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Some front forks have rebound adjustment at the top and compression adjustment at the bottom. The Italian Marzocchi's are a little unusual in that they often have rebound in one leg and compression in the other. My old Buell X1 had Showa forks like that, as I recall. The older Marzocchi forks on the wifes V11 had the rebound in one leg and compression in the other, but the compression adjustment was worthless from the factory. If you took the forks apart you could see that the compression bypass valve (the adjuster) was only doing anything in like the last 1/4 of the travel. Until then the fork oil was free to avoid the valve stack or adjuster by flowing through ports in the side of the cartridge. But I was able to block off one of the two ports in the side of the cartridge and that forced fork oil to go through the valve stack and / or adjuster. Way better control of compression. To figure this out, I took the forks apart, removed the springs, and with oil still in them I cycled the suspension through its stroke. You could feel how freely the suspension moved until it got to that last 1/4 of travel. Then suddenly the valving and adjuster came into play. It was like having a hydraulic adjustable bumpstop. Mind you, this was with the older silver forks. I don't know how the internals are in the newer forks. But they are just forks, there is no magic there.

New oil pressure switch arrived and installed, behold - red light with key on, and it goes out when engine is started. Thank God for little miracles (and knowledgeable friends on this forum!).

Before doing any major work or installing a valve or cartridge kit, why not set the sag and play with the adjusters? Perhaps you might set the adjusters independently as well as tandem? Get a feel for it and see how it works. Chances are you'll find an acceptable setting.

Sweet. I see that the mic is plugged in. Is it live? I think you could record a pretty good drum track between the engine and the clutch!

As mentioned, the Breva is a very different Guzzi. The 1100 cc engine is a evolution of the engine in the V11, but it does have a different character. But the bigger difference is in the handling. The chassis of the V11 is very different from the chassis of the Breva. The Breva lacks the sharpness of the V11. The Breva is a cushy motorcycle, and can be a very comfy ride. But with a few smart mods the V11 can be made more comfortable. Lower foot pegs, converting to handle bars or higher clip ons, and a even a different or modified seat, can all help make the V11 more comfortable if required. It is easier to make a better handling motorcycle more comfortable than it is to make a more comfortable motorcycle handle better. And welcome to the forum.

My Ballabio in the mountains in Northern Colorado, smoke and wildfires cut short the ride. Hope everyone is hanging in there in these strange times, take care. T

Check out this custom build 1100 Sport Tonti: Anyone know these guys? I’ve seen pics of a few MotoNero builds, and it looks like they like putting the later V11 motors in the earlier Tonti frames. It looks like a smaller front wheel than the rear (perhaps a 17” and an 18”?), like the LMIV set-up.

Remember my advice from a while back here docc. Do a viscosity test of your original fork oil BEFORE you change it out so you know what the starting point is. take a small syringe without the needle and plunger and fill it to a level then let it drip into a container while timing the drips. Then take your oil of choice in whatever weight you decide and do the same so you verify that what you're putting in is actually the way you want to go. Who knows what weight oil is in the forks and importantly all "weights" aren't necessarily the same. Can save a lot of messing about and expense. Ciao

No I've never seen a TI kit for a V11, I've just ordered them individually. You'd be surprised it doesn't take long to figure out the lengths you need as the majority of cap screws on the V11 are M6 and M8 so its the length that's the major consideration. Most of my bike is now Ti fasteners and it's just evolved over the years to be that way. I still use steel on the rear shock and engine mounts. I used to buy all mine from Toronto Cycles but there's plenty of decent quality Chinese stuff on ebay these days Ciao

I’ve done more measurements since I backed out the preload on both forks all the way. The rebound is mostly backed out on each fork too. The rear has 34mm rider sag (most of that is from (27mm) rider getting on and only maybe 7mm if that was static sag from weight of bike standing. but the front is the other way around. It only drops another 7mm when I sit on it in full gear but when I get off and lift almost all the weight off the wheel to check for static sag it rises about 26mm. So the static is 26mm and the rider ads only 7mm to make the rider sag 33mm. I was told to aim for 30-35mm in the rear for preload sag and 35-40mm In the front. So ideally a little bit more sag up front but I’m relieved to see that the static sag was so large considering the minimal movement when I sat on it. The rear is the opposite. But both add up to the same. I put cable ties on the front forks and with normal riding on twisty roads I used all but the last 25-30mm of travel. When I did a harsh stop to test if it bottomed out it still had about 15mm left. I think I can live with these settings. Tomorrow my mechanic is going to change the Old sae 10 fork oil with sae 5 oil to see if that helps soften the ride at all. If it does too much I have all the preload yet to add as now it’s backed almost completely out (same with rebound). And I can always go back to sae 10 or 7. Anyone try lighter fork oils than the 10 in the manual? Thanks guys

Ordered material today. It should be here by the end of the week or early next week.

Modern reissue of the iconic 1939 Shure 55. Somehow, it seems to ‘resonate' with the Sport in so many ways . . .

