Vaporized

On a recent ride on my 2002 Guzzi LeMans, I experienced firsthand an issue that has affected some of these bikes...namely, vapor lock.

What happens is that due to the design of one of the fuel lines running too close to an engine cylinder, in HOT conditions it is possible that the excessive heat from the cylinder actually vaporizes the liquid fuel before it can reach the fuel injector. This condition is known as vapor lock. Basically the bike stumbles and won't run properly until things cool down.

So my project was to dig into the LeMans and try to shield these fuel lines from excessive heat and hopefully stave off vapor lock.

With able assistance from my pal Cap'n Jim we went about working on the LeMans. The fuel hoses were removed and wrapped in a heat resistant/deflective tape.

We'll see how this works out. Hopefully the vapor lock condition will be mitigated.

Also hopefully someone from the Midwest will come visit me and bring lots of Boulevard Ale with them as Cap'n Jim drank all of mine.

CG & LeMans ride the A1A

Today was a glorious weather day here in Florida. It's one of those days (and there are many of them) which define why we love it here in the Sunshine State.

Skies were blue with a few clouds about, sun was abundant and temps were in the mid 80's.

So after my lawn mowing chores were done, I saddled up on my 2002 Moto Guzzi LeMans and headed for the coast to see my old friend...the Atlantic ocean. Being born in New Jersey I can remember as a little boy going to the Atlantic ocean and I love going there more than ever now.

I took some backroads to pick up coastal hwy A1A just north of Daytona in Ormond Beach. Once on A1A I continued north up past Marineland, the Dolphin Encounter place south of St Augustine.

At this point I felt it was time to scout for a nice location to take a few pics of the LeMans on the beach, which I found on OLD hwy A1A, a road which is now mostly closed to traffic due to sand having blown much of it shut.

But the LeMans and I crept along and found a perfect spot with no traffic for the photo op. Below are a few pics and a lil map (the red "X" marks the spot where I took the pics). All in all a wonderful 120 mile jaunt along the coast.

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Sunshine state is delivering

The weather here in Florida lately has been absolutely gorgeous. WARM days in the 80's and clear, sunny skies. Darned near perfect.

Days like these my 1986 ALFA Romeo Spider yearns to fire up and run about on the sun-drenched Florida back roads.

Today I took the Spider up to south Daytona, traveling along the historic highway 92 which leads into the heart of Daytona beach. I stopped for a quick photo opp in south Daytona along the inter-coastal waterway.

Later in the day Spidery and I headed south to Scott the Canucks house. Scott and I replaced the pool pump motor for his neato pool.

I did get a bit of a sunburn. I need to remember my dog-goned sunscreen.

All in all a very good day in the Sunshine state.

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Some more Pittsburgh pics

Day 2 of training here in Pittsburgh is complete. It turned slightly cooler here today...with highs in the 50's and cloudy.

After work Lew and Tom and I went for dinner at a nice place called Atria's which is attached to the PNC baseball park. I had an excellent soy ginger steamed tilapia filet with a soy ginger sauce, white rice and stir fried vegetables. Deeeeelicious.

I took a few more pics of some bridges and downtown etc. Neat downtown Pittsburgh is!

Pix from Pixburg

I am in Pittsburgh, PA for a few days for some work-related training.

While here I am enjoying seeing the sights. Pittsburgh is a neat town. Lots of old buildings, a really cool downtown area and those three rivers that run along the city.

I have been enjoying going to some of the really great little downtown storefront restaurants. The famous Primanti's pastrami sandwich, topped with cole slaw and french fries(!) was fantastic with my pals Paul and Lew on Sunday. We also stopped into an old Catholic church built in 1903 that was decomissioned and turned into a brewery in 1996.

My friend Paul and I walked across the river and stopped in a Jerome Bettis' #36 Bar/Grille (Bettis is a famous running back formerly of Pittsburgh Steelers and Notre Dame).

Today I went with Lew at lunch to a great little local pizza place in downtown and had a slice of tasty pie.

After work I went in search of Weiner World, home of awesome weiners, but they were closed for the evening by the time I found it, walking around downtown following the instructions of my DROID.

So I kept wandering and found Sammy's World Famous Corned Beef and had an absolutely tremendous sandwich for dinner.

Anyway, here are a few pics from my trip thus far.

Steel city

I am heading to Pittsburgh soon for a few days of training. My company has a big office in Pittsburgh, so I am looking forward to seeing some folks from there.

Ride