Lucky Phil

Here's a bunch of home made Guzzi/Ducati tools except for the blue one and the deep socket black one. I "think" the ring nut one is the chrome 4 prong one. It's 1 and 1/8 inch and a but rough I'll admit but a lot of these were pre milling machine home made. They only need to do the job once a lot of the time so practicality overrides looks and longevity. Phil

I'll dig out the tool when I get a chance and measure it. Thirty years ago or more I saw the Burns Brothers magnificent doco series "The Civil War" and have been fascinated by it ever since. I visited a few battle fields while in the states and of course RE Lee's family home, now Arlington Cemetery. Visited the Museum at Richmond and thanks to docc sending me Sam Watkins book Co Aytch. Plus a few other books on the subject. Still fascinates me.

Here GST is included in the prices on the menu and displayed prices. I really don't need to be reminded of how much tax I'm being charged and it's just far simpler transaction wise. Tourist taxes are relatively new I think but on the rise because the world is now overrun by tourists and the locals are a bit fed up. Last time I was in the states we took some 100 dollar notes with us, as you do. Only 500 dollars worth just for the start of the trip, just in case. Traders just looked at me like I was a drug dealer when I tried to pay with them and most just couldn't take them. Gave up and just used the cards everywhere. Here at least when you walk into a shop or restaurant and look at the prices then that's what you pay at the till or checkout. No complications or maths required. Clean and simple. Phil

Even when I travel interstate in the car I carry a small tool box with general tools, duct tape, tie wraps etc and 4 litres of water. I just keep imagining being stranded on the side of the freeway between Melbourne and Sydney waiting for assistance for the sake of a simple straight screw driver or some tape to make a temp repair. When I was shopping for a new DD 2 years ago I looked at a Kupra which was new to Australia. I asked the sales guy about dealer support and he said to me it was "no Problem" as they had A dealer in Melbourne and another in Sydney and free roadside assist. I asked him, if then I'm on the side of the freeway midway between Mel and Syd so 450klms from both and I have a tech issue what's going to happen. Once again "no problems" roadside assist will pick the car up and transport it 450klms to either Melbourne or Sydney. Great says I and what do I and my wife and luggage do? Apart from the fact you'll be waiting all day for assistance on the side of the road if they do actually turn up. The sales guy is about 24 years old and probably never driven more than 50klm outside the CBD in his life. Royal Enfield had roadside assist free with their bikes and I know people that tried to use it for flat tyres. If you get a flat just start walking it'll be faster than RSA. Roadside assist here is worthless any distance outside a major city. So I said to the sales guy I liked the car but until they get their act together with some form of tech assistance outside the biggest cities in the country I'll go with a Toyota or Mazda. You'll never be more than 100klm from a Toyota dealer along the east coast of Australia. Phil

You can make a tool from a cheap socket of the correct Dia and a hacksaw and files. I've done this a few times to make these tools before I had the mill. Phil

Abbreviation for Passenger. We used it in the airline industry and pilots refer to "pax on board" etc.

No they can't tolerate Gasoline contact. Not all rubber will maintain it's dimensions with regards to gasoline contact. A LOT swell which in any static sealing use is usually fine until you pull the component apart then you need to replace the rubber seals because you can't refit them due to dimensional change but in a dynamic situation such as the fuel tap spool the unit just seizes due to the seal swell. There are many material variations with Nitrile rubber and some is more Gasoline proof than others. Viton/FKM seals are the answer. Unfortunately you can't buy Viton seals of the exact dimension you need to replace the original seals so you need to modify the spool grooves. Phil

SFS has a "city tax" and maybe from memory a separate tax on "environmental" as well. Even Americans when you speak to them about all this rubbish just put their heads down and start mumbling incoherently into their laps when you ask about it all. Looking around restaurant you see people with calculators working out the bill. While you are in DC visit the Smithsonian air and space museum, It's FREE and very very very good. I've also been to the Dulles museum as well and it's well worth the visit. Washington DC and Alexandria and Arlington are all must see places when in the USA. Richmond VA is also worth seeing if you're into Civil War history which I am. Phil

Depends on where you live but RSV1000 is a more accurate description with regards to this conversation in that I'm identifying the base model RSV series of bikes not the Ohlins equipped bikes for example. I've owned 3 RSV1000's. A base model a 2000 R model and a 2002 R model. Here's a 2000 model Mille for you. https://www.bikesales.com.au/bikes/details/2000-aprilia-rsv1000-mille/SSE-AD-18567453/?Cr=9

