when I've taken the starter off and found the problem, and hopefully a solution not involving replacement, I'll post again

Not investigated yet, Chris, but I'll bear in mind the Ebay tip, and the German Jap starter adaption kit - thanks. Magnets glued to the outer casing. Hmmm.........

Thanks for that, Murray. Relays all Bosch, and I switched them about to check. I've also checked the under-tank connection: OK. Ditto sidestand switch and battery connections/weak battery [ I used a car battery to be sure]. I might well check out the auto breakers if the solenoid doesn't clean up, though, before splurging out on a replacement MG starter [£125 used at Reboot!] Bob

According to the remnants of my education, "Valeo" [as in V11 starter motor] comes from the same Latin root as the English "value". This is the clearest evidence yet of MG's sense of irony; yes, I'm having starter motor problems. Click [relay], clunk, then the fuse blew. Fuse replaced, now won't go clunk although the click is still there, and the bike will bump-start OK. I've tried hitting the solenoid, assuming that it is stuck, but no go so as soon as I've time, I'll take it off and clean it.................unless anyone here knows better [highly likely]. My V11 has done 12000 km. My S3 has done 45000 miles and the Bosch starter motor has never, as far as I'm aware, given trouble - shome mishtake shurely.

I got Sandy Passage - I don`t think this is going to work for everyone!

Personally, I think that riding on nails and bolts in the snow is taking Guzzi machismo to an extreme. I know we're harder than Harley riders, but do we have to go to extremes to prove it?

I'm tempted to say that you haven't met my wife................. Seriously, though, my experience with a V50 was all good. It was a bit on the small side for me, even when I was less generously proportioned but I toured on it two-up, commuted on it and occasionally thrashed it, for about 10 thousand miles and the only problem I had was with flimsy and unreliable switchgear. I liked it a lot.

Kept the wife, sold the Guzzi. Some decisions you get wrong!

Well, I would say yes, but on a good day the middle one's longer.

That'll be the next one.

Twenty six years ago, but still a livid scar on the memory. A younger and slimmer Frenchbob chains his brand new Guzzi V50 by the rear wheel to a bollard outside a bar in Alicante. Several beers later, emerges to something approaching adulation from the local youths, most of whom are riding ancient mopeds. Straddles Guzzi, lifts sidestand, motions delicious new wife to get on behind, acknowledges adoring crowd with condescending wave, dons shades, thumbs starter, guns the engine and releases clutch...........and comes to a shuddering halt before gently toppling over in the dust. New wife unimpressed, youths delirious with laughter, Frenchbob humbled, burned [shorts and Guzzi exhausts - bad combination] and ever so slightly sick!

Depressingly true, in the main, although there are exceptions. When I asked my son, who is a scientist and therefore can be expected to read only research material and pornography, whether he knew that Vonnegut had died, I discovered from the ensuing conversation that he had read more of his work than I had...... So it goes!

Hi, Ben, thanks. Yes, new cock is doing nicely. He's softer and dafter than the old one, having been nursed by 'er indoors as an accident-prone chick. Although a son of Serge, he looks a proper Rhode Island Red and his name is Bruno. Photos when I get my main computer back up and running. This one's steam-driven. Talogo.

Thanks, Ryan. My points score looks slightly less pathetic, now. Come on, Ben: dig into your points box and stick one here!

Ducati Apollo V4 prototype, 1964, 1200cc

I'm six foot tall with five foot arms, and my 750S3 [close relation to V7S] suits me fine.............this may be because I have nine-inch legs.