Frenchbob

Nog, parts you don't see unless the bike is upside-down and which don't get hot: Rocol preservative [agricultural suppliers] - indeed you can spray this over most of the bike in the winter, but it is a pain to get off again although when you have done so, the finish underneath will be as good as it was when sprayed; Parts that were plated and have gone rusty, and don't get hot: gun blue [once every two years or so]; parts that were plated and have gone rusty and do get hot: occasional applications of stove-blacking [as you would with your wood-burning stove, or brush on vegetable oil - works particularly well with rusty exhaust pipes; parts that are painted, good plating, polished alloy and anything else that looks dull/dirty but is good underneath: use a damp leather on the fly shit then an oily rag and very occasionally [every two years] clean the crud off and solvol or wax polish, depending on original finish; I have followed this regime for any of my bikes in reglar use for several years, now, since I have an aversion to washing them, and the results exceed expectations [although it has to be said that my expectations are usually modest]. If all else fails: Brillo pads! Allegedly.

I would spray it with paint stripper.

To be serious for a moment, I've just cut about eight cords of chestnut for next winter, and I have just enough woodland for this rate of cutting/renewal to be sustainable, so I do my bit.

Purple. It needs some purple on it to match Barney the Dinosaur. Otherwise, what's the problem? My own V11 came from the factory with at least five different, clashing colours on it, and Ben's is at least different. And, yes, it looks much more interesting in natural light. Nice job, Ben. Really.

Sorry.....was going to comment but it just started snowing, so I'm going to go into the corner and suffer my climate anxiety attack.

My Armstrong is painted pearlescent white and metallic red. I just wish I had the courage to redo the red bits pink.

Your Aprilia 250 comparison is certainly valid: I hadn't looked at the resemblances there before. The modern replica Ducatis are closely related to the Pantah design, true. I still think there is a more direct line from the V7 to the V11, though, than from the bevel drives to the Duke replicas. Actually, I'm changing my mind about the replica Dukes since I saw a photo of Paul Smart aboard a replica Imola replica in one of the comics......maybe, anyway.

Thanks for the picture and the thought, David: appreciated! I am, naturellement, the prey of predatory poor women. I possess a pale beige suit: does that count? Thought not.

Like Van, I think this is exactly right. Moreover, the V11 is not a replica of anything: it is a development of the original V7 Sport; the Ducati is a conscious effort to cash in on the Ducati bevel-drive heritage by producing a look-alike, but not a development of it. This doesn't mean I wouldn't like the Duke, but I don't see anything in the current Guzzi range I would rather have than my V11.

Now that I'm a pensioner I would have to save money and look at my own tits were it not for this thread. Unpleasant thought, no?

......how many of you have been down to the beach at Sidmouth to blag yourselves a new, free BMW? Or a bag of nappies.

Would someone with a toe in the real world explain, please? Have I missed something again ? Should I be taking something that everyone else is already on?

Seventeen.

The fuel tank detailing was messy on the one I saw, but apart from that, yes please! I French bloke I know now has six Voxans and counting. I've heard nothing more about reliability and dealer issues, but I'm still wary on that score.

Not if you live in France it isn't! Here, they haven't had roundabouts for very long, either, and many people still confuse them with "priorite a droit" junctions, where anyone joining the road from the right has priority........and on French roundabouts you should give way to traffic approaching from the left! This makes negotiating a French roundabout either hilarious or very scary, depending on whether you are piloting an ancient Landrover or your treasured Guzzi. It's all made even more hilarious by the fact that you are allowed to hug the outside of a roundabout in French law even if you are going all the way round, and many do but some don't. Hey isn't that Limpbit Optic with Charlie? He's dating a cheeky girl - there's no justice in the World!

He's smiling because he's found the back door open while Prodi [if that is he] is struggling with the front! [for the record, I'm with Antonio on Prodi]

Strange! That doesn't look even remotely like my old MZ TS250.

When I first relocated to France, I thought that vehicle insurance was high, but I'm beginning to find my way around, now. Just got the V11 insured fully comp with my classic insurers, Bailly, for 280 euros. They do all my five other bikes one "collection" policy for less than that!

You're quite right. I'm not feeling very good about myself at the moment, and having to sell some of my stuff to pay bills isn't helping! Dr Hueher? The man with two brains?

My watch is a 1980s Cassio digital - one of the first - that I got from the lost property box at work in 1985, since when it has consumed half a dozen batteries and been fallen on by my Ducati 860GT when the bike and I had a brief disagreement in 1988 about who should be on top [thus the currently cracked face]. All the watches I had before were destroyed by the vibrations from bike riding. Anything else is just tinsel, as far as I'm concerned. And I do ride my old bikes - more than I ride my V11, as a matter of fact. If I were wealthy [which I am decidedly not] I wouldn't want to boast about it to other motorcyclists who of all people are going to be least impressed! Just my , as you colonials say.

I had an MZ 250TS once. No, really, it wasn't bad..............

No kidding, that sounds just like my 750 S3 at idle. It has 70s Lafranconi PR silencers. Uncanny!

Nice addition to the family stable, Chris and Jane. Bon fin d'année!

Don't agree, Nog. Comfort? Practicality? Ergonomics? Character? Tuneability? Reliability? Build quality? If it were just power, brakes and handling we would all have some sort of Yamaha crotch rocket, surely?