Gmc28

amen. Or the sign on the way down (southwest), the yellow caution sign that shows the squiggly curve symbol and says "next 78 miles", or some such thing. delish.

Sounds like you've got a good feel for the good stuff up here... Lolo is always a great run, and the area all around there. the curves are fantastic on any bike, and then if you're on an ADV bike there are lots of great offshoots into the boondocks, or on a V11 there are lots more twisties to chase. Not sure if this an appropriate place to throw out some other "snapshots" of nice roads, but here's a link to what I'm 99% sure is the run i've done a few times that I quite liked (google map link, fairly ubiquitous). You can continue up the snake river to Oxbow, which is another short distance up-and-back also: https://maps.app.goo.gl/8LiNXm6iAV2Fg6d39 Thats a neat, fairly remote route between the snake and Joseph, and then north of there up toward lewiston on the 3 is also good. For off-road (ADV, not dirt bike) riders i have a great little route between walla walla and Anatone (off route 3, north of Joseph). If you're out that way and want to do the Joseph OR area for those enjoyable riding routes around there, my favorite little hotel at Joseph I think I heard is selling, and maybe is selling or may shut down, but their web site is still up. It's a quirky place, but unique in what i'd call a good way: jenningshotel.com i don't actually know who sets these (John Day) events up, other than the generic knowledge that it's MGNOC. I know there are great day rides around John Day, but whether a guy would have to arrive armed with that knowledge or get it from a resource at the event I don't know. yesterday I did the run NW from John Day toward home, up through Fossil and Condon, which is always a great ride. A few very short sporty sections, but mostly just "mildly sporty" and lots of great scenery, and in large sections of the ride lack of vehicles. But in late June, will be strings of tourists checking out the fossil bed stuff I assume, and will likely be HOT in some sections. the "lonesome highway" from Vale OR, up the 26 to john day, was enjoyable. A few grin-inducing sections, but mostly just grand scenery and a good number of sweepers. But in that corner/quadrant of the state, there are lots of fun, remote routes.

To those not familiar with John day, my humble opinion as an Oregonian and with my own subjective lenses on, is that it’s not a destination you’d normally have on your hot list. Far from it. But the area is beautiful. If I were offering advice on where to go, stay, and ride on a visit to Oregon, this area would certainly be hot on the list of recommendations. But I’d consider staying down the road perhaps at prairie city (nifty old hotel there), though I suppose maybe it’s crowded in the summer…. Can’t say for sure these days if the wonderfully quiet area turns into a zoo in summer. Maybe. long distance travelers coming out to John Day and who have time, I’d recommend including the Joseph & Enterprise area, walla walla, Bend (opposite direction), in addition to all the great more remote areas between John day and the Gorge (with the gorge also worth visiting), are where I’d generally point. Lots of scenic hot spots and sporty roads.

Well, not to get too far off thread topic, but will indulge in a quick offshoot… cold riding. Partly in defense of my childish behavior yesterday on the v85 :-> i lived in alaska for a good number of years, and have mostly TomChri’s type blood in me, Norwegian, so maybe thats whey the cold is not as bothersome 😉. Used to ride year round (on a BMW RT), but In truth, I have only very rarely in the last couple decades decided to man-up and purposely ride into very cold weather, choosing instead to re-schedule whatever i had planned when the weather gods were smiling more. Last month I had planned to go get the V85 from Denver, and the weather looked good, right up until i was about to leave, and the forecast for clear then turned into colder, then next day forecasted even colder with a small chance of snow, then the slide continued to now show a bigger chance of snow on the day before i was to leave. so i changed plans, and low and behold it dumped snow that day i was to arrive at Denver to ride away. This time forecast was decent, a lot warmer on the western end of the ride (today… supposed to be mid 60’s in Boise later), and nothing forecasted worse than brief periods down around 42 and dry on the east/denver end. But as often happens, crappy apple weather app forecasts and spiteful weather gods conspire and i end up needing to “man up” as you alluded. Oh well… so be it. Riding for an hour or so through nasty cold conditions is what it turned into, so thats ok. For those inevitable cold runs, the ones often which come as part of otherwise great rides, an electric heated vest, or sweater, or now even heated t-shirts, provide a super lightweight way to make such episodes WAY less painful, and even enjoyable. The ride yesterday, once the wet snow went away and it was just cold (around freezing, or a little below), was actually nice, with deserted roads and gorgeous scenery (Rocky’s). Packing big winter gear is a brutal waste of effort and space, since a properly fitted and utilized electric shirt/jacket/vest with a snug wind-proof outer layer far outperforms even the most expensive big thick winter riding gear. In my opinion, and i have a closet full of barely used cold weather riding gear to support that. What brought all that to a point was the ride-and-fly travel I’ve done over the years, where packing all that big riding gear was just a huge drag, so I was always obsessing over ways to streamline, and electric gear is the ultimate way to streamline while also assuring you’re always prepared. You riding the Quota to John Day?

