belfastguzzi

are you still thinking that you will get to the June Midlands meet?

Paul What is the Scura booklet and where did you get it?

In UK we still pay for the bike in real British Pounds, not Euros, though the bike is weighed in kilogrammes, not pounds. (Or for a Harley you can choose between tons and tonnes.) Forward motion is still miles per hour, though the distance from one end of the bike to the other will be a matter of centimetres, not feet and inches. (Again, Harley owners may prefer yards.) Perversely, feet/pounds is retained for the measure of thumpiness from the motor whose displacement will be counted in euro litres/c.c.s rather than generous cubic inches or grand British cups or fluid ounces. Trusty horses are still used to measure engines rather than those nana bananas or whatever they are. There seems to be a strong movement to put bars into tyres now. Pounds might have been ok for cross-plies but they musn't be up to the job for modern radials. As to tyre measurement itself..... I'll not go there. And we don't use tires here at all. I like to think that tanks still come in gallons, but I guess if I measured one (you can call me Al) I would find that it is actually litres. Thankfully the common measurement of wallet capacity remains miles per imperial gallon. Miles per litre may be inevitible, but surely km per ltr are just too bizarre? 1 US fluid ounce = 29.5735297 milliliters Yikes! There's a US fluid ounce! (As well as an American litre.) "I'll have 3 stones of the Empire's best paraffin for my trusty Guzzi, please. Thank you."

yep, we know you

Hi RichieBS yeah, 'casual" is not the way to go when attaching luggage to a bike. When I was looking at the web for info I came across a story about someone being killed when an Oxford tailpack slid round and into the back wheel. There were a few stories like that and apparently this was a major issue for Oxford. Not supplying correct fitting instructions was the issue. Take care with those bungees. I wouldn't rely on them.

Thanks Tim, I'll e-mail you later. Neither the e-mail or the PM systems seem to be working at the moment. My Oxford tank bag worked fine on a steel tank with the headstock strap and the magnets. I took the magnets out yesterday, for the Guzzi. The front strap willl just about go around the headstock at full-length adjustment. I think I'll make bracket for the Guzzi spine to attach tank-bag straps to, as I don't see anything handy. I wonder what your tank bag attaches to?

- note to self - stop going to bike shows and buying bargains, eg panniers and stuff. Two years ago I got a great leather jacket. Salesman said it was he last one so was a great price. I hadn't had one before with all that horrible armour in. It felt odd so I sought guidance from salesman, "does it really fit me?" "It fits perfectly" says he. Howcome it was only when I handed over the dosh and got home that I realised the arms reached down to my ankles...?

I would love to hear how people have adapted fittings on bags or bike. I have Oxford tankbag, panniers, tailbag. I want to attach them to the bike without a rear rack. There's nothing much around the seat or the tank to attach straps or bungee hooks to. The seat pan doesn't allow an underseat strap to run through. If anyone has fitted Oxford or similar products, I wonder have you just attached longer straps or have people fitted tie-down brackets or loops to the bike, front and rear? Or what...?

The most helpful bit is hearing that it's cold and dark there too: 'cos rain stopped play for me. Yes, 10mm looked right, but the pitch was slightly different from everything I tried. It must be fine pitch - so thanks. The reason that I took the seat off was to see how I might attach panniers and stuff. Please feel free to be helpful with suggestions about that too. That'll be another thread then. PS Good job you posted. Otherwise I would have had to use the hammer - and I think that would have hurt.

It must have been assembled by Guzzi

I took the seat off and heard a rattling sound. It was a loose 17mm nut lying in the seat cover elastic. Looks like it is off the hollow threaded bolt that secures the rear removable seat cowl to the seat pan. There is no nut on or around the bolt on the other side. I have tried a range of similar sized nuts. So far, can't find one that fits. Does anyone happen to know what size this bolt/nut actually is?

