p6x

This is the thing; back in the days, there were plenty of motorcyclist. Seeing you stopped on the side of the road, they would stop and propose assistance. Any kind, including board and lodging sometimes. Those were the days.... just because you rode a bike. But that FM road I took from Burton yesterday, I did not cross a single car, nor did I see anybody in Dime Box. Only on my way back did I cross an 18 wheeler. I could be breaking down and staying on the side of the road, sweating forever....

Indeed. If you use the 1/4" screw that hold the cluster, the brackets are pre-bent the wrong direction.

It is no secret there that older stuff is coming back. Manufacturers are selling bikes that mimic the 70s, so NOS parts are available from Europe at cutthroat prices. I was never a big fan of BMWs. I always seemed to gravitate towards Italian production, until the arrival of the Japanese two strokes. It was just opportunistic to have a bike for sale just a few yards away. But the first moment of lust has gone, and I am just looking at the bike which has not moved from its resting space.

The guy selling it owns a company which is in foreclosure. According to him, this bike was given to him, no title. My Guzzi shop told me they could probably harvest a tank and a seat, for about $700, but they said this is only the tip of the iceberg. The expenses can be hidden in what is not known, and when all costs have been considered, you get to the price of a running one. Besides, NADA proposes 1500 for one in a "fair" status. This one is not even running, and missing parts. It is obvious the seller has no clue, or if he does, then he is unreasonable.

My Formotion instruments have arrived; sadly, they don't glow in the dark. Now is the time when I need to figure out how I will affix them.

This is what I am worried about, which was a worry I had back in the 70's when I was riding in Europe. Then, gas stations were not self serve, and past a certain hour, they would be closed. Riding a two stroke engine which had even less autonomy than yesterday's Guzzi was always like rolling the dices of uncertainty. And if you are from that era, all we had were Michelin maps, no GPS and no App telling us where the next open fuel station would be located. I remember times when I slept on my bike, at the pump, waiting for the station to open in the morning. In Texas, as long as you are following a highway, you have gas station aplenty. Once you switch to FM roads (Farm to Market), the same cease to be true. That worries me a bit, because I had some ambition in doing some trips in part of Texas where fuel is far apart. If you go to Big Bend Park, once inside the park, you have miles and miles of road, and no gas. There is a gas station at the entrance of the park, but you will need to make it last.

This was my thought too. But I have to surrender to the evidence; I only got 170 miles out of my almost exclusively highway ride yesterday. Albeit at higher revs than initially anticipated. I go with the flow.

As in my previous reply to @Lucky Phil, taking the trip meter into account is a hit or miss so far. Or at least for me. I am yet to have established a proper gas consumption chart that I can relate to mileage. However, I am satisfied that for my first "low gas" warning, the remaining volume in the tank matched Guzzi's prediction and as far as I can see, what you guys are getting from a full gas tank too. The external temperature has to be a factor too.

I am happy to have it confirmed, because I was wondering if there was something not right with that low glow. I had to move my head like those lizards to make sure it was even there in the first place. The trip meter would be my guide, however yesterday's ride was variegated in terms of rpm. The last leg was with the hammer down, and that would have inferred with the overall consumption. I really did not know what to expect. But I am glad that ghost light came on at the time it did. Although I knew how many miles had gone by, I really did not know what kind of mileage per gallon to expect. I have done a lot of tests and I thought it was better than the 39 mpg I got yesterday. So far, riding around H'town, I always had been around the 43 mark. I have so far always let mine warm up on the stand. I start it, and then go and get dressed. But I am well aware the most efficient warming of an engine is not idling it in neutral. This is only for convenience.

Riding back from Dime Box, the reserve light came on. I almost missed it, because it was really pale. I had to modify my vision angle to verify that it was actually lit. I stopped at a gas station, and it is definitively difficult to see when it is lit. Compared to the neutral and oil pressure. Is it the same on your Guzzi? or does the intensity increases as you deplete the rest of the tank? I only had 1.109 Gal left which I guess means I saw it more less at the time it came on.

