Steve G.

No Worries Pete. I was giving you a bit of a erib as well. Ciao, Steve G.

Geez Pete, we all can't have vast reserviors of flammable hot air like you in which to properly guage 'your' version of the proper torque, never mind the torque values given by the company that actually made the bloody machines! I guess when you have an engine build in front of you, you must fill up with lovely stuff like chili, broccolli, and other notable gas boosters. What's the torque when you piss your pants? Ciao, Steve G.

It's good to see Kenny up on the podium. He really is stuck with a shitty bike, with no power. Ciao, Steve G.

You have a good point Carl, maybe a cover for the entire bike! Ciao, Steve G.

The headlight better be a better light, it can't be because it looks better. Heck it looks like a giant bug from the front. And what's with those chrome things above the engine heads? Gosh I'm trying, but its not growing on me yet. Ciao, Steve G.

I do realize that some, perhaps many see the domination of Mr. Rossi as a pain in the ass. Just bare in mind that we all are witnessing history here, that we are all watching the greastest roadracer of all time during his prime years. He is simply the best ever, I now realize this, even with my favourite of all time Mike Hailwood, this Rossi fellow is quite simply on another level entirely. Nicky, Colin, Sete, Alex, any of them, on any bike, not a chance. Heck even arrogant Mick Doohan has said this guy is the best ever. Ciao, Steve G.

I think I know what your getting at Murray. It should be noted that any time you are talking about a Moto Guzzi 1100cc engine, the power output will be more or less quite close, relatively, excepting the current very limited production MGS01 engine, which we can all agree won't ever find itself on a high production model [for Moto Guzzi that is]. This mainly because it can probably be agreed upon that the MGS01's engines state of tune is getting very close to this engine configuration's maximum output, and this state of tune will be reducing it's service life. I'll agree that the engineers have left themselves room to manouver with engine output, but surely we are talking only a maximum 5-7 hp, unless engine longevity/usability is of no concern. With regards to the bodywork design, of course this is always a personal taste thing. One man's 'Ferrari' is another mans 'Ford Escort'. I think you can consider yourself lucky Murray, that you have not burdened yourself [generally] with what a bike looks like. You have given yourself so many different bike ownership possibilities with this decision. Of course the size/range of the fuel tank is important to me as well, the way it looks is equally important. But the way the Breva 750/1100's are designed right now, they would not lend themselves to being able to make me automatically turn my head for a final look as I left the garage after a day's ride. A very good friend of mine who lives locally also happens to be a freelance moto-journalist, who was at the world launch of the pre-production Breva 1100. He spent a day on the machine and had very favorable words about it. He has had alot of seat time on V11's and V11 Lemans and notes the Breva is a better bike, in most every way, though a bit down on peak power to allow tuning for a more usable midrange. But there have been many bikes made over the years that were given rave reviews but were sales flops because they didn't catch the eye of the consumer. A perfect example is the current production 750/800-900/1000 cc Ducati Supersport family. A way better bike than the previous generation, but not nearly as nice looking, and 3 yr old models continue to sit on showroom floors of local Ducati shops. Clearly Pierre Terblanche [current Ducati designer] has a unique eye for what he thinks "looks right", but it is not in the majority. I feel the Breva family suffers the same fate as this Ducati model, unless they reskin the thing to give it more "flow", instead of it's current "frumpy dumpy" look. Starting right at the front, they seem to have copyied the MV Brutale headlight, also a controvertial look, but at least MV have explained that this is actually a shape used to keep the front end planted during high speed. The Breva is not able to reach Brutale velocities, so surely this is just a styling cue, and to me it simply does not work. A standard Bosch headlight used on the V11 [the exact same unit on my 1981 Laverda Jota] should be substituted right away. The front fender is ok. The tank must be changed, it must be flattened out, given flow. The seat and tail section are mostly generic looking, no appealing visual cues of greatness or uniqueness. It can be easily done. Perhaps it will take a bad selling year to bring this to the attention of Piaggio. Ciao, Steve G.

