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Would you believe - just joined this forum as I have been searching hi and lo for a caliper rebuild kit - searched specifically on ebay with no joy - your link has worked for me. Am UK based which helps ...

I added pictures to illustrate the remote grounding point. Not only does this move sparks away from the battery and fuel system, but it also adds a tiny resistance to the circuit to avoid large currents buckling the discharged battery plates. However I'm not convinced that there is any need to isolate the regulator. See previous topic: https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?/topic/20617-charging-the-battery-hooked-up-in-the-bike-bad-idea/#elControls_236544_menu

Pull the 30 amp fuse? Is it worth it? I dunno. Mixed reports, but maybe worth doing for the (hopefully) rare "jumpstart." I can just pull the "service switch" on my "Alternative Circuit Breaker."

New Valeo starter (#2), new Odyssey PC545 (#5)*. First time out on mySport in eight weeks. 60ºF/ 16ºC, she ran like a Labrador Retriever between the truck and the lake . . . *[My Sport's batteries are "stepped down" into my garden tractor when the tractor's battery expires. Otherwise, mySport would still be on PC545 #3, which is twelve years old and still in service.]

I recently did a suspension upgrade by adding Racetech fork springs and an Ohlins rear shock that came off of a Scura. Big improvement in the ride of the ‘01 Greenie with these on it. The Ohlins feels great. Also did a tire change before this, going from a 170 rear to a Road 5 160, and I really like the overall set-up of the bike. One thing to mention in case people would like to do the shock swap for a Scura Ohlins, is the Ohlins remote reservoir is a bit longer than the OEM unit, and will mount butt-up to the pork chop to allow sufficient clearance for the throttle body linkage. At least that was how it went for me. I am very happy with the swap, and I even like the color clash of the gold shock reservoir and the red and green of the bike.

I've always used Castrol 20-50 Synth Blend Motorcycle Oil in all my Guzzis. I suppose since it was against factory recommendations that it explains gasket leaks, oil pump failure, fuel pump failure, transmission cracks and voltage regulator issues. Also my broken turn signals on my EV.

If you rely on your car or motorcycle to "get the girls" you're already a lost cause. Ciao

Hmmm . Castrol must be bad for MGs to cause all this . If I don't use this , will I NOT have these troubles ?

motor_techniek_naloop_4.xls

Exactly. @MartyNZ knows best : "Then I always follow the golden rule: " disconnect negative first, reconnect negative last" Remember: positive to the batteries, negative (last connection to make, first to remove) to a remote grounding point on the jump vehicle (away from the compromised battery that may have out-gassed sensitive and explosive gasses.) Disconnect the negative from the jump vehicle first. (No spark near the compromised battery.)

so std electrics.... pull the 30a fuse, jump, re-install fuse?

I carry a dedicated set of "motorcycle jumper cables" in my pannier. The clips are sized appropriately for a motorcycle battery. Here is a set from AF1Racing/Yuasa. Be smart about your connection points and connection/disconnect sequence. I "isolate" my regulator when a jumpstart must be performed. YMMV. https://www.af1racing.com/Yuasa-8-Foot-MotorcycleScooter-Jumper-Cables

Maybe a translation thing but I'm not sure about "less", ie reduced "handling" whatever "handling" is defined to be. My 1198 has reduced offset triple clamps down from 36 to 30mm. The std 36mm offset road clamps means the bike doesn't finish off the corner well and has a tendency to run wide exiting corners under power. The increased trail and added weight on the front wheel corrects this by and large. It's noticeable on the track but not the road, as you're not pushing that hard on the road. There are a lot of compromises made in the set up and dimensions of older road bikes to accommodate for pillions, different weight riders and the highly variable conditions all the bikes sold will be ridden in around the world. Some of the reason modern bikes handle so well is because the manufacturers have gradually narrowed down the compromises which is great for particular riders and environments but not for others. They then drag it back a little by electronically tailored adjustability. Ciao

I realized that my time with the old girl was over at the Kentucky rally this year. I had Dorcia on the back, and my steadily lessening strength was becoming an issue at low speeds. I even dabbed a time or two.. I never do that.. leaving a stop. (sigh) Time continues on, though, and I'm a realist if nothing else. I asked a couple of guys if they wanted to take over, and my first choice did. It's certainly a sad moment for me. I've had 10 years with the old girl, and she taught me to dance. My favorite bike of all time, but as some wise person once said, "A guy's gotta know his limitations." Colt..good guy, enthusiast, and aircraft mechanic, will be the Mighty Scura's new keeper. Give him a warm welcome when he shows up.

