nobleswood

A few pics of interest; Indian have a modern Bill Munro bike they are taking to the Salt Flats

Matt said he registered the Scura here, but other than that doesn't 'follow the forums' That said he currently has the original clutch /flywheel & we were talking about replacements. Your name did come up having gone through the same process & that you carefully documented the experience. So I found the thread & e-mailed it to him. You never know, he may join us now & then. It was interesting to talk to him about what he has done to the Ohlins on the Scura, about what he can do within the restrictions of the original equipment on the bike. Mind you what he can do with his access to parts as opposed to those of us outside the industry where we have to pay retail. Can make the improvements cost prohibitive. He told me of an early experiance with the Scura, the RH boot came loose, the TB's moved back & to the left. Jamming the throttle fixed bar under the TB's against the Rear preload cylinder! A 'tense' moment! So he replaced the preload cylinder with & updated & shorter unit. My bike with it's 43mm Marzocchi forks, he said the internals can be replaced with more modern Ohlins technology. Which after a few other improvements will get on the Wish List. Something Docc advised me to do 3 or 4 years ago. I have heard this before but he said that a growing share of their industry is coming from Mountain bike suspension. Which apparently is a hobby of his as well.

I have been talking to Ohlins USA in NC about servicing a rear shock I'm going to be putting on my Griso. The helpful tech there, Matt, seemed to know his stuff. This weekend the American International Motorcycle Expo was here in Columbus, OH, so on Saturday morning I got there early, before the lifestyle bikers, to poke around. Turns out the show was geared more towards dealers & wholesale purchasers than riders ; I was talking to a nice salesman from Pakistan about a gauntlet knuckle reinforced leather glove. When It came to cost he asked how many units & freight terms. Mind you he also gave me a quote of $16.53 for a goatskin glove ! Towards the back of the Hall I found the Ohlins booth and co-incidentally the tech I'd talked to, Matt. It was early & traffic was low & we had a chance to talk. Turns out he's had a few Guzzi's and currently is cleaning up a neglected Scura. As well as being knowledgable about the Ohlins componets that fit on our beloved V11's, he had a good grasp of the influence on Guzzi & Italien bikes generally, of cash flow, Piaggio & Aprilia over the last few decades. All in all I came away feeling like I had found a friend, someone who understands why we love the flawed individualistic amazing machines we do. And another great place like Harpers, MG Cycle, Moto International etc where we can talk to a knowledgeable Technician.

So what did you do as a Tech Session ? Last year involved 8 people getting a tank to fit back on. 12 people lending a hand making a valve cover gasket. Group effort setting TPS & balancing TB's & playing with Guzzidiag. How did you top it this year ?

I've been tempted often but it's the same weekend as my Son's birthday. I'd would be risking a de-nutting if I suggested that. Busy as the rally will be don't be surprised if my neighbor Jim on his 2016 Triumph says 'Hello' & he knows of a Red V11. Enjoy it looks like good weather.

Thanks but I moved on from my Garmin & use OSMand with Google maps on my phone.

Ok. Been there. Just felt like a tease...pictures but no telling where it was

Blueboarhound, Where is this intriguing road ?

Docc, I'm not familiar with .gpx files. What app / program / device runs them ?

