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"Your bike only has one neutral?"

Thanks P.A., I think I'm gonna pursue the H-D spacer route, order one longer than I need and have it cut as precisely as possible to length. I'm hesitant to reinstall the bearings just to mesure the wheel hub and then pull one out again to fit the spacer. 0.010" = 0.25mm, that's the range I was thinking about. I think I can get a pretty good measurement with a depth micrometer and as you imply we are not trying to send a rocket to the moon here. I didn't use to care one bit about those details when I was a young lad, as long as it rolled, I'd ride it. OCD only developed proportionally with age and enough accumulation of tools and knowledge that I can't always find either or. Do I detect common traits about folks a certain age with accumulated wisdom working on their bikes... That well is bottomless...

I had a Motion Pro using mercury that worked well but then it got to where you couldn't get mercury any longer. Purchased the blue fluid version and still could not get a good balance even with calibrating it, etc. Bought one of these and never looked back: http://www.carbtune.com/carbdtls.html

Well, after finding a second Bronze Norge that the owner sold out from under me three days before I was scheduled to pick it up, I've became a bit gun shy of that color (bad mojo). So, this one is purchased and on the way home next week. 2013 model.

I wouldn't make it of aluminum for a street bike, though I'm sure certain grades of aluminum are more than sufficient. Steel won't compress or fret away, and the weight difference is meaningless. I.D. doesn't have to be a slip fit, 1" = 25.4mm so an inch is pretty close to perfect. Give me an ID from the wheel hub for the rings, or measure the sample and I'll ask about getting one. Even then, you should fit the new one very carefully with the idea that the spacer is precisely the same length as the distance between the outer bearing races, to hold the bearings centered with no preload. With that in mind, it is always better to have the spacer a bit long (a very little bit) than to have it at all too short. That way, the bearings can relieve any side pressure by moving a few thousandths out in the wheel, which you'll never know about elsewise.

I'd wondered about that myself. My '97 Sport has never given even the slightest sign that it needs a damper of any sort, not on rough 2-lane nor 90mph sweepers. I hit some sort of diagonal groove coming down the mountains of Idaho on the way to Spokane in a very fast, very leaned-over sweeper and was dead certain it was the end. I felt a single boomp, the bars never twitched, and I rode on from then with the certainty that I could trust it always to be so. I can't imagine what situation could produce a tankslapper on this bike, and I've not even put it back together since I discovered that the steering head was loose on the bearings giving a suspicious and anxiety-producing 'clunk' occasionally. Although my rebuilt Bitubo is capable of tightening to land-speed strength, the lightest setting is hardly noticeable and I keep it there.

I will add my two cents, not so much for the OP as simply for future people reading this, and because I feel the need to be part of the discussion. The wife's V11 had the stock Biturbo damper on it from new. Years later we started having stability issues with the V11. It did not want to go straight. The steering damper was not leaking, but inspection revealed that it was binding. The damper would resist moving until it let go and then it would move freely. That is really a bad thing in a steering damper. What it would do is make it resist handlebar inputs until sufficient force was applied to overcome that resistance. It would then move freely so the additional force applied was more than required and you would overshoot the desired outcome. The result was the bike would weave instead of track straight. To confirm that was the problem, I removed the steering damper and we rode it. We found it steered better without any steering damper (an early red frame V11, one of the ones that has less trail so it is supposedly less stable). So we just left the steering damper off and have run it that way ever since. The V11 does not have overly aggressive geometry, and really shouldn't need a steering damper. If you prefer the heavier, slower, steering that a steering damper provides running one will give you that. But the wife decided she prefers the lighter quicker steering it has without a steering damper. She really doesn't need a 500 lb motorcycle to feel even heavier. Now, insert the standard disclaimer, your mileage may vary.

Do yourself a huge favour and invest in a battery Voltmeter, these are a simple meter powered by the Voltage its measuring (don't start reading until about 6 Volts). They may not be as accurate as your $400 Fluke but will be within a decimal place and its all relative. https://www.amazon.ca/Digital-Display-Voltmeter-Waterproof-Motorcycle/dp/B09RHC8F1R/ref=sr_1_10?adgrpid=1354598749278790&hvadid=84662606610933&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=5064&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-84662659551773%3Aloc-32&hydadcr=15054_10414350&keywords=battery%2Bvoltmeter%2Bgauge&qid=1652968443&sr=8-10&th=1 Get the waterproof one with the convex surface, I have seen them for as little as $3, buy one of every colour and save on shipping cost, give them away to your buddies. IMHO the best place to wire a Voltmeter is across the park light, that only comes on when the ignition is on and the circuit is lightly loaded, don't chop into the main loom, just wire it across the bulb in the bucket using a pair of small wires chopped off an old phone charger, it will take all the guesswork out of your charging system. On my non VII bikes I just pinch an 18 gauge sheetmetal bracket between the handlebar clamps, drill the large hole with a step drill and polish with a buff. You won't be able to read the display in bright sunlight but just shield it from the sun with your glove or read it passing through a shady spot.

