My Moto Guzzi V7. Does it smell like pizza or is it just me?

[totalmotorcycle]

We can't believe you without a picture.

There you go

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[totalmotorcycle]

Amazing to consider what's happened in our lives and the Guzzi since I last posted.

Unfortunately in March, my wife was laid off from her job in oil and gas and such both our work visas depended on that employment to stay in the USA. Her company gave us just 10 days to leave the USA and go back home. In March/April Andrea and I arrived back in Calgary, Alberta and then I headed back after 10 days to Houston to clean up the mess there while she did the same in Calgary. While in Houston I fire sold everything off I could, but I kept my Guzzi to be shipped back to Canada.

Mid-April my Guzzi arrives with all our stuff from Houston to fit into a "comfortable" 880 sq/ft, 2 bedroom apartment. (I'll go into more detail about how to ship a bike from the USA to Canada, all the forms, processes and prices next post).

After having it out of country inspected (passed) and then out of province inspected (passed), I'm now ready to get it insured locally today or on Monday and take the Texas plate off and put on a Alberta plate. I'm currently riding with my Texas insurance and plate!

Thus, what a ride!

Mike

[Hanson]

Amazing to consider what's happened in our lives and the Guzzi since I last posted.

Unfortunately in March, my wife was laid off from her job in oil and gas ... I hate to hear those words. I am sorry for the hard times.

... my Guzzi to be shipped back to Canada. ... I hate to here these words just as much. It should be a crime to ship a motorcycle over land, but glad you kept your Italian supermodel.

Mike

This is wishing you and yours the best in the future.

Safe Travels,
Richard

[totalmotorcycle]

Thanks Richard!!

[totalmotorcycle]

I finally got the chance to ride out of the city yesterday and at first, I wanted to ride to our mini-Grand Canyon (Drumheller, AB) but I decided to head towards the mountains! What a ride it was, I forgot how fun corners are living in Houston (the land of highways and straight roads). But that said, MAN IS IT COLDER than I remembered riding in Canada out in the mountains! Brr!!

....and the bugs! Darn, the bugs where everywhere!!

That said, the scenery was a 11/10.

Mike

[High_Side]

I finally got the chance to ride out of the city yesterday and at first, I wanted to ride to our mini-Grand Canyon (Drumheller, AB) but I decided to head towards the mountains! What a ride it was, I forgot how fun corners are living in Houston (the land of highways and straight roads). But that said, MAN IS IT COLDER than I remembered riding in Canada out in the mountains! Brr!!

....and the bugs! Darn, the bugs where everywhere!!

That said, the scenery was a 11/10.

Mike

How far did you get Mike?

[totalmotorcycle]

I finally got the chance to ride out of the city yesterday and at first, I wanted to ride to our mini-Grand Canyon (Drumheller, AB) but I decided to head towards the mountains! What a ride it was, I forgot how fun corners are living in Houston (the land of highways and straight roads). But that said, MAN IS IT COLDER than I remembered riding in Canada out in the mountains! Brr!!

....and the bugs! Darn, the bugs where everywhere!!

That said, the scenery was a 11/10.

Mike

How far did you get Mike?

Right to the end of Hwy 66 and into the camp ground there. Unfortunately the rock road was closed that day (saying a bridge was out). All of us will have to go out there together soon on all our bikes

and now for some photos!!







...and for those wondering what that blue sticker is on the left side of my bike by the rear pegs, that's my Texas safety inspection sticker (valid).

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Mike

[totalmotorcycle]

Wow, time goes by so quickly!

Gez, well. At the end of the riding season last year we moved to Waterloo, Ontario from Calgary, Alberta! I love my Guzzi so much that, again, it moved with me another 3600km's east this time (as opposed to the 3500km's North from Houston, Texas to Calgary, AB). This Guzzi gets around I tell you!

So, another inspection, another license plate, another part of North America! Good thing I like this motorcycle so much to drag it around and pay for the move of it!

On Monday, I charged up the battery, checked it over, and fired it up since I put it away in November and went for a short (cold) ride. What a blast!

Welcome to Ontario roads there Guzzi, it's a far, far way from Texas and Italy, but I think you'll love it neverless.





Mike

[blues2cruise]

Sounds like you like Ontario. Was the move for work for Mrs TMW?

[totalmotorcycle]

Sounds like you like Ontario. Was the move for work for Mrs TMW?

50/50... Yes, the employment and economy of Alberta wasn't too rosy (for really anyone) and Mrs TMW found a new position here in Waterloo. Looking Canada wide it was 81 jobs for her career path (Data Management) in Ontario and 4 in all other parts of Canada, thus, Ontario was the pick. For me, my (what is left of) family is in Toronto and I haven't lived in Toronto since I left in 1998, so it was an opportunity to come home for a bit.

