normzone's '99 Bassa thread

[Chuck in Indiana]

It's not like you are going to do a major overhaul on the side of the road. The standard tool kit is adequate for normal roadside repairs. I also carry a leatherman type tool. Make sure it has a corkscrew and bottle opener.  ;D A standard light bulb with leads soldered on it gives you a "usable power or not usable power" indication. I carry a spare relay, but have never needed one. A guy at Camp Carlo needed one several years ago though. Tried to pay me for it. Silly boy..

[normzone]

" It's not like you are going to do a major overhaul on the side of the road... carry a leatherman type tool. Make sure it has a corkscrew and bottle opener. "

Supreme advice.

" There is at least one 8 mm nut "

And you just increased the odds that I will never have a fuel pump failure on the road. Thank you sir.

Is there anybody in So Cal that offers good roadside assistance outside of Progressive?

[Sportsterleroy]

I elected to get the roadside coverage, with tubed tires on both my T-3 and Convert. They are tubed tires and I have not changed a tube in 45 years on ANYTHING. LOL  The cost is about 1.20 per month PER bike. I am worth it. ;-T


Leroy in Cleveland

[normzone]

Well that doesn't sound too pricey. A good just in case.

I got quotes. When my wonderful wife gets home I'll find out if I'm getting only liability insurance at $12 a month, comprehensive and collision (covers fire, theft, vandalism) with a $500 deductible for $27 a month, or with a $100 deductible for $37 a month.

[Sportsterleroy]

Well that doesn't sound too pricey. A good just in case.

I got quotes. When my wonderful wife gets home I'll find out if I'm getting only liability insurance at $12 a month, comprehensive and collision (covers fire, theft, vandalism) with a $500 deductible for $27 a month, or with a $100 deductible for $37 a month.

Not to high jack this tool kit thread, In ohio we are not a no fault state and I have max coverage for UNINSURED AND UNDERINSURED.  There are too many people without any insurance, or just have state minimums and IF I survive a wreck someone will pay. I had a friend with just 100k and the guy hit him ONLY had 100k too, so he was unable to recoupe his 1 yr off work , months in the hospital permanent damage to his arm and manhood.

Pay the max coverage if you state dictates you should.

Leroy in Cleveland

[charlie b]

I usually carry a lot more tools and supplies than I need.  I always carry my Leatherman.

Set of 3/8 sockets and hex sockets.  Spark plug socket.  Set of combination wrenches. Hex driver with set of bits.  And a set of Bondus allen wrenches.  Vise grips.  And the factory wrench for the axle and drain plug.

Before I went tubeless I carried tire irons, C clamp, patches and tube.  Now just a plug kit and compressor.  And some extra schrader valves.

Two extra spark plugs, small bit of bailing wire, steel zip ties, plastic zip ties, duct tape, electrical tape, fuzes, some electrical wire, and some blade type terminals.

Then there is the extra quart of oil, extra throttle cable and extra clutch cable.

With all this the only things I have used on the road are for changing the throttle and clutch cables...a screwdriver and a couple of sticks (for synching the carbs) or 13mm open end wrench.  Oh, and I have topped off the oil when on a trip.

FYI, for electrical troubleshooting I just take a bulb out of one of the sockets and tape wire to it.  Ground the bulb (or touch to pos terminal) and touch the wire to whatever I want to test.  The only time I needed to troubleshoot electrical I didn't need the bulb.  I could see the sparks  :)  Just a loose ground from battery to frame.

[Wayne Orwig]

A 12 volt trouble light with long wires is more valuable on the roadside then a meter.
Carry spare fuses and at least one spare relay.
Do you have tubeless tires? I think you have tube type. Are you able to patch a tube by the roadside? If not, a can of tire goo (fix a flat) and a cell phone are the best.
I always carry a bit of wire and some connectors like the Posi-twist, just in case.
A spare headlight bulb. It sucks having no headlight at night.
Join the MGNOC and carry a copy of the contact list.
go ride.

[normzone]

These are allegedly tubeless - I have not attempted to verify, nor would I know a tubeless tire if it bit me.

In my experience a tube gone flat is usually dead and chewed to pieces before the bike gets stopped, so I always just replaced the tube. Now I guess I'll need to learn to patch tubeless tires. In my service station days this was done on cars with an awl-like device threaded like a sewing needle with a strip of media and some goop.

[bad Chad]

All Bassa came with center stand and tubeless wheels.

