Scud

@Zooter: Your Tenni and my Scura are both 2002. I believe the engine and drivetrain are identical, except for some reason the Tenni won't keep you wondering when she's going to frag you with flywheel shrapnel - where's her sense of adventure? I was fortunate enough to get the original owners manual with mine and thought you might like to see the page with the all the fluid specs. Engine oil is Agip 4T 20W50 (synthetic) - no options. I'm going to use Maxima, because it's easy to find here. Maxima's Pro-Plus is fully synthetic and 4T rated, not a blend - just like the Agip 4T. A gallon of it is US$37 on Amazon. I think you mentioned elsewhere that you can get Amazon shipments into NZ pretty easily. So for me, this is a pretty easy decision; just follow the instructions. As for final drive and transmission oil, I'm also following the directions (as slightly modified by my dealer to use the same oil for both). However, others seem to have had good experiences with milkshakes, smoothies, or lemon custard. I'll look into that some more when it's time. PS - With the Scura I also get to ignore the fork oil recommendation.

Thanks Rhino. Did you get solid leathers or the pro-perf with the little vent holes all over? I'm drawn to the idea of the perforated leathers for summer riding - and I could probably get a thin, wind-resistant layer underneath for colder rides. I did a little more investigation on Vanson's website. The RR22 suit looks like the same jacket and pants that I've been eyeing, but they zip together all the way around the waist and all the armor and back pad is included. Wow - they custom make them to measurements, not off-the-rack. Still a pretty big price, but safety first...

I guess that makes me older than the dirt from which the oil is drawn. At least I still have my memory. I had the dealer do my break-in service and first oil change. I just assumed they used organic oil - but it's a good shop and I'm confident that they used whatever Guzzi recommends (or equivalent) - and so will I. The manual specifies Agip 4T Super Racing SAE 20W50 for the engine, which I just looked up - it is synthetic. The dealer recommended a Maxima product for the transmission and rear drive, which I purchased and used. I know there is a wide range of opinions on oil change intervals. It doesn't hurt to change oil more frequently, like Gio does. My manual says oil and filter every 6,000 miles (10,000km). I thought doing oil and filter every 5,000 miles would be conservative and easy to remember - did Guzzi get the interval wrong?

...so I can be Darth Vader or Batman, depending on whether I feel good or evil.

I'm all for buying quality oil, and motorcycle-specific, because it has the right sort of additives - even though I don't know or really care what they are. I'm sneaking up on doing my first oil change (second ever for my bike). I think I'm going to do them every 5,000 miles, which is a little shorter interval than recommended, but also makes it easy to remember that every time I see an even 5,000 mile increment on the odometer it's time for a change. My question is about organic vs synthetic oils. I've heard that it's good to run organic for a little while in a new motor to get everything settled in nicely - then switch to synthetic because it is a better lubricant, thus reducing further wear. Is this the right kind of thinking? Should I switch to synthetic at the next oil change (5,000 miles total) - or maybe go to 10,000 miles with organic?

Thinking about some new riding gear, and I keep looking at Vanson Leathers' Mark 2 Sportrider jacket and pants. The stuff is pricey though - and I wonder if it is worth the premium. My specific question: Does anyone have Vanson gear and are you happy with it? More generally, what else do you like for riding gear? I have a Hein Gericke fabric mesh jacket and over-pants with wind and waterproof removable liners that I like, but the jacket and liner are showing their age and the over-pants are kind of slippery on the seat (so I end up not wearing them as much as I ought to). I'm a big fan of Arai helmets - have had several. I recently got this aerodynamic Ogio backpack, which I am happy with. It has a laptop compartment for commuting, and it's hydration compatible for long rides.

Great music you guys! I don't wear headphones while riding a motorcycle, but I played the sh!# out of Hang On St. Christopher (which refers to California and Nevada locations) many years ago in my 1965 Mustang. "Do a hundred on the grapevine..." FYI, "the Grapevine" is a mountain pass North of Los Angeles, where the Mustang has done the ton while playing that song - because, really, how can you not go 100 when you're on the same road and the song says to? Statute of limitations... OK to admit it now. But this is also why I should not listen to music while riding. Öhlins are staying blonde. Team Sverige.

I want to mount a small voltage meter, will this diagram show the proper way to connect a meter? I tried sending a PM to help with posting your diagram, but you cannot receive any messages. So I guess you have a full inbox.

