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Beautiful round barrels on this early V7

While in the "Romance Languages" the gender is preselected, "American English" is neutral gender. (I cannot speak for our broader English speaking brothers as we are "separated by a common language." ) Yet, as gender pertains to the animism of machines, my motorcycles are decidedly feminine. How could I know? Their beauty and allure? Their vexing way of engaging me in their ways? My inexplicable devotion and unfettered desire to be with them? Bikes aren't chick magnets. They're dude magnets. I'm pretty well stuck to mine. On the other hand, my tractors and trucks are masculine things. They have scars, and deference, and a certain willingness to serve at their expense. My ///M roadster? She confuses me. I parked her ass-end over a curb today, badly. She seemed to say, "Whatever. Just don't do it again." Is "CowGirl" a special gender?

"bye ..... next!"

In my experience, motorcycles never were chick magnets; or let me rephrase this and be more specific. In Europe, I used to go to discotheques on my motorbike. I changed before getting close to the bouncers at the entrance. My friends had cars. I quickly discovered a few inconveniences; when you hook up in the club, having a conversation in a quiet place does not translate well when you are with your motorbike.... also, none of the ladies otherwise interested in knowing me better liked that I only had a motorcycle as a mean of transportation. Apparently those expensive hair styling were more important; but it is not my fault if they forget to put on warm clothing in winter, going to a club. Which was pretty good for my wallet anyway....

Okay FreyZI, Now we reveal their names? The V7 is Bridget: the ingenue/cheerleader, perky, fun The V11 is Betty: the serious keeper, you'd go to war with her Think what our wives therapists could do with this thread.

I'd leave it alone .

If you don't have a Voltage reference to the regulator the regulator cannot turn the charging light ON and neither can it turn on the SCRs to charge the battery, Check the black wire of the black / white pair, should be 12 Volts with the ignition ON The Black wire plugs into the female of the M/FM pair, its Red/Black on the loom side, connects to the headlight circuit downstream of the headlight relay, its actually soldered to the headlight feed under the tank. The Male pin on the loom side goes to the charge light, the light will turn on if you ground that pin. The light gets +12 Volts from the same wire that powers up the Tachometer. There are quite a few variations on the wiring but this is always the case, if you are looking at the M/FM connector on the loom side the Female should show the battery Voltage when the key is On (without this the regulator cannot work) the Male should also show the battery Voltage but if you touch it to chassis the charge light will turn On. Make sure the regulator case is well grounded to the engine, don't rely on the black wire that goes all the way back to the battery, its just a token ground.

Tim, thanks for the topic links. I do get the impression from poking around this forum that this is a fairly dedicated and knowledgeable group, with out all the BS’ing around. I like it. As far as tackeling various tasks it sounds like you’re on the right track. Do the research and take your time. And, help or moral support or both aren’t far away. I’m looking forward to participating, for sure.

This one has a bracket fitted Cheers Tom.

Yes docc, brings a big smile just looking and think about it. Turning angle ain’t much, and what degrees ?, but can’t wait to check out her behavior in the mountains. Snowing outside right now. Cheers Tom.

My V11, she's my Green Goddess. And when I'm with her I feel like a god! Goddamn these are great bikes!

Been curious on Dynotech.de for years. So came back this morning after 3 days in Germany with a 99 hot rod [emoji16]. 1200ccm, at least the bench papers says 108 hp. Will find out in about 65 days. First owner spend close to 40k € on the bike [emoji85], good for me, 2 owners. Got all the reciepts. Cute little thing. Original color is Legnano green. Defnetly a good friday here [emoji482]. Cheers Tom. Sent fra min SM-A525F via Tapatalk

Motorcycles don't attract women, they screen out the unworthy ones.

I believe there is a masochistic streak to own one. But I got into it innocently. I wanted a two up bike with bags on it, I noticed that I could get an EV for about $4k (2007 dollars) vs $6k for a used Japanese cruiser or $10k for a Harley. The local mechanic said they were pretty "sporty" and he could work on it. Bought that bike and really enjoyed the ride and handling despite that it only has 60HP (69K miles on it now). Then I went to the Guzzi National Salida CO and saw a Greenie and wanted one until I got one. Again, I like the feel and handling and the power curve makes up for any HP deficit (48k miles now). Then I got a Ducati (22k miles now). Same deal, I like the feel and handling, there's something about Italian bikes that fit me. Unlike my Guzzis, so far the Duc has been totally reliable although major service at 18k wasn't cheap and I've been through a boat load of tires. Of course the Duc is much newer and doesn't have near the mileage.

