Zoom Zoom

I purchased a set of theit bar risers for the LeMans a couple of years ago. I started with an e-mail asking if they spoke english, shipped to the US, and took credit cards. Theu DO ship to the US, they can get by with english, and as previously stated, do not accept credit cards. I wired a bank transfer to them and got the bars I wanted. It took two or three weeks, but it went well. They have really top notch stuff! I would deal with them again and would recomend them. Zoom Zoom, John Henry

I have not posted much here of late, but I have to agree with the above statement. Obviously, I must have missed the offending post. That's fine. This is, after all, Jaap's sandbox. The way I see it is pretty simple. Treat people the way you want to be treated, weather it is in person or hiding behind a keyboard. In all things, there is usually a tactful way to express an opinion. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. Zoom Zoom, John Henry

Very enjoyable. Thanks for the link! Zoom Zoom, John Henry

Eventually, Richard, the bikes WERE picked up. One of the summer residents started a fire around day break. At that point, an RV in that same location as the V11 was still under water. We watched as it slowly become visible and waited. That green V11 was in a low area that was dificult to get to for some time. People started on the higher ground and had begun to stand up bikes. He got his bike, but his truck and trailer was lost.When the water receeded, there was still 5 or 6 inches of mud covering everything. I am truly sad to hear of the loss you had to endure. How do you suppose you might have felt if someone standing around in proximity of you had made some comment regarding something THEY think you should have done? TELL ME YOU WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PUT OFF! I can no more comment on what you shoulda, coulda, woulda, done than you can on the present situation. Having endured a devastating loss, YOU, of all people, should have thought twice before you opened mouth and inserted foot. You can defend yourself all you want. Your comment was still out of line, the same as if I had made a comment like that about your situation. In your comment above you mention seeing "one lousy picture". So, you're making an uninformed comment about something you know very little about. There are probably close to 60 bikes that suffered that fate, as well as motor homes, campers, and trucks with trailers. After a bike being under water all night, do you really expect everything to happen all at once? Maybe I should reflect on why there was so much carnage and nobody was informed properly??? Hindsight is 20/20 is it not. I can't change what happened. We all felt sad. Many were happy to be alive too. You can relate to that, right? There were several areas that were much lower than where several of us were. This is an event that nobody ever expected to get to this magnitude. The locals have never seen the likes of it. Many years ago, I was delivering news papers and there was an accident on one of the streets that was on my route. It drew a crowd. There was a person lying on the ground and emergency people were working. Someone in the crowd made the following comment: "Is he dead yet?" That got me to thinking. What if there was a family member standing there in the crowd to hear that? DO YOU THINK THAT COMMENT WAS OUT OF LINE? Richard, you're probably a nice guy. Please consider the ramifications of your comments in the future. Nuff Said! Zoom Zoom, John Henry Ben: You are of course correct. I do however feel that this needed to be said. I was there. I lost a bike. If I had to pick, I'm thankful it was not the LeMans. My point is that people should think a little before they open their mouthes. I guess this is all I have to say on this topic.

A sad picture indeed. There are many more. Tom Au was just ahead of me with his Nero Corsa. He got it out but it drowned at the last minute. He and a couple of us spent the night pushing it farther up hill as the water came up. It was a very tough night. Frustration, I suppose. Those that were there were not only frustrated, but looking at the widespread damage, there was also a feeling of helplessness. The pic you refer to is Pat Cowden(sp). He has a very nice LeMans, (vintage), that did not fare well. He is from Tenn. I still feel that comment was out of line. John Henry

Well Richard, I didn't take that photo but.............. You try nearly being drowned, spend the night cold and soaking wet, and look at the carnage all around you when daylight breaks. At daylight, things were still under water. Frankly sir, I couldn't have given a rats a** if my bike was upside down on its handlebars after all that! And YEAH, I lost my EV in all that mess! I'm also thankful I'm alive to complain about it. Don't be so quick to critisize unless you were there to deal with it. You sir, have no idea what it was like! John Henry

Just a bit over 8,000 on the '03 LeMans I purchased new two years ago, in '05. My '01 EV has nearly 80,000 since new in Feb. '01 Zoom Zoom, John Henry

