Miscellaneous Cool Italian Bikes

[ChrisK]

^
Looks like a converted monster.  but a water cooled monster. (?)
Reminds me of one of the scrambler concepts floating around.

It was a 999. Hence the '999' across the front plate.

[Desert Dust]

It was a 999. Hence the '999' across the front plate.

It is a beast for sure, but only good for riding on relatively smooth dirt roads/terrain. WHY?

1.) No skid plate- note the flat spot on the header pipe.

2.) That radiator would take a beating.

3.) It's a heavy beast to muscle around over jumps & bumps.

That being said, I'd love to have a run at Pike's Peak with that big red beast.

[Curmudgeon]

That being said, I'd love to have a run at Pike's Peak with that big red beast.

Didn't you hear? They paved it all the way to the top!

Now where's the fun in that?! (Something to do with the tree-huggers and runoff.)

[DarkMonster620]

Didn't you hear? They paved it all the way to the top!

Now where's the fun in that?! (Something to do with the tree-huggers and runoff.)

no more dirt then?

[SpikeC]

 Why can't people understand that fire roads and logging roads are legitimate forms of dirt riding? And a bike that can get you to the dirt roads and back without a trailer or van is worthwhile?

[Buckethead]

Now where's the fun in that?! (Something to do with the tree-huggers and runoff.)

Spoken like someone who's never taken the switchbacks to the top of a 14,000'+ mountain.

I have a hard enough time enjoying Trail Ridge Road through RMNP because of the views. Once you get above the tree line and are on a road held up with retaining walls... pucker factor goes up.

It certainly does for me, anyway.

no more dirt then?

Nope.

[Curmudgeon]

Spoken like someone who's never taken the switchbacks to the top of a 14,000'+ mountain.

I have a hard enough time enjoying Trail Ridge Road through RMNP because of the views. Once you get above the tree line and are on a road held up with retaining walls... pucker factor goes up.

It certainly does for me, anyway.

Nope.

Wrong guy. Did it many times when it was unpaved from ~ 7,000'. Like driving on marbles over hardpack and the road was heavily crowned = cambered OFF the mountain. Supercharging wasn't available to us then. Just what we needed. Suppose you've seen this TV ad for the record run for a production vehicle?




As for pucker factor, this descent always rattled the customers and press whenever we ran it. From the archives: http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/135916-2/Down_Black_Bear.jpg

[Buckethead]

Wrong guy. Did it many times when it was unpaved from ~ 7,000'.

So you know what kind of traffic that road sees.

And I apologize. For some reason I had it in my head that you were from across the pond.

[Curmudgeon]

So you know what kind of traffic that road sees.

And I apologize. For some reason I had it in my head that you were from across the pond.

Haven't been up there since ~ 1998, so no idea how much traffic these days. Back then, during the week there might have been fewer than 20 cars on the mountain. Maybe the tourists turned around at the gate house when they saw the road? 

That road you mentioned looks pretty interesting from the map. Was never above Granby on my own dime though, and most of the paid serious trips out there were based in Aspen or Telluride and we did the 14ers in the San Juans and Presidentials. Must admit, I'm very fond of Colorado above ~ 7,500' where it becomes alpine. Just not fond of desert...

Pond? Used to go over twice a year but that ended in 2008 when I retired. That travel was becoming less and less fun. Mostly I wasn't paying for it at least. Even if I COULD afford it, the logistics have become much more difficult. While I miss some of my favorite haunts, it's become a lot like work. Twice as expensive to drive around than it was even ten years ago.

[brad black]

the 999 is Haldane's beach racer from new Zealand I believe.

[ungeheuer]

the 999 is Haldane's beach racer from new Zealand I believe.

.... says "ZZZ Dyno Auckland" on the front fender so I believe you're proabably correct 

Sheep need to get faster.

[DucDucGoos]

Ummm I kinda need one of these lol..

[Richie#20]

This is the shit !

[SpikeC]

 Ya, butt who needs all that? *thumping the tank of his leaky old Triumph*

[Desert Dust]

Why can't people understand that fire roads and logging roads are legitimate forms of dirt riding? And a bike that can get you to the dirt roads and back without a trailer or van is worthwhile?

Don't get me wrong, I agree- I have ridden many a dirt road, but I'm just sayn' that's the limit for a heavy dirt bike like that.