tomsp

well I got the N102 Target Helmet...... black/grey.... I wanted a flip up but also wanted quality.. I was worried/am worried... I've never paid that less for a helmet ($340). So fit and wind noise and time will tell. My Suomy was great but had tons of wind noise. My Arai and Shoei (which I don't wear anymore) have little wind noise and are comfy too! Just wanted different...

Hey, I used to work in Willow Creek, Hoopa, Pecwan, Weichpec, and Johnson's Flat (spelling wiz I ain't).

hhmmm... maybe the hard stuff is beter than beer after all. I bought the nolan flip up.

DeBenGuzzi - ok, from the forum I respect you- you're a solid biker would you wear a nolan to protect your grey matter? I've been reading in Cycle World and others about helmets and maybe all the super hard stuff isn't the best after all....... what do you wear?

Ok, time to get a new lid. My Suomy is fading and scratched up. Looking alternatively here, anyone try a Z1R flip-up or a Shoei flip-up, or an AGV ti-tech?

how about PJ1 Super Cleaner? My problem with my Centauro - my calipers and area where the pistons are, are rusty -- how to get that stuff out!

Welcome to the best forum on the net. Do you have a pic of your bike?

I like the headlights

I use Etymotic Research ER-20 - cost $12 -- you can hear everything and it totally protects your hearing

the riding position is the only thing I'm dealing with The Beast has tons of personality as does the Le Mans. The Centaruo has a different kind of visceral power.

Mark Like I posted on the Centauro forum- I'm wanting to informally take off Saturday and go east over Ebbetts Pass to Marklyville and Monitor Pass but I'm open to ther things..... you are leaving Sunday???

hmmm.... dare I add this..... on my le mans the fairing was terrific for cutting the blast. That little bikini fairing on the v11 ???? On Centauro, it came with a little bikini fairng too (givi) - noisy and windy. I took it off. Result: less apparent wind blast and less apparent noise. Who knows. The fairing is butt ugly too. A smaller OEM fairing looks good but with little effect I think.

Couldn't resist after seeing the beautiful BOTM my 97 Centauro - pipes back from Jet-Hot Coatings $160 for the 5 pieces - 2 header, mistral crossover, 2 short pieces to the CF mistrals. Balanced the TB's, added a fuel filter, adjusted the valves (.01/.05 - maybe a bit tight)- put in super, runs nearly perfectly smooth now (just the slightest stumble getting out of idle) -- TPS should do that (!)

While the central valley in CA is scorching (110 f) I decided to bring the new Centauro to the coast. Can I post about the Beasts here? Left at 7:00 am (warm already) after changing all the fluids the night before -- what size is the rear end fill plug? Hate to admit it but I had to use something other than the correct wrench.... is it 19mm? Used synthetic on all (3.5 L engine, 750 ml gear oil, 250 ml rear end) -- front brake fluid and pads needed changing (they're ok) but parts didn't arrive yet... Despite having to overthrottle getting off the line each time - the bike ran very nicely. But it sure doesn't sound anything like the Centauro in the DVD. Lots of valve clatter and some tranny whine. The 5 speed tranny is great though and really much smoother than the 6 speed le mans I believe. From the start shifting is eaier, sounds and feels silky smooth. This beast has the givi windscreen which appears larger than OEM. I like the looks of the OEM but they're like $350! The pipes had a ceramic coating which I'm going to rre-do with jet hot with a nickel finish. Anyway, lopping alone hwy 12 at 70 and a short stretch of hwy 101 at 75 seemed just about right. The Centauro handled nicely in the twisties -- eh, for ME! -- going over to the coast on hwy 128. I did want to get back into the redwood twisties to recoup for my ride off the cliff trip last July -- Got to Fort Brag at 12:30 or so. It was piping hot until I could SEE the ocean . Then all got NICE and COOL. Beautiful -- didn't stop for pics! Riding position and comfort were great to me. No complaints at all. Left the next morning at 6:30 a/m/ in the fog and cold and got home at 11:30 - trying to beat the heat coming home... IT was FOGGY like heck until I made the turn inland at the 128 route. Then the sun started coming up. Problem was sunglasses Riding west with the sun coming up, even that early meant I needed sunglasses. But then dipping down into the redwoods now and then I couldn't see! Man. Observations 1. Harley riders appear to be total adam henry's Now I didn't see any HD's in the hills anywhere. In towns like Napa, Calistoga, and Fort Brag, I saw then as I passed and I waved - you know - zero waved back. On the other hand, all other bikes waved. I mean even riding on hwy 101, bikes going in the southbound lanes waved across the divide. Plenty, plenty of riders going to moto gp.... 2. Engine oil temp ran hot I thought at like 110 C with a couple of stretches beyond that. 3. I have to check for that leak in my right hand throttle body rubber boot, do the TB balance and set tps - the bad low speed performance I don't like. 4. Once up and running, the beast ran perfectly except for more noise than I thought but it's not bad, just different. The 4-valve sound pretty darn good though when opened up Sound level and type of sound seemed to be better after I changed the fluids too ? 5. Does anybody use throttlemeisters on their beast? 6. distance 423 mi I"ve got the OEM adjustable handlebars on order from Moto International. Bags space is a problem (wish I had the money to get the KTM Adventure-Tourer too) Only took a couple of pics OK Al, waiting for your post

