Gmc28

Touché… makes sense. My German is only just slightly better than “zero” so I’d not catch those details for words that aren’t related to food, hotel rooms, or beer. And for any that might wonder, that file photo shown, which several sites use of the nut makes it look like it’s used, but the real product does in fact look new.

Lucky phil suggested checking with Stein Dinse, which is what I did. Found another source or two at similar prices. Looks like I paid 18 euros for the little bugger, but then a bunch more to ship it. mine, as shown in earlier pics in this thread, was in ugly shape. here’s a screen shot of my order. They use the term “screw fork”, which seems obscure. I think steering head nut was the term I used to find it from other sites. and as phil points out, it’s not chrome, it’s a stainless finish, which is different than stock but much preferred in my opinion.

Agreed….I used the scotchbrite for most of the cleanup originally, but had the 600 out at the end to quickly address a bit of orange-peel in one area. I got a little carried away with it, assuming the 600 wouldn’t actually have much “cut”, but misjudged a bit. Also took the opportunity to pull flyscreen off and hit the un-finished backside with some satin black. I’ll sleep better at night now…

Decided for now to strip it then clear coat the aluminum (cast) piece, as I wasn’t loving the idea of layers of primer and paint, and all the exposed transition edges. So far it’s looking ok, way better than the damaged aluminum-colored paint that I got it with, but will be easy to pull and do again if I don’t like how it looks on the bike. Got a little carried away with the 600 grit in a couple spots, and didn’t want to buff it any more and get it any shinier, as too much shine is what will make it not look right on the bike. We’ll see. And Stein Dinse delivered the new stainless nut today. So re-assembly can commence this weekend, and maybe get ‘er runnin finally, soon.

Looks like audiomick and others have thoughts on where u might go. I enjoyed visiting Melbourne, wouldn’t mind going back especially this time of year, but as an Oregonian I don’t know any guzzi techs over there :-> I could however recommend some good wine tasting places in McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley, which is only 8hrs away 😉 The “decent tuneup” from docc is key, even for those who have and use tech shops near them, where they may have techs do some things their own way that may not be ideal. I can say with confidence that it ain’t the shop, it’s the individual doing the work that matters. (Not that you can’t have the right person overseeing someone else’s work, but you get the idea). The “laptop magic” I’m referring to would be part of the tune up, and could address things that are part of your fuel burn issue, but unlikely to be any kind of silver bullet. In broader terms however, the “computer magic” pertaining more to your ecu map and exhaust configuration may be a hot lead. Don’t need a dyno for that, but do need to know if your bike is chipped or re-mapped (and the laptop can show the map)

Excellent. Even minor misery loves a little company :->. We’ll stay ever vigilant for the elusive fix for the some-times naughty behavior. And it provides the appropriate excuse to always have more than one motorcycle!

I won’t add anything that hasn’t been said, except that my main V11 starts and runs beautifully, year after year, but then for at least a week or two each year it just decides to start very hard, and poorly idle until all the way warmed up. I’ve gone to some lengths to figure it out, but haven’t found the root cause yet. The problem will just go away after a while (usually a couple weeks). I can live with it, as its not yet left me truly stranded, but the unsolved mystery has been eating at me. some have offered that maybe cold weather is related. Perhaps, but for my version of the hard-start & idle affliction I’d say if anything is related to warm/hot ambient temps. Not that i think that’s necessarily the root cause for me, but could be, as it’s always mid to late summer when it happens for me. Though I’ve had it behave just fine in similar or hotter conditions, so no obvious smoking gun there. I’ll add what might be a false lead, but for me its always when its being ridden regularly, not coming out of storage for a few weeks or more (contrary to what one might think of as a root cause). Bottom line is that plugs, relays, and fuel pumps & filters are not my root cause, and i have same symptoms each year for a little stretch of time. (Although since i haven’t actually found root cause, i suppose its fair to say that it could be one of those things, just somehow in an intermittent fashion… )

Oh, on the topic of cold, tested the new pellet stove this weekend in the shop while working on greenie. 5th form of heat I’ve tried now in the old shop. (Can’t do a mini split in that location, so have been trying everything else for last many years). The old wood stove is great but a hassle if not spending the whole day out there. Turns out the pellet stove can’t keep up with the 14 f deg temps in temps. Bummer. Users of that stove say it heats their little houses plenty hot, but a poorly insulated metal building on a concrete, cold soaked slab is a different animal. So back to the good old wood-stove for the real cold days, like this weekend. After an hour with the wood stove I had to strip off layers as I was too hot. But for most typical oregon winter days, I think the pellet stove will be fine. Just not the real cold snaps. Keeps those pipes from freezing, and me too.

I think i may have just had too much of this delicious Reynvaan Stoneessence Syrah wine, as it appears i just read a thread about John Day, and then Kazakhstan, Atrayau, Texas eclipse, and something about Siberian winters. This is some good wine!