Our V11 is a "modern" Guzzi, the ritual is to post copiously on V11Lemans.com, with images, and post back with the outcome. Modernity largely reveals itself digitally. In the arcane days, it was all about the roadside . . .

Have a Hyperpro on my 2000 V11, & haven't looked back. The BiTubo's drooling was just too much.

I never thought of the H-D spacer, probably a good start. Also, because the H-D uses tapered rollers instead of ball bearings, they make a great selection of spacer shims to get the precise bearing clearance they want. Not a bad option for us, perhaps to be explored. If you have a short spacer, which is the real problem situation, just add the correct H-D part number to it. Ball bearings in our bikes do not tolerate a great deal of axial load- there are ball bearings made with that more in mind; so the perfect situation is that the outer bearing races are perfectly parallel, and the inner races are held at the distance which holds the balls dead neutral in the outer races with no preload in either direction. Neither of these conditions are likely present in something as mundane as a motorcycle wheel, but they don't die early so the dimensions are adequate for reasonable life. So to make a new spacer, I'd drive the bearings home in the wheel and measure the distance between the inner races, then make a spacer that's exactly the same length to no more than +.010". On my Sport, with the bearings driven home hard in the wheel, the spacer is tight enough between them that you can't move it by finger but you can move it with a screwdriver. It's as close as you can be certain about unless you get crazy about measuring the wheel bores. Again, 'sufficient' is good enough for wheels, with only the worst offenders reducing bearing life. The problem with a short spacer is that the bearings take the entire load from the axle nut, rather than the bearing race; if the spacer is a tiny long, the outer races can relax against the wheel bores a couple thousandths which limits the force they can be subjected to. Don't overthink it with me unless you have a bunch of measuring equipment and like self-flagellation. If you drive the bearings against the spacer and it's tight between them, it's ok. I always give the inner race a light whack to be sure the opposing bearing has moved the outer race if it has to before installation. I noticed just today that my '89 Mille spoke wheel has snap rings on the bearings, at least on one side; that may change the metric a tiny bit. I'll stop now, I'm falling down the well again.

That’s what I needed to hear, thank you @Pressureangle and I appreciate your offer to have one made for me. I found some 1” id wheel spacers in different length, actually an HD part that’s readily available and cheap. I have a good friend machinist that I can tap to have it cut to the right length. I read on this forum that not all wheels have the exact same dimension between the shoulders were the bearings outer races sit, hence the pursuit of a custom made spacer. https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?/topic/1201-hollow-front-axle/ On page 8 of this excellent FAQ thread @Paul Minnaert writes: “The spacer in the wheel, has to be measured on the wheel, the length is different on each wheel.” “And because all wheels are different, you need to measure the length first. Guzzi makes the spacers all equal and there we see people’s wheel bearings break.” I measure 104.5mm pretty consistently on my wheel and I already knew it’s better to err towards a bit longer, but how much longer?

I'm running this in the Coppa: https://www.royalpurple.com/product/hps-high-performance-street-motor-oil/ Silicon = 7 ppm (anti-foaming agent in new oil, but in used oil, certain gasket materials and dirt can also add to this number), Boron = <5 ppm (detergent/dispersant), Magnesium = 46 ppm (detergent/dispersant), Calcium = 3626 ppm (detergent/dispersant), Barium = <1 ppm (detergent/dispersant), Zinc = 1774 ppm (anti-wear), Phos = 1347 ppm (anti-wear), Moly = 189 ppm (anti-wear), Potassium = 11 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor), Sodium = 2 ppm (anti-freeze inhibitor), TBN = 10.2 (Total Base Number is an acid neutralizer to prevent corrosion.)

