belfastguzzi

Don't be bashful: show us the CARC.

Dutch-Italian-Irish

Yes. (And the CARC is such a heavy, dominant, non-descriptive lump. It's hard to make a good feature of it.) And I've wondered why the Bellagio has been so low key as well, given the good rider reports.

Oh, I didn't know that you're lazy...

For news on the Ulster event, you now have to look in the Continental Meeting topic in the Silly Banter forum. Excellent!

Saturday will be the important day for a ride somewhere then. I don't think you, or others, will want to go a long way because you have to travel back on the Sunday. So the lakes would be too far. The good thing is that you can have a good ride up the Coast Road, when you come to the place from the ferry – so we don't need to do that road again. I think you will like to see some places nearby, like the Giants Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, maybe some sandy beaches, Bushmills Distillery.... Look HERE Have a look at the map here: http://www.northantrim.com/temporary_map.htm This shows some of the attractions in the area: http://www.walkforfun.co.uk/causeway.html http://www.northantrimtourism.com/index.ph...0&Itemid=54 and maybe we should do the road here: http://www.northantrimtourism.com/index.ph...6&Itemid=36 Antonio, you see that I do a much more 'glossy' reply than Jaap! I hope you enjoy reading about Northern Ireland, in the Continental topic!

Brilliant! Did you look at the proposal for the North Coast location? I'm waiting for some info back from them on accommodation breakdown. Then booking can begin.

I was thinking that in general, there is more likelihood of batteries being overcharged, rather than batteries freezing: but maybe some people are in places where batteries will freeze: thankfully it doesn't get that cold here! You guys have the additional headlamp-always-on demand on the system. While we have that now on current models, we didn't with the V.11s and their more weedy alternator. Have you observed and traced 'the wet-spot' yet DH?

Ah yes, I see now! Yes is the answer. I will give more information in a little while. Maybe later next week. Last year we were beside Strangford Lough, which is like a big lake, except it has a tide! This year, I propose that we go to a beautiful place beside the sea. There are very nice beaches and places of interest, and from there it would also be possible to go to some of the big lakes in the County Fermanagh lakeland (Lough Erne) or to the mountains and rugged coastline in County Donegal. It will be great. How many days will you be here?

I've already got a colour-scheme in mind for it. I can see it now, newly-wrapped in Fablon.

Hi Antonio Do you mean that you would like more information about the event? I am waiting for some more information from the place on the North Coast, which is called Sheep Island View. Did you see that I put a little more there a couple of days ago? Then I think it would be good to start a new thread for it and I will also create a webpage. Or are you asking about something different? David

Well, that's that fixed then.

798 nice, yes. Boston is a popular place. There are people from belfast going to Boston all the time. Our youngest daughter had her 18th on Thursday. It was also the school formal. So that was quite a day.

The end of January, 2010

Shadow of The Eagle

My Griso again Here's more to annoy and affront you. I'll put some proper normal photos in Travel, I suppose: seeing that you've such low tolerance for anything different.

That's great Antonio. I seriously considered buying a secondhand 1200 Sport (2 valve) myself. You are asking about how Northern Ireland and Scotland compare? Often the weather is colder and wetter in Scotland, particularly in the highlands where it is further north. The mountains are bigger in Scotland, but there are many similarities between the two places. The north coast of Ireland has much dramatic and beautiful scenery with cliffs, beaches, rounded mountains and flat plateau with valleys ('glens' as we call then here and in Scotland). I like this location because it is also close to Donegal, on the north west of Ireland. Donegal is more rugged and mountainous: very beautiful. It is popular with Germans! Over the next months I will make a web page/site, like last year, and put photos on it. See belfastguzzi.com for last year's site, with links to photos.

Here's where I fancy being based this time. It's in a beautiful place on the North Coast: Ballintoy, near Ballycastle. It would be perfect for seeing some of the 'touristy' places that we talked about last time. It would also make a run to Donegal easier. In this case, the best ferry crossing from Scotland would be to Larne. I have discovered that there were Moto Guzzi rallys at this place in the 1990s. Sheep Island View Hostel http://www.sheepislandview.com/ I think that there is also camping. I will find out. What do you think? I will need to gather definite numbers soon to make a booking. I see there is more info about facilities, accommodation and nearby attractions, including Bushmills Distillery, o this site: www.discovernorthernireland.com

It would need to be a bad battery, or one that has a drain, without any charge cycle. If not being drained, these batteries will sit for a long time and maintain their charge without any top-up. The down-side is that they are not very powerful. I think a leak is more likely to be caused by over-charge and venting, rather than under-charge and freezing.

YES. DB

Thanks Guy Good advice and I would like to tag along, if the arrangements can be made to suit. Not least, it would be good in order to help get used to being on the wrong side of the road, as you say.

Ah so that's why it's called non-spillable. It's only because the acid is held in the mat, not because the battery is totally, completely sealed (though to all normal intents and purposes it is of course sealed). From what Greg says, his 'experiment' did vent. I've seen that top port, DH. It doesn't look open. I didn't pull the whole label off as it doesn't feel like there is anything else under it. So where are the rubber valves and where do they escape? Does that top port break or open in the event of pressure build-up? Or is there a way out through the join between top and case?

No, in any sort of normal practice it's not going to happen. I just mean from their safety design point of view is there a means to vent built in – to allow for the unlikely event that the battery would ever be overcharged? If so, that could be a leak source? The other option is to design it truly sealed and then risk it exploding. I'm suggest that they might not do that, because of H&S legislation concerns? In any normal use these batteries are effectively sealed, they don't gas much and the gas is recirculated. However if a 'safety vent' system is present and develops a fault, it could allow the escape that people have reported. Just conjecture. I don't know what I did with my old one. If I had it, I'd investigate. I wonder what the join is like between the case and the top?

Hmm, the following week, September 9th-12th, I'm meant to be in Moritzbastei, Leipzig, Germany. Could make sense to stay on and go that way on the bike. Must check a map. I know nothing about riding on the Continent. Would there be tolls on any of those roads, or anything else to consider when planning a route?

The PC545 is meant to be completely sealed and completely leakproof, but is it? These AGMs gas less, but are they absolutely, completely leakproof? I know there has been discussion here about this before. The Odyssey label warns to charge in a ventilated space, wash hands immediately after handling etc. What happens if it is seriously overcharged? Is it going to explode... or is it going to vent?