audiomick

The question is, how bad are the potholes? Of course it is possible that you need to look at your suspension. The bike is not exactly new. On the other hand, suspension can only cope with so much. If the road is shitty beyond reason, it might be just too much.

News posted in the German forum: the new V7 model still has 67 ps. There was initially some speculation that it might go up to 80, i.e. the V85 TT motor, but that is apparently not the case. It apparently does have a couple of Nm more torque, though. The pictures shows a green one with twin disks at the front and USD forks (good move, I reckon), which is apparently the "sport" version. Don't know what the other versions are. Edit: I see the white one with the slightly bored looking girl sitting on it has a single disk at the front. Can't say anything about the Stelvio, as I am ignoring it on account of an inground aversion to chook-chasers.

That's difficult. I don't think there is a single "best ever". But they are definitely up there, right up front, in the front runners.

It never occurred to me that they might be anything else. They certainly look like cast items to me.

Neither do I, actually, because I've never had two normal eyes. From things I have heard (my dad lost an eye, and he still plays footy....), I have the impression that someone who loses an eye may, possibly, deal with it better than someone who never had two. But I may be wrong there. How do I deal with it (riding bikes, particularly), I think I scan constantly how much ground is between me and whatever it is I am trying not to hit. Also, how quick is that thing getting bigger? Parallax also plays a part, I think (with only one eye, you have to move your head a bit to get that). One thing is certain: "ball in the air" sports just don't work. No chance. Footy, cricket, badminten, basketball, table tennis, tennis, whatever. Doesn't work. I played field hockey at school, because that was about the only thing in which I had half a chance. As far as driving and riding bikes goes, there are moments when the brain is convinced there is no road in front of me. Here, left-hand-drive, right-hand traffic, is actually a bit harder for me (the left eye doesn't work, but I don't know how relevant that is). For instance, heading in to a left-hand curve with a car coming out of the curve in the other direction, there is a moment where the brain is absolutely convinced there is no room to get past. It requires a conscious effort, in the knowledge that, yes, the road really is there, and just as wide in the curve as where I am now, to just ride through the moment. It is only a moment, but it is there. Anyway, for anyone who wants to know what it is like, try this. Cover one eye, and get someone to put a bottle on the table in front of you. It is important to not do it yourself. If you do, your brain will still know where it is, even with both eyes shut. Try and put a finger on the top of the bottle, going from well above the bottle straight downwards. Get the other person to move the bottle again, and try again. I'd be surprised if you get the finger on the bottle first time. For the adventurous: cover one eye and get someone to throw a cricket ball or a baseball straight at your face. I'd advise wearing protection for that one.

I have to admit, I don't have a great deal of experience with singles. I learnt to ride on a Honda CT 90 that my dad had for riding around on the farm. There was a Suzuki, RM 80 I think, that my dad won in a raffle and gave to my younger brother (who was already too big for it when he got it, but we all flogged the life out of it...), and I remember riding another dirt bike that belonged to the cousin of a girlfriend of the time. No idea what it was, other than that I think it was a 450 or 490, and a two stroke. The one that left me scarred for life made the most impression on me was the XT 500 that a house mate had in the last place I lived in in Melbourne. A capable bike, and with a motor that qualified as good, if I recall correctly. I rode it a number of times, but never really enjoyed it. Too many vibrations, amongst other things. I just don't get what the fascination with singles is.

Apparently there are still people who propogate the assertation that the earth is a flat disk. Some people are just dumb as dogshit.

There have been some posts on the German forum that there is a new V7 on the way with twin disks on the front, an upside-down fork, and the V85TT motor. Also, a new V100 version that might be not much more than new colour schemes. @Chuck a proper motor has at least two cylinders. If there are only two, they must be in a 90° V configuration. So there!

