Baldini

Is it just me, or does it have the stance a lady lifting the hem of her ballgown to step over a puddle? KB

Oh come on ....As you say, ST tyres grip great, but SS tyres grip better, end of story. Fast wear on ss tyres is a real pain in the arse but I replace em when they are worn. Wear pattern depends where you ride: I ride now only for fun, mostly only on twisties & don't do many miles. Power 2CT's (ss tyres) wore evenly across their width, f & b, & maintained good handling & performance until replacement at a little over minimum tread. If I was doing more distance I'd use ST tyres. Tyres should be replaced when worn whatever the type. That's me then. Oh well... KB,

Agreed. But those things that he can control are what let the rider show through. Any of them taken away means the rider is less of a part, & throttle control has to be one of the biggest of those things. Stoner is a good rider, maybe a great rider, but the TC & top speed difference muddy the water. I guess it's always been the way. And...Rossi always talks a lot! KB

I'm surprised more people don't try them. The give really nice handling very slow but very neutral. If you like to ride smooth, rolling on & off the throttle & dipping through the curves rather than heavy on throttle/brakes & banging it on it's side, they are lovely. And they are relatively cheap. They don't give the feedback of the 2CT's or ultimately the grip, & handling doesn't stay as consistent as they wear. I've never had a bad Pirelli (except once an old stock Phantom that had been dug out of a warehouse somewhere when they hadn't been available for years...), or a Michelin that doesn't grip (& talk to me). Re safety: Any decent tyre mostly does the job, but if you're pushing your luck? On the limit (fun or crisis) a grippier tyre will hold on longer. But if you know the tyres'll stick do you more often push your luck? Much of the fun is at the limit, so do you ride faster/harder to find it - increasing the risk of meeting some unexpected hazard at a speed you're less able to deal with it? It's like 4WD Turbo Imprezas, to push the abilities of those things, you have to be travelling way faster than is safe on the road, but in an emegency they steer & pull up great. So are they safer? I had a R80GS with a very weak front brake, so I tried to ride it slower - but if I had to stop quickly? Safety? How do you define safety? KB

but that's the whole point - the rider doesn't control the throttle - it seems the traction control controls it! If you can just whap the throttle open regardless of grip & the TC governs the amount of power at the tyre then the rider is not controling one of the most significant elements of the bike, it's governing itself. KB

I'm with Guzzimoto. BT020 isn't as sticky as a Diablo even new, let alone several yrs old? BT020 front cups badly & can feel quite unstable when worn. I also found grip unreliable. Diablos are good tyres & work well on V11. I'm surprised more people don't recommend Contis. I used Sport Attacks - nice fluid handling, good grip & cheap! Road Attack is less sporty version. Also used Michelin Pilot Power 2CT's - great grip & great feedback, sharp handling - consistent performance/handling til well worn, but they do wear v quick. You'd be hard pushed these days to get a bad tyre from the major manufacturers - most do range from touring to supersports. Supersports tyres have best grip & feel but wear quickest. It's all trade offs. KB

Speedcharts showed Stoner & Melandri's Ducatis 1&2 fastest on straight. I don't think Stoner likes to make it too obvious! Re Melandri - it seems Ducati's built around traction control, you gotta put complete faith in it & whack it open. Can't be an easy jump to make for anyone who's spent their whole career on bikes that'd spit em off if they tried that. Remember how much Stoner used to crash? listen to what he said about racing under lights - you can't see the oil & track imperfections so you don't worry about em & he goes faster. Another judgement he doesn't have to make. It's a different attitude. With traction control, ultimately all the rider would have to do is sit & point it in right direction, if it's not about rider judgement & throttle control, then that's a big part of riding a bike gone. Why not race em on ovals & be done with it. KB

Well said Al. we need every well adjusted secure individual we can get! for what it's worth, looks to me like you did a great job of working in a large fairing, I like the way you got the screen lined up with the fork angle. The needs of an all weather commuter are completely different from a Sunday sports rider. good luck to ya! KB

A tractor passed my V11 yesterday. He did it again today, this time he was towing a muckspreader.... KB

I've used various but currently Lafranconi comp stainless copies (Keihan I think). They work well, have better ground clearance than stock. I use Keihan stainless headers -seperate w/o balance pipe (I think the cracking Pete refers to is where one piece headers commonly crack at joints of balance pipe to down pipes - (I've run w/o front balance pipe for yrs & don't find a problem - I also believe front balance pipe can fry alternators) - sure they discolour a bit, but clean up well & last pretty much forever (unlike originals). I wouldn't recommend running a system w/o rear balance pipe. Like all Keihan stuff I've had, quality & fit is excellent & I would recommend their systems. They also do stock pattern silencers, which they will make as straight thru absorbtion type if you wish. depends what you're after - looks, performance, clearance, originality? system I liked most was Crossbow PR type which lasted for ages but eventually rotted out - you can't get them now (unless someone knows different?). other alternatives might be hunting for a 2nd hand Dr john system, or Motomecca do a stainless system with sort of cigar shape silencers. KB

