Bill Hagan

Found it: Also found slideshow from that SSR of 2006! Sure miss my Ballabio, but seeing Scott's grand one is a nice reminder of the joy that machine brought me. http://tinyurl.com/2006-SSR [fixed ... I think. ] Bill

Good to meet you And Ruby, Scott. Stunning Billabio up close. Post one of 'the flag' if you have it. I loved it. One was in my slideshow ... https://bill-and-kathi.smugmug.com/SSR-Sep-2016/n-vNJcCf/ I think I have one, too, from a (much) earlier SSR. Will look. Bill

With or without you? OK, I think I know a good taxidermist, so rest easy, as you'll always be with us. Bill

Some great pix from others, but here are some of mine that err on the side of quantity. Still, they were fun for me to assemble and cull (yes, disbelievers, I really did ). Best viewed in slideshow with full screen to see captions. https://bill-and-kathi.smugmug.com/SSR-Sep-2016/n-vNJcCf/ Bill (& Kathi)

Still at Tellico Plains, but will leave later today. Here's one pic of the SSR, with more from me and others to follow. What a grand time. Bill

In a high hover here. So many tasks before launch, but watering trees trumps all. That done, loaded the EV and hitched to li’l truck. Now to pack stuff, including tools needed to completely dismantle the EV, perform depot-level repair & maintenance, and then reassemble and ride … all at a Cherohala overlook. Lanciamo domani mattina! Bill

Super. Bill

We have two TSC rain barrels that look and work well enough, but only hold 55G each. One's at the house for flowers there; the other down near those ones you saw in the pix. The two big guys are German feed or something tanks that, once used, are all over the market, We paid about $100 each for ours. Hooked up to the gutter system to the Moto Grappa, they hold 1000L/300G each. Impressively -- and as an illustration about how much surface even a roof of a 50x30 building has -- one big thunderstorm will fill them in an afternoon! We have a number of new trees that require weekly watering in the summer (25 or so gallons each) and that worried us enough about depleting our well that we tried the rain route. So far, so fine. Cursor? Hadn't thought of that. Maybe. I'd like to think so, but my "little white" cursor is an arrow. Mebbe a Mac thing. Thanks. Bill

Might mean that we’ll have fewer cruiser convoys in our area! BTW, while I get a bit tired of the the whole “celebrate diversity” schtick , gotta say that even I, with my insensitivity meter set on high, found this on that site … uhm … interesting. On the home front, we are taking care of some tasks before we leave. I do the hard stuff, e.g., riding the Cub Cadet around, and asking “staff” to bring me a beer, etc. Kathi does the easy items … as in moving rocks around for some landscape changes. That pic was taken about 8 a.m. this morning; she’s been doing similar work since before 6. Polish wives are amazing! See you all Friday. Bill P.S. I’ll have some Virginia bourbon for those important comparisons.

We are trailering the EV, with the tug being my beloved POS '93 Toyota pickup. Just put $1200+ in it for a "tune-up," so I assume it'll get us there, albeit sans A/C or radio. With Kathi riding shotgun, tho, I'll have all the entertainment I can use. We plan to arrive late afternoon. I kid about Kathi, but what a princess she is, especially after I dropped her off the back of the Norge day before yesterday. That was the first time she’s hit the pavement, yet she remains game for the SSR. We were nearing the end of a great 150-or-so-miler in the area. Perfect temps; zero traffic — well, except for the maniac driving the empty school bus behind me down Trout Mountain Road south of Wardensville, W.V. Lordy, she must have had a hard day … but I digress! After a nice meal here — http://www.lostriverbrewing.com; if ever near, we recommend it — I pulled over on that sweet piece of pavement, W.V. CR14, to change dark visor to clear. At complete stop, we were ready to get off, when the front wheel pivoted on light coat of sand/gravel. Down we went. Kathi has “turf toe,” but should be fine in time for her Disney World trip next week. Thank God I’m not going! ;-) I have a painful but minor hamstring pull. Will be fine soon, too. The Norge sustained virtually no damage. Most of the cosmetic to bottom of left pannier. May do one of those plastic dip coatings. The front left Motolight “moved” and scraped a bit. Later smelled brake, but that rotor not overly hot compared to other when checked, tho I need to look at that more closely. Two passersby — lucky, too, as this is a little-traveled road — helped get it up. With hamstring, I was pretty useless (as usual!). Was a bit worried about fuel spill and engine running longer than I would want. I was trapped, and Kathi didn’t know how to stop. Was only seconds, tho, and started and ran fine once uprighted. Had just R&R’d 10/60, and no lights or bad sounds. All around pretty lucky, especially me to have Kathi think I’m a good guy under all of the circumstances! See you all on Friday. Bill

Have managed to miss this thread along the way. That said, I remain confused. Thought this was about music. IMO the word “concert” should be limited to music composed before 1910, tho I an considering making an exception for Swing Era Big Band events. Seriously, while not quite a noncombatant in the Sexual Revolution, I never appreciated much else of the late ’60’s and after, especially in music. That said — and perhaps why — I played drums in all sorts of small bands from 1965 until 1980 or so to fund college and law school, and later “just cuz,", so I understand the genre, but simply find virtually all unappealing. My own idea of a “real concert" and delightful music for the soul — and in these examples' cases, eyes — is this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUZYoVw7moc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt4KuQLBWwk Best from the top of Virginia, Bill

The EV is trained, experienced, and ready to provide logistical support, too. Bill