Why would you want to go through all that? Why calibrate a speedo? All three of my cars the speedos over read different amounts. The Kia 5kph@100, the Mazda 2kph@100 and the Supra 2kph@100. All calibrated off the GPS. I adjust the cruise control speed accordingly and I know at lesser speeds the difference is even smaller. Seems to me when you fit significantly different wheel sizes you just do a 60 mph drive and check it against the GPS and remember the offset and you're good. Even with my addled brain I can remember the speedo inaccuracies in three different cars. Add to that a motorcycle with a Veglia speedo! Phil

I will never again buy anything from that company. Phil

Mille = 1000 in Italian Phil

What front forks are fitted to your bike? They don't appear to be std V11 Sport fork legs and or you have the axle in back to front. On V11 43mm forks the axle nut is always on the LHS and the axle is inserted from the RHS. Those look like the later 43mm forks with the 25mm hollow axle but in the wrong way around? Phil Edit......Yep just checked. Looks like you bike has Aprilia RSV1000 forks.

The RS Sport was a much better looking bike. Different wheels, much better looking seat unit, painted engine, usd forks, more power than the original Daytona and Carrillo rods.

The only thing I can add is if I were going to use a Daytona seat assy I wouldn't be using this god awful bread box version but the Daytona RS version. Gundagai where this one is made isn't a million miles away from Pete Ropers place and about a 5 hour drive from mine. This one has been on the HMB site as a special for years. Take off 19% and add shipping. Michael may cut you a deal who knows. https://hmb-moto.de/Rear-Cover-Sport-Corsa-yellow-black

Every single person I've known over the years that gets into home brewing doesn't stick at it for more than a year or two. Too fiddly and finicky esp when you are woken up in the middle of the night with bottled beer blowing the caps off on occasions. Phil

You know you can buy beer at the shops I actually drink zero alcohol beer these days in summer. You can drink as much as you like, it's available at the Supermarket and cheaper than soft drink. Coopers make a nice one but it's a bit high in sugar so these days I drink Great Northern. Phil

Cant understand why you still have one fitted. Phil

On the subject of hose clamps these are the best. Re useable and the special tool isn't required. Neat, compact, simple and reliable. I hate screw clamps on small hoses. They look like shite. 5/16 EFI hose needs the "purple banded" Norma Cobra clamps. You can buy them at many places or on line. https://www.irrigationworks.com.au/hose-clamps

You could re arrange everything like my bike I guess. EFI Fuel hose often leaks after long term storage at the clamps and after a bit of running they swell and seal again. Phil

Std bush. Buy them anywhere for far less. https://www.sp-spareparts.com/en/p/egb-1615-e40-b-ina?srsltid=AfmBOopEQweX5noDan8IK06-n8jMwp2x23nsWgj79duzIrKvL2X86Efe Phil

If 12 keeps coming off 10 the lever arm it's not related to the missing shift lever bush. More likely an issue with the lever or the arm itself. Spline condition or clamping action etc. The spring shown in the image isn't std I don't believe and the only measurement for the bush worth having is from an unused bush. You might just have to measure the ID of the frame support for the shift lever and the OD of the shift lever shaft itself and make or source your own bush if you can't buy an oem one. Old bike engineering.

3 small wires that sit in the thread pitch dia, so in the thread valleys so to speak. Two on one side and one on the other and then use a std mike to measure the bolt dia. Useful when single point cutting on a lathe. This is better than my explanation.

Personally I prefer the much more compact, affordable and convenient set of thread gauges I have sitting on the Lathe. These and a set of 6" Vernia callipers tell me what I need to know about bolt size and thread pitch and profile. If it's really tricky I'll use my thread mike or the 3 wire and std Mike method. Phil https://www.ausee.com.au/products/thread-gauges-set?variant=45253772935332&country=AU&currency=AUD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA2oW-BhC2ARIsADSIAWqLnzdb2iEZdt8iF1pAa0ExarJb-NDhZ0TOE5jKY98gNN_JAZ0VmfwaAoSpEALw_wcB https://www.tester.co.uk/mitutoyo-series-125-screw-thread-micrometer-0-4-0-5-mm-5-5-7-mm-choice-of-model