All Activity

Marchozzi fork seals, $5.50 AliExpress https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803348185096.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.17.6af31802c205tR&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa&_randl_shipto=US I currently am using these on my 2003.

found this video over the weekend - its a bit long but goes thru the entire process on forks similar to V11

For some reason, a lot of motorcycle riders favor plain traditional colors, with a majority wearing black helmets. I do not know why. I looked for a red helmet in the brand and line I favored, and could not find one at Cyclegears, where I bought my "black" Shark Race R Pro Carbon. In any case, I was looking at increasing my visibility at night, and during the day, the braking lights are driven by an accelerometer. Once I get the helmet, I will be able to give an educated opinion.

I think the number one criteria is what you specified: having a helmet that fits you, but also the safest construction possible. The EUR certification has been upgraded to the ECE 22.06 standard. The impact points testing went from 6 to 12 and there are other changes such as the impacts are done at various speeds. The 22.06 standard was introduced in 2022. The DOT certification is comparable, although less stringent than the European ECE 22.06 standard. The DOT does not test all helmets for approval. They roll out a set of standards and regulations for manufacturers who target the U.S. market to follow. Makers will then be allowed to self-certify that their helmets will pass the FMVSS 218 tests and append a DOT sticker. I chose Shark for my first helmet, because it was the only one that let me put my prescription glasses easily once the helmet is on my head. This is something Shark does seem to do better than the top known brands. The Shark I3 is sold in the US and compliant to both DOT and ECE 22.06, like probably most helmets. To be noted, Shoei sells the same helmet under different product names. I am talking about the Shoei RF1400 here in the US, and NXR. This was my target helmet, because sold as one of the quietest. Unfortunately, this is one of those helmets that give me difficulty to put my glasses on. Thereafter, come the secondary considerations, such as colors, pinlock, and what not. The I3 is heavier than my current Shark, and a lot cheaper. I don't expect it will be one of the most quiet, but I do like the additional braking lights.

I am another who dislikes the flat/matte black "invisible" look. You risk adding red to the black - your blood. If my Chinese no-name bicycle helmet has a programmable rear LED, shouldn't all M/C helmets? You can get a wireless bicycle computer for less than $20. Is it so difficult to do a wireless brake light using the same technology? Riding the freeway/Interstate in urban traffic, I swapped on an LED taillight and an accessory LED brake light under it. On my Kwacker, I have flash 5 times then steady brakelight bulbs. The V11 got Amazon "iBrightstar" signal bulbs. I like that they use both the OEM reflector as well as a projector beam lense aimed straight forward and back. Nary a problem with any of them.

I too think the red Griso is a work of art...once you get rid of that monster muffler. I put on a Mistral can that looks perfect with the bike and sounds great. I have work to do also before John Day. The Stelvio forks are off now to put new seals in and then the swing arm comes off for lube. Then I'm ready...I think. I'm also waiting for some hot sunny days to warm up my new Coppa tires for a switch. A little nervous about doing them myself, the rims are perfect but I have done quite a few now. Heat is the key. I'm in Vegas now helping my cousin do stuff in her new house...this is the place to do tires.

That looks like a very decent deal...he has some tasty bits installed as well, looks well cared for, and the MOST important is that it indicates it has been Rollerized, which is an absolute must...you don't want to have to deal with getting the kits and having the roller tappets done. Color of pipes at the header also looks good...so seems to be tuned properly. I've never heard the term Blue Title before in Texas...but a quick search turns up what you would hope...it's a clear and unencumbered title, with no salvage or loss. Pink or Purple seems to refer to a salvaged title...so you have a nice specimen there. You could always get a Red/Black wrap! It does have a rear tank bag frame, finding the side bags is a quite difficult, but maybe not impossible. A decent fairing (I have a spare Dart Marlin) that did a decent job, but the very very rare Givi A330 (if I remember correctly) that I bought from Kindoy makes the bike just silky smooth with zero buffeting and looks amazing. Definitely worthwhile looking at this one, on occasion a nice bike shows up on Griso Ghetto also...if you're going to be on the look for a Red/Black like mine, I'll keep my eyes open on the Ghetto and let you know! I've been hunting for years for a pair of engine guards like he has...that's a nice find, and a bonus that Mike / Davey at MPH would know about it too.

So, after your post, I did a full immersion in decibels, and wow.... it is anything but simple. I thought I just needed to plot decibel levels on a semilogarithmic scale, just to figure it out, but there is more than one type of decibels. I am not even certain the Champion comparison should be Db, or Db(A).

