belfastguzzi

My guess is that the V11 in those pics is built as a road bike, not for off roading. The big tyres are just for looks. Are there any pics of it going through mud or up mountains etc? I wouldn't want a fat front tyre like that off road, or on a long tour. It's a city bike.

Not sure if there are folding levers for V11. There are for Breva, Griso etc. I was thinking of the billet levers, or at least carry stock spares, and fit a set of the various billet foot levers that are available. Not to be pessimistic, but just thinking: another thing to watch out for in desert/off road conditions would be the V11's infamous rear brake calliper. It needs to be kept cleaned as it collects dirt so easily, hanging upside down. Then it sticks and literally melts. Then it doesn't matter if your foot lever is broken or not. So Baldini, is this what you were thinking when you kicked this off?

Some quite fine motivational posters for ya > Clickety HERE for more

Same. While I haven't been in Morocco/desert either, I still think that fitting a V11 with off road or trail tyres would be unnecessary and the wrong thing for a trip like this, giving much more downsides than upside. Gearing can't be lowered on a V11 either, like on a chain and sprocket bike: limiting climbing and off road ability, esp when laden. Fit good touring tyres and keep the laden weight down. The V11 is fine at scooting over slightly rough ground, like most bikes. Fit a sump guard by all means but I don't know that it's crucial. Rather, I'd be avoiding driving (riding) into any sump/chassis bashing obstacles. The V11 is frail in a lot of areas. Broken brackets and levers (and springs) are commonplace. In my opinion, the weakest part of the V11 is the frame/engine support and of course the heads & spark plugs. The critical engine support is weak: more to the point, the engine mounting areas are very weak. I say 'engine support' but of course the point really is that the engine itself is an integral part of the whole structural support system. Some of us know from experience that when a V11 falls over, in my case laden with touring gear, the shock of the (static) bike weight alone is enough to crack the timing chest. That could be the end of any trip as the crack results in heavy oil loss when the engine is running. Other areas of casing aren't the strongest either, so fitting off road tyres in order to go haring around off road multiplies the likelihood of grief arising. Dropping a V11 off road and far from a spares supplier will require some good remedial bodging skills to keep the show on the road. The weakness of the frame has been much written about; I'm highlighting the weakness of the engine/transmission casings; and everyone knows about the vulnerability of the heads and plugs as well as hand and foot levers and their brackets. Given all of that, I think it's better to see the tyres as a safety device. Let them limit the terrain traversed, rather than get into situations where the bike frame and casings are going to receive heavy shocks and impacts or fall over. Note that I say V11 above, rather than Guzzi. The V11 is probably the worst of all Guzzis to take off road, as it's structurally the weakest. The famous Tontis that have been hammered around mountains and deserts are different beasts altogether. I've been criticised here for having my Griso mildly off-road, but again, it's a lot more robust than the V11. Carrying spare hand levers is a must, of course, but also consider the foot levers. For rough terrain journeys, it could be sensible to carry spares or even replace the weak cast stock items with stronger levers that don't crack apart when you look at them.

People get close to the action at NI road racing but this....! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HjXXUyQhPE

More of the all things Guzzi related but not previously discovered or discussed. Things are now progressing extra-nicely. Thanks to the learned and concerned contributors to the What came to be called motorcycles topic, we have a 3rd new topic. 1) Bath soap – All things Guzzi hygiene. Discussion moderator: J Dental Floss RT 2) Grisotto - Tasting Guzzi Discussion moderator: Chopper Jim Remember, it's a labour of love and you want it to be smooth, creamy and oozy, not thick and stodgy. To quote Jamie Oliver: "This is an absolutely delicious recipe. It’s quite unusual, and the best thing about it is that it makes a hero of the much-underloved everyday cauliflower." 3) Start and Go - Understanding the science and semantics of a moving Guzzi Moderator of Pedantry: Baldi Knee • On Steering a horse, or, Work your way through the conundrums of the man-machine interface. Accusation A "Anything inherently stable you DRIVE, anything unstable you RIDE." Observation B "Sometimes you'll hear pilot applied to motoryclists, as opposed to driver. Rider is somewhat passive, so doesn't convey the correct nuance." Romantic Assertion (quashed) C "I've also heard people talking about piloting a motorcycle (as if they could fly)." Wild Conjecture D "Driver is more correct, since motorcycles, unlike horses, don't have minds of their own" Speculation E "I guess if your riding is just sitting on the back of something that goes its own way, then it might be... more accurately described as steering?" Rebuttal F "If you are making a m/c do what you want, not what it wants (minded or not), then you are RIDING it." Equivocation G "Riding & driving can be passive or aggressive." Political Correction H "I'd never drive a motorcycles, them motorcycles kills everybody that rides." • Start. The philosophy of getting to go and engaging gear. Push and Jump, or bump? – "Push start is push or push & jump in gear & dumping clutch. Jump start is stationary, using leads from remote battery. In the old days, one would push start a passive motor car and one would jump start an aggressive motor cycle, or horse." Jump, Dump... or Pop? – "Jump on the bike and pop the clutch..?" Run alongside your wife? – "Push start is when your wife is along and she pushes: jump start is when you have to run along side." Forget it – "The Convert has to get up to 34mph." • Engaging thought. The hazardous uncertainty of things going wrong Unresolved Question A "Could you say a driver rides a bike or would this be the sociolectic overkill? " Unresolved Question B "What if you accidentally let slip a phrase like "a horse drives its rider crazy"? "

