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Home sweet home!

I reckon it's worth knowing what has happened here. A fortunate find from the simple "Wiggle Test" . . . That gearbox Neutral Switch pulls in the middle relay to allow the V11 to start with the sidestand down. If the switch, the connection, or the middle relay fails, the bike thinks it is in gear (with the sidestand down) and won't start (to protect us from ourselves). V11 No-Start Drill: In any No-Start occurrence with the V11, it is worth sitting on the bike, clutch lever in, and toggle the starter with the sidestand >up<. If she fires, the trouble is in this Neutral Switch/connector/ middle relay circuit. Worth noting that when the switch or its connection fails, the Neutral Light won't come on, but if the relay fails the light will still come on. (Perform the Sidestand >up< No-Start Drill) That connector is particularly vulnerable to road skim. Always worth pulling back the boot, tighten the connector, clean the connection, CAIG DeOxit®, and maybe even fill the boot with Vaseline® to ward off the road skim. So: good find @innesa ! But, more important: if that connector failed on your V11, it is fair warning to take care of others. As @Chuck and @pete roper have said, break, clean, and CAIG DeOxit® all your connections. The most important that come to mind: Battery Terminals, Ignition Switch internal contacts, and especially the main ground to the back right of the gearbox under the seat latch. Just visible below the lower/rear seat latch fastener: Rear view with swingarm removed: Neglect this Main Ground connection at your V11's peril. It will find another path to earth the starter . . .

Well here we go down memory lane again folk's. I'm blaming Doc for posting his Big thumper! Here's a shot from 1990 trip Melbourne to Darwin and Kakadu National Park on a Yamaha SR500.The road to the Olgas from Ayres rock was unsealed and ROUGH AS GUTS back then,so much so that we lost a footpeg ( had to share pillion one with GF ) header and muffler went separate ways blah blah. We effectively had a straight pipe from there on. This shot is at Fogg dam, a local and popular wildlife viewing spot not far out of Darwin on the way to Kakadu.When we got there the LOUD bike scared off the wildlife much to the amusement of the locals.Now the ole SR was kick start only and a bugger to start when hot sometimes.This is the tropics and we're two up, heavily laden and she's a little warmish! The look on the locals faces seemed to give my right boot extra grunt and she fired up straight away, so we bounced off down the track over the monster snake that was stretched out over the track and off on our merry way before the mood changed too much more for the worse! Ha ha hell of a trip that ! Cheers

drift

I'm glad someone can post pics . These are just like mine

There is some seriously intentional "owner involvement" in that electrical system! Look at that stand of U.S.A.-made High Current OMRON! And a sturdy ECU case ground . . . such nice grooms, loops, and ties.

(In best Elvis voice) Thank ya very much! I'm on kind of a roll with this electrical stuff. For the ever necessary voltage check via the SAE charging cable:

Heh, well, so I thought. Maybe the old thumper will become my sons' nostalgia. All my "nostalgia" goes back to 60s to early 70s "muscle cars." Dear God, their brakes and suspension were awful. My brother (briefly owned) an Austin-Healey 3000/MkIII that set the motorhead hooks in me forever. Back in those days, I thought the motorcycle guys were complete nutters and crazies. (Hey, now I "resemble" that remark! ) Living in Bavaria as wee lad, I grew up thinking the BMW opposed-twin would be the ultimate. Then, one evening while in college, a friend started up his white, pin-striped loop-frame Guzzi; maybe an Ambassador, IDK. My other nutter-crazy motorcycle buddy was there - he could ride a wheelie on his Kawi triple clear to the ferrkin' moon, but it was a loud-crazed-violent affair. In the apartment complex parking lot, the fellow lofted the Ambo like a dance with an Angel. It was so elegant and effortless! There is the matter of taking the bait, but I swallowed the hook.

Just for the few that aren't on Wild. Dusty's Rally in Cedar Vale KS is coming up. At least one guy from TN-NC wants a riding buddy. https://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=102664.0

Me, too. They work remarkably well in the twisties.. I *loved* that day riding. The "sporty" ride that took most of the day, then when we returned, four (I think) rode Palomar. Awesome..

Well, that is a fitting photo from the San Diego "not a rally" at Lake Henshaw, which the previous owner of my Tonti-framed LeMans helped to organize. I don't recall who the other rider is, but he managed to get a Moto Guzzi patch on his leathers. And FWIW, yesterday I flushed the brake system since the rear had almost no pressure. Those linked brakes work really well. The brake pedal activates rear caliper and front left caliper. The hand lever only activates the front right caliper. I didn't think I would like the linked brakes, but I do.

Touché!

