pete roper

Second batch is now ready. You can either send me a cheque or IMO for $175AU or the equivalent BUT it costs me close to $35AU to process it, sorry, bankl fees and such like, no, I don't like it either, so you'd have to add that on top. If anyone who has paid me has NOT already recieved their plate please let me know. Pete

John, text me on +61417462440 and I'll send you my mate's details in NZ. Pete

Oooohhhh! Not a P.Roperus. The only sort of cleavage a P.Roperus has is a 'Builder's Cleavage' and that ISN'T going to attract donors. It's also a reason why the P.Roperus was probably not passed up the Clyde by the exotic tackle but all's fair in love and war Pete

Mea Culpa. Greg is absolutely right. The G does use 45mm TB's?????? Where I got the idea they were 36's I have no idea I can only assume that I read it somewhere and didn't bother checking. Ah well, at least I know I'm not the only one going soft in the head. Rob was really on fire this morning, first he missed his first race call and missed the start. Then on the second race he fronted the grid and had forgotten his back protector so he had to rush back to the pit and then start at the back of the pack from pit lane. He had pole position too! Good thing this isn't a championship round eh???? (We got 3rd this year.) One hour this afternoon with Rob and bean on Bean's RD500 ring-ding Pete

I had a great dice a couple of weeks ago with a 748SPS, a CBR600 and a new Fireblade coming up the local mountain road. Only the Blade got by me in the twisties and then only by using brute HP. The reason why it's possible for a fat old git like me on an old shitbox like a Griso to do that has nothig to do with my skills as a rider but id DOES have a lot to do with other people not trying to set their bikes up properly. Partly this is because they don't know how and partly it's because they are scared to touch anything. The thing is any modern 'Sportsbike' should piss all over a Griso or V11, but they don't. It can't all be down to us being super-heroic leather-clad gods of speed Pete

I'll double check and make sure. It wouldn't be the first time I've got it wrong but I'm pretty certain they are 36's??? I'd really be surprised if they made a different version for different markets. I think the 'B', 'G' and 'N' are all 'World' bikes. I'll have a good squizz tomorrow at Wakefield while Rob and Bean are thrashing around the track, Rob's got 2 races in the morning then he's partnering Bean on his V4 Yammy stinkwheels in the 1-hour in the afternoon which should be fun. It requires a *slightly* different riding style to the Guzzi Pete

Over on the Griso board and elsewhere I've been bleating about how they are set up WAY too hard at the factory. Mine I've wound everything but the rear spring preload down a fair old way and it now handles great and is very comfortable. I weigh a robust 90Kg! The Vibration thing I feel is a bit odd? Perhaps I'm just not that worried by it or *modern* motorcyclists expect turbine like smoothness but I can sit on mine at 90mph and vibration isn't a problem. Anything much over that and the 'Windsock' issue is obviously going to be a problem but for me the riding position is practically ideal. The wide bars? I hardly notice then any more, in fact riding customer's bikes feels weird 'cos they're so narrow . I wouldn't think that the pillion perch would be great. As it is though I think I've only had one pillion, and that was only down to the shops or something so I can't offer any insight on that aspect. For me the big 'G' is almost the perfect bike. It does what I want and has a lot of features, (Like smaller throttle bodies.) which I really like. If I'd wanted outright speed or a racing riding position I wouldn't of bought a Griso, or any other Guzzi. As a 'Road' bike though I reckon it's second to none, at least for someone of my stature who wants what I do. Before anyone writes it off from a magazine report I'd honestly suggest riding one. Who knows. You might even enjoy it . Pete

You have also overlooked the venomous tongue that can spray poison over an area of several hectares when provoked, especially when exposed to the male properus's griso for any reason. Pete

I can confirm that JOS's observations of p.roperus are remarkably astute, aided no doubt by his liberal application of ales and whiskey. p.roperus (sp. femina)