By the footwear, I deduce that it is Finland

Erm, so, when you say, dumping the clutch.... Anyway, I say, just dump the whole bike.

Editing

In the old days, one would push start a passive motor car and one would jump start an aggressive motor cycle, or horse. Nowadays, we don't do that sort of thing.

Baldi, Copy the link select the button at the far right of the toolbar above (I think the icon is meant to look like 3 monitor screens behind each other). It's the 'Insert Media' button. Click it, paste the media url into the box and then confirm by clicking on the insert media button in the box. Or just add media tags at either end of the url. Either will give you: {media]http://www.youtube.com/bigracingcars[/media} - obviously with [ ] rather than { ] used above, so that they show - Which when posted, gives you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmCJvDUWXaY I got your PM thanks. Must reply. D Lex, Just as an item of interest – I'm intrigued by the local Northern Ireland sounds in the narration. I don't think it's an Italian speaking English. It may be someone speaking English as a foreign language: don't know where they'd be from.

Some of the all things Guzzi related, but not previously discovered, or discussed. Things are progressing nicely. We now have 2 new topics. 1) Bath soap and Guzzi hygiene. Discussion moderator: J Dental Floss RT. 2) Grisotto - tasting your Guzzi. Discussion moderator: Chopper Jim. – Remember, it's a labour of love and you want it to be smooth, creamy and oozy, not thick and stodgy. To quote Jamie Oliver: "This is an absolutely delicious recipe. It’s quite unusual, and the best thing about it is that it makes a hero of the much-underloved everyday cauliflower."

Good man. That belongs in the other topic in 24/7. Through unity of effort we advance in progression of knowledge of all things Guzzi related. I'll add it to the appropriate topic. And Anto's interpretation can't be correct: sure even Guzzi don't know if their engine is an 8V or a 4V!

Where's Baldini's modified design pic? It was nearer to the mark.

It is a hard to place accent. There are Ulster characteristics as well as an English squidginess.

Are you sure? On fine sand do you not want wide smooth tyres for traction, rather than narrower, heavily treaded tyres? You don't want to dig down into the sand, which is what knobblies will do. I don't have experience of fine desert sand, but I'm extrapolating from other off-road situations, where momentum is won or lost according to the appropriate tyre tread/section/pressure/height etc. While tyres are important, technique is the other, and very critical factor, when off-road. Again, I don't know about fine desert sand – maybe speed is simply the key thing there? What does the literature, or the specialist forums, advise?

What is the the Grisotto, Antonio? Someone's personal bike?

Spelga Pass, Mournes, Co Down Don't do it like this on a bike http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laltmrGr6hg

Coomakista Pass, N70 Kerry http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U5JezyGk2w http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scfr-lAe_EI&feature=related "Our stop at the vista point in Coomakista Pass provided one of the most breath-taking views on the Ring of Kerry. From here we could see the headlands of the Iveragh Peninsula, pushing into Kenmare Bay, Hogshead, Ballinskelligs Bay, and the remains of a stone ringfort.

Looking somewhat out of place is the sand near Derryname Bay and Caherdaniel. It is a white-golden color which washes in from the Gulf of Mexico!"

doing my bit >> http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=16394&view=findpost&p=176115

