GuzziMoto

I am pretty sure they do not sell out. It is a big track, and they can stuff a lot of spectators in there. They offer basic General Admission tickets or for a little more (or a lot more) you can get a specific reserved seat. Google is your friend. https://www.ticketmaster.com/2025-motogp-red-bull-grand-prix-austin-texas-03-30-2025/event/3A006172A658263D

I am not saying Alex doesn't race to win. But I am saying that if he wants to beat his brother he can't keep letting his brother use him like that. This is two races in a row where Marc has let Alex by, Alex then rode as hard as he could while in front and used up his tires. He then had nothing left at the end when it counted. I think COTA will likely go Marcs way, it is his race to lose. But after that I think we will start seeing if anyone else can beat him. It is then that we get to tracks where a challenge to Marc is more likely in my opinion.

I am curious to see if, at some point, Alex grows a pair, gets smart, and starts standing up to his older brother. Quit letting Marc use him like that. Don't wear his tires out trying to stay in front of Marc, save it until the end of the race. Leading any lap but the last lap doesn't matter. Also, at COTA we may see some other bikes / racers in the mix. The more guys up front the more chances for someone other then Marc to win. But Alex (and anyone else who can run up front) needs to wise up.

Yeah, the first three races are at tracks that favor Marc. And Marc is an exceptional talent. But to be fair, he is not dominating races the way he did previously. He used to run off and win by large margins. He is not doing that yet. In fact, he seems to be using his brother as a patsy, letting his brother tow him around while he saves his tires. I was surprised when Alex did that the first time, I was stunned when Alex did that the second time. I would hope at some point Alex would learn not to do that. It seems the 2025 hybrid Ducati does not suit Pecco. How much of that is real and how much is sour grapes I don't know. But what I do know is while I am not surprised to see Pecco behind Marc I was surprised to see Pecco behind Alex and Morbidelli (who were both on the 2024 Ducati). It seems the hybrid they came up with suits Marc but no one else. Ducati risks going back to where they went with Stoner, building a bike only one person can go fast on.

As mentioned, the typical speedo calibration I have used is based on tire diameter, not tire circumference. I would not be surprised if some tire diameter calibration software requires you to know the rolling diameter / circumference of the tire. But for our Jeep, for example, it wants to know the diameter of the tires. I have also seen some that wants to know the radius of the tire, which is generally half the diameter. I have used non-automotive speedo calibration software that used tire circumference or rolling diameter. But not for automotive applications. I would never bother re-calibrating it to account for tire wear. I am just not that neurotic. And the software I have used is not that precise. It generally only goes down to a quarter of an inch in diameter, or an eight of an inch in radius. But the reason I have used it is when replacing tires with tires of a different size. For example, my Jeep is currently running tires that are approx 4 - 5 inches larger in diameter then the original tires (from 32" tires to 37" tires). That would be, without adjusting the speedo calibration, a massive difference. In fact, it would be a large enough difference to upset the Jeeps computer. So, I re-calibrate so the Jeeps speedo reads about right and the Jeeps traction control and cruise control systems don't freak out. There are times when I have sort of measured the rolling diameter of the tires, for example to confirm the axle gear ratio. Rolling the tire exactly one rotation and measuring how many rotations of the drive shaft in the one rotation of the tire will tell you what the gear ratio is in the axle. That is probably not of use to most people, but if you have a Jeep and you want to know or confirm what gear ratio you have in the axles (or even that the front and rear axles have the same ratio) there is not an easier but more accurate way. But to how measuring tire size is relevent to this thread, the question originally came up not for calibrating speedo's or anything like that. It was about how most tires are not exactly the size listed on the tires sidewall but rather most tires are to some degree or another smaller then the listed size. And some tires / brands tend to run more smaller then others. Like BFG KO2's, they tend to run upwards of an inch and a half smaller then the listed size (a 35" KO2 tends to actually be around 33.5" in diameter). And since Scud had measured his KO3's I was comparing their actual size to the listed size to see if they also run as small. From what Scud measured, the new KO3 does not seem to run as small as the KO2 it replaces.

I get that Michelin sets the front tire minimum pressure on safety grounds. But the reality is racers were already running their front tire pressures below the minimum Michelin came up with in pursuit of better performance, and not one front tire failed at the pressures they were running. Clearly the minimum pressure is conservative, and also clearly the tire works better when it is below the minimum. I don't know how things will go with Pirelli being the sole supplier in the future, But I hope it will be an improvement. Michelin has been better then Bridgestone, with Bridgestone there were too many crashes from the front tire either dropping out of its performance window or not making it into it. Michelin does seem better in that respect. But the minimum tire pressure issue is pretty messed up, and they also seem to have a quality control / consistency issue where some tires are just duds.

