Hi all

very late in the riding season here, but now I have progressed sufficiently in medical recovery I can get back on the motorycycles for at least a few hours at a time I am riding every opportunity I get until the snow flies (and maybe beyond.....)

treated myself to a new Schuberth C4 Pro Carbon helmet yesterday, plus the new built in/plug in bluetooth communicator. Replaces my 6 year old Schuberth C3 Pro. I have really liked the C3 Pro but time for a change. Looks like really major changes between the C3 Pro and the C4 Pro. First ride with the new C4 Pro tomorrow, Sunday morning. Will likely be around 6 degrees C when we head out in the morning, will be wearing some heated gear as we head to the mountains, but should warm up a bit later in the day. I currently have 7 motorycles registered and insured. I have been taking a different bike every time I go out for a ride since i have recently been able to ride again, it will either be a Laverda triple tomorrow morning, or maybe the Harley Electra Glide Ultra with all its cold deflecting bodywork and fairings......:cautious:
 

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Hi Paul,

Damn that was an awesome ride with you that day, wringing the two Laverdas necks along a swoopy mountain road in sketchy conditions. All the rides on that trip were awesome in fact. You better get your arse out here some time (when our stupid government rejoins the real world at least) so I can belatedly repay the favour. (y)

I'll be really interested to hear what you think of the new helmet. Christiane always wore Schuberth helmets when she was in Europe, her last one a C2. When she moved here her C2 didn't have the stupid Australian standard sticker so she got a Shoei and never really liked it. Once the laws were changed she started using the Schuberth again but by then it's way too old and needing replacement. We can now buy Schuberth in Oz, so a new C4 Pro is in Chris' near future.

I'm meanwhile getting old enough to consider a fliptop helmet, and Chris said I should try the Schuei. The earlier ones looked somewhat like an upturned latrine but I think recently they're better. Hopefully the visor mech is better than the C2, I always had minutes up my sleeve waiting for Chris to get that damn visor back on when my Shoei had been done in seconds. :D

Cheers
Steve
 
I went also from an early Schuberth to C2 and now to C4. I really like it as it offers a lot of safety, ventilation is good and the already built in communication system offers a lot of features, though it's hard to remember which button to press how often to achieve the result you want... anyway - I am not intending to take phonecalls or play radio/music with it, it just needs to work with my GPS and that's what it seems to do.

The only downside I found on mine is that it seems to be a bit front-heavy and the holster / styropore that sits on my forehead starts to feel a bit tight after a while. I am still in the phase of wearing it in so I am not currently using a mask under it (to tight), but I most probably will as soon as the helmet starts to get a bit wider.
 
Hi Paul,
It's great to read you're back to "living life in the fast lane" mode. Who else but you can give us such vicarious thrills?
And vicarious it will be for me, as I took a tumble off my bicycle and now a walker is my constant companion. I hope to be up to throwing a leg over a proper bike before the weather turns unfavorable.
What a terrible couple of years the world has struggled through! The damned covid virus has turned many a plan pear shaped. I just discovered we're now facing a shortage of m/c tires due to international trade slowdowns.
Will this ever end?
 
nice to be doing some catch up with everyone. Steve and Marty, I will plan a trip to Aus sooner rather than later, life is short. Lawrence, get better soon!

it was cold enough this morning I wimped out and took the Harley, plus heated gear. With my lingering medical issues I have had to promise my wife I won't ride alone yet, just in case. Problem is finding someone comfortable with "the pace" I like to maintain, so rounded up my buddy Francesco again (former racer), last week he brought a 1994 Ducati 888 SPO that my modified Kawasaki H2 SX SE Supercharged ran away from, this time he brought along a highly modified Moto Guzzi V11, Ohlin suspension front and rear, intake, engine and exhaust mods, even a carbon fiber front brake disc. Photo is in same place as last week, which is the end of the paved road going the back way into Kananaskis Country https://kananaskis.com/ quite high elevation, and long climbing sweepers. Lots of wild life. Today saw a bad accident between two motorcycles and a deer on the way back towards the City. I bought this Harley new in 1994 and have had a long time to modify it. With the modified Harley, its modified suspension, and shifting at 5,500 rpm (500 rpm above stock redline) I can keep up to Francesco on the modified V11 to about 160 - 170 kph in the sweepers, then he ran away from the Harley to make up for the spanking my H2 gave his Ducati last week..

