Author Topic: Cold weather riding: Black and gray V11 spotted today in Silver Spring, MD  (Read 4957 times)

Offline Nelson

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Greetings All,

It was kind of exciting to spot a black and gray V11 on East West Highway in Silver Spring, Maryland, about 3:15 this afternoon.
Nice to see someone out in 35 degree weather, and the bike looked great.

I was reminded of the time before Wildguzzi, when we were all on the MGCL.
One of the crusty characters there was a fellow named JB, John Boettcher, who reveled in cold-weather riding.
There was a dialog about JB so amusing that I saved it, and here it is.

Nelson Kline
1980 V50 II

On Thu, 23 Jan 2003, John Boettcher wrote:
 
It was -7f as I rode by the bank this morning on the way to work. The
 Ambo busted right off even with the 15W50 in it.
(gotta love synthetic in the cold!)
The snowmobile mittens kept the fingers warm but the thumbs got pretty
 cold, not near frostbite though. My cheeks a bit too where the baclava
 didn't cover. Heard a few cages hit their horns and give a thumbs up or
 most likely the middle finger....
JB
 
 
Ed Milich wrote:
 
You're insane. Alice and I were laughing at the
weather report last night when it said that the
Chicago high was 15 degrees.
60 deg here in SoCal today...
ed
 
 
John Burdsall wrote:
 
Ya just gotta love mittens.  It makes every gesture look like a wave. (g)
Every one is so happy to see me.  Look, they waved when I ran that light.
 
Jon Burdsall       
Helena, Montana
2000 Moto Guzzi Jackal   
1972 BMW R75/5 (True Blue)
1977 Moto Guzzi Convert       
1972 Bultaco Sherpa T
 
 
Rich Maud wrote:
 
JB... You're my hero! :-)
 
Rich
Freezing, in a shop filled with work. It's snowing, and the kids are stuck
home from school. No riding for me today!
 
 
Neil wrote:
 
-45C here in Winnipeg today.
 
One of the women at work snapped off the white metal cast door handle on
her car this morning.  The door was frozen shut and she gave a good tug to
try to open it. The handle was so brittle from the cold that it snapped in
two.
 
Now you know why I spend so much time in my workshop doing modificatiions
to my Guzzi.
 
Neil
 
Topi Kuusinen wrote:
 
Well, just after new year the temps were bottoming out at about -32 C (about ~30 deg F, I think) and riding a motorcycle was not on top of my priority list then.
 
I've often thought that the roads around Wonder Lake, Ill, must be pretty clear even in winter. Over here the smaller roads are usually covered with snow and ice for the winter, making motorcycling a bit too adventurous for my taste. If I have problems avoiding falling down when just walking the dogs I might be lying under a heap of iron were I to try riding a motorcycle.
 
Cheers,
 
-Topi Kuusinen, Finland
 
'86 LM IV (actually two, tucked away for the winter under horse blankets. The bikes are terrific for spreading the blankets to dry!)
I've often thought that the roads around Wonder Lake, Ill, must be  pretty clear even in winter.  Cheers,
 
 
John Boettcher wrote:
 
Yes, the roads are pretty clear most of the time. We've had snow
blizzards and I've done 100 mile rides in that as well. Passing 4 wheel
drive suvs all the way.(just for a guzzi breakfast!)
I do put on a few miles every year riding around on the frozen lakes,
sidecar rig in the past and two wheels lately. -18f is the coldest I've
ridden a Guzzi in. It's the coldest it's been here since riding Guzzis.
JB
 
 
Mike Wright wrote:
 
It's not too bad as long as you're in the sun. Heck, I'd rather be
riding behind a big fairing @ 20 - 30 mph than my 6 block walk to the
train.
 
Mike Wright - Chicago, IL, USA
75 Moto Guzzi 850-T
87 Moto Guzzi LeMans 1000 SE
96 Moto Guzzi Sport 1100
98 KTM Adventure Rallye
 
 
John Boettcher wrote:
 
Damn, should of waited for the sun to rise.......
JB
 
 
The next day John Boettcher wrote:
 
Geez, when your eyelid freezes to your glass eye!!    This fricken -1f
stuff is getting old! I did have a small crowd asking a bunch of
questions about the Ambo at the tavern tonight, felt nice but the people
asking unfortunately weren't hot chicks wanting to take me home with
them!!
As the story goes.....
JB
 
 
Lannis wrote:
 
JB -
 
So you're in the tavern, with snot icicles on your upper lip, your
eyelid frozen to your glass eye and water dripping off the frost on your
leathers, and there isn't a line of hot chicks wanting to take you home
in their Jaguars???
 
Strange women, these Illinois honeys. Wonder what their trouble is?  A
Virginia gal'd jump on that in a second.
 
Lannis (been there, except for the glass eye)
 
98 Centauro GT
69 BSA Firebird
MGNOC #18396
AMA #409196
Ohio Valley BSAOC #1455
 

Offline fotoguzzi

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Re: Cold weather riding: Black and gray V11 spotted today in Silver Spring, MD
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2014, 09:25:30 PM »
nice flashback !

welcome your first post to WG.
where have you been for the past 12 years Nelson?
MINNEAPOLIS, MN

Offline Chuck in Indiana

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The MGCL was a hoot.. thanks, Nelson, and welcome to WG.
Chuck in (Elwood) Indiana/sometimes SoCal
 
87 AeroLario
95 Skorpion tour
22 Royal Enfield Classic 3 fiddy
 "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."
Albert Einstein

 

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