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mine too.

All-y'all need to expedite @HRC_V4's progress here. The XXI South'n Spine Raid is just four weeks out . . .

Met a friend on his KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE in the Laguna area, dropped onto PCH and just rode south, stopping when and where it seemed good (views, beach, coffee, etc). It was cool and overcast, perfect riding weather on what could have easily been far too hot. This stretch is one of my California favorites, one sleepy beach town after another. Torrey Pines is incredible as the palm trees give way to pine trees, so beautiful. In between all of these is the Marine base, Pendalton, that forces us onto Highway 5 for a short time. Even this isn't bad, as it allows us to stretch the bike's legs a bit. …and you know I did. "C'mon, pick it up Super Duke!" The V11 didn't let me down, and a few strangers along the way even asked about the Guzzi. It ran perfect. 120 miles later, parked it in the garage with a smile on my face. I've started a Motorcycle Group at my church, https://welcome.saddleback.com/ministry/motorcycle. I think I'm going to repeat this ride for this coming Saturday's ride, stopping for lunch at Hamburger Hut. Though if the wife joins me, I'll be forced to take the Kawasaki Concours, grrr!

I had come to a realization a few years ago that I pretty much only liked bikes with fairings. Funny how quick this bike grew on me, I have to say I totally dig the look and the colour is sweet. And I was surprised just how comfortable it was long distance and even 90 mph on the Interstate was fine. My uncle put bar backs on so it's a little more upright than stock which is comfortable. I find it interesting that the OEM ergonomics are very close to my R1100 S.

. Good afternoon from the Moto Grappa at the top of Virginia. I finally decided I would survive my (sixth! ) hernia surgery of a few days ago, so I gathered up my 500 (!) or so pix of last week's trip south for Moto Grappa Tech Days (South) and the Guzzis in the Blue Ridge 2025 rally.. Culled those down to a bunch — of course, still too many — and added captions. I had held the last (at least by me for awhile) MGTD last year — MGTD 2024 — so fellow Guzzista Steve decided to host a similar successor at his second home near Lexington, Virginia. That serendipitously coincided with an “official” U.S. Moto Guzzi event, the “Guzzis in the Blue Ridge 2025,” held near Wilkesboro, N.C. So, Steve suggested that we meet at his place for a few days, eat and drink inappropriately without spousal supervision , and then ride down to the rally. Perfect. In theory, anyway. The usual Guzzi suspects attended, plus two newbies — Steve’s b-i-l and a beemer riding buddy, both “Miataists.” After MGTD-S, several of us rode on to the N.C. rally. This is the photo version of the story. ============== As usual with my smugmug sets, the link opens in “landscape collage,” so you don’t have to go to the larger pix of the slideshow. Hovering your cursor over individual photos will reveal the underlying captions. If you use the slideshow version, the pix are obviously bigger and all captions appear. But, inexplicably (to me), unless you manually move the slideshow along instead of letting it roll automatically, the captions disappear unless you leave cursor in place in lower left corner. I’m a Luddite. ============== Yes, at last, here are the pix: MGTD-S and Guzzis in the Blue Ridge 2025 Bill

Well, if I had the air conditioned, ridiculously comfortable pole barn and another 6 zeros to burn I'd just buy every one I see. Which is probably precisely where this one lives, given it's address. To be continued

It is an 02 model sold as an 03. Mine is the same way.

Ha! I found my tribe! My uncle kindly gifted me this bike and I have to say I like it a lot. Sadly on my fly and ride from Maryland some guy in Maine decided to drive out of a parking lot right in front of me. Thankfully no paint or plastics were damaged. Just waiting on the last of the replacement parts to make it all good again. It was registered as an '03 but I think the frame showed it as '02 construction.

Also, note that the current "AMA Life Member Plus" card no longer has the roadside assistance phone number on the back. When I called to ask why, the rep said that they were considering changing their service provider. Regarding HD roadside assistance an anecdote: I lowsided a Pan Am in MN, broke my leg, and knew that HOG would haul it to the nearest HD dealer. I was close to Grand Forks, ND and knew that a dealer was there from travels years ago. Googled them to see it they were open (it was a Sunday)...and found out they were permanently closed. Knew the bike would now have to wind up in Fargo. Called for roadside assistance and it went something like this: "Need a tow from E. Grand Forks, MN" "No problem, we'll haul it to the dealer in Grand Forks, ND" "They're closed." "Well.....it is Sunday, after all...." "Nooo....out of business type closed!!!" "One moment......(off-line supervisor consultation).....we'll haul it to Fargo." This pretty much foretold the luck I had for the other steps getting the bike back to MO.