All very good. Sounds like you pulled trigger on the Quota, so that should be fun. Might you ride that to John Day? I should have started my opining above about the v85 by confirming that i think such opinions are nearly useless, albeit potentially entertaining, as they are so subjective, and serve mainly to either reinforce others love of the machine, or in some cases perhaps to help someone interested avoid a trait they very much want to avoid. I know that various versions of my younger self over the years would not have loved the bike as much as I do now. I used to scoff at my good friend who first had a V11 Lemans back when I had my ST4… friendly competition. Now the V11 is my favorite. The V85 so far is doing everything well, but doesn’t necessarily win “best of class” in any category. As a total package, it needs no excuses despite some areas where it could in fact be improved, and is consistently bringing a smile.

For what it’s worth, not regretting the v85tt, which is now my official opinion. Mine is a 2022 (bought it used), not the 2024 from the thread title, but today was the unintended test to settle things. Left Denver (Longmont) in unforecast light drizzle and wet snow, and being the child that i am i headed out and upward in elevation. Forecast was for 39 degrees at the coldest, but Apple weather was garbage as always and it dropped to 29 (f), in wet snow. Pavement was fine, but the moisture made it painfully cold, even with the electric gear. Sigh. But in rain mode (pioggia) to assist, she handled smooth, and then when we finally broke out into balmy 38 degree weather and dry air/road, she picked up the pace and danced along beautifully. Then on the highway slog later in the day, something i didn’t test in Italy on the rental v85, i locked cruise control at 85 and she was smooth and steady even in the blustery wind. Only complaint is I thought I had heated grips… but I don’t. Just the button. Cruel Italian. So have had her now in the Italian mountain twisties, nasty cold & wet in CO, and open highway at high speed in WY, and she’s checking all the boxes. Now to waste more hard earned cash on guzzitechs mods to juice up the HP and exhaust, something she does NOT need, but the child in me will keep the upper hand, and money shall be well wasted.

I’ll probably ride through john day on sunday, making a bee-line though, to get home that evening after a few days on the road on the new-to-me v85tt. Weather is typical spring…. Supposed to be pretty nice tomorrow, then cooling off again into the lower 50’s Sunday when I’ll pass through. Can’t complain. (Left Denver with an ok forecast…. But per usual Apple weather was way off. Forecast for 39 deg at coldest turned into 29 (F) and wet snow. A brutal 1.5hr slog till it cleared off. But the V85tt handled nicely)

I've done similar, even with AGM's, when they got real old and were showing "end of life" signs, and I felt I'd gotten enough life out of them to feel ok to swap it out (got my bang for the buck). For what its worth, that AMG brand (AGM) I took out of the 1200 Ducati was still getting the job done, but was cranking slower each start over the course of the summer, then in the cold wx i had the almost-no-start, so i changed it. point is it was a Li-ion, and that one seemed to show similar signs as a lead-acid to being worn out. Not sure what kind of data point that is, but perhaps of interest.

From a broad perspective, it’s arguably the most common issue with any old Italian motorcycle, the electrical system. Years ago I just determined that I’d go through the electrics and do the handful of usually affordable and not-to-tricky upgrades on the front end, and life has been easier ever since, with all my beloved Italians. I’ve not done much with fuse blocks, though docc and many others have a lot of insight there. Mine have always looked great, so I haven’t messed with that. But checking for good grounding (can be a “free” fix for a lot of issues), the mosfet VR retrofit, new & good relays, and at least checking if not also just pro-actively upgrading the wire connectors is time/money well spent for longer term peace of mind. I’ve purchased a number of mosfet upgrades from roadstercycle, which were quite a bit more expensive, but he specs out some good (or great) quality connectors and wiring, which is handy.