[Wayne Orwig]

In my experience a tube gone flat is usually dead and chewed to pieces before the bike gets stopped,

New one on me. I've patched about a dozen tubes over the years with no such issues. I have had a couple of tubeless tires with holes too big to plug. Too bad they weren't tubes that I could have patched.

[normzone]

Yeah, I may have been overreacting, but I felt replacement was cheap insurance.

[fotoguzzi]

All Bassa came with center stand and tubeless wheels.

I have owned 2 Bassa's neither had a centerstand until I put one on.

tubeless rims have the spokes to a flange not the center of the rim..

[bad Chad]

Your right Foto, now that I think about it I had to add the centerstand!  Dah!

[Caffeineo]

My 1999 Bassa has tubeless rims and a center stand. I put "Ride-On" in the tires and don't worry about getting a flat. But now that I have jinxed myself I will start carrying the slime pump and tubeless repair kit. I only carry the factory tool kit and have not had a problem for 10K miles over the past 2 years.  :bike

[normzone]

" slime pump "...is that Fix-A-Flat?

[Wayne Orwig]

" slime pump "...is that Fix-A-Flat?

It is a small air compressor made by the company that makes 'Slime' tire sealant.

[normzone]

Much thanks. And my wife responded the way I hoped she would - I've arranged for comprehensive and collision (covers fire, theft, vandalism) with a $100 deductible for $37 a month. I think roadside service comes with that, but I'll have to verify that.

[Caffeineo]

" slime pump "...is that Fix-A-Flat?

Like Wayne said....it is a small 12V air pump that plugs into a cigarette lighter to pump up tires. Less than $20 at Wal-Mart.  ;-T

[krglorioso]

Norm:  If you are an Auto Club (AAA) member, an additional $37/year will provide you with recreational vehicle and motorcycle towing.  Provides up to four tows of up to 100 miles each per year.

MG-Cycle offers inexpensive screw-on emergency nipples for clutch and brake cables.  These or a spare throttle "pull" cable and a clutch cable are handy take-alongs.  Oh, don't discount the rain suit because it never rains here; Rain suits make dandy oversuits in case the temperature drops unexpectedly.  I've used mine for that on more than a few occasions and was delighted at the improvement it made in my comfort.

Ralph 

[normzone]

The fine, fine woman who I'm fortunate enough to be loved by MADE me buy this bike.

The pilot's seat is a Russel Day-Long...I'm cool, 'nuff said.

The passenger seat is stock.

She had her first ride on it yesterday and she was diplomatic about needing to develop her motorcycle core muscles, etc, etc, but she made it clear - the stock passenger seat sucketh.

I figured that going in. The credit card is maxed and I'll probably have to sell blood or turn tricks, but the bike needs a new passenger seat.

I've been researching the threads / forum, and I've created a folder in my Favorites/Motorcycles/Seats, but I was hoping my new found brethren would take mercy on me and argue over what to do / I mean give me their counsel.

There are several well known names in differing parts of the country. Should I sell off my pilot's seat and get a two-up seat, or get her a separate Russel, or (insert name of multiple well known seat makers here)?

I know I'm new here, and I don't want to abuse my privileges, but all counsel appreciated.

[Morizzi]

I'm not sure the rider seat will still be that comfy if you have to turn tricks. Sensations may change!

Never had a Bassa and I'm not going to try and discuss your lady's rear shape but there are a few inexpensive things you can try.

1. Ensure she dresses for comfort. Any underwear or lower layers need to be smooth and no hems or edges along the pressure points of the seat. Its amazing how much the rolled edge of underwear can dig in after a while.

2. Being Australian we used to use some sheepskin and make a seat cover. Warm in winter, cool in summer.

3. A friend has an Airhawk. Not that expensive. It took him a while to adjust the pressure to suit but now he loves it.

After that you are probably looking at going to a trimmers and having her saddle modified.

Enjoy

Rod

[Green1000S]

Cheap?
Try taxi car wooden seat beads, 10$. They look stupid, but work well. Assuming the general shape of the seat is ok.
Sheep wool cover is great too, from Ikea about 20 bucks, or a nice custom made about $120, same thing, does not work if seat shape or width is wrong.
After those, new seat.

[tdbnc]

Having had a bassa myself I fully understand the complaints of a wife with sore back side. My solution was to buy a Norge...gave me good excuse. I ran across the following a while back and thought it would have solved the problem for a lot less...

http://www.buttybuddy.com

I've haven't seen one in person so not sure how stable it is mounted. Good luck.

