Introductions thread...Introduce yourself to the group !

[booger]

Brendan

36

Therapist 
(dont all come asking me for help all at once now, guzzi addictions are for life, not something you can taper down with a therpeutic intervention)

Unmarried and wondering

wandering like a gypsy whenever i can and eating food and drinking libations as I ride the wave while the surfs up on the rollercoaster ride through the universe as we know it

[IceBlue]

iceblue,

I have only been to Spain, Mexico, and Italy so far.  I have been to most of the states except Oregon, the Northeastern states.  We have been thinking of going to South Africa this summer, but it probably won't happen as I really need to go back to work in my new profession.

My Dodge needs a new paint job, and new carpet and such, its 18 years old and 230k, it needs some cosmetic attention.  Same for the boat, needs new carpet, and seats.  Lots of little projects that have been put on hold the last 2 years due to school.

I really haven't done much on my family history in awhile, too busy.  I have had some information published in a book by a noted genealogist in Alabama, Floyd Johnson's JOHNSON Family History.  It seems my genealogy had a start somewhere in Norway at some point, many many years ago before coming to Scotland.  I haven't found any direct links yet, but the information seems to indicate this, probably never know for sure in this lifetime.

Old Head

I have a few generations in place by now, among others my fathers German lines. My wife is a pure bread viking, without the red hair though, she's still somewhat blond, no greys - in spite of our age. I'm almost total silver ;D, but genealogy is a life time occupation as I'm sure you know  ;)  

Ciao

[old head]

iceblue,

I started this discovery of family history about 20 years ago, and it is amazing how much information there is out there once you start searching for it.  I was lucky that my family lived here in southern Louisiana, as the Catholic Church kept very good records for many years, albeit a lot of it in french.  My dad's side has a paper trail to England till about 1600, as that is when my ancestor (he was from N. Scotland) joined the British Army and was sent to Nova Scotia and lived the rest of his life there.

My mom's side seems to come from Switzerland, then France after leaving the troubling times of the french aristocracy.  

It seems many people were interested in our family history and the amount of information people have is amazing once they realize someone is interested in it.

Old Head

[tiger02]

Hi all-

Didn't want to get too far ahead of myself over the last week, but can't wait any longer! Ebay auction just ended for my first motorcycle, a 1974 850T.  The timing was perfect; my girl's going to ride it for the next month while we get ready to ride the Delhi - Leh loop in India at the beginning of June.  Meantime I'm riding around and just starting to learn to work on a Honda CB 125 knockoff.  SO

Tom, age 30, work in economic development in Afghanistan.  Never had wife, kids, house, or much of anything else permanent.  Figure it's about time to grow up and take a stand so got a tattoo and a bike that I'm not going to want to give up.  The world's newest Guzzi Girl is shy about introducing herself right now, but she's in LA so we'll be looking for suggestions for a good shop and good rides in SoCal.  

Fokken excited to join the club!

Tom

[Chuck in Indiana]

Hi all-

Didn't want to get too far ahead of myself over the last week, but can't wait any longer! Ebay auction just ended for my first motorcycle, a 1974 850T.  The timing was perfect; my girl's going to ride it for the next month while we get ready to ride the Delhi - Leh loop in India at the beginning of June.  Meantime I'm riding around and just starting to learn to work on a Honda CB 125 knockoff.  SO

Tom, age 30, work in economic development in Afghanistan.  Never had wife, kids, house, or much of anything else permanent.  Figure it's about time to grow up and take a stand so got a tattoo and a bike that I'm not going to want to give up.  The world's newest Guzzi Girl is shy about introducing herself right now, but she's in LA so we'll be looking for suggestions for a good shop and good rides in SoCal.  

Wow! And welcome. In the LA area, Moto Guzzi Classics. The SoCal hooligans hang out here..
 http://forum.guzzitech.com/forum/170.html
Wonderful riding around there once you get out of the LA basin.

Fokken excited to join the club!

Tom

Wow! And welcome. In the LA area, Moto Guzzi Classics. The SoCal hooligans hang out here..
 http://forum.guzzitech.com/forum/170.html
Wonderful riding around there once you get out of the LA basin.

[oldmanjob]

Welcome to the world of Guzzi tiger02, be safe in Afghanistan.  ;-T My son just got back from a all expense tour of the mountains Curtice of the 10th Mountain Division. ;D

[KaptainKen]

Greeting Guzzi Pilots!

