belfastguzzi

As seen on V11LeMans.com:

The good thing – and the bad thing – is that as the years pass by, Spring and every other other date, comes around quicker and quicker and quicker! I can't believe how time is flashing by ever faster. I guess that was part of why I decided at this stage to just go ahead, get some finance, and get a new bike that I wanted, rather than put it off for a few more years when I could maybe afford it better. No, it's not a late mid-life crisis! It's just the way it is.

Why low miles? Ha, same here. I live 3.5 miles from work and work 13 hours a day and get about half my holidays. And because I'm often carrying a load of stuff – I use the Land Rover. And the bike's broken half the year anyway. Even though I don't get the time to be out doing big miles, I'd rather have the big enjoyment of the small miles – than do no bike miles at all. So I'm getting a new bike (which I hope won't be broken as much) and – some – year I'll get across to Europe on it. Meanwhile, up and down the local hills and coast and the odd weekend away will be my interest and hobby and if it's not a leaker and a breaker it'll also be a commuter.

Mmmm the pics are so nice, Robin, that I'll at least put one of them directly here:

You've put a new battery in the pacemaker?

Yes, I was going to say all those things. Not one of the better designs. The rear half doesn't belong. Too minimalist, too high.

I was interested that someone, somewhere, recently commented something about artists and musicians liking Guzzis. I don't know what figures there are to back that up, but it makes sense to me. The marque and the actual machine have deep and enduring aesthetic qualities. The look, the sound, the mechanical form – as well as the sense of history along with not being tied to a particular (short-span of marketing-dictated) time. What made a Guzzi v-twin good (and loved and enjoyed) 15 or 20 or 25 years ago is still what makes it good (and loved and enjoyed) today. Fashion and modernisation and improvement all have a necessary role – but they're added onto the fundamental essence that is at the heart and that IS the heart of the beast.

I'll just say what I said in the other thread a short while ago – and others before that. The proof of the pudding for me is in the eating, not the analysing. The Quat-D from day one has been hugely enjoyable. It really, really increased my riding pleasure. I had already forked out a lot of money for Guzzi's Ti kit and I thought that I would swap back and forth with the two sets, but actually I never wanted to put back the Ti cans. They have a bigger, deeper sound of course, which is great, but the Quat is something different: it's equally as 'good' sounding in a different way, and in another way it's a bit more special. (As an aside (a downside), I commented a long time ago that the different frequencies from the Quat had an interesting effect when transmitted via my helmet. Unfortunately an irritating effect is created by the helmet / exhaust combination at some speeds, that is isn't there with full cans.) There may be a performance deficit if dragging down a two-mile straight or peering at charts but not on good-riding roads with other V.11s, especially when the is shining. No worryingly huge hole in powerband, no great value in deep critical analysis – in my opinion / experience. And it's relatively cheap: my £200 Stucchi is now redundant, as well as the £800 Ti kit!

Voltage measured at the battery is rising from around 14.2V at idle to the high 15s - 16V on the road. A sustained 16V is too high?

Great. I'm going to have to set-up a dedicated web page. Can you add full orchestration from suitably tuned Guzzis? We might have to bring Jihem in on the job. I hope he's cheap.

Thanks to all for helpful advice on non-Guzzi matter. I'll start at the last post and work back – put a meter on it and see what's coming out of the alternator. There was some welding done on the chassis a week or two ago, but I disconnected the battery and unplugged the alternator – so that shouldn't have affected anything...?

Ok, I shouldn't have encouraged you about the Basset thing.

Dan, I was going to look for a short when I can get a chance, so thanks for that. It's 1987, but only 70,000 miles.

Twenty-one years done: another twenty-one to go!

Hairy Pony! Good to see you around. I've been wondering about your absence (or maybe I just missed your posts as I've been a bit off and on?).

The charging warning light (car - Land Rover) normally comes on when revs are very low and output drops. Today I've had peculiar opposite behaviour. The first thing was that the warning light lit when the ignition was turned off and even when the key was removed! Now that's not happening, but the strange thing is that the light stays off at low revs and then glows brighter as revs increase and stays lit while driving. What's happening?

Whoopie. Can we do the whole songbook do you think? I think we must. And I never knew that I liked Gr€@s*. John Ttrovalvole and Stelvio Newton-Metre?

No, but when she first saw the Griso she burst into a rendition of 'Can the Can'

Greaso? "Well, Moto Guzzi baby get more horses on the floor All the cats are yellin they're shoutin for more My Griso likes to rock, my Griso likes to roll Moto Guzzi does the eagle and she does Quattrovalvol (e) Well shake it Yeah shake it Yeah shake it Everybody shake it Shake it as the 8 valves hop Danny: Well clutch-drop baby Girls: Roll up her crazy bevel gear Guys: Gonna rock to the 3 segment Asso forged pistons Guys and girls: gonna dig the 55% stiffer crank Girls: Shimmy to the left Guys and girls: Cha-cha to the right We're gonna stomp 'til those radial brakes go light Well shake it Yeah shake it Yeah shake it Everybody shake it Shake the torque reaction hop Girls: We're gonna alley-oop on Mandello hill Guys: Party with Luigi we wont be standin still Girls: Eight-valve baby, do the stomp with me CARC drive - do the slop, gonna bop with 110 CV Well shake it Yeah shake it Yeah shake it Everybody shake it Shake it at the crankshaft, reactive drive, 8 valve hop Shake, Rock and Roll Rock, Roll and Shake Shake, Rock and Roll Rock, Roll and Shake Shake, Rock and Roll Long Live Quatrovalvol (e)"

No need explaining, the one remaining
 Is something I adore.
 I'm looking over a four-valve (per head) Griso
 That I overlooked before

Fortunately for you there aren't many Stelvios in the list. Most must have been caught before leaving the factory. It's mostly loads of Grisos, of course.

The one here sold for about £15,000 I think. Then they're putting lights on it.

it's actually a relief

I should have had the bike by now, but still no confirmation from Dealer that it's ready. I've been asking for the VIN, to check against 'timing-nut' recall numbers. Have just received it. Unfortunately it's on the list. So it'll have to be opened up before I get it. That's disappointing. And dealer hasn't mentioned this, which is worrying.

No. A better comparison would be with the V.11 Forum situation, circa early 2008, when the sleepers were activated to wreak super-havoc.