Waffling bollocks and lies from a Piaggio drone. They just open their mouths and a pyroclastic flow of irrelevant rubbish vomits forth.

Here I’ve selected recent pertinent quotes from translated links indicating current thinking/plans: The birthday present? "It is a very secret model, it will have a new engine and many other innovations that Guzzisti expect". “Yes, we are studying whether to go to lower displacements but not soon, also to meet young people. An entry level is not planned for the V85 TT enduro, rather we could think of variants of motorcycles with smaller displacements on crossovers. We work to create engine and chassis platforms on which to adapt different models. This next bike will be the basis for others. The new course of the second centenary will be seen in Mandello and Eicma " "But no, California does not die, sooner or later it will come back", Zanolini reassures us “An electric Guzzi? Nobody will escape from this - Zanolini tells us again - even if today we are still far away as a concept for the brand. We are certainly working on it with a dedicated division of the group and, when we consider it a mature technology, we will do it seriously ". https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.repubblica.it/motori/sezioni/moto/2021/03/12/news/cent_anni_da_guzzi_storia_e_futuro_di_un_fenomeno_tutto_italiano_diventato_globale-291908675/amp/ Communications Director of the Piaggio Group. “The Guzzi World Days will conclude a long series of events celebrating our centenary. On that occasion we will kick off two very important projects. The first is that which concerns the refurbishment of the Mandello production site. There is no other factory in the world in such an iconic location and so tied to the territory. We will present the project for the new plant and a very important experiential area within it, which means that the Piaggio Group believes in the production of Moto Guzzi in Mandello and has no intention of taking it to India, China or Thailand as many do. our competitors. “, reveals Zanolini with legitimate satisfaction also for this last not just underlining. What about the vehicle fleet? “We are working on the Moto Guzzi of the new centenary, the first of the second century of life. We will unveil it in Mandello, it will be a new bike, with a new concept, a new engine. Something that has never been seen in Guzzi until today. We want to start our second hundred years with product innovation, always remaining faithful to the heritage and values that have always inspired Moto Guzzi. " Mandello is confirmed as the true and irreplaceable heart, industrially but also from a philosophical point of view. .... Let's go beyond Guzzi and talk about what the bike represents today. Perhaps the strongest symbol of a desire for freedom that we have never felt so strong as today. “People no longer take public transport as before, those who have to come to work in big cities want to move with greater autonomy. After the first lockdown where many people have returned to the bike or have arrived at the first bike to enjoy the holidays in a slightly different way. It was difficult to use trains and planes. What is the best way to travel? The motorbike. Over time, this desire to use the bike for the pleasure of having fun, for the pleasure of riding it, is reconsolidating. It was a feeling that was getting old. The average age of the motorcyclist was rising alarmingly in the Western world. This wind is bringing fresh air that we love so much. Guzzi has always been synonymous with the journey in the mind of the momcyclist. The Guzzista has always been considered a great traveler. This moment shows us a positive light for motorcycles in general. " Do you expect the numbers to grow too, which translate into more sales? “We expect positive numbers Although we do not have a huge range, perhaps we are in the best condition compared to the period. With the V7 we have an excellent entry level, an easy and non-demanding bike in terms of costs and performance and can also be ridden by a motorcycle novice. Or it can be an excellent return bike for those who have temporarily abandoned them. With V85 we go into the world of more structured travel. This compactness of the range, which for us is a starting point for rebuilding the range of the future. " .... Is it still possible to attract millennials? "The authentic old-fashioned Guzzi driver is there and will always be there. In recent years Moto Guzzi has done a lot to rejuvenate its target. When I arrived at Piaggio in 2013, I told my 19-year-old nephew that I was starting this new experience and told him about the brands that were part of the galaxy. And when I named him Moto Guzzi he said to me: does it still exist? Then I started thinking, namely that if a 19-year-old knows what Moto Guzzi is but he doesn't know it still exists, then we have a problem, not even a particularly small one. The work that has been done in recent years, focusing heavily on the V7, which was perhaps the least Moto Guzzi, given that the classic Guzzi drivers were thinking of California, paid off. Many new drivers and many girls were very attracted to the V7. It represents a different language. We found ourselves speaking a language much closer to young people. Not having made radical innovations but having ridden the true Guzzi nature, that is of a simple, beautiful, not too expensive bike, with a style of his own for many years has been a winner. On top of that, the ease of customizing it, things that were only the preserve of Harleys, helped. We have created an official accessories catalog, something that previously only existed for American or British motorcycles. We have created quality merchandising. We invented the Moto Guzzi trophy, we brought the bike back to the track. Ten years ago the average Guzzista was over 50, now we can say that we have lowered this average by 10/12 years. " How important is it to be part of such a diverse galaxy as the Piaggio Group? “The technical engineering advantages are evident. We can afford to invest on a large scale in technologies that are used by all. Cultural contamination is fundamental. We remove ourselves from the risk of being too self-referential, from the tendency to feed only on that world. We are very multifaceted, we go from the 14-year-old scooter to all the higher targets. We have assigned a function to all brands. Vespa is life-style, Aprilia is the adrenaline of racing, Moto Guzzi is travel, Piaggio is commuting, or mobility, above all metropolitan. Everyone draws from other worlds what it takes to complete their own. If Guzzi had not been part of such a group, guaranteeing its survival would not have been possible. Everything contributed to making Guzzi grow. Six years ago we invented the "motoplex", we already have 800 in the world. They are stores that bring all four of our brands together. We have given many points of sale the chance to survive that perhaps with the Guzzi brand alone they would not have had. " Happy birthday, dear Moto Guzzi centenarian. https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/mobilita.ilfoglio.it/mobilita-in-arrivo/moto/moto-guzzi-compie-100-anni-ma-si-sente-giovanissima/amp/

