JRD

Dam Scud, great job! That is a great looking bike now, and you made the upgrades in such a short time. I really like the way you mounted the oil pressure and volt meter gauges, I am considering doing the same on my bike. Thanks for posting

Docc-LMAO!!!!!! I forgot all about the cork on Czakky's bike! And if you guys think riding a bike with one rear set and one forward control is easy, I wish I had a camera to take a picture of the contorted position Nic was in. Good thing his is a young stud, they would have had to peel me off the bike. Josh- I definitely will try and make the SSR!!!

Docc-Thanks for posting the photos. The day was a great excuse to get some fellow Guzzi enthusiasts together and go for a ride across the bridges that we take for granted living here. I would have loved to join you on the ride up to Cedar Key but Im just too busy getting the Triumph ready for the Three State Mountain Ride. Sure hope you and Nick can join us. Czakky- Those two guys in post #41 look just like us!

Roy- My '02 LeMans that I recently purchased showed 3,022 miles on the clock when I took delivery. I too was very skeptical so the first thing I did was check the date code stamp on the tires, which looked brand new like the rest of the bike. Tires indicted they were manufactured in mid-2001. Upon further checking I learned the bike was originally sold up in Alaska, and eventually shipped to Texas where it went thru two owners. Hard to believe but there really are people that buy these bikes and then for one reason or another just don't ride them.

What an absolutely awesome day!!! The weather was almost perfect, aside from the winds pushing us around while crossing the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Traffic was moderate for this densely populated metro area but all in all, a great ride with wonderful people. We had six Guzzis, 2-V11 Sports, 1-LeMans, 1-Centaro, 1-Quota that Carl Von just bought and rode 350 miles from Tallahassee on Saturday, and 1-V-7 Stone. My trip meter showed 135 miles with no break downs and no introductions to any law enforcement. Hopefully we can make this an annual event as everywhere we went people were coming up checking the bikes out. Docc advised that he will post the pictures as soon as he gets home which I believe will be sometime tomorrow.

Docc- Weather reports are looking good for this weekend, temps in the 80's with humidity around 70%. Should be a pretty good day for a ride. SRL, are you going to be able to make it?

Scud- For what its worth regarding the valve clearances- I purchased my 02'Lemans this past Feb. and it only showed just over 3,000 miles on the clock. Im fairly certain this was the actual mileage as the tires had 2001 manufacture date codes and other than the dry rot cracks, looked almost new. The bike ran great for the short rides I did around home so other than fluids, I left everything alone. While riding over to Daytona for Bike Week the bike developed the dreaded "hiccup" and almost stalled numerous times after getting off the expressways and when stopped in traffic. When I got home I checked the valves and sure enough, the right side was at .004"I and .006"E. The left side was at .002"I and .006"E. I adjusted both sides to .006/.008 and haven't had a problem since and the bike just feels like it runs so much smoother. I also synced the T/B but they were not that far off so it is my belief that the valve clearance was the major cause of the hiccup when it got hot. With you living out in California, I'm sure your air temps are similar to what we experience down here in Florida which may also be a contributing factor when the bikes get hot. Hope this helps if there is any doubt in your mind as to which valve specs to use Jerry

Scud- Great read, thanks for posting your progress and having all the photos. Keep up the good work!!!!

Ok Docc, here are three more bridges we can throw at you, and all can be incorporated into the ride. First, The Clearwater Causeway Bridge from mainland out to Clearwater Beach. From there, head south over the Clearwater Pass Bridge onto Sand Key. Continue south on Gulf Blvd then turn east onto SR686 West Bay Dr. over the Bellaire Causeway Bridge back onto the mainland. All three bridges have are 72' off the water and offer terrific views.

Karl Vonn- We also have the Woody's Beach Café in St Pete Beach looking out Blind Pass directly into the Gulf. I have gone there several times recently on a Sunday and parking is not a problem. Either one is fine for me. I was going to suggest Ft. Desoto also as that's a nice ride, but they increased the fee. I think its up to $5.00 now but I ll check and let everyone know. The ride out onto the Dunedin Causeway is always nice scenery, especially this time of the year. And that would be just a hop over from Safety Harbor. There certainly isn't a shortage of great places to ride to in the Tampa Bay area. Really looking forward to this ride and meeting everyone.

SRL- great, the more the merrier as far as Im concerned. Hope to see soon

SP838- well if I get the carbon fiber cover we both know where that is going... next it will be the front fender, then..oh cant have that fugly plastic thing over the back wheel....do you hear that...the sound of the cash register ringing and the ATM spitting out twenty dollar bills by the dozens :-0

I passed the word along to a couple other friends that ride Guzzis. Skip will try and get his Centaro back together for the ride and Brad will have to make the tough choice between his Centaro or Griso. I really like the idea of the ride from Safety Harbor/Tarpon Springs etc. Have you ever been to O'Maddy's down in Gulfport? Located down town and overlooks Boca Ciega Bay. Docc ho long will you be in town as we have a Quaker Steak and Lube with bike night on Weds, and also Biff Burger bike night on Weds and Sats.