There must be some nuance that makes certain bikes deadly and others Sublime. The worst bike I ever rode for regular tankslappers was a '75 Kawi 500 triple; no surprise there, and I still have the lump on my collarbone to remind me. I put 2 dampers on it, though the factory dampers were...weak. I raced an FZ400 chassis with a 600 motor in it in a 4 hour endurance race, probably had a damper but I don't recall any trouble; was at E. St. Louis, not a particularly fast track tho. The absolute worst tankslappers, though, were on H-D 883 Sportsters. They were dead stable and slow handling- until the front end went to Mars. We put high-end dampers on them and if you couldn't do 3 sets of 50 pushups you could barely wrestle them around a track. Loose (or neutral) steering head bearings were a lurking suicide. I raced a tube-frame Buell for half a season, never had a stability issue but the front end had zero feedback and tucked in every corner unless you had the throttle on. I didn't get a chance to drop the rear enough to discover if it would help. <shrug> I'm sure smart guys have the answers, and I'm equally certain they don't publicize them conspicuously.

I have ridden motorcycles with aggressive steering geometry that needed steering dampers. I used to race a TZ250, and that bike was near impossible to ride without a steering damper. It had something like 22 degrees of rake. I also had an FZR400, and that really needed a steering damper, but it did not come with one stock. You could ride it without one, but It wasn't nearly as stable feeling as a V11 is without one. To race it you really needed a steering damper. That bike met its demise in a tankslapper. I also raced a TL1000R a few times. That bike had a steering damper and yet still met its demise in a tankslapper. It seemed like that thing wanted to kill me. On the other side, I had a Buell X1 Lightning, it had aggressive geometry and yet did not need a steering damper. I even raced it and didn't need a steering damper in spite of having something like 23 degrees of rake. Only one degree more than the TZ. That was a well engineered bike handling wise. It shows that steep steering angle alone doesn't mean it needs a steering damper. Anyway, different strokes for different folks. But the V11 is just not very aggressive geometry wise. If someone likes the heavier feel a steering damper provides, run one. But anyone interested in making their V11 feel lighter may want to try running it without the steering damper. If nothing else it will show them what sort of difference the steering damper is making. You don't know until you try.

In a previous life as a poor kid racing flat track bikes, I've made more than a few axle spacers. At it's simplest, a piece of steel water pipe, a hacksaw, sandpaper and a caliper will get it done. For a more ... precision ... application such as this, a proper lathe would be nice. The rings around the spacer are for no other purpose than to facilitate assembly- it takes a bit of wiggling and fishing from the opposite end to get the spacer in front of the axle without them. So, pretty much anyone with even a small benchtop lathe can make the spacer and rings. Your only real concern is for the proper length and proper diameter so the bearing race is supported around the entire surface. If I was at our shop, I'd say send along your sample and I'd pop it out, but I can't say how long it would take them to get at it if I had you send it there.

However circumstances are different today. I am seeing more and more Tesla and other electrical vehicles; and I live in Texas!!! Are there so many poised in waiting for Guzzi to come out with a release date? what is today's market for this bike? honestly, I don't know. The more I look at my V11, and the better I am persuaded it satisfies all my needs, and I don't need anything else more modern. I am close to 16,000 miles, I got it with 8000 last year. It goes wherever I want relentlessly. Save for the starting hiccup, I feel confident on it, nothing can stop us.

From the internet, and if it is on the internet it must be true.... "This engine was designed to provide better fuel economy than a gas engine would be able to achieve in a heavy truck or SUV; and it delivers on this promise. Where it starts to fall short, however, is reliability. The VM Motori EcoDiesel has been plagued with durability issues since its release, leading to some drastic actions from Chrysler in response. First the engine’s recommended oil viscosity was increased to 5w40 from the thinner 5w30 that the engine first used. Later, Chrysler released software changes for the engine’s computer which changed the torque curve at lower RPM, in order to take some pressure off the engine main bearings. While these changes have helped, the engine is still far from what we’d consider calling “robust”. Because – like all modern diesels – the engine is fitted with all kinds of very intricate and expensive parts, it’s an engine that owners should try to maintain as well as they possibly can." http://mygarageairdrie.ca/our-top-5-engines-that-require-absolutely-religious-oil-changes/ Out of all the companies making diesel engines to choose from to source your diesel engine if you don't want to make your own I am not sure Stellantis / FCA would have been my choice. And I won't be surprised when it hits the fan that the engine in your son's Ram is recalled because it was cheating on emissions.

