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These pictures don't show the adustablility very well, but you can tell the pegs are on a cam.

Gene, you're right- you do get more than a 1/4 inch- but not a lot. I lost my camera for a couple of days- that's why I haven't taken any pictures yet. I just found it, so I'll try to get some for tomorrow or the next day. Sorry for the delay. Cheers, Jason

So some of the very high revving sportbikes must be getting close to the dwell time. If it takes 10 ms to saturate the core, then that translates to an ability to spark at or below 12K rpm- 24K really, since it's a four stroke. Nice explanation Carl. J

Sorry to hear about your bike Subash. I fitted most of a set of the argal components to my V11 sport. I'll take some pictures this weekend for you to check out. The only thing I haven't put on is the shift lever- I need to fabricate a linkage, and I've been too busy. My take on the 'adjustable' MG set- they're not very adjustable. You get maybe 1/4" out of them realistically. On the brake side, my foot invariably hits against the frame bolt (the one at the bottom of the 'kidney') when I try to use the rear brake. The brake throw is a little lower too. So, unless you want them for 'cool factor', they won't do much functionally for you. FWIW, I had the evoluzione relocator as well. Totally worth the money as an experiment, but I didn't like the location of the shift lever with that setup- too far from my toe. cheers, Jason

Rojo makes cushions for wheelchairs - I don't know if that's how they started out- but the wheelchair seats do work. My Dad was in one for a couple of years. Sorry Carl, the cat statement is pretty funny. I've got a couple of those self-inflating mattresses under my bed, and I live in fear of the day our cat develops an interest in them. So...what about bicycle pants though? That's what I've always used. Cheers, Jason

I knew I saw that somewhere's. I must be getting forgetful...what was that middle part? oh, yeah- I was talking to Jim (of Ned's) about this. His take was that BMW drives are the same design. There's machinists who will cut off old splines and refit new ones to the crown for one-two hundred bucks. Problem solved. I'm not going to worry about it too much- I've never had rear splines go bad yet and I've got a few miles on Guzzi's. cheers, Jason

Pete Roper actually pointed this out on a different forum- I thought it might be worthwhile to repost it over here. Paraphrasing- The rear drive crown on the V11 sport LeMans is integrated with the coupling splines for the wheel. This is different from the traditional 'cush drive' of earlier models. Eventually the splines will wear out- it's inevitable. Although it doesn't matter if the spline or the crown is worn- you have to buy the one piece to replace either. And since it's proprietary Moto Guzzi, and since it's two gear cuts on one piece...ouch. What it means is that when this piece goes bad, it's gonna cost you a LOT of money. So check the splines on the wheel and drive box- make sure they have a coating of good lubricant. Don't put it off until you change a tire, consider doing it this weekend. There's nothing like a well-greased rear end to prevent wear. (and with that statement I really feel like a 'goldmember') Cheers, Jason

MGCycle sells Lafranconi replacements, I believe. Mark at MotoGuzziClassics probably has old stock pipes if that's what you'd rather have. I also have a soft spot for those old Tonti frames. Christ, they're ugly bikes, but they are comfortable and dependable. 180,000 miles on mine, and it only left me walking one time- and that was my fault. Cheers, Jason

The 'jumpy speedo needle' syndrome is often indicative of a binding speedo cable. Make sure there are no sharp bends (yeah, right) and that it's well lubricated. I got this behaviour all the time on my old G5. I'd blow out cables every 4K miles, regular as clockwork. I couldn't find one long enough for the LAPD setup I had. After awhile, I just quit buying cables. Now, it's starting on my V11 but I only have about 5 mph swings on it. Time for some preventative maintanence I guess. Cheers, Jason

Yeah, what Al sez. I would like to see some pictures as well. Cheers, Jason

If you pay for the K&N's, then it ain't free :!: There's always costs- hidden or otherwise. That said, why don't you go for it and see if it works for you? Assuming you pay for the filter, and don't pinch it, you'd only be out 20-30 USD. I don't think I really got that much power out of this conversion on my bike, but the sound is glorious. Cheers, Jason

Hmmm, Guzzi must have changed designs. My bar-end weights were one-piece. They screwed right into the bars, so I don't see why you can't make some up. The threads are quite shallow and fine though, so you might have a hard time finding a die for it. Cheers,

maybe Jeff washed it off? The frame looks like a Stone to me. Could be wrong, often am. Jason

Man, when it goes downhill, it goes over a cliff. A petcock is a valve to shut off gasoline from the tank or, in a house, natural gas.