Yeah, we did that fairly early on to the wife's Monster. It makes leaving from a stop much easier, as well as making the bike feel a lot more powerful in normal riding. It is still geared too tall I think, but it is way better than it was stock. I do like the old bevel drive Ducati's. We used to have (ages ago) a guy with a beautiful bevel drive 900 that raced it at Summit Point, Bill Dietz was his name. That thing was wicked cool. Of course, back then we had another guy who raced a Guzzi against Bill, my buddy Dave Fine. They were fun guys to race against.

I definitely have a armadillo that wants to dance!! I did use a wire to bridge the positive to the blade and worked like a charm with each little sparky tap the the body of the starter. I took the ground off the transmission bolt give it a good sanding cleaned everything up his dielectric grease on everything that was suggested here and in other posts thanks to all those that contributed. I’ll put my battery on the charger for a few hours until it doesn’t take a draw anymore anymore. This battery is YUASA it’s only about four years old but I only had a trickle charger on it for a year. That’s the next stop I’ll put everything back together and putting it up and give it a charge overnight. Will report back in the morning to see what happens. I am wondering a bit, maybe it’s possible, somewhere some how that wire from the relay to the blade got pinched. I’ll have to inspect again.

Ok that is the neutral switch wire. My suggestion was simply a check. I dont even know what the effect would be if the neutral wire was hooked to the starter, probably nothing but its one of those things you just ensure is correct almost unconsciously when you have an issue. The small blade connector on the starter is the power wire from the relay that operates a solenoid inside the starter to engage the main starter contactor. Ciao

When in doubt look at the shop manual. Looks like you have an earlier owners manual. The transition of components for Guzzi isn't a hard line and so neither will be the owners manuals. Ciao

Another Eagle, has landed near by , and I sort of know the guy, 1 more ordered. Cheers tom.

All I have to say is that if you've never ridden a Ducati do it at least once. That being said there is something more visceral about the V11 Sport. Which is saying something considering the opposition.

Just that curious bronze patina our pipes offer us from running her hard (but never putting her away wet!).

Hi all, new bike arrived today, 2000 V11 Sport. Low miles, non running ( electrical) . Runs now no idea what the issue is, expect I will find out, but first issue to deal with is fuel evacuating itself THRU the left hand terminal at the front of the fuel pump. Anyone had this happen before? Any idea what caused it ?Will order a new one from MG Cycle in the next day or so, unless anyone has any better ( cheaper ) ideas ? First of many dumb questions until I can navigate round the site better, have a few Guzzi miles under my belt, but I thought my 94 Cali 1100 was modern. Hoooweee. Guess I need to sharpen up my electrickery.

Fork oil doesn't change it's viscosity like engine oil docc, it's life is too easy to worry about that and it doesnt have any viscosity improvers in it, it just a straigh weight oil. It may be a little more viscous due to particulate contamination but if you take it from the top and let it settle for a few hours then it wont be affected. Fork oil will never see 100 deg C docc so that's not an issue and depending on the base weight variations then there will be a Cst variation due to temp changes as well. Ciao

Yep. See post above about BelRay 5 wt I've been using. Realize some manufacturer's 10 wt is lighter than others' 5 wt. Look at the Peter Verdone Design chart of viscosities in cST@40ºC and @100ºC for more accurate comparisons. Verdone has some very insightful observations about adjusting damping in these fork systems. Worth the read. Happy to see you getting her sorted!

FWIW, here’s a description of the Testastretta 11 degree engine: http://www.ashonbikes.com/content/multistrada-testastretta-11-degrees

No sooner did I find them I came back here to report my findings and here you are. Thanks! Cause of the lack of picture I confirmed the ITN number and product number off an personal ad that was posted not long ago about Omron relays for sale.. The bag of relays had the website which I followed too. time to order 10! Would like to get the bike running with any one of my current relays however hot wiring my bike will be good enough for the next day or to so I can head over to a friends and get a multi meter and some advice.

They are out-of-production currently, but are in-stock here: https://www.onlinecomponents.com/omron-electronics/g8he1c7trdc12-42670683.html (I just had a batch of them delivered to me yesterday) __Jason

Rather than jack around with the wiring, begin by replacing your relays with 5-pin High Current OMRON. The 5-pin is only needed in the start position, but simple enough to use them in all positions.

So far as a replacement for the Ducati ST, well the Multi Strada is considered more touring oriented and the 939 more sport oriented. So I am not sure that either MS or 939 SS is a direct replacement for the ST models. The 939 SS is considered a Touring Sports bike (rather than a Sport Touring bike). The 939 Supersport is much more touring oriented than the old 1000 Supersport. Although the new bike has more power and perhaps less weight. The new bike has 110hp and weighs about 450lb gassed, it feels really light and responsive but it stable enough to lick the throttle and ride with no hands for miles.

Thanks all for the input. Modifying the bike seems like a stretch since the bars are probably. 4 - 5 inches too low for me, but I will look into it.

I hope you have tested the battery voltage and found it above 12.5 v and tested it during cranking . above 12.5v . You can test the starter on the bike by running a jumper lead from the spade terminal on the solenoid to the large terminal of the solenoid . If the battery and everything else is good , it should crank . If it does , your problem is in the bike's wiring. P.S. hitting on a permanent magnet starter will give you bad results . The magnets will come loose or break . When you have more than two segments in the starter case , you have trouble .

