Purloined

I motored through Glacier National for the first time about a year ago (via four-wheel conveyance). I was gobsmacked, tongue-wagged the whole way through.

Do we think that the selling price of 31.5k is reasonable for this moto? I hold the almost odd and audacious proportions of these model Guzzi's in high regard. They, for many reasons in their day, are rare. From here, a biased and fervent love of the auditory spawn their engineers managed to conjure by virtue of skill or accident; birthed decades ago and revered as endemic once it was understood. A handful of motorcycles are solid in my auditory ear canal and they stop me in my tracks as their faint sound grows loud then rumbles past. A joy to hear. Moto Guzzis, BMWs, Ducatis, are a chorus of a proud history. And evolution is a jarring tremor of shifting sands we're all wobbling atop. . . . I'm not advocating nostalgic hamster wheel travel. Transportation understandably involves a sentient reality, an imperative to resolve its consequence; but dinosaurs should also be a celebrated niche. For me, an ability to feed off of what I love about the confluence of the trepidatious wonder of what will follow the smack of the gearshift into the first of five or six at the onset of a journey on one of these machines and the many that made it possible for me and others to do so while grateful I'm able to be astride for the moments I'm able. Sometimes for a reason. Equally often merely because I'm able to do so. Both are a rock and roll gifted. There are multitudes of these machines out and about that grace us by virtue of their presence; artifacts offering a proposition of mutual benefit were their progenitors able to cast a vote. It is difficult to assimilate the prospects for this crated Daytona. It presents an equally confounding conundrum for its next chapter and the spirit the new owner chooses. I would love to see it, or another of its ilk thunder by me while I watch and hear. Best wishes to the new owner of this machine. Hopefully uncrated and sputtering to life as was its purpose. Me, others, and the hands that spun wrenches will grin at first sight. 31.5k seems tiny for this pauper, but extraordinarily priced for other reasons.

Yes, it is true of some of us olds here in Connecticut. We've been schooled by the migratory Official Geriatric Driving School Manual of Florida; Chapter 4: engage your turn signal (left or right side, it does not matter) when you leave the house in the morning. The gentle clicking sound is a soothing balm that will counter the annoying bleat of the chorus of horns that for no reason follow you to the smorgasbord restaurant. Doubly true on a motorcycle where this built-in 'keep 'em guessing' feature is not interfered with by an infuriating tendency for self-cancelling. The devil is a vigilant little bitch.

Docc: you gift wisdom about the most intricate details of these bikes. And it don't seem like you're breaking a sweat floating your salve to the surface, not that sweat matters. Long practicing surgeons must also come to know every detail of those in their care. I've appreciated your generous contributions in what goes on here. +Several Honda 500's have been offered on bring a trailer. One just posted last week. Good to see them out and about.

It is very difficult to engage the turn signals, the slider l/r is resistant to sliding in either direction. It feels like it is hanging up mechanically. Even a slight downward pressure makes it almost impossible to activate. Cancelling it is not a problem. Wearing gloves exacerbates the problem. Is this typical? Is it possible to disassemble it and renovate it to make it slide smoothly? Thanks in advance for any advice.

And a gobsmacking and entertaining virtual tour of the Elk Grove showroom on their website. Chockablock full. A testimonial to the low bar my entertainment expectations reside in. We ain't got places like that here in Connecticut. A vicarious joy.

You're trying to source a carbon fiber starter cover? If you're in need of a plain-Jane OEM plastic cover, I took mine off my 2000 V11. The previous owner painted it dark grey. You're welcome to it if it is something you can use.

Will do, Docc. The suggestion about substituting a stud is not a bad idea. Mister Brainerd is pretty resourceful, I'll bring it up.

Thanks, Docc and everyone for information and advice and images. Hopefully Stuart Brainerd is able to extricate what's left of the bolt without destroying the threaded hole in the casting. I agree, it looks under-engineered.

Docc, You think the bolt could have backed out and then snapped because the assembly is floating off the case and the side stand has more leverage? It broke a few fractions inside the blind hole. Would make sense.

The busted off casting image will flash in my head tonight.

Super. I launched, kickstand down (skimmed, not hard) at least a couple of times. (The sidestand warning mechanism is non-functional on my bike for reasons I have not been able to figure out.) That my ass has been kicked a couple of times is unsettling and a pathetic failure. One time it was remarked on by a pedestrian. A good sidewalk filled with good people in a town in Connecticut. I presumed I was the reason for the sheared bolt. I bet a lot of force for the split second it takes for you to realize that you are a carless nincompoop while the bike does its lever-moves-the-world practice round. Thank you for scrutiny of the upper bolt. I have been very careful and gentle putting it on it's stand, it is unsettling to watch it stretch. I should check.

Being able to see heaps of motorcycles in the wild and not in a museum; each of those in this exhibit worthy of great respect for at least some attribute; engineering or design or concept, style; and on; brings joy, a museum on fresh-mowed grass. Thank you for posting and of course thanks for the effort that went in to producing it.

It has seemed as though my 2000 V11 has been listing to port excessively the past several months; looking more and more like the Costa Concordia minus the water and if the ship's kickstand was on its starboard side. I thought it was a normal angle, but realized there was a lot of weight on the stand. Hands and knees examination revealed the lower bolt fastening the kickstand assembly to the blind hole in the casing had sheered off and the geometry adjusted accordingly. Does anyone happen to know the pitch/length of this bolt? I'm bringing it into an auto shop a friend runs who'll try to extricate what's left and it would help if he knew in advance. Thanks in advance.

Found a pic. 93. Tho an old pic. Fuel price double $ now. why is it so difficult to clip a tiny image to a post here?