Baldini

When UJ goes it's quite a distinct vibration from around right hand footrest - as you'd expect! Is it more noticeable on right? Have you tried getting it up on a stand & listening around UJ tunnel, engine off, rotating rear wheel? Is there excess backlash in drive line, knocks? KB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmVfrS8OEVw Yehaaayyy! Thanks Belfast! KB or for a longer, better version... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whjviUck9G0&feature=player_embedded

Once more the descent into pedantry...it's always more complex than that - I guess if your riding is just sitting on the back of something that goes it's own way, then it might be passive (& possibly more accurately described as "steering" ?) - but if you are making a m/c do what you want, not what it wants (minded or not), then you are RIDING it & that is anything but passive. Riding & driving can be passive or aggressive. Guess there's all sorts of rides (& drives). But maybe most times anything inherently stable you DRIVE, anything unstable ...you RIDE... Tazio Nuvolari: Mert Lawwill: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmVfrS8OEVw KB PS. BFG - how do you do that so that the utube pic + play icon comes up instead of just the written link? Thanks. PPS. - did you get my pm?

Why the preoccupation with soft sand? There's loads of offroad going in Morocco without having to do soft sand... ...and it's not as if a lardy great 1200GS is ideally suited to the stuff either, so I don't expect it'll be a priority target unless ScuRoo's mates are some kind of masochistic bodybuilders? There's none til you get down South anyhow & I reckon most people are only tackling it cos it's the only way to get to the other side - ScuRoo:How long you going for & what route you thinking of? A consideration re tyres: Depends on route you're taking but whatever, there's some road miles to be done & dedicated offroad tyres/heavy bike/hot tarmac = lots of wear. Long time ago I did long distance trials on R80GS on Michelin T61's, involved motorway treks front & back - great off road tyres but you could see them disappearing before your eyes every stop. I went to Southern Morocco 2-up w/camping gear, did loads of offroad no problems - on a bog stock T3 on road tyres - had a great time, but then I was just pootling around - didn't go to race GS's! It's a fantastic country. Sights & sounds I'll never forget. North can be a bit heavy duty - South is more relaxed & "foreign". That was 20-odd years ago, dunno how it's changed. I'll dig out some pix. KB

This was buried in an unrelated thread & deserved it's own - hope that's OK with you ScuRoo? What's your route? How long you going for? River crossings? KB

Where you planning on going? Tyres, wide bars, crash bars would be a start. Any river crossing? I rode T3 to Southern Morrocco, plenty off road, 2 up w/camping gear - had a great time - on normal road tyres, no special preparations but then I kept out of soft sand ...& ...I wasn't racing knobblied, duel-purpose bikes.... Not saying don't go - I think it's great idea - if you're just out pottering around you could do it on a stock Scura - it's a motorcycle, they'll go most places, but if you're thinking of matching GS off road, you're either very good or your mates are crap... or you're totally barking...& sump is the least of your worries. Are you serious ScuRoo? If you are, I think this merits it's own thread - why not start it as a New Topic - "Off-roading a V11"...??? Happy New Year & Good luck! KB

I'm surprised this has not aroused more discussion here....

Probably make the RC feel like an animal! KB

Have you ridden one of the new Guzzis - a Griso or Breva? I think some of the difference between RC/Scura might be faired/unfaired & set up, but Guzzis feel smoother & more refined model by model over many years....relatively speaking! You might find latest Carc models even further down same road? KB

I dunno current CRMC Regs, but last time I looked I thought same - about 72, disc brake Tontis were marginal... Most likely they have a class for 80's or air-cooled twins? KB

Part two...

