Gmc28

The charcoal canister on my 02 lemans is the one mounted just forward of the rear wheel. On other bikes I’ve usually removed these, and un-cluttered things a bit, and I’m inclined to do it now as well. But on the Leman’s it looks as though the bracket for the canister is welded, and if panning-out a bit to a part that could be removed, it seems to be the same bracket that the exhaust mounts to under bike. That’s just a once-over inspection... am i missing something? I assume I want to keep the exhaust mount in place, and in truth the canister is not nearly as ugly in its location on the lemans as it is on other bikes where it’s mounted as a true eye-sore, so I’m deliberating whether or not to remove it. If it keep it, then I suppose why not leave it also hooked up with at least the fuel tank line, as designed, as there’s the small advantage usually of eliminating fuel vapor smell on hot days if the canister is in place (or at least that’s how its been for my other bikes where I’ve removed the canister... all fine, but more fuel vapor smell after a top-off on hot day). But if i can get rid of that whole apparatus forward of the rear tire, while keeping the exhaust mount, that’s what I’d prefer. Looking for input on whether I’m not seeing something that i should be on that setup.... for those that remove the canister, are you just removing the canister and lines but leaving the metal framework/bracket in place? it’ll be my default intention to T the two leads coming from the tank (vent and overflow) to one single line, to the ground. Then may leave the throttle body lines connected to the canister. But would love thoughts, especially in regard to whether the throttle body lines should be removed for some advantage other than clutter.

Phil- mistral makes the agostini’s (right?), so what was the difference in the mistral reverse cones you had and the agostinis? i saw some of the agostini’s over in mandello.... sweet looking, and made my wallet itch to jump out of my pocket. I’ll probably end up going for an upgrade to my perfectly sweet sounding stock sport cans that are somewhat cosmetically damaged (there’s my excuse!) on the lemans, and grab something like what you’ve got. Interested in the details.

Didn’t I hear that Alice sold the dealership? Still looks the same, but thought I read somewhere that she didn’t own it any more. Either way, cool “soft” key fob! I have a huge “remove before flight” soft key fob, as a reminder that I have a hot power plug, and to turn off whatever gizmo I might have plugged in when I take the key out (got the bike that way... an un-switched accessory plug). Yes, I like the idea that it may polish the logo....

As I recall, they are louder than stock, and may have a removeable db killer, but the siren song of the eye-candy/beautiful sounding carbon mistrals is hard to look away from. Price tag has kept me from indulging to this point, but I rode a sport with them installed back when I bought my 2nd lemans, and the pleasant memory lingers.... http://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=26_336&products_id=3227

Hammerite is a good rattle can product, and that’s the right name. This though is a powder coat, and I don’t recall what he called it. I can find out. He does some neat custom stuff, but this seemed a good match, without getting too wild. Two coats for the oven after bead blast, and should hold up better than a good rattle can job.

Local powder coat guy had zero backlog on any work, due to everything cancelling for the pandemic. So he blasted and powder coated my stator cover in record time... paid him more than usual, as it hurt to see that big, normally busy shop sitting idle.

Roger roger... I’m no K&N fanboy, but the hex head made me a proponent years ago for the duc’s I’ve owned. Just made removal a no brainer, and quality always seemed good enough .... some hate ‘em and some swear by ‘em. The usual oil related debates. I just like the hex, and now with multiple decades and over a couple hundred thousand miles using them on various bikes, they are at least “good enough” for me. hoping someone can chime in on the fit. Or maybe I’ll be the guinea pig... hope y’all are getting some riding in with the spare time you may have now!

Can’t find mentions of why a K&N filter won’t work, with its built in hex head at the bottom for easier removal. There’s mention here and there in the endless oil threads of the kn 163 (common on a nUmber of bikes), the 1002, and 171b, but no clear indication of whether they’ll work. Too tall with that hex head to fit with clearance?

Thanks Phil! On a tangential note, We ended up leaving our fire tanker (aussies call it a “bomber”) down the road from you, at Avalon airport, in a bit of a hurry last week. Had to get the crew out of there while the gettin’ was good. Once things let up a bit on the apocalypse, i may volunteer myself to go get it and bring it back to US for our fire season here. Hopefully won’t be too long till that can happen, but who knows. Dug out my Guzziology book last night, and will hump it up to the shop today, where it belongs... Sun is starting to show itself a bit, so gotta get Back up there to shop and get her ready for the road! I did indulge last night and ponied up for replacement logo for alt cover off of ebay. $28 delivered seemed too high for what it is, but knew it would bug me now that I’m thinking about it, so i played the sucker and sent my money... supposed to be at lake como this fall, with a deposit already down on an AirBnB near Varenna, to go back again to Mandello and tour around on one of Agostini’s rentals, but wondering how things are going to play out. May just have to head for nearby and thinly populated eastern Oregon and pretend I’m riding up to Stelvio Pass...

