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The earlier V11 front wheel has two sizes of inner bearing races. Maybe that was the source of the mix up. Certainly, this spacer does not appear to seat on the inner race, but looks to be inside of it:

Interesting. I’m always highly skeptical of the snake oil products and how they can get a good or bad reputation over time. Like you say, just one situation, but still an interesting data point, that you got the bubbles…. I’ve used it for quite a few years, and will say that its been fine for me, but of course there’s no proper control set on my end. A number of bikes every year get it, and none of them have issues, but A) I’ve not had a control set of bikes of the same type and conditions that didn’t have the additive to compare, and b) a few of the bikes already had various damage from ethanol from the past which somewhat muddies the “test” waters. a much stronger data set was all my household equipment, mowers, blowers, chippers, chainsaws, etc., which i changed over to clear premium only at some point a number of years ago when i learned i could get the clear gas, and like a light switch the following spring all of them operated perfectly as if they hadnt’ been sitting all winter, compared to the headaches i had with most of them after using ethanol/gas in the past. But no startron in that data set. I do always put the V11’s (and other bikes) away in the winter with mostly clear premium in them. I’ll run the last couple tanks through in the fall with that expensive ethanol free gas, leaving only a very small dilution of ethanol in them, to which i also add some startron, and doing that i have zero issues with paint on my 2 LeMans or the other Italians over the years. The Greenie has the damaged paint on the tank, but it came to me that way. Fwiw.

Pretty nice looking scooter, certainly no Greenie but pretty nice. Docc, where do you find this stuff? You're a little bit Spineframe obsessed? Those cold hands still on the keyboard? Jus' sayin'.

This might be of interest to some here. I have heard reports of people being asked to pay outrageous money to have the tappets inspected on their early 8V motors. I made this vid several years ago but it recently got taken down off YouTube for a 'Copyright Infringement' that apparently related to the fact you could hear songs in the background from the shop radio! Anyway I did a voiceover and it's back up. https://youtu.be/MzAO_JV4gU4 [docc-edit: embedded the vid. Thanks, again, Pete!]

I've always had good luck with the star-tron, but other things happen; like last night I got the dreaded weak buzz click at the relays. Time to clean and check connections and grounds. If I didn't like the bike so much I would have lost patience with it by now.

Yep from the Aprilia factory, straight from the first gen Tuono.

Can’t remember how I’ve got this information floating around in my head - but I seem to recall someone mentioning the handlebars are a shared Aprilia item.

Hi. Thanks for all your thoughts. In the process I think I had thunk it through, and it looks like the (odd) different sized bearings is correct. Just dug a but deeper on Harpers and found this which seems to fit with our combined deductions and what I actually have...no missing spacer pandemic! Down to the local bearing factors in the morning. Will report back and include some images for others who find themselves on this confusing path.

Surely both bearings should be 20mm int diameter on the runner. If the diameter was 25mm the spindle is going to slide into the bearing runner and will get tight only when either the threads on the LHS fork leg bottom out or the spindle passes through the bearing and gets stopped by the spacer between the wheel bearings inside the wheel itself. If the wheel was reversed then 25mm on the other side wouldn't work either AFAIK. You'd have a 20mm diameter spindle sliding into a bearing race that was 25mm, which would make for interesting handling on the road. I can't think of why the wheel bearing races would have different sizes.....................mind we are talking Guzzi here @80CX100 's idea is clever too

My head hurts when I start thinking about the axles,spacers,bearing races and all the forces involved, quite the Rubicks cube, the ft is child's play compared to the back It sounds like your new bearing inner races have different ID's, if they do, just for shits and giggles, try reversing the wheel and install it backwards, maybe you've got the right bearings but installed on the wrong sides. fwiw idk Before you start ripping and ordering, it would be nice the hear from someone with a bike that matches your design exactly, or have the bearings specs confirmed by a trusted source ie Harpers, MG Cycle, MPH, or maybe Pete will happen to see this; the info on the bearing specs for your design is probably already here on this site. good luck

I'm now pretty confident its the wrong bearing on the RH side. Will replace it and update this thread.

I'm betting the right side will be a maybe 1/4" wide washer. If it were me, I'd look up the parts manual. It *might* show what is missing.

No experience with that model either. I ass-ume from your description that the spindle is stepped with the RHS being a larger diameter than the LHS, if I understand it. On the forks I've got with that sort of setup the larger diameter side of the spindle butts against the wheel, pushing it against the spacer which is installed onto the other side. It appears from your pictures that the larger diameter side of the spindle is entering the wheel hub itself allowing the spindle to screw into its threads on the other fork leg until it bottoms. That would also be why the spacer is loose, as the spindle isn't being pulled into tension between the legs, pulling the whole assembly together, clamping the wheel at the same time If that's the case, then spindle is the wrong diameter or the bearing installed has the wrong inner race (which seems extremely unlikely) It could I suppose be one of these botched designs where that was the intention originally but didn't happen and the factory just installed a spacer on the RHS side as well. It would take a lot to surprise most of us familiar with Guzzis produced in and around the millenium @GuzziMoto beat me to it on the expalantion Let's hope somebody with that model shouts up

I don't have an '03, but it is normal to only have one spacer. The spacer goes on the threaded side of the axle, the other side of the axle is usually stepped so that the "spacer" on that side is machined into the axle. If your axle doesn't have that step on the "nut" side it may be the wrong axle. Perhaps someone with an '03 Cafe Sport will be along. I tried to buy one years ago, brand new old stock. But the deal fell through.

Hehe! It’s optional. Scura R came with two seats from Guzzi factory - one red, the other black. Tried on both but for me the red popped! Momentarily thought about storing it instead of the black to keep it pristine - but then decided I wasn’t going to be too anal & chose what gives me the “look back at it” feeling! Someone mentioned the TT... my Scura R has been hammered around the hallowed Isle... but unfortunately not by me! The original owner traded it into Paul Dedman Performance motorcycles for an Aprilia after deciding it didn’t have enough outright top end speed when I spoke to him after closing deal with Paul. I bought my Scura R sight unseen - first time actually seen a V11 was when it rolled out the van! Maybe it was an extra big van but I remember my first impression - surprised as it seemed kinda small. Strange, loved Guzzi’s ever since...

What with our respected V11LeMans.com domiciled in The Netherlands, with Belgium in the wings, surely if anyone has any knowledge of the V11 Playboy Exclusive Edition, this particular "model" might be within our grasp? So far, there is not even more than that singular image, let alone any reports of the V11 EE, itself ? ? ?

Looked like that to me too. Then I had cataract surgery.

Well, we at least know of people with Scura R, The V11 Playboy EE ? *** crickets ***

Hmmmm. Looks like a light pink seat on a dark pink striped bike to me.

Sometimes rare = nobody wanted it. Sometimes limited editions increase demand. Ironically, it seems the series-numbered Scura and Rosso Mandello are among the more common configurations of V11, while the Tenni volume remained low. I've heard about 200 units for the LeMans Nero Corsa... and that the Rosso Corsa was more common. As for the Scura R, yeah, it's rare and I like the paint, but personally, I've never cared for red seats - cuz the red seat never matches the red paint. They get close... but gettgin close is worse than just adding a complementary color. For example, I think it would be cool with a medium brown leather saddle.