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. A few pix from "the Front" at Tellico Plains. Bill

Mighty fine day to have a retired fellow's schedule.

Oh C'mon now. I did 10k on this. You can make Tellico from Houston in a day, if you leave at 4am.

. . Back home, so a few -- OK, a bunch -- more pix. Captionless, but you can probably figure out who is who. Bill H's SR 2025 Pix Bill

OK well, I finally got a chance to sit down with the computer. First I'd like to say hats off to Doc For everything that he does.(BIG hug My friend} Gus and I had a fantastic time this year At the SSR. It was great to see and talk to everyone that showed up Including Kevin, A fellow Michigander Who Rode his O2 V11 Le Mans All the way down.(Kudos) Gus and I trailered ours. Because it's just too much saddle time And so Few days. My older son Josh, came up from Atlanta And met us at the lodge On Friday, early Afternoon. We all spent the rest of the day and evening. Behind Hardy 's.at the. large field, Where we flew RC gliders. Josh. also spent Friday night, Which gave us a chance to mingle in the garage, and then at the pavilion, were everyone all told stories and shot the breeze. Gus and I managed to ride 180 miles on Saturday, even though it was a little damp at the higher elevations Up in the Appalachian Mountains. We ended up with a cruise through the dragon's tail and stopped a few time for some pics, which I'll try to post. All in all it was a great time with friends and fellow riders And already looking forward to next year. Everyone stay healthy and ride safe! SKIP

I would like to have seen the factory airbox in the pile to "return it to original" . . . Chicks run off with these things all the time.

The best methodology for putting Titanio canisters, grey Ballabio frame sideplates, and Rosso Mandello valve covers on your LeMans is to buy all those V11, rearrange the parts to your liking and keep them all. Seriously, let's ask the other inmates on the ward if that sounds crazy.

Been waiting 57 years for this to show up and for it to be new is incredible. Museum bike going to be ridden. In my house today! I think I feel 14 again.

Let me begin with no pictures were taken! I'll include the map @Scud put together for us. Scud and I live somewhat close to one another and have tried to get together for some time. At last, I left Mission Viejo and rode the 40 miles to his place in beautiful Carlsbad. After sitting on his numerous Guzzis stacked in his garage, we took off for the hills. Avoiding highways, we wrapped through the twisties with stops for fuel, coffee, and bladder relief. A 150-mile ride, and both bikes performed great. We plan to do a garage day soon and tweak each just a bit. Much of the roads were rather tight, thus slow going, but brisk enough to be fun. When finally approaching Lake Elsinore, Highway 74, also known as Ortega Highway, the bikes stretched their legs. This was my first shot at really ripping through the turns. The bike handled great, however, I still need to remove that abrupt off-idle hop. In turns, once planted, getting on the throttle took finesse to not upset the suspension. It wasn't terrible by any means, but I was trying to push it and every bit counts. On the straightaway, I did 120 mph and as you all already know, anything past 4k includes a big smile!

Kind of Black, silver, red, greenie ++. Cool bikes, and have l mentioned the engines before, YES l have [emoji16]. End of season up here. Cheers Tom. Sent fra min SM-S906B via Tapatalk

More Pics

. Over the years,I’ve ridden to the SSR on a Ballabio, Griso, EV, Stornello, V7 III, and Norge! Bill

