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I really didn't want to ever have to post this thread here, but the truth is that I don't appreciate this bike the way others would. Since I inherited it, I've ridden less than 50 miles and I've held onto it for the sentimental value, but I feel like it's time to let it go to a home of someone who can fully appreciate it. It has 8,778 miles on the odometer. My dad cycled between 7 bikes and after he got sick, the one that was easiest to get out of the garage saw all the action. I took ownership in 2014 and rode it a handful of times while paying insurance on it the entire time. It's never been down and is exactly as was left to me. I'm trying to get my place ready to move and would like for it to end up in someone's hands sooner than later. Feel free to contact me with offers. I almost forgot, I believe there's another set of pipes in the crawl space but I haven't gotten there yet.

Do NOT remove the part on the gearbox. Remove the thread part on the wrecked angel drive - and put a rubber disc (which you can make yourself) onto the male part on the gearbox - and screw on the female part. Thereby you seal from water to enter the gearbox. I hope you understand what I mean. Teo Lamers (Holland) has a replacement wire that works without the angel drive. I do not have the article number at hand. Maybe tomorrow.

I'm not even all that sure the additional frame member on the later bikes is anything to do with mitigating gearbox cracking. I postulated a few years ago that when they added this they also at the same time changed the front engine support frame to one which was less triangulated and maybe the gearbox brace was to regain some fore and aft support due to this. Dunno. Mario at Thunderbikes Perth an old style Guzzi shop and at one time the original sole importer for Australia has been around Guzzi's for well over 30 years and was closely involved with Ted Stolaski who originally owned the place. Ted had close ties to the factory and Dr John and Magni and was supplied with pre production prototype Daytona engines straight out of the factory and also the same for the Magni Australia bikes to race here and in Daytona. Anyway Mario goes right back to that era and before in the early 90's with Ted and Guzzi. I spoke to him about the gearbox cracking issue and he'd never heard of it! I'd be interested to see how many and what models had actually had issues. It's easy here on social media for things to seem more common than they actually are. There must be thousands of bikes out there with no cracking issues still running around. Ciao

Today, joined V11LeMans.com . . . 2003.

Nice! dug out my old technics SL-7 turntable from storage about a year ago, to make it available again after some remodeling. Linear tracking arm won’t track, so looked online to see what’s out there, and found quite the interesting, eclectic community of enthusiasts on a forum or two for these turntables (Vinyl engine is one of them). Plenty of support for me to dive in and fix my unit, though per usual time is the issue… so there it still sits on my desk. yesterday friends up for super bowl commented on how great the “surround sound” system I had was for the game, with all the music and action. I just said “thanks”. It’s not “surround”, and is just a stereo setup including a 40yr old Onkyo amp (that has been powered-on continuously now for 17+yrs), and a couple large Klipsch speakers (with down firing subs) that I bought, used, 35 yrs ago. I just plugged in the satellite tv output sound to the “tape 2” input. And have some Bose 501’s from 1981 connected to my other tv, though they’ve required a little TLC and maintenance along the way.

Just FYI, If anyone is looking for the stock set up......these work very well on the V-11......this seller usually has them..ships fast https://www.ebay.com/itm/163457296461?hash=item260ed0684d:g:WSkAAOSw~gRVhJ~h

There is a series of posts I made in "Installing Speedhut Gauges" in How to . . . Let me look for the post specific to the cap. Know that if you decide to remove the drive from the gear box, there are TWO (2) thrust washers that need to come out! Here is a link to the post showing the drive, but with only one of the washers:

Er, my envy of 6 speed boxes just relaxed a little bit.

*I* wouldn't shy away. There's no reliability issue with genuine Honda parts. A long time ago I got to ride Ted Boody's ex-TT racer, a C&J framed XR600 with ALL the goodies. We had a 1/2 mile track on a Michigan lake. The thing would carry the front wheel at 80mph while sideways through the entire corner. Awesome.

When mine was found cracked, under warranty, the dealer said, "Landing wheel stands will do that." I said I never wheelied it, but his technician said it pulled nice wheelies. He, rather abruptly said he had no recollection of that, whatsoever . . . .

Article No: 04768300 is the replacement speedo cable. tlm.nl Rolf

Yessir! I feel like I am rediscovering the joy of listening to music. After streaming for so long I’d forgotten the experience of the LP as a journey, the sequence of songs and the intermission between sets as one turns the record over. I am excited to build a collection of jazz vinyl, which I have none of but for one Mose Allison record. Really looking forward to listening to some Rudy Van Gelder recordings, finding some vintage Blue Note records, or vinyl reissues if such things exist.

I got a new AV receiver, that has phono inputs. The receiver has mic set up that does the balance and EQ and it's just marvelous. I bought my front stereo speakers in '74 and supplemented them with a sub about 10 years ago. It's never sounded better. Got the old Philips turntable out and have been enjoying vinyl for the last month. Some of my jazz records never made it too CD and listening to them for the first time in 40 years. Someone did load this one up to the 'net.

