BLIGHT

Enjoying the higher bars from Woodcraft! The bar rise caused hose clearance issues as described in prior posts... I installed 2 new longer Venhill brake lines with straight banjo ends ends to remove the 90 deg kink that was causing the hose to hit the gauge bracket. This pic shows the fixed brake side using two hoses, stacked banjos, and a dual-banjo bolt. Done! It also shows the still severely kinked clutch line due to the sharp 90 on the end of the hose. For my little swivel adapter, I bought a 10mm gas-spring billet rod-end online, drilled and tapped the female thread 10M x 1.25 (that's the tap I had) and used a Honda brake-line banjo bolt. Honda uses a 1.25mm pitch, where Guzzi/Brembo use a 1.0mm thread pitch. Then, I drilled a 1/8" hole connecting the female threaded part to the banjo 'hole' for fluid to pass through. Just finished it and took a pic below (you can see the connecting hole I drilled: I'll take another pic when it's installed and all is back to 'normal-looking'... I hate looking at that kinked hose!! BLIGHT Update: Final 'dash pic' with the swivel adapter installed on the clutch master cylinder. Works perfectly! The little billet rod-end is about $10 USD and is made in Germany. Sold all over the internet thru various outlets. Now I don't have to look at that ugly kinked hose

Hey dudes... last night I put on the WoodCraft clipons with 2.5" risers. Very nice quality, made in USA quality, but cost $170 clams. The stock rise on my OEM V11 clips was about 1", so with the WoodCrafts it's a net 1.5" rise. It's enough to make a comfort difference! I only went for a short ride but my 62 year old neck and wrists appreciated the slight lift. The Galfer braided hoses from the PO have long-rad 90 deg bends where they attach to the master cylinders on both sides. That's not good now, as the lines on both sides now contact the edges of the gauge mount plate, and because the hoses are too short now, they seem stretched. I was prepared for that to happen, but if the banjos had been straight (no bend) it would have worked perfectly as on my other bikes. I have ordered a new set of black sleeved SS Venhill lines for the front end, but the clutch side needs work too, as the line is pretty kinked because of the stupid 90 long-rad. ell. The new Venhill front brake lines are supposed to be here in the AM. It's quite rideable as it is, but I want to make it right, eh?! So I guess I'll be ordering a longer clutch hose too (minus the long-radius 90 ell) I've heard it's kind of a 'beeyatch' to replace this long clutch hose, so maybe I'll machine a neat little adapter to remove the 90 deg kink at the bars.. I made a quick hand-sketch of it today: I can't believe it... I looked over the ENTIRE internet and could see nothing like it! Seems like a couple of 100 other folks on the planet could use this little adapter. PS: I didn't draw the tubing fitting 90 ell quite correctly... trust me, the banjo part needs to rotate 90 deg on it's axis to clear the gauges. BLIGHT

Thanks... do you think it's any better than the one I uploaded to it? It's for a stock airbox, stock crossover and free flow 'Mistral' mufflers. Runs pretty good now I must say, especially considering I wasn't wringing it's neck enough... everybody says it's not supposed to be happy under 3000 rpm, and it does really wake up at 4000 rpm and above. The flat-spot is gone and no more cutting out... plus it starts up hot or cold a lot better. Once I get the pods on and relocate the air-temp sensor I'll need to 'rejet' with a different map, whether it's PCIII or Guzzidiag with the OEM ECU. Nice to have choices! I'm just used to short-shifting my VFR1200 (97 ft-lbs) as it does not need much throttle application or rpm... you'll be in big trouble fast if you do! I'll just ride the Guzzi differently now that I know what she likes. BLIGHT

Ordered the cable pair last night so I can back up the existing .bin map for safety reasons,and try uploading one with Guzzidiag that works better. I'll be going with K&N style cylindrical pods and will remove the airbox, etc. Hopefully there is a .bin file available for that setup with OEM crossover and free-flow pipes. BLIGHT

Yeah, the PCIII seems kind of like a 'band-aid'. It's running pretty well (although not perfect) for now, so I'm gonna work on some other stuff in the mean-time. GuzziDiag seems like a far better solution from the little I've read about it.

