ScuRoo

Sump plate shat itself! Is the famed German indestructibility starting to unravel? And what about the Goose? Hell, it's job was to run back & forth helping the boy's to pick their bikes up! Close shaves had for sure, but only bike that stayed upright! Boy's were muttering something about 21inch front wheel I recollect...

Oh dear! Although Glen on his TDM had numerous offies along the 'Gorge to Gorge' - poor Andy on his Beemer had a few too...

O'kay, been to Fez etc. & moving South we get to Todra Gorge where we stop & over lunch Andy get's his Morocco Off-road book out which say's Morocco's 2nd hardest route called 'Gorge to Gorge' is a just up the road. Yeah baby, now we're talking, let's do it was the immediate cry apart from a little worry from Glen with his TDM. So off we head for it...

I'm liking it! Great utilization of base bike Enzo with enough tweaks here & there to transform it - muffler reminds me of speedway bikes, but imho, make it even more of a visual feature & have it sprayed that sexy gloss red too! Ka-POW!!! So, what's been done to make it the 'fastest goose on the West Coast'?

Yep, getting harsher. This was supposed to be our first off-road route across the Atlas mountains... but when we got there it was perfectly laid unlined tarmac! Bloody Moroccans are laying down asphalt everywhere it seems. Sometimes they get visited byvisitors in these mountains...

O'kay, we're getting further South now leaving the greenery behind and feel as if it's getting more interesting the harsher the environment became. Saw a few camels over to our left, pulled over & the little shepherd girl came up & silently watched. Andy gave her some marbles but she remained quietly expressionless. Before we set off again I gave her 3 dirhams & her face lit up like a fire-cracker! Big smile. I said my name whilst banging on my chest until she eventually clicked & said her name was 'Fatima'. I rode away with many thoughts of my 5yo. daughter & her life & thought about Fatima tending camels day after day...

Mohammed in straw hat and note the women are'nt too keen being in the picture. 'Why you so tall mister?' Got heaps of photo's of Volubilis but we'll hit the road I think - must see place though if you got the chance.

Hey, what's this tucked away in the mosaics? Bloody Hell! Those German's get around a bit don't they?!

After that fabulous lunch overlooking the valley where Volubilis the Roman ruins were we paid Mohammed for an excellent tour & he made it really come alive. Well worth a visit & it was the most westerly African outpost of the Roman Empire.

TDM has a 18 inch front wheel which is IMPOSSIBLE to source a knobby so ended up getting a Pirelli M21 rear & reverse mounted it with a Mitas E-10 at the rear, same size as the Beemer. The Quota has narrower tyres. I'll let you know Trevini how it got on later as we get into the rough stuff photo's! 'Spose it's about time I add myself into the piccies! The boy's kept on at me in my 'wife-beater'!

Here we are having the best meal we ever had in Morocco at a family run B&B/cafe on side of road as we're heading for some Roman ruins. Under the lids of the tagines was a bubbling mixture of turkey, potatoes & Moroccan spices made by the 'I'll have to kill you if I tell you' Mama. It was fantastic, but such a shame to have peaked food-wise at the relative beginning of the trip!

Oops! Here's the pic.

O'kay, so we head for Chefchouen where we all get a serious dose of blue-eye! Great little place up in the hills.

When you get to the other side...? Where do we go now? And bugger me, why's it so green? Oh, 'spose we only have come 30 miles further South as the crow flies, bloody newbs have no idea - time to access our comforting technology & ask "Hal" a question...

Aah, here's the ferry now to take us to African shores & our greatly anticipated adventure!

I'll start with a few pics & add more narrative as we go along... for those who are interested! Here's my two mates Andy & Glen with the 3 bikes, BMW R1200GS, Yamaha TDM850 & my newly purchased Quota1100 at Algiciras port (Spain) lined up waiting for ferry to Tangers Med, Morocco. Prior to leaving the UK I'd had Mitas Dakar knobs mounted on the Quota - & to cries of 'unfair advantage' - I threw some in for the boy's as well along with our luggage & they just had 'em mounted in a little Spanish motorcycle shop in Fuengurola a few hours before.

'Spose ya right if it's not new but still more impressive imo. Now Morocco aah, that's another story waiting to be told - let me see if I can upload successfully a pic of the Quota I managed to get my hands on for the trip before I begin... It was pristine when first clapped eyes on it languishing (for 3 years) in the back of a Ducati dealership in Bavaria. Whaddya reckon, should this do?

Forget the passenger's eyes - you wanna see your own eyes watching this! I'll see you... & I'll raise you Baldini!

