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It was still a great race in my opinion, not because it was full of spectacular passes, for other reasons. There were still a lot of events that prevented the race to become a Marc Marquez at the front from lap 1 to lap 27. Let's not forget that Fabio Quartararo made pole. Which also was a surprise. Marc Marquez did it with Honda. He seemed to be the only one able to make the RCV perform, then the GP23 last year, and the GP25 this year. Would it be possible that Marquez is better at adapting his racing to match the perks of the bike? Bagnaia has said that he was going to forget about some of the old ways, to find a new path. But with both GP24 continuously challenging at the front with Alex and Fermin Aldeguer. Fabio DiGiannantonio has the other GP25 and then Franco Morbidelli had some showing on the GP24. Ducati is confusing the issue by releasing conflicting statements regarding Francesco Bagnaia's difficulties. We will see what happens in Silverstone. I think I would have described the situation as chaos! I think they need to come up with something better.

I was three weeks old, the last time a French rider won the GP. I think they broadcasted the race by telegraph.

They did; this was the complete bike overhaul and review after I purchased it. See that purple marker? it is a Motorcycle tour stop at a point where Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana touch. Since my camera is in my Rimowa case, there weren't any oil droplets on it when I did that stop. Then I drove to the next stop, the one in red on the map: Gladewater. Because the 155 snakes in the forest, with barely any traffic, I drove very fast. Then I got to Gladewater, and going behind my bike to get the camera, I discovered the oil. Since it was still dripping, and retrospectively, it must have happened very close to the moment when I stopped. If it had during the trip, then there would have been no fresh oil dripping. No. I would have never imagined that I had lost the oil drain plug. When I saw the oil, I thought that because I had pushed very fast between Altanta and Gladewater, somehow, I developed a leak at a seal somewhere. The first Quota I went to see in Boise was equipped with an oil breather instead of the filler plug. Now, if I had checked for the drain plug at Gladewater, I don't know what I would have done. Finding a M10 x 1.5 oil drain plug there would have been challenging. Only yesterday, at home, I inspected the final transmission properly, and I found the oil drain plug missing, then I realized that I had driven 220 miles with a dry drive.

While it might be considered historic, I am not sure that would be because it was a great race. It was entertaining, but I have seen a lot of better races. It was also a big warning shot to Ducati. While the race wasn't a complete disaster for them it was a clear warning that they are going down a dead end path. They appear to be making the same mistake Honda made and they had made back in the Stoner days. Making a bike that only one person can tame and go fast on. The 2025 Ducati is clearly slower then the 2024 Ducati for anyone not named Marc Marquez. All those years gaining front end feel has been lost faster then I thought they could. I figured this was going to happen, but I did not think they would go this far in one year with Marc. As to crowd size, that is a big turnout. And the new rules about leaving the grid and / or swapping bikes / tires came into play. And while things did work smoothly I think it was clear that a double long lap penalty for the various options was not right. If you followed the rules and swapped bikes / tires after the race started you would have to pull down pitlane during the race. Where as people who took the penalty for leaving the grid or pulled into pitlane before the race started only had to do a double long lap penalty. Pulling down pitlane to swap generally costs 30 seconds or so, a double long lap penalty is at best half that, likely less. So people who took the penalty came out ahead, where as people who made the right call didn't get the full reward they deserved.

Is that fairing part as good as it looks ?

I had to find out where this is located . Near London . This guy's brother bought it new around 2000 and desecrated it w/in 6 mos. of ownership. This is an extreme example of "customization" or "personalization". IDK what this guy did w/the electricals that were under the seat area. You should only consider getting this home ( at night ) and hiding it and immediately stripping it down to where no one will know what it looks like . IDK what it is worth but I would give no more than $1,000 USD delivered . Maybe a Guzzi dismantler in that area will show some mercy and put it out of it's misery .

Straighten out the sequences . MPH did the work AND they did the gear oil change in the rear drive ? You discovered oil everywhere when ? You rode the bike 200 miles after finding the drain plug was missing ? comment : for now , if you went 220 mi. w/no oil and you were using Red Line Shockproof gear oil and made it home , I am going to change my oil ASAP

200 miles with no oil? It’s scrap. If memory serves me correctly the Quota uses the 8/33 gear set so best bet would be find a Cali 1100 final drive from a pre 2002 model, (I think it was ‘02 they went to the deeper splined hub?) and use that. You might need to swap the spacer in the box but other than that it would bolt straight on. Oh, and remove the shock mount.

