Dan M

Hey Tom, I have the Stradas on my Lemans and the Z6s on my RT. Both are excellent tires, far better than the OE Bridgestones in my opinion. They both claim long life and excellent wet performance, and are made by the same parent company. While I only have 1500 - 2000 miles on each set and can't vouch for longevity, the wet & dry grip is terrific on both. I don't make a habit of mixing tires. Unless I had a relatively new tire that was ruined, I'd always replace both at the same time.

My condolences Jon. Rest assured though, had it happened to me, I'd have managed to sprain my ankle or worse in the process. Shit happens to all of us

Really? Their website shows current models. Not true?

Attended the annual Chicago Norton Owner's Club antique bike show today. Lots of great stuff to look at, mostly european. I was commenting to a friend on how many nice Guzzis were there when this fellow pulls in on a beautiful, orange Ghezzi-Brian. I think it was the Furio model. Anyway, it's the first time I've seen one up close. The guy let me sit on it, compact, but not cramped, less reach to the bars than the LeMans, and very light feeling. What a bike, gotta have one. Do they import many?

dlaing's got it. Change the fluid first, Not just any synthetic, Redline shockproof lubricant contains magic. Better yet, take the cover off and clean out all of the metal paste first. I had the same trouble around 3000mi in hot weather. With the low miles and if no one has fiddled with it, the adjuster under the acorn nut is probably OK.

I have a older version of the StreetPilot, a 2610. It is weatherproof. The screen is large enough for my aging eyes. The touch screen works reasonably well with mid weight gloves on. I've seen the new model has more features and different views than what I've got, looks pretty nice. The 2610 uses a CF memory card, I'd assume the 2720 does as well, but worth knowing. Garmin is the name in GPS, if I were to get another it would be another Garmin. Oh yea, I'd recommend their stock too

Like Nogbad said, if you didn't fill the filter you'll have to crank quite a bit to prime everything up. One easy way to check is to remove a valve cover and see if oil is being pumped up to the rockers. If all you did is pull the sump & filter, everything is probably fine.

So true. Seems easy to find that rhythm when the mood is right. I think it's that torquey motor that feels so "in the zone". The only other bike that "fits" that way for me is my Commando. Like the Guzzi it has a satisfying low end punch & lovely exhaust note.

Exactly. That tank shape is somewhat reminiscent of a Suzuki Titan, but Suzuki never pulled together the whole package like M M.

Be sure to buy a motorcycle specific charger or a 12V trickle charger - no more than 2 amp. There is no need to disconnect the battery from the bike, just be careful on your hook up. Using your alternator to charge it up will work but if your battery is bad and your alternator is putting out full blast all the time to try & keep it charged up you will shorten the life of your alternator. Any decent auto shop can load test that battery after it has been charged.

Very cool! I've always loved those.

If you are worried about security this may help.

I've bugged Paolo twice about the Alpinas. He says he'll update the website as soon as they are available. In the meantime I try not to spend idle moments thinking about them.

I love my Garmin 2610. It's rain proof, easy to use and the screen is big enough for my aging eyes. The only down side is you'll need to buy a power supply line & mount for each bike for an easy swap. It comes with a lighter plug/speaker kit for the car but it's nice to have the line hardwired to the bike so you can have it mounted cleanly.

Search the "how to" forum - many posts

There are Harleys to be rented everywhere, but if he washes then maybe this: http://www.rental-motorcycle.com/namerica/...ois_rental.html still mostly harleys but there's a Gold wing & GS to choose from as well

Well put Pete

Yea, I'll go through everything this week. It hasn't been too many miles since valve adj & t-body sync, but I'll check it all anyway. It just seemed so sudden. Not a slow degradation, it went from perfect to crap within 100 miles.

Ever since my PCIII has been installed with an off the shelf map for my approximate mods (FBF X-over & M4 mufflers), my bike has run seamlessly. Smooth strong power, and not even a hiccup. Yesterday I noticed when riding at 3000 to 4000 rpm with a small throttle opening, there was an occasional miss & surge. Today I rode about 150 miles and it was happening often, as well as missing when leaving a stop until the throttle was opened 30% or more. Idle is smooth, full throttle is OK as is anything above 4500 rpm. It is hotter the last two days than it has been, mid 90's with substantial humidity. I'm wondering if it is just too rich at that throttle opening for the hot temps, and I'm getting the plugs sooty. I haven't looked at the plugs yet or checked CO output. Any thoughts out there?

Hey Dan, Doesn't sound likely that it is the spring. The spring holds the pawl against the selector assembly. If broken it will not shift at all. It is more likely accumulation of metal paste that makes the shift pawl "sticky" and it will not return to center after shifting. Sometimes this can be confirmed by wiggling the shifter and seeing if you can get it to shift into another gear. If this is the case, the fix is easy. Pull the cover and clean everything. Replace the lube. Redline Shockproof Heavy works well in mine and is recommended by many on this board. Hope this helps.

Metzeler bought Pirelli. Moved manufacturing to Germany. I'm kinda thinking they share R&D also. Both tires have been developed for the sport touring market. Both boast long mileage, quick warm up, wet grip & handling, both tread patterns are similar. Why would they spend money to develop two different compounds with the same goal in mind, at the same time? I suppose they may be different in more than just name and tread pattern, but it doesn't seem likely. I have both tires albeit not on the same bike so a true comparison is not possible for me. They do seem to have similar characteristics though.

Here we go... I'm with ya Ratch but lay off the Italian stuff or I'll usa my wrench ona you The MetzelerZ6 & Pirelli Diablo Strada are built by the same parent company, focused on the same market, using the same materials, same technology and very similar profile & tread pattern. (this sounds vaguely familiar) Both are excellent tires for wet & dry street use. The Pirellis are a HUGE improvement over the stock Bridgestones on my V11 and the Z6s are better than the Z4s on my BMW. Both offer predictable handling, relatively long life and incredible wet grip.

Hey John, The bike is a beauty. My choice for seat is Rich Maund. It's a true improvement over stock, his work is excellent as is his service. I've had a Corbin on another bike years ago and thought it was first rate but since then have heard several bad reports on their customer service. The MotoBits foot peg kit from Moto International is great, and has the bonus of improved gear shift action. It positions the pegs slightly lower and more forward. Greg Field on this board is the contact there, good service from him as well. Dan

Hey Greg, The fix-a-flat is most likely the cause of your trouble. It is indeed, nasty stuff. We have to deal with it periodically in car tires, what a mess. I believe your plugs wouldn't hold because the slime from the fix-a-flat would not allow the plug to adhere. Or the hole was just too big for the plug to be a tight fit. What kind of plug did you use? We have the larger brown rope type radial inserts that have never given us trouble. We probably repair 5 or so (car) tires a week and have been using this type of plug for decades. About a month ago while meeting up for a group ride I noticed a screw in a buddy's front tire. We plugged it on the spot and did about 250 miles that day without incident. Not long after, a guy who works for me picked up a nail in the rear of his brand new Metzeler Z6. He plugged it and has been using it ever since. BTW, I'm lovin my motobits pegs/shifter. Dan

Just slice them lengthwise with a razor blade then peel off. Easy. I changed mine to a gel grip by Pro Grip. Same diameter but much softer. They make more than one compound.