So I went to Dime Box Texas, and back; about 200 miles. This morning I did 35 psig front and 40 psig rear, and I completely loosened the dampener. I did not touch the fork. While the 290 was kind of boring, I kept a high pace. The reward was FM1697, even if the first section from Burton had some loose gravel. There were tighter turns, and the Guzzi handled like a charm. I only did 39 mpg, as my low gas warning light came on at 170 miles completed. Lots of fun, even if the heat was sizzling in full gear. I have another question, but I will create another thread since it is off topic on this one.

Fourth stop, Stop #46: world largest Dime in a box, Dime Box, Texas. In the suffocating heat, a quick back and forth to a little village named Dime Box, where you can find the world's largest Dime... or so it says. The town feels really lonely... thank god, they had Moto Guzzi feed! It was 1:12 when I reached it. The last part of the road from Burton was a lot of fun.

I try to not write anything compromising but mainly, I am still in my discovery process of this bike. I am going gradually and increase the limit bit by bit. I am wary of anything that could go wrong. I need to get confident. Texas is one of the best playground for 6000 rpm. Since c19, the posted speed limits seems to mean nothing anymore...

You never "lean out" of the bike? I live to "drive" from the rear, a bit like Jorge Lorenzo did when he was racing. I did enjoy hugging the tank, but with my butt wedged on the cowl. But it is not comfortable long term because my legs are at an odd angle. As for the weight on clipons, I am with you; I don't like to be too much "on the front".

So true! thank god, I will never carry a passenger, so I just need to find my best setup.

I have not yet experimented with tire pressure. Not until I settle on a tire brand and type. But this morning, I will check 38 on the front to see if it improves putting on the angle.

I need access to a racing track, to adjust and test... the highways here are not ideal for that. I know where to find a set of twisties. I favor a set up that will have to be a compromise between stable in long fast curves, and agile in the tight ones. I never had a motorbike that heavy before.

I run a similar arrangement on my tire pressure. I am on Michelin Pilot Road, but I cannot tell which version. I think they are version 2, but I am not certain. I

I have not yet touched any of the settings. I like to be smooth and I don't really fancy wrestling the front. I will check the damper before my next ride. On another subject, not a single cough or sputter and it was really hot... I rode from 10:30 until 1:30ish pm.

Today I rode 160 miles non stop. Nothing fancy, just trying to get a feel for the handling, and the best way to sit on the bike. I was on the I-10 towards San Antonio. When negotiating curves the handling is more responsive if my back is against the cowl. It also helps to lean inside the fairing to cut the wind. Now it has one major draw back. I am six feet tall, and my legs are locked underneath my body when I crouch, so if I want to do a quick change of trajectory, it is difficult to lean out of the bike. If I seat directly behind the tank, it is easier to lean out to negotiate the curves and to sweep left and right. My legs are not locked, but the bike is less maneuverable that way. I have not yet tried tighter curves. The Le Mans is very stable at speed while curving, but it is not really agile or easy to get out of the initial angle. I went briefly up to 6000 rpm, and did some quick changes to check. It is like a rail, but you can't really move it from its chosen glide slope. Is this more or less the consensus here?

I am not a specialist of powder coating, but I know more or less what it is. Most of the powder coating kits, I mean the cheap ones, are around $100, with some at $90. Then you need to purchase the paint, another $20. Just for the one time.... Not sure it is worth the while.

Here is the answer from "on-bike" customer service... this guy exudes confidence and appears to be annoyed by people seeking clarifications: lol.... After his reply, I feel so much more confident in his technology.... should I ask him if his designed has been reviewed by an certifying authority?

Spanish girl.....

I hope that I am not going to offend anybody.... This is an old "for adult cartoons" French magazine, which only cost six Francs, so a very old one indeed. As you can see, the choice of the bike and individuals correspond; Prolo is short for Proletaire or Proletarian in English... the guy wears an overall, which symbolized that.

It appears that the plates reach underneath the foot peg anchors, but you would not want it to slip from underneath. I have asked the question, and we shall see if they have any feed-back tomorrow. I found strange they don't seem to have photos of the system installed on a V11. I mean they must have tried it on a V11, no? or even, they could have asked one of their customer "with nothing but praise" to send some pics...