belfastguzzi

I decided to try the MySpace thing, just to see how it works. Maybe I should keep it and maybe add some MG related content? The Scottish highlands outing this weekend could be a starter. Anyone else got a site?

Looks like it could be best to go to eastwards anyway: "Friday: Rain soon clearing to blustery showers, the showers possibly merging at times in the west. Some drier and brighter spells in the east. Strong to gale force southwesterly winds. Outlook for Saturday to Monday: Bright with sunny spells and blustery showers during the period. The showers most frequent in the west, possibly merging at times. The best of the sunshine in the east. Windy." yes, hilarious

Do you reckon that's shorter than west via Fort William?

Well, the locals probably know what's best. Tradition dictates something along these lines: I've no time to sort out clothes, so probably won't bother with any.

Ok I've booked. So who else is in the bunkhouse?

If Antonionio wants to discover some nice place in the general area of Scotland – I would recommend taking a motorbike trip. I know it's a novel idea, but what do you think?

You're not doing much to encourage me!

Well I've checked the ferries. As usual, Stenaline is just a bunch of problems. Online booking hasn't been working anytime I've tried. I phoned them and was told that it is working – use Internet Explorer. However I've tried that too and it still doesn't work. Was quoted £104 for the privilege of booking the short hop to Stranraer by phone. Get real, Stenaline. If I book tomorrow, I'll go for Larne – Troon with P&O. Can't go Thursday night as have important meeting. Early Friday crossing should see me leaving Troon just around 9.30am. Unless you're leaving Moffat very early, that could put me in the vicinity of a Guzzirider slipstream on Fri morn? What's your est. timetable? I have though, been known to, er, miss the boat... My biggest worries about going are: - I might have forgotten how to ride the blessed thing, as it's been mouldering under a heap of stuff since the gearbox was playing up last summer and the top plate came off the Quat - it's a long haul if the weather is bad - will gearshift operate beyond second? - haven't got any sort of tune-up done - Did I say I might have forgotten how to ride the blessed thing? The good things are: - at least the Quat is back together in one piece and - sounding great - and it feels brilliant just to turn the motor on and ride the thing again - it's the Scottish Highlands, och aye - it's not work Let you know tomorrow.

Is anyone camping and if so, where? Edit. Doesn't matter. There's space in bunkhouse.

BBC1 tonight and Wednesday night. Prob 2pm tonight (Monday) Prob BBC1 NI EDIT just noticed that I put 2pm. Don't know how that happened. I meant 9pm. Second part on Wed. is earlier at 8pm. The coverage is brilliant. I'll try to get time to put it on an iPod for Highlands trip and maybe make a few DVDs (don't tell BBC).

The Superbike was brilliant: but have you seen ANYTHING like that final Supersport race? (Actually last year was pretty good, but that was on the radio.) Extraordinary, spectacular racing and fantastic coverage by the BBC. As they said, the best road race in the world.

We've a caravan at the end of the Ards Peninsula. The roads there and up alongside Strangford are beautiful – then the road north, up the Antrim Coast to the NW is regularly rated as one of the must see / must drive / must ride roads in the world. As for next weekend. Will I or won't I? I think I should. Time, as we know, is a tricky thing though. (Some day I'll master it.)

I just checked to see if it was being streamed and then came here to post, but you're on it already. Brilliant. Looks like great coverage. Superstock coming up now. Oh - fab aerial shots While you're in the mood: next year, why don't you guys think about joining the thousands of bikes that come across on the ferry and we could make a long weekend of it? Ride round the coast, paddle in the sea, watch bikes.

Great footage of Cookstown 100 on tv last night. Got home just in time to see it so didn't get posting any notice to let you know in case you would have had a chance to see it. There'll be more of course, though Tandragee isn't being shown due to the accident that killed John Donnan.

Safety devices? A bike doesn't need anything more than a bell(e) surely?

Riding pimps? No honestly: you guys have got it all wrong. They're just friends and acquantances Yeh, peppery. Good for u I'm sure – and cheap / free. And colourful. That's the nasturiums I'm refering to.

This has been a mysterious problem for others, while some have been able to see a cause. I had a severe attack of this problem last summer when on a trip. Bike would stick in second and just would not shift up. Solid refusal. Couldn't see anything wrong (linkage is threadlocked, greased, adjusted etc). I really couldn't believe that it was a spring problem but I opened the box at the roadside to inspect, 'cause I couldn't think of anything else. Nothing wrong with springs, no sludge in box etc... The only unusual thing in the lead-up to this problem was that the engine / box had got pretty hot as I was driving through a solid traffic jam for ages, so was slow, in low gear and with no cooling airflow. (Unusually a number of music festivals were happening on the same weekend in the South, so that circumstance, combined with holiday traffic, had clogged the Belfast - Dublin road.) Once stopped, I could evenually get going, but after a while it would stick in second again. Torture and on occassions, dangerous. When I eventually got to the other end of Ireland, very late, the bike operated ok when back to more normal usage, but on the long journey home the problem reoccured. Others have said that this gearbox doesn't work well when it gets hot. I don't know. It's the only explanation so far. Just as an unlikely cause – (as well as checking the linkage itself) check that it's clearing the Jubilee clips / hose clamps that hold the starter motor in place. The adjusting screw of the rearward clip is close to the linkage and depending upon the position where the adjuster has been left, it could possibly create an obstruction when shifting. It's a very long shot.

Oh yeah, I haven't seen that actually. It's a good site. Thanks One of the great things about Carlinhos is that he still lives and works in the very poor neighbourhood where he was born. He has created a very impressive music school and education project for the young people, developed the squalid housing and put in drainage and sewage, built music studios in the area etc... This intimate involvement with the people/communiy in his urban environment is in contrast to many who become 'superstars', whether music, football or whatever. see also: http://www.elmilagrodecandeal.com/

Unfortunately I'm 'back here' now.

This is electricity This is white sand This is work, clearly This is 'superstar' Carlinhos Brown These are kids in the street smiling, is good Define 'out there'. Are you casting nasturiums?

Well, this is the corner / bar / establishment. I think you had to be there... The streets in daylight were more obviously attractive. This is not Belfast This is a fish This is another Caipirinha sampling session with some friends

If you get it, you'll need one of my super expensive but highly superior screwdrivers to tighten the thing to best adjustment. Why not buy two, incase the first one breaks? Shipping to USA is suitably costly. I can even hand-deliver.

Just thought I´d say hello from Brazil as I found the perfect place for banter and silly business. There´s a street corner here where you can sit all night, drink caipirinhas and from the passing cast of characters, one unbelievable story unfolds after another, in front of your eyes. Cool. I need a Film Council grant to come back with a camera and a bodyguard. BTW I haven´t seen one motorcyclist wear any protective clothing at all, apart from a helmet. In the constant sunny hotness, it´s all bare hands, bare shoulders, bare legs; little bike or sports bike. Be back sometime. Wish you were here etc.... BFG Salvador

Sorry I can't say the same. No-one is going for the phonogram solution.

You know you're in a g.b. when you see Guzzirider's newly resprayed tenni-green V.11 parked outside.