got started 3 months late on my "winter maintenance" for Red... Hell of an off season at work very much got in the way of getting started in the shop. I admit that I started with the easy stuff, popping on the CRG eye candy levers, and then the carbon rear hugger, fluid flushes, some touch up, and some cleaning. wiring re-work, and tune yet to be started. those charcoal and red CRG levers match the stock MG colors very nicely. most of this i can dig up from searches here, or even some of my old notes, but am doing the lazy thing and seeing if i can get any takers for quick reminders or clues on a few things as they come up: Touch up paint for the charcoal colored valve covers... any hot tips? any of you with idetic memory recall the Rear suspension bolt/nut torque, the one on the bottom end of the shock that connects it to the rear triangle? I installed the bracket for the Ghezzi rear hugger, and used the nut and washer he provided. Got 'er snugged about right, but need to look up that torque value. hot tips on if powder coating the alternator cover is worth while? and/or whether there's a good source for a new logo, since mine went missing. I think i read something about that here somewhere...

That’s gorgeous

That’s the kind of impressive i got from my Odyssey, and a Westco. At 10yrs i’d Change the battery just because it seemed like i’d Gotten my moneys worth, but they still held voltage fine. I’m not not after weight loss on the V11, just like the notion of it being tidier under the seat, and the extra space provided by the smaller battery could be space i use for a little CE-1 box, or something along those lines. Ultimately i’ll Likely not want to remove a perfectly good odyssey, so i’ll Waffle, then it will be riding season again, and i’ll Put her back together and head out... But Marty’s setup does look like a good one for creating some space in that area.

Marty- I actually have a couple li-ion float chargers, so I’m set up. One from the shorai that failed me, and another from an off brand in the duc that has performed great. I now suspect the shorai got abused in its brief life before I got it. But is the battery as much smaller than the odyssey as is the case with other bikes who make the change? my Ktm had to have a bunch of padding to take up the leftover space from the smaller shorai. Less so on the ducati. How much smaller is the shorai For the v11 than the comparable odyssey?

Thread resurrection: i’ve Been on the “stick with the odyssey” side of the battery discussion for a number of years, mostly because i have been happy to stick with what i know works, along with a single bad experience i had with a Shorai, and partly because a wise mechanic i know felt the same way back. but times change, and i will say i like how much smaller the one li-ion battery i run in another bike is than the AGM that it calls for. The brake Rez on the V11 rubbing against the Odyssey got me thinking about that... i’m Going to go through the cables and wiring on the V11 soon, and i gave brief, foolish thought to changing to li-ion to save a little space, to keep the Rez from rubbing. Ridiculous of course, because there are much cheaper (free) ways to keep the reservoir from rubbing against my perfectly fine odyssey, but thought i’d Ping Marty or whoever is running the Shorai regarding how things are shaping out now, a couple years later, in their lives with the Shorai in the V11.

Pulled the italian patient up onto the shop gurney, for a late start to winter maintenance... work took over my life again, so am running behind. Sigh. red fired right up, after sitting in the cold shop the last several months. Purred right along, coaxing her up onto the stand. realized my new Mac isn’t wanting to play nice with guzzidiag, so rounded up an only windows 7 machine, which seems to be the ticket. But i’ve forgotten which ECU the 02 V11 has, is it the 15M? Poked around the search page results and grew tired of scanning pages...

Benoit- a classy solution to bags. Always hesitated to put bags on the v11 and hurt the lines of the bike, but that soft bag solution looks good.

Fun banter! An ‘04 DS would be great, because even if track days become too hard to reliably make (which has been the norm in my life.... I need something like a ski area season pass, where u show up when u can), it’s still a beautiful machine to have. I doubt I’d ruin it, and if I did, another Ds can be had if needed. Sounds slightly sacrilegious, but we know it’s true. if i got serious with track riding, which is unlikely with my work schedule, I’d be more serious about an 848.😎. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that :->

Yikes. I had just used some deep breathing techniques to get myself to relax and take my time, then u screw things up by showing me that DS! :-> hmmm.... Now, if you were willing to eyeball it for a poor fellow stuck in the rain, at work, up in the NW, that could push me over the edge (the purchasing edge...)

I’ve found euro and Japanese bike parts to be similar enough in pricing... both outrageous. At least in my experience in the last decade: Yamaha WR450R, Suzuki DR350. But availability is the other thing u mention, which is true, and also applies to after market. My old DR was a fun project, largely aided by the availability of many great after market options and/or upgrades. Euro bikes have after market stuff, but just seems less, at least in the category i’m eye-balling. But Phil has me noodling the Aprilia. Nifty enough to enjoy working on it and riding it on road now and then, capable enough for the occasional track day. Then, if I end up doing a lot more track time, i’ll Have developed a better feel for what I’d really want. And i don’t, i’ll Have had a fun run with an Aprilia, at little expense (if I get something like what I’ve found so far on line, with some low side damage).

Mmmm, MV.... beautiful machines. Evil food food for thought. what of the Aprilia Tuono? More bike than needed, but a guy has one that was laid down and looks ok but sales price is in the attractive range because of it.

