Gino Rondelli

Cheers Scud, we had a bearing puller but one of those suckers was tight! I'll check that out though thanks

Changed tyres and wheel bearings, bearings were a pig of a job but all good now

At the weekend recommissioned my V11 after 7 years in storage, it was like getting a new bike again, full service and by Sunday afternoon I had a tune out of it, wonderful! Spoke to Belfastguzzi about the gear Spring so after I put some miles on it first I'll change it before the summer starts in earnest.

Just dragged my V11 put after a 6 year hibernation with the intention of wearing it out now, I have a Norton and Guzzi addiction but politics in the NOC have led me to using my Guzzi's more, enjoyed your story and it reminded me of when my wife and I went through in 2013 June on two g650 BMW's, mine overheated half way through, I had to stop for a while to let it cool down , it was so hot I thought we'd be there till dark. Pic of my wife at the end just before we camped at Shoshone

Moved it up the queue, my Commando is on the bench for some serious work, the V11 stored for 6 years is next, ready for a trip to Sicily in June, maybe the Scottish Guzzi rally in May .....

I bought my V11 with a Corbin, used it for a 600 mile weekend, put the standard one on and did the same. I still had a sore ass so I sold the Corbin on eBay for good money, it worked out a 10% discount on what was already a cheap bike. I've just dragged the bike out of a 6 year hibernation to take it to Italy in the summer so I guess I'll find out if selling the Corbin was a mistake.

I realise now I should have contacted the US / Canada contingent, I'm a Norton rider as well so did some Norton stuff en route. We (Mrs R was on a G650 as well) rode Argentina to Alaska then across to Boston (and a week in NYC!) then shipped home from Miami Awesome trip , a year of bliss, just riding bikes, depressed now but looking forward to wearing out my low mileage V11 which has been sitting in the garage far too long!! The trip started here. If you interested some good stuff (IMHO) on there and what else to do on a winter night! http://www.ginoontour.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/buenos-aires_28.html

Ah so it looks like Canada has them all, enjoyed my ride through BC, The Yukon & Alberta. I did intend posting while on the road to meet up with people but never got round to it. I did ask about Guzzi's en route and mostly got blank stares. DonG , you have a problem...........worse than mines!

Just back from a jaunt around the Americas, looking forward to USING my V11 next summer, been in storage for a while and I sold my Breva before I left so thats my only "modern" bike (apart from the 650 BMW I did the trip on) Anyway in 30, 000 Miles South Central & North America I must have seen all of 6 Guzzis, didn't expect to see any in South America right enough but thought I'd have spotted more in the USA. It was a major moment when we spotted one (my wife was also on a 650 BMW) So where are all the Guzzi's in North America? (13 countries, 28 states and 3 Canadian provinces so we were looking around) Still struggling to re adjust to a Scottish Winter!!!

Get youself up North Pete, the Romans did have the odd foray up here, Pontius Pilate was reputedly born near Fortingall Perthshire, being a Perthshire man most of my life its one of the claims to fame of the area (and little known outside here). Of course we all say we knew Pontius before he was a Pilate! Pontius

I've done some of these including the Transfaragin in Romania, all good, (always good to ride your bike) The Transfaragin is always pictured as shown on the web site, what they don't tell you is the other side heading south is shit, badly surfaced and full of potholes the size of small cars. I've ridden many roads which I've enjoyed more but maybe not with the same views at the top. The road from Invergarry to Kyle of lochalsh (in Scotland) is about perfect in my opinion, nice bends, little traffic mostly, no severe braking just 60 miles of flowing riding, and if you want the Alpine pass at the end head over to Loch Carron and then tackle the Bealach na Baa (Below)

Nice resto, not overdone, just nice!

If you think Guzzi's are quirky and difficult to keep on top of I'd steer away from the Benelli, nice looking bike but not without their issues. Understand the need for speed, sold my Mk1 Le Mans when I was 20 to go racing jap stuff, when I was 32 I managed to get another, still got it and keeping it!! My first try at Knockhill (race circuit) was on my Le Mans, great time and steep learning curve but realised at the end of that day it wouldn't be competitive (3 years earlier they were)

Its still almost summer like here in Scotland!! Had a great weekend in the sun, still very little salt on the road. Don't sell it, you'll regret it!!

