Martin Barrett

I would recommend that, but you won't be taking in the scenery. I had to admit to Mrs Baldini that I had been concentrating on the vanishing points rather than the scenery in Ireland and Wales when out with KB.

Thats good news. I know part of the whole experiance of Rock Festivals is the mud but the scenes above are just too extreme.

Nogbad, how is she, did she get wet? Is she still there?

Horses for courses. I fancied a Blackbird but I don't have any won't power. I would do a !70mph. I went for enough to keep me amused with an emotional attatchment as well

Too right, I ran in to the hail storm on the way back from the BMF. and 60 was about as much as I could bear. I wear a cordura jacket and it was ouch on the arms (body has a lining), I was then thinking about the protection it gives. Must slim down to get into my leathers. Can't remember having this problem before. either with leathers or Wax cotton (though would have had more underneath. In the early days it was the open face helmet that made rain hurt at above 50. Debs (swimob) would agree that love is blind as far as my Guzzi goes

Oil threads, fantastic, nearly a 100 replies and 1700 reads, and we haven't covered if synthetic or semi or dino makes any difference in losses I think that modern motorcycle oil has stuff to cope with, the "tearing" effect of integral gearboxes. So Nogbad should be okay with his GTD. But I'm not talking from a point of expertise. Next step a Diesal conversion?

Can some explain what the difference between chronometric and regular speedos are (no I don't mean the swimming trunks). My first car a '68 Jag XJ6 2.8 had one apparently, it made a ticking noise . Looked great. Whats the Tech stuff?

Most are pretty clueless on the nuancess, and you'd certainly baffle a few. Probably wouldn't notice the lack of lights. Those that would be clued up might have seen the bike in MCN or one of the glossies so would know what it was. I am noticing more quads registered and on the road so there are oddballs out there. I suspect that they have days when they (we) just pull all the bikes at places like Matlock on a road safety drive. Other wise it's more likely going to be for some more obvious infringement, pipe or plate if not manner of driving a white line trap got to be a good one. Having returned from Ireland through North Wales I can see why the local police seem to have a down on speed and motorcycles. Fantastic roads to ride on. If I lived midlands etc I would head that way at every chance. Though the best roads are the smaller A roads in Snowdonia. I don't know which get policed the most. The only camera van I saw was mid Wales on the A470. (watching the post for one more week) Must get complaints and accidents that fuel the fire. I'd imagine the Yorkshire Dales and most of the rural north are simularly blessed and cursed. Well good luck on who gives you a tug.

Nice pictures

Glad that you're okay. Was impressed by those dike top roads last September. Good job it wasn't a wet landing. Trust it won't take too long to get back on the road as only minor componants damaged?

Are you refering to Baldini's sheep skin, most evident on the lighthouse shot on the hosted pictures link. He maintains that it's comfortable to sit on. I thought it was his comfort blanket as was away from home BFG; Baldini; John O'Sullivan and I camped, JS had that tent. Big J got the last room in the hotel a last minute cancelation, and Ferguzzi B&B'd within the village. They were probably made to do it as they had their significant others with them, I'm sure they would have rather camped and enjoyed the lavish facilities. About 50 happy campers and I'm not sure how many had rooms, but it would have been several 10s

Change the brake and clutch fluids, are hydroscopic so would have picked up moisture even if just stood. The rest is more mainly mileage dependant i would have thought. Batterys have a shelf life of about 5 years it would seem, so not sure if thats the cause of the increase revs required for the light to go out or would be something else on the charging side. electrickery not my strong point. I current(ly) (sic) forget what is Wouldn't hurt to grease and oil, a lot would depend on what was done when you collected it. There is a service chart in the hand book I think, but don't have it with me at work,

If you're only averaging 800 miles a year, I would suggest you actualy start the engine as opposed to pushing it every where No glad that it's going well for you. Self inflicted drive shaft episodes excepted I checked it had 315 on it when you first posted in Feb, so thats Okay just kidding

Neolitic grave site- "dead" boring You're quite right

More hosted photos here JS leads a little V11Lemans.com splinter group on a ride out straight to a Police Officer with a camera Several photo stops were had, but mine all seem to be full of motorcycles JS's new bike is quite a stunner, and this young lady was prepared to forsake her earlier pledge for a go KB heard all about it and blagged a go

There was the talk about finding it's own level. Perhaps I should fill it up and check it often, to see if it finds a level. She was worked very hard trying to keep Mr Baldini entertained on the way back and a little bit harder when he took the lead.

