How was your day

[Tennmoto]

That’s right Steve, tomorrow we get that tire on
And if time allows the swing arm bearing inspect
I did almost hit a car that pulled a left turn from
Opposite side in front of me, and for some reason
I anticipated it and started hitting the brakes from
60mph and just missed her, as she passed in front
Of me she didn’t even look at me. This was south
411 in TN below Benton. No other traffic around
Except the Suv that went thru before me
F%#*+^~k

[Sasquatch Jim]

 It sucked, more snow and ice.

[Muzz]

Today I turned 70.  Good or bad, who knows. Don't feel 70 in my head but my body sometimes does.

Today also the courier arrived with the bits that I needed to finish off getting the bike back on the road. My 4 speed (no 5th) Frankenbox has duly been hauled out and replaced with a 2nd hand box from the States.  While I have been doing this have also been doing things like replacing the pads and a few other bits. The linkage rod on the Breva is only 6mm and it has been bending on me.  I measured the exact length that I required and got a bit of 1/2" bright steel, threaded the required amount at the 6mm and did it up so there is no thread showing. That shouldn't bend!  Also replaced the Heim joints with ones of much better quality than the original ones.

Went to son's work, have been filling in for grandson who has been swanning around Melbourne for the last 9 days.  Fortunately he hasn't been too busy these last 9 days so have been doing some R&M in his workshop.  Daughter and granddaughters rang from Singapore and sang "happy birthday".  Left early and went and completed  buttoning everything up bar the oil in the box.

Went out to a buffet restaurant for tea.  Reasonably priced (Guzzi content ) for seniors and they have a good seafood selection.  I LOVE seafood.

Back home, filled gearbox and checked diff, then went for a trial ride.  All good and 5th is so quiet!

A longer ride tomorrow is on the cards I feel.  The end of a very good birthday.

[balvenie]

Congratulations Muzz and enjoy your motorcycle too

[davedel44]

Fixed the horn on the V7 Stone.

Replaced heater in shop bathroom.

Went sailing.

A very good day.

Dave
Galveston

[Chuck in Indiana]

Pretty darn good. Woke up again.  Solved some of the world's problems with Dusty. Fit up Austin's bags on the free (Guzzi content) mounts on the G5. Fixed a fancy fish and bok choy dish for my sweetie.
Life is good.. 

[Tom H]

Muzz, not sure what calendar day your on but in the states it's the 4th. I just made it to 57. Damn, don't always feel that old.

Happy B day to ya,
Tom

[Chuck in Indiana]

Muzz, not sure what calendar day your on but in the states it's the 4th. I just made it to 57. Damn, don't always feel that old.

Happy B day to ya,
Tom

57? (!!) Wish I was a young pup like you..  Happy Birthday, Tom. 

[Muzz]

Muzz, not sure what calendar day your on but in the states it's the 4th. I just made it to 57. Damn, don't always feel that old.

Happy B day to ya,
Tom

Thanks Tom. Yeah, the 4th it is.

And a happy birthday in return.

[Kent in Upstate NY]

Went to the gym. Had a good workout. Came home to phone messages that my 86 year old mother's memory is getting worse. Short term that is. She was waiting for me to take her to Tennessee. That was to be next week. She has a dog that will soon be joining my pack as she is no longer able to care for it and it, being a low slung Basset, would create a trip and fall  issue.

[Lannis]

Came home to phone messages that my 86 year old mother's memory is getting worse. Short term that is. She was waiting for me to take her to Tennessee. That was to be next week. She has a dog that will soon be joining my pack as she is no longer able to care for it and it, being a low slung Basset, would create a trip and fall  issue.

A tough part of life for her, AND for you and the other folks caring for her.  Hang in there ....

Lannis

[Sasquatch Jim]

 And more snow today.

[blackcat]

Installed a new front tire on the Norton as the previous tire was too wide for the front fender and I couldn't push the bike around since I put it all back together.



Yesterday I installed the Yuasa battery that I purchased 12 years ago after filling it up with acid and charging overnight. Headlight works and no smoke has escaped the new wiring harness, tail light isn't working but that is another choir.  Amazing how time fly's when you start a project and things get in the way.

Previous front tire installed 10+ years ago after getting the rims back from Buchanan's and not installing them on the project.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Amazing how time fly's when you start a project and things get in the way.

No kidding. That's a uh.. fairly nice old Norton, btw.. 

[blackcat]

No kidding. That's a uh.. fairly nice old Norton, btw.. 

Thanks.

Yes, I took the bike apart around 2003?, had the new rims installed on the hubs, had the frame welded due to some previous mistakes and then it sat.  Of course I couldn't remember how to put it back together though I have taken this bike completely apart once before. Next is installing the new electronic ignition, fluids and some non-ethanol gas. It use to be a two kick bike, so I'm hoping for that to happen again as my knee's aren't as good as they were when taken apart.

[davedel44]

Starting nicely, thank you.





Sunrise over the Comal River, New Braunfels, Texas.

Dave
Galveston

[Muzz]

Went with my mate on a quick trip for a coffee in Akaroa, French influenced little village on the coastal edges of an extinct volcano tucked in to the many little bays in that area.  110 mile round trip, a favourite ride to get away from the flat here on the Canterbury plains.

Main idea was to give the new 2nd hand gearbox a work out in the hills. Couldn't hear anything of course with my ears stuffed full of plugs but it seemed to go just fine with no sticky shifts.  I'm a happy man.

Ride was great, good weather and his "85 Yamaha 600 4 has about the same hp as the Breva.  He rides exactly the same as I do, bike performs the same and he is not stupid.  Always an enjoyable day riding with him.