Can't wait to have a long, warm summer again by a lake... but I do miss the mountains and the (just) 5% sales tax (vs the 13% here).

Mike

[totalmotorcycle]

1st day trip of Spring in Ontario...

From Waterloo to Goderich, Ontario... about 300km's, 3-4 hours.

Goderich, ON is on Lake Huron... 21°C and cloud today, EXECPT, when I got into Goderrich, when it dropped to 14°C and landed in two thunderstorms!! Some of the scenery actually looks like Alberta! (Google: 1 Cove Rd, Goderich, ON N7A 4J8 if you are curious). Really nice ride, a bit straight with hills, but lots of great little towns enroute.

Oh, and don't get me started on ALL THE BLOODY BUGS! After an hour of riding, me and my bike were plastered in them. (see helmet photo) I couldn't see out of the visor much...

Photos...

Protein

Alberta II?

The beach at Port Heron

Sifto Salt Terminal at Port Heron

[High_Side]

The Guzzi is looking great Mike. I'm not jealous of all the bugs though - wow!

[totalmotorcycle]

The Guzzi is looking great Mike. I'm not jealous of all the bugs though - wow!

Thanks man!

Trying to take good care of the Guzzi for sure. Back in Alberta, the underground parking had a hose/wash hookup area, not so much luck here though. Really like the custom belly pan I painted and put on, gives it a little more sporty fun look.

Ya, and you know how much I LOVE riding in bugs. Hopefully it was just because it was the first "warm" day of spring there and not an indication of Ontario riding. I can't make fun of riding through the bugs in the Alberta mountains now...lol.

Oh well, with all that extra protein I didn't need to stop for lunch!

Mike

[blues2cruise]

Bugs. I heard they are even bigger in Ontario than here.

[NorthernPete]

Depends where in Ontario you are I'm sure. They're quite impressive this far north compared to southern bugs lol

[totalmotorcycle]

Small bugs here in Sothern Ontario, but lots of them for sure. In Alberta I got a lot of bee and hornet splats. In Houston not many bugs flying around but definitely big horary bugs in your home... 3-4" flying cockroaches that hiss at you! Gawd.

Mike

[NorthernPete]

How's the southern Ontario treating you?

[Anthony Fodero]

Ok, so this is years later, but I am having related problems so bear with me. 2014 V 7 racer, love it. But in the 6000 miles that I’ve had this bike, I’ve gone through 2 dipsticks. The first one I could not remove easily, stupidly used a pair of pliers and shreaded the cheap plastic dipstick. My bad. Ordered a new one. Just yesterday, while doing an oil change, I tightened down the 2nd dipstick using a special splined tool (MPH CYCLES) and the bloody thing just broke apart. I’m NOT over doing the tightening here, that is not the issue. I too had a similar problem to the one mentioned in this discussion, looked down to see the dipstick rattling around and oil flying out of the fill plug at a frightening rate. Caught it in time, added more oil, tightened it down, no damage. So, if you don’t tighten it down enough, it comes loose, but just a bit to much and it blows apart. Not good, especially since this is a regularly checked item. Does anyone have any insight or experience with an aftermarket dipstick that they would recommend? Thanks.

[blues2cruise]

Send your question to Mike. totalmotorcycle. He can probably answer.

[totalmotorcycle]

Ok, so this is years later, but I am having related problems so bear with me. 2014 V 7 racer, love it. But in the 6000 miles that I’ve had this bike, I’ve gone through 2 dipsticks. The first one I could not remove easily, stupidly used a pair of pliers and shreaded the cheap plastic dipstick. My bad. Ordered a new one. Just yesterday, while doing an oil change, I tightened down the 2nd dipstick using a special splined tool (MPH CYCLES) and the bloody thing just broke apart. I’m NOT over doing the tightening here, that is not the issue. I too had a similar problem to the one mentioned in this discussion, looked down to see the dipstick rattling around and oil flying out of the fill plug at a frightening rate. Caught it in time, added more oil, tightened it down, no damage. So, if you don’t tighten it down enough, it comes loose, but just a bit to much and it blows apart. Not good, especially since this is a regularly checked item. Does anyone have any insight or experience with an aftermarket dipstick that they would recommend? Thanks.

Thanks for asking. Sorry, it took me a day to find where you question was posted!

I had the dipstick issue as well. What I did to solve it was a very simple thing, REPLACE the rubber o-ring, the factory o-ring gets pinched/bunged up somehow and getting a new one worked like a charm! 10 cent fix.

To tighten it, I use a rag over the plastic dipstick top, screw it in by hand as tight as I can, then use vice grips (lightly) to go another 1/16th of a turn. Done and it has never fallen/loosened again in the 7 years I've owned the bike.

Hope that helps.

Mike