This works better Mick. https://www.vpw.com.au/rts-differential-master-bearing-kit-suit-9-inch-fo~11881110?srsltid=AfmBOopXnV4Xpxp0oigPC_g1CdqnDRp_tm0eLfX7JR3rW8Pa-IDCz1sdr7o Or this https://torqueking.com/product/90008/qu90008-gear-marking-compound/?sku=90008&srsltid=AfmBOoo6Dfn4xw3NZpGj4RmlrrgORGXrx_2hsxUN2UvKucPvA3IJ_Le9sFw

Aha...well that's a good live version indeed! I had his record version on the big screen today in fact and in the car...that voice, that guitar picking...never gets old! Time for a return trip to the Mississippi Delta...a few years ago, I stopped thru at the BB King museum in Indianola, and another stop at Sun Studios in Memphis... Time for a Guzzi / Blues Tour baby!

And, "for the record" . . .

That's a good version of Tin Pan Alley....I also really like the one from Lucky Peterson...truly an epic version.

I was planning to do what Phil suggested. Get the new plug, fill up, do a quick run, drain and check what comes out. I really feel bad, because this plug was only touched by MPH, and I was planning the oil change after this run. I would have discovered it before too late. There wasn't any oil spilled underneath, it all happened in the 500 miles prior. I am probably going to have that transmission opened, because it will always be in the back of my mind. Plus, I can't sell the bike like this now. It would be unfair. I also realized that I was lucky to not fall... see how oil wet is the right-hand side of the rear tire? Even worse, instead of overnighting, I rode back home, in the night, with the Quota non-existent lights, I arrived at 2:00 because I was going slow. But now that I know there was no oil in the final transmission, I don't think it made much difference.

"Goin' down to [V'leven] Alleeeeey . . . See what is goin' on" . . .

Just drill a small lockwire hole in the shroud to wire to or an angled hole in the drain plug boss. Phil

I am planning to do that, as soon as I get the plug. Like in your photo, the plug I purchased can be secured with a wire. But you need a fixed point to attached it to. But I would feel better if I could take a look inside.

Every now and then I'm reminded why I do this. 220 miles without oil! I'm thinking the drive escaping this unscathed is about zero. You could fill it up and run it for a few miles and check the mag plug again and drained oil as docc suggested but I'm thinking it will be a long shot. Phil

As far as I can tell, it is, but that doesn't mean you need to go for test rides each time you change the shims. The process is, as far as I can tell, bolt it up with engineer's blue on one side, turn it a couple of times, and take it apart to see where the contact surface is. I'm fairly sure you know what engineer's blue is. For those that don't, this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineer's_blue I learned what it is from the novel "The Sand Pebbles" from Richard McKenna, which was proscribed literature in my English classes at school at some point. Just shows to go you what school is good for.

As challenging as the V11 Sport/LeMans tank shape is to fathom whilst integrated with the rest of the original design, it is quite an abomination all by itself! Might as while mount up a Quat-D exhaust for "balance" . . . And the battery and the relays and the fuses and the ECU . . . oh, my!

If you want to watch an epic MotoGP, one for the books, then watch the replay of the French GP today! I do not want to spoil it; however, the attendance record was smashed for the first time since the number of spectators was divulged. They blew through the 300k ceiling of last year, which was already the record attendance, for all GPs. But today's race will remain in history for multiple reasons. I leave you to watch it...

Mate, yours is a gem. Here's some pictures for future generations who might read this after the ad has been taken down. The bike in question (one can actually see the green on the tank where the spray-can grey has worn off) and the seat sub-frame in red and a photo of parts showing the green front mud-guard.

If you pour something through to rinse the box through the drain hole, does any metal swarf come out that would indicate damage?

Makes me feel really good about what is left of mySport.

I see the ad is "ended", and a further look at all the photos indicates that the poor thing was once a Greenie. One can only hope that she has been passed on to someone with enough decency to restore her to her former glory.

The Neodymium magnet makes all the difference!!! Seriously, the Guzzi original one cost about 14 USD from the usual places. Then you need to also add the shipping. Here, they built the shipping into the price, so all in all, it's the same. The main difference, Votex has it in stock, while the others have to order it after you pay. Delivery in June! I want to fix that Quota as fast as possible.