All Activity

Yes, so it seems. There is this thread here: and then I found this, which corroborates that pretty well https://www.mgcn.nl/database/modeloverzicht/13-v11/139-v11-modeloverzicht from there: What I have marked in green applies to mine. Also, long tank and fuel pump in the tank, both characteristic of the 2003 and onwards models, I gather.

These VIN systems all sound very precise and logical and a useful "standard" but the reality is they are not. There has never been a hard and fast international "standard" VIN system. I've been here before even for my Supra. The VIN on the Supra and all the other Au cars not just mine doesn't 100% correspond to any known VIN system. Bits and pieces align but a lot of the digits don't. If you do research on the VIN numbering system it's anything but an international "standard" over the last 40 years. From the shop manual for what thats worth. Phil

I have upgraded my AAA service to include my bikes. My Sport had a bad regulator that left my battery dead 1.5 miles from home. I figured I would get a ride home from someone and hook up the trailer, but then said screw that. I gave them a call. They came and loaded the bike in with great care and backed it right up to my shop. I was impressed...they have a great system for bikes.

Pretty much everything about that (beautiful) LeMans says "2003", except the fuzzy engine paint. And the VIN tenth character.

Yes, that is she. Edith says, by the way, the fairing screen is not original. Doesn't fit very well, either. I took it off the first time I delved into the area under the fairing, and it was a pain in the proverbial to get it back on. Edith also wants to note that you can see pretty much all of the VIN plate in that picture. That US models have the month on the tag had been mentioned here, and I went looking for it. I'm pretty sure it is not on the tag. The bike was first registered on the 16th May 2003, which might be an indication that it was built fairly late in 2002, but that is a long way from being a sure thing.

I suspect you have a very late 2002 production during which the "new" tanks and forks/clamps were introduced. What color(s) is your LeMans, @audiomick? I did not know the production date is inscribed on the tag (at least on U.S. V11) as it is not in plain view and typically covered by the wiring/cables. I do not know if the Euro V11 build tag got similarly inscribed with the actual month-year of production . . . [edit: Found this in your album. Is this the lovely lady we are speaking of?

The first point is the Ti mufflers have large volume and the crossover style makes a difference. Contis were the original Ducati Supersport performance mufflers. They had a louvered inner straight pipe and no packing material. They would sound like a Ducati on your Guzzi but with a softer sound (less sharp crack) due to the softer cam timing of a BB Guzzi compared to the Desmo cams.

Thinking about this again today, I had a closer look at the VIN. In the papers, the number is listed as ZGU KT A01 0 2 M 111456 Here is an enlarged crop out of the photo further up: I looked at the frame numbers list here, which explains what the various segments of the frame number denote: https://www.mgcn.nl/database/mg-framenummers According to that page, the three digits after the "KT", which denotes the model, indicate the version of the model. So that would be "A01" in my case. However, in their listing, they don't list an "A01". The closest they come is these two entries ZGUKT002,ZGUKTA02 V 11 CAT. 1100 2003-2004 ZGUKT000,ZGUKT001 V 11 LE MANS 1100 2002 The tenth digit of my number is "2", so the bike was built in 2002, so it is a fair bet that it really is a 2002 Le Mans. The questions are Has anyone else ever seen the "A01" in a frame number? I thought briefly that my number might be a badly engraved "001", but I've gone off that idea. I'm also aware that a list like the one in the link has no guarantee of being complete. If anyone has seen the "A01", what was it on? Assuming it is a 2002 Le Mans, which forks should it have? Can anyone say for sure? As indicated further up, and in the thread about the Andreani cartridges, the upper triple clamp is obviously not original, as it has holes for the brackets for a handlebar which a Le Mans shouldn't have. The question is whether it was just the triple clamp, or the whole front end? Not that I'm worried about it. I have the 43mm Marzocchis, and that seems, from what I have read, to be a good thing. I'm just curious about how much the bike has been modified.