^^^^ Guzzi Bob was my riding buddy for years. We have been all over southern and central California on some epic rides. The first thing I'd do when we went out to SoCal is prep the bike, give him a call, and we'd meet up. Going to Redondo Beach just isn't the same any more.. Ride on, brother..

Got the freshly painted tank and fly screen back this afternoon. I’m happy, both to have it done and with the results. As known, the paint is tricky to match, not being a basic color, so i was only cautiously optimistic about how it would turn out, and I’d say it met or slightly exceeded my expectations, and is a “win” overall. When turning the newly painted tank, or the old side covers, at different angles in different light you get a real different look to the paint, part of what makes it neat, and hard to match. As noted earlier, the side covers i bought used and have some UV aging, the pilion cover and fenders are stock on my bike but were exposed to more UV and other bad things than they should have been, and now the tank and fly screen are new paint. They all match nicely, especially when considering all that. I’ll post the paint code for anyone interested. But first some pics (apparently i still haven’t figured out the proper way to post pics… but here we go:) Notice how even the pics look different, in the same place with same light but taken at different angles.

True. Well spotted. Although normally those little screw-on covers are fitted to protect against shorts. Then I always follow the golden rule: " disconnect negative first, reconnect negative last"

Thanks docc, Ordered and on the way

I can no longer react today.... We should start our own photo shoot with "normal" ladies and our own motorbikes? I am going to go to Galveston today, they are having their Mardi Gras celebration, and I know there are plenty of ladies willing to pose. Unfortunately, my Le Mans is still at the hospital. So we should post our own pics with whoever we find along the path.

ATGATT?! My oh!

I suspect the Dynotec "special" triple clamps are just 40mm offset same as the std slightly later V11 clamps but reduced from the probable earlier 45mm clamps. Ciao

SHE . Cheers Tom.

My brain exploded when I saw/heard that vid.

I learned on, and took, my ‘big’ licence on a school’s Fazer 600. I was riding a cheapo, learner 125 single at the time and even though the 600 had the power i realised i enjoyed riding the single home after lessons more. It was the sound. That beat of the engine thudding away gave me a proper grin. After i got my licence i bought a w650 cos i knew i wouldn’t love a multi and i loved the ace styling. It was a superb bike and, in retrospect, perfect for a new rider. At the time there was an excellent forum for the model too. Eventually i crashed her by opening the throttle too soon on a wet and sharp bend that had tram tracks- awful road condition combo but a good lesson. So what to buy next? Always loved the first gen speed triple 900’s, and Aprilia Falcos looked funky…. Came very close to buying a trx850 (still want one) then i was re-reading an old 1999 issue of Ride magazine which had a tiny article on weird Italian bike. I think it only had 1 photo of the bike- oddball green colour, loved the styling, and it was a twin. I’m possibly a tad vain when it comes to bikes- styling and noise come first for me, couldn’t give 2 hoots about performance really. V11’s look damn fine. And with the right pipings sound perfect- booming at low revs and snarling more and more as you open it up. Perfect.

Look at the size of that oil cooler! And the drop with short offset triple tree . . . An interesting addition to your V11 Collection, Tom!!

Colt, I’ve been re-reading some of the threads; https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?/topic/20201-re-engineering-the-shift-spring/page/51/ https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?/topic/19547-v11-shift-improvement/page/4/#comment-213468 Building up my confidence to tackle some of these jobs as I’m a part-time mechanic & have many opportunities to learn from my mistakes 🙄, & going over the conversations there are a lot of experienced clever people here willing to share their knowledge & develop solutions to some of the V11 Sports imperfections. A good group of riders. 👍

The best of the last of the analog bikes. Also, Guzzis seem female to me. In the good way. They look good, they sound good, they require and respond to attention. Etc. BMWs always felt male, like, let's go drink fifty beers. English and Japanese bikes never struck me either way.

I have a more worthy one.

