P3GA

Go with the heavy Throttlemeisters - APR 1H I believe, but double check. Worked great for me on the stock baras, Fred is sending me adaptors so that I can use them with the - just purchased - Verlicchi bars MG Cycle had on sale. Phil

Problem was isolated & solved last weekend - it was loose bullet connectors on the wires to / fr the clutch switch......I think Al had written in another post that if turning the bars to either side miracurously brings it back to life when the starter button is hit, the problem is there. And it was. While the tank was off, I also removed the sidestand switch & tied those wires off. So with all this & new relays to boot, I should be in good shape until the next adventure starts....... Thanks for all the input. Phil

Looks & sounds incredible.....I need to get off my tail & make it to the Vortex one of those Wednesdays, to see & hear it live in person. Phil Atlanta (Roswell)

Fresh oil & filter seems to do the trick in Atlanta......

Givi T431 Arrow (as reviewed in Cycle World this month) bags are a great fit, work well, fit the lines of the Le Mans as well. RL Cycles has them for approx $140 +/-. They expand out to 25 litres Having said that, I just purchased Lex's used set of Tekno's for absolutely no good reason...... Phil

Congratulations and welcome............ride safe. Phil

Some of you might remember the classy looking Guzzi jacket that Miline did a few years back- they were available in black & (a limited number) in white. At last year's round of the Road Atlanta AMA superbike races, there was a dealer peddling the jackets. Fit very nice, but I had already pulled the trigger on a Vemar helmet, so I didn't buy one. Of course now that I want to purchase one, Miline USA has fallen off the face of the earth, & I can't seem to locate any stocking dealers......anyone know where I might find a size 56 or 58????

Here's a good one: Went for a ride Sunday, bike started & ran just fine. Stopped for about 20 minutes, tried to restart the bike. No luck. Turned on the ignition, heard fuel pump do it's thing, checked to make sure bike was in Neutral, raised it off & retracted the sidestand, pulled in the clutch, pushed the start button and..... Nothing. Turned everything off, went through the same exercise a few more times, zip. Tried the drill one last time, but forgot to retract the sidestand, lo & behold it started & ran just fine. I'd say the sidestand switch would be suspect, but considering it started with the stand down (instead of not starting with the stand up), I'm scratching my head on where to start. Thoughts, ideas, & input appreciated. Thanks, Phil

What are the dates for the Mid-Ohio Vintage Days? Great track, always enjoyed it. Might just ride up if the schedule permits. Phil Atlanta GA '02 Le Mans

I received mine last month & concur that Rich does one hell of a job. If Siskel & Ebert rated bike seats, they give Rich "Two Cheeks Up". Or something like that. Phil Atlanta GA '02 Le Mans

....comes with the metric hammer for easy installation too!

Jeez, I first thought it was another abomination from the Orange County Chopper bunch.... the cannisters holding large quantites of their cologne...

I was under the impression that the engine case replacement offer was over. Is this just a policy of MG - USA, or have the new owners made this offer available again? TNX Phil '02 Le Mans

Well, from your profile I can't tell what part of the world you're in, but if near Atlanta GA let me know. I replaced mine earlier this year & can lend a hand if needed. It's not a bad job, but a little patience is needed. Phil

Two books that continue to have me laughing my ass off - even though each has been read countless times: Letters from a Nut by Ted Nancy A much maligned individual send absolutely absurd, brilliant letters to CEO's & the like, with ridiculous requests. Somehow he manages to get these people to write back in earnest. Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories and other disasters by Jean Shepherd You might know Jean Sheppard from his wrtiting of the story that ultimately became the movie "A Christmas Story". Wanda's Night details a midwestern boy's efforts as he copes with the rights of passage through adolesence, including the dreaded Junior prom. This book is long out of print, if you can find a used copy, it's an easy read, 8 short stories in this compilation. The great thing is there's stuff in here that we can all relate to. Phil Atlanta GA

Did well, three lumps of coal here... But with temperatures in the 40's had the opportunity to bundle up, put on the Aerostich (red of course), tape a white beard and stocking hat to the helmet and go for a ride. Reaction was great, kids in cars had their faces pressed against the windows, got lot's of thumbs up, waves, honked horns, etc... Lotsa laughs, made a great day even better. Hope everyone had a great holiday & best wishes for a safe, healthy, & prosperous 2005. Phil

