Martin Barrett

My valve stem lock-nut has corroded away ala BFG's this gives me more concern than the Ultraseal and punctures - I'm due new tyres any day now and it will be new stems this time.

This time last year I picked up a puncture on a set of Avons with only 500 miles on them. Took about 7 miles of riding to drop to about 15psi. Limped from air line to air line to my local bike mechanic. We put Ultraseal in it, blew it up and took it for a spin. No problems. A bit arse about face in application but it worked. Later in Scotland I got another puncture, the Ultraseal couldn't quite hold it - a small split - but with a get you home road side kit was able to plug it. Held, probably a combination of the two products working together. Was supposed only to be good for 40 miles at 40mph, but held for over 400miles till got home at normal speeds. I agree with Ratchet on why it's always the rear. If it's a new tyre and a small nail I'd try the Ultraseal ( they say up to 6mm dia), a do it yourself fix. If you change your own tyres opens up the opportunity to plug from the inside. Otherwise you're having to add in cost of having some one do it for you and then you're in the realms of a new tyre Unless you go for a new tyre you will always have some doubts in the back of your mind until your fix lasts out the life of the tyre and only then will you trust that method. A complex algorithm of cost/life of tyre/confidence. I put Ultraseal in my next set of tyres and will do again. Will you still be on this set of tyres when you come to Scotland?

Welcome bLack I love the looks of the sport/sporti and would squeeze one in if I could.

I didn't quite understand what you meant by splash screen -I thought wrongly you'd mounted a normal car set and waterproofed it. I now know better - it's the back ground display. We had to hire a car (Vauxhall Vectra 1.9 TDi Sri) for the wife as ours expired it came with a built in unit. She was quite impressed and so was the Father in Law who now gone and bought himself a Tom Tom - principally for taking this Morris Minor to shows - I'd have thought the software would go out of date during the journey . Whilst appreciative of it I'm too much of a skin flint and feign a preference for Maps and scrappy notes stuffed in my tank bag. NB - your link in your profile didn't work - but you're the first hit when Googling "Roadholder" edit - just checked needs an extra w - hadn't noticed it was missing earlier

Off the top of my head - my - 03 lemans, Bill Hagan - Billabob and Tomsp - cliff diving lemans. I think Jaap also said his. I'm sure theres loads more. My whole systen is knacked, the collector/can joints have thined out, I've had brackets snap, and issues with the balance pipe joints.

Spring is upon us and it's nearly time for this years Round Britain Rally If you've missed the last two years threads - 2005's & 2006's here's the brief synopsis: A photographic and touring event between April and October. A list of landmarks is published and all you have to do is identify the landmark from the description given and take a photograph of it including your motorcycle. Visit as many or as few as you want. Gives a purpose to a ride on your bike and get to go and discover new and interesting parts of the country. The landmark list was published last week and having done my research and plotted them all up, I'm just waiting for the start. I'm unlikely to be doing all of them this year, as I'm unable to make Chris' Highland Fling due to jury service. I've marked the venue with the unhappy smiley so its all ready in case I get discharged. So if you're looking for something to give a ride some purpose it's worth considering, and you can post your trip reports here - but no photos of the actual land marks till November.

Welcome Don, You're as old as the bike you ride so that makes us all children of the sixties/seventies as Pete will say it's basically the same old ditch pump. Guzzi is a state of mind anyway. Having read your introduction I now know what the dp part of your user-name refers to - I'd obviously been spending too much time on the non motorcycling parts of the Internet* * only as part of my moderation duties so I'd be able to recognize this type of spam should it occur on the Silly B part of the forum

A long while ago (1990) I was marked down to 85 on a motorway (70 mph limit) for the purpose of being a warning - I was able to produce documents at road side so everything was just notes on the producer that would have been issued that gets filed as an audit trail for the officers actions. Things are even tighter now with checks on abuse of the PNC (Police National Computer- links in to driving licence, vehicle records, insurance and criminal records data bases) and formal stop check records. The old guide lines of 10% +2mph as a threshold are no longer official due to threats of legal action by the road safety brigade. It's purely down to officer discretion. With in car video and recording of laser images if checked could be hard pushed to justify non prosecution if subject to audit. You did very well if in a built up area, (depending on quality of his evidence against you) lucky to run in to a traditional rather than a modern robocop, dealing with "education" rather than purely number crunching ticket processing. The offical line from the top

I'm on my second stone chipped head light. small hole I've yet to get around to trying to plug it with epoxy adhesive as a temporary repair Ventura the bike pack luggage people also offer a cover and yes I'm kicking myself for not fitting one after the first head light was smashed comprehensively I've also lost an indicator lens following KB (too closely) on an overtake as crossed over the crap in the centre of the road The sticky bit under the hole is where the electrical tape was, that masked off the main beam for it's annual road worthyness test as a LHD headlight was fitted after the first headlight smashed

Again thanks for sharing, I'd just looked at Rocker 59's trip and immediately thought of yours reports and thought how blessed we were in getting quality trip reports from yourself, Rocker 59 and Orson. Just need Orson to get off the rig and take a trip.