Pics? Look at the pics in post #16 above for the 'before' fit. Here are a couple of 'after' pics for comparison.... mind you I took off just a little foam. If I wanted to take some more off the rear, and some along off the sides I could make it even better. Looks a lot better now at least the gap is more even all around: [/url] hmmm, I might take just a tiny bit more off the rear.... takes about 10 minutes or so. Cheers, BLIGHT

Hi guys, I got the poor running and starting issues fixed too, at least it's wayyyy better. Turns out the PCIII installed by the P.O. had no map installed. I would guess that pretty much lets it run thru the OEM ECU without any changes. Since it has very free flow pipes, there was that common flat spot-cutting out at part-throttle midrange. I downloaded the M706-002 map for a '2001 V11 with stock crossover and Mistral pipes'. It now runs great, and feels every bit as fast as my XR1200... maybe even faster than the Harley! The HD is a long-stroke engine, (stroke longer than bore mm) so naturally makes a lot of low and midrange torque, and feels deceptively more powerful in normal street riding. The XR1200 does have a relatively high redline for a Harley (7000 rpm) so it makes pretty good max. power too. With the new map, gone is that stumble on the V11, now it makes good power all thru the powerband to redline... starts easier too. I was cruising on Hwy. 1 thru Monterey yesterday at 70-75 and amazed it was turning 4000 rpm in top gear! Seems high for a big twin to run that fast at California cruising speed, but I hear these motors are robust. The V11 by contrast to the Harley is a 'short-stroke' engine (stroke shorter than bore mm) so you would expect it to rev higher, and make less low and mid-range torque, but still producing a high max hp number. Horsepower, after all, is the amount of torque delivered at a given rpm. I'm much happier with the V11 Sport now!!... it was a disappointing 1st ride. It felt like an old Honda 450 power-wise... maybe 45 hp? Feels more like 80 or 90 hp now... it's great fun, and that is a great transmission too.. shifts like buttah! Gear ratios are spaced just right to keep it in the power-band. BLIGHT

I fixed the seat rear-cowl gaps in two ways: First, the seat wasn't latching on the 2 steel hooks 100%. It was hitting the over-stuffed tool kit tray! I removed the plastic tray and just laid the tool pouch on the flat area under it, and laid the PCIII next to it, snugly. Second, I removed the rear-most 10 upholstery staples and peeled back the seat vinyl to expose the foam. I took a 100 grit sandpaper sponge block to the foam and slightly dropped the profile at the rear of the foam and along the rear edge. Didn't take off a whole lot, and was careful to smooth it as to be undetectable. Pulled the vinyl back snugly and re-stapled the seat cover on the underside. Looks OEM, but the plastic cowl now fits a lot better! I think now after it's painted all the same color it will look more 'pulled-together'. My grey rear 'seat fairing' is scratched and chipped by PO, so it needs paint anyway. BLIGHT

Short term plans are to paint it 'Guards Red' (Porsche color) which is a bit 'redder' than the Corsa red, according to my paint guru. I bought an ebay V11 tank that was all scratched-up... already stripped it and primed it... ready for paint. (gold-black emblems) I will keep the OEM 'grape Jelly-Belly' tank unless someone here wants it or put it up on ebay. After removing and painting the remaining bodywork it will look something like this, in this somewhat-poorly photo-edited image: (please visually-omit the plastic swingarm cover and heel guard over rear master cylinder) BLIGHT Hmm... all that darkening reminds me of something. How about some black passenger pegs, foot levers, alternator cover, fluid reservoirs... welcome to the dark and slippery slope. I do like to 'black out' things I don't like to see on all of my projects... the passenger pegs will definitely be sprayed with satin black 'Plasti-Dip'. It's durable, but future owner can remove it with some persistent peeling if needed. My Harley XR1200 engine cases are now pretty well blacked-out in wrinkle black... it had acres of bead-blasted silver alloy in the engine bay as a stocker... ayeeee... too much! Naturally, I left the finned barrels and rocker covers in the alloy finish... gee, kinda like the V11!! I also typically leave chrome or silver bolts alone, as I like the look of fasteners contrasting against the black. BLIGHT