Wrenchin.. Welcome aboard Ratso88! 👍😎 You’re a very, very fortunate man - it’s been proselytised here over the years your new to you Mighty Scura is the absolute numero uno, most complete, powerful 2v square head ever perfected streetwise by Guzzidom’s Archangel Michael - hence attributively blessed with the eloquent moniker Mighty Scura. It is by faith we chosen few believe…

I was on a trip out east somewhere on the red Norge. I was filling up at a gas station when a beautiful *very* well dressed, uh..older.. lady came up to me and said, "I don't drive motorcycles, but if I did, that is the one I would have." She definitely would have been worthy..

The 'Fabled' power wheelie is fucking effortless on that thing. In first or second. If I play my cards right I can do the same in first on my Griso with at least +15 hp and more torque everywhere. I can clutch the G up in second and even third with serious abuse but I don't do that shit much any more. The Mighty Scura would pop up with no clutch in either of the lower two and not much more than a stroke in third if approached in anger. It is a stupidly, stupidly fun motorbike. If I ever get back to the US I'd be willing to beg the current owner for a short ride just to get that shit-eating grin again! Blasting across the west Texas deserts with Sean on his Coppa with the tacho showing 7,000 for hours was a blast. Even though it was hotter than hades and when we stopped for fuel we'd fill our riding gear with ice to cool down. By the time we stopped again two hours later we'd be bone dry again. Fabulous times.... Fabulous bike!

This is because they can see you already have a gorgeous, and willing, dancing partner.

They said Italian bikes are a chick magnet. My current experience is that they're all re-coiled.

Here she is, Chuck:

'Guzzi released the LeMans 1 when I was 15. I fell in love with the cans, as all 15 year olds do. My family owns Dyna/Reno motorcycles, and I visited when I was 18; my Uncle's friend left the shop on his souped-up Eldorado with Continental mufflers, winding it out pretty hard. It only took me another 22 years to come up with both an opportunity and enough money to own one, the '85 LM1000. I'd been lusting after the 1100 Sport since the introduction of the Daytona, and was friends with Ron McGill who rode Dr. John's development bikes on track. It was inevitable.

Huh? Why? SEX of course! This exact Classic shot initially hooked me… after having been psychologically primed by following events… Recently returned from my older brother’s funeral - he was the good, sensible, clean living one. Dead at fifty - stomach cancer. Dirt bikes busted my teen bones, family urged ‘keep off ‘em - you’re gonna kill yourself’! So after my brother, with a GS mate goading ‘get back in the saddle’ - I couldn’t see the point preserving my skin just for bloody cancer or some-such to do me down. From the (then) new V7 - googled older Guzzi’s, & came across the V11… Damn! Smitten on ‘puter looks alone! Tracked my Scura R down on the Isle of Man - it’s delivery was the first V11 I’d ever seen - in all her voluptuous flesh! Like a well-thumbed Penthouse centrefold vision rolling down the ramp - a slightly breathless moment & I’ve never tired of riding her since! Mae West said it best. “Sex is emotion in motion.” 👍😎

Wonderful responses above. An introspective question for sure. Although I recall admiring the brand from a distance, I didn't know much about Guzzis. They seemed expensive, had a poor dealer network, and had a spotty reputation for reliability as far as I recalled. That all changed in 2010 when I bumbled into AF1 Racing in Austin, TX. The shop was magic. They had Guzzis, Aprilias and a wide range of Vespas. Somehow, there was a leftover, fresh-from-the crate 2007 Griso on the sales floor. Red of course. They also had a Griso demo bike. Jon encouraged me to take the demo bike for a test ride and I was hooked shortly after shifting out of the parking lot. It was the most glorious, visceral, connected bike I had ever ridden. The sound, the vibes, the agricultural shifting - it was all perfect. I even remember how good the bike smelled...Yes, they even have an aroma. Until then, I had owned several Hinckley Triumphs and a handful of UJMs. NOTHING created emotion like that Griso. Upon return to the dealer, I promptly sealed a deal on the leftover 07'. I kept it for a few years, mistakenly sold it to a gentleman in TN, experienced dreadful regret each time I went to my garage, then purchased a 2017 Griso in 2018, and vowed to never again be without a big bore Guzzi. I found my V11 2 years ago and can't imagine selling either bike. It's an ideal stablemate for the Griso. Other bikes come and go routinely in my life but the Guzzis stay. They're special machines that create an emotional bond that I've never experienced with any other vehicle.

