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p6x

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Everything posted by p6x

  1. p6x
    I am 6' tall and 174 lbs. Probably in the lanky category too. I have never been on what could pass for a "comfortable" bike. I am sure I am amenable.
  2. p6x
    As far as abdominals, I have those procured by brews. As far as back is concerned, now you got me worried. One of the reason why the previous owner sold that bike is precisely because he could no longer ride it due to his back. I may add a back support to the list then...
  3. p6x
    Looks like a Pantah and Place de la Concorde in Paris France... Are you certain those are leathers?
  4. p6x
    Thank you all! I have enough material to keep me occupied for a while. I also found this outfit: -Renegade Classics in Houston for Motorcycle equipment...
  5. p6x
    I don't know if they have improved leather quality, but my pants used to sag at the bottom. It looked like I was incontinent and wearing a nappy. The sexiest stuff I saw was during summer on the Adriatic coast. Girls riding with body stockings. Not great for protection, pun intended. They were riding Vespas. Those were the good days.... From what I understood, long rides on the 2004 Le Mans may be uncomfortable due to the foot pegs position, and the slightly forward position of the body. Am I going to need wrists support?
  6. p6x
    As mentioned above, I never isolate myself phonetically from the outside world. I may change my mind, but I usually treat sounds as part of the safety envelope. Of course, on a Moto Guzzi, I may hear nothing but.
  7. p6x
    Nobody has mentioned weight as a factor yet. It always one an important one for me. Noise too. Although there are ways to attenuate the background noise, I usually never impair my ability to listen to what is around me. Thus, no riding with ear plugs or in ears pods to listen to music. I also have two pairs of prescription glasses, sun and not.
  8. p6x
    Something that is really incredible in the USA, is the ability to replace and/or exchange at no cost to the customer. For people in Europe, it is unheard of. The Bilt and Sedici brands seem to be worth the try. I like the flexibility to change stuff if it turns out to be uncomfortable. We all know it is almost impossible to judge a garment to be used on a motorcycle when trying it at the shop. After several runs in various environments, only then you begin to understand. I have written down AeroStitch. I am planning on trying all the suggestions. I am a sucker for Dainese, because they really make great stuff, and they innovate all the time. Their D-Air system is really state of the art, but most likely thought for the European market. I have lived in a lot of different parts of the world, so I am not stranger to extreme heat and/or cold. But on a motorcycle, the feeling is completely different. I will have to acclimate myself again. If I drive from Florida next month, it will be a good test.
  9. p6x
    Arai is a good brand; but so is Shoei.
  10. p6x
    When it comes to helmets, one should never compromise. I keep in mind what happened to Michael Schumacher. The best helmets available on the market are those which are FIM Certified. Getting the FIM certification should be an objective for every helmet manufacturer. Here's the list of all those that have been certified. Here' are the technical requirements for submission to their program. As you can see, only integral types are eligible. Now comes the issue that in the USA, your helmet needs to be DOT certified, even if the requirements are less stringent than the FIM ones. I need to check if you can purchase an FIM helmet that is also DOT compliant. As far as graphics are concerned, I was involved with a not so well known Helmet manufacturer that allows you to design your own graphics and have them printed on your helmet. Either vector based or pictures. I was looking at representing the brand here in the USA, but his prime interest is with electrical scooters helmets. My helmet will be integral.
  11. p6x
    I don't necessarily tag "expensive" with "better" stuff. I like Dainese, because they supply a lot of the racers, enabling them to make the best equipment, especially safety. Obviously, they charge more because you need to pay for the brand name. As far as lasting, there are many parameters to take into consideration. One of them being life expectancy, such as helmets that should be replaced every 5 years. A good jacket, pants, suit can last a lifetime, providing you don't fall, and don't change corpulence; the recent tech stuff, such as air bags, is what probably requires more maintenance and attention. And there is innovation too. I still have my old gear, albeit not within easy reach, but totally outdated. Tech textile is probably better than leather in hot weather.
  12. p6x
    I looked up Moto Guzzi riding gear, but I will leave that out for the time being.
  13. p6x
    I am familiar with Bates Leather. I remembered when reading the name in your post. When I was going to the races in the 70's, I saw some pilots wearing bates. I can't remember who though...
  14. p6x
    Had many colleagues from Norway along the line... very familiar with Helly Hansen's.... (worked in the North Sea back in the 80's) Thanks for your suggestion. After all these years, I had never heard about that brand... I looked at the 4Air Jacket, seems to be an option...
