Gmc28

absolutely. we just took a tangent for the sake of banter.

first, you cheeky monkey 4corso… posting such a goofy click-bait topic. :->. But I clicked! i agree KINDOY2, the V85 holds its own very nicely, except on the straights, where it’s just not as comfortable at the real high speeds. But thats why i sold the harley’s 20 yrs ago… why have a bike thats focused on what I like least, which is blasting straight on a highway? Well, in fairness, the GS and even more the big multistrada’s will pass someone in half a blink of an eye, which the 85 won’t quite do, but it’s plenty fast enough for riding within sane limits. Very little wrong, and pretty much everything right on the GS’s, but I still prefer the V85tt.

Who knew... the evil love child of an R9T, a V85, and Frank Herbert

Sounds about perfect. Renting a V85tt there at Mandela from Agostini’s is what turned my attention to that bike…. loved it, and didn’t really expect to. Might be old news for you, but the roads above Varenna, up from Perledo toward Esino, then keep on wrapping up higher in elevation past paso agueglio, and over toward Parlasco, thats some real nice riding. Of course finding good roads over there is like shootin’ fish in a barrel, but thats a nice little run near to Mandello. Jealous, except for the heat. But not exactly cool over here…. I was over not too far from your home turf, at chico, where it was 107F, and windy, and watched that Park Fire explode right before my eyes. enjoy

cruise ship in front of st marks? i’ve not sent that in my biannual visits, they're always over at the cruise ship parking area on the south side. that said, venice is certainly a place that used to be sort of busy when i was younger and would visit, but has become a total zoo. but even there, there are ways to enjoy. spend the hard-earned $$ to stay on one of the islands at a fancy hotel, and just shuttle in on the private hotel shuttles to mingle with the masses and see those sights, then back to the quiet of isola delle rose, or one of the other islands. i’ll save money at other places, but if i’m bringing someone to venice, i tell them to pony up, to transform that stop into something worth doing. i’d think neuschwanstein would be one of the good spots to hit in the “roper season”, the off season he spoke of. used to be the shoulder seasons were good, but those are jammed now as well, so gotta go full-scale opposite of prime season! Roper also mentioned the non-anglo areas, a great option. mainland japan has been crowded in its huge cities forever, but the smaller islands of japan that i’ve visited are full of beautiful sites for touring on a motorcycle, thin crowds, and such pleasant, non-self-centered people. i look forward to getting back.

aha, thats the parts catalogue i’ve been looking for….

which bleeder system do you use? i’ve got an older bleeder i’ve been using, and its been fine but not loving it.

my greenie came with pods (from PO), and i think they look good, and the bike ran/runs great in general, though perhaps is a little less than ideal in higher speed cruising. I liked how it exposes that rear suspension part of the red frame bike, but of course that’s all in the eye of the beholder. As a “sunday driver”, I liked it. That said, if i were to make it a regular rider or touring bike i’d probably convert it back to the OEM airbox, and said as much to the good guy that recently bought my Greenie. So I’m now looking for an airbox. i assume watching this forum and/or ebay would yield one, but that’s the question…. anyone have knowledge of one floating around? the fellow who bought my bike will likely join this forum, and is local, so thought i’d poke around to see if we can locate an airbox for him.

Updates @Meinolf?

love it - thank u!

looks like I’ll be heading to Charlotte NC in November for a wedding. My wife and a couple friends are interested in flying into Nashville to do stuff there for a night or two, then hop over to Charlotte. The Nashville thing started with me noodling how I’d weasel my way into shooting down to the tail of the dragon to check that box, since i’m not out east very often any more. my enthusiasm for the tail has flagged significantly of late, as I realize all the people that now target that road to ride, and in other threads I’ve gotten some input on where else around there a guy might want to tour for just a day or two. But time to revive that train of thought, and make some actual arrangements. so, any fresh thoughts on whether the tail in November would be worthwhile, from a weather and crowds perspective, and/or whether to skip it and shoot for another area nearby, just for a day or two. this would all be from nashville, as it appears there is a moto rental place right there at the airport, and my partners in crime will be staying in nashville if/when i sneak out to ride a bit. love any thoughts from locals or those who have ridden the area and have recommendations.