What a crazy picture! Very painterly in its tones and abstraction. The lines and curves being echoed. Very cool! Is that an old ribbon microphone?

the ground often 'suspect' seems to be at the upper right bolt at the back of the transmission. Pull the bolt and clean all surfaces. Replace with DeOxit or something equiv. Your bike's only 16 years old but as a vintage bike enthusiast I can tell you, moisture and corrosion will take a toll. I won't babble on about things I've seen but will suggest to you to start with the basics. Positively fresh and clean the fuel system (all of it), grounds and connectors refreshed, and have no doubts about your intake rubbers, including balance nipple hose or caps. If unsure about the battery have it checked out or get a new one. Many/most of us use an Odyssey pc545.

or ... "Docc is about 170 soaking wet" I'm not sure which quote wins the day

welcome Paul, and wife... to the forum and to the "raid". Hope you can make it, this time or next. You've landed in a piece of America that'll make you wonder if the Creator of the Earth had motorcycle riding in mind.

Maybe a little less. I have to check. Wife and I just moved here in January from Connecticut. Both retired. Still learning the area.

Fork oil weight has no effect on sag. Fork oil level possibly can depending on how overfilled it is. I'd check the level first. Ciao

You'll need voltage onto the blade connector as well docc. Ciao

You are right to be looking for more sag. I would suspect that either the springs or internal spacers may have been changed before. As to oil, I recall the prevailing opinion that "10 wt" is rather thick for these forks, slowing their already limited action. I have long used BelRay 5 wt, yet also learned that measure can vary rather widely between manufacturers. Peter Verdone Designs publishes a chart converting common fork oils to a more comparable centiStokes @ (some) temperature. What does your rear sag measure?

Thanks, my manual doesn’t mention the Corsa model on the cover. Must be an older manual. The preload is backed all the way out counter clockwise yet the front end only sags 7mm when I sit on it in gear. I’m hoping a lighter fork oil may help. My Old Manual (but now that may be wrong) says sae 10. Does the new manual say 10 for the Le Mans (non Corsa/ohlins)? Has anyone tried sae 5 or 7? Thanks

Have you removed the starter and tried 12 volts to it directly to see if the new starter is working?That would be the first thing I would do. Just because it's new doesn't mean it isn't faulty. Ciao

You know, in an incoherent Guzzi electrical engineer sort of way (now there's a contradiction in terms!), grounding via the oil pressure switch makes sense. If there is oil pressure, no need for the starter. Thus, if the light is out, either the sender or the bulb is DOA. Note: mid 60s Ducati 250s had a mystery toggle switch on the taillight bracket. No one ever figured out what it did. Oddly, a guy on the Kawi EX500 forum advised me: That designer must have taught Guzzi a few tricks.

Yes, you have an early riders manual. I checked my stash of stuff and found this one.

That's 9. I imagine someone else will show up. I'll start looking for a new supplier. $68 to ship a three pound 4 foot long box with a piece of 1/32" plywood in it.. That was the last straw. They can stick their shipping and fondling charges up their

So far I have: Cliff Kane (2) David Burrows Vic Dickinson Jan Jonsson Jan Hammershang Pat Cowden Tom Bennett (2)

Finally drank the relay Kool-Aid. I've decided to hold onto all 10, though, as I like the idea of having spares on-hand, and eventually doing pre-emptive replacements at some point down the road. __Jason

Passo San Marco...

I currently own a 1000ss dual plug as well as the v11. The 1000 is basically an enhancement of the carbed 900. personally I'd go for the injected 1000 like mine. I've also owned a 900 Sport in the past which was an entry level injected 900SS with less suspension and a steel swingarm .I've also owned a bunch of belt drive Ducatis from the 500 Pantah onwards in cluding a Bimota DB1 with the 750 F1 engine. Riding position is quite extreme and they are geared very tall. A lot lighter than the V11 and much more sporty fast revving better shifting bike. I use mine for track days at the tighter circuits but have also run it a few times at Phillip Island. So smoother, lighter, better shifting and for the most part easier to work on and maintain than the V11 but the riding position is far more aggressive. Surprisingly probably even more so than my 1198 or equal to at least. Ones a real world no frills sports bike and ones a Grand Tourer. Ciao

Laptops? Cables? Tools? Whatever!!! I'm bringing bacon, beer, and cigars.

I'm not sure if you have solved this yet or not. Its caused by LED blinkers that draw next to no current and an idiot light that draws as much I came across this sketch I had done for another owner The type 194 lamp reference is to my favourite LED replacement for the Spine frame and EV idiot lights. (I can't recall if I still needed the diodes) I have some pictures of that if anyone is interested, because LEDs last forever I throw away the sockets and glue lamps in place. BTW all 12 Volt LEDs have a resistor or current limiter in series, we just don't bother showing it. Headlights for instance only need about 9 Volts, the rest is gravy, it gets no brighter.