audiomick

Enjoy it, Pete. I've got (at least...) another 7 years. Good thing I like my job.

+1 for the pics.

So resale is probably not a crucial point, I expect. I'd go straight for Guzzi, if that's what he wants. But not straight to a V11. As has already been suggested, a small-block V7 would be a good way to ease back into it. Or a Breva 750. I've got one of those. A bit ugly, but cheap. I always advise beginners to not buy the dream bike straight away, but rather to ride something that doesn't mean so much to them for a while first, on the assumption the the first bike is almost certainly going to fall over somewhere along the way. For a bloke getting back into it who is interested in a Guzzi and doesn't need to count the pennies, a 750 small-block would be an easy to handle bike to get back into the routine. If it does happen to fall over, it would not be so tragic as chucking away a nice V11. If it doesn't, it could be re-sold, or retained as a run-around to spare the dream bike from the run to the supermarket. PS: the Breva, and even the V35 Imola, feel just like a big guzzi to ride, just lighter and a bit easier to handle. And less power...

Doors: here in Germany, most doors open inwards. A door that is an official fire exit (in a public building) must, according to law, open outwards. They don't always do that, though. First ride: not going to happen for a while. The bikes are all waiting on a bit of work, and the weather is about to go bad again. It's been unseasonably warm the last week or 10 days, with temperatures around 10°C. And a fair bit of rain. Within the next couple of days it is forecast to go down to 3°C or so, and stay there for a while. With more rain.

Well, here's two that might. https://www.webbikeworld.com/billy-joel-built-bruce-springsteens-moto-guzzi/ PS: the motor in that "Eldorado" looks vaguely famililar... The brakes don't quite look like early '70's either...

@LaGrasta : can you manage a photo of how it looks now? On the strenght of Phil's photos I had assumed that the optimal 90° would not be possible because the Lucky Phil lever is longer.

Yes, they often are. Paul McCartney, for instance, (no, never had anything to do with him...) seems to be very good at that. Dealing with artists as a technician sometimes shows up a different side. Both the "arrogant because a prick" and the "tetchy because uncertain", but also the genuinely nice. Suzi Quatro, for instance, struck me as genuinely nice. Actually not a very flash bass player, but nice.

Over the years I have encountered a number of more or less famous musical artists. The trend is, the better and more experienced they are at what they do, the more likely there are to be relaxed and friendly. The difficult ones are those who are not as good as they would like to be (and know it deep down inside...).

Yes. Although the engine apparently had little in common with the stock engine as fitted in Oldsmobiles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brabham_BT19#Engine_and_transmission

Just as a matter of interest, how many people here know who Jack Brabham (mentioned in the article) was?

Mine live in the courtyard under covers. The V11 is in my garage around the corner at the moment, but that is only because it needed some work that isn't quite finished. I don't like leaving them outside, but I want them available. If I had to go somewhere to get on the bike, I'd probably never ride. If they're here, they get ridden. A house or flat with a closed garage would be nicer, but we don't have that, and aren't likely to get one here in Leipzig. So the bikes live outside.

Very impressive.

A kind of a protest band from Melbourne in the late '80s. I believe one of them was a fellow music student at the uni I was at. Figure it out for yourself. I never did... EDIT: PS: they always wore masks on stage. No-one really knew what they looked like. All part of the gag.

I'm getting nostalgic. Friends of mine from back in the day.

Another one from "my time" in Melbourne. I worked as the house technician in a pub called "the Tote" for about two years in the late 80's. This band was big in Melbourne at the time. Watch the video, and you'll know why. The singer was Chris Wilson, unfortunately passed away in 2019. The blond woman on Guitar is Barb Waters. Brilliant performers. The rest of the band as well.

and this

Nothing to do with the previous posts, but I'm on a roll.

You too.

@docc in that video that Kindoy2 posted, is that a Fender bass or not? It doesn't look like it to me, but I'm not sure. And... I listened to the whole thing again on the headphones. The drum kit also sounds really, really good. The Hammond too, of course, but one doesn't need to mention that, actually. They always sound good.

Two christmas songs: I posted this on the german forum. I reckon it is one of the best christmas songs ever: and somebody else countered with this. I didn't know of it, but I have to admit it is also pretty good.

I want that Gibson. (and that little orange amp....)

@Lucky Phil I went looking for info on that bloke in the video. Found this about the "Manhatten Institute" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Institute_for_Policy_Research and enough about the speaker to recognise with a reasonable amount of reliability that he is a hard-core conservative capitalist. I'm not saying he's telling fibs, but I'm convinced he's pushing a pretty big barrow.

As far as I am aware, there are only metric grams, defined as one gram being one thousanth of a kilogram. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gram https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SI_base_unit

I'd reckon that would be right. We all know what this time of year can be like. Suits me fine.

I maintain that I would not confuse "being different" with really good design. My usual reaction to "just being different" is, to put it politely, a distinct aversion.