S-Westerly

Good Day from a stinking hot and horribly humid location.

End cans I change anytime and tbh the standard isn't bad. Better than the Ducati's anyway. What I don't like is that bloody fat box of a thing under the bike which is the catalytic converter. It's hideous and looks naff. Purely vanity. I don't want it louder and any horsepower gain is at most 3 or 4. Hardly dramatic and unlikely to be detectable in the real world.

My current cook is good at that.

Keep at it and hopefully you won't get the same route next time. Good luck.

Looks really good. Long ago I really fancied a yellow Laverda. Fortunately I was too poor at the time to buy it.

Seriously though it does look good. Be nice to see a pic of it on the bike when you get it fitted.

Very nice. You'll match your bees.

That's the one and I leave it dangling outside my gear. I'm glad it's not smaller as I can operate it wearing gloves while on the go.

Apparently bikes built to be Euro 5 compliant must have a catalytic converter fitted for road use and it is forbidden to remove it. Government sources are pretty hopeless but no surprise there. All the manufacturers' sites I've visited are all stating quite obviously that these cat free systems are for closed track only and not for road use. Some even advise you that fitting them will void your warranty. So I might change the end can but not the whole system. Save me about £500 at least.

Ooh. What about the exhaust system saying "not for road use".?

No cat so unfortunately I don't see how it can be.

I'm cutting biscuits right out but it's pretty easy as the only options are Oreos (don't like), Jacobs cream crackers and Ritz crackers. My person in charge of provisioning seems to think this is enough. I don't but as they are on my "eat on pain of death" list it is easy to avoid them.

Saw an absolutely gorgeous exhaust system for the Guzzi but unfortunately it has no catalyst so probably isn't going to be insurable or legal for that matter. Soo beautiful though.

I've done it too.

Only occasionally. It seems to come in bursts of chaos then calm down for a while. Just as well I don't play with nukes though.

Have to get a heat gun. Nice job.

I nearly always get off with the bike on the side stand even at pay at the pump. Mainly because of an embarrassing incident when I rode off not realising a fuel hose was looped around my pannier. Ended up wrecking the hose and spraying petrol everywhere. Now I always check.

How very weird. Mustn't have anything better to do.

Way back in the mists of time my new 250 got a dent in its tank when a large Yamaha with a full fairing blew over and landed on mine. Annoying!

I switch tyres when they are worn to the wear marks.

I go for grip out of choice but longevity has some place. The Road Pilot 6 I had on the Ducati eere pretty good but I didn't have them long before I traded the bike. Heard since that for some people they can have a weird wear cycle. The Metzlers I had before were excellent until they weren't. Literally in about 500 miles they'd go from being OK to not at all. Interesting to see how the Pirellis go on the Guzzi. So far I like them . Pirelli and Metzler are the same company now anyway.

Neither Ducati or Moto Guzzi came with a centre stand and in both cases I paid extra for them. The Ducati's was good and pretty easy to use; very useful for caring for the chain and stable too. The Guzzi's ain't. Shaft drive so that aspect is not an issue but the thing isn't stable at all. It's quite a narrow base and where I keep my bike (on a slope) there's a distinct tendency for it to tip. Consequently I don't use it unless the bikes on the flat somewhere and I'll use it when cleaning. Seriously considering removing it.

WTF was that all about?

I joined my first ship in 1977 so I'm kind of used to it. I like the pay and the time off that comes with the job although the pension sucks which is why I'm still doing it!

Yep, usually looking cold, soggy and miserable. Much like me when being dragged around hills by my other half.