The terrible thing is that it's all true. Pete

AAAARRRGGGHHH! F@CK OFF!!!! This is stupid! I hate it. There are lots of inferior filters, as there are a wealth of other crappo inferior products in the world. The thing is that what you want is something that will strain the shit out of your oil reasonably effectively. The only reason I've queried the search for aftermarket filters is that generally, or at least as well as anything else, the factory recommended one, (NO it isn't made in Mandello FWIW????) does the job and is quite cheap. I can't see any f@cking point in searching for an alternative, that's all! Not only is there very little stuff knocked off the inside of a Guzzi donk that is capable of being picked up by a filter but if there IS stuff getting knocked off then there is a serious problem that changing your filter isn't going to fix! Yes, if you fit a really crappy one then it may cause problems by shedding bits of itself which can cause damage but honestly! Bollocks to oil filters! Every model of this motor prior to the late 850T's ran with no filter and you can run thses horrid old nails up to 250,000km without taking the crank out to dig the sall sh!t that would get through a filter anyway out of the sludge trap. Modern oils have a much higher detergent factor which will keep the crap in suspension so it gets drained out anyway as long as the oil is of a good quality and changed regularly! @#!#$#, @#!#$#, @#!#$#!!!!!!! AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

For drop-down-dead drool factor with soul to burn I reckon you can't go past a 1938 New Imperial Cammer. FAiling that I still reckon any of the Rudge 4 valvers from the 30's are gorgeous but the 350's, a always, were superior to the 500's. Word of warning. If you ever get to own a Rudge try NEVER to take the gearbox apart Pete

Every chance. All you have to do is let me know a week or so before you arrive. Where are you flying in to? Sydney? It's a sh!thole! Get out ASAP. I suppose it's OK if you like smog and traffic jams but you don't have to fly half way around the world to see them. Best idea is to fly in and fly out to somewhere else, anywhere else! You could fly to Canberra and spend a couple of days recupperating and getting over the jet-lag thn start you travels. I'm about 1/2 an hour from Canberra and can give you the whole guided tour bit, the beach house is about two hours from me, you're welcome to use it as a base if your travels or simply stay in it for as long as you require. Pete

Ryan, yours is definitely on the way. Yours, Dan Fry's and Gini's all went out last week in the same batch as the ones to MPH. Pete

Just to add to what Jason said. I've had tatts since I was 20. No, I've never regretted them and in fact I'm thinking of getting another one with Jude's name incorporated in it. Bear in mind though that Jude is my life partner and we've been together for quarter of a century. Jude is a person who I happen to love, (Dunno why sometimes but I do.) Moto Guzzi is a company, not a person. To me having a company logo tattooed on you would have to be a bit naff. I'd hazard a guess that few people care as much about the marque as me but I'll be buggered if I'd put their name on meself! Pete

Could it? Just an update. This 'Creature' and his lovely wife are apparently in Mystery Bay at my beach house. I learnt this because our mates Leo and Megan are down there and had to phone up to find out if dissolute, Paddy wastes of space were welcome and should they hide the good silver? I tried to explain that this was a man who rode a motorbike while wearing a kilt but this was seen as completely normal by Megan, (Who is from NZ.) And Leo who is half Vietnamese and half blood-nut Oz What he seems to have realiized is that they've fallen on their feet. Leo is a world class chef and Megan is a top restaurant manager. Apprently Leo's been cooking for 'em and Megan just keeps plying 'em with good quality red . Could be worse eh? He also has been brethalysed by the Vic cops but as it was at 11.00AM they got hm at the one time in the day when he's sober!! This service can, at least partly, be supplied on demand for anyone else who fancies a trip to some of the most stunning, unspoilt coast in the world. Cost? For the beach house? Nothing, apart from December January. But you've gotta have a Guzzi Pete

That's basically it. Guzzi state that the oil level should be checked with the dipstick screwed in. General concensus with V11 owners seems to be that it is better and safer to either over-fill by 1/2 and inch when doing it this way or simply fill it so that it's at the max. mark on the stick without screwing it in. As for cleaning the screen? I've been pulling Guzzis to bits for 27 years and the only time I've seen stuff caught in the screen is when something major has let go. Yes, by all means have a look but it's not worth removing it and scrubbing it, just give it a rinse along with the sump plate. If there ARE chunks of anything caught on it then you need to start seriously thinking about where they might of come from. Pete

I've sent at least two to Canada already so check through contacts as to who has ordered. While I don't mind taking 'em back if too many go out It will save hassle if we know who and how many first. Pete PS, shipping to Canada is SameSame as to USA.

