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I bought the bike that started this thread. It was REALLY heavy to move around when I got it but adding a little air to the 6 psi tires fixed that up. Oil change got done right away. A new battery was installed with purchase. There are oil drips (not up to leaks yet) from the bottom pan and the front pan (I'm not sure what's behind it yet) gaskets. I started with cleaning the old oil off just to see what was there. I added a Puig universal wind screen for good wind protection. I'm part way through painting covers red to match the tank. New paint is red with silver sparkle underneath. By the time it's done I expect it will look great (to me any ways). There is no stuttering or anything suggesting air getting into the fuel delivery system. Noises are typical for a tractor ;-). The speedo works well. I haven't owned a bike with a Veglia since the '71 Ducati Desmo 450 single I had. The glitter silver was tempting for the Guzzi paint. I thought glitter purple would be too much. In the end I stayed with the deep red. I rode a Yami 600 last year which redlines at 14k. It was always spinning at high revs. The Goose doesn't need to rev at all but likes 5 grand better than 4. 90 miles an hour isn't work for this bike. Suspension is stiff but the bike settles down right away after bumps and feels glued to the road. Tires are from '21 but only have a couple hundred miles on them. They aren't sliding at the speeds I ride at. Plans this year include finishing paint more, checking valves, and changing most oils. A gasket or 2 might get replaced as well. Within 10 minutes I get to some of the nicest riding roads in my area. There is a 60 mile loop that has almost no straight road in it. Bush all around. Gravel on the road at times because of people that go off the pavement so isn't for knee draggers but always entertaining. A ride earlier in the year had deer making me slow down in 2 places. Keep the rubber side down. Grant.

You're trying to set the clearances on the overlap. Turn it another 360 degrees. Phil

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

The snow has cleared and a recent rain has removed the tons of salt left on the road. The V11 was rolled out of its warm bed to make this video commemorating the start of a new season. Remember to like and subscribe. Bwahaa! 2004 V11S

Had my first ride of year on 2004 Ballabio after completing my 20 year (approx 25,000 km ) maintenance visit. With all the work done, new tires, all callipers & master cylinders rebuilt, new brake pads, all new engine sensors, complete “Decent Tune Up”, including plugs, air filter, etc., Roper Plate installed, drive shaft removed and greased, etc. it is just like it came out of the showroom in 2004. Good for another 20 yrs/ 25,000 km. Not sure I am! What a pleasure to ride.

Have some comments around here somewhere about the Dynotech.de Greenie with the V strange handling. Entering a curb in the hills, glad l have plenty experience. Not interested in turning, be the boss, otherwise visit nature. Yesterday was the day, WHY. Back to original rear wheel size last fall, no riding. Raised the forks 18mm Yesterday, had to try something. Took some measures today. She is 10mm shorter than my other Greenie. Yes she has tripple tres 10mm closer to the steeringhead. This probably means, stable at high speed, but no fun in sharp curbs. Back to original trees for sure. But will try her, to experience the 18mm raise of the forks. My other Greenie, how brave do you feel today. Cheers Tom. Sent fra min SM-S906B via Tapatalk

Yup, it’s just mayonnaise. Especially in cooler, damper climates as the engine heat cycles between runnng and not as it cools the water in the gas inside the crankcase, of which there will be a fair bit as water is one of the main y-products of combustion and there is always some blow by past the rings, will condense out on the inside of the cases. As the rocker covers always tend to run cool and are at the top of the motor this is where a lot of the water ends up. It combines with the oil droplets as it condenses and voila! The disgusting looking but essentially harmless mayonnaise. The answer to preventing it is getting the oil hotter. Once the oil temperature and internal temperature of the engine gets above about 90*C the the water will sublime out of the oil and off the internals of the engine and will over time be expelled through the breather system and rebreathed through the combustion chambers and expelled in the exhaust. No big block Guzzi begins to get even remotely warm enough to do this in winter unless you are doing motorway speeds for over twenty miles at least. Something I’d think it would be unlikely you’d be doing on the IOM, especially in winter! At least the V11’s have the advantage of having a thermostat in the oil cooler circuit which will help bump up the oil temperature a bit in cool weather. The 8V engines have a separate cooling circuit independent of the lubrication circuit and it directs the oil through the cooler unregulated. This means that any time the ambient temperature is under about 20-23*C it is damn near impossible to get the oil temp above 100*C which is where you want it unless you thrash the bastard mercilessly everywhere in 4th gear @ 6,000+RPM! Some of us owners have fitted external thermostats to our bikes, others, like me, who can’t be arsed, just tape off the cooler in the cooler months! Finding that nasty crap in the rocker covers is disconcerting the first time you see it and it is preferable that it not be there but it is what it is. Some oils are more prone to forming mayonnaise as well. Castrol has always been worse than many others and it’s one of the reasons I try to avoid it, but a damn good thrashing from time to time is the best medicine! Also, if you are riding in the wet at all make sure you put some sort of ‘Spray flap’ in the triangle of the swingarm cantilever or you’ll find your gearbox full of water as the stupid breather is right in line with the rear tyre. Mornin Phil!

