I have the 4LS brake on mine and it’s not fantastic, although very dependant on lining material. A lot of people reckon the 2LS is a better bet overall.
Yes the trouble is that the more leading shoes you have the more critical it is to have them all working together. I can set up my tls on the Triumph but I need a second pair of hands to help adjust the link rod between the two pivots. I had green racing compound shoes in once, it was great after it had warmed up but snatched when cold, I had a spill once on gravel as the front end locked up.
So in answer to Butch, tls front brakes are available but I would think very expensive, if you can find one. Glad to hear Gutsibits still stock the shoes though, I got mine from the States!
Yesterday, as I am not going out, I spent the afternoon polishing the front wheel on my 850T.
You can say what you like about spoked ally wheels, but you can’t deny that they can provide hours of fun ( every week ) keeping them nice and shiny.
Today I may tackle the rear wheel, if I’m feeling strong enough.
Spent most of the day cleaning and painting bits of the California.
By the time this virus goes away, everyones going to have amazing immaculate bikes!
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This was yesterday, will be the same today 
Ordered a selection of appropriate oils. Figured I might as well work my way through servicing the fleet. Still waiting on new shoes for the back end of Jug – and I’ll pull the front out to have another look at why the TLS set up there is so bad. I suppose I’ll pop the rear ends out of both Blue and Jug for some shaft spline greasing though that is a job I hate. Expecting to find the brake pads thin on Blue after suffering a low brake fluid level issue heading out to the Clox late last year (ahem).
After two weeks at home, polishing and fettling, I rolled out Thunderbird 5. Hit the kickstart button, and off we went. Roads weren’t all that empty at 01.00 this morning… 
Well surprised at that, even saw a couple of other bikes out there, parked up and in I walked. Only to be told me job title has changed, seems I’m now a KEY worker… 
Think that’s the key I use to start the lorry running, and after a trip over to Calais to collect two 20ft containers full of bits and bobs people need, I returned to the Guzzi. And the ride home was even better, out in the Hot Sunshine. I’d say the traffic is comparable to a Saturday, and they’ve STILL not fixed the bloody pot holes… 
Tomorrow’s ride will be to the same place, and my Key job will be collecting stuff from Italy, so I MIGHT have that bike part on that you’ve been waiting for… 
Commuting by Guzzi is great sometimes…
Drained the float bowls on Jug and Blue (and the SP) at the weekend. But here’s a thing - and not something I’ve thought on much before. I always switch the taps off when I leave the bikes, and it’s been maybe 4 weeks or so since I was last out on them (well - Jug, Blue has been on SORN since the salt set in last autumn). And the carbs were empty.
So I guess the fuel in the carb actually evaporates quite quickly anyway. But only one carb full if the taps are sealing properly. I’m not expecting a whole lot of ‘varnish’ or other nasty residue from one just one carb volume of fuel. I can see why there could be an issue if the fuel remains on, or the taps leak.
Is this all bogus nonsense?
Washed the Pearl as she was covered in dust and cat paw prints; and fitted a new pilot bulb. This one hasn’t been run for a year anyway, and will continue to go nowhere fast. Kind of waiting for a gearbox refresh and ign triggers rewire whilst the motor is on the bench. I guess it can wait for now.
Been working on the California back end, pulled the swing arm out, checked the UJ, painted, cleaned and polished everything in sight. Got as far as I can with that one so dragged the Spada out of its corner yesterday to give that one some attention. It’s needing an overhaul of the forks, I have some new to me dampers and springs to try out. Then the distributor has been weeping oil since I last did the timing and presumably tore the gasket. The brakes are due a sorting out. I fitted the brake lines when I bought the bike in 1989 and snagged one when I last changed the rear tyre. I also need to fit a new rear brake switch and rigid pipe as both have suffered from rust over time.
That should keep me self isolated in the garage for a few more days.
Spada April 20 by Don West, on Flickr
Is this all bogus nonsense?
My experience seemed to be that the cruddies build up over time, in other words several times of bike(s) are left with taps turned off and then the fuel evaporates, and every time it evaporates it leaves more residues behind. It got so eventually I was draining the carbs if I knew it was going to be longer than a week say.
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The Beast lives,
Fired it up after the open timing chest surgery, no oil light 
so I don’t know if I have oil pressure 
Sounds Great, will investigate later
Changed the oil pressure switch, all Good,
finished putting it back together
Sorted 
Been working on the Spada, I decided to start on the front end. It seems to have become quite saggy over time and the forks would often bottom out on a big pot hole so pulled them apart and combining with some spares I bought a couple of years ago. The replacement dampers were softer than the ones in it, but the main springs are a slightly heavier guage so I will use them . Reassembling the dampers etc and I managed to launch one of the circlips across the garage, never to be seen again, replacement ordered 
Todays job was replacing the distributor gasket that has been weeping for a couple of years since I changed the electronic ignition and retimed the engine.
The Cali is almost complete and nearly finished. Just waiting on a pop rivet gun to attach a mudguard extension to keep the road muck off the swing arm and back of the gearbox.
Took the swinging arm up the road to the garage yesterday and used their airline to blow out any residue grit that the blasters and powder coaters left behind before the shaft bearing goes in.
Amazingly I found the circlip under the bike lift today so got the dampers and springs back together. 
Will refit the front end tomorrow hopefully.
Finished scrubbing up the Pearl on Saturday, and put the battery on charge. The bike is on SORN and hasn’t been run for a year or more. Bought in June 1980 I guess her last MOT might already be behind her (and VED exempt from next April 1st if I’m understanding the rules correctly.
Put Blue up on the table and did a service. Valve clearances were spot on. Front brake pads on the linked system had gone through the wear markers and fell to bits when I pulled them out. Oops. Also pulled the s/arm, but he splines were all still nice and greasy. In fact thinking about it ~the bike can’t have done much more than 1000 miles since it was all out last winter for gearbox and clutch work. So a bit of a waste of time really.
Backed Jug on to the table in anticipation of pulling the front wheel to look over the lousy TLS brake in there. Now pushing that bike up on to the table in reverse is a real effort, and fraught with danger. Gonna buy a 240V power winch for next time. Anyway, I’ll be looking at the brakes some other time, I was out on the estate working the crops on Sunday.
Refitted the front end on the Spada and gave it a try, bouncing it up and down. I have fitted some slightly heavier guage long springs and the original short ones. It is a lot stiffer and sits higher on the front end now. Hopefully it won’t bottom out over potholes in the road. Whether it is too stiff only time will tell, whenever we are allowed back out on the bikes!
Just waiting on some new brake lines to be delivered and I can complete the jobs on that one. I may as well get it changed over to historic tax class and get it ready for the road. The other two in the garage have been Sorned.
Winch turned up this morning.
Not a lot today, spent much of the day enjoying my other passion, looking for otters with a few trail cameras. Collected the memory cards from 2 that had been out for a three weeks. Lots of pigeon videos, a couple of the local heron a badger and a few otter clips.
Painted the stands on the Spada as they were both peeling paint underneath a good coating of road muck.
I actually rode my Spada yesterday - had some paint to collect from Wickes, which I decided would fit in a rucksack.
This was my first outing since putting it all back together after a top-end overhaul. About 20 miles there and back. Nothing fell off and no leaks.
Servicing the little Ducati today, and then will start pulling the loop apart. 3 main jobs:
- a bit of paint tidying, to preserve patinated state and prevent it turning into decay
- have a look at the chrome bores
- have a look at the on-off snatchy clutch
Ian