Great to hear from you. Hello from Canada. Ride safely.

Wow Steve - thanks. Enjoy theCali. Great bikes I hear. Ride safely.

They do crop up as 'barn finds' from time to time. On the Eldorados / Ambassadors, just be sure to replace the cylinders(chrome peels).

@@nick949eldo. Thanks, I had not heard that. But then again,the last time I worked on one was almost 20 years ago

@@nunya9555 It's only an issue up to about 1975 when they switched to steel liners. If you do a quick search for 'Guzzi chrome bores' you'll get the picture.

Hi Henk. Thanks for the kind thoughts and the observations on your well-used Convert. 350,000 kms on any bike is great service. You have certainly got your money's worth. I hear there are quite a few Converts used with sidecars. A friend of mine has one in northern Ontario in daily use. Great bikes. Stay well. Ride safely.

Hi Henk. I've got a Convert sidecar rig too. I live in Amsterdam. Maybe see you one day after this Covid is behind us.

@@amp2amp800 Hello Amp. (nice name :-) ) Yes Holland is a small country, so perhaps we do meet somewhere on a Guzzi meeting or on the Italdag.

Thanks Chris. The Mille GT is a beautiful bike. Pretty, simple and with that great big block engine. Good luck with it. Ride safely 😃

Thanks jp s. Enjoy that Carbon Dark v7iii. Great bike. Safe riding.

Thanks Doug. Those Honda 400s are impressive. My son's first long ride was on one to James Bay, Quebec. Stay safe.

Awaiting cylinder head repair. It won't be long...............

Thanks John - much appreciated.

Hi Rick. Good luck with the Convert Rick. I'm sure you'll love it.

Can't help with the revs Jim - no rev counter. I recently rode a Honda Gold Wing Tour with DCT. Very impressive, and not boring in the slightest. Stay well.

Yes

Thanks Gareth. They do get under your skin. The switches I have used on many of my bikes are: www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_140&products_id=183 very reliable and good quality - if a bit pricey. Good luck.

Thanks Ren. I ordered from here. www.superbrightleds.com/cat/motorcycle/ I've yet to replace the headlight, but I will eventually. The tail lights are bright and durable though.

@@nick949eldo thank you 👍

Thanks. I like going places most people don't, but ride like a Granny.

@@nick949eldo Grannies last and know secrets :-)

@@TonTonPercussie Hahaha

There is a bit of engine braking but quite a bit less than a geared bike. I never find it a worry. The linked brakes are tremendous (although not to Breva standards) and I've never found them a problem on gravel. Even when I've found myself having to break unexpectedly on a loose surface they just slow the bike - although one has to ride according to the surface conditions anyway. Most parts are available from MgCycle or Harpers, and what isn't can be found on eBay. Some people swapped out the converter for gears (more fool them) so full tranmissions are often available for not too much. Compared to the Breva, it's a bike from a different time. Try to find one to ride before you make any commitments. I'd hate to have led you into doing something you'd regret later. (as for 'Conversion' - I still have geared bikes too, which I equally enjoy).

@@nick949eldo I agree, only time I didn't like linked brakes was on ice and snow but that was on my T3, so I learnt to just use engine braking. The Convert however doesn't have enough engine braking to come with the hills around here but luckily I no longer have to ride when there is ice and snow about, if I did I would fit brake balance adjuster so I could reduce the front braking to suit conditions. I would also recommend trying a Convert and give it time to adjust to the different riding style, that said, I didn't I just bought the Convert and got used to it :)

The left switch cluster is from MgCycle www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_140&products_id=183 My right is a very old, repurposed Honda unit from my parts bin (until it fails)

@@nick949eldo Thank you and for the link

Hi Dan, this is the one: www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_140&products_id=183

@@nick949eldo Thank you Nick. See ya on the web or maybe some day on the road. Cheers

Duro HF 308 (or 318) can't remember. Basic and dirt cheap. They don't last long but they have a reasonable treat pattern, grip OK and suit the look.

@@nick949eldo Thanks!

They use a mix of salt and sand. I spray the bikes in WD40 and clean the bikes in the spring. It's tough on them but they'll outlast me.

Hi Harold. This is essentially what I used. Expensive, but good quality. www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_140&products_id=183

@@nick949eldo Hi Nick, I am tempted to replace the switchgear on my '77 Convert. Is the one you use 'push to cancel' on the Blinkers? I find it difficult to find the centre off on my standard switchgear, probably because it is worn.