I have to expedite my own self too... waiting for transmission seals and lock washers. Then discovery of what else is missing. Guess I'll go order tires now

I managed to find an hour to go off an meet @Lucky Phil the other day. The coffee machine does indeed work very well, and the V10 Greenie is very pretty. Thanks Phil for a very pleasant visit.

In the image below (from the link pressureangle provided) you can see the pivot point for the frame is the front engine mount, and you can see the fender is getting pretty close to the jack/engine and the rear of the frame doesn't look like it is high enough to pull the the transmission. This is probably a better picture of crabbing. From Pete Roper's instructions on this Old Tractor; Off with the footrests and the frame bolts, but NOT the long bolt going through the timing chest, that on some bikes is also attaching the side stand at the front of the engine. (Fig.1). The frame is later in the process being tilted up using this bolt as a ’hinge’, i.e. the bolt/nut should be loosened, not pulled out! .

I think we’re talking about the Cali 2 here Chuck in which case it’s yer basic Tonti ‘Crab’ project. The airbox is a trifle more involved than the earlier ones but really the ‘Nuts and Bolts’ are essentially the same. Many years ago when I was racing with Rob we used to be able to swap a clutch between practice and the race! The bike was a lot more stripped down though than a road bike.

I have close to the same bike. Mine has 4 inch risers on the handlebars and I picked up a Puig windshield which gives great protection. The bike handles speed very easily and the suspension handles dips etc. very well. Parts were scratched up so I did a spray can paint job on everything but the tank. Mine shows the month of manufacture in the top left of the label on the neck of the frame. 2002 registered as 2003. Long frame with the gap at the front of the tank but it still gets the soft pad on the top of the gas tank. Speedo is in MPH so it was a U.S. bike originally I expect.

The next steps..

I wish I could find the picture of when I pulled the clutch off my Quota, super simple, had it done in an afternoon. Not in a big hurry on this project, I still have not order parts yet, so just working on it when time permits. Spent an hour or so on it today, pulled the starter, front wheel and fender, clutch cable and then strapped the engine to the stand. Only three major steps next, front crash bar, center stand and transmission top plate.

Nice to meet you in person Mick. I know how hard it is to find any time in a holiday schedule that involves a 24 hour plane ride to get to. Enjoy the rest of your visit. Phil

In the example you have kindly shown us Chuck if this is the way you do a Tonti clutch then the term "crabbing the frame" isn't appropriate and is what has me confused. This is "pivoting the frame" and not the same thing as "crabbing the frame" as previously mentioned. Here is how I handle a V11 engine out. Jack the bike up with the basic under engine lifter. (Note the simple wooden support that fits the sump and lifter and means the bike can be lifted with 100% stability with the lifter alone) Then support on the stands shown then simply let the engine assy out the bottom. Simple and safe. Should be able to do the same on a Tonti with a little sliding the engine backwards surely.

I just returned from my Saturday Saddleback Church group ride. We didn't make it to Hamburger Hut, as I hoped. One person had to be somewhere by 2, and a newbie had a 250 Rebal and didn't want any freeways. We still had a great ride, nearly 50 miles round trip to Dana Point for lunch. This time I took the V7, unlike the V11, a cable clutch. Wow, the beach stop and go traffic really taxed my hand. The clutch is so heavy, regardless of any adjustments I've ever tried. However, just like the V11, it ran flawlessly. Always fun! …and no pictures.

My pup at the time, Austin, did a clutch job on his G5. I saw the hanger door go up and 4pm, and he rode it out at 10 pm. You need "the box." that's about the only special tool.

Thanks, again, Bill for taking us along for the ride and reverie! A always, I have a couple favorites . . .