Nice. I still have and use my old setup, all my old vinyl, and a collection given to me. I stream in the house but the shop gets the old setup. I still search online sellers for stuff that imo should only be listened to on vinyl. like....

Powder coater is going to love me: Remote clutch hose and bleeder valves arrived today. Unfortunately, much (job) work ahead. Probably two weeks of shite ahead before I can devote much attention to Bubbles.

Here is the post with the cap, or plug, along with a part number/link:

Vinyl! After many years of listening to CDs, and then to streaming, I am finally back to listening to lovely analog vinyl records! Yay! How I went for so long away from this is a shame. I recently scored a second hand system, cleaned it up and got it going. It’s a Technics SL-QD33 turntable through a Nakamichi SR-4A receiver, and a pair of Vienna Acoustics Mozart model loudspeakers. These speakers sound really good. The system is in the lower level of the house yet fills the whole house with sound. Everything sounds so much better. I was also able to acquire a nice collection of classical recordings, and am in the process of finding records. It’s really great to be able to listen again to some of the records that I grew up with:

Here in Florida where the morning dew is salty, I use silicone spray on the bare aluminum to eliminate white dusty corrosion and protect it.

Next year will be 20

My early 2000 doesn't have the bosses nor does the Centauro engine now in the bike or the 2 other centy cases I have. Personally I dont quite understand the extra bracing but then again the engineering rationale that goes on inside Guzzi often leaves me confused. There's so much internal and local politics in Mandello it's sometimes hard to rationalise engineering decisions. I personally would simply have added extra material around the upper mount area and eliminated the sudden cross sectional change and invested about $100 in a few bull nosed cutters for machining the mount faces to remove the total engineering fopar of the sharp edge on a stressed mount. That in particular is such a rookie mistake engineering wise. Ducati coped with engine case cracking for years on the belt engines and just added extra material and webbing in a quite a few updates which solved the problems. No need for heavy clunky extra bracing when some minor adjustments to casting and machining would solve the issue. Guzzi, try working them out. Ciao

I am not shure this is totally correct, my Rosso Mandello have these bosses on the engine, and I bought and installed a second hand rear subframe on my bike. Have to drill new holes and making threades of course... Maybe the Rosso Mandello series are different from the red frame series? Jens Martin

If you fasten a thin sheet of plywood so that the rear wheel weight rests on it the chock can't slide anywhere when you jerk it out of the holder.

I don't check in often enough. And, by the way, after my fingers are cold and dead, I'll be ready to talk money for my GB....

Exactly!

As of yet, we have no physical confirmation of the change in "cant" between the earliest V11 Sport and those built after about January or February of 2000. What we do know is the earliest V11 Sports used "carry-over" triple clamps from the 1100 Sport-i with greater offset (and from a bike with 26.5º steering head, rather than the V11's 25º). Significant diffence in trail, and therefor "stability" . . . Great work by @Lucky Phil posted here:

Goofman's GB has particular provenance and legacy status. They really are delightful little things, both to ride and behold. Twenty-seven years ago, I had to consider selling mine because of an impending relocation. I decided against it, but an inquiry about it brought me another lifelong friend. Motorcycling is awesome. The riding is good, too . . .

Well, truth be told, funky unsettling dreams aside, I could not have better friends. Or a finer community than thee of V11LeMans.com.

Full disclosure: the good friend would not actually attempt to buy such a storied, enduring machine. Just wanted to see if your humble Moderator would even put a dollar figure on something that has been an amazing part of his life.😎

Before posting my attempts at weatherproofing, I wanted to try and show how much wiring can be reduced with careful planning and the bold use of side cutters and a soldering iron. As delivered: The pile of stuff left over after the installation (163 grams/ over 1/3 pound):

It's a whole lotta little wires. But you can do it. What's so slippery? You thinking about adding the Go-Winkie to the dash... or installing a fish-finder to go with your marine grade electronics? You'll just need a new place to hold that beer. And what's with the tease? Not showing us the faces?

Some ideas seem so brilliant on the front. Before the slippery slope presents . . .

So I've just ordered my gauges from Speedhut. Actually this is my second order. I decided to be different. It sure was nice that they are having a sale through today. Anyway here is my template of my idea for the perfect gauge cluster. Now I have to find a buyer for my first set.

I was just trying to wrap my mind around the *three* special tools in the Workshop Manual to R&R the clutch. Gonna stop wrenching for tonight and apply biscuits&bacon in the morning at Lieper's Fork . . . Still looking to lay eyes on the world's worst V11 flywheel teeth . . . At this point, Tomchri's clutch failure is not what I am seeing . . . Tomchri's detached friction material