@@colinxsd2208 Yes. Push to cancel. If the ones MGCycle are still selling are the same as mine, they work very well and have given me no trouble.

@@nick949eldo Thanks, I will see if I can get we some, I have some T3 Cali handlebars to fit sometime and they will need the loom extending, so it would make sense to do the switchgear while I'm at it.

Hi Amp2Amp. Fortunately I kept the original box so here's the details. I ordered them from superbrightleds.com (74-RHP red, 74-AHP amber, 74-BHP blue, 74-GHP Green) . They simply replace the existing bulbs within the binnacle. No conversion needed. Good luck.

@@nick949eldo Brilliant Nick (bad pun but this is great news thanks!

@@nick949eldo Hi Nick. Got them (from the same guys) shipped to Holland and fitted them at the weekend. They're great! Emboldened by this success I took on switching the starter motor (while I fix the bosch - I think its just the solenoid making it unreliable)... and then, at the "last step", when reconnecting the battery, I managed to drop the nut from the -ve terminal down the side of the battery where it got stuck. I should in my defence mention that my bike's modified to accommodate a lame right hand which kind of limits my spannering these days. Then I broke the battery connector on the (fat guage) rectifier +ve wire, when taking the battery out to fish for said nut, and I don't have tools and spares to fix (or bodge) that immediately. I'm hoping that this is all a blessing in disguise. I think maybe the connector was already broken, and the source of an unexplained scary total power loss in Belgium on my last trip out. It 'went away' by itself after wiggling stuff and checking the fuses, and I got home OK but I've been a bit worried that I might get another engine cut out, this time in traffic, ever since. A guy was mowed down for stopping on the Amsterdam ring just the other week - they don't take prisoners here. So the job's done, but I'll have to wait a few days to fully enjoy the fruits of my labour, (and see if I need to attend to the speedo cable again). Mainly I still need to check if it will even start with the new starter motor in. Ride safe!

@@amp2amp800 Glad to hear the lights were a success but sorry to hear of the other starter woes. Don't feel bad. My bike wouldn't start the other day as I was about to lead a small group of Guzzi riders on some local roads. I had to short across the starter solenoid to get it started. When I investigated later at home, found the plastic parts inside the starter handlebar switch had broken. Looking for a replacement now. Sh**t happens.

Hi @@nick949eldo The Dutch Guzzi Club forum advises me that the Bosch charging system is sensitive to (balanced by) feedback via the lamp and spec'd for a 3W bulb. I know this circuit, I believe its a fair point. It might not play out in practice. Have you had any symptoms? The story is that the standard bulb is only 1.2W (so already on the low side of optimal). The red LED comes in at about 0.25W and should therefore fall under the threshold, resulting in poor charging. They recommend a 5W 50Ω shunt. I found a plug-in (3.2W 41Ω) item "12V LED Warning Canceller Decoder 501 T10 W5W OCB Error Load Resistor" which I hope will fit the bill. Its not intended for this purpose but I think its close enough and I won't need to splice wires. In theory it should help. At under ten euros I'll take a chance. Still waiting for delivery to test (everything). I'll keep you posted.

Same tires on both bikes jc. Cheap Duro HF308s. Surprisingly good on or off pavement, although they don't last too long.

@@nick949eldo how many km for the front & the rear ?

@@jcmercier6206 I haven't really kept track but the fronts last a long time but are a little noisy. The rears are good for about 6000km or so. But they're cheap..............

Good luck Marcus

@@nick949eldo cheers Nick, always hopefull 😁

Originally Norfolk, then the Midlands. Stay well. Nick

@@nick949eldo Ok I missed by a few miles. Thx for your nice videos and all the best in Ontario.

@@northof-62 My mum lived in fear of me acquiring a regional accent.

@@nick949eldo Ha ha - no worries there. But I like most UK accents. And Canadians are usually much better to listen to than most Americans too.

Just cheap Duros. (Similar to Dunlop K75's but a lot cheaper). They work for me and the kind of riding I do.

@@nick949eldo Thanks! :)

I guess the market just wasn't there after a while. They lingered on into the mid-eighties. It's never too late. They are still out there.

Possibly, but that's missing the point and not the criteria by which I chose my bikes. I have almost zero interest in Japanese bikes from the period, even though I recognize that they are excellent machines.