Actual tractors, not Guzzi motorcycles I don't have one to show but I'm looking to buy, plus I just like older tractors. I don't intend to buy one more than a few years old and will likely buy new, as it seems used is hard to find. Looking for recommendations and perspective. I recall @Bill Hagan possibly drooling over a Kubota awhile back and am curious what you ended up with? We recently moved to some small acreage and I'll be spending the rest of my life grooming it. Irony wins as our property is in the middle of the area I always loved to ride, and I'm faced with the phrase one often sees in 'bikes for sale' ads. ... "no time to ride" Long gravel drive and parking, landscaping, snow, swale maintenance and improvement, and a bush hog are my needs. Got to have a front loader. I don't need a belly mower as I have a great zero turn. Looking to see what you have, have had, or want. Even just what you think is a beauty, just for the sake of a tractor. I do love the old Fords. If I ever run out of things to do I just might get one as a project. @docc I didn't intend to put this in personal ads for sale, but I guess it's a good a place as any?? [docc edit: "moved" . . .]

Have been away and just seeing this thread. Great stuff. Posting a ride report, but will be back. Bill

Figured since it's fairly local I'd post this up- Facebook marketplace. 1997 Moto Guzzi 1100 Sport Injected 6700 miles only Fresh out of the shop from being mechanically restored New fuel pump,filters ,fuel lines, sorting of any issues & ready to burn Florida bike $5400 obo https://www.facebook.com/share/1Z5nhbxco2/

Might as well add it to the recently curated Pressureangle Collection (Three is a collection, two is just a coincidence. )

Another note on registering a bike with the AMA: Apparently they require the VIN to verify that the vehicle is a motorcycle since they charge a membership upgrade (double the dues) to cover passenger vehicles now. The system could not verify the Moto Guzzi VIN. Contacting a nice lady via email, she added it but the ID card only produced for the Honda. Notifying her, she said she could see that and would look into it. Haven't heard back, yet (just a few days, but must stay on the "to-do" list . . .) In the meantime, I made sure I have Hagerty Drivers Club cards on the bikes (100 tow, versus the AMA 35 miles). On the phone with Hagerty, they could not verify the payment method for my automatic renewal. Apparently, they too are making some changes and there is some question whether they will continue "stand alone" Drivers Club memberships into 2026 (without an insured vehicle). One take away: just because we had roadside assistance at one time, we should verify the coverage each year before getting a let down at a break down.

You will have to lift it high. See this thread on Wildguzzi.com for some samples, and method to restrain the bike on the stand. https://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=110569.0

Why would the frame pivot around the front of the engine? In the image above if all the engine mount bolts are removed as you lift the back of the frame the assembly pivots around the front axle even with the wheel on.

Dunno. I haven't crabbed a Tonti. Although, I would be using some suspension straps/ chain fall for extra security.

Doc, I'm concerned about the clearance, if the engine stays still, and the frame pivots at the lower front edge of the engine, the front suspension is going lower and get closer to the jack. I'm would have to the the bike raised quite a bit if the front wheel is still on.

I didn't think anything had to come off the front when crabbing . . .

ha... like how far did you ride for coffee, a taco, a slice of pie, a milkshake, etc? And which entertaining roads made the journey worth it?

The crabbing has begun.... What needs to be removed from the front, wheel, fender, anything else? I really need more room.....