Cheap bar end mirrors do vibrate. Nicer ones tend to be heavier and more solid, reducing vibrations. The rubber insert / mounting is specific to the V11. I have seen mirrors use a simpler version of the rubber mount, basically using a rubber sleeve that expands when you tighten the mounting bolt. But the V11 setup has the rubber inserts pretty much permanently in the bars. With the right sized bolt you can usually get an aftermarket bar end weight or bar end mirror to attach to the factory mounting point, as long as you can make the right size bolt work with it (it may require enlarging the hole in it to fit the right size bolt). It may also require a spacer to get the length right. In the scheme of mods, this is fairly easy. But it is not likely to be a direct bolt on thing. Some creativity is likely to be required. Most aftermarket bar end weights and bar end mirrors have their own means of attachment. If using them with bars that have nothing, use what they come with. If using them with bars that already have threads inside to attach to, I would use that with the right size bolt to match the threads. Some aftermarket mounts involve, as mentioned, a rubber sleeve with a nut on the other side. If someone removed them by completely unscrewing the bolt it would make it near impossible to re-use that mount. Typically with that type of mount you need to loosen it enough so you can wiggle the whole assembly out of the bar as a unit. That way you do not leave the rubber sleeve and nut inside the bar. That applies to aftermarket rubber sleeve and nut style mounts. I do not believe that applies to the factory Guzzi mount.

Generally, any mirror will be the first thing to hit the ground if/when the motorcycle falls over, including the stock mirrors. My wife has a collection of broken stock and replacement stock mirrors as a result. The bar end mirrors do hit the ground, but they tend to act as protection for more important things. You can keep riding with a broken mirror, you may not be able to do so with a broken throttle. As to aesthetics, I find them to be way better looking then the standard bug antenna mirrors. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Suffice it to say, some people think they look better then stock and some don't. To each their own.

My preferred bar end mirrors fit over existing bar end weights, as long as the bar end weights are not tapered. Some are. As to brands, the standard high end options are always good. But I am running cheaper knockoff mirrors that are sold by a number of people but all likely made in the same chinese factory. We actually have a set from Husqvarna (factory accessories) that are pretty sweet and have a round mirror. But they replace the bar end weight. Keep in mind, the bar end weight does what it does by placing weight at the end of the handlebars. Pretty much any bar end mirror is going to be placing weight at the end of the handlebars. I would be surprised if many bar end mirrors weighed less then the stock bar end weights.

No. That was just one race, at a track and in conditions that favored Marc. And Bagnaia was clearly not comfortable with his bike and setup, yet Bagnaia managed to finish third. Finishing third when it is not your day isn't a bad result. And in the end, how these guys do on their bad days may be what decides the title. Will Marc do as well on his bad days? Or will he end up in the gravel? We will see. I don't know who will win the title this year. I don't think it will go all Marcs way. I could be wrong, that is true. But I just don't think Marc will dominate. I do think it is interesting how things played out in the race. Especially how Marc ran his front tires air pressure lower then the legal limit and had to drop back behind his brother so he could heat his front tire up to get the pressure above the limit. He was tucked in right behind his brother, for comparison if Bagnaia got that close his front tire would go away. Where as Marcs air pressure was so low that even tucked right up behind his brother his front tire was still fine. Marc was lucky to have his brother there, Alex actually helped Marc win the race. Where as a different racer may not have allowed Marc to use him like that. I would prefer the rules regarding tire pressure are fixed, or better yet have a front tire that doesn't deliver best performance at pressures lower then what is allowed. But I am not going to hold my breath. What we may see is racers trying to play the same games Marc played in that race, running front tire pressures lower then the limit but relying on being behind other racers to build up temp and pressure. It could get stupid.

No, if they were in negotiations they would deny there is any truth to the rumor. No comment is what they say when it isn't true. That way they keep people guessing and talking about it.

Turns out the W230 has come here. Or at least m a nearby dealer says it has... https://www.jtmotorsports.net/inventory/2025-kawasaki-w230-abs-frederick-md-21704-12942402i $5,599 For similar money you can get a much better bike from a number of brands. Seems like a lot of money for a retro 230cc motorcycle. But perhaps it will do better then I think.

From what I hear, BMW do have interest in buying KTM. There is clearly a number of reasons for them to do so. But given some of what BMW would do to the brand, things like moving it to Germany with production also in India (some production is already in India), eliminating the Austrian production, seems to make it a non-starter with KTM. So, unless KTM have no other choice I can't see that happening. And currently KTM already seem to have secured the required funding for their restructuring plan. So I am not sure BMW will be able to buy KTM. If they do, it would be a shame as they would likely ruin KTM.

Fair enough. I made a V11 rear subframe and seat fit on a Daytona. It was more different then I expected, but it wasn't that hard to make fit by my standards and likely much harder than what you are talking about. But I suspect some would have given up as it became apparent how different two related Moto Guzzi's were. As mentioned, things like trans length and how the V11 engine is offset to one side some 10mm or so would likely prevent it from being a direct bolt in option. I would think the 6 speed gearbox from the V11 would be shorter than the 5 speed box for the Sport, but that is a guess. Phil would likely know more specifics on the differences there. So, some of that may depend on which direction you are going. Going from longer gearbox to shorter gearbox seems like less of an issue than going the other way. That would mean more room for the crossover, not less I would think. An exhaust from a V11 should be an easier fit on a Sport then a Sport exhaust on a V11 I would think.

Plenty of opinions here, no doubt all of them valid in their own way. My two cents; Most anything can be made to fit, depending on how much effort you are willing to put into it. But if you expect it to bolt right up I doubt that is going to happen. Some bending, maybe cutting and welding, would likely be required. But as a guy who has made exhausts from a completely different motorcycle from a completely different manufacturer fit when something for my motorcycle simply didn't exist, it can be done. It is just a matter of how much effort are you willing to put into it.