The Conor Pass is a steep (456 meters) and windy road that is located on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry. It is northeast of the town of Dingle and it connects Dingle Town to the other side of the coast near Brandon Bay. It offers spectacular views of the mountains, lakes, and Dingle Harbor. The Conor Pass is the highest mountain pass in Ireland. It is situated on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, on the road that crosses the peninsula between Dingle Town and the coast the other side. The Mountains the Pass crosses are the Brandon Mountains and contain Ireland's second highest peak Brandon Mountain at 3127 ft. From Dingle Town the road runs some 4½ miles rising to 1500 ft as it winds its way to the pass. There are wonderful views of the coast. At the Pass there is a carpark where you are confronted with this magnificent sight. The road then carries on down towards Brandon Bay past cliffs, a waterfall and lakes. The Healy Pass is a winding mountain road between Adrigole in Co. Cork and Lauragh in Co. Kerr. Cutting through the high Caha Mountains, the Healy Pass rises 334 metres above sea level and passes between two of the highest peaks of the Caha range. This is one of the finest mountain roads in Ireland and is named after Tim Healy, the first Governor-General of the Irish Free State, who was born in nearby Bantry. The Glengesh Pass is a windy section of the road that connects Glencolmcille to Ardara. The distance between the two towns is approximately 15 miles. During the drive, motorists can enjoy the farmland, desolate moorland, and tranquil setting. Glengesh (Glen of the Swans) Pass (900 feet above sea level) meanders through the Glengesh and Mulmosog Mountains. There are a few hairpin turns but since the road does not have a great deal of traffic, they are easy to negotiate. From Glencolmbcille to Ardara is fifteen miles and for the first few miles, the road is lined on each side with fuschia hedges. Then there follows mile after mile of a lonely moorland drive (apart from many free ranging black-faced sheep, that is), until a few miles from Ardara you come to the Pass, one of the most beautiful and remarkable of Alpine Passes in the county. This pass through The Glen of Swans is 900 feet above sea-level, while on either side are high mountains (Glengesh and Mulmosog) with heights ranging from 1,400 to 1,700 feet. On the descent from the top of the Glen, you have to negotiate two wild hairpin bends that necessitate a complete turn of the wheel....and of course, the road is only just wide enough to let two cars pass! Then the road straightens out until it joins the main Ardara to Inver Road. The journey down the pass shows no sign of human habitation, and this is probably the longest drive you will take in the county without seeing a solitary cottage. Barnesmore Gap is a mountain pass between Croaghconnelagh (Connall's mountain) and Croaghonagh (Owen's mountain). For centuries the Gap has been a strategic gateway between northern and southern parts of County Donegal. Because of this, up to a hundred years before this picture was taken, this pass, contrary to its calm and peaceful look, was a dangerous place, notorious for robberies or even murders. The road northwards from Donegal Town through Barnesmore Gap in the Bluestack mountains is one of the great scenic routes in Ireland. Bearnas Mor, the "Big Gap" was created by a glacier, which carved a wide, deep valley in the mountain range. This highway has always been of strategic importance as a geographic link between the north and south of the county. "The Gap", as it is known locally, has associations with St Patrick, who travelled across it on his first missionary journey through Connaught and Ulster. He had gone as far as Convoy, when, according to tradition, the wheel of his chariot broke twice. This event led the saint to conclude that it was a sign that his ministrations were unnecessary, predicting that the illustrious St. Colmcille would be born from the lineage of the ruling family, the Conall Gulban. Photo –*Barnesmore Gap 1899 William Lawrence, photographic publisher, Dublin 1899 The first train through Barnesmore Gap ran on April 25th, 1882. Interestingly, this event, too, has a connection to St Colmcille. Apparently, he prophesied that shortly before the end of the world, Barnesmore Gap would become part of the trail of the Muc Dubh (the infamous black pig of Irish mythology, the sighting of which was a sure sign of imminent disaster). To the older people gathered on the surrounding hillsides watching the first locomotive rumble through "The Gap" it did indeed bear a likeness to a black pig, and the belief was that the end of the world was not far off. However, a glass or two in the nearby hostelry, Biddy O'Barnes, would have helped disperse any unquiet in the superstitious. Even today, this famous old-style pub is as much a part of Barnesmore as are the surrounding Bluestacks and is a regularly visited and much photographed tourist attraction. _______ Barnesmore Gap is that big opening between Croaghconnelagh (Connall's mountain) and Croaghonagh (Owen's mountain). Here in this very fine mountain pass the traveller is absolutely shut in between these two great hills as he wends his way along a really excellent road that traverses the gap. These are rugged and gaunt grey mountains which, from a distance, give off a hue of blue, and for three miles on either side the traveller is between massive cliffs and yawning rents cut by streams racing down the mountain and falling into the noisy Lowerymore river. This river keeps company with the main road as far as Lough Eske where it joins the River Eske. From this description by Patrick Campbell one would think Barnesmore Gap was a wonderful place for travellers. For centuries the Gap has been a strategic gateway between northern and southern parts of County Donegal. But Barnesmore was also, in other days, a place of sinister repute. For several hundred years up to about 1800, it was the notorious haunt of brigands, highwaymen and raparees who waylaid, robbed and murdered travellers. Pat Kelly of Cashelnavean tells us that all the way down into the Gap was covered with trees and shrub wood and there was nothing but a bridle-path going through the place. This foliage was cut down as the robbers used to pounce out of the undergrowth and have the travellers robbed before they knew what had happened to them. It became so perilous that from the mid 1700's a garrison of Red Coats was stationed at the Ballybofey end of the Gap to ensure the safety of travellers. In 1780, Prionnsias Dubh Mac Aodh was the Captain of a gang of twelve who robbed the rich to feed the poor and his favourite haunt was the Gap of Barnesmore. Two of the gang, named Cassidy, were hanged in Barnesmore and Prionnsias Dubh was made to stand trial in Lifford and was also sentenced to be hanged. Executions took place at the gap for a number of years before a more permanent gallows was built. Pat Kelly of Cashelnavean tells us the story of three sheep stealers… In an account given by Caesar Ottaway, when passing through the Gap in 1839, he mentions the ruin of a barracks at the Northern end of the Gap. It is believed that the military outpost or redoubt was set up here about 1750. The company of Red Coats stationed here were used to patrol the Gap to keep the robbers and raparees away. Pat Kelly of Cashelnavean tells us that one night two women rushed into the barracks and said that a big gang of robbers had just held up some travellers down in the Gap. All the soldiers ran for their horses and galloped off like blazes down the brae and into the Gap and while they were away the two women held up the guard and robbed the barracks. The two women in question were really raparees dressed in women's clothes. The area above Barnes Bridge, around the site of Elvin's house, became known as Barrack Hill. It is probable that this hill may have got its name from the red Coat Barracks which was abandoned circa 1800 when a more substantial Red Coat Barracks was set up in Stranorlar. In recent years, the remains of the 18th Century Gallows was still to be seen as one goes down into the Gap from Ballybofey. It was situated on Elvin's land on the left hand side and about 150 yards in from the road at Barnes Bridge. The Vee Gap The Vee Gap in the Knockmealdown mountains. Waterford/Tipperary R688 Clogheen to Lismore Road. Leaving Lismore, heading east on N72 for 6½ km (4 mi) toward Cappoquin, a well-known angling center, you can pick up R669 north into the Knockmealdown Mountains. Your route is signposted as the Vee Gap road, the Vee Gap being its summit, from where you'll have superb views of the Tipperary plain, the Galtee Mountains in the northwest, and a peak called Slievenamon in the northeast. If the day is clear, you should be able to see the Rock of Cashel, ancient seat of the Kings of Munster, some 32 km (20 mi) away. Just before you enter the Vee Gap, look for a 6-foot-high mound of stones on the left side of the road. It marks the grave of Colonel Grubb, a local landowner who liked the view so much that he arranged to be buried here standing up so that he could look out over the scene for all eternity.