First ride with the C4 Pro Carbon. I really like my C3 Pro, but the C4 Pro Carbon is a big step up. Wider field of vision, better controls, at least as quiet, better interior, better ventilation, and the integrated bluetooth/communicator is truly slick. Highly recomended. Not inexpensive but worth every penny. I would have a hard time going back to the C3 Pro. A note about sizing. The highly experienced accessories manager at the local large dealership where I bought the C4 Pro said that most people have had to go up a size, the helmet shell shape of the C4 is noticeably different than the C3 and the fit is different. I went from a size Large C3 to a size Extra Large in the C4

If the weather holds another week, I think I will give the Laverda RSG Executive a good run next weekend, we'll see.....:cool::love:

Paul LeClair
 

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Great to hear from you Paul! You certainly have been in the wars and you have come out the other side again!
I don't spend as much time on this forum as I used to, but this stood out like a beacon when I finally logged in.
It looks like you are having a nice time getting out and about and as usual you are spoilt for choice for bikes and riding VERY hard.

Did you ever replace the Bentley Turbo R? That really was a stunning car.
 
Well, that's interesting as I have one, Carbon Fibre side cover on my 3c that is. As usual, there is a tail of wow behind this. So one Sunday morning I was heading out on a club ride at approx 7am. The night before I had been rooting around with the side covers off. So I am at walking pace heading to a red light and I feel something bang my leg and look down to see one of the ORIGINAL 42-year-old side covers slide down and hit the ground beside the bike. I stop and waddle to the side of the road and watch the only car for miles go from a stop behind me to slowly run over this BRIGHT red side cover laying in plain sight on the road. All my fault as I must have missed getting the bolt threaded that held it on, how the hell that's happened had me pissed off to the max. It's not often where I was close to doing violence to that car, I was at maximum boiling point. So I was broken-hearted and looking for a replacement so I think I asked the parts bloke who contacted Red and I ended up with one of his own bike. It's pretty slick, light as air and thin enough to see through it. So thin you could shave with its edge. I was so happy to have a replacement, show how Red rolls, off his own bike even.
 
Vince said:
Well, that's interesting as I have one, Carbon Fibre side cover on my 3c that is. As usual, there is a tail of wow behind this. So one Sunday morning I was heading out on a club ride at approx 7am. The night before I had been rooting around with the side covers off. So I am at walking pace heading to a red light and I feel something bang my leg and look down to see one of the ORIGINAL 42-year-old side covers slide down and hit the ground beside the bike. I stop and waddle to the side of the road and watch the only car for miles go from a stop behind me to slowly run over this BRIGHT red side cover laying in plain sight on the road. All my fault as I must have missed getting the bolt threaded that held it on, how the hell that's happened had me pissed off to the max. It's not often where I was close to doing violence to that car, I was at maximum boiling point. So I was broken-hearted and looking for a replacement so I think I asked the parts bloke who contacted Red and I ended up with one of his own bike. It's pretty slick, light as air and thin enough to see through it. So thin you could shave with its edge. I was so happy to have a replacement, show how Red rolls, off his own bike even.
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Hi Vince,

Boba had big issues making the Jota120/Mirage side panel in carbon fibre, but not in fibreglass.
The problem for him was the ridges and the recess in the centre of the panel, was was very tricky to get right.

The earlier side panels are a simpler shape, so easier to construct in CF.
 
Hi Simon

Boba told me at the time he was not going to be making any more 1200 side panels in carbon, really tough shapes to get correct apparently, particularly when the fiber weave is left visible through simple clear coat.

The 1990 Bentley Turbo R was unrepairable after the fire. I am still looking for another similar car, but that particular car was a truly spectacular specimen and I have not found another car nearly as nice, yet.

In the meantime I went from one unreliable British car to an equally unreliable British SUV. I have purchased a 2012 Range Rover Sport Supercharged, 90,000 ish kms, Santorini Black and loaded with every option and feature known to man. Has the infamous 510 hp Jaguar sourced supercharged motor with known serious cam chain timing tensioner issues. To me that just means no one else wants them after the warranty ends so they are much cheaper. I immediately spent the required $7,500 to have the chain tensioner upgrade and repair done, did a full synthetic fluids replacement in the entire driveline, replaced the front brakes (huge buggers) and I am good to go, at least until something major breaks. Incredible to drive, tons of power, way more 4 x 4 offroad features and controls than I will ever use, and weighs nearly 3 tons...... Hammering the throttle produces a delightful supercharger whine that just builds and builds...... Truly great road trip vehicle, my wife and I recently did a three week lap of western Canada in it. She had to do most of the driving, but was fine with that, and I used the center console refrigerator for my insulin and other medical supplies. Not sure that was what Range Rover had in mind with that option, but worked well for that purpose.