Moto GP

I have been keeping my ears to the ground in the hope to get some update on a possible V100 Mandello release and.... nothing. Moto Guzzi (Piaggio) has made public their price list for the 2022 models, the usual V7 and V85TT; Nothing about the V100 which reinforces my idea the V100 may not even come out in 2022. However, the well known Italian designer Oberdan Bezzi came up with a few ideas which could possibly be an inspiration to Piaggio; what do you think?

Hey, hello all. Thanks Chuck for the introduction. Yes, the Mighty Scura has a new pair of hands caring for her. Still keeping it local in Indiana. A bit about me. As Chuck mentioned I'm a 20+year aircraft mechanic and life long tinkerer of all things mechanical. The Mighty Scura being the fifth Guzzi I've owned. She'll be joining my current Guzzi stable of a '13 GRiSO and a '67 V700. I'll be adding a '74 Police Eldorado in a week or two. I'm going to need a bigger shop now for sure. Also a current member of the Indiana Chapter of the Moto Guzzi Owners Club. I've enjoyed meeting the my fellow enthusiast and being able to assist when I can. Really, it was my wife's idea for me to join up. She said since I had the new GRiSO I had to join the club and make friends. So I'm out there making friends. I've been to a couple of the rallies here in the Mid West and had a good time every time. I am looking forward to participating and meeting fellow riders. On parting with Chuck this afternoon I might have detected a tear in the corner of his eye. Not quite sure since it was raining. Finally, nice of Chuck to post up a cheesey photo of me. Now I don't have to.

Yeah, the Ohlins reservoir has to be carefully located to keep from interfering with the throttle linkage.

While I sort out the details for the Speedhut set up I went ahead and ordered a replacement angle drive from this eBay vendor. It was inexpensive compared to the few others that I had seen, fast shipping between San Jose and L.A., and it’s the only one that I saw that had the screw down collar and flange built into it. The Ducati drive that I found that supposedly works is just the plastic elbow and interior plastic worm gear, and the one on MG Cycle looks like it has a screw down plate. This one with the flange and collar is like the one that was originally on my bike. Anyway, I epoxy coated the disk bit, installed, and the speedo is back, albeit still sans the trip meter. Thanks very much for the link to this part. He looks like a good parts source. Cheers

Either a Triumph Scrambler 1200, or Thruxton R. The Thruxton’s riding position is somewhat sporty in a cafe racer way, and may be a bit extreme for me now, but I’m going to ride them both to decide. Had many Triumphs over the years, so getting another Trumpet would be a welcome return. One of the best “all rounders” I’ve owned was a 1050 Tiger Sport, only really sold it because I didn’t have enough time to tour, and I fancied another V11

I have roadside assistance with my Insurance and AMA; however the assistance is limited to transport your motorbike to the nearest repair shop. I do not know how it translates to >10 years old Moto Guzzi. When I am far away from any major town, during the Texas tour, I am not certain what would happen. Lots of the small town I have been to have no service at all, excepted for the usual gas station. So far, all my trips have been short duration, basically riding the bike all the time with one night in between. This year, I intend to spend more time at the Texas Tour stops instead of making it a marathon run. Tire pressure is a very important parameter to me. I intend to shoot videos at the three twisted sisters and three twisted brothers. When I overnighted in Leakey, the famously known Frio Canyon Motorcycle stop does not have an air station. Which I found odd, because most the riders coming there come for taking their motorcycle on those ranch roads. Just that day, we had like a 20 degrees decrease in temperature with the previous day, and I could not do anything. So I may need to carry a small air pump. I have air pumps in both my cars. I have some fuses with me, because they don't take up any space. Tire puncture is a really relevant issue where I live. A lot of the fasteners used to put together our cardboard houses are sowed on the roads; that and the usual ladders and other stuff that fall from the back of the pickup trucks. I have been looking for a Moto Guzzi factory issued tool kit. My Le Mans did not come with one. I use the space as extra storage for the time being.

^This, plus a membership in a roadside assistance program such as AAA, plus keeping up on your maintenance covers the majority of rides. But for those odd occasions, I still carry the factory tool kit, and a small supplemental kit with tire repair, some fuses and spare relays, a bit of cash... and I no longer carry a shift spring. I've been using Ride-On tire sealant/balancer on my Stelvio. Thinking about using that on all the bikes and ditching the tire repair supplies (but keeping the little pump).

True… but we also didn’t have these bad little mofo’s in the 70’s…Micro Start Never know, could help out someone else whilst out-n-about.