I'm with you on that Ketil. However, I emailed on the supplied address and as yet have'nt heard back... But, I'm in otherwise.

Funny thing happened today, funny as in weird, not ha ha. I always fill up with Shell Optimax when I can, don't think about it too much but I beleived it has the highest RON rating and besides, I have a Shell garage within 500 metres from me by way of explanation... Now, the M4 exhausts sound grrreaat - but the bike does stumble & hesitate from time to time on constant throttle from 3ish to 4ish thousand rpm like when rumbling through towns & villages. Also, on decel it pops & farts & generally makes a lovely 'look at me' spectical of itself pretending to be a 'tuned to within an inch of its life' backfiring beast. Well, been out on a 3 hour ride all up today and the fuel light comes on so within 10 miles or so I pull into Dorking BP fuel station. Fill up, pay up, helmet on and start up again. Man! - before I had got outta the station I'd noticed sumthin, wtf! Huh, imagination is a weird thing I thought. This feels great. Nah, bullshit, my mind is playing tricks... Boy's, I rode it slow, I hammered it hard, I tested her on a constant throttle through various rev ranges. It was S-W-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-EEEEEET!!! Don't understand it. I ain't even got an answer to it at all. But, I can honestly say it was completely singing with no bullshit hiccups! Smooth as a baby's bottom. I kinda guessed it must be 1 RON rating higher or so than Optimax but have since checked on the web & apparently it is one lower than Optimax. Huh? Work that out. Dunno what that BP Ultimate has innit but it sure runs smoooother! Have any of you noticed your bike running MUCH better on Ultimate than Optimax too? Or something else, for that matter? I ordered a Fat Duc last week just to give it a try-out & see if it has a positive effect - but honestly, if I get more fill-ups on Ultimate & it continues to produce the sweet ride it did today, it won't even be broken outta the box! I really can't get my head around how it had such a massive impact. Does'nt make sense..... but, do yourself a favour if, like me, all you've been squirting in the girl is Optimax, give that BP jungle-juice a go & see if it smooths yours out too! Do any of you have any similar - weird - experiences?

Yeah? Well, Todd from guzzitech emailed me with that advice - Sent: Tue, 21 Jun 2011 3:26 Argumentive is not a problem at all - hell, bring back ol' scratchy Ratch - it's just conflicting 'facts' that make me moto-giddy. “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party” Cheers! ps. are late-model V11's oxygen sensor connector style #1? http://fatduc.com/attachments/pdf/O2_Manipulator_Connectors.pdf

Since posting, I've been further enlightened: "PCIIIusb does *NOT* offer 100% access. It too like the PC-V only offers access above 40% throttle. The 02-controller is needed in order to revise the fueling below 40% throttle." Aah! That changes the perspective around a bit - schoolboy error, oops! So, that being the case, are all plug & play fueling units modifying only from above 40% throttle? Do any adjust fueling below 40% as well?

My bike does have the O2 sensor. The below 40% non-operation of the PCV compared to the full-range operation of the PClll is the main issue swinging me in favour of the PClll. Although the additional re-flash overcomes this drawback, cost begs the question, "Why pay extra to get the so-called 'improved' PCV to merely replicate the 'limited' PClll's unimpeded below 40% ability?" Well o'kay, AutoTune can't be added, but as it does'nt come free... so yet again - extra cost! (And... is it all it's cracked up to be...?). PClll = 100% ability PCV = 40% handicap or PCV + $ = 100% or PCV + $ + $ = 100% + AutoTune Standing 'em back to back size is'nt the only thing reduced! Or can't I see the wood for the trees?

Imho the eagle logo is the A-1 finishing touch! http://racingcafe.blogspot.com/2011/06/ghezzi-brian-kit-sport-monza-1000-by.html

My mate has one of these on his R1200GS http://www.boosterplug.com/shop/cms-24.html & he finds, & I've witnessed, it works extremely well in both in altitude riding ie. Pyrenees & high temp ie. Sahara desert. Unfortunately, has'nt been developed for guzzi V11's. (GS runs well, but is rubbish off-road compared to Quota1100 though). Seems this guzzitech developed unit comes fairly close but has no temperature stabilizer which Boosterplug maintains makes massive difference http://www.guzzitech.com/store/GT-02OPT.html although looks a wee bit cobbled in comparision too, but if it works... I'm currently researching & considering it for my bike. Dunno which is best between the Fat Duc & O2 Optimizer. Seems little in it between these two but the Boosterplug seems to have moved the game on a bit with its addittional temperature reader. Shame that Jens has'nt sorted it for guzzi's 'cos I'd sure give it a go based on my mates improvements.