Newbie here with a "new to me" 2000 Jackal ... just picked it up an hour ago. Very excited you can be sure. I had been looking for a California of about the same vintage to use as a touring bike, but this one turned up here in Fort Pierce, Florida at a price that I couldn't refuse. Did I do good? Who can tell me about the Jackal? Any issues I should be aware of?

One of the reasons I got it so cheap is because a final drive seal is leaking. According to the previous owner the "small" seal was replaced but the "large" seal is the one leaking. Who knew there are two seals? I'm a fair mechanic and have messed around with car, bike and boat engines for most of my 65 years. Is this a replacement that I can handle? Where can I get parts? Over the net, preferably 'cause MG dealers are rare to the point of being non-existent here in Florida ... or perhaps I have been mis-informed.

Will need a repair manual and a windshield, too. Hopefully one of you gents can steer me in the right direction.

Best regards,
KaptainKen

[tiger02]

Thanks gents--sent a line over to Todd about the guzzitech garage as well.  Will post a new thread about the bike...

Glad your kid made it home safe, oldmanjob.  This is the first time I'm nuts enough to be here voluntarily!

[oldmanjob]

welcome aboard the forum Kap, and if everything goes right you should have more info than you will ever need :o ;-T :BEER: :BEER:

[Tom Mangini]

 :PCS!:
Hi, I'm Tom Mangini from Tucson, Az by way of California and New Jersey. I'm a landscape contractor. Not getting as many miles on as I'd like, but I do what I can. Just came back from Prescott Rally. I ride a 98 HDM. I've been lurking for years but I just decided to start posting. I'm a hunt and peck, two finger guy. Right now my wife is typing this for me.  ;) Maybe this will improve my typing. 

[Wet Coast Griso]

Better late than never, 17 posts in and I just discovered this thread!

Michael Moss Age 52 Semi Retired - Worked in TV Post Production now doing the freelance thing. Born in Vancouver BC Canada, and now live in Tsawwassen which is a suburb of Vancouver.

Have ridden for 20 years but just bought my first Guzzi last month a "new" 2007 Griso. Still getting used to it, I find it a different animal than my '90 VFR.



Here it is just days after I imported it from the US, at the inspection station (note the lack of plate).

[Creepinogie]

Hi, I'm Lyle Landstrom in Moorhead MN. Just joined. I've got a 79 SP1000 (with a recently blown transmission,) a 74 Eldorado porject and an 81 SP 1000 project. I've been into bikes for a good 30 years, Mainly Indians and HD's but I also own a Ural and a modern Triumph. It was suggested to me to join this group so here I am.

[kitze2]

Greetings, Lyle and Michael. Welcome
You must start by telling us what the best oil is.  :D :D
Just kidding.
Welcome.

[MG850T]

Paul Lancaster
48 years old
Married 15 years to a girl I met in Austria while riding through the Alps with Edelweiss Bike Travel (4 Kids).
Own a 1975 850T and a 1992 BMW R100GS (the one I was riding when I met my wife)
Flight instructor for German airline pilots and German military transport pilots at Lufthansa Airline Training Center Arizona.
The BMW is a great bike, but Guzzis are more visceral and make riding more than a form of transportation.

...and the best oil is Olive Oil, of course.

[JPL]

Hi, I'm Lyle Landstrom in Moorhead MN. Just joined. I've got a 79 SP1000 (with a recently blown transmission,) a 74 Eldorado porject and an 81 SP 1000 project. I've been into bikes for a good 30 years, Mainly Indians and HD's but I also own a Ural and a modern Triumph. It was suggested to me to join this group so here I am.

Great! More MN Guzzis!

I clicked onto your website. Holy smokes!! Incredible stuf!!  8) ;-T ;-T  I have so many questions...

Welcome Lyle!


JPL

[FastGoose]

"Faz" here, San Rafael, Ca. LEO  P:) for 33 years (investigations, I don't do traffic stops so hold your comments,  ;D!) rider for about 15. Always wanted a Guzzi. I have fond memories of my neighbor, a motor officer with SFPD riding his El-DO (Ambo?) home from work and leaving it in the driveway, leaned way over on that big ol' kickstand. Got the Guzzi bug right then and there. Had about 15 bikes of many stripes, got my first Guzzi in 2001, a "new" '99 Pearl White Bassa. Put about 50K on it with little to no problems to speak of. Never left me stranded (except the two times I ran out of gas!), never gave me any reason to second guess taking it on a trip anywhere. The few parts it ever needed, when not available from Guzzi I either found at the local hardware store or from...yes, the local H-D dealer.
Sold it a month ago because I have a 2006 Ultra and didn't ride the Goose that much. Now I miss the hell out of it and I'm in the process of buying an '07 Calvin and selling the Ultra! 
Anyway, nice to be here, thanks to Luap for setting this board up. I'll be happy to be back in the Guzzi fold!