I like 'unfeathered' I've always heard it refered to as 'unsprung' weight. Lose the carbon canisters and half a kilometer of tubing under the tailpiece- that's good for 2-3 kg, I think (6ish pounds). And they make a nice wall hanging. I know the flywheel is considerably lightened compared to earlier bikes, but the crank isn't as far as I know. What are the considerations in lightening a crankshaft? Other than robustness, of course. One could go with Carillo rods, lighter pistons. But ultimately you're right gthyni, it's the waist for many of us. J

Wildguzzi just started a list recently for the best and worst riding roads in the US. http://www.wildguzzi.com/Tips/tips_n_tricks.htm

It is nice to have some details taken care of. By the time the day is over, you're just tired and want some food. It made my wife a lot happier that she wouldn't have this responsibility. Another suggestion- When in Florence, go to the Hotel Baglioni, and go to the rooftop bar. It must be the best damn view in all of Florence. Evening- about sundown- is absolutely gorgeous. You get a 360 view of the City, including all the cathedrals. It's even a nice old-style hotel to stay in, very elegant, but it's just that- a hotel. You won't go wrong working the the Volpi, but you will laugh cause they're probably younger than you. Tell 'em hi from Sonya and Jason. Oh, yeah- more suggestions- If you want to go to the museum in Florence (the Uffizi- Wow!), then buy your tickets on-line. The wait outside if you do it 'spur of the moment', is several hours And I recall that the Guzzi museum was open only one hour, from like 3-4, M-F, so you better check with those folks. Cheers, Jason

Stay out of Bergamo! I got lost every darn time I drove through that town...Oh, well. Seriously- There's a lot of good advice listed above- Orson is right about lunch- it takes awhile. I rented a motorcycle from some young fellows in Milan- Bianco Blu or something close to that- they had only BMW's, but were very nice to deal with. I'd rent from those guys again in a second. I encouraged them to pick up a couple of Guzzi's As far as accomodations- I strongly recommend agrotourismo's. They're like a cross between a bed-n-breakfast and a farm. Italian law stipulates that they have to feed their customers products from their farm. Man o' man, that's some fine eats. We stayed in some very nice ones, including a horse farm and a converted monastary. See that turkey running around? That's dinner. You might want to let someone else make accomodations for you. We (my wife and I) did that the first time we went over- we used a couple that advertise in the MGNOC newsletter- le volpi ciccioni (again- my spelling is off). They're a really nice young couple trying to set up a travel-tour company aimed at motorcyclists. They worked very well for us, and really weren't too expensive. Not only that, but they go ride all the roads before they recommend them to you. They make accomodations, and set up evening meals (which is cool when you've been driving in Italian all day ) Certainly something to consider, they support motorcycles, Moto Guzzi and they're nice. But my biggest word of advice is to relax and don't worry TOO much about a schedule. It's a lot of country to see both Mandello and Rome. North Italy is a couple of weeks in itself. You won't be disapointed. Enjoy, Jason

Well, you will know about it if it gets in the clutch. But since everything is spinning, all the force is outward, so I don't see how any rubber could get in there. And don't worry too much about covering the inspection port at all times. Just get a new plug and put it (halfway) in. Jason

Welcome to the information age, guys and gals. More than you ever wanted to know, about more than you knew about John, I suspect you're venting some steam, just like others with problematic bikes have vented. Does anyone remember the thread on the wildguzzi or mgnoc discussion list about the guy with the quota that had all sorts of problems? He wanted to set it afire in the middle of some national bike rally. There's more to that saga, but that fellow was doing some venting. It helps sometimes- but remember this is a public place- with ladies and children present. Guzzi is a great bike- I have no hesitation about jumping on any of mine and riding anyplace on the continent. I have been for more than 20 years. But they do require some attention- there's no doubt. I think of it as an eccentric person's motorbike. You have to be willing to invest either money or blood for it. Or maybe its an initiation period- there's some initial settling-in with Guzzi. If you're willing to live with this- it's a great bike. If not- find a bike you are willing to put up with. Everythings a trade-off in one way or another. John's lucky- he's got a great bike, and after all the work he put into it, it should be. I'm lucky (knock wood), my bike has very few problems. But others aren't so lucky. Guzzi is responsible for some problems- the bikes come with a warranty. But after that runs out, its time to take responsibility for a machine that ultimately wears out. There's a lot at stake when you ride your bikes, so keep a little preventative maintanence in mind. Guess I'm venting now. Should this thread be renamed to the ventilator? Jason

I'm not at home, so can't measure, but Scott sound's about the same as mine. I can just see a mark (ring) on the forks above the clamp- almost, but not quite flush. Jason

The riding position is better and maybe worse for a person of your height, Marcel. I'm about 5'11", so pretty close to you. So for me, the upper part of my body is more comfy. My arms are supporting less weight and that helps my wrists and elbows. I sit more upright, so my ass is happier, but it feels like my legs (knees mainly) are a little more cramped. I think I'm noticing my legs because the rest of my body is more comfy. I'll let you know in a week since I'm leaving tomorrow for a MG rally (then a week for a conference...but I can't take the V11 dammit). Do you need a front brake lever or a rear brake pedal? As Jaap said, LSL has all sorts of expensive (and not so expensive) goodies to help you get set up. I would think the biggest cost would be the bar clamps. Look for some used ones, perhaps. cheers, Jason

A good source in the US is: http://www.dotnet.com/~dprune/relay.htm He might send them to the UK- I dunno. J

I have four of them already You gave it away when you said "It's an American company better know for something other than engines." I put myself through college as a plumber so 2+2... Good contest! Jason

So, do spark plugs come with different resistivities? There shouldn't be any difference between two 5K resistors in series and one 10K resistor. My pessimistic guess is that Guzzi put in resistor plugs and wires because that was the cheapest bulk setup they could get hold of. Jason