Thanks for posting that, Kevin, as I had not realized I might have captured you not "looking your best." In my own case, my best has been pretty low rent since the '90's! Seriously, I have been chronicling SSR's since the first. I take (quite literally) hundreds of amateurish pix and then cull those down to (still too many) ones and post them here and, occasionally, another Guzzi forum. That culling process is often hurried. In this case, commitments and chores on our return meant I didn't even get to add captions to the pix. I like those as if the pix don't insult the victims enough, the captions add a coup de grâce. But, "sneaky," no, at least ever intentionally. Now, as do all "historians," I may take liberties with the truth, but that is almost always in the sense of not posting unflattering pix of me, e.g., a sullen look, picking my nose, or one that highlights my avoirdupois. Heck, maybe that's why I take the pix anyway, i.e., to have few of me and delete any that I get that others take -- at least with my camera. For example, Kathi -- who ALWAYS looks better than I do -- asked someone to get a pic of the two of us. This: As always, Kathi looks great; I failed to "suck it in," so ... yup, I didn't post it in the slideshow, thus proving that I, too, am not immune from vanity. Finally -- OK, almost -- I often take pix (especially of the posed kind such as the one you complained about) in "bursts," and then choose the one in which the fewest people are blinking or whatever. In the case of the one of the three of you, Josh, and Adam, I only took two, did not study those intently, thus posted the one you did not like. Here's the other: As I peck out this TLDR response to your concern, both the original and this are in the slideshow. Unless I hear differently from you, I'll sub the second for the original, as I think it does show you in a better light without making Josh and Adam less handsome than their actual selves. [Edited to say "done." ] Now, happily for all reading this, I have to go tend to one of those back-home tasks. The plumber crew will be here in about 15 minutes for their second day of work on our septic system. They are “renewing” our Alternative Septic System’s peat mo$$, and will leave with $12K of our moto-money! I now know why scotch whisky is so expensive. I wish I had known that peat moss was so dear when I chose my legal career. But “Greta” wasn't around then, so I had no idea that to save the Chesapeake Bay I need to pump the contents of our fluids’ tank to an ASS — a fitting acronym — with its pricy peat moss before it was declared clean enough. Grrrrr. Bill P.S. Nothing above, Kevin, is meant to make light of your knee pain. After a career in the Army, involving as it did, routinely running in boots on pavement, jumping out of airplanes in the 82d Airborne Division, and other "fun," my own knees are shot, so I quite literally "feel your pain." Best wishes with yours, with the hope that both of us can ride for a long time to come.

Bill? Sneaky? Say it ain't so . . .

I always have some favorites from Bill's SlideShow . . .

Fran Contaldi was the "Sales Guy" I was referring to in my original post. I met Donna a couple of times, and IIRC it was her Mille that I got to demo. I never did meet Dr. John, however the image of the Daytona on the showroom floor is burned in my brain. Fun times-I wonder where they are now. I bought a CX100 from a private party and Midway serviced it, I later sold it to fund a 1979 Moto Morini 3 1/2 Sport that I had shipped from Ohio. After that I sold the Morini to fund the purchase of a new 1999 Laverda 750S full faring. I hit a deer on that bike. Enough about me. Thanks again for refreshing my memories!

Nice Texas Spine Raid rendezvous and enjoyable lunch at one of our favorite local cafes and not coincidentally also a stop on the Tour of Texas. Great to have you here Eric and Pascal thanks for coming up as well!

Victory! The first row of bikes to show up were all Guzzis! Then later some other Italian brands showed up. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That housekeeping done (y'all carry on with that Texas bid'ness! ) . . . I have to tell this South'n Spine Raid story, lest it fade away . . . Late night in the Tellico Garage, the question of "Why a Guzzi?" came up. One revered SpineRaider spoke up ( I paraphrase, but not entirely!) . . . "I was always a Ducati guy and hated Guzzis ." >hated<. "One day I was at my dealer and walked by a SPOrT 1100 from behind. I squatted down and looked at it from behind. " "It was like your girlfriend bending over in some hot shorts. " Some quick-witted SpineRaider noted he said: YOUR girlfriend, not HIS girlfriend . . . Either way: he's been a Guzzi guy ever since.

I figured since this subforum doesn't move much it's a good place to stick and edit for sale stuff... Roper slosh plates, obviously (Rusty star picket project) I bought throttle body bushings, and since I have 3 bikes that take the same ones I bought a bag of 30 to get the discount. Had to order offshore and took 2 weeks- odd size in the US. If anybody wants a set, I'll send them along for postage and a donut. CA cycleworks has the seals. I'm going to find a set of common injectors and have them ready to ship out, that way members can have them on hand for a quick swap, and send theirs to me without losing ride time. I made a nice stainless replacement rod for my rusty TB linkage. I don't have ends but swap yours on or find new from Volvo, Yamaha etc. $35 shipped to US. One day I'll have the plastic adjustment knobs for the TB linkage. In the works but not yet available.

You should see what I do to myself. I buy bikes a breaker may not pay for and try to rehabilitate them.

My first big block was an SP1000, I’ve owned a couple more over the years. They are yer basic, small valve, short head Tonti from the late seventies/early eighties and have one of the best and most effective fairings ever put on a motorbike. They are a mile muncher par excellence and will sit all day at 85-90mph. Most important thing to remember is that they are now all 40-45 years old and, unless they have been loved and refurbished, will invariably need work. Most likely things are frame bearings, all of them and a UJ support bearing and possibly a UJ. Fork dampers and shocks will need replacing if they haven’t been already. A camchain and tensioner for the motor at a bare minimum and the carburettors will be shagged out. Expect to buy a wiring loom from Greg Bender and replace the original that will likely crumble to dust when you touch it! My last one I built a mid valve 950 motor with a K cam in it and ran 36mm PHF carbs. It had an 8/33 bevelbox and an Eldorado flywheel. It was an absolute hoot! My mate Steve from Moruya owns it now. It’s a peach!