You may have gotten a bad batch. That happens more often now, that nothing produced is systematically tested. I have read somewhere, that it is less expensive to replace a few failed equipment, than to budget for testing. Actually, testing is expensive in terms of resources.

@roktbox Wonderful tribute to your musclebound lady!

@PJPR01 Look what I found.... https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/380529721581655/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3Ae944539a-3697-45ac-97bb-6c26afc28cbf Pity, it is not red. At least, I can go to MPH and ask them about the bike. Now there is something I don't understand: what does "Blue Title Bike" means? I checked out the Internet, and it says that title colors in Texas are specific to Texas, and a blue title may mean a salvaged bike, or a standard bike. In any case, a bike that is legal to ride... My two motorcycle titles have a blue border. Is it what you call blue title?

You will be pleased with the Viair...I've had almost 19 years of faithful service from the one I bought back in Nov 2005 when I got the first Land Rover...the only thing I added to it was a higher quality inflator that attaches to the airhose, will have to take a pic/share the brand. The air compressor is excellent, can easily air up from quite low 4 large tires, it will get hot, but never fails.

In my very biased opinion, the Red/ Black combination is a work of art....I absolutely love it. He did a nice video of riding there... Speaking of trombones...just a few days before I left to Cedar Vale I received a Termignoni for the Griso...will be interesting to try it out at some point here...it's in the garage awaiting install, along with a few other projects. Let me see...The Scura is running like a top, doesn't need anything, The Griso needs the bugs scrubbed off after the trip to Kansas, The Norge will get a fresh set of tires and tuneup prior to the trip to Oregon, the Goldwing gets a few farkles added to it...it's going to be a busy summer in the garage! Keep posting P6X...these are great videos and if you want to try the Griso one day, let me know!

No love for the Italian mistress? Hmmm. She's no ballerina, that's for sure. More like a ladies CrossFit champion, perhaps. Man, I hooned all over the Willamette Valley in the last 3 weekends just digging on that exhaust note. Bassoons dip their heads when she thunders by. Alas, we still must part ways. Maybe she has other plans and intends to remain committed to this relationship ...... we'll see. Lowered the price, but I won't tell her. Memorial Day 2024 - All gave some, some gave all.

Indeed...The Griso is set up nicely for touring: Side bags, rear tail bag, tank bag that I switch back and forth to my Norge 1 clothing bag (water proof), 1 tent, 1 sleeping cot (Helinox, lightweight) all held on securely with 2 Rokstraps. I enjoyed the softer denier of the bags of the Griso compared to the hard ones on my Norge...easy to put some extra hydration bottles in. The bike has a few modifications I've done over the years: Bar risers, new handlebars that are narrower than stock and more curved back towards me, Knight design lowered pegs with rubber inserts, Hyperpro rear spring, new driving lights for nighttime riding (super enjoyable), Corbin seat + Black sheep sheepskin, hardwired TomTom 550 GPS, after market TPMS system, phone Quadlock with vibration mount. All day riding comfort, unbelievable power on demand, easily reaches triple digits without even breaking a sweat! I daresay it's a rival for the Norge for touring setup this way.

@PJPR01 you have a lot of luggage carrying appointment on your bike!!! Nice pics!

I don't know why YouTube seems to think that I am into Moto Guzzi, but I get plenty of Guzzi related suggestions, this one included. So far, the Griso was never on my radar, because I never quite liked the flip side of the bike, with that exhaust that looks a bit like a trombone. This video is at times difficult to follow because of the initial wind noise (hello Audiomick!), and the long rambling. So, scrub to 14 minutes, so you can see the ride in California. The end of the video is hilarious! while he makes his conclusion, there is a UPS truck and UPS guy making a delivery that breaks his concentration. The Guzzi Tech exhaust system that's installed on the back changed my opinion. And it is RED! I am going to add that to my loose list of things to keep an eye upon.

