zen_kick

Always wear Red Wing 6-inch work boots. These have soft ankle collar, grippy oil-resistant soles with good tread and 'speed hooks' at the top for lacing so you don't need a side zippoer. These are common enough you can find surplus versions on ebay for much less than the $168 suggested retail. Plus with a gel insert the Red Wings are almost as comfy as sneakers and can be worn at the office or social destination without looking like 'spaceman boots'. They come in black or brown, go with jeans, chinos or shorts and I've found them to be as durable as Chippewas (have chippewa work boots for snowy days). http://www.redwingshoes.com/productdetails.aspx?prodid=1106 I give my riding boots a twice-yearly dousing in Huberd's shoe grease and these are good to go in all kinds of weather. http://www.huberds.com/Home.html To be fair, I've never wrecked in these so I can't vouch for the safety factor compared to armored footwear.

mine was fun for about a day, Should have posted it on ebay for 20k. Could have bought a couple of new guzzis with the proceeds...

Paul - I don't think the custom was designed to be a sport tourer. That's why it's crucial to always own more than one bike! Personally I'm partial to the confederate wraith over the fighter but I don't have the 55k for that one either....

Not sure if the designer is fully Italian or an american "of italian descent". Here's what I believe is a snap of the designer.

Forgot the description. Heck, I'd buy it if I had an extra 20k lying about. Anyone know what the word on the tank is? ------ This bike started out as a one owner, low mileage V11. Then Artist, Custom Fabricator and Builder Extraordinaire Giovanni Niccoli got a hold of it. Take a very close look because you will certainly being seeing more of his works in the very near future. I can't even attempt to describe the bike, but the pictures take care of that for me. It's fantastic. It's outrageous. It's everything Giovanni envisioned it to be and more. Part sport bike, part chopper/bobber it's the first of what he calls "European Bad Ass" bikes. Look at the attention to detail. Giovanni spent more than 1000 hours in hand crafting this bike and everything from the tank, to the fenders, to the grill to the seat is hand fabricated- NOT your 'built in my garage from a parts catalog' for kicks kind of bike. It sounds like it just rolled off the F1 circuit and now it's coming for the women and children of a town near you!! You have to hear this thing. This bike has been featured on national Television and won the Utah 'Best In Class' Motorama show in the Spring of 08. It has been featured in IronHorse Magazine (in fact, if you hurry, you can catch the August feature issue). At the Motorama show none other than George Barris himself, legendary custom builder (he built the car for The Monkees back in the 60's), saw this bike and gave it two thumbs up saying Giovanni has a bright future. Giovanni is the Creator behind Moto Couture, a new breed of custom car and bike builder. His company specializes in coach built, bespoke stuff which means you simply get the baddest stuff on the planet and it's built to your specs, from scratch. Unique, Top Quality and Ubber Exclusive. So you can buy this bike or have him build something just for you, top to bottom. Giovanni Niccoli graduates in Spring 09 from Utah Valley University with a 4yr, Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Tech, Street Rod and Customs Technology. There are only 2 schools in the country that specialize in this craft, one in AZ and one in Utah. Giovanni was voted student of the year for 07-08 and you can see why. His stuff will soon become the next six figure builds so now is your chance to get one of his pieces, in fact the first Sport Chopper, before they become something only the rich and famous can afford. This Bike is at Giovanni's shop in Salt Lake City, UT. If You'd Like To Speak To Someone at Moto Couture regarding this bike or another project you have in mind, please call 480-217-1243. Truly unique, custom, one off, bespoke, coach built- Moto Couture.

I knew it was only a matter of time before we'd see the bobber/chopper craze hit a V11. As weird as it feels to say, not a bad job - I think it retains some of the intrinsic "Italian-ness" instead of forcing the chopper style over the orginal design like you see with old Triumph choppers. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Custom-Buil...emZ200260577861

Right header on my 2004 Ballabio was emitting jaunty little puffs of exhaust yesterday morning. Stock system all around. Closer inspection shows about a 2" crack wrapping around the outside. Am just approaching 11k miles. Good thing warranty covers else I'd have to sell a child to buy some upgrades...

Can you post before and after pix? Or after pix if those are all you have?

At the risk of sounding like a total noob: What's so great about Marvic wheels? Is magnesium a ton lighter than aluminum? Anyone running these who can report some improvment over stock? If it's aesthetics only, I think I am partial to the 3 spoke stock wheels on my 04 ballabio over the 5 spokes in the picture...

Nick Cave is great. His older stuff (pre-murder ballads & let love in) I find inconsistent - some sublime, some merely irritating. Ever notice that his "Red Right Hand" is a blatant rip off of a Tom Waits tune - I think from Frank's Wild Years? The title of the Tom Waits song escapes me and my CDs are all in storage...

Added touring grips = world of difference. + Cheap nylon throttle lock = not much more I want/need to do with the bike.

I'll snap a pic this weekend when I have the camera handy and post next week when I am back from holiday. Thought I had the package to send the URL but can't find it.

Couldn't use throttlemeister myself as I have bar-ends. Greg from MI set me up with a cheapo - ~$20 nylon throttle lock that I love. It's designed for a yamaha fits next to the grip and operates with a flip-lever. Works like a champ, easy to use and install and the only complaint I have is the positioning - the lever is a bit high for easy thumb flipping but then I don't accidentally engage or dis-engage. A winter project will involve crafting a do-hicky to rotate it down a bit. Don't have batteries for the camera but can post a pic this weekend.

Had similar experience with a 2004 Ballabio. At about 1500mi started running rough, wouldn't pull any more etc. Thought it was heat/vaccum related as it initially seemed to improve after letting the bike sit overnight or in shade to cool. Solution didn't last long, resetting chip didn't have an effect either. Turns out fuel pump was bad. Replaced and all is well again.

At the risk of sounding like an indie rock wanker: "Bleach" is the best thing Nirvana ever released. A good friend from Jersey once told me: "Rock bands can be broken down into two groups - those who have heard the Velvet Underground and those who haven't - guess which group is better?"