Something between the trailers and the tractor . . .

Smile!

That red BaT LeMans went for $5350.

Good start today.

Mine

Honorable mention to this returning SpineRaider from most northern New York on his Moto Guzzonda . . .

Our PA brothers checked in, as did NC. Watching for VA and MI. The Michigan contingents came the distance, and one rode his LeMans . . .

"Whip it! " "Whip it good!"

How many dipstick pokes does it take to find the hole in a Roper plate? Is it the Guzzi equivalent of inserting a USB thumb drive correctly the first time?

https://youtube.com/shorts/EC9oNwN6rO4

Yes, kids a twofer! We started the day at Portland Cars & Coffee. They have featured vehicles during the summer and today was Motorcycles! It had been earlier in the year previously but it always rained. So I asked to move it later in the summer. You know what happened. Yup... it rained. Luckily stopping before the event. We are trying to get as many Nortons to show up as possible, with the goal of 50. Bold. We are lucky to get a dozen. It coincided with the Cornfield Concours hosted by the Moto Guzzi club. But since I had. to leave immediately from C&C I was still on the Norton. To be fair I took the Guzzi last year. A great event with a ride, show and lunch. And yes, the corn was delicous.

Hi! I wanted to know if there is some kind of thematic group in a messenger? For example, Telegram?

The outrigger bearing in the bevelbox is particularly weird in that the inner race has a hole in it that seems Al mostly deliberately chosen to allow water ingress! You can of course buy an standard aftermarket bearing without this interesting *Feature* for a lot less than a ‘Guzzi’ bearing. Also just as a heads up if you’re having trouble getting the rusted, munty old bearing out of the box the factory expanding puller for the needle roller bearings in the old five speed gearbox works a treat. Just take your bevelbox to some crusty old fart who never moved beyond five speeds and, if you can stand being sprayed with phlegm for not riding an Eldorado, they’ll be able to pull it for you in five minutes.

Just did this and the oil light fires up! There was a bit of corrosion in this connection, and I hit it with some Deoxit and wiped it down.

The best sounding Guzzi ‘s in my mind are firstly when I was younger a yellow black 1100 sport come thundering off throttle slightly down hill into town he was going fast enough it lasted a good while I was awestruck secondly meet some bloke at a Lower Hutt motor cycle shop was standing out front admiiring a possibly sp1000 or similar big bored awesome pipes and running carbs anyway one big roll of the throttle down the street around roundabout and gone but the sound seemed to fill the atmosphere with a raucous delightful sound absolutely awesome my two favourite Guzzi sounds so far

that's the first thing i plan to do, unplug that thing and see if the problem persists...

It’ll still need a decent camchain tensioner and you’d be mad not to throw a chain at it at the same time. The fork dampers will be #@&#036;&amp;@#@ if they are the original sebacs, they used to blow as they rolled the bike off the end of the production line. Throw a set of FAC’s into it.

If I recall the lore correctly, that faring was the last outcome from the iconic Mandello wind tunnel.

High speed run on the Benelli on the Dragon Friday.

And a 2003 LeMans, same place: BaT

My Italian is not so good, but doesn't that translate "Fast & Lusty ?" Reminds me of a girl I dated in college . . .

The MM 3 1/2 was one of my favorite bikes ever! Not many in the US. There was a guy that had a earlier Spoke Wheel/Drum Brake around LA I wanted one for a long time. There was one place in the US called Herndon Motors, I called for any bikes for sale, the owner gave me the number for a guy in Ohio that had one, but a later disc/alloy wheel model. We struck a deal, he mentioned he had some spares he would include. When the bike arrived by transporter, the driver pulled it out and it was near mint. He also complained he wasn't a moving company and proceeded to off load big boxes, including a full factory faring and 2 into 1 exhaust system. When I went to title the bike in NC, they didn't have MM in their system. Took a while but got it titled. I rode it in the stock trim you see in the picture, then sourced a tank and side panels from North Leicester Motors in the UK. My painter painted the new tank, panels and fairing and I installed the 2into1 exhaust. That way I could bring it back to original configuration in about 2 hours. Wish I had kept photos it was beautiful!

There's the logistical problem of not actually having one.

If they came out that easy, I would have serviced mine already!