Wrong thread for this comment, but Guzzi did the same thing with the Griso and it worked. I was lined up at the dealer to buy one long before it existed. I think that long time between first sighting and release helps because Guzzi people take time to warm to new models. Especially when it introduces revolutionary things like water cooling.

Front tire change is easy. Just back it into the chock, tie it down, and lift under the motor..

Nope. I'd do another run if you get 9 more people that want one, though..

Thanks for all the replies! In order to find out for sure and provide a bit of additional knowledge to the forum I decided to bite the bullet and order the Hyperpro damper. Should be here in a few days and I will report back to you with my findings

Since I routinely use the Baxley SportChock to index the front tire on the lift, it gives me great trepidation (the "heebie-jeebies" ) when I have to remove the front wheel for a tire change/ brake service/ fork service. Belts and suspenders (and lift and platform jack) using the rear tire as an index point this time . . .

Nah, it was a combination of things I believe. I've written about it before elsewhere but when I have time I can cover it here if you'd like?

Yep, I tend to think the same mate... ie it should fit. Cheers Guzzler Ps then again it is a Guzzi and Italian so there may be some arcane ritual to be performed prior to installation...?

I saw that @WitchCityBallabio put a Hyperpro on his Ballabio, but still don't see any confirmation on LeMans fitment. I just cannot see why it would not work. There is no difference in dampers/mounting between the LeMans variants and "Sport" variants otherwise.

I request the drive out price, not so much because of the taxes, I don't need them to tell me how much taxes I am going to pay to register here. I know. I have registered most of my vehicles myself. Including the V11 Le Mans. What I am interested in, are all the fees they add to the purchase price. I am used to the European system. The price shown is the price you pay.

Or do we pool our resources and move the Mandello factory to the Texas Hill Country like the London Bridge was moved to Arizona? Time's a'wastin', y'all!

You know, I am really wondering what the future has in store. The emission rules are going to get so drastic that no thermal engine will be able to be certified. I am of course talking about Europe. The USA will be spared but are the manufacturers going to only make bikes for one market? and these rules are going to happen starting in 2025. I think we are going to be happy to own our V11 for a long time to come.

Can you imagine the value of these two-only "concept" bikes in the years to come . . . Of course, now I want one more than ever. That elusive, coy Italian seduction at work . . .

I purchased some black auto-vulcanizing sealant and I applied it this evening. Hopefully, this should carry me through the Texas Tour completion. I added some oil to compensate the seepage.

That's what I mean. What's new from Suzuki? I was still going to kindergarden when the Hayabusa came out; V-strom and Bergman. Even Moto-Guzzi came up with a ghost motorcycle they named the V100 Mandello...

@cash1000's gallery image of his battery cage (corners):

My '97 Sport came to me with an empty leaking Bitubo. I have a WP and an Ohlins damper on the shelf, neither of which could be made to fit the MG. Being a cheapskate and easily annoyed, I took the end cap off the Bitubo, cleaned the seals and internals, refilled with power steering fluid (with leakstop) and it's been righteous ever since- ~15k miles. (Edit-on review, I took the PS fluid out after a bit and gave it Motul fork oil) Smooth, great adjustability, and leak/weep free. Costs nothing to try. If you do, be sure to get all of your cleaner out and run the shaft up and down a few times in the oil with the cap off to release any bubbles. Then fill to top and let the excess run out while you thread the cap on. Clean up and go.

G'day I have a Hyperpro damper on my 01 V11 Sport but can't comment on it fitting a LeMans though mate. All I can say is that it is way better than the crap Bitubo std unit eh. Anyone else got one on a LeMans...? Cheers Guzzler

I looked at Cash1000's stand, and thought I could make one like it, but red, and with wheels. It has plastic clevises to avoid marking the pork-chops.

I hope the V11 does not succumb to "skin suffocation" . . .

Furthering our noble efforts to clarify the V11 nomenclature (we are the world's foremost experts on the Moto Guzzi V11) @FreyZI's current thread "Sign-up list for new carbon fiber seat cowls" has had some fun with "what-to-call-what" . . . I'm to the point of saying that your LeMans >might< have "PorkChops", but mySport : nope

It goes with the Barry White song he plays when he gets busy... "Oh baby..."

Is that mood lighting, Docc?

