v50man

I'm with DLAING on this one. It's a much better bike since I installed the Hawker. His model # is -- of course -- correct.

I'm in ATL -- and Dahlonega's a great ride. How much time would he need the bike for? Does he work on weekends? Let me know. v50

Alonso is a deluded boor -- but one helluva race car driver. Next to Rossi he is roadshow -- at best... Motorcycle racers can race cars quite easily. The opposite -- not so true.........

I think all you niggahs should just chill...

If I'm gonna lay out that kinda dough, I think I'd go for the MV Agusta F4 -- and just be done with it. But -- hey -- I'm the same guy who swears by his Buell Firebolt ------ so what do I know?

Just so everybody knows, I'm actually very proud of Nicky. I was just having some fun with the (hopefully) obviously fake news blurb. With Max out of the series, I found myself pulling for Nicky most of the time -- and, after the Pedrosa incident -- I REALLY wanted him to win. Winning the championship will give him CONFIDENCE -- and that can take a roadracer a long way. And, by the way, the horse country near Lexington, Kentucky is some of the most beautiful scenery in North America.

Owensboro, KY....... Mayor Jeb Franklin announced to day that the city of Owensboro -- in concert with the KY state government -- are planning to erect a 1 square block -- SIX STORY -- monument to Nicky Hayden's 2006 Moto GP world championship. "I know there's some folk who think it's kinda inappropriate, what with all the poverty and stuff goin' on around here," said Mayor Franklin, "But -- long-term -- we feel this is the right thing to do." Ned Fortson, Owensboro's Treasurer for 33 years, has refused comment.

You boys got a point.......... ......but at least Nicky's a good guy............ What's yer predictions fer next year? I'm going out on a limb and sayi ng -[[[[[[[[[[[[ ---------- MELANDRI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ...or Rossi... ...or Pedrosa..,. ...aww, geez......................................

Let's watch it play out, boys. I have a sneaking suspicion that Dani Pedrosa is gonna be Valentino's worst nightmare, driving him to the edge of self destruction. Oh -- sorry -- that was just a fantasy. Regardless, the Fat Lady ain't sung yet... Besides, neither of them holds a candle to...

quat-d. do a search............. ...........and welcome............ v50

Got a call that -- after three weeks -- Guzzi has supplied my dealer with a new starter under warranty. Dealer still unsure of Guzzi -- but dealer be good to v50man. I be happy.;

I had to ask around as to who he was at first. Apparently, he's seeing the supermodel who survived the Tsunami (while her photographer boyfriend did not). Judging from this photograph, I'm questioning her taste. A dominatrix, perhaps? Or, as usual, a wallet humper?

Just finished watching the tape-delayed race on Speed TV. Sick to my stomach for Hayden. Happy for Elias. And to think, I was really beginning to like Pedrosa. Tragically, though, I believe that he (Pedrosa) is the sport's future. Ugh...

I agree. Hayden by a whisker. Difference is, I wish him well. If you ever watched "baby" Nicky race in the AMA series, you know he can be as fast as anybody on any day. I think he needs to be trained by Apollo Creed, though...

I cannot believe that an otherwise intelligent -- though cranky and bitchy at times -- group such as this one has been sucked into the BS that is Tex. I love the guy -- find him to be infinitely amusing -- but don't believe FOR ONE MINUTE that he's on his way to the shrink. Guys -- he's pullin' yer legs....... Enough with the touchy-feely garbage. Do as I do ----- Take your 40 mg of generic Prozac and carry on with vigor......... oi..........

I don't see the sadness -- gotta go with Nogbad here. Actually, it would have been better if it had closed earlier. For longer than I care to remember, CBGBs has been a sad caricature of its former self. Punk just aint punk anymore. As an underage boy in the seventies I would often take the Eerie-Lackawanna line into NYC and hang out with my equally-rotten cousins at many bars -- including CBGB. Pere Ubu -- one of my all-time faves -- was debuted to me there -- and I am forever thankful. But -- time passes by. RIP. I can only hope that there is interest in post-Reagan/Thatcher punk, as I'm sinking everything I've got into a documentary on a Southern Punk band, The Dirty Works. If all goes as planned, it'll debut at South X Southwest in Austin early next year. Check 'em out on myspace.com/dirtyworks... ...and let CBGB die a dignified death. Like the Rolling Stones, it stayed around WAAAY too long....... v50

Me, I bought a Buell -- which has a clock as standard equipment. Oi..........

