Scud

Maybe the idea is to put something out that is so bad that they can crowd-source better ideas. So here is mine... "Jaguar" (pronounced in the "proper" British way). Video: A big cat, moving stealthily behind leaves, hard to see in a poorly lit jungle scene. "Silent..." Video: Huge paw softly touches down on the dirt. "Powerful..." the cat hunches as if to pounce. "Electrifying..." the cat makes the leap, transforming into the logo Then show the electric car action shot. On the Jaguar website, they do have a nice slogan: "Still leading the charge. All Electric – All Jaguar"

I had to double check that it wasn't a different Jaguar company - like a new fashion brand or something. But there are other videos confirming that, yes, this really is the car company. I'm not (and do not ever expect to be) in the luxury car market. So this ad is certainly not aimed at me. I'll stick with my luxury-trimmed pickup truck (which is a hybrid F150). Goodbye Jaguar, it was nice knowing you.

Nice video... you mentioned in your title that he "picked the wrong brand" and I assume you mean he missed Moto Guzzi. But just after 5:00 in the video he says "...or my Moto Guzzi Griso which, of course, I love as well - for the same reasons as the Kawasaki." Then he reveals that he loves riding his 400cc Husaberg close to the limit, and admires his friends' 650 and 350 Royal Enfields and how much fun they are. I had a lovely 150 romp on the Stelvio today. Brought back a half case of wine from Doffo in Temecula and about 40 pounds of oranges, grapefruit, and avocado. I rather like the big 1200cc lump in that bike and ability to carry loads of stuff and a passenger, even at extra-legal speeds (aka the flow of traffic). In no way did it make me miss any of my past BMWs (R100CS, K75s, R1100RT). I did wave to a few BMWs today, but the most memorable wave was to the rider of a red Moto Guzzi V85. You got me thinking back to the 1980s... I was on a 1985 Yamaha FJ1100. That was the fastest damn thing I had ever ridden at the time. I went back to look up the specs. It had *only* 125 horsepower. Maybe memories change things, but those must have been some buff ponies.

I find that mileage number to be believable. The stator cover, behind the front wheel, shows very little stone damage. I'd also check the date code on the tires - if they were made many years ago, it supports a low-mileage claim. It's likely that you will want to replace the tires due to age and sitting outside - even if there still appears to be good tread. If you just want a fun ride, I think getting this bike at a deep discount could be it. But as others have said, it will take some work, starting with a thorough degreasing to see what you've really got to work with/on. So if this is what you want, I agree with the cash-lowball offer suggestions that other have made. But if you are hoping to make it a real looker, you will be soon frustrated with the crinkle paint on the engine, transmission, and final drive. It is a large and labor-intensive process to strip that off and repaint it. I've done it twice, and I will not get another model with that paint on it (unless it is an otherwise spotless 2002 V11 LeMans-Tenni for a good price). The community here is also part of the joy (and occasional shared misery) in the ownership experience.

I think foot plates (aka porkchops or stilettos) are aluminum. They certainly are not magnetic. Also consider powder-coating - but be careful with the fine threads for the swingarm pivots.

At least they are not asking people to join "the clan" like Moto Guzzi did a few years back. So this looks like an all-Piaggio dealership. No competing brands. I've heard that Piaggio puts a lot of pressure on current dealers to carry all the Piaggio brands - even if they were a legacy one-brand shop. I guess the emergence of new dealers who will be exclusive to Piaggio was inevitable. I wonder if Pierer Mobility will do something similar now that they have MV Agusta alongside KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas (and Felt bicycles). Their strategy seems to be about vertical integration (making their own suspension - WP, in-house electronics, etc.). The Pierer culture is also strongly influenced by racing, so maybe we will see MV on the track again soon - and battling Aprilia.

Related article in today's New York Times. I subscribe, this is a shared link to the article, but I don't know if it will work from a forum like this: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/19/business/halloween-shopping-retail-costume-store-growth.html?unlocked_article_code=1.TU4.hdfJ.q9ucT19kJey5&smid=url-share

Congratulations. Ironically, I found my Nero Corsa in Canada and brought it back to the US. It was originally a US model. Yours looks to be a lovely machine in excellent condition for a very reasonable price. I noted in the ad that the seller claims it is one of 250 made. I'd be interested to know the source for that number - of if any other members could confirm it.

I'm seeing fewer homes decorated for Halloween, but among those fewer, they seem to be more extravagant. I'd say good riddance to Halloween if it does fade away. The big stores are full of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas decorations, all at the same time. I wonder who has room to store all that crap. I don't. I have too many boxes of motorcycle parts. Halloween is a made-up marketing holiday. It has some fun parts, but it's a lot a sugar that the kids don't need along with a lot of plastic waste that the world doesn't need. But I am not above trick-or-teating to my neighbors' houses with an empty shot glass in hand. Maybe I'll try a wine glass this year. As far as I'm concerned, we can get rid of the other two holidays too. While I like the idea of periodically stopping to be thankful, the whole Pilgrims and Indians things is just the start of one of the biggest genocides in human history (not worth celebrating). I also like the idea of getting the family together at year end and exchanging gifts. But I'm not buying the Christmas origin story or the Santa marketing campaign. Let's go back to celebrating the solstices and equinoxes... objectively observable natural phenomena. We can have a major holiday once a quarter. That seems like a nice rhythm. But then, those holidays don't mean much to people near the equator... so to each their own.

Looks like a great trip. The day-of-the-week floor mats were funny. Bummer about the spill - and that's about what I thought would happen to the pipes on new engines. Cattle in the road... classic. Scenery... stunning. And Brazilian Pillion... well that just sounds right.

Ha... 17 year old thread has awakened. These things are like cicadas.

I followed Docc's lead on a Shindy damper for one of my past bikes and was happy with it. The stock/upgrade Ohlins unit is prettier, and fits easily. Any aftermarket unit might take a little more work, but I recall the Shindy being pretty easy to fit. I've heard nothing but positives about the Hyperpro, but not tried one myself. Unless you are really riding hard, the damper is basically there to prevent head-shake (aka tank slappers) in normal street-riding conditions. So anything that prevents large rapid movements will do that job.

Thea Scura looks to be a good value, but may come with some of typical Scura issues if not already addressed by current owner. As for the wheels on the greenie... never hear of that before. But it sounds like a 2002 or later stock rear wheel.

I suspect that the Scura is actually one of the more common V11 variants when you consider all the V11 variants available. The numbering seemed to increase demand. Similar thing happened with the Rosso Mandello. They made 300 numbered units. That was so popular that they made another 300 non-numbered units. But it's all mystery of Italian manufacturing. So welcome to the ongoing speculative inquiry. And enjoy the bike.

Hey Phil - That looks like a great adventure. I got close to Mandello once, but not close enough. I had a rented BMS GS - and chased a Moto Guzzi Stelvio up the Stelvio pass. Gearing up for a 500 mile ride across central Nevada tomorrow on my Stelvio.