Interesting and odd week for all, including us Oregonians…(activepop) i left Great Falls Montana Wednesday, where it as 42f when i arrived day before, dropped to 11f but with wind when we left (that wind is a killer), and by friday it was -31 there at Great Falls plus a nasty breeze. -5 at our office in Fairbanks, which is a balmy day for them, but to have so many places down south be colder was the weird thing. But then i saw its snowing out your direction Docc…. Now thats what gets my attention. back to gray and rain soon here in Oregon, but not quite yet. Gotta head to denver soon to stash a new-to-me v85tt till the weather breaks in the spring.

I’m not a big camping fan unless a) there are no people around me, and b) its cool/cold outside, so that a warm sleeping bag can warm me up, vs the inability to ever cool off if its too hot. So i camp in alaska and northern canada, but not often elsewhere. John day in late june…. Probably quite warm or hot. I guess my Norwegian blood likes the cold air. So for now I’m at the best western, burning some Chase points. for what its worth, when i last rode through that area, after staying at Sylvies on a moto ride with a buddy from Bend, we took NF16 east from Seneca area, and there was some nice looking camping areas up that direction. Not that far, but presumably too far to ride to camp after an event at john day. I just liked that it was more remote and scenic. I see a couple NFS campgrounds listed up in that area which might be ok, not sure.

Agreed. When younger i would have openly scorned trailering a bike, but now accept that its different strokes for different folks, and fit the tool to the job. Meaning, ride there, but there are lots of variables, so whatever works. I assume at some point I gotta do the southern spine raid to meet some of the good folks on this forum, but no way i have time to ride from oregon to wherever it is out east where that happens (till retirement becomes realistic), so it’ll be a “fly-n-rent” visit. My alaska buddy has done the AlCan more than most, been-there-done-that, but has an old Stornello to pick up and a van to get south, so I’m assuming he’ll be trailering. You texans making the ride…. That’ll be long but excellent! No question that I’m jealous. My new-to-me V85tt will live on the road. I don’t have time to do the round trips I’d like to do, so i ride one-ways, then leave the bike and airline home. Repeat. The old KTM lived in alaska the last 5-6 yrs for that purpose, now its home in my shop all dolled-up to sell, and the V85 will replace it as the next itinerant use bike, probably based in CO for a while. back to the john day topic, i checked pricing at Silvies Valley Ranch , straight south from John Day about half an hour or so, in a sort of odd but nifty spot, but was dumbfounded by the price. It’s a neat place, but as i recall it was round $450/night, or up from there based on the room. Suffice to say that I’d recommend it for out of state visitors for a night, as it’s a cool place to stay, but not at that price, unless price is no object. If you’re an avid golfer, it’s got a great golf track out there in the middle of nowhere, and I’m told they can set you up with a goat as a bag caddy. I’ve not done that goat thing nor played the course, but enjoyed a night there on the V11 a few years back, poking around that area in the late season, and had a nice stay and a couple great meals. also a lot of great ADV riding out in eastern oregon, with a couple spots where its easy to jump onto the ORBDR for a short or long way, for those on that kind of bike. And i guess for what its worth, as an Oregonian I’ll offer to the forum that if someone needs a place to leave or fix a bike for some reason for the trip, I’m about 45 mins from Portland airport and have a large shop…. (But its still about 5hrs from John Day)

Perfect. You went black… I like that. But I also see I didn’t think to paint the backside of the fly-screen fairing. Didn’t occur to me till I saw yours. And which mirrors do you have? I think you’ve noted which they are in other posts. I forgot how beautiful your greenie is. Will stare more at some of your photos for ideas. Where’d you source that top stainless yoke nut? I’ve got some likely sources here local that I can check.

That’s a great idea

Hi Phil- that’s what I was thinking. I got the bike that way, and I think that’s what I’ll do (paint), though the chrome finish will be another thing.

Freed up another small chunk of time for Greenie today… so wandered out and popped the Stucchi fly screen on. ”Popped” is a stretch of a term, because what I figured would be an easy afternoon in the shop with a game on in the background and messing with the fly screen and then other stuff, turned into a few hours of me getting some good curse-word practice. Not hard, just a bigger production than I had figured. Fuel tank + body bits next. valves are done, so decent tune-up with the laptop magic will follow after that. The pic with the speedo shows the poor cosmetic condition of triple tree area, which I need to work on, somehow.

Confirmed my alaska buddy is driving down in a van, as he’s moving to lower 48, in retirement. He bought a Stornello, i think in Washington, and I’m assuming he’ll trailer that to John Day. He’s then driving to New York. Retirement life. Back to the AK route briefly, the Alcan and the Cassiar are both good, but are different. I’d want additional time to peel off over to Prince Rupert area, and side trips like that, if I were to do the Cassiar again. Alcan is just a matter of trying to do it when its not too busy. For P6x thoughts on variation…. I’m in process of buying a V85tt out in Denver. Looking at where I’ll try and store it till the weather brakes (spring). But for John Day it would be the V11 for sure… a perfect trip for me on Red, about a 5hr run, via several nice route options. I was surprised at how comfortable i was on the V11 when going from Texas to oregon a few years ago, but i still prefer an ADV type bike with larger windscreen for long treks, and prefer the V11’s for the weekend/shorter trips. And my Multistrada Enduro is getting nervous in the corner of the shop, sensing that I’m looking at the new Stelvio as a possible replacement.