Thanks for all the replies! I should have known a 15 minute job was going to turn into an all day adventure. I'll take the cover back off and truck on don to the local automotive paint supply store and see how close they can match it, I don't really care if its perfect, I'm sure it will get its share of dings and scratches. Although the carbon fiber cover sounds interesting...... thanks guys- Jerry

Does anyone have the paint code number for the starter motor covers on an '02 Le Mans with the champagne/gray color combination. I cleaned my throttle bodies with a carb/T/B cleaner. The paint on the lower edge of the starter motor cover spider webbed and I would like to re-spray it. Thanks- Jerry

Looks like our forum member Czakky will be needing a sidecar in the future. He and his wonderful wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl yesterday, 3/31/2015 at 10:00PM. Mom and baby are doing fine, dad- get used to not sleeping for the next two years!!! Congratulations Bill.

Looks like the left side plate of your transmission cover is weeping. Has it been of to replace the shifter springs? Try just snugging up the screws first. If the leak persists replace the gasket.

Is the problem on all roads, down here in Florida some of the concrete road surfaces have the rain grooves and that even makes my Aprilia "wander"

LowRyter- Whatever brand you get, I would recommend buying the "matched pair". I have found that the bike handles better when running the same make/model tire on both front and rear.

LowRyter- Having owned both a 2000 V-11 Sport and now the 2002 Le Mans, I was amazed how much more stabile the Le Mans felt on the interstate. Maybe it was due to a brand new set of Michelin tires on the Le Mans while the Sport had older Dunlope D616's. The Sport just felt "nervous" or twitchy? It was definitely a much more responsive/sensitive handling machine. As far as those big bags, just look at the profile of your bike from the front or rear. They probably double the width of the profile of the bike, which increase the surface area the bike has to overcome to maintain a certain level of speed. I like to refer to it as pushing the barn door down the road. That "blast of air" you feel when you overtake the semi tractor trailers is the same theory on a much larger scale. Used /worn tires that are under or over inflated, or overloaded as well as suspension set up and load placement are all details affect the handling of your bike. Im in total agreement with GuzziMoto as far as having someone more knowledgeable help set up the suspension. Im certain that I can do it on my own bike, but it would be a trial and error situation. You might be better off bitting the bullet and taking the bike to a shop that routinely deals with suspension set ups. Especially shops involved in racing, they are more inclined to have the necessary experience as they routinely make suspension changes for the various tracks. Good luck.

Thanks for the info guys. When I removed my tank I discovered the main fuel line from the petcock to the fuel pump was resting on the cylinder fins! I guess that's one way to keep the fuel lines from freezing.

I don't think that just saddle bags could carry enough weight to have an adverse effect on the over all handling, mainly due to the fact that they keep the overall center of gravity of the bike low. Its when the weight is "stacked up" either on the back side of a sissy bar or back past the passenger seat that definitely raises and moves the center of gravity. At the same time the weight transfer up and back is unloading the weight off of the front wheel which causes the wobbles on the straights and make the bike feel like it is "falling" into the turns. The only adverse effect I have felt when using saddle bags was the increased windage which is usually minimal even at higher speeds.

Hi Ken- There are several great threads on the Aprilia Forum about charging issues and voltage regulator repair/replacement that early model Milles and Futuras suffered. I believe the 14.8V is at the high end of the scale but not enough to cook the battery. Does the voltage drop when the engine RPM increase at/over 3,300RPM?

Docc- I plan on joining you guys! Had the pleasure of meeting Czakky yesterday. He was gracious enough to come over and help do a service on my Le Mans. Looking forward to meeting you guys. I know a couple other guys in the area that ride Guzzi's also. I'll spread the word. Jerry

I recently purchased an '02 Le Mans with just over 3,000 miles showing on the clocks. I am fairly certain this to be correct in that the tires looked virtually new other than being hard as a rock, and the date codes on the tires indicated a manufacture date of 2001. After replacing the tires and going over the bike I decided to ride it over to Daytona for Bike Week for its maiden ride. Initially the bike ran great but as the air temps increased the bike developed the dreaded hiccup and cough when stopped and idling in traffic or at a stop light. Other than feeling a little "weak" in the mid-range between 3500-4000 RPM when accelerating, the bike ran great cruising at 80-85MPH on the interstate, achieving 43 MPG. I should mention my fuel pump is situated in front of the frame, above the oil cooler and the regulator/rectifier is mounted in the frame triangle behind the fuel pump. The fuel filter is mounted to the left side of the spine directly adjacent the left cylinder, and they wondered why they had vapor locks! The fuel lines from the petcock to the fuel pump and filter as well as the oil cooler lines are all braided stainless steel. Although everything looks well installed, the area above and in front of the engine just looks like everything was jammed into the first convenient place they could think of. After doing a complete service with the assistance of forum member Czakky, we adjusted the valves to the .006intake/.008exhaust specs, balanced the TPS, and installed new plugs. Re-starting the bike we discovered a slow gas leak on the bottom of the fuel filter. Before I turned my bike into a Roman candle we shut the engine down and decided it was time for a cold brew. My question is, since I plan on replacing and re-locating the fuel filter on top of the frame spine, where I have seen pictures of others located, has anyone used any other type of filter with smaller dimensions? I realize I will probably have to modify or fab a new bracket to hold the filter as well as provide some type of heat insulation, but for the life of me I cant understand why it was mounted on the side of the frame directly above and next to the cylinder. My second question, has anyone considered moving the fuel pump to the area behind the air box, below the shock and above the swing arm? There looks to be plenty of room and it would be easily accessible for maintenance. I have seen several different automotive EFI fuel pumps with like pressure specs, much smaller dimensions that could easily fit in that area, and don't cost nearly as much as stock replacement units. Any questions, comments and suggestions are welcome. Jerry