nobleswood, on 16 Sept 2017 - 7:28 PM, said: Not wanting to waste my negotiated kitchen pass for the 'weekend after the SSR' ( insert Homer Simpson 'Duh' emoji ) I headed off to the SE portion of Ohio & made my base in Marietta for the weekend. Where I took on the duty of scouting out roads for the soon to be announced Northern Spine & CARC Raid. Leaving Marietta, in the bottom LH corner of the pic, I took the brown road, Route 26 up to Woodfield. Sorry about the image, using OSMand map app, after sizing the image to get the routes in, the road markers were gone. Turning round I headed back SW turning off towards Grandview on 260, brown rd. Joining Rt 7 I travelled NE until Sisterville ( Ok it's actually in WV but..) then up 800. At Monroe turned around & back down on 255. Rt 255 stops in the town of Sardis on Rt 7, where I was delighted to find a great place for a late lunch and a flirtatious waitress who directed me to a B & B. No, not for that reason ! Small B & B that could accommodate 4 guests or so, porch, outdoor gazebo seating for telling tall tales etc. Potential base of operations Back to work I turned up onto 536 from Hannibal, where the 7 is on the pic. This road was the most technical of the day. It runs on the ridge, twists & turns, up & down. It has good signs posted, a good road surface but you are still on the top of the ridge. Awesome views, but the drop offs on either side don't encourage daydreaming ! One of those roads that you need to bring your best to. I was glad I'd rehersed on less challenging ones. Lastly I enjoyed the big sweepers of Rt 78 into Clarington & then 7 back to Marietta to rest my sore stiff hands on a cool glass of beer, or two. If any of you want roads that rival Tellico & its environs, come & ride SE Ohio. You won't be disappointed. Not that I'm biased or anything footgoose, on 16 Sept 2017 - 8:25 PM, said: Looks good. I'm in. So will it be spine or carc for you? docc, on 17 Sept 2017 - 08:28 AM, said: I did some growing up in a little town up river. Last time I rode the area, we crossed the ferry from Fly, OH, to Sistersville, WV. i love being with a group bikes on a ferry deck gliding over a river . . . nobleswood, on 17 Sept 2017 - 6:34 PM, said: docc, on 17 Sept 2017 - 08:28 AM, said: I did some growing up in a little town up river. Last time I rode the area, we crossed the ferry from Fly, OH, to Sistersville, WV. i love being with a group bikes on a ferry deck gliding over a river . . . Docc, do you know some of these roads then ? docc, on 17 Sept 2017 - 8:15 PM, said: Not so much, really. I was a little boy there and only rode the Sport there once. I did wreck a Cougar Eliminator there in the 70s. This *Topic* needs its own thread. nobleswood, I have some .gpx files for some of those roads if you can use them? Like This

Docc, do you know some of these roads then ?

Not wanting to waste my negotiated kitchen pass for the 'weekend after the SSR' ( insert Homer Simpson 'Duh' emoji ) I headed off to the SE portion of Ohio & made my base in Marietta for the weekend. Where I took on the duty of scouting out roads for the soon to be announced Northern Spine & CARC Raid. Leaving Marietta, in the bottom LH corner of the pic, I took the brown road, Route 26 up to Woodfield. Sorry about the image, using OSMand map app, after sizing the image to get the routes in, the road markers were gone. Turning round I headed back SW turning off towards Grandview on 260, brown rd. Joining Rt 7 I travelled NE until Sisterville ( Ok it's actually in WV but..) then up 800. At Monroe turned around & back down on 255. Rt 255 stops in the town of Sardis on Rt 7, where I was delighted to find a great place for a late lunch and a flirtatious waitress who directed me to a B & B. No, not for that reason ! Small B & B that could accommodate 4 guests or so, porch, outdoor gazebo seating for telling tall tales etc. Potential base of operations Back to work I turned up onto 536 from Hannibal, where the 7 is on the pic. This road was the most technical of the day. It runs on the ridge, twists & turns, up & down. It has good signs posted, a good road surface but you are still on the top of the ridge. Awesome views, but the drop offs on either side don't encourage daydreaming ! One of those roads that you need to bring your best to. I was glad I'd rehersed on less challenging ones. Lastly I enjoyed the big sweepers of Rt 78 into Clarington & then 7 back to Marietta to rest my sore stiff hands on a cool glass of beer, or two. If any of you want roads that rival Tellico & its environs, come & ride SE Ohio. You won't be disappointed. Not that I'm biased or anything

Thanks Tim, Do you use an external mike for the video ? In the early part of the video you can hear the engine & transmission without the wind noise.

Well I'm bummed ! Due to my own stupidity I had next weekend down as the SSR. And I've scheduled my work around that. Have a good weekend's riding. Next year.

Well I'm still planning on being there but the forecast is calling for 95% humidity !!!

Stumble, Interested in hearing what you do with the suspension. What do you weigh in at ?

Second that !

Realised that I hadn't seen it posted here, next weekend is the Ohio MG Rally in Zanesville, Ohio. Friday, Saturday & Sunday. It's a great base for some fantastic riding in SE Ohio.

Docc, Are you a Guzzi Missionary bringing the Hipsters into the Flock ?

I'll throw this in as a Tech session suggestion; Setting up the sag on your bike for your weight. Why ? Cos I'm sure I haven't got it figured out yet. And it's helpful having a bunch of lads about to hold the bike upright. It's a task that won't go horribly wrong even after several beers

Something like this;

Thanks Scud. Inspiring pictures; dreaming of family vacations out west.

Er Docc, If you're planing on doing this for a Tech session this year, I better bring a few more tools !

Looking for a Stelvio shock to go into my 2013 Griso. Cheers

Great story & photos. Thanks for sharing !