my Centauro that I acquired recently had a ceramic coating treatment -- don't know who from-- but it looks terrible - kind of brown. I've contacted jet coatings and got a quote to re-do my headers in their silver look. Don't know why whatever coating didn't work in the first place - neither did the previous owner...

Hey I'm here too - 'cept I have a 97 Centauro - rode up to Ebbetts Pass Monday - way too hot . I'm trying to figure out how to put a bag on it????

"These have rubber intakes like the later V11? TBs that squeek make me think of an intake leak . . " OK, the right throttle body rubber intake cover does have little cracked lines all over it. The left side rubber does not. Can I tell if it's leaking by spraying water over it while running?

back to that TB noise - stumble -- before I go hooking up my twin max and start fooling with this thing - can I gete some advice here? -- at idle all seems fine at about 1200 rpm- perfect with no hiccups. Then giving it a little throttle, I can see the right throttle body butterfly open slightly, I hear a sqeak coming from the TB (?) and then rpm's drop. My solution while out is to increase throttle rpm's which to me is overtaxing the engine and can't be too good for the clutch either! What do you think? TB balance and tps setting?

you left out my Centauro

you're right edge of the wil creedon chip - guy's beast had it for sure -- and it does run great. It just stumbles, especially when cold - the throttle skips and maybe there's too much throttle play in the linkage maybe-- when cold especially, when rolling the throttle slightly on, there's a squeak sound in the throttle linkage, a stumble, then it catches and all is fine thereafter. on the pipes, I'm going to have them jet coated with their silver, nickel look. And even though the current veluchi (? I can't spell) bars fit me perfectly and the bike handles beautifully with them, I like the look of the OEM bars - I've got them ordered...... the whole bike seems sooooo stable too. I almost forgot -=- had to add this edit while in Alaska too -- the gearbox -- 5 speed and silky smooth. Man oh man. Haven't heard a clunk yet. speaking of alaska -- been in jeauno (can't spell), skaqway, ketchakan - no guzzi's yet -- seen quite a few adventure tourers however. One guy I met at the top of whitehorse pass - he'd been to Nome (!) on a honda all purpose tourer.

it's 4:44 a.m. and time to leave the country for a time

ben stein is my kind of guy. he makes good sense and he's real, fluid -- people have a hard time putting him in a political box. i'll get it. I'll do the other with my pipes too. just got back from a brief night ride== there's a brief flutter, stumble every time excellerating from stop in first gear -=-- throttle bodies / tps adjustment coming up.

New bike - 97 Centauro. Belonged to Guy Garretson in Florida -- he put in a bunch of known fixes - including, but not limited to, irridium plugs, mistral crossover, new mapped chip, grounding everything, relays, bronze sensors,, etc., -- then added mistral carbon cans, carbon alternator cover, new seat- stock cowl is on its way- Now I got this beast on July 4th with 12, 120 miles on it. Since then, in two morning runs, I added 225 miles. Comparrison with my 03 lemans -- the Centauro has of course a much more relaxed riding position - a leaning forward standard. Very comfortable. It pulls like a frieght train. Strong. Turns n willingly with zero effort. Holdsthe line, even with me riding. With the 4 valves it more noisy than the lemans but it has a great sound. I've got oem handlebars ordered. So far, so good -- keep it running -- I'm having to re-=read Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance to get into the "I'm gong to have to work on this thing frame of mind Electrical seems stronger than the lemans - it's got some rust on some parts from florida -- like the rear sets have a couple of spots -- how do I get that out -- or do I remove and paint/ plate over? Hey, the hauler only hauled bikes -- two decks - completely full. I got a pic of Michael Jordan's HD (one of them ) - he has it hauled to where he's going to be and then rides and then the hauler picks it back up and brings it to the next place.... cool. The pipes had a ceramic coating put on them -- but it looks really bad. I need to crome or silver plate them (jet coatings?). He's got a bunch of custom off parts -- look at the header clamps.

way to go Dr. Gil :!: I was waiting for your post on that topic-- nice as always! Hey, I bought a Centauro - we'll have to hook up for a ride (by the way, on the troubles with v11's - you think you've got problems?...... centau.....

Old Thumper is good. But this is better. Better yet is the czech beer starobrno...