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Last time I tried to visit you -- on a Guzzi, I might add! -- at that airshow, they wouldn't let me in, so I think this is all an excuse for you and your girlfriend to have a weekend. I'm telling, too. Bill no no, Bill.. that was the National Antique airplane fly in, the week before the Midwest fly in. I could have gotten you in if I'd have known, of course. Yes, it might have helped had I told you I was coming. But I did get to talk for a while to a cute "gate guard," and see some magnificent airplanes from the distance and rolling around in the sky. Incomparable sounds. Come visit us at the top of Virginia some time. Bill

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Last time I tried to visit you -- on a Guzzi, I might add! -- at that airshow, they wouldn't let me in, so I think this is all an excuse for you and your girlfriend to have a weekend. I'm telling, too. Bill

Ha ha =) So we'll have a recovery vehicle. Or does that make it too much like a HD rally ! :0 Your RV and my trailer make two. Bill

Tim, Grand roads abound down there, but -- tho I may well be (and apologize if so) be preaching to the choir -- many of the roads between Columbus and Tellico are pretty fine, too. As you get nearer Tellico, the stretch between Knoxville and joinder at SR 68 can suck, especially U.S. 411. I have never been on the last without seeing active blue lights, so be careful. But, as Paul Simon said about leaving lovers, lots of ways to get there without enduring that hot and boring piece of pavement. My present plan, btw, (docc, et al) is trailer the EV, i.e., not the Norge, as I have "Mom (who, btw, turned 96 today, 19 August!) duty" in Atlanta following the SSR. Kathi flies to Disney World then. Happily, I don't. Anyway, don't remember riding the Cali at a 'Raid ... have I? Just turned 100K on it, and it has me enchanted just now. Bill

I have only heard that screeching sound you describe once in my life. From my Norge. After oil pump failed. Sigh. Buon fortuna. Bill

Not sure he still does seats, but believe these are still good 411 for him: 757.513.5198 maunds@verizon.net Bill

Many thanks for posting that stupendous travelogue. Kathi -- who, while a grand pillion and indulgent Guzzista's wife, usually groans when I ask her to watch a thread on a motorcycle forum -- loved it all, too. We especially appreciated the Bassano and Montalbano locale pix. We lived in Vicenza for several years “back in the day,” and always visit Bassano on our (too-infrequent) return trips. I was lucky to work with the Alpini while there, and both Bassano and that relationship have me appreciating grappa to this day. Viva gli alpini! And, we have seen nearly all of the ("old" and "young") episodes. While I have learned not to mention this to Kathi, I have never gotten over Katharina Böhm’s departure as Livia! Anyway, great stuff, pix and story line. Bill P.S. You clearly "married up."

I always carry those, doc, but the V7 had tubed tires. BTW, thinking the Norge again for this SSR, but -- shame on me -- likely trailering it to Tellico this year. Too many commitments in Atlanta, etc., with etc., meaning Kathi flying to Disney doin's with grands the day after the SSR. I'm just thankful she's doing that duty, not I. Anyway, got a new Aluma MC10 that makes it all easy. Now to talk CFO Kathi into how much we "need" a new(er) and bigger p/u. I'm thinking all day in that 209K-mile, no A/C or radio Toy on the way to the SSR just might get the point across. Bill Bill

This is a footnote if anyone is interested in seeing how Blueboardhound and I spent part of this fine weekend: http://tinyurl.com/Gross-to-Palmyra-Plus As always, probably best in "slideshow" and "full screen," especially if, inexplicably, you like captions. :roll: Happy Independence Day, U.S.A.! Bill P.S. If terminably bored, more background here: http://www.grisoghetto.com/t2473-grisoing-around-central-pennsylvania-pix

1. Yes. 2. Yes.

On two wheels, we only take scenic routes, tho it does help when a distillery or similar attraction is along the way. Apropos the scenic v. the slab, read in someone's forum tag line recently that "the shortest distance between two points is ... a damn shame." But, in fairness to the 4-lane approach, just drove today from the top of Virginia to Owensboro, Ky., for the funeral tomorrow of my last Greatest Generation uncle. Took I-68, I-79, and I-64 for 95% of the 600 miles. What a gorgeous time of the year to travel, even at slab speeds in a cage. Time now to zzzz, tho .... so, ciao. Bill

Didn't think yours was a complaint ... and even it had been, not an unfair comment anyway! Still, thought I'd pass along my cheerleading for the Lodge for any newbie contemplating the SSR who might be put off by the cost. It is not insignificant. Sharing brings the cost down, but Kathi is the only roommate I want on this trip. Heading down now to our "GITMO Room" to endure the treadmill, then to the Moto Grappa to befuddle myself with Part A and Tab B on the Norge. Bill

Saw that. Too bad, but understandable. Walt & Anna are at not, obviously, corporate giants in the "hospitality industry," and I suspect -- especially sadly -- have been stiffed by moto-folks who taught them painful le$$0n$. They seem pretty pleased with us as a group, and, while we are retired and hardly made of money, I am glad to help keep them in business. We look forward to the SSR. Which Guzzi? Not sure. The Griso is ready for combat operations, and the EV seems always ready like the proverbial dude-ranch trail mare. I am, however, plodding -- and even that slowly -- along with getting the Norge back together. Today, the valve covers, oil cooler, etc. Tomorrow, I plan (really, only code for "hope") to reinstall the forks, and, time permitting (and it won't) R&R the front rotors and ABS wheel. Victory may come in the month of that name ... May. Bill