  15. p6x
    Hi Paul, Thanks for contributing! I have seen that a lot of equipment is being sold on eBay. But I think I will go brick and mortar just because I need to try on everything and will probably test multiple solutions. I am usually around 13+ for shoe size, depending on the brand. Medium/large for helmet; but again, some helmets are uncomfortable when wearing prescription glasses. I live at the limits of Spring Valley. For the time being, I am planning to drive the bike from Florida. I may rent the gear for that single trip, or purchase my own. I will test drive once I am there, and if I don't feel comfortable, I will get it shipped. I have driven rentals with long interruptions in between, never really felt uneasy before, but I am not going to take any chance. I never imagined there was so many Guzzisti enthusiasts in Texas. I have been a couple of times to the Lonestar Rally in Galveston, and mainly saw HD's and Japanese bikes. Again, thanks for the information.
  16. p6x
    I will check AeroStich too. It seems that Cycle Gear does not carry the brand though. I was tempted by Dainese's Carve Master, but it comes with a lot of constraints. Of course, it can save your life so it is a good trade off. My biggest gripe is that you need to recharge the lithium battery every 8 hours. Charging batteries is becoming a full time job nowadays. However 8 hours is not enough in terms of autonomy. I want to be able to ride my Le Mans all the way from Houston to Big Bend national park with spare autonomy. But maybe a non jacket integrated air bag is a better choice; while probably not as efficient as a jacket, it gives you more flexibility to have multiple jackets.
  17. p6x
    Thanks for taking the time to contribute. I am planing a trip to Cycle Gear in the very near future. There is no way I am going to purchase safety gear without trying them on. Even a jacket. I am well versed into the subtleties of sizing EURO versus US. Cycle Gear advertises a (up to) 60% discount January close out sale. I am possibly going to purchase a jacket with an airbag system, which is going to restrict me on choice. I think Dainese "D-Air" is among the most advanced for motorcyclists. For pants, leathers would probably be very difficult to wear in Texas' summer weather. Is your helmet an integral?
  18. p6x
    Casey Stoner approves!
  19. p6x
    You can find rental bikes in Italy at Top Rent Moto. Unlike in the US, Motorbike rental is (very) expensive in Europe, and as I am certain you are aware, there are more restrictive rules than in the US. And to make matters more confusing, the same rules don't apply across Europe. Good news are, the police is generally more forgiving when they understand that you are not from Europe. For example in France, you have to wear one of those hi viz yellow jacket, and reflective stickers on your helmet. Helmet needs to be with Euro certification. No use to bring your DOT helmet if you were planing to.
  20. p6x
  21. p6x
    Here's MotoItaliane narrative about who they are; I am tempted to subscribe to their quarterly magazine, "Bicilindrica", but I will wait to see how the book is. I could ask them why they don't list an author, but I would say it is kind of a concerted effort.
  22. p6x
    Ciao, You are pointing out one of the common issues of new variation over the same theme. Without generalizing, a lot of the new publications just reprise what existed already, without bringing much mode details, if excepted some better pics. This is of course across the board of paper printing publishing. I own some books about the 70's motorbikes which were published in the 80's. Most of them, they are more accurate in terms of contents and facts. As I had the chance to work ten years in Italy until 1992, it was easier to speak with people that knew first hand. As I said in a previous post, I met an older guy who owned one of each of the early Moto Guzzi models. My only regret is back then, we did not have phones to take impromptu pictures, and all that I learned and saw only resides in my memory. Not many people buying books nowadays.
  23. p6x
    Guys, This book is sold by a company named "motoitaliane"; here's a peak inside the book! The book is published in both Italian and English. I have cancelled my order with Amazon.it and ordered directly with "motoitaliane". However, I only paid 5 EUR for shipping, which I know is not correct, so I am going to have to contact them directly. There is no author shown in the pictures, so I am guessing it is a compound effort. Here's what the site says: And by the way, they also publish a quarterly magazine which you can subscribe to for 24 Euros (yearly). However it is written in Italian. I am going to subscribe because a magazine dedicated to Moto Guzzi is rare enough that they deserve support. I am going to contact them and make sure the book is still available for purchase. Once I get feed back, I will share it with the forum, should anyone of you be interested.
  24. p6x
    I have a Cycle Gear store not too far from where I live. When it comes to helmets, I need to try them on; I wear glasses. I will check all the gear you suggested, although at this point in time, I am not too worried about hot weather.
  25. p6x
    From the horse's mouth: 1) Worldwide Manufacturer's identification code: Moto Guzzi = ZGU 2) Vehicle type 3) variation in the type 4) version 5) Manufacturing year: Y=2000, 1=2001... 6) Manufacturing plant: M=Mandello del Lario 7) Chassis number (111111 refers to the first ever vehicle manufactured)
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