I also recently bought from a local estate a 1992 Jaguar XJ 40 in British Racing Green with barley leather interior with roughly 40,000 original kms. Was still on original tires, etc. Have had done new tires and brakes, full fluids replacement, full service and tune up, now runs just like a new car. Also still have the fully rebuilt 1972 Triumph Spitfire Mark IV. After the abdominal surgeries I have not been using the Spitfire much as I am having great difficulty getting in, and especially getting out, of it, but I am still healing, so likely next summer it will get back into regular use. Also just acquired last week an older 19 foot Cal-Glass speed boat with really low hours, on a decent trailer. 350 cubic inch Chevy inboard with a four barrel carb, has not been run or in the water for several years, going to go through it end to end and go boating, take the grandchildren fishing and wakeboarding....

When diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, before the surgery I was quite literally told to "get my affairs in order" as the statistical chance of my survival for any reasonable period of time beyond a year or two was very low. Now after surgery and in the continuing recovery process I am being told I so far appear to be among the very lucky 6 or 7% that have a reasonable prospect of surviving this "as long as the cancer does not come back somewhere else". I am proceeding on the basis that all is now well unless and until told otherwise. Being surgically turned into an insulin dependent diabetic by the removal of most of the diseased pancreas is a very small price to be paying. Opens your eyes wide as to how precious each day is......

Paul LeClair
 
That's heavy going for sure Paul, my respect and thoughts no doubt shared by everyone here. I suppose you being easily within the top 1% of top blokes worldwide, you had an easy 5% up your sleeve there. Hard to make light of such a serious subject, so glad to hear you're doing well.

The Rangie sounds like a hoot, and is PLC down to a tee. Your predilection for English automobiles continues to concern me, but it certainly seems to be working for you. Do any of the new-era Bentleys do anything for you, Conti GT etc? Earlier versions of those can be had for somewhat normal-person money these days, although expensive to fix when stuff goes wrong. At least the old ones were "complicated simpleness" whereas anything VW is probably "complicated complicatedness". Likely that the new stuff lacks the appeal of the old, much like our bikes.
 
My pommy mate bought a new Land Drover, after his last RR shit itself, again. Can’t remember the LD’s model (tiny round recessed tail lights) but at AU$110k you’d think it was okay.

So it’s done 20,000klm and is on the market. His words “Bloody piece of shit”

Good to see you out and about Paul.
 
Paul LeClair said:
ith my pancreatic cancer diagnosis and surgery apparently the survival rates are less than 7 per cent, and so far I am now in that lucky tiny minority. Feeling extraordinarily thankful, and trying to make the most out of every day.
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Welcome back Paul, happy to hear you are feeling healthy and back riding, very interesting (wild) machines you have there Paul. "lucky tiny minority" keep beating the odds mate, you and most of the older blokes (that's Laverda riders, old)) have been beating the odds for many years riding our Laverdas and other bikes as intended. Good on ya Paul.
 
chrisk said:
My pommy mate bought a new Land Drover, after his last RR shit itself, again. Can’t remember the LD’s model (tiny round recessed tail lights) but at AU$110k you’d think it was okay.

So it’s done 20,000klm and is on the market. His words “Bloody piece of shit”

Good to see you out and about Paul.
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Hi Chris

well, I knew going in they are all pieces of shit, but when you buy one several years old (2012 in my case) the knowledge is out there about what craps out and how to make them reliable. Especially the vitally necessary cam chain tensioner replacement and upgrade. Also, as soon as the top models go off warranty, around here anyways, they go from $140,000 absolute loaded top of the line pieces of shit to $30,000 pieces of shit. At $30,000, and having before putting it into regular use already fixed the major stuff that typically goes wrong, the thing feels like a grossly overpowered absolute bargain. Way nicer than anything new I could buy int eh $50,000 - $60,000 range like a new Nissan Frontier, Honda Pickup, Nissan Murano, etc. As a side note, I did try and buy a brand new 2022 Nissna Frontier, none to be had, nothing available, same as no Honda pickups, apparently not for several months yet, CoVid, chip shortages, etc, so my used Range Rover is filling the gap nicely for now.

Paul LeClair
 
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