Now your bike will be regularly and expertisely maintained. I lurch from one crisis to the next. Rather like my riding style

Because of my recent issues I have exhaust to head and balance pipe gaskets. I have a tubless kit complete with gas cartridges, a spare bulb kit with fuses.(touring mode only) I knew I should have a spare plug and and cap. I conside myself very lucky when I dropped it over on the ferry I only pushed the cap on and it still worked and didn't snap. Also from this experiance I will add a prostetic leg, cos it hurt like hell for the next day untill the anti inflamatory properties of the Guinness kicked in RAC membership and mobile phone

Some where between 0.45 and 0.5 ltr to get back to mid point. But put a bit more in for good measure.

Wales continued . The North Came back with Baldini from Ireland on Sunday and reached his about 10:30pm. Stayed with him overnight (thanks again) and set off at 9:30am the following morning. He recommended a couple of routes. The Snowdonia part of north Wales very different from the hilly south, great roads. The national park was a bit busier but able to dispatch the traffic with ease. Look across and watch the cars come up the pass, look for the gaps and use them when they appear, all the other cars just sit behind the coach in front. Borring old dual carraigeway along the north coast and Anglesea (2)-(3). made the mistake of comming off early to go through Rhyll and Prestatyn. Past all the sea side holiday trailer parks, cost me probably twenty minutes seemed like hours Then back into Snowdonia for (4) and (5) had to go into a little village , steep single track narrow lanes and tight bends. Then back on to main roads to head out to the last Welsh check point (6) and one on the way back in England (7). Oil light flicked on twice one whilst poncing about in the traffic in Rhyll and again just before point (7) as approaching (7) noticed a slight rattle and scrape noise on coming to a stop. quick process of elimination lead it be the rear brake. Stopped and checked the pad depth. Not much left on the front and only just make out a bit on the back. From there a relativly straight run through to home, little bit of main trunk road leading to dual carriageway and motorway. No more back brake being used and picked up oil in case light came on again. decided it could wait till I got home just for the ease of not spilling it all over the cases and the difficulty of getting it upright to check. Must put a notch in the right place on the dipstick for when its on the side stand. Got home at 8;15pm gave me an hour and a quarter before heading off to work. If I'd been delayed would have gone direct and they would have had to put up with me in my riding gear. 1 Trawsfynydd. 2 Presadffed, burial chambers 3 Talacre,lighthouse 4 AbercornwyColwynLlangernyw, Henry Jones museam 5 BetwsGwerfulGoch, St Marys Church 6 Overton, town twinning memorial 7 Knockin. The Knockin Shop Just under 500 miles and nearly four tanks of fuel used. Totaled 1699 miles in the 5 days. bike is getting the week off whilst waiting for pads and probably get new tyres before we do it again up to Scotland for the V11 and Buell weekend