Cheers.... I feel standard rev-cones are a bit 'over done' these days in customizing (by me especially!) I have them on 4 of my bikes, and while I love the look, wanted to try a bit of a different look in the 'manger'.... They will 'grow' on you, I'm sure... if not, then see your post above, re: 'bleeding' BLIGHT

I wish the rear seat-cowl fit the seat better.... the gaps are pretty large and uneven just about everywhere. It's like the seat foam is too fat and the cowl is being pushed outward in several directions. I'm just used to motorcycle seat-cowls fitting like a glove... do I need to trim the foam under the vinyl to let it sit down where it belongs? Electric 'turkey-carving' knife is good for this sort of foam carving work... done it before. My plan is to paint the 'seat fairing' and the seat cowl Guards Red, and I want the look to be seamless. BLIGHT

Hello! Did a rear 'fender-ectomy' today at lunchtime. Not all that difficult.... I removed the unnecessary parts, and used the steel hanger to mount an aftermarket LED cat-eye tail light and plate holder. I bent the steel tabs on the hanger slightly to tilt the light and plate holder assy. about 15 deg. Soldered the wires for running, ground and brake circuits and shrink-wrapped 'em. Looks much better to me anyway... I have some small but bright LED turn-signals on the way and will use the other 2 tabs on the steel hanger for mounting them. They should be here in a couple of days. These are poor indoor cell phone pics.... I'll drag it outside after I get the turn signals mounted & wired for some better photos. By the way, nothing at all was cut.... large parts just removed and new lamp bolted in place.

Short term plans are to paint it 'Guards Red' (Porsche color) which is a bit 'redder' than the Corsa red, according to my paint guru. I bought an ebay V11 tank that was all scratched-up... already stripped it and primed it... ready for paint. (gold-black emblems) I will keep the OEM 'grape Jelly-Belly' tank unless someone here wants it or put it up on ebay. After removing and painting the remaining bodywork it will look something like this, in this somewhat-poorly photo-edited image: (please visually-omit the plastic swingarm cover and heel guard over rear master cylinder) BLIGHT

Yes, it seems so much better with a new battery installed today! Turns over a lot faster and lights up with more enthusiasm.

Well, a lot to consider in tuning up this baby... it seems to have the stock 'expansion-chamber' as y'all call it. The M4 cans and the new Chinese rev-cone pipes are truly free-flow perf-core mufflers. I haven't been into the airbox yet but it might have a free-flow K&N or similar free-flow filter. It has been 'de-snorkeled' as well. Today I went for another ride to evaluate the 'jetting' and it's just not right. Still have yet to delve into the PCIII maps and download-edit-upload process, but I've worked thru similar systems on other EFI bikes in my garage. Right now? My Harley XR1200 will absolutely spank this V11 in a drag race... the XR is pretty fast, even allowing for the 103cc displacement advantage and a definite weight disadvantage. I have an EFI controller on the Harley, K&N filter, 2:1 custom exhaust (by me) and a single old Prindle CF 2" ID canister. Cheers, BLIGHT

Yeah, I thought about that. California doesn't get as much rain as most places. Also, I seldom if ever ride in the rain.... just no fun to get all cold & wet and ride on slippery streets with oil seeping upwards from the pavement. I'll be doing a rear-fender-ectomy as well with a cat-eye led tail light and some small led turn signals. I put on some smaller rectangular mirrors last night, after raising the fork tubes about 3/4".... makes it turn in a little easier. Dialed out some front comp-damping and increased the rebound a bit.... that stock Marzocchi fork is pretty sweet from what I'm used to! I need to get some taller clip-ons tho... these hurt my wrists and hands, and I get a bit of a stiff neck too on rough roads (yep, I'm an old fart whiner) The PO installed a PCIII and I don't think it's set up very well for 0-400 ft. above sea-level, where I ride mostly. Need to download a better map or edit the one that's in there. It's a hard starter too, takes a lot of cranking hot or cold, and has a big flat spot just over 3K rpm... actually cuts out too at that rpm and part-throttle roll on. I'll fix it.... that's all part of the fun of playing with a 'new' bike to make it fit you!