Well yes, but once again, at least over here, it depends which state you're in and also where in some states you are. In NSW in the area around me I can get away, usually, with that 65-75mph cruise easily enough. Open road limit is 100kph which is basically 62mph. Given the fact almost all speedos over-read by several kph and any tyre wear increases the discrepancy that 110-115kph indicated on the dash is close enough for Highway Patrol to generally leave you alone. Once you are further out west the open road limit goes up to 110 kph and cops tend to be fewer and further between anyway and I usually trundle along at an indicated 120-125. That may engender a headlight flash from any passing walloper but as long as you roll off a bit when you see them they'll rarely light you up properly and pull you over. Victoria is a whole other thing. Traffic enforcement there is draconian. They'll gleefully ping you for 3kph over the limit and once they've pulled you over you won't be getting a warning. They're humourless bastards as well. I've never been pulled in Queensland or Western Oz so I don't know what the go is there, or the Northern Territory for that matter. Tasmania the cops seemed fairly chill unless there has been a spate of mainlanders crashing and then they have a crack-down. Really though the way I ride nowadays, even on the Griso, I'm unlikely to attract an enormous amount of attention. Apart from anything else I'm acutely aware of not only my own physical limitations in terms of skill and perceptions but also the consequences of me 'Getting it wrong'! Quite simply I think any crash serious enough to break a bone would probably be the end of me. I'd actually prefer to avoid that! If I really wanted to push the envelope in my dotage I'd simply book a track day. Everyone is going the same way, there's tons of run-off and should the worst happen there'll be an ambulance on hand to scrape up the pieces! Far better than trying to go fast on the road with errant stock, wildlife, pensioners towing caravans, trees and other road furniture just off the bitumen. Going fast there is like playing Russian Roulette with several of the chambers loaded! Sod that for a game of soldiers!

This one job we were on , we were installing "nuclear powerplant quality" proximity switched and 1/2 of them would not work "straight out of the box". Must be the ones they used at The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant

The King Ranch Museum is a very limited gateway to all there is to see in Kingsville. I am planning to go back there for a few days. King Ranch organizes many different tours of their outfit. It is a very well oiled machine. There are many different aspects of the ranch you can visit. They make turf, they make cotton and they have their own cotton factory. Of course, cattle, horses, and so much more. It is an industrial outfit within its own city limits. The headquarters of King Ranch are in Houston! its huge! When I got to the Palo Alto battlefield, it was like a barbecue grill there. I am glad I wear the SIXS stuff, because it makes a difference. I have found some new mesh riding shirts made in UK, which I will make a separate thread for. From what I understood, but I have no personal experience with it, the cooling vests have a limited working time span. Unlike heated gear, the cooling effect cannot be maintained throughout the ride. Interesting point about the Griso. I am going to post a video about one shown on youtube, in red, which I really liked.

Looking good...nice update indeed P6X! I will have to make a special trip to King Ranch museum and Palo Alto battlefield (this one in particular interests me as I grew up mostly in Palo Alto, California...so it will be a nice connection). I plan on getting a cold weekend sometime in the summer or saving it for the fall when it's not intolerable. I added 10 stops on the way up and back from Cedar Vale from 5/16 to 5/20, bringing the tally up to 37 so far. Ran the Griso for 1900 miles thru Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and back home. Just flawless, easy touring and comfort, unlimited power and 40 mpg...unbeatable combination. At the end of June/return July I hope to add another 10 stops on the way out of Texas and back in as I head to Oregon for the Guzzi National Rally and return. I am NOT relishing the thought of the killer heat at the end of June and early July however...it's time to buy a cooling vest!

Yes, that seems very strange. Infancy failure is anything which, after a very short period of time working, just fails, or immediately after being started. I have an easy example. I replaced my turn signal incandescent bulbs with led ones. Which implies replacing the flasher with one that works with LED lamps. I did, tested it, worked. A few days after, no more turn indicators. Just like that. I got it replaced with the same one under warranty. Same brand, same specs. Still works today. I learned about infancy failure when working for ExxonMobil in an oilfield with non-eruptive oil wells. Those wells need to be pumped to produce oil. While everyone has seen a horse head pump once in his/her lifetime, there are other pumping systems. Those pumps are lowered into the well, and pump the effluent directly from down hole. The output is a lot higher than what a horse head pump can manage, it is continuous pumping. These pumps have a limited life span, affected by many factors. Also, during the life of the well, they may need to be replaced because some conditions have changed. To install a down hole pump, you need a work over rig. It is expensive to extract the existing completion, and to run the next one. As soon as the pump has been installed, the wellhead connected, the pump is started and there is some test carried for a few hours. After that, the rig is moved to the next well. Not long after the rig has moved, something within the pump fails. The pump was tested prior to being lowered in the hole, but this kind of failures, named "infancy failures" are unpredictable. They are factored in when a field has to be installed, at planning time. Some money is put aside for this kind of repeat intervention. But even if it is built up in the budget, you always get a good rimming by the representative of the oil company for having early equipment failures on "HIS" watch!!! Sometimes, they refuse to pay for the equipment you installed!