Well I've done Wales. The South Set off Thursday morning at 5:15am. Get past London and down the M4 before rush hour. Spent an hour and a half diverting off the route in order to revisit 3 check points. My PC was at the repairers and I hadn't backed up all of the Photos and I didn't know if they could rescue them. So as passing made sense to revisit just in case. That just leaves one other to do and that more local, within an hours ride. As I approached the Severn crossing three police motorcycles came on about 1/2 a mile in front of me and sped off. Came across them just the other side off the motorway just parking up in a long layby. Thinking got past them before set their check point up. Headed up the Wye valley. Spectacular. Steep sided heavily forested and swinging bends. A buzzard (or possibly a Kite) flew across the road in front of me and perched in a tree. Then off on to smaller roads to make the first new check point (4). More of the same to the next (5). Then across a minor single track road initialy through the wooded vale and then up over the top, past "Lord Hereford's Knob" (it's the name of the hill top) mind the sheep, to the next (6). Now sweeping A roads through very hilly terrain to the next (7). A bit of a cryptic clue on this one didn't know what I was looking for. Saw a couple of possibles on the way in, but smack bang in the middle of the town was something that tied in with one of the hits I'd got on the internet. Stopped to have a closer look More sweeping and faster A roads towards the next. In advertantly go the wrong way at the roundabout right road wrong way. The problem with signs in two languages, expecting to be signed to one place and its not on the list. It's a dual carriageway so have to go a couple of miles to turn around. Whats going the other way? Three Police motorcycles. Not sure if they're the same ones. But I'm now thinking driving school. Turn around and back on to single carraigeway roads This is good news. If I catch them up (unlikley) I will see them first and able to hang back. As opposed to them catching me up and not overlooking the chance to advise me about my speed I'm getting flashed by the odd car driver and a motorcyclist give me the thumbs down. I'm happy, they're not far enough in front to set up a radar trap. I'm closing down on to a car. and I see in the large layby to my nearside. Pulled up to the end closest to me and hidden by the tree line untill you're almost right on top of it a mobile speed camera van. I'm slowing anyway. His rear doors didn't appear to be open. I think I'm safe but we'll have to watch the post for the next two weeks just to be sure. I can now see the Police riders going up the far side of the valley about a 1/3 of a mile ahead of me, making progress past the traffic. I'm unlikely to catch right up with them having run into a knot of cars that will take time to pass. I don't see them again. Make it too the next point (8), bike stops with a bit of a pop. Having taken the picture its a bit noisy on restart and not running smoothly at tickover needs revs. Stop check the balance pipe seams okay. Start her up use the fast idle lever. What this air blowing around the rear of the left cylinder. The throtle body rubber to head has popped of the head. Unpack tool kit. Have to use the pliers to pull the hose clamp around underneath so that I can undo the bolt. Half an hour taken all sorted. leave screwdriver in tankbag incase needs further attention. It's 2:15pm and I've done 360miles Set off again. Down through the industrial south dual carriageway, stop for fuel and lunch and then a couple junctions back on the M4 before following the coast road to the next point (9) slow going through the built up areas. Then back onto main roads mostly single carriageway but its fairly easy going able to pass traffic relativly easily. Have reached the next point (10) by 5:30pm this is in the ferry port and that leaves at 02:45am Check of map there's 3 more points I think I can make and get back before its fully dark. The traffic is light to nonexistant and the A44 between (12) & (13) is splended. Sweeping through the mountainous area with the whole range of corners. Point (13) bagged at 8:30pm. Head back to Fishguard. Oil light flickers on doing hill start at a set of traffic lights Fish and chips sat on the harbour wall, ignoring the boy racers with their hot hatches, especialy the one complaining to the girl who just taken his car for a spin around the town that she burnt out his clutch. Then off to wait for the ferry for a couple of hours. There's a couple of Guzzis there allready and joined by three other bikes before departure. 630 miles in 17 hours. Six stops for fuel. 5 tanks of fuel used as filled up 20 miles from home and 15 miles from the ferry 1 Padworth - Boundary stones 2 Lechade - Old Father Thames statue 3 Uffington - Tom Brown's school 4 Broad Oak - Tube Train (no longer in situ) 5 Clifford - Castle 6 Llanfihangel Crucorney - Mounting block by Skirrid Inn 7 Llanwrtyd Wells - Spirit in the Sky 8 Pontsticill - Breacon Mountain Railway 10 Kidwelly - Castle 11 Fishguard - Bi centennial stone for French invasion 1797 12 Capel Bangor - Smallest brewery 13 Llandioes - Old market hall

thats a shame, as you spent all summer on the project. Hope it doesn't take you too long to sort it and that there are plenty of nice days once done.

Don't look up the previous threads - if every body did that the forum would die, there would be no new topics that were guzzi related as most tech questions have been discussed.

Got in at 8.15 pm Monday. Keith and I made the early evening ferry. I overnighted at Keith's before doing the north Wales check points on the Round Britain rally. a whole hour before heading off to work Did 1700 miles since 5.15am Thursday. The bike can have the rest of the week off. Needs rear pads started to graunch. and not much more depth in some of the fronts. Front tyre also getting down towards the depth indicators and the rear not much better. Following Keith's masterclass getting towards the edge of the tyres. Some great roads in Wales. Just have to see what arrives in the post over the 14 days. sorry taking long time to post - work getting in the way