Scud

I got a set of 3-peak-snowflake rated tires for my F150. The truck had 20 inch wheels with short sidewalls, and I got a set of 17 inch wheels and the BF Goodrich KO3s that were almost same size as stock (10mm wider but same height). They are much better on snow and ice than the stock tires. They are a bit noisier, and probably a tad less fuel-efficient. But they are safer and more versatile, as they are also really good for traction on dry dirt and rocks. I did quite a bit of research on pure snow tires, vs the 3-peak rated all-terrains, vs those simply rated M&S. The snow tires performed best in snow, as you would expect. But the 3-peak were good enough for a conservative driver with 4WD. And the 3-peak significantly outperformed the M&S rated tires. So the 3-peak, at least for my needs, was the clear winner in terms of safety + versatility. They enabled me to have just one set of tires I could confidently use year-round in desert, snow, highway, around-town, etc. Plus they look tougher and more rugged than the stock tires.

I sent a private message. Still have quite a few springs left.

It's really bad in the LA area, and still spreading. 30 years ago, I worked in Pacific Palisades, and the fires have come close to my old office. As for losing stuff... we used to have some boxes of old photos and significant documents that we told ourselves we would grab if there were ever a fire here. But that was when the kids were home and we would all go together in a truck. Now we are actually scanning and digitizing all that. If my house were to burn down, I do have one prized possession that would likely survive it: a 400 pound hunk of petrified wood. It's made it over 250 million years, it wouldn't give a damn about a house fire. Evacuation... I too, would escape on a motorcycle. It would be the Husqvarna 701 for sure. A giant street-legal dirt bike that's good for two people with backpacks for food and water. If I am actually fleeing for my life from a fire, I am not going to be constrained to stay on the road. Several years ago, when there was a big fire in East San Diego county that was headed west, most of San Diego County was placed under evacuation. The potential routes were: East into the fire, South into Mexico (only two border crossings), West into the Pacific Ocean, and North to Orange County (with literally only one road, the I-5 through a military base) to use. I think they lifted the evacuation when they realized there was no realistic way to get everyone out.

My January 1st ride was on my Jones Flagship snowboard at Mammoth Mountain.

I didn't post that, but here's how I see it: Loius Pasteur - the inventor of the process (aka science) of pasteurizing milk to prevent disease... but there is now some interest in raw milk products, thus denying the scientific evidence. So Louis is good example of a person who would be wondering about some widescale rejection of evidence. As a scientist, Louis would probably be just as surprised to learn that his consciousness continued to exist beyond the death of his body. Happy New Year What was this thread about?

Faster than what? Yellow? Then probably so. But black is 11.3% faster than red, because of reasons. And that is science. BTW - these days it seems fast and science can both mean anything you want. I just got back from a romp on my Griso. I'm 6 feet tall and find it slightly more comfortable, and slightly less sporty/nimble than the V11.

That looks like a nice Griso, and the owner's garage is also well-organized with a few other well-kept toys. That's a good sign. If all the stock parts are included, you can undo any modification you don't like.

12.1 Billion cans in 2023 according to this website. https://www.statista.com/statistics/275163/red-bulls-number-of-cans-sold-worldwide/ Plus media outlets, ownership of sports teams, merchandise, etc. On KTM, I do hope they stabilize the business. And if they really do have that much inventory, there will likely be some clearance sales. The emissions issues may only be relevant to sale of the street-legal bikes, not the off-road only or race bikes.

There are similar discounts on Husqvarna bikes here in San Diego. And I assume they will also be similar on the Gas Gas models. Even the e-mountain bikes are discounted. I have the Husqvarna Mountain Cross e-bike and it is a great value, with components equal to Specialized bikes at almost twice the cost.