Crooz, the Guzzi pushrod motor is absurdly simple. It only has about 12 moving parts, but it is essentially 1960's technology. Yes it's been modified and improved over the years but it is still essentially a ditchpump with fuel injection. It's heavy, not particularlly fast and compared with almost any machine built since about 1975 it is very unsophisticated. The upside is that it is a dream to work on, setting the valve clearances will take you about 1/2 an hour the first time and consideably less after that. Originally, in 1967, the motor didn't have an oil filter. all the itterations of the motor since a filter was first fitted in about 1974/5 have either required the dropping of the sump to get at it or, in the case of the V11 'Broad sump' motors the removal of a plate in the bottom of the sump to allow access for a suitable filter wrench to change the filter. Many people still preffer to remove the sump plate as this makes filter access simpler and is no big deal really and you can clean out any condensation in there as well as thouroughly cleaning out any old oil residue or sludge. The forks use compression damping in one leg and rebound in the other. It's not a system I think particularly wonderful but the wheel spindle is reasonably rigid and all Guzzi twins have a pretty good reputation for handling on the ROAD as opposed to the TRACK so they must work reasonably well When you enter the Guzzi world you have to realize that while you are going to be sacificing some things like outright performance super-light weight this is compensated for by simplicity, a long life, great parts communality between models, (As I've said before there are quite a few common parts between the 1967 motor and the 2007 one ) and an ease of servicing that would make an imbecile weep! It's not a matter of seeing it as 'Italian Engineering', whether you see that as a plus or a minus, it's a matter of good, simple, engineering, although they are not without their faults. If you intend to ride it hard I suggest that you do a search on the subject of flickering oil lights and sloppage sheets. No. I'm not trying to sell you anything. Just letting you know that the V11's DO have one glaring problem if ridden hard. Pete

In a few days another batch will be ready, early next week I suspect. Cost remains the same as the first bunch. Pete

Remember, it's a fuel injected bike. It doesn't have a choke. The mixture is controlled by the ECU which judges if the engine is cold via the engine temperature sensor which is plugged into the back of the right hand head at about 10 o'clock as you look down on it from above. You'll probably find it's a clip in fitting in a sort of plasic *thingy* screwed into the head. When you start the bike up it sends a signal to the ECU saying 'Hey! I'm cold! Gimme some more fuel for the amount of air I'm using.' The ECU obliges by telling the injectors to deliver more fuel and lo and behold, a rich starting mixture. The thing is that the ETS has itself to get hot before it changes the signal to the ECU saying 'Lean me out now please'. Since the head is a substantial chunk of alloy it takes a while to heat up and anyway, Guzzis are so good at dumping heat that even in coldish weather they may run a bit rich due to the ETS still telling the ECU the motor is cold. Moto International, among others probably, will sell you a brass holder for the ETS rather than the spoogy piece of plastic crap the factory uses. I need one for my Griso which has the same POS sensor holder I could make one but why bother when you can buy one. How much are they Greg? The main thing is 3 miles is nowhere near enough for the head to reach true operating temperature, it actually takes about 25 miles for the engine to get up to some sort of thermal equilibrium, so my guess is that the reason it was still smelling rich at the end of your short ride was because it was! The ECU was still delivering more fuel than was strictly neccessary. BTW. The 'Choke' lever on the handle bar is not a choke at all. All it is is a fast idle that opens the throttle a bit. As previously stated all the enrichening is done by small rodents that live in the silver box with fins on Pete

I'm beginning to get seriously worried about this boy . Socks with sandals will IMMEDIATELY single you out in any Aussie pub as a blow-in, most likely a Pom and almost certainly a brown-hatter. It's like having a big sign on your back saying 'Please beat me up! I deserve it!' Pete

Mr. and Mrs. Sillybum returned today. Their plan is to visit the beach house on their way *BACK* to Sydney from Melboring. Now, I'll let you into a little secret. He's a *REAL* dag! When I met him yesterday he was wearing sandals, with SOCKS!!!!! Pete

I can't write and they don't allow me anything sharp, like pens. Pete PS. I've sent out plates to all those who ordered them apart I think from Howard Reinhart. Unfortunately I've run out of the first batch so I've ordered another run of 'em which should be ready next week. Now, IF people have sent money and the plates don't arrive in a week or so then PLEASE get in ouch and I'll make sure you get another one from the next batch. Todd. You only got 4 'cos that wa sthe end of the run. I'll get some more out to you ASAP.

Yup, it's John. Silly me . I'll try and tee them up with some good places to visit, we've got a few of those Pete