Having a coffee... thought I'd ask Grok tell me about the Roper slosh plate for Moto Guzzi. The Roper slosh plate, often referred to as the Roper plate, sloppage tray, or windage tray, is an aftermarket accessory designed specifically for Moto Guzzi V11 motorcycles, particularly those with broad-sump engines like the V11 Sport or LeMans models. It was invented by Pete Roper, an Australian Moto Guzzi specialist and guru, to address a common issue in these bikes where oil in the sump can slosh backward during hard acceleration, uncovering the front-mounted oil pickup and potentially causing oil starvation, a flickering oil pressure light (sometimes called the "flickering oil light of death"), and severe engine damage such as big-end bearing failure. The plate is typically made from 0.075-inch-thick 304 stainless steel and works by acting as a baffle or tray that contains the oil below the crankshaft, preventing excessive sloshing and ensuring consistent oil flow to the pickup even under aggressive riding conditions, such as mountain twisties or quick launches. Benefits include improved oil circulation, elimination of oil light flickering during hard accelerations, reduced risk of engine damage, and overall better performance for bikes that are ridden spiritedly—though it's not typically necessary for milder models like earlier Tonti-frame California's or five-speed machines, which don't face the same issues under normal use. Installation is straightforward and rated at a low to moderate difficulty level (around 2-2.5 out of 10, comparable to changing a spark plug). Key steps involve: - Draining the oil (ideally overnight). - Removing the oil pan using tools like a 17mm socket for the drain plug, 5mm Allen keys for screws, and a 19mm wrench for hose fastenings. - Detaching the oil filter housing and cleaning the area. - Placing the Roper plate with new upper and lower gaskets (sourcing fresh gaskets is recommended, as old ones may not survive reuse). - Reassembling everything, tightening screws snugly without over-torquing (using stainless steel replacements like M6x25 if needed), reattaching the oil line, refilling with fresh oil, and checking for leaks. Pete Roper no longer produces the plates himself, but they are made under license by enthusiasts in the Moto Guzzi community, with royalties sometimes donated to charities like Doctors Without Borders. They can be purchased through forums like v11lemans.com or wildguzzi.com, often for around $70-85 USD plus shipping (e.g., $14.35 for USPS priority mail in the US, or actual costs internationally), via PayPal, check, or money order by private messaging sellers like "pressureangle." Gaskets are available from suppliers like mgcycle.com. It's a popular mod among V11 owners, with polls showing a majority installing it for peace of mind.

On the way.

I read that Guzzi will be selling a 450 parallel twin version of the Aprilia. Now a cafe version of the big Tuono would be icing on the cake.

Nah... history and sentimentality sell... and well, China. I think it's a brilliant start, they've made it a tourist destination second only to it's purpose as a factory. So someone with access to the checkbook understands their brand-loyal customers. The blindingly obvious black hole of vision is support for older models; look to John Deere and to a lesser extent H-D and Union Pacific for frothing fans. I can go to John Deere and expect to find deep support for my '53 AO. H-D still carries parts for Iron engines. U-P has spent a frightening amount of money returning Steam to the rails, for nothing more than PR and it pays off exponentially. If Mother Goose can fill that hole, they'll become a major brand again. I think. I hope.

Are these included in this registry?

I finally have the luggage rack on the bike! It took a while to arrive, and even worse, it was a bit crooked and didn't want to fit! Thankfully we were able to bend it back and now it's on there perfectly straight. Unfortunately I also noticed a new scratch on the right side of the fairing today... The bike already has plenty of them, but this one is white and extra noticeable, so I'll have to sort that out.. But now that I can easily carry some luggage, I'm already planning a trip to Luxembourg with my brother later this month!

Weekend project if you're slow.. although I've never done a Quota..

Meanwhile, the only MG dealer we had in San Francisco dropped the brand, citing difficulties dealing with Piaggio . . .

the summer of our discount tent

The solenoid itself draws that much? iirc the starter itself draws ~80A in good condition.

Now for the tractor , Cuz says it is an 8N from 48-52. The 16'' rims are a replacement for the original 19" front wheels. The headlamps are maybe aftermarket. The earlier style had round mounts (think ball & socket)and the later style tractors had a winged back for the headlights to mount in. Also , the dealer sold aftermarket mounts too. These are probably one of these kits. I should have read all the thread before posting. Yes "red belly" is the moniker for these tractors ! IDK what all the kit would fit but you could install a flat-head V-8 in or on these tractors. I'm sure these would TCB ! I have a buddy that has a "new' red belly and I spent an hour looking at this like it was an Indian artifact. They were able to make a new tractor and keep the spirit of the original intact. Bill Hagan and all others : Yes , if you are going to buy a toy tractor , it had better say Kubota . These are the best and best built tractors on the planet. This company knows how to make tractors and equipment.

Bill Hagan is right, Kubota makes the most reliable and durable range of small tractors on the planet. If you get an older tractor, make sure it has 3-point linkage, needed for attachments like a grader blade. I think that the Ford 8N has this. You could consider a John Deere Model B for something more eye-catching as a project. Spare parts are readily available in USA.

I've been to the Motorcycle OZ https://www.twistedoz.com/