Scud

I like what they are doing from a technology and legacy perspective. When you've got a 100-year old manufacturer the roots would run deep into the community. Business loyalty (or at least perceived loyalty) to a community is getting pretty rare these days. And can you imagine the hostility they would generate by moving to another city, or worse yet to another country? I don't know how the government works in Italy, but I would imagine that like most countries, there is a desire to keep domestic manufacturers going. So maybe there were also various incentives to remain in the location - or maybe the location has a lot of "grandfathered" types of permissions that would be hard to get elsewhere. As for the location... I think they are smart to capitalize on the vacation destination. When tourists show up, they maybe start thinking about buying a motorcycle and associate it with their vacation experience. And for the "faithful" it seems to have become sort of bucket-list item. Personally, I intend to go there at least once. Probably after all the the new stuff is open.

Welcome. Nice LeMans. I love Hwy 49, and all the passes to the Eastern Sierra. The photo I posted yesterday in the "no words" thread was on Mammoth Scenic Loop. I just rode Caliente-Bodfish and Sherman Pass recently, which was a "shortcut" between Carlsbad and Mammoth Lakes. About where in the foothills are you?

ha... like how far did you ride for coffee, a taco, a slice of pie, a milkshake, etc? And which entertaining roads made the journey worth it?

That is a lovely ride. So many great beach towns in South Orange County and North San Diego County.

Along with that, it has front and rear collision warning. The front warning illuminated several times, and each time it did i thought "OK, I actually am following too close." So it caused me to rethink, and to follow at a safer distance. Surprisingly, the front collision warning does not go off while lane-splitting. The rear warning has not yet activated. And all that stuff (front and rear radar) is needed for the adaptive cruise control, which I have not tried yet.

I just rode the new Stelvio about 500 miles today. From Carlsbad to Mammoth Lakes with "shortcuts" through Tehachapi, Kernville, and over the Sherman Pass. I am totally impressed by this bike and loving it. It was comfortable enough (but I did get a little but-burn by the last 100 miles as I didn't stop much). The onboard computer indicated about 50MPG, which gives us an easy 200 mile range, and a possible 250 if we have to push it. I can get totally under the still air with the winshield fully extended and in a half-tuck position, so I will probably get a small detachable windscreen lip/extender for long rides. I like the screen totally down on the slower twisties. It was close to 100 degrees at the hottest part of the ride, and I didn't worry about it all due to the water cooling.

But one crossover or two? All the V11s have a cross-over in the mid-section. Only the 2003 and 2004 models have a second crossover up front (sometimes called a balance pipe). I don't know what problem they were trying to solve by adding second crossover, but it's not the kind of thing you would do just for looks, maintenance convenience, assembly efficiency, or weight-savings, because it works against all of those things. Maybe it was an attempt to reduce the noise level?

I'm sure there was a good reason - or at least it seemed like a good idea at the time - but that front crossover seems to be prone to exhaust leaks. So I have replaced it with no negative effect to performance. I also prefer the look of the pipes without the crossover.

The engine is smooth at relaxed speeds, but not as smooth as a BMW. It really wakes up and shows it's full character over 5,000 RPM. It has less vibration than the 1200 air cooled Stelvio, which is totally fine with me. I've heard some people say that it lost the Moto Guzzi character, but I'd disagree, it's just a bit more refined. I'd also heard people say the engine is rev-happy, but I think it's still a mid-range motor. Although its happy place is a little higher up in revs than the 1200 Stelvio's. The engine block is sooo much smaller than the prior block - but some of that forward space is now taken up by a radiator. And in person, at least to me, it has that special something that makes me look back at it when walking away after a ride.

haha... it is water cooled. I do like the wild boar for the Griso - it fits. I'd be more inclined to accept water buffalo for the Stelvio 1200 NTX that I traded. This one is a different animal, but I need to think about what it might be. But yesterday, I parked it next to a new BMW GS1300, which is perhaps a hippopotamus.

I picked up my Stelvio Duecento Tributo on Wednesday. Traded my 2017 Stelvio NTX. It is shorter, lighter, faster, prettier, more refined, etc. This limited edition marking the 200th anniversary of the Stelvio Pass comes with most of the upgrade options such heated comfort seat, and electronic wizardry. I'm just waiting for the luggage to arrive (which was not included). This is the first motorcycle I've owned that has an app and ability to connect to my phone. I have yet to connect a headset, so have not tried all the voice-activated features. Also have not yet tried the adaptive cruise control. But I sure do like the blind-spot alerts that appear in mirrors and on dash when a car is in my blind spot. Only 250 miles in the saddle so far. Half of it was today, including a ride up Mount Palomar with a view to the ocean. The handling is excellent and confidence inspiring, the engine is smooth, but still with character, the transmission with quick shifter is a joy. Five ride modes to play with: Road, Touring, Sport, Rain, and Off-Road. Other than addiing bags, and possibly an extra lip on the windshield for long hauls, I'm not feeling a need to change anything. Moto Guzzi claims to be making only 2,758 of this special edition, which is the elevation of Stelvio Pass in meters. I thought that seemed like a lot compared to some of the volumes of our V11s (like 600-700 Scuras). But I guess Moto Guzzi is doing more volume with Piaggio now, which I am glad to see.