Good thoughts kelly, and more or less what I’m thinking. Scud, the triumph idea is a great one. And I’ve looked for an excuse for years to have an Agusta, but it’s mostly my lower brain stem yearning for it.... and I may give in. As mentioned, I’m not looking to “win”, but just to be good enough to have some fun. Some friends are regular track guys, and despite the allure that just won’t be me. Just want carve some nice turns. The wife had a multi 620 when those first came out. It was a hoot. Too much front end dive with that tall suspension, but incredibly quick, to where I could comfortably average higher speeds through well known twisties in my area than I could on my larger/more powerful ST4. Speedo error as a possible factor, I would clearly hold higher speeds through turns on the 620 than on the st4. I always assumed that extra height and front end dive would make it not-so-great on the track, but I see how quick those super Motos go through turns and it makes me wonder.

i've read, but don't know, that its as you all say, that the only way to make money in the biz is through parts and service, since the margin on the machines is low. thats how it was decades ago when i spent a little time in "recreational retail", and is what i read is the case now. but with the new machines depreciating so fast the group of buyers gets smaller and smaller. its just those who have the cash to get what they want, when they want it. nothing wrong with that, as our recreational past-times aren't usually intended to be profitable, but its a smaller group that can afford to do that. if thats all the case, then i guess the $120/hr shop rate starts to make sense, at least from a shop owners perspective. but as a customer, i find it crazy to pay that shop rate, especially when here where i work the shop rate for a multi-layered (with inspectors and signficant shop infrastructure/equipment/tooling/experience) turbine aircraft A&P (mechanic) is down around $90/hr. I enjoy the winter time wrenching on my machines, but if i didn't it would definitely effect my buying decision process. In fairness to my local Duc shop, they generally do good work, and much as i whine about the price, them doing good work and standing behind it makes it just palatable enough for when i bring them a machine for some work now and then (i've mostly done my own "desmo service" on the older and/or air cooled machines, but the newer water cooled desmo-quattro's are a real pain...so i pay for the valve work, and since they're in there to get at the valves, its not that much more to add on the few other things that are now readily accessible). All that is to say that you'd think a little shop could stay in biz charging a lower shop rate, since the dealer retail rate is so high. maybe they sell some used bikes on the side to both make a little money and to draw in the tire-kickers (so they then end up buying something smaller but with a decent margin). but i don't know of many (any?) smaller shops that are around or successful. Seemed like LT in Florida had a huge Duc following, but i don't know if he makes good enough money or not with that whole enterprise. For the older machines, its these great groups that help make them affordable and fun! sure is easier and more enjoyable working on the V11 (or the air cooled ducs) than it is that damn Multi Enduro.... takes way too long just to remove all the poorly designed body work. italian, but with an evil modern twist :->

Thx for the parts check docc. That’s what i found too this morning. dave - i’m Just down the road from you... north plains. The MG shop there near PDX didn’t answer or return my calls for several weeks, when i left messages for the parts people. Then the google thing just came up as well, so figured it was curtains. But if they’re still open, trying to deliver all those V85’s they say they sold before they call it quits, maybe i’ll get my $15 part yet.

Ya, the Japanese 600 was the original plan. But there’s a decent chance i won’t get to go much, so am looking to see if there’s a bike that would do fine at the track, but also be something i’d Not mind pulling out on a sunny sunday now and then if it doesn’t get its blood (oil) pumping on a track day, and something i’d Be fond of having in the shop. i know about anything can go on the track, so maybe i’m Just chasing my tail in trying to find the right “hybrid”. But phil, you’ve got that 1000DS... thats a neat machine, and is along the lines of what i’m Thinking about.

I see a lot of you have track bikes and/or experience, and since you’re guzzi owners you’re probably also more likely to be like minded for what i’m thinking about.... i’ve Done just a little track riding in the past, and never on a real track bike. Been thinking about picking up a used bike that i can primarily use on the track. But here’s the thing that makes it different than the typical “best track bike” question: i don’t care about “winning”, or having having the fastest bike, and likely won’t Actually do much track riding in reality. That could all change, so the option to bail and just sell the bike, or sell it to upgrade to a more competitive machine is always an option should things develop that way later. But i was thinking about combining the desire for a reasonable occasional-use track bike, with the desire for something thats just fun to have and tinker with, like an older Duc SS, or something along those lines. the “young” Duc848 is what most comes to my mind, but they’re still not super cheap from what i’m Seeing. Wondering how an older 749, 748, or some other SS or similar would be on the track, to just carve some nice turns on a tighter track (less speed, more corners). The Duc would fall into my comfort zone for maintenance, i’ve Had a number of them, and of course i like the sound :-> I loved my ST4, and thought about grabbing an ST4 or ST3 because they’re cheap and have nice power plants, but that long wheelbase made for nice touring but not so great for flicking side to side. curious as to thoughts on what some of you have owned and had on the track, along those lines..... something truly biased toward the track, with some “personality” (= italian), and relatively affordable. Not interested in anything bizarre... yes, a BMW RT can in fact carve a nice turn on the track, but not interested.