Welcome aboard Ratso88; Colt, as you can probably tell, the Mighty Scura is a somewhat mystical legendary bike among us guzzisti. I know how much it meant to Chuck, to ensure that it was placed in the care of the right hands. I get the impression he was successful in achieving that goal. Wishing you many safe miles and smiles on your new ride. Kelly

I also like Fabio Quartararo's style. He is the ultimate example of how you can compensate sheer power with skillful riding. He is literally the only one capable of going head to head with the Ducati powerhouses. That speaks volume. He is playing the field and I would not be surprised to see Gigi Dall' Igna swapping Jack Miller with him next year. I was thinking Honda as well, but it seems like Pol has finally gotten it together; of course Marc Marquez is untouchable, even more now. I don't see Fabio venturing into the KTM world, and Suzuki seems to be happy with Mir and Rins. Fabio Quartararo on a Ducati would be interesting; now if Francesco Bagnaia makes do on its abilities and gets on the good 2022 foot, then Fabio will have to settle for the M1 then. To me Valentino Rossi was the icon of Motorcycling racing. It does not have the same spice on four wheels. Good for him that his name will carry him further; I don't know. Maybe if he does the Dakar, I would pay attention.

Some of us are old, and are Guzziless.... otherwise....

@KINDOY2 Nice examples of late braking not yielding when you can't make the turn with the best speed, and can't accelerate. Francesco Bagnaia had gotten it under control. Marc Marquez could only attempt these last resort braking maneuvers and being overtaken right away since Bagnaia could re-accelerate earlier. Apparently, he is the only Ducati rider that achieve this. Miller and Zarco are old school. We still have to see what the other two new bees are going to do. It seems that Jorge Martin is another one who understood how to be fast in corners too. I used to be a MotoGP subscriber for more than 10 years, then they pissed me off with their stupid antics. Initially, they would ask you if you wanted to subscribe for one more year. Suddenly they started to roll it out automatically. Then they also hid where you could disallow automatic subscriptions. I found this borderline fraudulent. In any case, I was only in it for Valentino Rossi. Now that he is no longer competing, I am retiring from MotoGP entirely.

Don't have a MotoGP pass for watching this year, so did Marquez earn a track limits warning for the last left hand turn at 2:47? Looks like Pecco was dominating in smoothness and drive. Thanks for sharing!

Only one way to find out Cheers Tom.

Congrats on the Scura. Great bikes. They're definitely a different animal from the other V11s. They sit a little higher, rev a little quicker, slightly faster. Oh, and the flywheels can explode.. 🤣 But if you bought one, you know. Chuck's was already sorted. You're good. I'm fortunate to own one too. I love it. I need to ride it more often though. I may just pull her out today.

I did the same as Tom; added terminal blocks. A jumper goes to each battery terminal, so there are only 2 connections to each battery terminal.

12V planet.uk has som sturdy connectors, sure to be found elsewhere to. Cheers Tom. Sent fra min SM-A525F via Tapatalk

On the 2002 Le Mans, yes!

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.

And also that the Workshop Manual states that 111111 is the first V11 built, meaning that this special V11 is #223 built. Fascinating!!

Simple enough to check the voltage on the yellow stator wires. The Workshop Manual says the AC voltage between the two yellow wires should be 15vAC at 1000 rpm, 40vAC at 3000, and 80vAC at 6000rpm.

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. 👍

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…

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!

If the Tach stops working check to see if the headlight's off as well, the regulator gets its reference from the headlight feed after the headlight relay. If the reference is missing the regulator never turns on.

Check the relay holder, connectors and the wiring behind it. Ciao

Source a full set of "Best Relays", either OMORON G8HE or (more available): CIT

Relay #2.

There will always be a place at the South'n Spine Ride for the AeroLario! Y'all come back now, ya hear? Colt looks thrilled (as well he should be with that very special Scura)!

Is it safe to assume you've already soaked it with WD-40 or PB Blaster? You also have a fast idle lever on the handlebar. That cable goes to another idle stop on the RH side of the bike. You can adjust your idle speed there. Both idle stops serve the same function.

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

This result posted by @Gmc28 on February 14, 2022.