Looks like Jim Blomley's bike. He's a long time Guzzi man & knows his stuff. I'm guessing it's a later version of this bike (write up from UK club mag many years ago): A bit of a history; Part one...sorry about quality... KB

As said already the 2003> bikes are (reputedly cos I haven't ridden one) better sorted from factory. The Scura is a 2002 bike (reg presumably in 2003), whereas the RC is a 2003 bike including changes later model had. Ohlins on Scura had famously soft springs from factory & took some setting up inc often stiffer springs by owner. Not sure what RC came with but Ohlins are reputed to be better set up out of the box. Tyres can have a huge effect on feel (light/heavy/precision/subtlety etc) according to type & amount of wear. Is it possible RC has PC/FI set up slightly better than Scura (by you/shop) ? KB

Thanks Hubert! Too much to look at just now but I liked some of these:

Why's it gone so quiet round here? I always liked this forum cos of the widespread experiences that it encompassed - an interesting, disparate group of characters - I like to hear how someone the other side of the world sees things, how life is where they are, what the country looks like, the roads, the weather, the people, whatever... & the way people of clearly differing views managed to get on...or perhaps ultimately they don't? Other sites seem to encompass a pretty narrow worldview - cliquey, clubby, insular, dull - small core group recycling the same guff, moaning & groaning about everyone but themselves. My mother-in-law used to tell my kids: "if you're bored you're boring". So is it just me, or has the nature of the Guzzi forums changed over the last few years? Has the format just got stale? Nadolig Llawen! KB

This one? http://vintagemotorcyclesonline.com/community/forum/10-general-talk Motorcycle books: http://www.merlinbooks.com Have you tried "advanced" search on here - it works better. Not so simple as it used to be - least I don't find it so. Be quite specific with parameters for search. KB

What tyres are you on? Some tyres steer much quicker than others. KB

So that's where you are...funny, I only just now posted on MGCGB forum asking after you, not seen you around on MG forums for a while... KB

...I see the bike... has your mind become a little befuddled perhaps after too long viewing the Hooters thread? Congratulations LuckyPhil & welcome. Tapered cans look good. KB

Thanks for posting this info Buzzard

conniption?

BigBore MGS01 is no more related to stock spiney than a "tarted up track Sportster" or Buell is to stock 883. The merits of the BigBore Motor was what I thought we were talking about. As to "Sportsbikes" !...a bike is whatever it's used for. Labelling = pedantic semantics. Perhaps a list of all motorcycles defined by purpose to save us all this discussion. It could be government legislated & improper use, such as footboard scraping a Cali or touring a LM1, penalised. This rant isn't directed at Ben or anyone particular here, quote was just something to hang it on. Seems forums are more & more stadiums for preening egos, for batting around pre-conceived delusions & scoring imaginary points off each other. Short written pieces lack the subtleties of meaning of a personally delivered phrase or comment. There's only reader's interpretation, referenced against preferences & hang ups, picking isolated words as important or relevant, tho they may have been incidental to the writer. As I am doing here. Sad git. Oh well. BigBore motor seems to me an honest attempt by a Guzzi enthused company to keep the marque in the performance arena, where the parent company have thrown in the towel. If it didn't work, it wouldn't win races. Given Guzzi's history, & though it may not be the prettiest thing, I think Millepercento should be applauded for it. As should Eric Buell for his valiant attempts against the odds with HD. KB PS: Editing quotes could mean we didn't have repeated large photos of 883 Sportster. Surely we all know what one looks like & it must eat bandwidth.

I had a Crossbow absorbtion type "silencers" - very similar design to yours - now have Lafranconi s/s copies (Keihan). Those short pipes sound great, but noise can get a bit wearing, even with ear plugs - Lanfranconis are quieter. The later black plastic alt covers w/spacer help vent alternator. I fried a couple alternators & I think the front balance pipe may be partly to blame sat right there in front of it. That pipe's forever cracking at welds too. I run 2 seperate headers. I dunno re the Dyna. I kept original points which are very reliable, last for ages & I understand! Does it have original coils, alternator, regulator, rectifier? LM1's are going for a lot of money recently, but they doubtless will hold their value. That does look a nice one - like Jaap, I like the Blue ones - Red are common as muck! You will not regret! KB

Congratulations Dimitris!!! They're lovely old bikes & still hold there own easily on the road in most company. That looks a pretty original one & well preserved, guess Greek climate is pretty kind to machinery. PR pipes look well & sound great no doubt! KB

It's not how fast you're riding but how far you fall & what you hit when you get there