Until they reskin the Breva, I'll stick with my V11. Even though they reshaped the fuel tank from the early examples, it still looks not right. Maybe it's that "droopy" headlight design, I just don't know. I do like the new updated shaft drive system though. Ciao, Steve G.

Cheers Rob. Ciao, Steve G.

Sorry guys, I got back from Moto GP to realize I can't find the thread on the fuel delivery problem, where Bad MotoGuzzer talked of an insulating product for the fuel lines to stop the vapour lock these V11's can have. Ciao, Steve G.

Don't feel bad Ryan. Virtually all my bikes weep some kind of fluid. The Norton is different, it just sweats it right through the pores in the castings. The only one that is drip free, and the one with the most mileage by far, my Laverda 1000, bone dry, even after switching to full synthetic. I guess those 3/8" [10mm] gasket surfaces are there for a reason. Ciao, Steve G.

A buddy of mine installed a set of these Wings on his KTM Adventure. I looked at them carefully, the quality is amazing. They should be, they are made by Ackropovic!!! The price? Half you would see with Akropovic. Too bad they are hard to get for anything but KTM in North America. Ciao, Steve G.

Jim Redmond is indeed a lovely man, Jim. It is worth noting that at Del Mar, when the total snob Rob Ianucci thankfully brought out these and other magestic machines, amazingly there were only about 250-350 people. Clearly those in attendance knew what was happening, and how lucky they were to get up close and personal with not just Jim Redmond, but the dosens of other legends who were asked to run these priceless machines for Mr. Iannuci. A true gift, and again, I consider myself very lucky to be not just within earshot, but to be sitting casually with such men, chatting as if I were an old buddy. Ciao, Steve G.

I can highly rate a bike shop in the centre part of California, Modesto to be exact. On our return trip from the Moto GP, one of our group had a rear wheel bearing go away bad and quick, in Santa Nella. No Ducati dealer, in fact no bike shop at all. So a 200$ flat deck ride to Modesto found the shop there who handles Yamaha, I think Modesto Yamaha. Modesto resident Callison can confirm this. Anyways, these guys really pulled out all the stops to get his bike right, including sending the kid to the bearing shop to get the new bearings, and, refusing to charge anything but their cost on them, and not charging any fee. Adrian was very impressed and tipped everyone there. He is also sending a letter with a suitable payment and letter of thanks, and will be sending a letter to Yamaha USA stating his highly positive thoughts. This is a guy who is not easily impressed upon. Ciao, Steve G.