I've seen this and -- yes -- it is miles better than "World's Fastest Indian." But, then again, just about anything is better than the uber-schmaltzy WFI...

Actually -- much like the City X they come standard on -- they're built for the street -- REAL streets with real imperfections. Trust me, they are MOST excellent tires.

With the Guzzi in the shop awaiting warranty work (oi...), I've been running the hell out of the Buell. In fact, I wore the tires out. Based on the reviews of several of my friends -- and the fact that they are actually OEM on the City X -- I shod the Firebolt with a new pair. Wow. Water is not an issue, as the tread pattern just spits it out better than any other I've ridden. The bike is less nervous on bad/striated pavement -- dry grip is more than adequate -- and one of the squids at the dealer (an invincible "kid" who uses way more of his tires than I do) told me that he got 8,000 miles out of a set. If these are half as good on the V11, I'll be in for a treat. Anybody have these on the V11? v50

Ummmmmmmm... Judging from the black engine paint and the color scheme, that is not an '04. Black engine paint flakes off. Sorry to be the bearer of this news.... v50

So, Antonio -- Freddie Mercury is NOT dead?

Greg -- A point well taken. Please understand that I am a HUGE fan of my dealer. They've been exceedingly fair and honest with me through the years, and I will certainly buy more bikes from them in future. It may well be an Italian thing, but I hear no such complaints about Ducati. I'm just saddened that the Piaggio takeover was not all I had hoped for. Thanks for the insight. v50

Gents -- For six or eight months now, my Guzzi has been a bit "slow" to start. She felt like she was laboring -- the process took entirely too long -- and I knew something wasn't quite right. Decided to take her to work this morning, and even with a brand new Hawker Odyssey and a full complement of new relays, the start process was wonky at best. Sketchy -- unbalanced -- just not right. So, I stuffed her back into the garage and fired up the Buell. Had a beautiful ride to the office, but was upset as I had REALLY wanted to ride the Guzzi. When the hour of their opening arrived, I phoned the maintenance department of my dealer, Atlanta Triumph-Ducati and explained that I was having this problem -- that the bike was still under warranty -- and that I needed it addressed PRONTO as the Fall riding season in ATL is the best. The tech told me that they'd been having serious problems with Guzzi/Piaggio. Parts were scarce and phone calls were not returned. They were not being paid for much 0f their warranty work. It'd probably be AT LEAST THREE or FOUR weeks 'til they could help me out. In shock, I simply agreed quietly and hung up. Thought about it for a minute, and then rode the Buell over to the dealership (only five minutes away) and hunted down the owner (who sold me the bike new in January 2005). He concurred with the tech about the problems with Guzzi, but did not make the prohblem mine. When could I get the bike in for the service techs to have a look? Howzabout a half hour, I responded -- and rode home to get the Guzzi. Got her started and got to the dealer -- straight to the front of the queue. Two techs -- one who happened to be in the shop from Guzzi corporate performed a bunch of tests on the bike and decided that indeed it was a bad starter motor -- covered under warranty. Just as he was finishing his tests, the Guzzi tech tried again to start the bike -- and there was NOTHING. Yeah, I can leave the bike here. I'll call The Redhead and have her come pick me up. There was about a half-hour lag between my call to her and the actual arrival of The Redhead, so I hung out in the showroom drooling on MV Agustas and shooting the shit with the parts guys. An older doctor -- ex-BMW guy -- was talking with Jason (the owner) about buying a new bike. He liked the Triumph Rocket monster bike -- and was leering at a couple of 1100 Brevas. He was told -- straight out -- that while, yes, they were extraordinary bikes -- he could not guarantee that if something went wrong and he needed a part that he wouldn't be strung out for six months. Sad but true, as he was paying interest for the bikie to be on his sales floor. Ergo, he was refusing delivery of Grisos until the situation with Piaggio was cleaned up. My dealer and I have history together, and my problem will be solved. Guzzi puzzles me, however. An otherwise brilliant and creative concern, it seems to me they're always crashing in the same car. Pity. v50 (riding my Buell 'til Guzzi gets it together -- and not complaining one bit)

In my experience, Nogs, the Buell is a much better wet weather bike. Most of this is due to its lighter weight and flickability. The stock Bridgestones on the Buell work OKAY in the wet. The Guzzi's Bridgestones make me nervous in the wet. While the Guzzi feels supremely planted in the dry, it's not my favorite in the wet. The best in the wet? My 1988 Ducati Paso -- FWIW... v50