Finally, an update. It has been about 3 hours since I got to actually ride the V11, and I haven't come down yet. Oh my word, what a machine. She's a bit unrefined, but still...dignified and graceful. I confirmed before setting off all the lights, horn, brakes, etc. all were functional. No smoke on startup again, no terrifying and expensive noises within the sump telling me to replace bottom end bearings...just the normal V11 noises I'm told to expect. Again, hold the clutch in...rattle, rattle, rattle...Love it. There were a few idle surges while things warmed up for 5 mins or so before I set off. While riding, I confirmed the speedo and odo BOTH work...simultaneously...on the same V11...and the ODO reset knob is still present and works. One less thing, right? I arrived on a 900SS, a stark contrast to the V11. I don't have to address the elephant in the room, the style of the V11. She is sexy and elegant. Enough said. The ergos on the V11 are more standard than sport, in spite of the clip-ons. Lots of vibration through the grips at nearly all RPM (hands got numb after 20 mins. I have to address this), I got zero vibration through the stock footpegs, which is exactly opposite of what I was told to expect. Strange. The saddle was very wide but firm and comfy. I expected to be punished with the stock saddle, but I was pleasantly surprised! AF1 Racing in Austin, Tx. got me a NOS black seat cowl and all the fasteners and washers (still waiting to be shipped to me when the fasteners arrive). I am waiting on the cowl "moon" pad from a gent in Italy. No rush, as I won't ride her again until Spring of 2022. The gearbox was BUTTER! Click-click-click...effortless shifting, just effortless. I was beside myself in the refinement of the gearbox. Better than even my 900SS...blasphemy! No false neutrals, no matter how many times I tried---and I tried to upset the gearbox. But, firm, deliberate shifts are what worked best as many wise members of this forum informed me. I stopped, clicked up, never popped out of gear under any scenario. Just a sweet gearbox. Great work, Guzzi! I wasn't on bad roads, but the suspension felt firm and slightly bouncy over undulating pavement. About what I expected, but it wasn't bad. Steering was pretty average, or more, of the wide turning radius type. One thing I will need to get used to, is that super forward kickstand. Wow! I know it is for clearance issues, but it is going to take me a LONG time to get used to the kickstand location when I want to park the bike or set off at first. Guzzi does everything differently. The brakes were adequate. They just did the job, but a lot of lever input was required to get the machine stopped effectively. The tires were hardly used but old Dunlop SportMaxes, and I wasn't going to dump my baby and grind the side of a cylinder head pretending I was qualifying for the Isle of Mann TT, so I kept the leans to a casual tempo. Turn in was still excellent and composed. Tracing a line and cliping apexes was so smooth and effortless, belying the weight of this bigger lady. As many told me about the torque-effect of the shaft drive, and the V11 didn't disappoint. At a stop, a few blips of the throttle leaned the bike slightly to the right repeatedly giving me a chuckle. The stock cans as I understand are a bit muted, so thankfully the previous owner had great taste and donated a set of Mistral conical upswept cans for my listening pleasure. They are boomy, baritone, but perhaps 7/10ths the sound put out by my 900SS's carbon Termis. It's not fair for me to say which I prefer, they are just both their own personality. That said, the Mistrals are NOT quiet. They just boom along as the engine hums underneath you. They fit the more laid back/standard ergos and personality of the V11. What a machine! You hit the wall of torque at 2k and it just keeps pulling and pulling. You have to rev this engine to get the most out of it, but it spins up pretty fast. The engine is eager to deliver a smooth helping of carmel-like torque. She really is industrial in her own way. Rear weight bias is evident once underway...wow. Truly, more of the weight is on that back wheel, and you feel it when you go WOT, the front suspension lets up, and you feel the front end starting to rise two or more inches. It is a very different balance than I am used to. On the plus side, the weight feels so much lower than I would have thought! You just have these two giant aluminum cylinders sticking out in front of your knees in the airstream. I feel like I am riding a wingless WWI biplane. Ha ha!!! I stopped by a gas station after legally touching an indicated 80mph on the highway, impressed. I topped the plastic/nylon acerbis tank with sta-bil to at least minimize the damage of the ethanol while it is stored until I get her back in April '22...and I was sad to end the ride. I wanted to keep on going, and the big Guzzi certainly felt obliged to please me. FINAL THOUGHT: These machines are like flying a WWI wingless biplane. The V11 is still an underappreciated jewel in the motorcycle world, and I am fortunate to have gotten (a NICE one, lots of junker V11s out there!!!) before too many people discover them and make them cost new bike money. Physically small, yet feeling big and agricultural in some ways, nevertheless, this sultry Italian lady has class, curves, style and is full of brio. Bellissima! What a damned fine motorcycle. I only regret not getting one a LOT sooner! I finally got to officially drink the kool-aid and join the cult! Now, where are the cookies?