Some months ago…a request was made by footgoose for a photo of the three Tenni’s…..now the V11 is assembled…. Regards from tennitragic!

i rented one of those large guzzi’s down near Joshua Tree a few years back, for a couple days of touring the park and other areas up north of there. I enjoyed it, preferring it over the Harleys i had way back. that said, they all fall into the same problematic category for me: they are the best type of bikes for cruising down the big highways, which is exactly where i do NOT want to be on a bike, except to connect to other non-highway roads.

I love the dry clutch sound. There's nothing better than pulling up next to a rider on an HD at a stop light, and they immediately start looking down at their bike in a panic. It's always epic.

Say Grant, isn't that the coolest thing about motorcycles, that they all have their own personalities no matter what it might be.

Heading to IMOC AGM. Looking over lake Taupo heading to National Park

I don't expect there will be many takers for this here, but I've just written something on the subject somewhere else, and I thought I might as well put it here too. As I have mentioned elsewhere, I have a V35 Imola. About the only thing that annoyed me about it was that the clutch was so heavy. In the German forum that I am active in, a couple of bright sparks figured out that the clutch from a V85 will fit in any of the small block models. The only restriction is that the V35 and V50 have a different input shaft on the gearbox to the V65 and later models, including the V85. This means that the clutch plate for the V85 clutch wont fit on those early models. However, the V85 produces close to 80 PS, the V50 only 49, and the V35 a bit more than 30, maybe. So it is a safe bet to just use the smaller clutch plate in the newer clutch. Long story short: I bought a brand new clutch in e-Bay for about 150 Euros (price for a new V85 clutch from a dealer about 250 Euro). It turned out to be a V9 clutch, but is obviously effectively the same as the one in the V85. The original clutch in the V35 required a full hand, and a lot of effort. Now I can operate it with one finger. Need I say more? And.... the newer clutch is lighter than the old one, so blipping the throttle at the traffic light is much more effective. So... if anyone has a small-block Guzzi and a bit of spare cash, and a bit of time, think seriously about doing the mod. It is worth the effort. If anyone is interested and needs more details, let me know and I will elaborate.

Yes, it is a Sport of course, but It will always be a Lemans to me. HA! It keeps my 77 (and my 73) company, and the Sport is the only bike that rivals the Lemans aurally

Got one! Ebay.

Both wheels off at the same time? Best practice is to tie it off ("chain fall ") from the joists, above, in addition to your jacking method. Belt AND suspenders? Definitely. It's worth for that ONE time that one fails without a backup. Don't ask me how I know . . .

I am always amazed at the wealth of info to be found here. The amount of detail that is written about some little part or connection on a Sport is impressive. I'm on it now, time to order parts. Thank you all!

Oh it rains. Generally though the Canberra region is one of the driest areas on the driest inhabited continent on earth! Most of our rain comes in spring and autumn, although this autumn has so far been very dry. Both summer and winter tend to get dominated by large high pressure systems that sit over the continent and winter especially is characterised by incredibly clear, still, days with bright sunshine and few clouds. As soon as the sun drops below the horizon temperatures plummet and overnight temps of -5*C are common, we can get down to -8 occasionally! As soon as the sun comes up again though temperatures climb rapidly and by 10.00AM it will be well above freezing and by early afternoon it can be in the mid to high teens. Sure, when we do get winter storms from the south west it can be utterly miserable but really it’s quite a pleasant climate and we have year round riding and no salt on the roads. What’s not to like? Some of the best riding roads in the country are also only an hour or two away.

Finished with the paint treatment, Car Pro. Put the tank on and wanted to hear her running. No fuel pump, WHAT. Usual round, direct juice to the pump= working, but no juice in the connector, ended up with, no juice in fuse 2. 2 red feeding wires underneath, have juice. All 4 male connectors underneath are actually move able? So thought bad conection. Probably possible to take apart with some dynamite. Suddenly a miracle in top floor, SIDESTAND. Back together and runs Very good. Ha ha [emoji23] Cheers Tom. Sent fra min SM-S906B via Tapatalk

I know that YT is full of these talented kids, one better than the next. I relate to that, because I tried to teach guitar to my son when he was 5 years old, and I could never get him interested, even if he did pretty well, as I was trying to get him to like it. I was in awe watching the little guy playing the drums in that humpteenth cover of the Deep Purple highway star...