The tank gave in to me the day after Cromarty, suspect you were spot on about relieving the pressure. Now I've sheared a rocker cover screw!!!!!! Bloody Guzzi's all the rest came out in normal fashion, the last one the head pinged off, oh well black and decker job this week I suspect. It's funny this bike had been dealer serviced until I got it, still on the original air filter (a mess) and internal plugs (a right PITA) and the RHS inlet valve had enough of a gap to get a small car through whilst the LHS exh had no clearance. Luckily my Norton still goes................

So it turns out it was the usual Guzzi Achilles heel, connector under the tank from the ignition switch corroded, I wonder how many people have wasted money on relays thinking that was the issue? Took a while to plod through the wiring diagram but its easy to see eventually, done the starter mod while I was at it.

Going quickly mad here, my Breva 1100 has been great for 23000 miles until last Friday, on a weekend trip to Applecross it wouldn't start off the button, bump start and all OK. Sunday decided to have a look and changed the lighting relay with start relay, bike started, no lights, fine I thought. After about 70 miles on MOnday it spluttered to a halt with less than 7V in the battery. Now I've checked the relays (all OK it would appear) done the starter mod which now helps it start (Yellow wire) but no lights, horn or charging? it could be that it had already stopped charging before all of this happened but open to ideas before I rip it all apart!! Help........ Guzzi rally this weekend on a Norton now (not enough time to get tyres and an MOT on the V11!!)

I had one identical, a 76, just before they changed to the orange colour and different frame so I'd say its a genuine early Jota Jaap. I sold it a few years ago as I always preffered the Le mans, or the Commando. The Jota was the only bike I had to go for a lie down after I'd been out on it, brilliant fun but hard work. Wish I had it now, 10 years on the prices being asked are 4 fold whereas the Guzz has probably doubled in 10 years, strange how it happens, not an issue really rather ride them than look at them as cash cow's!

I took a Triumph Sprint RS round Morroco a few years back with a mate similarly mounted. Unless you intend going off the main routes into the desert your bike will be fine, funny we got the ferry with 3 GS mounted guys with ALL the gear, winches extra fuel cans etc etc, joke was on them, they had problems we didn't. Good experience apart from the constant begging! it wears you down after a while, don't pick the plants if you are in the Rif mountains! the local drug growers have some pretty mean looking guns, Don't buy drugs either, another scam and you'll find yourself stopped at the next police road block. Petrol is plentiful (easier to get fuel in the remote parts of the Sahara than in Scotland!) Enjoy

Not sure but not that rare Here's mine with a special "frost" paintjob supplied by nature Coldest and scariest ride home in a long time!

Looks good, out of interest how long did John take to do it? He does great work but his timescales are sometimes a bit long (thats what happens when you are sought after I suppose)

Thanks guy's, Glutton for punishment, Commando's and Guzzi's fill the garage! Bit of a thaw today so hopefully get out for a bit at the weekend, need to keep up the winter riding, first rally second week in January!

This is a crap time of year in Scotland, OK for all of you lucky people who live in Oz or anywhere else the sun shines! Took this pic this week of one of my "other" bikes in the snow!

I was there last year on my Breva, came in from Turkey, had a great night with Dimitris and his Guzzi pals in Thessaloniki. Very nice in the North, superb mountain roads and along the coast its excellent also. The only downside is the roads are slippery due to the heat and rubber so you need to take care, no scratching unless you have very soft compound tyres Busy in the big towns but so is everywhere. I came back to Ancona in Italy, originally I was going to Bari but the ferry to Ancona left first, glad that happened. Sorry Antonio I'm half Italian and spent my formative years living in Italy but the traffic and roads were not so enjoyable, the rural roads between large towns were very busy, the Autostrada was madness and very expensive. I did though find some good roads from Pisa up to Barga which were much better and of course in the mountains near Ventimiglia where I was brought up. I'd recomend Greece though well worth a trip, I may go back this year depending on whether my plans to go to the USA on my Norton go ahead or not. This time though I fancy going down the coast and through Albania. The easy way is Ferry from Venice or Ancona or if you like the style of driving and the roads then yes Bari! Another option is to take the ferry to the south of Greece then back from the North. PM me if you want any further details