I wonder if we might see a resurgence in interest as kids who are now commuting to school on electric bicycles find out what a pain in the ass it is to deal with car parking lots and (at least in California) having to wait in line at traffic signals instead of filtering to the front. And they would be primed for electric street-legal motorcycle ownership. nine best electric motorcycles... https://gearjunkie.com/motors/best-electric-motorcycles Maybe one of these will become a best-selling motorcycle someday. It won't be the tailor-made Italian Volt at the end of the list... but that is a cool bike.

Enjoy the R9T, and if you do get bored, but want newer tech with a Guzzi feel, you could swap it for a Griso. I've been enjoying my Griso immensely. Parked it next to an R9T the other day. They are similar in height and riding position.

@docc if you listen carefully, you will hear something about a "red stiletto."

This is still the philosophy at Honda. Every CEO, starting with founder Soichiro Honda, has experience in the company's research & development division. https://www.historyoasis.com/post/honda-ceo-history I had an opportunity to go on a private tour of Pierer Group US Headquarters a few months ago. It was shortly after they announced the acquisition of MV Agusta. I was impressed by the racing culture and how they have vertically integrated (making so many of their own components). But at the time, I was also wondering "how do they afford to support so much racing?" I'm a huge fan of my two newer Husqvarnas, the 701 Enduro and the FE501S. When they bought Husqvarna in 2013, I thought they might have just bought if "for parts" but I was surprised to see that they made Husqvarna a premium brand (some components and price above the KTM equivalents). I see a lot more new Husqvarnas than KTMs. But the Huskys have KTM engines (along with Gas Gas), so it's all related somehow even if it's between "sister" subsidiary entities. Hopefully, this restructuring will be a wake-up call and they can regain their footing. There might be some good consumer deals out there if they get desperate for cash.

Maybe the idea is to put something out that is so bad that they can crowd-source better ideas. So here is mine... "Jaguar" (pronounced in the "proper" British way). Video: A big cat, moving stealthily behind leaves, hard to see in a poorly lit jungle scene. "Silent..." Video: Huge paw softly touches down on the dirt. "Powerful..." the cat hunches as if to pounce. "Electrifying..." the cat makes the leap, transforming into the logo Then show the electric car action shot. On the Jaguar website, they do have a nice slogan: "Still leading the charge. All Electric – All Jaguar"

I had to double check that it wasn't a different Jaguar company - like a new fashion brand or something. But there are other videos confirming that, yes, this really is the car company. I'm not (and do not ever expect to be) in the luxury car market. So this ad is certainly not aimed at me. I'll stick with my luxury-trimmed pickup truck (which is a hybrid F150). Goodbye Jaguar, it was nice knowing you.

Nice video... you mentioned in your title that he "picked the wrong brand" and I assume you mean he missed Moto Guzzi. But just after 5:00 in the video he says "...or my Moto Guzzi Griso which, of course, I love as well - for the same reasons as the Kawasaki." Then he reveals that he loves riding his 400cc Husaberg close to the limit, and admires his friends' 650 and 350 Royal Enfields and how much fun they are. I had a lovely 150 romp on the Stelvio today. Brought back a half case of wine from Doffo in Temecula and about 40 pounds of oranges, grapefruit, and avocado. I rather like the big 1200cc lump in that bike and ability to carry loads of stuff and a passenger, even at extra-legal speeds (aka the flow of traffic). In no way did it make me miss any of my past BMWs (R100CS, K75s, R1100RT). I did wave to a few BMWs today, but the most memorable wave was to the rider of a red Moto Guzzi V85. You got me thinking back to the 1980s... I was on a 1985 Yamaha FJ1100. That was the fastest damn thing I had ever ridden at the time. I went back to look up the specs. It had *only* 125 horsepower. Maybe memories change things, but those must have been some buff ponies.