This is the second or third time I’ve heard of camchain/tensioner related failures on an MGX 21. First one I heard about belonged to the bloke who runs Wildguzzi. It I believe actually snapped a camchain somehow trashing one side of the motor. It was rebuilt and from memory did something very similar again shortly after. The story really frustrated me because ALL of the second generation Hi-Cam motors are essentiallt identical as far as the bits that spin and go up and down are concerned. The cooling system is plumbed very differently in the small port 1400 motors but the lubrication system, which includes both the cam chain tensioner feeds, the under piston cooling sprays and the cam, tappet and cam bearing feeds is all identical to the 1200’s and the MGS is the same, identical, to the other 1400’s which are all much of a muchness. Once the flat tappet fiasco was sorted out the motor was pretty much bulletproof. I’ve seen a few dropped valves but that is usually due to the valve timing being incorrect after rollerisation or lack of oil changes but other than that most problems are oil leaks and oil pressure and phase sensor failures. What made these MGX’s fail really frustrates me because nobody seemed willing to dig into it! Shops just seemed to shrug and either replace the motor or just push the bike into a corner and forget about it. Something like that would have driven me batty! Fixing it is the least of the problem if you don’t know why it failed in the first place! There is no point in just rebuilding something after it has blown up like that unless you work out why because, oddly enough, if you don’t, the chances are it will just do it again! I’d have had at it like a dog at a bone but alas I never had the chance. My best guess, and it really is a guess, is that there is some fault in the machining of the oil galleries in the crankcase in the rear wall of the timing chest. Unlike earlier motors the front main is a pressed in steel sleeve with a tri metal coating, it’s not designed to be replaced. I’m sure this system was adopted for cheapness of manufacture but the upshot is that oil delivery around that bearing to supply both it and the under piston sprays, the cam chain tensioner feeds and the front cam bearings and rocker/cambox feeds is done through a fairly complex system of drillings and machinings in the crankcase itself. The ‘Guess’ I’m making is that somehow or by something that main delivery gallery is somehow blocked or partially occluded preventing the tensioner plunger from priming properly and maybe starving the front cam bearing of oil and causing a potential cam seizure in the cambox. Sadly I’ll never get the chance to follow up on this hypothesis and nobody else is likely to want to so it will, no doubt, remain as one of those eternal mysteries that blacken the company’s name from time to time. As it is I was never a fan of the ‘Small Port’ motor anyway. Too smooth and it seemed to have moved away from the bare bones ‘Engineering Purity’ I see in the Big Port 1200’s. That’s just my own bias though. That and the fact I think the 1400’s are huge, under suspended, overweight, tubs of shite of course!

Was gonna sell the BMW GSA, but I hate leaving the dog while touring and then, well

Having owned a Pacific Coast, I would venture that rode and handled well, made decent power, and hid its V-twin like a drug habit. The trunk made it a great grocery-getter. One of the biggest differences with the V11 Sport is getting groceries on it takes me four hours.

Back in the day I had a '71 Duke 450 Desmo single (297 lbs. dry weight - glitter silver). My buddy had a '72 Duke Sport. On the 750 the suspension was overly hard for the bumps to the point that a fiberglass fender split in half after hitting a pot hole. The Conti exhausts could have a rake handle shoved down them and hit nothing. The 900ss's(Desmo) that were glitter silver around that era were pieces of art to look at (from a distance). The sound was deep BOOMPH, BOOMPH,BOOMPH. Where I worked in the '80's there was a 900 I listened to most mornings. I have to say it was impressive. The main guy to get Duke parts from was in Grimsby, Ontario but he also had MV Augusta which was his personal favorite. Keith Hart used to talk about doing the ton by the end of the short street he lived on with his MV. I don't ignore Dukes. I don't want to own and support one though. Grant.

At 3:30: "DID YOU HEAR THAT ?" She said, "There's one thing you gotta learn. Is not to be afraid of it." I said, "No I like it, I like it. It's good." She said, "You like it now, but you'll learn to love it later."

Hey Grant, Good to have you on board. V11s talk to you quite nicely especially under load and gradually rowing through the gears. The engine the gearbox the clutch and the drivetrain all tell you what's going on, You just have to listen and appreciate. And yes snow here today also, 2 inches. Just waiting for a good rain to wash away the salt and the sand to get out the mighty LeMans.

The exhaust sounds good. The dry clutch sound not so much. The transmission is a beauty so far. How solid the bike is on the road is impressive too. Even without the Ohlins. The Ohlins equipped bikes must be a fun ride. We had a bunch of snow and freezing rain where I live over the last week. I'm really looking forward to spring !!!

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!

Elegant. Sensible airbox Phil

Best looking Centy I've ever seen!! Good luck with your project!

You can buy the exact same stand specifically for the V11. I have one myself. I also have a race stand for suspending from the front or rear of the frame. Phil

Forgot to mention: I rode it today for a couple of hours, about 120 km I think. The bike really is lots of fun.