I got 'em from AliExpress.com (China) I buy mufflers and other motorcycle bits from that site all the time, and the prices are good. BLIGHT Do you have a link to the specific item? I assume they aren't designed for the V11? Did you have to cut the original parts? The bike had some gigantic M4 cans... I just removed the cans and re-used the hanger brackets and 2" tail pipes. I got some 3/16" SS pop rivets and used 3 per side to attach the brackets to the SS Chinese cans. I would not recommend using aluminum rivets.... they are too weak! Here are the universal mufflers I got: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/38-51MM-Motorcycle-GP-Stainelss-steel-Exhaust-Muffler-Slip-on-With-Moveable-DB-Killer-Dirt-Bike/32460592482.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.9k8cWz Beware, this link is only active as long as the seller has inventory. Similar muffs in various styles can be found searching the site. I buy stuff all the time on AliExpress.com... kind of a Chinese Amazon.com... Shipping from China can take a couple of weeks, so don't check your mailbox every day.... it will show up eventually! BLIGHT

I got 'em from AliExpress.com (China) I buy mufflers and other motorcycle bits from that site all the time, and the prices are good. BLIGHT

Hey guys, I finally got the V11 Sport on Sunday.... it's a real beauty!!! Here she is: There are a few cosmetic and technical things to sort out, but overall, I love the bike! It's a welcome addition to my stable! (er, manger?) In the first 24 hrs I have made a few changes... new rev-cone SS muffs and removed the goofy plastic swingarm cover, oh and removed the little alloy plate over the rear master cylinder...shouldn't even be there in the 1st place: The straight-thru SS Chinese pipes sound great, weigh 4 lbs less than the bulky M4's, and make the bike look 20 lbs lighter visually! I also think getting rid of the cheesy plastic swingarm cover opens up the rear end and makes it a lot lighter looking visually. There will be a lot more to come!! I'll include some initial ride observations too in another reply.... BLIGHT

OK... since I have finally received the bike, I'm done with this thread as the "V11 Virgin".... cherry is now gone....(sorry if that offends anyone) I have had my inaugural ride of 35 miles on some (very familiar) twisty roads and will post a report of impressions in a new thread. The new thread will be mostly about my modifications to the 2002-3? V11 Sport. Cheers, BLIGHT

Had the V11 shipped with HaulBikes.com (top notch, white glove service!) Arrived here in just 10 days... it's a real beauty. I'll ride it tomorrow once insurance is activated. Here's a pic after landing in Monterey county.....

Yeah, what kind of tool would do that! Nobody I know....

Glad that worked out for you... logistics are tough sometimes. I did one time ride my VFR750 ~210 miles to the races at Laguna Seca (before I moved here in 1997). I had a flight lined up for Monday after the races, so I rode the bike to the MRY airport, chained it to a light-pole, put my helmet and jacket in a locker, and got on the plane. Flew to SEATAC, rented a car and drove out to meet up with Stuart Anderson (the restauranteur... 'Black Angus') at his ranch in Ellensburg. I did a design for his ranch irrigation system while I was there. Stayed overnight in their guest room, and watched the Academy Awards with he and his wife in their living room! He knew a lot of stars... they had hundreds of B&W autographed 8x10's framed and mounted in a long hallway. Sammy Davis Jr., Bob Hope, Clint Eastwood were just a few pics I noticed, and Mr. Anderson was in most of them posing with the stars. Nice folks! When I was done, I reversed the process, flew back to MRY and rode the bike back home another 210 miles. A different kind of 'fly and ride', but it worked out well and I didn't miss the races, nobody stole the bike, and I didn't lose the locker key! Cheers, BLIGHT PS: I just read that Mr. Anderson died last year at the age of 93!

I think he's been out in his garage late at night and giving her the eye.... he loves bikes too, and has about a dozen currently.

Some shippers offer $575 round trip for the HD riders that want to ship to Sturgis or Daytona. Kind of a reverse Fly and Ride! Heaven forbid they actually ride to the event! I have a Harley too (XR1200) but I'm not 'in the club' and prefer to ride solo, and often at a high rate of speed.