reviving an old thread while perusing random stuff during lunch…. anyone know why Stein Dinse and MGcycle charge either about $600 or $400 (respectively) for a PF3C, while CA cycle works and other sources have them for around $80? one them use diamonds and kryptonite?

well said Phil. And happily preaching to the choir on this forum in that regard… we’re all on the same ride with the V11’s, for better and for worse. I’ll make the assumption that if an old CBX was being purchased as a daily rider then i’d agree with all you’ve said, and question the sanity of such a venture. As a fun toy to own, then I’d say the game is very different. Meaning, would I own a Black Shadow or a Brough if a long lost uncle left one to me, despite the challenges involved in owning one? yessir i would.

hah, exactly! of all places to talk about rational things, a V11 lemans forum… that’s beautiful! 20-some years ago when my good friend had a Lemans and I had an ST4 with factory side cases, I gave him an endless hard time about what a useless bike he had. It was a good natured debate we had, but I just laughed at his ridiculous choice of a moto guzzi v11, which he rode in all weather, putting the after market side bags on it (ugly… ouch), buzz in the handlebars, had mechanical problems he was always fussing with, had less HP than my ST4, didn’t handle as well, and so on. To me, the St4 was a real stretch on rationality, meaning it wasnt as rational as a Japanese bike like the FJ (etc), but I could justify it with whatever logic I used at that time. Oh, and I had my BMW 1150RT…. now there’s a bike that’s so rational it’s like a car, just with better fuel econ and easier to park in a downtown area. Now I own that same V11 he had, the one I scoffed at. Plus 2 more. The practical but boring BMW is long gone (after 80k miles). If we try real hard to rationalize the V11’s we can, sort-of, but its a stretch. but for me it’s pretty much because I just really like them, and they make me happy when I ride them or think about riding them.

what used to be #3 on my list of desirable attributes of a good getaway/vacation was “lack of people”. Now it’s tied for number 1 on the list. Feels old-man-ish to talk like that, so I try and “check myself”, but in fairness our race has never had to deal with this kind of monstrous population. Add that we are now living with the spoils of the success of so many industrial and tech advances, which allows so many of us to not have to toil 12hrs/day in the fields, mines, etc. and we have the traveling hordes. I don’t see how it can end well. Many (most?) of our problems we worry about, pollution, fossil fuels, lack of resources, all go away or get markedly better without all the hordes. But i’m a member of the horde, technically. And the sober reality is that us first-worlders have it pretty damn good. (But I did tell the missus, we can practice making babies all we want, but it’s 1, 2, or none for actual babies…. she wanted 5. ya, despite the tough talk i’m glad I got 2.)

which reminds me (the bike sitting too long topic)…. what i did to one of my V11’s today was post it on craigslist. Just one of the three. The Greenie. Love it, but really always reach for the red LeMans when it’s time to ride, and dealing with bikes that sit too much has become a bit tiresome. Not that i’m against having a “mini collection”, and about 49% of the time that’s what I resolve to do…. Screw it, i’m keeping them all! But then each year I spend time fiddling with the bikes that don’t get the miles they need to stay healthy, and when i’m not doing that i’m worrying about them. So will see if Greenie gets any interest. I can go either way… reduce the number of under-ridden bikes in the shop, or start collecting like TomChri in Norway!

country livin’ indeed…. It’s nice having the wildlife, but comes with a price, like deer devouring all the plants, mice into everything, telling the missus she can only have dogs large enough to not overly tempt all the coyotes running around for an easy meal, and even when they’re getting real hungry around mid winter. Mice in the parts bins, thats also a hassle. glad you caught that Gstallons. fwiw, mice, and then of course old fuel when they sit a long time. i’ve just resigned myself to checking for the critters, draining the fuel and replacing it, and even oil without a lot of miles on it i’ve found i have to change because it has become “globby”. I’m thinking it’s condensation moisture, over a long period of time, commingling with the oil and never getting burned off. Seems like 6 months is usualy pretty safe in my situation, but more than that i worry.