Yes.

Moto Guzzi had long been on the periphery for me. Something I knew a little about, but never really thought about owning one. So one day I was thinking about getting something a little more sporty and street oriented (I had a KTM 950 Adventure and a Husqvarna TE510 at the time). This happened to coincide with the launch of the first retro-styled Ducati Scramblers. I popped into GP Motorcycles to have a look at there was this Scura with only a couple hundred miles on it. The clouds parted. A ray of golden California sun illuminated the Ohlins forks, angels starting singing and I started signing. I got bit hard... and a few V11s have passed through the garage. This site is actually a big part of why I enjoy the V11s so much. Of course I still love the bike itself, but I also value this community. Back in the 1990s, I was going way too fast on my Yamaha FJ1100. I bought a BMW R100CS to slow myself down. If I could have a "redo" I would have gotten into Moto Guzzis at that time instead of BMWs. I've talked to a few older riders who say "I wish I had gotten into Guzzis earlier."

I had a bad experience with chain drive. I had a bad experience with radiators. I found inline fours expensive to service. The BT1100 bulldog didn't have the ground clearance. The BMW boxers had moved away from oil based paint and mine was desolving beneath me. I saw a year old low mileage V11 at a good price and decided to give it a try. That was May 2004. I am still testing it.

Ok I will give it a go. Always loved Italian motorcycles but was put off Moto Guzzi's based on an experience I had quite a few years ago. It was a bit of nothing really. I was playing golf by a state highway and heard a bike coming up the road. Cannot remember the model but it was a Guzzi. I watched it pass as it revved out and accelerated through the gears.............but seemed to not be going anywhere fast. That put the thought in my head that other "motorcycle officiandos" echo that they are underpowered and heavy. So I dismissed them as a possible purchase. Mind you I was into track days back then and owned a few sport bikes. 999s Ducati, Aprilia RSV Factory. My focus was more on power and speed then. 3 years ago I needed to buy another bike as the Aprilia was written off due to a car pulling out in front of me. Well two in a row actually. I managed to avoid the first one but not the idiot behind him who blindly followed. So here I was, a little bit older and slowing down somewhat. Looking at bikes the Cafe Sport came up for sale. Took me a couple of test rides to be convinced. It coughed and spluttered at 3k revs. Didn't seem to handle that well. Having never ridden one before, the character still got to me and I purchased with the flaws. I added the TI kit with ECU and adjusted the suspension which was so far out it wasn't funny. Went through the bike top to bottom and replaced or tweaked everything including the decent tune up found here on this site. I love the bike now and looking for another MG. They just get you in a way no other bike has. Don't listen to opinions, you have to try things for yourself. Lesson learnt!

Well you could try a 7/64 allan key which is a fraction smaller than a 3m or you could apply some corse water based valve grinding paste to the 2.5 key tip to give it some grip. Note water based not oil based grinding paste. Available at any auto spares store. Ciao

And the paint code formula. My boys used Spies Hecker, but it can be easily translated to Dupont or others.

Yes docc. I've been storing rubber parts for all my bikes as you suggest for quite a few years including the tank top chin pad. when I need a new rubber part I just order and extra 1 then give it a good spray in Armour all and bag and box it. My motorcycle beneficiaries will thank me for it one day. Ciao

Still a good question. I wonder if this tidbit* of info may help: Having waited three months for the Harper order to ship, I placed an order with MGCyce and they shipped the next day. They'll be here today. *What I noticed is that MGCycle has the original part (01114300) superseded with 01114390. As to the point, I have to think that we will continue to see increasing numbers of V11 parts become No Longer Available. Very common with 20+ year old motorcycles (and cars), especially rubber parts that suffer not only from use, but heat, UV, and time (oxidation/ hardening). For those of us committed to keeping and maintaining these fabulous V11, it seems prudent to have spare intake boots sealed in a bag and stored in a cool, dry, dark place.

Also, in the USA, what about CadreCycle in Cincinnati , Ohio? https://cadrecycle.com/

https://www.af1racing.com/OEM-Moto-Guzzi-Intake-Manifold-Hose-GU03114370 https://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=94 so?