p6x

I am lucky, I get to celebrate both now.... The difference is that in 1976 (just a "few" years ago then....) I was in the military and participated to the parade. This year, the Indian PM is the guest of honor. My next objective will be to descend the Champs-Elysées on my V11 Le Mans, for the posterity!

I can see this tank on a living room table, as a vase for some pretty flowers....

You know, great minds think alike.... I thought about carrying one with me for that purpose. It means that Jack experienced that issue too. The Quies extraction tabs are flat and they should work better than the Alpine which are cylindrical. They are slippery and not practical at all. Probably easier to manufacture.

I will certainly try your solution as well. This is the only way. I have not even tried my Quies just yet. My next run will be to Dallas and back.

thanks for all the suggestions! It is kind of an odd problem but important. I purchased the Etsy cover because I could get it in red...

Last year, under the heat, the tank protection, or the tank expended, the glue melted and the pad is no longer properly installed. As long as the bike is home, it is protected from the sun, but when I go out it is exposed. I don't think I have the room to carry a tarpaulin in my tail bag; I am thinking that maybe a tank cover in leather, may solve the issue. Is a V11 tank cover even exists? if not, what would be the smallest tarpaulin that I could fit in my tail bag to cover the motorcycle when it has to stay exposed? What about this? https://www.etsy.com/listing/828285423/solid-color-more-shade?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=motorcycle+tank+covers&ref=sr_gallery-1-10&organic_search_click=1

Thank you for providing another option. How easy are the removal of the earplugs after a long ride? one of the issue that does not get much discussed is extraction. My Alpine Motosafe are very effective for noise attenuation, however they are terrible for retrieval. At least in a difficult environment when you have perspiration making everything slippery. I wear a full face helmet, which may contribute to sweat a lot. The reason why I picked the "Shark Tooth" is because it has been designed to perfectly integrate with my Shark helmet. The battery pack fits in a special indentation inside the helmet, leaving the external pod size affixed on the side of the helmet really small, unlike all other communication systems. The drawback is that Shark is a helmet specialist, so their communication system does not work as well as the one you describe in your post. Especially volume wise.

Here, it is actually the opposite; sadly.... the new normal is to never signal, or to signal too late. When I see a turn indicator flashing, however rarely, it is because it was forgotten on. True, it is difficult to have your phone in one hand, and signaling at the same time when you only have one hand for the steering wheel. Hopefully, when all cars will be driving themselves autonomously, the situation may improve. At least we are certain motorcycles will never be able to!!!

I don't recall that. The synopsis resemble the Vanquish plot? that girl is a retired enforceress, a corrupt ex cop kidnap her daughter to obligate her to work for him. I went to see the latest Mission Impossible yesterday evening. Just to check what stunt Tom Cruise pulled, and I understood how he injured himself while training on a motocross bike. The movie has multiple scenes with him driving motorbikes in pursuit or chases; I spent time in Rome (Italy), and those large paved streets are not easy to ride on at low speed...

I considered driving during the night too; but the heat is still present, and the danger is too great. I usually leave by 5:00 too, but even the morning hours are already suffocating. The Dallas stops are tempting, because only four hours away. I would have to overnight and come back in the morning. I don't want to travel just to make the stops. There is no fun in that. I am looking forward to go to Marfa to watch the stars.

I never directly worked for them. I worked for a well known service company. But my first ever job, in Cameroon was on a jackup rig, named "Texas Star", drilling for Mobil. At the time, I would have never suspected that one day....

Not that bad, but I can tell I have lost acuity. I started to suspect something was off when I had trouble to understand the Mobil (before Exxon bought Mobil) company man from Louisiana yelling at me because the logging tool failed.... lol Nothing like an irate company man to test your hearing...

That and the torrential rains in Vermont.... It is sad...

Those Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas stops are still awaiting your visit...

I was aware of the difficulty after having trouble to understand phone conversations. Typically, we used to listen with a single ear at the time. For some reasons, I have the lower frequency spectrum damaged. 35 years in the oilfield, with a good 15 spent on rigs, before ear protection was enforced; it has taken a toll on me... now I am only able to tell if the Guzzi engine is on based on the vibrations.

For those of you who live in the US and check the weather reports, you are aware that the Southwest is under an extreme heat wave. Combined with the Texas humidity, it is suffocating. I think it is even worse than last year which I thought was the highest heat index I ever experienced. Riding a motorcycle in these conditions is very different.

@Joe I watched the 3 Superbike races... It is clear that Gagné has now a healthy competition in 2023. I would put my money on the BMW with Beaubier. I don't think the Ducati is as homogeneous. The BMW has the power and the handling and.... Beaubier! I enjoyed watching those races more than MotoGP.

Vanquish lady... on an eBike :-(

In the 70's, I remember watching movies where the bad guys rode motorcycles. Sometimes, iconic ones. The despicable killer of "Peur sur la ville" favored a Z1. I noticed that recently, female protagonist roles were often seen on motorcycles as a way to reinforce the strength of their character. Matrix, The courier, Vanquish... In Good Doctor the (female) chief of surgery rides a Ducati. What other show do you know with lead female characters riding motorbikes?

This is a common issue with recalls. Manufacturer (used to) establish a lump sum payment for the work to be performed. At times the lump sum is below the real cost and the dealer is left to absorb the difference. Manufacturer betting on the fact the dealer is the point of contact.

@PJPR01 Nice! Organized by the Moto Guzzi Club of Great Britain; They have a lot of personalized items and a marketplace on their website. I have not forgotten our Forum patch; theirs is using the same V11 picture that I picked also.

A lot of answers indicate we all have looked for solutions that match our requirements. Ear protection is important and recommended in multiple industries. For those who are not really convinced, take a check and find out how much of the low frequencies you already lost. There are some tests on YouTube. To make it interesting, do the test seating with a younger guy and find out what you can't hear that he can.... The new technologies are getting smart in filtering out the specific frequencies and the high volumes while letting those needed to pass-thru. I wish I had started to protect my hearing earlier, but I did not.

You beat me to it... I usually stop watching these kind of "mingle" "chatty" videos after 30 seconds. The information is drowned into a flow of words; on top of that, Lake Speed Jr. has a voice that scratch like sand paper....

@PJPR01 It seems the Slimbuds are no longer commercialized. I can't find them anywhere.

Don't laugh, but we have lots of this here in H'town!!! Apparently, the world's future temperature prediction will make it only harder for motorcyclists to wear safety gear. I seem to be immune to heat exhaustion, so far... I cross my fingers that it will stay this way.