How was your day

[oldbike54]

Another good one Dusty.

On the way back from getting the Panther last weekend, we passed quite of few of these ice falls and I'd decided that on the next warm day I'd ride up and snap a few pictures. This wasn't it    186 miles on chilly, dry roads. But worth it.  Convert is bloody marvelous!

Nick

 Beautiful , but looks cold , BRRRR ! Nick , have you ever met a motorbike you didn't like ? Will Rogers comes to mind 

 Dusty

[Muzz]

Had a good day. Started doing general happy stuff, went in to son's work and fitted a shield over an electric motor for safety compliance, then my wife and I went out to lunch to a buffet restaurant which is on the way home, reasonably priced with good food. Very popular destination for oldies in general at lunchtime.   As I was waiting in line an old feller with a stick toddled up to me (I was wearing my Guzzi T-shirt and said with a grin, "Moto Guzzi, in the war they were the only motorbikes with a reverse gear. It was a reference to the old joke as to why Italian tanks had 6 reverse gears and one forward, just in case they were attacked from behind. Turns out he was in tanks in WW2 and had a bit of a story backing that up.

After that had a pleasant  afternoon in the garage with the lathe, welder and grinder finishing off the high-sides for my trailer. Came out great and I am most pleased with the end product.

[davedel44]

Got to sail on the 1877 sailing ship Elissa.



Awesome!

Dave
Galveston

[oldbike54]

Got to sail on the 1877 sailing ship Elissa.



Awesome!

Dave
Galveston

 Ahoy me hearty 

 Dusty

[Gliderjohn]

A former student with autism who I worked with was always interested in aviation. I have not been an active pilot for over 10 years so I couldn't take him up. By chance met his grandfather where I work out at and discussed the student's interest in flying. Grandfather and 18 year old sister went up with him today. Makes life worth the trouble.

GliderJohn




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[nick949]

Nick , have you ever met a motorbike you didn't like ? Will Rogers comes to mind 

 Dusty

Actually Dusty, I find most modern bikes I've ridden to be a bit dull. They weren't interesting enough to like or dislike.

Here's a scary thing though - I rode my Burgman about 100 miles today (had to get some pancakes and maple syrup) and it is an extremely likable machine. Plenty fast enough, engaging and with great weather protection: a far more interesting motorcycle than many.

As for Will Rogers - he's completely passed me by. I only know the name and not the essence.

Nick

[davedel44]

Day Sail today.  Photo by one of lifeguard buddies.

I'm under the mainmast waving for the camera.

Dave
Galveston

[oldbike54]

Day Sail today.  Photo by one of lifeguard buddies.

I'm under the mainmast waving for the camera.

Dave
Galveston

 Are you the one wearing the pirate headwear Dave ?

 Dusty

[Chuck in Indiana]

As for Will Rogers - he's completely passed me by. I only know the name and not the essence.

Nick, the essence is worth looking up.  He's one of the few great Americans.

[davedel44]

Are you the one wearing the pirate headwear Dave ?

 Dusty

Regulation beige pants and blue tee.  Eye patch and cutlass optional.

Wavy Dave
Galveston

[oldbike54]

 ^^^

  You are gonna have some tales to tell Dave 

 Dusty

[Guzzi Gal]

Took Anni and Gigi up South Mountain today and it was GLORIOUS!

[davedel44]

Tall ships off Galveston beachfront.

[Muzz]

Only one month to go until the bike goes off the road until September 27th and that one month will be wasted. Today was spent working on the bike removing a load of munt to remove the gearbox yet again, for the third time.

I had done a quick 1200km road trip a couple of months ago and towards the end I thought I could hear a noise crossed between a whine and growl. It was in all gears but got louder as I went up the through gears. Did and oil change and the oil came out grey, but with nothing on the magnet. Aluminium is my guess. Did an oil change but noise still there. I contacted Pete Roper who said it could be anything, but either way I had to go in again.

I am wondering if a bearing involved with the transfer gears has given way and a gear is busy chewing on the casing. That would explain why it would get louder as the gears get higher. Box is detached from the donk and ready to remove but it is now too dark to see much so tomorrow I will remove and strip.

Poop bum dunnycan. It has only got about 25000 miles on it.