high output garage COOLING fan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have no idea what you're talking about... Give us a clue? KB,Cymru I don't expect you were there - it happened 1948 to 1953 "Open exhausts with megaphones echoed thundering roars around hills of a hitherto solemnly silent region. Strong Army presence was evident in the forms of Lt. Commander Kidston along with Officer Commanding the Royal Artillery practice camp at Sennybridge Major Stackpoole. Builth Wells Motor Club along with Carmarthen Motor Club shared prominence. Stewards, Marshals, First Aiders came into view, along with laden charabancs plus all forms of transport carrying eager supporters to settle down as witnesses to a massive inaugural event. Eppynt circuit, 5.2 miles per lap, wound across open moorland, undulating, with humps, over which speeds of 90 to 95 mph had been estimated during a Saturday Senior practice session, such speed there was amazing to even contemplate at that time. Rife rumour plus tittle-tattle brought a mass of motorcyclists to observe such feats. "Acknowledged experts" was an attracting term, coupled with "works riders", "factory machines", creeping into popular dialogue eager to dispense with Ration books, Petrol coupons, Powdered egg and Utility furniture expressions. Magazines plus media coverage brought names like L.R. Archer, Les Graham, Italian Moto Guzzi machine rider Maurice Cann to be household names. A possibility of seeing those which one could otherwise only read about proved irresistable, add Clubman’s Senior TT winner Jack D. Daniels with runner up Phil Heath to such a field to set a very fine stage. Syd Barnett failed to turn up this time only. So did Roy Evans, L.G. Martin arrived late from Spain too late to practice, still having too much clutch trouble to take a worthwhile part in tussles. Kenny Dixon rode a rather old Norton 350, recurring clutch trouble caused him to retire masking a young Dixon’s potential. Phil Heath confided that he too arrived late and could not contribute his usual ferocity due to machine problems throughout his ride. Bob Foster had competed in Moto-Cross des Nations in Belgium on a weekend prior to Eppynt TT, he said he had taken a fall and was forced to withdraw to rest a painful back injury. However it was rumoured he was to ride the Grand Prix of Europe in Ulster the following weekend and felt it unwise to compete at demanding Eppynt Circuit so close to the Grand Prix." Look at - silverdragons.co.uk but I don't see a map or actual circuit route there.

Something positive could yet come out of these posts. I reckon if all the words were just re-ordered a bit, there must be the perfect test question in here for selecting which kids go to grammar school and which ones go to secondary school (sorry, that's a local example that probably doesn't translate to other education systems). It could be called the Vortex Test and Al could get the Nobel prize for services rendered. Ok, the real question is: what's that chin pad (as mentioned by Al) for anyway? Is it decoration, or do Italians have very long chins?

What do you Welshy guys and gals know about this? Do you know what the route of this mainland TT was? I hope to tootle around Snowdonia/Brecon Beacons in June. As there is an old TT circuit there somewhere, this seems as good a routepoint as any to include in the itinerary. I'll have to see where Eppynt Mountain is on the map, but any ideas about a definite road(s) location would be great. Some time you'll have to come over here to the old Ulster TT & UGP / Grand Prix of Europe circuits. Here's a link to Ulster TT story - see Tracing the TT. It's from a four wheel perspective though. Rudge Ulster Just found this. Local Irish boy (champion, Stanley Woods) astride guess what V8, 1956

I thought I better do the proper thing and actually go look in the tank. It was a bit dark, so I struck a match to provide some light.... er no... I looked in the filler – and my previous description was not exactly correct. The left side has a hole flush with the surface, through which can be seen the brass connector for the 'tube'. The right side has a raised 'turret' where the tube terminates. This fits your description: that the left side is the drain and the right side is the vent. Dear, dear, certain readers of this forum with a more robust approach must be giggling, or crying, at these posts that are obsessed with the minute details of Guzzi petrol tanks –– as they pour another can of Fosters into their fuel tank and guzzle another pint of best premium unleaded down their throat.

Thanks Al and all. This reassures that I was probably experiencing fuel starvation, although the warning light had not yet come on. As a matter of interest, my handbook (v11 Le Mans / Sport) gives the tank capacity as 23L (5.06 imp. gall, 6.07US gall) with 5L reserve. The MG brochure for the Scura gives the capacity as 22L. It's negligible, only a litre difference, but it's interesting that MG does not have a consistent spec. for this. My light also comes on around 110 to 120 miles. This is the same as my 600 Ducati that had a smaller tank. I know the Guzzi has a bigger engine, but I had imagined it would have a bigger range than this. I haven't tried to work out a miles per gallon figure yet.