[davedel44]

Winter Soltice 2018

Walking the Labyrinth at dawn.  Beach at 17th St.  Galveston Island, Texas.





Dave
Galveston

[Shorty]

Winter Soltice 2018

Walking the Labyrinth at dawn.  Beach at 17th St.  Galveston Island, Texas.





Dave
Galveston

Always makes me smile to see Texans wearing coats....

[davedel44]

Shorty

Was 50 degrees with gale warnings this AM.  So much wind that water was blown out of parts of the bay.  Bunches of boats resting on their bottoms.

Decided to fix a warm lunch.

Cauliflower-Curry soup, garnished with chives, cilantro, greek yogurt and a smidgen of crispy ham.





Lots of good antioxidants in Curry and Turmeric. Ham not so much.

Dave
Much warmer on Galveston Island

[Shorty]

Looks yummie....

[Guzzidad]

   Spent the last two days at Tire Kingdom where they were working on my wife's car, a 2011 Murano. The brake pedal went soft and they thought the master cylinder went bad. A new one didn't help and they finally diagnosed it as the ABS unit had a problem. A new ABS unit costs over $2000. Will be going car shopping tomorrow. I have to give Tire Kingdom a lot of credit. They spent well over 10 hours of labor on this problem and over a gallon of brake fluid and they didn't charge me a single penny when I picked the car up since they couldn't fix the problem. I've bought a couple sets of tires from them in the past as well as new brake pads front and rear. They've earned my trust and I'll go back there when I need them.

[Pizza Guzzi]

I reached a milestone of sorts this week. After applying months ago with much filling out of forms and submitting all manner of documentation I am now in receipt of the Aged Pension.
It's been a year of transition for me - long standing health issues meant I was off work from  mid April this year on sick leave until my employment was terminated in November.
I'm not missing work so much as I'm missing the pay, life's good though I just need to be a bit more frugal now ( Guzzi content ).
Glenn

[pete roper]

Well, as some of you may know back in the middle of the year my offsider Michael crashed on his Aprilia RS125. The event has left him a paraplegic confined to a chair and since then he's been living in a hospital ward at the spinal unit at the Prince of Wales hospital in Sydney.

It's been a rough ride with few ups and many downs but two days ago he got on the train from Sydney to Bungendore. We met him at the station and he poured himself off his carbon fibre wheelchair into a car and headed home to his parents place which is being adapted for his condition.

Yesterday he broke out of home confinement and scooted down to the Top Pub where he was overwhelmed by all the local ratbags welcoming him home!



No, we're not on the 'Home Run' yet but they're talking about a discharge on Jan 16th 2019. Over the next few months we'll be working closely with the OT wallahs on how we're going to make the second Motomoda workshop 'Cripple Friendly'. Bench lowering. A hydraulic lift for bikes with air power and a rail with a chain block and tackle for doing the heavy lifting, (May also look at a sort of 'Bosun's Chair' arrangement for him!). Good news is a lot of this will be paid for and assisted with by our 'Green Slip' insurance scheme but I'm also in the lucky position I can write stuff off against the business's tax. With the OT people's advice we hopefully will have him back to busting his sorry arse as a mechanic by the end of next year and then I'll be able to bloody retire! if it doesn't work out? Well, so be it. But we're going to give it a red hot go!

It's nice to have at least one 'Good News' story to end the year. Michael's crash, followed shortly thereafter by Beetle troweling the 1400 and busting his leg was enough but in the last month an old and dear friend has been diagnosed with mesotheliosis and another died unexpectedly just over a week ago at the age of 55!

2018! Crap year! I can't wait for it to piss off out the door!

Pete

[guzzisteve]

What he needs now Pete is a Chariot & handlebars!! He can the get in the breeze on his own. Need to get him a " Go Fund Me" page.

[Muzz]

Hopefully you have a better year next year Pete.  However, good to see Michael mobile again; really good if the Motomoda  mods work out.

Guzzisteve's suggestion is actually available.  A guy who comes to our local shopping mall has one.  Probably about 14" wheel size, has a 50-60km range, a hi-lo switch so it is controllable in crowds, a motorcycle type front end with suspension but he said in high it can really clip along.  May have more kw's than your standard four wheeler and is more stable.  It's a really cool looking machine.

When I finally get too old to ride I think that will be go-to vehicle to go the shorter distances.

[Guzzistajohn]

In the woods with some old trials buddies! Good Christmas Eve!

[guzzisteve]

Well, I mean't a Guzzi w/sidecar that has a platform to roll the chair on & handlebars w/steering arm over to the tripletree.

[pete roper]

Well, I mean't a Guzzi w/sidecar that has a platform to roll the chair on & handlebars w/steering arm over to the tripletree.

Actually Steve I'm currently investigating something along those lines using my Mana as the motive unit. First cab off the rank though is a car. Insurance will pay for the conversion but we need to fund the vehicle. Now when he's sold his MG and GRiSO that'll make a big dent in it but I'm considering crowdfunding to raise as much a second we can to help out. It needs to be something that will be able to get him around the farm too and it has to be less than five years old. Something like a Subaru Forrester is probably the go but they, or anything similar, start at $38K.

Pete

[Chuck in Indiana]

Well, I mean't a Guzzi w/sidecar that has a platform to roll the chair on & handlebars w/steering arm over to the tripletree.

Many years ago, I met a guy in Colorado that had done that with a BMW airhead. He said it worked well enough. Unfortunately, this was pre digital pictures, so I wouldn't be able to find them.