@Lucky Phil that tool sounds good for making a neat joint that doesn't increase the thickness of the wire at the joint. I've always twisted the ends together. To be precise: strip the wires about 1,5 cm or so, i.e. fairly long. Twist (wrap) the end of one around the end of the other a couple of mm. back from the end of the insulation, such that the twist is around the bare wire between the start of the twist and the insulation, leaving likewise a couple of mm of bare wire on the one that is being twisted. Twist the free end around the bare bit on the other wire. Bang some solder into the twist. It makes a blob on the wire where the joint is, but it works very well. Heat-shrink (thread it onto the wire before you strip...) over the joint, and no-one can see how sloppy the soldering is. My biggest problem with soldering has always been that I don't have 3D vision. If anyone is interested, this is why https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amblyopia Finding the thing I am trying to heat with the soldering iron is a pain, and then finding both of those with the solder. For the brave at heart, cover one eye and try it out.

Don't worry mate, you'll find something else to keep you amused for sure. Mine has been full of surprises. The latest delight is a blown fork seal. Still love her though...

@KINDOY2 while we're on Neil Young.... EDIT: silly motorcycle, but I like the song.

Seems like a great band, @docc, but I couldn't listen to it. Someone needs to tell the sound guy that the red lights at the top of the level meter shouldn't be on all the time...

Could be, but I seriously doubt that a single year at your place could result in the condition that shaft was in. If the salt air were such a problem, then all of the motorbikes in, for instance, Melbourne and Sydney should be rusting before their lamenting owners eyes, and they aren't. I reckon there must have been neglect for a while before you got the bike.

I know this thread is old enough to be classed as antique, but I just stumble across it, and I did two lots of valve clearances in the last week or so, and thought about what I was doing. So... What I ended up with, which works for me really well (I am right-handed): A ring spanner on the lock-nut on the adjustment screw. Screwdriver in the left hand on the adjustment screw. Feeler gauge in the right hand. Back off the lock nut until the adjustment screw just turns. Rest the ring-spanner on the knuckles of the right hand. If it locks up, you can easily back it off a bit just by raising the hand a bit. Feeler gauge in the gap, and turn the screw back and forth with the screwdriver to find the gap. When you have it, drop the right hand a bit, and the weight of the ring spanner tightens the lock nut a bit automatically. If the last movement of the screwdriver was in the direction of "looser", it has already taken up the play in the screw head slot, and a steady hand should be able to hold it there whilst tightening the lock nut. Feeler gauge out, letting the ring spanner (carefully) fall in the process, and then nip it up tight. I hope that is not too cryptic. I don't have a film of the process...

A lack of any maintenance at all, I would think. Poor motorbike... Edit: I just went looking to see if Molly had recently posted "I just bought a V11 (something or other)". I didn't find that, but what I did find is a number of posts from Molly up until 2010, and then nothing until just recently. So I am inclined to ask @Molly: Is that the same bike as the one that prompted the posts 15 years ago (and has it been standing in a shed in the meantime), or is it one that has just been purchased recently (and has maybe been standing in a shed for the last 15 years anyway) ?

Looks like it was not so much the spline as the shaft itself that was causing grief. Is that the case?

I started a thread on that topic a while back. I found the resulting discussion quite interesting.

And now for something completely different (again ) I became aware of this bloke through a TV documentary. I had never heard of him, and was amazed. Amongst other things, hearing what he did explains why anyone could possibly think hip-hop is ok. They are all trying to do what he did, but can't. Anyway... Gil Scott Heron. Enjoy...

I don't think it is my kind either, going by that advertisment posing as news.

Doesn't look all that good...

I never knew Springsteen wrote that. Just went looking and found out. Still, I prefer what Manfred Mann did with it. While we're at it, this is great, always was and always will be... And since Chris Thomspon is such a legend, this too. Johnny Farmhand got famous (again) with it, but Chris wrote it. And since we've mentioned John Farnham, this was his first hit. I don't know if anyone outside of Australia ever heard of it...

Why not? Piaggio is, to my knowledge, the biggest scooter manufacturer in the world. Why would they buy in an engine in that category, when they undoubtably have one of their own that works perfectly well?

And now for something completely different... We studied this piece at the University. Coltrane is mostly playing arpeggios, which, at 130 bpm, is not really surprising. Interesting is how the pianist launches into his solo, and after a while just gives up and starts playing chords. Shortly afterwards, Coltrane takes over again. EDIT: for anyone who wants to have a go at it... https://musescore.com/user/498481/scores/6680232

That's the point of it all, isn't it? It'd be a bit boring if we all posted the same stuff.