Norge seems like the right bike for that lovely route & distance. I’m doing the Lemans because it’s in the home state… perfect distance to stretch her legs a little.

I assume Austin will be easier, but if by chance you’re going to the John Day Oregon event in June, I’ll have my V85 a few hours from there if u want to go for a spin. I’ll have the Lemans in John Day, but half a state away will the V85. Might even have the foolishly expensive new exhaust and other doo-dad tomfoolery installed by then… i rented the V85tt in Mandello, as the consolation prize because the new Stelvio had just been taken/rented by someone else. But ended up really enjoying the V85, much more than I had anticipated. Of course lake Como area in the sun, pasta, wine, and amazing back roads in the mountains above/behind Varenna does tend to put one into a less demanding state of mind, so hopefully i won’t regret my leap into the V85 here at home.

Will indulge in some moto-modeling, since with Goldie finally back on-line, Greenie done, and Red in good shape per usual, was the 1st time the gaggle of geese could get dolled up for a family photo…

That’s what she had. But I guess 4yrs is too long even for that.

Hah, it’s alive and kickin… let that seafoam do its thing for a couple more days, and the carb cleaner sprayed up into the air adjustment screw ports, and was getting ready to strip off the tank and air box, but cranked her up one more time to check TBS. Behold, she coughed a couple times, then ran just fine. Checked TPS, (slightly off, fixed), and TB synch, idle adjust, and a few other misc/normal things, and now she’s pretty much purring. Well, now I’ve probably jinxed it. Still need to get her on the road to the gas station for a test flight. Assumption is that it was all just a mess of old gas. Note that my crappy memory was mostly at fault, as it was about 4yrs that she sat there, when i checked my records, but in my head i was thinking 2yrs max. It was clear premium, with a stabilizer added, but 4yrs is just too much. a question which i assume is common, but I’ve never really thought about it, what do folks do with show bikes that usually sit and maybe get run once or twice per year? Drain all fuel, then re-prime for the occasional start/run? Or just be sure to replace all the fuel each year? i know my old flat-slide Mikuni carb’d Suzuki doesn’t like any of those options. Running it dry, or stabilizing the fuel each fall, but next spring she does not like to start and run properly on that first wake-up from hibernation.

So who all from this forum thinks they’ll be at the john day event? Curious.

studio version has more of a "hook" with the clean lead-in percussion, but this is good -

Amen. Way, way back octane choice had a more visible effect in some ways (pinging, fuel econ), in my opinion, but that was way back, when carburators were the norm and ECU’s were not, etc. 25 plus yrs now I’ve run only regular in all my Italian and Germanic machines, 2-wheelers and 4, with zero differences other than a lower fill-up cost. LT, the somewhat well-known Ducati guru, says he never runs premium in any of his machines. I run it only in my less-ridden V11’s now, but only because it’s the only ethanol free gas I can get. All my other machines, and even the Guzzi’s on a road trip, just run regular. Sorry PO, Daveguzzi1, that we digressed into an octane discussion! But mixed in here is the good stuff/advice on the “decent tune up” to establish the baseline, so more specific troubleshooting ideas can be focused. Your choice to run 100 octane may as Phil says be making things either worse, or less clear.

Ragpickers Dream, Sailing to Philadelphia, and Shangri-La fit my taste nicely, though like a good album (or albums) should be, the stuff I did'nt prefer at first then grew on me, and the stuff that had a "hook" on the first listen then faded. common them for many artists (no big secret there), and for me as a listener, to have the hook songs get you to "sign up", so that you'll maybe then develop a taste for the other tracks. I flew some well known musicians around on tour in years past, and I remember commenting to one of them about a great new song he played for the first time at a show, in prep for the next album release, and he said "ya, thats the hook, and i find it boring, but hopefully people will then listen to the stuff i'm actually proud of if they buy the album for that hook". I found all those Knopfler albums good enough to play in the background while working on remodeling my home years ago, but then later after having it as background music, I only then realized "damn, this is really good". But not for all his music...

