Not sure I'm meant for this bike

1st ride out after a return to the dealers, me replacing the reg / rectifier, and today it struck me with a puncture, 20 miles from home. Someone had stolen the garage’s airline, so borrowed a foot pump which lasted all of 1 mile, so stashed it at a farm, and got a taxi home. Got home, returned to the site, to await the recovery man, and loaded the bike onto his lorry. It’s take 5 and a half hours so far to get me, and the bike home, so much for the RAC’s marketing hype of “30 minutes”. Horseshit !

I think RAC can be a mite overworked TBH. I’ve had two “over-nighters” - that is to say, recovered the next day, stay overnight somewhere in the interim. First time they were just rushed off their feet with jobs (or rather, the subcontractors, as we’re talking recovery); the second time the flatbed driver couldn’t do the job 'cause his tacho hours would’ve been exceeded for that day. :astonished:

Took the wheel out first thing, and took it to my local tyre fitter. He pumped it up, it didn’t go down, so he took the tube out and seal tested it, nothing obvious, so we THINK the valve had some crap or something stopping it sealing which has now been dislodged, but as tubes are only a tenner, it’s having a new one fitted now.

Mate of mine was told 90 minutes last Friday by the RAC and they took 8 hours.

Punctures happen, although I would question a leaky air valve, did they not use new tubes when rebuilding??

Get the tyres sorted and get out while the weather’s good. If you can get over 50 miles under your belt, not in heavy traffic, you will start learning the foibles and grow to love the bike. Yeah those 80 mph bends will have to be taken at 60 mph but your grin will be much bigger

New tube fitted, and the wheel back in the bike, so it’s ready for the weekend. Got to say, despite owning Guzzi of this era before, my confidence is taking a bash, so far, we have had reg/ rectifier failure causing repeated bulb blowing, sticking floats causing fuel starvation at revs New Years day), side stand bracket bent, main stand not lifting wheels off the ground making it a precarious option, and now a puncture.

I appreciate, punctures can happen to any make, but I’ve got a bad feeling about this one.

It does seem to be cursed! :astonished:

It’s a 70’s Italian thouroghbred…kind of, I’m told its called “character”.

Been out and done another 75 miles or so, so only a short ride, but overtook a plain white van, parked in a gate while I was showing some young whippersnapper on a Yamaha the way to Seaways. I didn’t SEE anything to make me suspect the van, but got a horrible sickly feeling about it, as a friend was caught on the same stretch of road a couple of years ago.

Maybe a classic Honda?
My colleagues Blackbird eats a reg/rectifier every 6 moths. He carries a spare when touring.
Good luck with getting it sorted
Steve

It’s certainly churlish to say that I’ve not had that problem but I would suggest there’s something behind your friends reg/rectifier failure. It’s not a bike that I set out to buy but it’s probably one of the best I’ve ever owned/ridden. I didn’t want to like it but it’s hard not to.

Roger Green from the Forest of Dean

Had a few VFR800s, and they too tend to eat reg / rectifiers, to the point a OC fan bolted to it is a popular modification, so assist cooling