Whilst we were at Tich’s getting the pannier frames sorted he agreed to carry out some modifications to the bike’s stands for me.

All ‘Proper Adventure Motorcycles’ have a plate attached onto the bottom of the foot of the side stand in order to increase the surface area and to help to stop the stand from sinking into soft surfaces. Touratech make beautiful bolt on billet aluminium ones that are rather out of our price range so Tich just used an angle grinder to shape a piece of steel plate, which he then welded onto the bottom of the standard Guzzi side stand. Superb, it looks the part and does the job at very little cost.

Tich then welded a shaped plate onto the mainstand so that when it was in the up position whilst the bike was being ridden it would prevent any rock or tree root from catching on the stand’s cross brace. He also extended the plates on the ends of the legs of the mainstands so that they flow into the leg rather that sticking out downwards like hooks that were just waiting to catch on stuff when we go off road.

It may seem silly given how cheap and easy these two mods were to do, but I am very pleased with them and I smile every time that I look at them. I suppose that it’s because they are real modifications to the bikes themselves in order to improve them for the use that they are going to get in the years ahead. Also, if I’m honest, it’s also the customiser coming out in me. These are now two unique V7 Moto Guzzis and I do like to ride something different šŸ™‚