Hi Dave, No, I have never gone to a motorcycle race on anything except a bike, including the Isle of Man, which is a bit difficult and expensive if you look at what the Canadian dollar is worth against the UK pound. No I was there, on my old airhead GS, and my brother on his Dakar, [sorry guys, but the V11 just can't pack a weeks worth of gear and free track stuff like these things], and lane splitting [or as the Californians say "lane sharing"] was the order of the day. But the road out of Fort Ord going towards the track gets quite skinny, so much so that we had trouble riding in the ditch along side, we were forced up onto the road and left at the mercy of car drivers to let us sneak in along them. And another thing, some guys were in cars and vans were going out of their way to block bikes from going along the side, to the point of one moron actually driving his minivan right across the road so no-one could go forward, all the while yelling that he was a motorcyclist also, and he knew how we felt! Can you believe it? One constable/deputy on his old Kawasaki police bike noticed us doing this, zoomed down the hill nearly whacking headon into our now stopped bikes, and said "where the hell do you think you are going?", to which my buddy said, "sorry boss, I'm from Canada and don't know how the laws work down hear", to which he demanded we get on the other side of the centre line or he'd fine us on the spot. Heading out, was not such an issue with the lane splitting, just the fact that we were sent out on the other side of Laguna. The GP bikes themselves are very loud indeed. It's funny how I notice things. Did you happen to mention how each bike acts when pit speed activator is applied? The Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki all chug that unforgettable BRAP,BRAP,BRAP sound, but the bike resonds very smoothly. The Kawasaki however reacts by bucking the rider violently, head shaking, legs flailing. The sound of the Proton with KTM power sounded absolutely lovely, too bad it's got no power. Like it has been mentioned, the inline 4 bikes [Yamaha, Kawasaki] are clearly playing around with crank/piston timing, with these engine sounding nothing like the normal 180 degree crank engines you hear on the street or in WSB. Ducati is going with the "Big Bang" crank set up with their v4, compared with the banshee wail of the previous early set up. Not sure if you had the chance to hear the old GP bikes from Honda being fired up. The 500cc 4 pot bike was great sounding, and WAY louder than the new 990cc GP bikes. But the show was clearly stolen by the sound, the sonic shreek of the 250cc inline 6, the RC 166. This little engine must have been a shock to the gp paddock back in 1966, with big old Manx Nortons booming around at barely 7000rpm. This little Honda idled at 8500rpm, as the one did this past weekend at Laguna. The operator of this particular machine, on loan from the Honda museum in Japan, one of just 8 made, is the actual bike that Mike Hailwood road to several championships. This bike, in the interest of preservation, was only blipped up to 18,500rpm. When I first heard these things, at Del Mar in 1997, when Team Obsolete brought them out, both Jim Redmond and Knobby Clark riding and tuning respectfully, Mr. Redmond told me he would regularly run it in the old GPs to 22,000rpm late in the race, but was given a scolding by Japanese engineers when they would check the tachometer, as they would say only to run at 19,000. Guys, if you get the chance, you must hear these things, the sound so intense it makes your eyes water like teargas. The Honda people on hand last weekend would hand out 100's of ear plug free before each starting, so damaging the sound. You know where I was? Standing at the back of the bike of course. Perhaps I was a bit rough on my previous entry. I may indeed go to another GP race. SCRAMP and Laguna Seca simply must learn from this first year, or it is doomed to failure. There were too many over heating crotch rockets parked along side the entrance roads, owners facing the prespect of getting the head gasket done. Ciao, Steve G.

I just got back from the Moto GP Tuesday night. An interesting time. More on the 1 week ride later. But on Laguna Seca. First off, I'm glad Hayden won. He's a likeable little guy, and stardom does not seem to have gotten to him [yet]. Nicky and Colin on the podium is good for Laguna Seca, it will drum up some needed exposure to keep GP's in North America. OK, the bad stuff. Maybe not on tv, but Moto GP sucks live compared to WSB. What is it with this "hot paddock, everybody out stuff?". What for? There's nothing to see, just a bunch of shipping crates piled up so you can't see anything. I want to see stuff up close the way WSB was. You need binoculars now. The new paddocks building has buggered the view of the final turn before the straight. They really need to do something about those bloody stupid bridges. It took 1/2 hr to get from the paddocks to my seat at 11a. The entry to the track through Fort Ord was an absolute comedy show. Picture 5 miles of stopped lineup trying to get into the track, bikes over heating, constable Bob ticketing any bike that ventures over the yellow line. Finally we get to the 'gate', where get this, 3,THREE, people are checking tickets. A total joke! And not a funny one. Almost as bad was the exit exodus, where everyone, bike, car, all traffic were sent west towards Seaside. Great if you are staying at Seaside, but what about the 55,000 other people? It took me 2 1/4 hrs to get back to my hotel in Salinas. Meanwhile, the exit road through Fort Ord was empty, not used. The local police are a bunch of idiots, not the CHP, but the Monteray and Seaside boys. Rude, bullying, I swear they act as though they are in the military or something. Oh, and the race? Pretty boring actually, and maybe kind of predictable. I can't prove it, but it's happened before, with F1 and team orders. Clearly Hayden and Edwards were pushing it as hard as the could, while Rossi seemed quite casual about the ride. When they took thrie helmets off, Rossi's hair wasn't even sweaty, while the other 2 looked totally knackered. Will I go back next year? NO. Ciao, Steve G.