Another good trip report, I'm inspired to get my chores done quickly tomorrow and go for a ride. Happy Birthday

That's Mr Forrest's classic racer to compliment his NSR

There are chinks of sunlight in the gloom. Monday was comparatively a nice day, so took the Guzzi out for a stretch. I found out where the nearest mobile blood donor clinic was and headed off there. Having left an armfull behind I took a slightly longer route home This is the Digswell Viaduct Only 50 miles but nice to put some tarmac under her wheels. Really must give her a service and new rubber

Are you sure you're in Belgium

Suffering Guzzi withdrawal. Having to use the car to get to work as I have to take a colleague and there's not been the opportunity to get out on it on my days off. A couple of weeks ago it was school half term. On my days off being dutiful dad keeping the younger two occupied we made paper mache piggy banks around a balloon this is how mine ended up I've called him "Omobono" now contains about £5 towards my next Guzzi

Honda Goldwings - I was impressed by this video some time ago - they can move http://media.putfile.com/Riding-the-Dragon-Part-Two But whilst searching for the link I came across this one http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=...wings+deals+gap It made me cringe with the possibilities - really should have an escort out front. And moving on to Honda reliability I have in my garage, only 8,000 miles so hopefully the cams are save able with improved oil feed

Bill, mine fractured (4K) and the only thing I'd none was fit the Techno bag mounts, disturbing the can mount only. Since then I've had no end of fun trying to get it to cinch down tight on the standard gaskets. I've had to replace the bolts and drums with the ones out of the header/collector clamps and have non standard clamps there now. I've tried the shims but couldn't get a good rattle free seal. But my biggest current problem is the collector/can joint. I've always had a wobbly can (not evident to me whilst riding) Big J and Baldini both had goes at it, tightening and even shimming the clamps. The problem now is that it's thinned out the metal. This wobble has no doubt lead to the mounting brackets braking. Some when I'll be forced to replace the whole system. I like twin cans and not looking for extra noise/performance A lot of mine are chicken/egg issues

My copy of Gambalunga arrived this morning

Welcome Dan, Technically ( as I suspect you knew) we refer to the V11 as the spine frame series, not the Tonti (cradle) series jackal/cali even though some Calis have "V11" on their side panels. But nether the less you will find a depth (not from me I'm very shallow) of Guzzi knowledge here and a warm welcome. That Spada looks a good un.

It (I think) remains the old(last) format Q123 ABC in this format AB is normally a locality. Whether this would be the region where first registered or the region where registered, or totally random The new format AB£$CDE - AB is the region; £$ is the year code £ represents which half Mar-Aug currently 0, Sep-Feb currently 5, after ten years they will be 1 & 6 etc. The $ is the year runs Mar-Feb. IE mine is OE03WFW OE - Oxford (dealer in Buckinghamshire), 03 Mar-Aug (July)2003, WFW random, obviously Oxford has several letter combinations probably predominantly start with an O. There is no provision in the new format for a Q plate as the year identifier is no longer a letter but a number combination.

Welcome, I saw your deliberations on another site a bit too late to assist in your decision, but you had some sage advise and hence you're here. I hope you enjoy the experience, it's not for everyone but a lot do enjoy it.

The first picture impressive, move on to the second WOW. Yes very lucky. Ratchet, I agree, as he apparently got away Scott free I'd doubt any change in this case and as you say if he'd lost control a smidge earlier I'd suspect a review of signage, but you as you pointed out with that Italian "castle" there's only so much you can do. Perhaps we do need a disclaimer on the bottom of the "pink slip" that you take responsibility for your usage of your vehicle. The has started to take effect and I miss read the Roo explanation, I initially didn't take "big tent" to mean what we'd term umbrella ( coverage) but "trouser tent" and had miss read "hit a big red roo" to be "hit on a big red roo" and a slanderous slur on our pals orientation. Perhaps I need to add bromide to my G&T

Tragic accident. Responding to points at random: Forrest's central reserves wire barriers. We have them over here as well. Supposedly work better at preventing a cross over (vehicle ends up in oncoming lane ) Work best for cars. The Steve McQueen great escape wire across a track/path even if private property would be dealt with criminally due to the intent to injure. Moving on to the accident- In the UK with European Human Rights coupled with Health and Safety Legislation. The EHR would only come in to play if it was a state school and not a private school. The H&S puts a duty of care. The highways division could be deemed at fault if hadn't signed post the bend, esp if there had been previous injury accidents be looking for one of these not one of these the junction implies a road which obviously wouldn't be obstructed Other signage that would be present (but without the patrol board) and possibly The problem is each additional sign tends to be a memorial to some one killed or seriously injured The School held accountable for a low visibility barrier. What seems to be the norm here is a single bar barrier or gate and that would have a reflective triangle in its middle, same goes for a chain. Principally the rider has apparently not realised that the road deviated and was headed for a driveway and not a continuation of the road. There are times I've made this or similar mistake (with smaller roads around the lanes particularly) and ended up braking hard to make the turn or stop in the mouth of the minor road or have to turn around having gone sailing through The factors that might have effected his view include low sun, denies some of the detail. I hate to think alcohol (is this morning after Superbowl?) But invariably will put it down as too fast for the road conditions (actual - not as he had read them) Dave, don't beat yourself up. But well posted, on the message that it could be worth speaking out, and risk being seen as an interfering busy body, it is as Ratchet says a balance (different field though)

Are you going to keep it them Jim? Just need to get rid of the shine - wet & dry should do it, or let me look after it for a while. I know which causes less damage

This is the thread on my failed shock. About half the bottom eye eventually broke off mine. I'm just glad it didn't happen whilst I was riding not just taking it off the shop stand. I would go with fix it now and not chance it.