Photos continued _______________________ Wicklow Sally Gap Wicklow Gap Waterford/Tipperary The Vee Gap

Ireland Gaps and Passes Pics and descriptive text pinched from the web uniqueirishexperiences.com freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com donegaldirect.com askaboutireland.ie speedhunters and others that I've forgotten to list Donegal Barnesmore Gap over 100 years ago Glengesh Pass Muckish Gap, Gweedore, Kerry Gap of Dunloe, Killarney Molls Gap Conor Pass, Dingle Healy Pass Coomakista Pass Ring of Kerry at Coomakista Pass Ring of Kerry - View of N70 at Coomakista Pass _______________________ Number of images is limited, so more photos posted in another post...

Ireland Gaps and Passes Roads through the mountains, through gaps and passes, make for a great biking experience. In ireland our mountain landscapes are often close to the coast, so the height of these narrow and winding roads can give long views to seascape and to islands, as well as providing the special experience of the actual rugged landscape itself, which forms, guides and constrains the road that you're on. Size is relative, so these aren't grandiose Alpine roads: however Ireland does have scenic roads that rank highly in European and world listings (particularly the west coast). Anyhows – it's where I am, so I want to compile a list of passes and gaps and add routes to and around them. Please contribute, to fill-in omissions and add photos, video, route descriptions… I did have photos on the web from the visit that some of us had to the Conor and Healy Pass, but like the Spring photos, they have gone from the now defunct site. I'll add photo links from other sites and get more of my own added some time later. Ireland Gaps and Passes The start of a list, by County Areas/roads marked with * are likely contenders Antrim * Torr Head * Glendun Cavan Bellavalley Gap Derry/Londonderry Glenshane Pass Donegal Barnesmore Gap Glengesh Pass Muckish Gap, Gweedore Knockalla, Fanad Peninsula * R254, Glenveagh Down Spelga Pass, Mournes Kerry Gap of Dunloe, Killarney Molls Gap Conor Pass, Dingle Healy Pass Coomakista Pass Tyrone * Glenelly, Sperrins Waterford/Tipperary Knockmealdown mountains The Vee Gap, R688 Clogheen to Lismore Road Wicklow Sally Gap Wicklow Gap