One New River, the new album from Knopfler, is out today. I just downloaded. Big fan, but while his style doesn’t vary dramatically, i do find that some albums become “best of all time” category for me, and others just barely get listened to.

Got things lined up do work on goldie this weekend (noid light, etc), got some more good input from Gstallons, and decided to pop out to shop just for a minute after dinner. Had a big dose of seafoam in the fuel, circulated through the pump and filter. Cleaned up the throttle body air adjust screws, and squirted carb cleaner up in that orifice, as well as the TB sync ports. And, she started. Ran like hell, wouldn’t idle on her own, but she was firing on both cylinders. So now we’re back to running really poorly, versus not running at all. May or may not change what i go after next. when she was really parked, about 4 yrs ago, she ran sweet. That implies the usual tune-up items should be ok, and that the issue is still an “old fuel gunk” type issue. But I’ll do a quick check on some of the basic stuff first (has new plugs, can’t imagine valve adjustments moved while static, i suppose i can check TPS and Throttle body sync, and do all that pretty quick). Maybe I’m an idiot and didn’t check the air filter…. Sitting around for years maybe critters got up in there. Hmm. Love removing that tank….

No argument here. And far be it from me to become an apostle for anything but the many Odysseys i have or have had. Just more or less parroting what you, others, and myself have all hit upon, which is that time has led to the evolution of the batt tech to the extent that now we seem to be mostly living with the reputation/issues of the past which may not be as applicable now. In the example noted on the posts just above, sounds like you’ve got an old odyssey thats still performing, and I also have averaged 7-9+ yrs on my odysseys, and even then they aren’t “dead”, so that has always kept me a loyal follower. I’m just adding in the data point(s) that this old shorai I’ve got is also in that age range, experienced a couple of the “too far gone” near-death experiences (voltage dropped to below the normally recoverable range due to issues on the KTM) early on, but not only is it not dead but its cranking the V11 longer and harder than any battery I’ve used…..All much to my surprise. I looked up the specs on it, and sure enough it indicates more CCA than the equivalent odyssey (no surprise, given the nature of the 2 different chemistry/techs), but i figured it would die fast given its age & abuse, and lack of amp-hr, which just didn’t happen. Weird, in a good way, and not really sure what to conclude from that. As another data point in line with the title of this thread, I did last year remove a cheap-O lithium battery from another of my (larger cc) bikes, one that I inherited from the previous owner of the bike. The brand… hmm…. I’ll think of it. I think it was 3 letters (AMG maybe?), and shows to be about half the price of the usual higher end lithium batteries. When i removed it, it was just shy of 7 yrs old. It got no special treatment, spent the winters on a 2a lithium specified tender (For better or worse?), and it did experience the bad trait of barely performing in cold winter conditions (barely cranked the bike when down around 0 degrees C). But other than that it performed fine. It just spooked me when I’d go to start the bike in cold conditions, and was getting old, so i replaced it. The new lithium battery i put in cranks the bike really well in the cold (EarthX)… so far very good, but it’s new.

Thanks Audiomick…. I was looking for exactly that info on the guzzidiag info this afternoon.

I hear ya, and that was mostly where I stood up till a few years ago. but that old Shorai that I thought was at the end of its rope 4-5yrs ago (after it was older and abused/killed) and which i just again today at lunch used on the V11 to cycle the fuel pump a bunch more times, and again crank the engine, all over the last several days with no charging, and its still going strong and showing good voltage. none of my Odysseys would do all that for that long. crazy. They offer it, but on the AntiGravity website it appears the AG1201 does not have it, as they make that one with a smaller form factor in mind. Unless I read that wrong from their website page for the AG1201: Note: there is no BMS in the SMALL CASE Batteries, only Balance Charging. They are for closed course use only. Though I assume a different model from them could be used that would have it. I just ordered the EarthX, the larger one. It's more expensive, and maybe not worth the extra $60, but figured i'd err on the side of over-coddling the electrics on this machine.

Hi Docc- Goldie has Bosch, and early on i confirmed #5 was “clicking”, and then swapped 4 & 5 anyway just to see if anything would change. The nefarious #1 and 2….. not really. Checked #2, the 30a, and the fuse and receptacle looks good/clean and unaltered in any obvious way by heat. I suppose i need to pull the bus and check underneath?