I find that mileage number to be believable. The stator cover, behind the front wheel, shows very little stone damage. I'd also check the date code on the tires - if they were made many years ago, it supports a low-mileage claim. It's likely that you will want to replace the tires due to age and sitting outside - even if there still appears to be good tread. If you just want a fun ride, I think getting this bike at a deep discount could be it. But as others have said, it will take some work, starting with a thorough degreasing to see what you've really got to work with/on. So if this is what you want, I agree with the cash-lowball offer suggestions that other have made. But if you are hoping to make it a real looker, you will be soon frustrated with the crinkle paint on the engine, transmission, and final drive. It is a large and labor-intensive process to strip that off and repaint it. I've done it twice, and I will not get another model with that paint on it (unless it is an otherwise spotless 2002 V11 LeMans-Tenni for a good price). The community here is also part of the joy (and occasional shared misery) in the ownership experience.

I think foot plates (aka porkchops or stilettos) are aluminum. They certainly are not magnetic. Also consider powder-coating - but be careful with the fine threads for the swingarm pivots.

At least they are not asking people to join "the clan" like Moto Guzzi did a few years back. So this looks like an all-Piaggio dealership. No competing brands. I've heard that Piaggio puts a lot of pressure on current dealers to carry all the Piaggio brands - even if they were a legacy one-brand shop. I guess the emergence of new dealers who will be exclusive to Piaggio was inevitable. I wonder if Pierer Mobility will do something similar now that they have MV Agusta alongside KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas (and Felt bicycles). Their strategy seems to be about vertical integration (making their own suspension - WP, in-house electronics, etc.). The Pierer culture is also strongly influenced by racing, so maybe we will see MV on the track again soon - and battling Aprilia.

Related article in today's New York Times. I subscribe, this is a shared link to the article, but I don't know if it will work from a forum like this: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/19/business/halloween-shopping-retail-costume-store-growth.html?unlocked_article_code=1.TU4.hdfJ.q9ucT19kJey5&smid=url-share

Congratulations. Ironically, I found my Nero Corsa in Canada and brought it back to the US. It was originally a US model. Yours looks to be a lovely machine in excellent condition for a very reasonable price. I noted in the ad that the seller claims it is one of 250 made. I'd be interested to know the source for that number - of if any other members could confirm it.

I'm seeing fewer homes decorated for Halloween, but among those fewer, they seem to be more extravagant. I'd say good riddance to Halloween if it does fade away. The big stores are full of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas decorations, all at the same time. I wonder who has room to store all that crap. I don't. I have too many boxes of motorcycle parts. Halloween is a made-up marketing holiday. It has some fun parts, but it's a lot a sugar that the kids don't need along with a lot of plastic waste that the world doesn't need. But I am not above trick-or-teating to my neighbors' houses with an empty shot glass in hand. Maybe I'll try a wine glass this year. As far as I'm concerned, we can get rid of the other two holidays too. While I like the idea of periodically stopping to be thankful, the whole Pilgrims and Indians things is just the start of one of the biggest genocides in human history (not worth celebrating). I also like the idea of getting the family together at year end and exchanging gifts. But I'm not buying the Christmas origin story or the Santa marketing campaign. Let's go back to celebrating the solstices and equinoxes... objectively observable natural phenomena. We can have a major holiday once a quarter. That seems like a nice rhythm. But then, those holidays don't mean much to people near the equator... so to each their own.

Looks like a great trip. The day-of-the-week floor mats were funny. Bummer about the spill - and that's about what I thought would happen to the pipes on new engines. Cattle in the road... classic. Scenery... stunning. And Brazilian Pillion... well that just sounds right.

Ha... 17 year old thread has awakened. These things are like cicadas.

I followed Docc's lead on a Shindy damper for one of my past bikes and was happy with it. The stock/upgrade Ohlins unit is prettier, and fits easily. Any aftermarket unit might take a little more work, but I recall the Shindy being pretty easy to fit. I've heard nothing but positives about the Hyperpro, but not tried one myself. Unless you are really riding hard, the damper is basically there to prevent head-shake (aka tank slappers) in normal street-riding conditions. So anything that prevents large rapid movements will do that job.