[IceBlue]

Welcome to the asylum. Didn't you know - the Guzzi bug is a life long decease, only curable by death. Your condition may improve but you'll always fall back into the original condition caused by the bug  ;D :D ;)

Ciao from one real bad case ;-T

[flangeman_70]

G'day!

I am Adam. I am 40, live in Copenhagen Denmark with my Danish wife and I am Australian.
I am an Electron Microscope engineer and was formerly a Licensed Avionics Engineer.
I have just these past weeks finally paid the import taxes for my 90 SP III I bought last year in
the Netherlands and now I am coming to terms with my very first motorbike. I love the bloody
thing!  ;-T The feel, sound, look, simplicity and the ingenuity it is born from  ;D I have a few
minor issues to sort out this winter; leaking fork seals and the selector drum needs shimming.
Yes, it has more than 1 neutral and it can really sound like 'a brick being dropped into a bucket'
when changing gears. It has an aluminium flywheel dual clutch assy and I am almost certain the
carby springs are of a lighter variety. I have a complete second set of fairings which I will slowly
refurbish and paint a red colour I feel. I have gleaned information from various sites and forums
regarding Guzzi and it has been a great experience to use these tips with excellent results.
I had to replace the engine rear main seal a month or so back and balanced the carbs after using
the home made manometer. It runs so much better!   ;D

[dgodin]

another person who just found this topic

I am new to the Guzzi.  My wife and I bought Norges after seeing them at a Motorcycle show in NYC a couple of years ago.  My wife loved the bike immediately (except for the saddlebags) because she was able to sit on it almost flatfooted.

anyway...we've driven metrics since returning to riding back in 93..

We recently sold a Suzuki Volusia but haven't parted with the Vulcan yet..we also have a 78 Yamaha 1100 (which is for sale).

I work for a company that makes electron devices, mostly for the military.  Good fit for me as I have been in the Air Force for 22 yrs (10 active, 12 ANG) and I understand the mentality.

Currently I am in charge of Implementing Lean at our facility.  As a result I've had to put many miles on the Guzzi this summer (9K so far) to relieve stress. The other option is drinking heavily.......so many choices, so little time....

I am also an MSF ridercoach and really enjoy helping new riders...I've been getting a lot of questions this year about the guzzi.

When I first logged on to this forum it seemed that a guzzi owner needed a large toolbox and a masochistic streak.  It seems now that the bikes run well after getting through the bugs.  If only the Guzzi factory would give some thought to quality control.  We've had a few issues.  My wife has asked out loud whether we made a mistake buying these bikes but she never feels that way after riding the bike.  I've had my own concerns.  We bought the bikes so we could countinue our long distance rides trouble free and in comfort.  I hope gambling on this brand pays off.

[Sollep]

Greetings!
Another new Guzzi owner:
Sollep
Estonia
Legal aid business
36
Wife and two kids, 5 and 2
Current ride: Griso 1200 8V Special Edition
Previous rides:
Honda VTR 1000
12 years of walking
IŽ Planeta 5, 350cm3, one cylinder two-stroke
Jawa 350cm3, two cylinder two-stroke
Elektron, 148 cm3 soviet scooter

[Testarossa]

Righto, just found the topic.

Started riding scooters at 14 or 15. First legal bike was a beat-up Harley (Aermacchi) Sprint 350. Miserable piece of shit threw mud or slush all over the carb so the throttle cable could stick or freeze at nasty moments. Moved to Manhattan in '73 and bought a used CB500-4 and did the whole Dunstall rig with an early set of mag wheels. Rode it into the ground, and also raced a Yamaha TA125 with modest results (I never finished better than fourth, and never worse than eighth, and never last). Then rebuilt a wrecked Laverda 750S. Traded that in 84 for a 74 MG 850T and still have it, after two dumps and three fits of restoration/rewiring. Turned the TA into an electric bike, and picked up a 67 Triumph Bonneville as a rebuild project. The other toy is a 1959 Piper Comanche 250.

Spent 20 years as technical editor of SKI Magazine, and then designed skis for K2 for a bit. Now run a magazine covering solar energy. Have taught skiing for 27 years, at Squaw Valley and Vail, and managed to ski all over the world. Hope to retire soon and ski and ride and fly full time.  Wheee.