You must. It's a Grasshopper thing.

I've got a set of plain black perforated Vanson Leathers that suit this bike (and my Scura). But it might be time to put some vintage Moto Guzzi eagle patches on them. Maybe I could find a big reflective one for the back.

That looks great. It's a real period piece. You need some 80s style leathers with geometric patterns for full effect. It's nice to see one that's still original. So many have been 'restyled' as home made cafe racers, there can't be many left like yours. I had a Le Mans III in the 90s. When I got the V11 I was surprised how different the power delivery was. The MK III seemed more 'flexible', delivering 'go' across the rev range, with gear selection less critical. By comparison, the VII has to be revved and requires more rider input. Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

No fire here either, just smiles. Put in a 70amp relay, why not overdue it. Cheers Tom. Sent fra min SM-A505FN via Tapatalk

con·tra·dic·tion| ˌkäntrəˈdikSH(ə)n |PHRASES contradiction in terms a statement or group of words associating objects or ideas that are incompatible: “Italian electrical system" is a contradiction in terms.

(beating a dead horse) Remember how old these bikes are, and how antique the electrical systems are. Most electrical connections are unsealed, and the above corrosion on the neutral switch is the result. Getcha some Caig DeOxit and completely go through the electricals. All of them. You'll be good for a few years. After all, the most likely failure on any Guzzi is electrical.

Given the fine direction provided by the IllumiGuzzinati, here is the TPS harness all dressed with multimeter connectors attached and the yellow terminated with liquid electrical tape and tucked into the harness.

While you are poking around, the ground to the trans is on the opposite side - just trace the fat black wire from battery to the transmission casing, pop it off for a bit of a clean, then (if you have some) CAIG DeoxIT will clear out the oxidation and ensure a better connection.

Hi Tinus89 Is this the ground that you were referring to? I'm not very mechanically minded... But this is what I jiggled, & the bike started. Magic!!! Cheers mate.

So nothing happens when you press the starter switch? Not even a faint click of the starter relay? First things to check: - Dead man switch on? - Does the fuel pump prime? - Are you using the clutch lever whilst starting? - Check the main ground on the back of the gearbox is tight. - Push the starter button and then turn the handlebars from full left lock to right and back. Does she start now?

Also, in the spirit of fairness let’s add these as another point of reference...

Created topic in Fileshare. When the early Sport/Rosso Mandello diagram comes available, I'll add it there. Thanks, again, @stewgnu !

Remember the wedge garage of the Triumph TR-7 and TR-8?

Shakedown for the South’n SpineRaid!

Here is one of the more complete threads on this 2002 and on V11 wiring issue. Click the the lower title and it takes you to @Chuck's original post, click the top title to go directly to a detailed post by @gstallons. Several other posters in that thread with detailed information including @Kiwi_Roy and @vuzzi:

There's more than one way to get across borders . . .

G'day mate Yeah the standard Bitubo ( I think from memory ) isn't all that flash! I put a Hyperpro damper on when I had my Suspension done as my std unit was leaking too, it's been bloody good / no issues. Yep definitely worthwhile upgrading your suspension by the way!! Cheers Guzzler

Is it still nostalgia if your first bike is on the lift with the motor at a mate's for a rebuild? Or is this just glassy-eyed?

I like Todd too. Don’t get the hostility towards him. But this general trend of tail-less modern Manx-style motorcycles leaves me cold. The proportions are all wrong. Some of them are so extreme as to look ridiculous. Look at pipeburn.com for some really bad examples.