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V11 runner

#90 lives in Kansas

California dreaming...

These were the Italian Alps just south west of Silvaplana, the day before I brought it back from Ghezzi Brian. You can get the bits and do it yourself - nice winter project, but I got them to do it for me by driving the bike down, leaving it a month and then driving it back. The conversion was to a V11 Trofeo but I added a few optional extras; the big one was the alloy swinging arm, but less expensive were the wave discs, lithium iron battery and high efficiency air filters. I also got the carbon fibre front and rear mudguards and belly pan - though these are cosmetic and it had a CF front mudguard anyway. This was virtually everything short of the tuning mods which Ghezzi Brian didn't recommend if I was going to use it, put lots of miles on it and wanted it to be reliable: I guess these are really for a track bike.

I agree with the thought that a 2nd V11 should be customised. I wanted a modern spine framed equivalent to my old red LeMans so went to Ghezzi Brian for their conversion. It transformed the bike and the handling and took 30kg off it. If you don't mind drop bars; that's what I'd do. I've had it for 4 years now and I still don't want anything else.

Now, this whole business of sitting on bikes naked can be very revealing In more ways than one! Oh! Wait! Sit on a "Tonti naked" or sit on a "naked Tonti?' (the moderator is gonna hunt me down for this, I know . . .)

I spy my old red LeMans. I hope she is treating you well. She was a lovely companion to my Scura for a while (after she got sorted). Then the red-framed Greenie came along and I had three functioning V11. The large fairing on the Lemans is very good for distance, the naked (or bikini-faired) red-frame bike was also good for distance, but was a bit more fun in the twisties. I ended up keeping only the Scura, which was my first V11 - and which I had from new. The other two were both projects after prior owners' neglect. The Scura fit between the two, but it has the light, single-plate clutch, which I like. I enjoyed having multiple V11s, but I enjoy more having bikes that are very different and I like being able to get onto rough pavement and dirt without worrying about a nice street bike - so the Stelvio and Husqvarna fit the bill for me.

I've struggled with this one. I've been tempted to add a red frame next to my LeMans. But decided to have 3 very different bikes and added a Carc and a Tonti instead. Mike

Let the squeamish avert their eyes!