motrhead

I think I will ask my local dealer if he has any way of finding out. I doubt it, but you never know.

Any word? This will apply to me next year with my 03 LeMans. If less than 1500 made for the year, it gets collector status with ICBC.

At long last and a couple more bikes later, I dropped the pan, and found the filter loose, as installed by the dealer. Easy fix...nothing serious in the pan, as it barely ran after the light came on. So I will try to find a suitable oil and ride it (with the hose clamp on the filter!).

A nice looking BMW K series? Sorry, not possible! Personally, I love the K1, and the K1200RS...

...and that is a sweet little 1800! I still don't have my 122 going. Maybe this year. I am impressed by the number of Volvo owners. There are a smart bunch of people here! I have owned a dozen Volvos, and two Mercedes. Still driving the '90 420SEL, and a 2000 Dakota quad cab 4x4 5 speed pickup, but my '70 122s will ride again soon. I still plan to get my hands on a nice late model 240 turbo. My GLT B23E version was probably my favourite car ever. I had three bikes, the Benz and truck all licensed last year, and I am the only driver in the house. I think I will try to keep it down to two bikes insured at a time this year, and park the truck for the summer. Dean

Yep, I am drooling too! Hmmm...could I do that with my Stelvio?

I was supposed to see Paul Weller at the Commodore in Vancouver tomorrow night, but I can't get away from work, so I sent the tickets to a very sweet and beautiful friend of mine to enjoy. Currently listening to Frank Marino "Juggernaut", specifically "Stories Of a Hero". Awesome tune and album. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvQ31XlnI_s&feature=share https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCzF06GKROE

I like the tell tale. I make sure it isn't showing though, just in case I do get pulled over. It is surprising how fast I get going while passing, as I believe in using WOT to minimize exposure time. I do try to crack the ton every morning on the way to work...lol

When I first started riding Guzzis, I occasionally could not get the shifts to happen correctly, but eventually realized that I still holding light pressure on the lever after a shift, and this was not letting it select the next gear correctly. As soon as I figured that out all the shifting was smooth. I could have moved the lever one spline to prevent this, but it was easy to adapt. Once in a blue moon I get a neutral if I am short shifting, but I think it is just not being positive with the lever. In general I find the shifting is quite nice on both of my Guzzis in comparison with all of the other bikes I own..

Real world weight of the Stelvio vs BMW is hard to pin down. I read somewhere that my '11 Stelvio is 553 pounds. That number is believable (rather than the factory listed 471 pounds dry)as a mostly wet, no bags weight . One thing most people miss about the BMW GS (Adventure) weights when comparing, is that BMW numbers are no bags, not a full tank of fuel....so fill the tank, and it's say 580 pounds wet...now add luggage! The BMW side bags and racks are 32-36 pounds (without top case), so with the tank fully topped the GS should outweigh the NTX. The NTX number is with bags and with that huge tank full at 598 pounds (2 liters more fuel than the biggest version of the GS tank). I don't feel there is much difference, but with the seat in the low position, the Stelvio is more manageable for a 5'-9" rider like me .Real world difference between most GS models and comparable Stelvio is insignificant. Interesting looking at dry weights...my '89 DT200 is 238 pounds dry, 33hp. DR650 is 324 pounds dry, 43hp. Something V7 based at 50 real hp, under 435 pounds could be okay.The dream bike I want that isn't out there (won't touch a BMW 800 due to poor reliability thanks, as good a package as they are..) should be under 430 dry, maybe 75hp...thinking Yamaha FZ-07 based. I think 450 pounds is about my limit for a serious dual purpose bike. I used to ride an early DR650 Dakar. which was 390 pounds/44hp, and a way too tall first gear; that was getting right up there in weight, and you had to attack in first gear with the gearing, but it went very well on the highway. My 2000 DR650 feels like a 350 in comparison. The Stelvio at 105hp is a superbike that can manage okay in dirt, but it is no dirt bike. Still...I haven't been turned back yet on mine...except by common sense telling me not to try. If I am brave enough , it will do anything I ask. I personally find first gear on the Stelvio is pretty high, and I have the clutch in a fair bit in rough stuff, but it does okay. If a GS can do it, I can do it...or at least that is what I have been telling myself, and so far so good.LOL

I was working on my dirtbike today, riding the Stelvio, and running errands, so didn't get to the LeMans. Having had a crap Fram oil filter blow out the sloppy rubber gasket and take out the bearings of a car engine at about 6500rpm...I pay very very careful attention to oil lights! LOL. Luckily for me that was in a Volvo with a hardened crank, and I only needed crank bearings to fix it...but the bearings were peeled back to the copper layer below...not pretty. I am not doing anything until I check the filter and get a gauge on it.

LOL. Yep. But if someone had beat me to it, I would be riding elsewhere...lol. I've done 1300km days on my V11, what's 620km? (and that V11 seat is brutal! LOL...I've done 1743km in under 18 hours on the Stelvio and was fine when I got off). I am glad to see someone organizing something in the lower mainland. I think this Castlegar Guzzi meet may move back to June for next year, to not conflict with any other get-togethers, but we shall see next year...have to enjoy this one first.

It's less than 5-1/2 hours to get here if you ride like me...

World Guzzi Day "Kootenay Guzzi Gathering" September 12th 8:30 AM ish Bagels and Brew, 1983 Columbia Ave , Castlegar (by Boston Pizza) Time is flexible...I plan to get there around 8 and block off a parking spot or two, but Sept 12th could be a cool morning, so there is no hurry to get away, and arrival at 9 is okay...lol We will ride to New Denver, and probably stop for a coffee there. I am double checking the opening hours of the Kaslo Hotel ( I think they change on the 15th), but assuming they are open we can have lunch on their deck, then do Meadow Creek and back...if they aren't we will do the Meadow Creek ride first and then go to the Dock 'n' Duck at the ferry landing in Balfour. After lunch we can see who wants to do Blewett and Pass Creek, but there is always the Ymir Hotel and back over the Bombi...will decide that part on the day. If it is pouring rain we can cut it short and retreat to the pub early, but a drizzle won't be stopping me. I'm not sure how the 6pm time worked for meeting at the pub in 2013...I am thinking closer to 5pm, but again we can decide that on the 12th... This will be a small and informal gathering, but I am hoping it will become an annual event. See you there, and safe travels.