[rocker59]

Easy.  Russell Day-Long on the  front?   Send them the pillion and have them make it match.

Also, You'll need a backrest, and really, you'll need better shocks on the back.

Get ready.  $$$ !!!  

Before you drop a lot of coin, make sure your SO actually wants to ride.  I've seen many men spend lots of time and money chasing motorcycle comfort for wives/girlfriends who really just didn't want to ride.


P.S.  I merged your three Bassa threads into one thread, for convenience and continuity.

[youcanrunnaked]

Extras include Swanee fairing, Harper's driving lights, Harper's floorboards, MG leather saddle bags, Power commander, Mistral header pipes with H-pipe crossover, Lafranconi performance exhaust, Center stand, Harper's highway pegs, Russel day-long custom seat, and an after market back trunk. and new speedometer.

Nice bike at a nice price.  Love the pearl paint.

I am not a fan of the CO2 cartridges for tire inflation.  Instead, I carry one of these:





If you hard-wire an SAE plug to your battery, and run the lead outside of your seat, using the Slime air compressor for regular tire maintenance or roadside repairs is super easy.

For the passenger seat, it looks like Russell gets $125 to do the pillion.  You're not going to find another solution for much less.  

As for tires, the Tonti frame seems to prefer bias-ply type, so I would stick with a name brand bias-ply tire in the approved sizes.  My EV came from the PO with Metzeler Marathon ME880's.  They wear like iron... and ride like it, too.  I cannot begin to tell you how glad I am that they are finally worn out.  I've researched replacements, and I think I am going to get the Michelin Pilot Activ tires.  They should offer a good compromise between wear and handling.  The Pirelli Sport Demons would probably offer more stick, at the expense of faster wear, but from where I live I have to travel a lot of miles just to get to the twisty roads, so Michelin it will be.  Another choice would be the Bridgestone BT45, but they get mixed reviews from Cali owners.  

Remember that most if not all of these bias-ply tires come in tube and tubeless versions.  Your Bassa's wire wheels should have the spokes through a flange on the outer edge, rather than through the center of the rim, which allows you to run tubeless tires.  I could not tell from the photograph in the eBay ad whether you have tube-type or tubeless rims, though.

[normzone]

Much thanks, [youcanrunnaked], for  your input. I thought a Russell upgrade was going to run me $700 or so...I'll have to check that out.

Yeah, I've got the tubeless wheels. My first Guzzi back in the eighties had an old Michelin steel belted rock on it when I got it - It rode like a rock as well. I remember making the decision to run soft tires on it for the handling benefits with the tradeoff of changing the rear about every 5K miles it seemed.

I think they were Continental K-110 - not certain about that number.EDIT: K 112 - THAT'S the ticket...

I'm told that Metzler are good but the prices have gone up too high - Bridgestone Battlax is what has been recommended. Michelin Pilot Activ ? Pirelli Sport Demons?

I only plan to put 3 - 4 K miles a year on the bike, so if there is a great handling tire that is a favorite for the Bassa I've got no problems with cost...Of course, I'm broke and half hungover at the moment, so it's easy for me to say that.

The bike has some kind of adjustable shocks on the back - I'll have to figure out who made them and how I should treat them.

[rocker59]

Pirelli Sport Demons are great tires.  At that mileage, you'll probably replace them once per year.

I really liked the Michelin Pilot Activ on my Bassa.  At your estimated mileage, you'd replace them every two to three years.

Metzeller ME880 has been a big favorite for the touring crowd, but you'd have to replace them due to age because they last a long time.  May as well get something stickier.

Bridgestone BT45 is also a big favorite for the Californias.  Replacement every year or two, at your mileage rate.

[youcanrunnaked]

I thought a Russell upgrade was going to run me $700 or so...I'll have to check that out.

http://www.day-long.com/seat_prices.html

If you look at the price difference between solo and dual, it's pretty consistent at around $125.  Maybe I am missing something, though.

[fotoguzzi]

Pirelli Sport Demons are great tires.

Metzeller ME880 I thought they sucked! started cupping (and howling) with plenty of tread left, 2 sets.   has been a big favorite for the touring crowd, but you'd have to replace them due to age because they last a long time.  May as well get something stickier.

[LowRyter]

I've had good luck with the 880s.  I've on my 3rd set.  I had one rear that was never quite right when new and even after that I drove it totally flat for 25 miles (don't ask) and ran another 5k miles with a plug in it.  With that one exception, they handle good and last. 

I'd say that I am a sport oriented rider.  Not a racer but not a cruiser.