[Chuck in Indiana]

We buried Dorcia's Uncle Earl. 97 years old, and in good shape until the end. His wife of 75 years is still going strong. (!)
I knew he was a WW2 vet. What I didn't know was all he did. <sigh> I would have loved to talk to him about his travels (Pacific theater) in the Army air force. He was a mechanic, and his scrap book was amazing. He was an amateur photographer, and there were many pictures of Liaison, fighters, gooney birds, ships, amphibious ducks, uhh.. topless native wimmens..  military memorabilia. The military part of the service brought a tear to my eye. Very moving.
RIP, Earl.. and have a good trip West.

[Lannis]

Two hundred miles of riding through the spring Virginia countryside.   What could be better?

I'll tell you what.   Stopping a third of the way through and having lunch with 16 fellow Guzzisti, some of whom were doing a 400 mile day from several states just to have lunch with us.    I've been to full-on rallies that didn't have that many folks.

Then another third, and be at my oldest granddaughter's sixth birthday party.    They grow up fast and I don't want to miss a thing!

Then home in the evening and kick my feet up; a job well done.

Lannis

[Muzz]

This afternoon was spent in the workshop. Nice day, door up, radio going. Remove box. Clean. Try to take nut off the transmission shaft. Kev and I had done it up really tight last time but finally managed to undo it after a real battle. Removed the bellhousing and the problem was right there. The nut on the primary gear shaft had undone, even with being staked. This had allowed the gear to push forward under load and begin to chew at the case. The primary shaft bearing is rumbly so will replace that and the seal. The bearing on the other end of it has been spinning in the gearbox housing so I will replace the bearing, put a few punch marks in the housing, put the new bearing in with super bearing mount and then pein it a bit with a pin punch.

It would all explain the grey oil, nothing on the magnet and the noise getting louder going up the gears. I won't be going in to the box proper; I think all the symptoms can be linked to that.

I guess it could have been worse and is way better than the first catastrophe which took out half the box.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Repaired a crack in the cowling of the Great Lakes biplane I scratch built 1000 flying hours ago.  Yeah, it was a warranty claim..
Patch plate clecoed up before riveting..

[guzzisteve]

At least you could get it fixed, now submit a insurance claim to get paid.

[Lannis]

This afternoon was spent in the workshop. Nice day, door up, radio going. Remove box. Clean. Try to take nut off the transmission shaft. Kev and I had done it up really tight last time but finally managed to undo it after a real battle. Removed the bellhousing and the problem was right there. The nut on the primary gear shaft had undone, even with being staked. This had allowed the gear to push forward under load and begin to chew at the case. The primary shaft bearing is rumbly so will replace that and the seal. The bearing on the other end of it has been spinning in the gearbox housing so I will replace the bearing, put a few punch marks in the housing, put the new bearing in with super bearing mount and then pein it a bit with a pin punch.

It would all explain the grey oil, nothing on the magnet and the noise getting louder going up the gears. I won't be going in to the box proper; I think all the symptoms can be linked to that.

I guess it could have been worse and is way better than the first catastrophe which took out half the box.

Sounds like you got it in time.   You're lucky, with one bearing grinding away at the case on one end, and another spinning in its seat, that it all held together long enough to diagnose and fix it!

Lannis

[Muzz]

Sounds like you got it in time.   You're lucky, with one bearing grinding away at the case on one end, and another spinning in its seat, that it all held together long enough to diagnose and fix it!

Lannis

True that. The first major when one of the 5th gears shed it's hardening I was 1200miles away from home. Gearbox still worked fine all the way home but the noise in top sounded like 100 cop cars on my tail. Very expensive fix.

Gearbox in this case was still going great, but I am somewhat paranoid now. I do a gearbox change with an oil change (fortunately) now since that first major, which was when I picked up the aluminium in it. I was probably 200 miles from home when I first heard the whine this time and because I am always listening for problems, as you said, I was able to get it in time.

In actual fact it was the gear doing the grinding. gears and casings don't play well together! Two bearings and a seal should do this.

[Testarossa]

The nut on the primary gear shaft had undone, even with being staked. This had allowed the gear to push forward under load and begin to chew at the case.

This is exactly what happened to my T, and I'm sort of glad to know that I'm not the only one. In my case it chewed right thru and dumped gearbox oil into the bell housing.