Glad you mentioned this as it is another part of the stupid question that I was too afraid to ask. I assumed the two tubes in the tank are vents and or drains. One has a rubber tube attached where it exits the bottom of the tank, which indicates that it fuctions as an overflow drain. After removing my tank, I wasn't sure which side had the tube attached to it: right or left outlet/inlet. I think the left. Where the tubes attach to the steel ring inside the tank filler, one side (left) has a brass insert in it, one doesn't. Is this standard? Does one side function as an overflow and the other as a vent? The content of the posts above seem to say this is the case. I would be glad if someone can confirm which is which. 2002 model

I'm very interested in your post, due to an experience last week. I was too afraid to post a stupid beginner's question about it (and I imagined it has probably been discussed lots before). I set off on a 20 mile trip to deliver documents by a deadline. After getting onto the motorway, the bike started spluttering and hesitating. It wanted to stop but I just kept the throttle open hoping that forward momentum would continue. I was afraid that if I stopped to investigate, it wouldn't start again. It felt like fuel starvation, but the fuel warning light was not on. However it did start to glow after about another 10 miles. I got the documents delivered and headed to a petrol station. The bike seemed to be ok after that. I was wondering about the accuracy of the fuel light? I was also wondering where exactly the sender is located in the tank? From what you say, it sounds like the usefulness of the light could be messed up by the useless trapped fuel in the right side? When the bike was cutting out and dieing it was on a long straight. It could be that when I got to corners that enough petrol was then redistributed to keep me going for another 15 miles. This is a 2002 bike.

ok, as you asked: "Midnight cowboy stained in black reads dark roads without a map To free-seeking electricity (repeat) (Repeat both lines) Lighthouse beacon straight ahead straight ahead across black seas to bring Seeking electricity High voltage man kisses night to bring the light to those who need to hide their shadow-deed hide their shadow-deed (repeat) Seek electricity........... " If you're still in the dark, more 'enlightenment' here To get there more efficiently, feed this map into your ECU... "Witness the man who raves at the wall Making the shape of his questions to Heaven. Whether the sun will fall in the evening Will he remember the lesson of giving? Set the controls for the heart of the sun. The heart of the sun, the heart of the sun. " Best of luck with the controls, send us a postcard when you get there.

That's a great tour. I like the look of the Alaska one too!

Yes, seems completely barking, especially on a bike where you have to go sequentially through the box. It's easier to see this technique using a car box where you can move from 5th to second in one move. But with the bike it's too easy to coast along, disengaged, then find the wrong gear, or a false neutral, just when you need to pull away – – he said with feeling, after dropping the bike at a junction doing 0mph yesterday One bent brake lever later – I think it's a sign: the bike's telling me not to use the brakes. There's probably no answer to this question for those of us under 6', but has anyone got a technique for righting the bike when it has gone past the point of balance and you're standing with one foot on the ground and desperately trying to heave it up again by the handlebars?

What would you like to know? How many people are from which part of the world, or who is from which part of the world? Both lists are difficult... I am wondering WHO is where. But if it is not easy to do a list and if people do not give enough information anyway, then don't think anymore about it. I am interested to know where other Guzzi riders are in Ireland, Wales, Scotland, England. I have never seen another Moto Guzzi on the road here. The only time I remember seeing one, was about 20 years ago in Scotland. I was camping at Ben Nevis campsite when a fantastic sound came up the glen. It was a red guess what. It made a big impression. Anyway, hopefully I will get to the V11 thing in England in June.

Never mind pictures of the Guzzi beast, I want to see pictures of that Kubelwagen beast. How did you manage to get that? You must bring it to the V11 rally. Strap the Guzzi on the bonnet. I went see a VW Trekker once, but just couldn't afford to buy it. I wish I had. example picture pinched off the web. Although it was a softie Mini-Moke type compared to the Kubelwagen, the steel body was as thick as... a very thick steel thing. Oh dear, as I'm posting in the Intro thread now, I'd better say my introductions. Hello. My name is David I'm always called DB, which is quite similar to KB and I see from his introduction that he is 47 years old, which is quite similar to my age, as I'm 47. Once upon a time I went to art college, so of course I have never had 'a proper job'. So of course I have never had money for a new bike (I once bought a brand new CZ125! Obviously that doesn't count) and so never thought I would ever have that beautiful green V11 Sport that I saw when it first came out. However... I never thought I would have a Ducati Monster either, but I got a second hand baby (600) one, then a while ago saw a V11 Guzzi advertised for £1,100, then started looking around and... ended up selling the baby Monster and buying a brand new daddy monster 2002 Ohlins V11. It's fab. Hey Jaap – once people have signed up, would it be possible to post a list of folks according to what part of the world they are in?