I mean building from scratch is massively impressive Chuck but more so sticking at it for 10 years. I always suffer from the mid project slump and struggle to keep motivated and thats on the 6 month jobs. Ciao

Griso 1100 was launched in 2005 but deliveries only really started in 2006. The model was produced for two years really, 2006 and '07 a few were sold in 2008 but were simply plated as that year. The 8V commenced production in 2007 but once again deliveries only started in the next calendar year. Early 8V's were plagued by several problems besides the flat tappet issues. The rear main bearing flange was prone to leaking and the gasket between the sump spacer and the block was prone to blowing out and lowering oil pressure leading to horrible noises but rarely failures. The big issue though was obviously the flat tappet fiasco. Early engines had chilled cast iron tappets. These were quickly found to be failure prone, more so in some markets than others, and there was a recall for these motors to replace the chilled cast iron tappets with forged steel ones with a DLC, (Diamond like Carbon.) coating on the sliding face. Unfortunately these too proved to be unreliable and although there was at least on further update to the manufacture the system continued to fail. Sometimes they take longer on one engine than another but they will ALL fail, no ifs or buts. Be aware that if you are thinking of buying a pre-'13 8V or any 1200 Sport 8V even if you check with a dealer or Piaggio and are told that there are no outstanding recalls on the bike you are looking at it will not mean that the bike has been rollerised as there was never a 'Recall' for rollerisation. In 2012/13 the Piaggio 'Service MotoGuzzi' portal announced a 'Technical Update' which stated that in the event of failure, providing the bike had a full service history and entirely at Piaggio's discretion they would provide a kit for rollerisation but the owner would have to pay for the install. Yes, it sucks, but that's the way it is. The reality is that these bikes are now seven years old at the youngest. Few have a full history and Piaggio just wants to wash its hands of the situation. A free kit is unlikely unless you have a dealer willing to go into bat for you. While rollerisation usually fixes the issue on rare occasions the bottom end will fail after rollerisation due to bearing contamination by DLC debris. As I say, rare, but of the couple of hundred rollerisations we've done we have subsequently lost about five motors, one of which was mine. The answer is to simply purchase a post '12 model as the swap over from flat to roller tappets on all models except the 1200 Sport was in the first half of MY 2012. While there are bargains to be had in buying a flat tappet machine there will always be an element of risk. I've seen engines with sub-10,000km that have completely trashed top ends. I've also seen bikes in their 30's that are only showing the early stages of wear. I'm pretty sure I know why they fail now and it depends on two things, climate and use. The other annoying thing is that until the DLC has all gone and the parent metal of the tappet starts to erode there will likely be no signs anything is wrong. No odd noises or running problems so to the unfamiliar the bike may appear fine. As a general rule if you choose to buy a flattie the lower the mileage on the bike the better! Checking to see if a bike has been rollerised is very easy. Just take off a rocker cover and look, (There are plenty of pics on the web of what to look for.). If you also want the shop to pull a cambox to inspect the flat tappets? On any model other than a Norge you can pull the left hand cambox in fifteen minutes. If they want to charge you a stupid sum, (One poor sod I know was charged $2,000US for this 'Service' to be told his tappets were fine. They weren't!) tell them to go get a big black dog up themselves! There are four different rollerisation kits available. They vary greatly in price. That info, and the cheapest way to rollerise, is also widely available on the net. I for one have covered it pretty comprehensively, it's not worth repeating here. If your Google Fu is so bad you can't find it it's probably best you don't look for a flattie! The other issues associated with all the W5AM Guzzis are them having been 'tuned' by idiots who don't know what they are doing, (There is a thread on this board covering what to do and not to do to the throttlebodies. (That's on a 2V Sport but the principles are the same for an 8V) The other thing is the dreaded grease phobia of Mandello workers. The swingarm bearings and shock linkage are rarely, if ever, packed properly with grease and this should be addressed asap as replacing the swingarm bearings is a right, royal PITA and the shock linkage costs a couple of hundred bucks complete but is within a few dollars of buying the bearings, seals, pins etc. so it isn't worth rebuilding a rooted one. The long and the short of it is that a well set up and correctly mapped 8V is a magnificent thing. This is not to take anything away from the 1200's, 1100's or 850's with the old 2V motor but in terms of performance there is simply no comparison. In the same way that diehards here love their V11's I am a CARC bike tragic and 8V evangelist! The loss of this platform I consider an enormous step backwards for Guzzi but judging by the reaction to the V85 I'm in a minority on that score. No skin off my nose but it's a shame that the most advanced engine they built has been shitcanned in favour of an other 2 valve, pushrod, lawnmower engine. Pete