[gwb_mg]

Hi Mike - The Cali II "Auto" is runnning great thanks to all you folks for all the work you did. Including the mileage for the the trip (5,200+) I have added another 2,600 miles. That's 7,800 since 7/7/10. George

[Guzzi Lars]

Hi there. I'm 46,and live in Marslev,Denmark,with my girlfreind and her daugther. I've only been riding for 4 years now.
The first 6 month on a 650 single Suzuki Savage,then a freind intoduced me to Guzzi ;-T
I found a 4 year old Nevada with 1800km on the clock.Great bike but after a year I wanted more power.

So everything was sold and a 2004 Black V11 Le Mans was purchased. It's a fantastic bike 8) The steering,the brakes,the hydraulic cloutch,the torque,my alltime favourit. But......... :-\ we wanted a house .....so it had to go last summer ???
Well I was (and still is )bit by the Guzzi Bug,so had to go back to basics. The 1970, V7 Ambassador,was found i Germany and I'm still amazed by it's driveablity . 40 years old and still kicking... I've made some mods, or maybe a little more :D It's now a Cafe Racer /Hot Rod stylish style.... most of it home/hand made like,Battery tray ,cockpit,exhaust system,etc....      

[IceBlue]

Hello Lars
Nice to see another fellow viking here at the goose asylum.

Lots of nice people here with a lot of good stuff to share.
Friendly like all geesers world wide.
Have you bought your suspenders yet  ;D :D ;)
The color of choice here seems to be red, a corn cop pipe may come in handy too - if you smoke that is.... :o ;D
The place is great since it's somewhat international - and still in English.
Cultural diversity - yes - but that mostly adds to the fun ;D   although not everyone seems to agree to that one, however, if one like to expand horizons and get educated, one has to see opportunities, where some just sees limitations or problems.

Ciao from Hillerød ;-T

[Guzzi Lars]

Hi there fellow Dane  :)
There is something rodden in Denmark  ;D There's nothing going on in the Guzzi related forums
in oure home country  :(  
  Cultural diversity...Yes but we are all addicts....mostly to Guzzi's  ;D
I like the diversity,life would be boring without it. I've been writing on another "international" Guzzi forum
(Squadra Guzzista) for a while and found that,like here,you learn just as much about people,as about Guzzi's ;D ;)
 Are you comming to Bella Italia in Nyborg on the 11 sept. ???

[IceBlue]

Hi there fellow Dane  :)
There is something rodden in Denmark  ;D There's nothing going on in the Guzzi related forums
in oure home country  :(  
Are you comming to Bella Italia in Nyborg on the 11 sept. ???

Yep - silence is very loud in MGKDK  ;D
I may drop in at Nyborg, but it's close to a bussiness trip I need to go on, so I'm not sure.

Hope you like it here ;)

Ciao

[Huck369]

Howdy,
I'm Huck, form Somerset, Kentucky, I'm 45, and a Structural Draftsman for an industrial Steel Fabrication company.

I've currently got a Y2K Jackal, and I'm the former owner of a 750 Breva....

Glad to be here, seems to be lots of info, and helpful Members!

[falconess]

Hi, I am Falcone SS , live in Amerongen, in the middle of Holland .Age 60 .Married with 3 children, 1 still at home. I own a little metalshop.
Bikes : N Falcone cafe with the old (TV) engine in it
        N Falcone cafe  with Eaton M45 blower
        G5  1982
        Nibbio 50 cc

[oldmanjob]

Welcome Falcone SS to the forum, where small blocks rule :D ;D ;-T :BEER: :BEER: :PICS!: :PICS!:

Bill

[PeteT]

Howdy, I'm Pete.  I'm I'm a 56 year old ex-logger from Northern California, now residing in Las Vegas and working as an aircraft mechanic keeping a 600+ plane fleet of Boeing 737's moving.  Current rolling stock includes an '80 Yamaha 175, an '05 Ural Gear Up, and a 2010 V7C (with a '75 vintage Vetter Windjammer III).  I'm married to a Russian gal (my fatrher-in-law is a retired Red Army colonel :o)... don't have any kids- just a bunch of stray cats.  My hobbies include machine shop work/welding fabrication, travel, camping, fishing, hunting, target shooting (mostly long range rifle), and of course motorcycling!  I've been riding since the early 1970's- mostly street/road bikes with a few enduro types along the way.

PeteT.