Whatever you get, confirm they are nothing but wire core, avoid carbon core at every expense. NGK has a great copper core wire available. Same red color as stock. Ciao, Steve G.

Now that you mention it, I have had a problem with it, not heat related, but I think vibration related. Originally I thought it was having issues with the hard wired power off the bike. It will work until I start the bike [any of them] then just shut off. I have to remove all power, including batteries before I can restart the thing. Then I tried it with just batteries and it did the same thing. It works ok if I just carry it. Probem is, to get it repaired requires I send the thing to bloody Quebec, where Garmin sends stuff in Canada. Minimum charge 125$ plus taxes. As I am literally heading out the door to Moto GP, the good old CAA/AAA map in the tank bag is doing what it does best, work! Ciao, Steve G.

I take one [Garmin 76S] when I'm touring on my V11. Put it in my tank bag, where the map would usually be. Ciao, Steve G.

Glad to hear you are ok Tom!!! You can fix the bike, but not body. I must compliment you on your choice of roads. The Leggett express as we call it, from #1 to #101 is understatedly a legend up these parts. Arguably the most extreme entertaining and demanding 22 miles one could care to ride. I know of two local buddies who have chucked their big Jap superbikes over the edge on that chunk of road, with hospital stays required, and a tow truck with 150 feet of cable for the bikes. I know this road well, having ridden it dozens of times. I stop friends at the start now, to warn them of the nature of the road. This road is the natural habitat of the dual purpose or hooligan style bike. Tread carefully! Ciao, Steve G.

You say that one plug is brown, one sooty black. So, I would think this fact would rule out any shared components the two injectors deal with. Which means it is not the ecu, any sensors, etc. I think it is the injector itself, or a component which services one single injector. Try changing the injectors over, left to right, and right to left. New plugs, and see if the sootiness changes sides. It's not the first time. Ciao, Steve G.

My brother's KLR had a water pump impeller come loose!!!, and it met an instant tragic end by superheating itself. Nothing is perfect, not even Japan Inc. If it's tough you want, get an old airhead. The brothers gs has 160,000kms, canes the thing everywhere [i guess you sort of have to cause they are kind of gutless] with no issues at all. Want to stick to Italian tough? Real tough? one word, Laverda. Moto Guzzi engines are extremely tough[ that's why I have one], but Laverda's will run until the next ice age. Ciao, Steve G.

Thanks for the info Ryan, I'll be heading over to Lindair to get both sizes. Thanks! Ciao, Steve G.

I'll give it a thumbs up. They've got to do something with that rear fender though. It's way too long. Too bad they have to meet EU and US DOT crap regulations, I'm sure the Italians wouldn't design something like this rear fender. Ciao, Steve G.

Hi Ryan, I'm interested in the remaining stuff if you have any left. I've been plagued by this problem many times now, and I'm almost positive it is heat related, and as you say, the routing of the lines is suspect. One line rests right up against the rear of the left cylinder on my bike. I basically got a blank stare when I've enquired about this to the dealer in Vancouver, maybe I should have talked to the right person. I think I did talk to the right person at the dealer in the Chilliwack dealer, and he confirmed it is a heat situation. He said wrapping the fuel pump in a heat proof wrapping available to keep heat away [much like the stuff stuck under the fuel tank on the V11] is the least one could do, but this stuff you have sounds like the hot [no pun] ticket, as it is protecting fuel lines that seem a tad vulnerable to me in the first place. If you've already gotten a confirmed response from someone Ryan, no problem. If not, I'll buy the stuff from you. I'm heading off to Moto GP Sunday morning the 3rd of July. I'll be back July the 11th about 11:00pm. Maybe I could touch bases with you at your convienience after that? Maybe at the BMOC meeting on Thursday the 14th? Ciao, Steve G.