Meanwhile -- the Hepco Becker stuff arrived just before our recent trip to California, so today I took the Pacifico boxes off the Mille and mounted up the HB kit.  I actually liked the look of the Pacifco outfit but the HB boxes are a lot bigger and tougher. Will keep the Pacificos for use on the T. Now I need to arrange a demountable backrest for Gail.

[nobleswood]

Repaired a crack in the cowling of the Great Lakes biplane I scratch built 1000 flying hours ago.  Yeah, it was a warranty claim..
Patch plate clecoed up before riveting..

Chuck,
What am I looking at here ? What are the silver ' barnacles ' ?
What's ' clecoed ' ?
 

[Chuck in Indiana]

Chuck,
What am I looking at here ? What are the silver ' barnacles ' ?
What's ' clecoed ' ?
 

A cleco is a temporary rivet, easily installed and removed with cleco pliers. Standard aircraft sheet metal tool. There is a plate on the inside of the cowling that will be riveted to it. The method is lay out and centerpunch the holes. Drill one, install a cleco, etc. Once all the holes are drilled, disassemble everything and deburr all the holes. reassemble and put all the clecos but one back in. This will simulate the riveted structure. Drive a rivet.  Pull a cleco. Drive another rivet.. continue
It's a tedious operation. It took four hours to make and install this patch. 

[nobleswood]

A cleco is a temporary rivet, easily installed and removed with cleco pliers. Standard aircraft sheet metal tool. There is a plate on the inside of the cowling that will be riveted to it. The method is lay out and centerpunch the holes. Drill one, install a cleco, etc. Once all the holes are drilled, disassemble everything and deburr all the holes. reassemble and put all the clecos but one back in. This will simulate the riveted structure. Drive a rivet.  Pull a cleco. Drive another rivet.. continue
It's a tedious operation. It took four hours to make and install this patch.

I'd always wondered how professional riveting was done. Thanks

[Muzz]

Ya learn something every day. Never heard of them before. Thanks Chuck.

[azguzzirep]

Today was beautiful in Germany and my sister and I rode the blue V11 to the Sunday Guzzi breakfast. There were about 14 of us today including two newcomers, one on a Belagio and one on a Nuevo Falcone with sidecar.

After breakfast we rode to nearby Deizisau to meet a co-worker and then we went to a small flea market we saw. We got some good things there, momentoes for my sister and I got a new rain suit for 5 euros.

We got home about 1pm, changed out of our riding gear, hopped into the car and drove to my sister-in-law's house where we went swimming with my grand kids and ate homemade pizza. Plus I had a couple of beers!!😀😀

[Muzz]

Well, refitted the gearbox and on Saturday my mate and his work colleague went for a ride to Hanmer, a tourist type town about 80 miles away known for it's hot springs. Took a tow-rope just in case. A bit cool at 46F and with three sections of fog thrown in.

Gearbox still whines but without the growl to go with it. Whine varies. Not sure what is going on but will probably just ride it. Bike comes off the road for 4 months on the 27th, then there is only a couple of weeks after I get in back on the road again before the Tattley Rappet rally up in the North Island. Just hope it all holds together I guess.

In the meantime, Saturdays ride was nice, a nice coffee and blueberry muffin in Hanmer and by the time we came home the temp was up to 55F and the fog had gone.

[Muzz]

As today dawned overcast and cold, what better day for a ride. Today it was destination Reefton, no reason but it is a nice ride once you get off the boring flat Canterbury Plains. The Lewis Pass is always nice, especially if you don't get stuck behind triffids (brainless, slow moving but highly dangerous vegetables) and the Rahu Saddle, which happens almost straight after, is an absolute delight. Temps hovered around 55 on the flat but got down to 40 in the hills, which was a bit chilly up there in the clouds.

Bike went like a dose of salts, the gearbox sang because it was happy and I had a blast. A filled roll, a huge slice of spiced apple shortcake and a monstrous bowl of flat white for lunch and then off home. Round trip of 306 miles. Bike did about 65mpg. (that's imperial gallons) All good.

[oldbike54]

 ^^^

 Sounds like a perfect day Muzz 

 Oh , we have Triffids here also , usually being transported in a 2 ton American behemoth capable of carrying twice the normal load 

 Dusty