#5 Is applicable in several countries. #9 is applicable in several countries #11 is unfortunately very true, and thank god for Aussie GPs to tell the kids early about them. Worse, they get bailed out with our money on top of all their scaming derivatives! #13 I did not know that Australia was so close to the Royals. I was under the impression they could not care less... #18 This one is applicable everywhere in the world nowadays. It used to only be applicable to developping countries. #22 Absolutely true everywhere, but the real truth is, most of the stuff which is so-called made at home, is actually "assembled" at home. My car is a Ford, but it was assembled in Spain. #40 Ditto... have you followed the story about the Submarines order? a very good example...

I carry kits in the cars, but I have gotten silly with too many bikes, and do not have a kit for each one. So I don't do a good job of swapping the kits between the bikes - and am therefore unlikely to have the kit when I need it. And as I write this, I realize how dumb/cheap I am. If I can afford multiple bikes, I can afford multiple repair kits. I really like the airmoto pump. Just went to Amazon and it is on sale (28% discount) today. Add to cart...

Which one of our members posted this fun Aussie bit . . . And don't get me started on @guzzler's short-cut thru Nayook to Noojie !

I got nothin'. AC/DC? Here's how I learned about Australia;

You won't. Someone will stop to help you. It is in the human nature. In all that madness that seem to surround us nowadays, you can still find good people aplenty!

This reminded me of the good old days, when I started riding. Whatever happened to you, you were NEVER alone. Other motorcyclists would ALWAYS stop to check on you if you were on the side of the road. This was some kind of frat devotion that you would carry forward yourself. Fortunately, here in Texas, it still happens. I have had people pulling up to check on me many times now. Not motorcyclists, but pickup trucks. The last experience was in Lafayette, a guy had a workshop in his truck, and helped to put the Quota back in running mode. Thank god for these road saviors...

Funny, On a long ride I'll carry a pump and plug kit. I always have them in the car. But I don't always take them on short rides, and one day I'll pay the price.

Found the transmission cross bolt amongst the body parts. The pivot has 20mm x 1.0 thread x 28mm length, the stub being 17mm diameter x 21mm length. Hex head insert to turn. It's not impossible, given the state of affairs, that these pieces made their way into the box with the transmission itself; I'll have that in hand in a couple weeks.

My daughter came up for a visit yesterday and as I was checking out her car...oil level, tire pressure, etc I saw she had a nail in one of her tires. I took the wheel off and threw it in the truck and headed over to Discount Tire for a free fix. About four miles from home there were two bikers pulled off in a bad spot. I parked nearby and asked what the problem was. He said he picked up a nail and couldn't ride because it was hitting the frame. I don't know how or why that tire picked this thing up but it was in the tire to the bend. I asked him what he was planning to do. He said he would take his wife's bike home and get the trailer. I told him to sit tight, I'll go home and get my stuff to fix it. Came back with my plug kit and Airmoto and got him good to go. They were an older couple on two well traveled '17 GSA's and were very appreciative. I felt good about getting them going again and I got on my way to get my tire fixed. Also I think he will be carrying the right tools when going for a ride. It's not like those bikes don't have any storage space. 8

I've got those Ti cans on my Coppa. They are called racing mufflers and seem to be the quietest pipes of all my bikes. Why is that? On my Ducatis I had Contis and they were truly a racing muffler with straight thru flow and limited baffles. What's the story with these? I always wondered what a Guzzi would sound like with Contis on it.

Agreed, with the previous concerns noted if they come off they should just be made new. There are many fasteners on this thing that show their age, and those I replace will probably be replaced with stainless steel as a matter of appearances but also remove any question about serviceability. And yes, I know the different grades of stainless steels and their applications.

I think I would get it apart and the go to ordering stuff . BTW , can you post a pic of the head . Pete , or anyone else , are these cylinder heads prone to doing this ?

No , these are not worth inspection , RELPLACE the bolts on both ends .

This is a bit of an in-joke. Maybe most of the people here wont get it. I don't really care. I found the link just now whilst searching through the links in my browser for something completely unrelated, and felt the need to share it. I have to admit, though, that I have no idea what he meant with "girt" in the first point. So maybe I have been away from Australia for too long. The rest of it is, for me, very amusing. https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/bunnings-snags-and-the-meaning-of-girt-42-ways-to-tell-if-you-re-australian-20200121-p53tam.html PS: I'd be particularly interested in hearing (reading) what the rest of the world makes out of Point 19 And the rest of it, actually.