Oh man… do I dare ask you to share your top secret FS map or source? Been looking for something easy to use like that for years. I’ve used FS land many times, but always had to work out whether I was in an appropriate area based on the various rules. Which usually meant just winging it….

ya, hang on to your hat, the last gasps of spring are just finally playing out. i think it will be hot for good now for a while. Jackson has indeed changed. for what its worth, the fellow that bought my KTM 990 this spring is on a trip up to Alaska right now, and said he discovered this little area that was fun to explore based on a tip from a local. on the Cassiar highway, sort of in the area that i’ve always just passed through, but which always looked like it could merit a little more poking around someday. not sure if you’re doing the Cassiar in either direction, but here’s the google map link just in case: https://maps.app.goo.gl/LgfNzcBN9tu2CdwWA?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy

thanks pete and everyone for the responses. and congrats Pete on the retirement, and for evading the schooner ghost! Maybe you weren't drinking enough to attract the ghost? The V85tt ECU issue isn't one keeping me up at night, but things in general probably won't ever revert back to the times when there were no ECU's, nor to the times when we had (have) ECU's that could more readily (and carefully) be modified for benefit, so getting a grip on the current techno-reality remains of interest, despite it being frankly annoying. True that the V85tt actually fuels pretty well, as was alluded in this string about modern mapping, so there's no burning need as-is, and only a bit more need/want once it has a different (still quiet) exhaust installed (this winter). Just a cost/benefit question, as always, with the variables shifting a bit. Now the cost seems very high to fix something that isn't much of a real problem. Hence the questions... speaking of good factory fueling, I test rode the new Stelvio at the MG owners club confab this last weekend at John Day (was a good time, but thats another story). I can't help myself from being a bit of a contrarian, so i'm used to test riding new bikes that are getting a lot of buzz and inevitably coming away think "eh, not that great". But speaking only for myself and what I like, I can say I REALLY LIKED that Stelvio. Enough said on that here in this thread, except to say that it's low end fueling (and throughout the rpm band) seemed just fine. I think on that bike the suspension is also effected by the mode setting and all from the ECU, unlike the V85tt, though I didn't mess with those ride modes during my 30 min ride. still don't understand why upmap and a PC6 would differ though, other than the generalities.

Was good to meet you “Activepop”! I also got to reacquaint with an old friend or two from Alaska at John day, and in that group had a chance to see Dave Blue again (not from Alaska), a great guy who’s spent much of his life in the guzzi world, part as a guzzi tech rep, and on a guzzi race team, and the guy that I first gave Goldie to when I first acquired her. I didn’t know Guzzi’s, other than I wanted one, so gave the champagne lemans to him to go through and assure it was dialed in to start things off. He got her running sweet, so I had a baseline to know what to expect as “normal”, as I got my head around the machines. Has been all “downhill” from there, with more Guzzis. and was fun to chat with Dave Richardson, the Guzziology author (and former part owner of Moto Int’l), and a number of other great guzzi folks from all over (US and overseas). Enjoyable event for sure. pics show Dave Blue (blue shirt), and then an old friend who had just rolled his 71 Stornello onto the line for the eventual show…. whole line filled up with some great Guzzi’s, including another lovely Lemans.

Will you be doing White Pass down into Skagway, or the road from Haines junction down to Haines? Great routes.

Summer heat and tourists, serious threats to good riding! With school out, and especially since Covid (“revenge travel”), it’s been brutal with the crowds. get north… cooler and less people. Though there will still be lots of people in certain places of course. Glacier national is great (can’t recall if you’ll hit that one), but you gotta get up real early to beat the traffic line to motor through. and the Yukon should be cooler and way less people, that’s one of the reasons I love it up there 😎

Fun stuff here in John Day. Lots of machines to gape at, but these v11’s are fitting. not sure he’ll get the $10k asking for either one, but they are tight…

Bon voyage! jealous. maybe keep an eye on fire activity as you head north, as there are a couple of them catching on up north, which could create some crappy air quality, but so far not too bad.