I remember when the Greenie first came out. I loved it immediately (but didn't commit and just kept my BMW). It's fun that everyone thinks their own model is the best - when everyone knows, by any reasonable and objective criteria, that the best looking motorcycle of all time is the Scura. That's why the Scura is the only bike on this forum to have a dedicated smiley-guy. In fact, it has two:

I think there are two lessons here. One for retailers and one for consumers. For retailers - theft of other people's ideas, while inherently bad to start with, can also cause damage to customer relationships. However, some infringements are unintentional and forgivable. I have had a few experiences where a copyright violator was able to demonstrate that they copied a previous copy, which they thought was in the public domain. While the possibility of this being the case here seems small, it does remain a possibility. For consumers - we "vote" with our spending. I think it's really cool when independent people come up with useful products that help their customers in some way - and they can at least make a little "beer-money" from their efforts. I don't mind paying a bit more to support innovation - but I have to be aware of the innovation first. I am now going to unabashedly endorse all the independents that I have purchased something from in the last 3 months during my Scura-project: Pete Roper - no need to say more. Ghezzi-Brian - they make a whole bunch of stuff for V11s, including Carbon Fiber belly pans, which many people were having a hard time finding. Brian hooked us up with a group discount for forum members for a short time. Marc Parnes - this guy is a machinist, who makes a bunch of specialty tools for all kinds of motorcycles. I bought his wheel balancer, which costs about twice as much as some others. But the care and precision in manufacturing is just amazing. It it so sensitive that I am sure my wheels are perfectly balanced, which, if I'm not mistaken, can prolong the life of wheel bearings. He also makes all sorts of adapters for different types of wheels, so if some other unusual motorcycle shows up in my garage someday, I think I'll be covered. Mitch Patrie - this guy makes the mojolever and mojoblocks that fit the Harbor Freight Motorcycle Tire Changer. Without these blocks, it is a wheel-destroyer, not a tire changer. At the risk of sounding all "American-pride," this sentence in the US Constitution was an incredible innovation that laid the foundation for our current understanding of copyright and patent rules globally: To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries. This topic is about Pete Roper's exclusive right, for a limited time, to his discovery (invention).

Hadn't thought about the song's opening that way, but now that you mention it, it sounds like my clutch. Maybe a high-energy Southern Rocker for you like Molly Hatchet's Flirtin' with Disaster "I'm traveling down that lonesome road..." It was a pleasure - thanks for the encouragement along the way. Absolute classic. Hadn't heard that in forever. Thanks.

Quite common here too; 33% of all motorcycles in my garage are Scuras. For useful information, there's a Scura Register on this forum. I've heard 700 were made and the badge numbers on the register seem to support that.

I ran my Battery Tender plug up the spine and terminated it behind the headlight (had to splice on an extension). Then I got a Battery Tender USB adapter. I think most things that use "cigarette lighter" power sources can also be powered by USB cables. USBs are standardized (U=Universal). I use it for my phone or GPS - which mounts on a RAM ball on the RH mirror mount (stock mirrors removed). See... if you just want a little plug somewhere, you also get to remove the gas tank and get new mirrors. Isn't this fun?

I’ve had the bike about 3 months, and totally love it. The bike now has about 3,000 miles on it – 2,800 of them by me. I thought I’d summarize my experience, now that I’ve moved to the “just ride it” phase. Overall: I started with a bike that was basically a museum piece. It felt like a privilege to be able to own such a rare and pristine motorcycle. I never had a vehicle with a limited edition numbered plate before, so I didn’t want to screw it up. I don’t need it to be louder, faster, or lighter, so I avoided the most expensive aftermarket modifications. Single Most Important Thing: Getting the suspension dialed in (which probably accounts for about half of the posts in this topic) was transformational. I am grateful for the help on this. Out of Storage Issues: I was a bit nervous that I would experience some failures due to the extended storage. It was an interesting experiment to see how things would shake out – and it seems to have hibernated quite well. The only real problems were: Sticky throttle linkage (throttle failed to close, which was unnerving) Leaky valve cover gaskets Cracks in rubber intake boots (hiccupping is now temporarily cured with electrical tape over the cracks) Small oil seepage from timing chain cover. (Given that most of the pressure from the sidestand goes to the timing chain cover when the bike is parked, this is not surprising – I think maybe a front wheel chock is in order for the garage.) Many bolts made that “snapping” release sound that indicates corrosion – and then revealed some corrosion on the threads when removed. Getting most of the bolts out to darken them had the unplanned benefit of cleaning the threads and re-assembling with anti-seize compound. Obsessive Compulsive Darkening: My goal was to darken all the little bits and allow the big pieces to show – to accent the original design by de-cluttering the bike. I stopped counting after I got past 100 parts (which was quite a while ago). I estimate that I darkened about 250 parts, many of which were silver bolt heads and washers. In the pictures, it’s kind of hard to see everything I did (and that was the point – to not see things). The coolest stuff (IMO) were the midsize parts like the fuel door, passenger pegs, shift and brake levers, side stand, alternator cover, brake light base, and spray-tinted turn indicators. Favorite (mostly cosmetic) Bolt-on Bits: Ghezzi-Brian carbon fiber rear fender and belly pan (the belly pan serves no purpose whatsoever, although the fender does offer superior protection from road spray to the lower shock mount) Napoleon mirrors (also wider view) Rizoma tanks for clutch and brake fluids (from what I can tell, there is absolutely no functional reason for these to exist – they’re perfect.) Favorite cheap things: 83 degree angle valve stems Black Öhlins stickers Black reflective tape Reliability Issues: Without this forum, I would not have known to do the following: Roper plate. I plan on many more extended periods of hard acceleration up steep grades, which is apparently the type of behavior that is most likely to lead to oil starvation. Electrical mods such as high-quality relays, voltage regulator grounding, etc. Future Project: The engine paint is already starting to bubble. Hopefully, I can tolerate it long enough to wear out a clutch plate so I can put in a new flywheel and paint the engine and trans cases all at the same time. Music: I like almost all kinds, and I think vintage heavy metal fits the Scura. Maybe my Scura theme song is Dark Lady by the Scorpions, because it has this line: “Sitting and watching the sunrise, darkness is filling my eyes.” My favorite rides usually start about sunrise. Thanks for playing along.