Rich, that's terrible that you may have to return to a 'real' job if business doesn't pick up. We, as forum members just can't let that happen.....so shoot me a note as to what size box I'll need to send the seat up North & a phone number where I can reach you this week, I'd like to discuss the possibility of raising the seat a bit to give the ol' knees & legs some room to stretch. Thanks, Phil P Atlanta GA '02 Le Mans

If this is the Cycle World sponsored show, are M-G & Aprilia even going to be there? Based on all the blurbs I've seen & advance crap I received, they're no where to be found. Phil Atlanta GA '02 Le Mans

Agreed, just spooned on the AV45 / AV46 combination and they are much better than the BT020's. Now just need to figure out the best inflations. I'm running at the Guzzi recommended settings, but I've heard some folks going to 36 psi front, 42 psi rear. What's the concensus? (this ought to be a lively discussion.. )

My spring went a few weeks back @ 7600 miles; after obtaining one of the Oklahoma springs, I was able to start the job. After far too many interruptions, I just bolted her up & me's think I screwed the pooch bigtime. I now have first, neutral, and second gear. Try to shift from second to third & it's like I've hit the top of the box - imagine trying to shift from sixth to an imaginary seventh & you'll know what I mean. Before reassembling, I cycled the mechanism to neutral, & adjusted the dogs equally. Or so I thought. The neutral light is now on all the time. Considering it rarely came on before, guess I got that problem solved! (?) Consistent with many others, the boss measured 16mm +. The bottom 3 bolts are a royal pain, I'd love to replace them with hex head bolts (since I think I'll be opening her up again). Anyone know what size these are? Help, or at the very least, please send beer. Phil Atlanta GA '02 Le Mans

Dan, thanks for the tip on adding more spacers, after speaking to TM I got it to work properly by removing the large washer that fits into their sleeve & monkeying around with the spacers. Works wonderfully, which is good, as I was about ready to lose my mind. I had it in my head that to improve comfort I would need to raise the bars, but now with the Throttlemeister eliminating just about all the vibration, relocating the bars has gone from a must to a nicety. I find it much easier to cover more ground before needing a break. In my eyes, well worth the price. Thanks for everyone's input on this one. Phil Atlanta GA '02 Le Mans

Yes, have the Apr 1H kit.

Ok, for those of you that have sucessfully installed & use the Throttlemeister, I need you to think back about the 3.5 minutes it took to getting the throttle lock to work properly.... After entirely too much time playing around with this thing, I checked the operation of the brass collar / piston by mounting the RH weight on the left hand bar. The piston works properly, as you turn the T'meister, the piston extends and contracts, as designed. Returning the RH weight / throttle lock & reinstalling it where the lord intended, I am unable to lock the throttle in place without tightening the bolt so far that the throttle cannot return. It's locked down good. This occurs with every combination of spacers I have tried, with or without the friction sleeve. If I loosen the bolt up so that the throttle returns to it's resting place, all I've accomplished is loosening up the bolt. If I really losen it up, I can see firsthand what Al meant in an earlier post about the bouncing qualities of stainless steel on a cement floor. Obviously, I have missed something, maybe I'll have my 4 year old look at it. The problem now is that I have entered the realm of paralysis by analysis, & feel totally inadequate, i.e. Throttlemeister envy. If you folks can think of anything I should be looking for, I'm all ears. I'll be off to pick up new grips later. Who knows, maybe the friction sleeve is sliding around underneath the grip, or I might need to slice off a piece of the throttle sleeve.... For now, the weights are reversed, just to check out how well these things dampen bar vibration. But for as many cabbages as I paid, sure would be nice to have them work properly. Phil Atlanta GA '02 LeMans

Todd, check with Andy at Ducati Nashville, I believe he was trying to get a program going with either Galasetti or Gianelli. PS: The map you forwarded me for the Powercommander works wonderfully, biggest difference being that the bike has smoothed out / less vibration thru the bars. Phil Atlanta GA '02 Le Mans

On 6-28, Helicopterjim wrote: "We figured that finishing the 24 hours at Nelson Ledges was a victory in itself and our third place finish made it even sweeter. But that was another era...... " Hell, the biggest challenges for us were: - Surviving the track food at the Ledges; - The men's room "aroma"; - Avoiding the frogs (and other -yet undetermined- species of animals) that migrated onto the track after dusk. Somehow we overcame the above, plus the usual other mechanical woes, finishing waaaaay deep in the field, but grabbing first in lightweight. And yes, as Jim states, finishing the 24 Hours of Nelson was a victory in itself, no matter where one placed. Phil Atlanta GA '02 LeMans