Sorry for late reply - I’ll ask if he’s riding or flying… he’s got a bike or two down south here, so he may just be flying down then riding. I used to leave a bike up there for the same reason, that it takes so long to get back and forth that it makes it prohibitive to be able to enjoy the riding up there. Last year I brought my bike down the AlCan, and in years past have done the Cassiar. AlCan was a great run, and I’ll admit I had been blind to how nice it was, after assuming for years (decades) that it was another version of the Cassiar but more crowded. Not so… the Cassiar is nice and has its own charms, but the AlCan has the Canadian Rockies that put it in a different category. For what it’s worth, i can offer a few thoughts, perhaps mostly on a different thread or message. In short, most of the important details are readily available, like: careful fuel planning and including carrying an extra reserve strapped onto bike just in case (there’s plenty of fuel, but sometimes further apart and sometimes not open when you need it). Look at the “milepost” publication for guidance on fuel and sightseeing stop, an online guide (used to be published, and probably still available in hard copy). And the obvious great things to see are indeed great to see, like the Banf-Jasper area, and the northern Rockies lodge & environs (and nice place to stay). Up toward Carcross there are some choices, like heading up toward Whitehorse (which is fun), and/or heading down the lovely one-way-in/out Atlin. Then I usually have spent a night at Discovery Yukon Lodge on my way up toward “the big part of” alaska, after spending some time poking around Destruction Bay (south of there). I’m already writing too much, but there’s more to say, so I’ll call it good for this string. Oh, except to say that taking the ferry back down south at the end of such a trip, from Haines or skagway (to prince rupert, or Vancouver, etc), with the bike, is a hassle to set up, and takes a ton of time, is now foolishly expensive, but its quite enjoyable.

Fair enough. Zero question that all such things are simply in the eye of the beholder. For me, the stock signals have always been somewhat of an eye sore, looking a bit hokey and out of place, from the first day years ago when I saw my friends otherwise beautiful V11. But I also don’t like the look of most obvious mods. It’s mostly a “who cares” thing, but i happen to need to repair the signals on greenie anyway, so I’m wading in to trying to figure out what I actually like, which is something that isn’t the stock setup, but also which blends/fits in. Those little black ones on back are probably a bit too small for my preference, and maybe too “brit-bike”…

My jury is still out on those little LED’s on the back end. I like that they’re less gaudy, but not necessarily a home run. Price wise they are nice, as compared to the nicer, slightly larger but similar option from a British retro bike site. The ‘03+ signals on front (or in any position) look slightly but clearly better to me. In the eye of the beholder. Fly screen going on soon on the front. Which sort of changes the look, but not having the old yellow signals stick way out there is a good step in my humble opinion.

confirmed - the '03 and later signals fit, as expected. the damaged signals on back are now a retro-look LED, and up front its the '03 signals minus the metal spacer, which I think cleans up the look. jury is out on the rear retro signals... not sure i'll keep those. pics may follow for those interested.

excellent route. Million dollar highway i wrote off as too crowded to do any more, but caught it on a fall day, midweek, cold, clear after morning frost (and thaw), and it was magnificent. In june I’d think hard about being out the door with the sunrise for that run, and I’m not a natural early riser. That whole route you laid out is really top notch. For ADV riders, there’s a lot of great stuff in central and eastern oregon as well. I’m in oregon, so have no excuse to miss the gathering other than work emergencies, so I’m planning to shoot out there. Heard about it being in my own back yard from an old guzzi friend in Alaska, who’s coming down for it.

Thanks, and makes sense. Was chewing on whether to try and stay “authentic” and stock on this very-low-miles greenie, or improve a thing or two along the way. Have half-hearted leaned toward staying authentic, but I got the bike with pods and bar end mirrors already installed, so have become more inclined to mod little things that are easily reversed back to stock, and the signals are one of those, if done right. I see lots of info on the LED conversion, and I’ve converted other bikes with little issue, but seems more of a process on the V11’s. And its not a daily rider, so I don’t think i care about the LED advantages, which leaves me with a couple after market halogen options, like the 2003+ signals which look slightly less dorky in pictures, or some of the brit bike sites that have some nifty looking options that fit the look of the bike, and look like they’ll be almost “plug and play” for fit, but are pretty spendy.

Bumping my old topic, as greenie slowly starts getting some attention again... Anyone know if '03 lemans turn signals fit on the older Lemans or sports (99-02)? In pictures on MGcycle the signals for the '03+ look a little less ugly, so am thinking about those as an option. Looking at other options too, but am curious if anyone knows if the later model signals will work as an option. Re-assembling the speedo cluster and addressing some of the little issues there. On the triple tree the paint is not looking so great (common), but more concerning is the bit of rust on the chromed center... about 1/3 of it is just rust w/no chrome. Noodling how to address that.