Rizoma make some great looking LED indicators and they sell a compatible flasher. They're not cheap. I looked into them, but decided against. Instead I just shortened the fender and tinted the turn signal lenses. I did get their fluid tanks, which are very high quality. http://www.rizoma.com/universal/indicator-lights/en

Coincidentally, my ROPER plate arrived in today's post.

Pete - I think it is worth a letter and a conversation with the offending merchant. Lawsuits can be expensive and exhausting. If the merchant wants to stay in good standing with their customer base, they could do so by acknowledging your invention with words and cash. While I have also been angry at copyright violators, I've won them over by focusing on the future and finding a price to forgive the past. So far, I have never had to take a claim all the way to court by using this strategy. You would not be out of line to request that they rename it the "Roper Plate" or any other name that you desire - and pay you a small percentage of each sale. License arrangements like this generally net a smaller margin per product for the inventor, but the inventor gets the benefit of some sales that might not have otherwise occurred. Regards, Tim PS - Didn't the British send their criminals to Australia a long time ago? Ironic.

Perhaps you could cancel that order and get the plate from Pete Roper - the guy who invented it. That would really help him in his claim that Gutsibits simply copied his invention.

Pete - When I decided to put one on, I saw that there were some other options, but personally, I like buying stuff from private innovators, like yourself, when I can. I suppose my new plate ought to be arriving any day now. Thanks again for your help - and advice about which gaskets to buy to go with it. My work involves a lot of intellectual property issues and distribution in several countries, but I am not a lawyer and my experience is mostly for printed materials, not mechanical things. That's my disclaimer. Now here's my "if I were in your shoes" take on it: Your first challenge is jurisdiction. This is not too big of a challenge because UK, NZ, Australia, and some other places that used to fly the Union Jack have similar laws and the countries are all parties to several international intellectual property treaties. While I imagine you have not filed a patent application, you may still have suitable basis for a claim under copyright law (as they have copied an image of your plate). From a practical perspective, in my own business I have found it useful to threaten legal action, but then negotiate to convert the violator to a legitimate customer or licensee - then get nasty if they won't cooperate. Judges like to see that people try to work things out amicably before filing suits - and they don't take kindly to non-cooperative copyright violators. I suggest that you hire an attorney to write a "cease-and-desist" letter (should only be an hour or so) that offers to negotiate for legitimate use of the intellectual property, including financial reconciliation for past use. I generally write my own first draft letters and give them to the attorneys to save on fees. I also suggest that you improve the visibility of your product a little bit (I had sort of a hard time figuring out how to buy your product). If you decide to do this, you might also make some claims like "the original" or "the inventor" or something like that. Posting this topic is a good start - I imagine that a lot of members here would support and recommend your product over an imitator.

Thanks guys. Come out and play some time. That's my "Solo Surf-n-Spine Raid." I'd be happy to play tour-guide if you're ever in the area. @Rhino - that's the stock tank pad for the Scura - but it looks even better with the fuel door blacked out (IMO). Sorry I don't know a source for another one for you. Here's a close up of one of my favorite ascents - 3,200 feet elevation gain in 10 miles.

Thanks again for all the ideas. I got my kit in pretty good order and got it all to fit under the seat. A few specific things I added because of this topic: Shift return spring Fuses Relays Cone-type tire plugs (instead of the beef-jerky-look-alike ropes) Light Sticks Leatherman multi-tool - which is smaller, lighter, and far superior to the stock pliers, which I removed. Tire pressure gauge Here's hoping I don't need to break into too frequently, but it's good to know it's all there.

Up to Mother's Kitchen, at the top of Mount Palomar, where all the Sunday-racers hang out. Then a surf-check; waves are small. :-( ...and home.

Stop to top up. It's long way through the desert... and a photo op North of Ocotillo in the Anza Borrego desert.