After chasing this issue for months, my wet sump return line was traced to spooge from the tank vent that was zip-tied to the return line . . .

My little tart-of-a-roadster has been at my specialist shop for ten weeks. With these beautiful spring days, I miss her spritely ways she cheers me up on the lovely backroads and winding country lanes. The wife said, "Why don't you just sell it ?" It's okay, I still love her. The wife? Yeah, keeping her, too.

I did the GOM/GOA? stops yesterday, and literally froze myself on the trip back home.... I only checked the weather punctually, and did not anticipate the huge drop in temperature as the afternoon went on. I stopped a bit at Corpus Christi to observe the new bridge construction... impressive! The Quota fuel mileage is a lot better than that of the V11: 45 mpg! According to the triplog App, the total mileage was 443 miles. The gear lever issue was defintively solved; however, the connection to the Speedo/Odometer fell off. It unscrewed itself. I now understand why all the other connections had worm screw clamps on them...

Quite a few members of the German forum keep a sidecar for the winter. Favourite choice seems to be a Ural, with which the concerns about the frame not holding up to it are a non-issue because they are built as a sidecar. On a completely different note, one that I haven't seen other than on photos but would like to, and would like to ride: It was built by the bloke in the second picture, a fellow administrator of the German forum that I am active in. To put it into perspective, Holger is about 5'4" tall. The motor is from an 1100 California, with a Doc Jensen cam and a bit of tweaking. The really impressive bit: at first glance, or on the photos, you don't notice any lights apart from the headlight, but the thing is road-legal and registered. That, in Germany, is quite an acheivment.

I had to look that one up ;-). There was this one time at Americade I went into the demo lot for Harley. With a muffler on it it was a quiet bike. As I was rolling through I could hear on the the people I passed say "It's one of them f***ing electric ones."

"It never needed any work and had things like self cancelling turn signals, hydraulically adjusted valves, and a big trunk to carry things. If the Guzzi is even close to as enjoyable I'll like it a lot." Ruht Roh, Rhaggy

If you have a true expert then you don't need a machine. The guy at the automotive paint shop supplies I use mixed this 2K for my bike. I took him the old alternator bracket off the frame and he matched it by eye. No machine not even using a spray gun just his skills. It's as close to perfect as you can get. In the image is side plate and front frame I painted myself with the original lower frame member for a colour comparison. The colour match is perfect but my spraying and the deep richness and gloss 2K gives straight off the gun is the only difference. These people are rare these days unfortunately. While I was waiting my turn there was a car restorer before me that was having some metallic silver paint matched to the original wheel colour for an old Alfa. Once again he nailed it and the restorer told me this is the only place he sources his paint and matching because the guy is the best there is. Also the front frame compared to the original paint on the main frame back bone.

Too funny! Went out to my shop last evening and shortly after, noticed the "missing" clamp lying in a corner below my work bench I use for clean work. Bingo!

New Titaniums on. Shoud I put them back in the original box from Guzzi and? No, what the hell, be nice to hear her going, SOON. Frost at night and and icredible amount of dust. No more than ever, those Black and Decker cars have no idea about swalling dust. Cheers Tom. Sent fra min SM-S906B via Tapatalk

Upate to revitalizing this LeMans. I have the rear end back together. i was able to remove the retainers for the 2-row swing arm bearing, wash them out with brake cleaner, and then blow them clean with 120 psi, grease the balls bottom and top, reinstall retainers, reinstall seals. i am now at the place where the wheel alignment needs to be adjusted and set. Your shared expertise to set the alignment will be appreciated. Prior to dismantle, threads of RH pin protruded 7 tread; right 6 threads. Threading in the pins, turning RH pin in to expose 7 threads, the LH pin threaed in to 4 thrreads exposed, not the 6 treads exposed. Attached are pics of tihis stage completed.

The sound and the feel is equaled by no other. You made the right choice !!!

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.

This belongs here today.

I've been lucky over the years I've gone 5 or 6 times, I just show up and buy a ticket at the box office when I get there. If you ride a motorcycle, parking is also free! In prior years I've had seats in the Grandstand, Turn 1, Turn 15/16 and general admission. Very rarely does it sell out completely so it's more how much you want to spend. Although it's a hike to get to the top of the hill ( you get your cardio activity in), Turn 1 is fantastic to see the long stretch and then tight bunching around the almost 140 degree turn. Turn 15/16 is great to see the backstretch at full speed, full braking and lots of turns with the bikes fully inclined over. One year I went with my wife and son and bought tickets in advance on Turn 15/16, so we could guarantee a seat since it was their first time. If you go by all means pay a few bucks and ride to the top of the Red Tower...it's an amazing view from the top!