What make of TV did you offer them? Perhaps a less prestigious brand might work? or try an Italian accent... KB

Stripped sump plug aperture thread? loose timing chain eating cases? How big/what shape are bits? KB

Welcome to Moto Guzzi! KB

I'm interested in any modified Guzzi, whatever the style. Ratchethack, whilst I applaud your avowed quest to debunk prevailing orthodoxies, it seems to me that you hold firm in your own orthodoxy. It's not that you express your opinion, it's the manner of that expression; littered with sarcasm & condescension. It seems to me that any view that doesn't sit comfortably with your own understanding is worth only your contempt & derision. "...O wad some Power the giftie gie us To see oursels as ithers see us!..." KB

Re ride height - Bear in mind 03 Rosso is Ohlins bike: measurements from other V11's may not be same. I've not measured anything but just looking at my Scura side by side w/ a v11 LeMans, it sat much higher at back, it may be shock is longer? I also dunno if forks are longer than std Marzocchis, hence dropping front may not have same implications for clearance. Tripletom - is weave over flat going or does it only come over bumps/dips? How much do you weigh? Steering damper works pretty good, I use it (mostly low settings) & haven't found weave on smooth going, only over uneven surfaces pushing on, & I put that down to suspension, wt & frame flex. Are tyres "Road" 2CT's or "Power" 2CT's - I never heard of "Road" version? KB

I mention Duchamp in the context of your dismissal of Beuys, nothing to do with motorcycles. I make my living as an artist, it's something I know & care about, I'm not "dropping" names, only using a name as an example to make my point: that much contemporary "art" is not art at all, but vacous game playing, & whilst claiming to be shocking & original is in many cases simply a rehash of old ideas. From what I know of Beuys, he was honest in his intent, & not of that ilk. Our conversation so far seems riddled with misunderstandings - as it has nothing to do with Guzzis/technical, I propose we leave it there? KB

Later V11's (01/02 onward) do have a slightly different subframe to the original V11. Rear tubes join front near lower mount point. KB

Maybe I misunderstand how you mean - intuitive...but I'd say riding my Guzzi is entirely intuitive especially my old Tonti, it goes where it wants & I know where it's going to go. If I have to fight it then I'm either not paying attention, or I'm trying too hard. Mine likes to be ridden smooth. If clearance is OK, surely only thing that limits lean angle is tyres & confidence? 'dych chi'n siarad Cymraeg? KB

as I said, Ratchet - how about showing us something you made? KB

I don't understand the reference to Beuys either, but, whatever you may think apparent in his work, he was a very influential artist &, in my view, an honest one. I find most contemporary conceptual art vacous, self-referential & without any real original thought, hardly developed at all from the work of Marcel Duchamp & others almost a century ago. I think Beuys was a rare exception. I find it hard to accept a willingness to, without invitation or reason, condemn the creative work of others. It is easy to scorn, but to make anything genuinely creative yourself is very difficult, & to present it in public is to make yourself vulnerable to ridicule. It is far easier never to risk it & to join in the laughter at the efforts of other, braver individuals. That bike reminds me of old hotrods, Romany wagons, & canal longboats, there's a lot of work in there, & original thinking. I've never seen anything quite like it. Good luck to the bloke. Let's see what you made??? We used to call those type bars "ace" bars ... maybe from Ace cafe, I dunno. KB

I have no experience of changing steering angle, but as Docc says, there are simpler ways to improve turn if you haven't already done them... What tyres you got? Different tyres make huge difference to handling feel. Quickest handling tyres I've used are Pilot Power 2CT's, which also grip great, wear evenly but very fast. Going from 180 to 170 rear improves speed of turn in & also balance between front & rear - but not all tyres are available in 170 (2CT isn't as far as I know). I raised forks in triple clamps by about 11mm on my Scura, which also runs the Ohlins (always check all clearances). Is sag set correctly for your wt, front & rear? Enough rebound damping on front, enough compression on rear? I changed to stiffer springs f & r (Scura came w/very soft springs but I heard later Ohlins bikes had suspension set up better from new - although I don't know that for fact, & when I've asked for spec I've been told it's same ...). Getting your bodyweight over front as much as possible also helps plant the front, V11's carry too much weight on rear, promoting vague front end, esp when suspension is off. I think 1100sport riding position is more over front end? I dunno I never rode one. I dunno is st hd angle same as V11? All these help handling/steering more positive & precise, but no way make for a "modern" handling bike. Guzzis are very heavy & that is reflected in the nature of there handling. Like Windchill, I like their slow steering stability. KB

As usual Mr Veck, you write it in pictures. Well put. KB

Fair enough, but let it go mate. You've seen the job Jaap's done on creating & running this site, he doesn't often mess up. So this was a cock-up, but maybe it'll make someone sit up & see he means it. Maybe you haven't noticed some of the gratuitous personal name calling & bitching that's been happening here....we'd all be better off w/o that, but we wouldn't be better off w/o this site. KB

I'm with you, frogonwheels! time I sent another contribution too.... KB