Once the H-B bags are in place, there is very little room for the passengers feet on the rear pegs. At best, they will get their heels on the pegs. Otherwise, no trouble. Zoom Zoom, John Henry

The easiest way to cope with the seat is to buy an Airhawk. It can take a bad seat to great and a good seat to fantastic for $150 bucks. I always use it when taking a trip. I leave it off the rest of the time. Zoom Zoom, John Henry

There is a recent thread over on the Wild Guzzi board concerning service from "The Motor Company's" dealers. It would seem that looks can be decieving. Simply because there is a dealer every 10 feet down the interstate does not mean they can/will service your bike in a pinch. It took my buddy Pat over 4 months to get his late model Road King repaired after an accident, so I guess the parts agguement gets blown right out of the water on that one, huh! In any case, I find much to like about my LeMans and my Cali EV. They compliment each other very well. I have drouled over a new Norge, but I refuse to part with either bike in order to obtain one. I will eventually add a Norge or B1100 to the heard though. There are several bikes I would not mind having, other than Guzzi, but I can't get rid of the Guzzi's to do it. The sound of the LeMans with the M4's is simply fantastic. Pure music to the ears. If you like the HD, keep it! Find another Guzzi to your liking and don't worry about the dealers. I bought my EV new in '01. I have to date put 78,000 miles+ on it. The only time I stopped at a dealer while traveling was to visit. My HD buddies have needed their dealers several times while on trips. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking them. This is simple first hand fact, nothing more. Zoom Zoom, John Henry

Interesting stuff this! I personally have followed others with a GPS and also with a map in their tank bag. It has been my experience that the tank bag map people are more apt to wander around the road than the GPS bunch. In either case, it is certainly not the fault of the map or the GPS, no more than a firearm is in and of itself a "weapon". It is the user that makes it what it is. I do enjoy doing is deliberately getting lost without worrying about how I'll find my way home later. That is fun. When traveling around the country, it helps me find food, gas, lodging, and friends. Try typing your friends address into a paper map and having it guide you to the doorstep. (No, I pull over to do something like that.) When riding a twisty road, I find the moving map to be helpful, in that I am able to see what the road is doing next. When taking an extended trip, I put points of interest in in advance. Some of the things most worth seeing are on the roads less traveled. It is not the be all/end all device, It is simply a tool. I would rather use a socket than a cresent wrench. When used to its potential, it is fantastic. It has taken me on some of the best roads I would have never gone on otherwise. It has led me to ghost towns and obscure art, like Carhenge in Nebraska. It has helped me get through a busy city withoug getting lost, and if I do make a wrong turn, it gets me back on track. My use of it has refined much over the years. I like my Quest much more than the GPS-5 that it replaced, mainly due to features and storage capacity.I have figured out how to install waypoints for a trip and keep them in order so they can be found easily. Knowing elevation is certainly not necessary, but it is a point of interest. For instance, I registered 10,998 feet at the top of Beartooth Highway in Montana. A bit of useless information that makes good conversation later on. Several friends I have ridden with were naysayers. They have since had a change of heart and purchased their own units. When it's late, and you're tired, it helps get you there. When used responsibly, it can be one of the greatest assets to a touring rider. Zoom Zoom, John Henry

Having replaced my clip ons with the Mototec bars, I ended up with those two extra holes. I used one of them, using RAM parts, to connect a Touratech locking mount in black anodised. It locates my Quest pretty much centered over the tripple clamp. I have done much traveling with a GPS in the lasy several years. I still keep an atlas on the bike, but the GPS does all the work. I won't leave home without it! Zoom Zoom, John Henry

Just a follow up for those that spoke for some patches. I returned home this evening to a message on the answering machine. The patches are in. I hope to pick them up this coming weekend and probably get them sent off early next week. Just wanted to keep you informed. Zoom Zoom, John Henry

Pete is a very bashful person. What he neglected to tell you is that he developed a sloppage sheet to install in the bottom end that cures the described oil situation. Fairly easy to install too. Valve adjustment will take you around 30 minutes tops, start to finish. Zoom Zoom, John Henry

CLOWNS? Why I oughta.......... Hey, I resemble that remark. Gotta go now, I'm due in ring 3 soon. Zoom Zoom, John Henry