Well, if you are going to put a new crossover, you might as well also get a set of headers from a 2002 or earlier V11 and eliminate the front crossover pipe. If you're in no hurry, I bet something would turn up in the next 6 months. You also could post a want ad on Wild Guzzi or a Facebook Guzzi group.

A new pair of rocker cover gaskets couldn't hurt. And how is the crankcase breather hose? A small leak from that can spread into mysterious places.

At age 60, I have eight bikes and have been asking similar questions. Three dirt bikes (200, 500, and 700 ccs). I rarely ride the 200, but my daughters and some guests do. I expect that the two big Husqvarnas will be with me for a long time. I was thinking about letting three bikes go, and getting a new Stelvio, but the "math" kept suggesting to sell the Scura or Nero Corsa, which I think would regret. So I think I am going to have with a 2:1 event, reducing the "stable" to seven. The prior owner of my 1989 LeMans misses it, and I think it might go back to him soon. (Which means I could still potentially have visitation rights). My Stelvio NTX has been a workhorse, but I am about to trade it on the new, water-cooled Stelvio - likely later this week, depending on actual arrival and set-up at GP Motorcycles in San Diego. @LaGrasta Have you every ridden a Stelvio NTX? Let me know if you want to come down and try it before I trade it in.

I ran my battery tender cable under the tank to terminate near the steering head. That way, it's easier access for charging and can be used with a USB adapter to charge something in a tank bag as needed.

That first image looks a bit like a battery tender connector, which is a common add-on. But as others have noted, clarity, context, and connection locations would be useful.

Or a Scura with matte black Lemans fairing added. I think the non-glossy Scura fits The Batman. And batman needs the grabby, high-performance single-plate clutch. And the yellow forks would complement the vintage batsuits with the yellow accents.

My V11s have required a fair bit of attention, but reliable once sorted. I think I should retract my statement about the Griso being marginally less needy. Both my CARC series Moto Guzzis (the Griso and Stelvio NTX) have been as predictable and reliable as a Honda. I hear the new ones are too.

Since the original question was "the most beautiful cafe racer yet"? I'm going to assume we are comparing to the modern-retro offerings of other manufacturers. And while this BMW is "semi-good-looking" (queue Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love by Van Halen), the first Ducati Sport Classic (monoposto) was better looking, and so is the end-of the line Triumph Thruxton RS. And obviously, the V11 is way better looking. As for classic BMWs - a stock K75S is a surprisingly capable and versatile machine. I could imagine bringing home a stock, low-mile example one day. But have not had a K100RS. I really like the blue and white Special Edition. Agree with gstallons - the R100CS was the best of the modern airheads. And FWIW, the FJ1100 was a great bike, but it attracted unwanted attention. (queue Bright Lights by Gary Clark Jr.)

I've had a few BMWs. I've also had a few refrigerators, and a few microwaves. They all did their jobs. My R100CS was lovely, but TBH I bought that because I needed to slow down (was at risk of losing license due to the intoxicating acceleration of a Yamaha FJ1100). Not long ago, I parked my Griso next to a very nice R9T and talked the owner. Long story short, he wished he had seen a Griso before he bought his R9T. And while the R12T is neat, and has "dual clocks" I would not even consider giving up my 12 year old Griso for it. If BMW want to interest me, they could bring back the K75s or K100RS. The flying bricks were uber-cool. That's a WKF.

Sounds like you need a Moto Guzzi Griso. Almost as much fun as a V11 sport, but lower, more upright seating, and dare I say, marginally less needy. Or if you really need to sit up perfectly straight take a look at a Moto Guzzi adventure bikes, the V85 or Stelvio.

Bar-ends for a sport - better looking and better visibility. And it frees up the mirror mount for a RAM ball, where I use a small arm and the quad-lock for my phone when I want navigation help. I'm impressed with the quad-lock system. I have the motogadget "glassless" mirrors on my Griso, but in the more angular, elongated-diamond shape. I like them. My Scura has the classic Napoleon bar-end mirrors. And I like the close mirror in your picture reflects an image of the far mirror.

A little solo time early this am - 120 miles of backroads before a breakfast burrito stop in Campo. Happy Fathers day to all the dads here. Pizza night tonight with my oldest daughter. Mexico and Italy have the same colors on their flags, and they have the best food groups. Coincidence? I think not. Red, White, and Green. Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil. Or Red Salsa, Sour Cream, and Green Chili.

...and what is the penalty for cancelling an auction? Might be worth it. I just read through the BAT comments. They seem like reasonable questions. Tires absolutely should be replaced before riding. Brake fluid, despite looking good, can absorb water over time, and should be flushed every few years whether the bike gets used or not. And... It's not a motorcycle in the house, it's a connection to your dad. Add in a couple months of core exercises to strengthen that back, and you're riding. That Falcone looks lovely. Maybe you should keep that one. Talk about art in the house...