Nihontochicken

My two scooters are a Suzuki DR650 and a Guzzi V11 Sport. Both have the turn signal and horn actuators on the left grip module, but the positions are reversed. Has resulted in some problematic situations when I forget the difference and try to operate the Guzzi turn signal with Suzuki muscle memory.

Just came across this 10/1/19 ad in LA Craigslist while looking for something else. No relation to or knowledge of the seller. or https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/mcy/d/west-covina-low-miles-moto-guzzi-v11/6987459267.html

Sorry, I wasn't slicing the pie quite that fine. By "same niche" I was merely implying some dirt worthy pretensions, not going so narrow as to differentiating between "adventure bike" and flat tracker wannabee. Neither one is capable of anything much more difficult than a graded fire road, and the Guzzi is more a touring bike mainly due to its larger gas tank and perhaps, believe it or not, somewhat less weight. Despite its looks, the Indian is over 500 pounds. Uffda. My major point was styling. Of course, an "adventure bike" has a small canvas for styling flair. The Guzzi V85TT is a nice looking scooter, given its purpose. It is certainly no head turner as is the V11 in its own venue. The Indian is also a good looking bike, again not in the hunt with a V11, but a decent looker for a street legal flat track replica (though ungodly heavy). The Guzzis since the V11 have generally been stylistic duds across the board, from the homely Griso to the yawner V7/V9 to the fugly, "kill it before it multiplies" Audace/MGX-21. Yes, they address different markets, but they're all crappy looking (JMHO). Of course, we here all want an technically upgraded V11 with the stylistic flair traceable back to the original LeMans. Looks like it ain't gonna happen in my lifetime, as Piaggio is just trading on the Guzzi name nostalgia, a commodity in ever decreasing supply as we old farts die out. Not that I could afford a truly new V11 if they indeed produced such. So I will be happy with my 2004 model as I watch Moto Guzzi sadly swirl down the drain into cycling irrelevance and eventual corporate cardiac failure. Unfortunate. Sigh.

Just noticed this new Indian model in the same niche as the V85 TT, a lot more bucks than the Guzzi, but much more a looker, really makes one fantasize about sideways madness. JMHO.

Good to see your first ride starting off from the sidewalk! Given my steep driveway with no turnaround room leading down to a steep, high crown road with fall line at a right angle, I have to back out my V11 and turn it 90 degrees to put it on the sidewalk to get started. It's rewarding to see someone do similar, if not regularly or for the same reason.

No, though the Schauer charger is stone age tech, it was a premium home charger in it's time (about 1980) and respected for not grenading when used for starting. I also have a Schumacher knock-off from about the same time that I wouldn't care to risk starter smoke testing. Still, I wonder why the Schauer thought the battery was fully charged when it was far from it. I suppose the least frustrating path forward is to buy a new battery as well as an Odessey approved new charger. Any source suggestions?

Thanks, will take some time to do all the disconnects and pull the battery, not terribly service friendly, but, of course, to be expected in an Italian scooter.

The charger can supply up to 15 amps depending on what it senses on the far end, but it is an older, pre-silicon device. It will continuously decrease the amperage as the battery charges, but apparently the battery wasn't fully charged (far from it) when the charger though it was.

Before going out for a putt today on my 2004 V11 Naked, I measured the static battery voltage, 12.66 volts. Turned on the ignition with headlamp on low beam, 12.04 volts. Kinda low, so following some suggestion I think I remember from somewhere, I left the ignition on for maybe five to ten minutes and turned it off and measured the voltage, 12.44 volts. I then charged it with my non-high zoot Schauer battery charger for about half an hour, charge starting at 14.33 volts and 4 amps, ending at near zero amps. At the conclusion, the static voltage (ignition off, charger disconnected) was 13.05 volts, so good to go? Guess not. When I hit the starter button, it turned over, but failed to start, so I turned off the ignition, waited for a bit, and gave it another go. Click. Oops, try again. Click. $#*+!!! So I hooked up the charger again and used it to get the engine started. Is it typical for an Odessey battery (partial pic below) to fake it like this? Dunno how old it is, bought the scooter about a year ago. https://i.imgur.com/KerR9xr.jpg So I'm guessing I need a new battery. Suggestions of where for a good price while avoiding a Chinese fake? TIA!

You are forgiven. There are three most beautiful sport bikes in the universe. In reverse order they are (IMHO) the Moto Guzzi V11, the Norton Commando, and the 70s Ducati 750 Sport in black and Duc yellow with the leading axle forks. I feel lucky to have at least scored a V11. Hope you get the Norton home safely and enjoy many miles on it.

Okay, I finally located some 7mm hex head tools. The first was in a pack of ignition wrenches, but swinging this around the ground bolt looked like it would get perhaps uncomfortably close to the blitzenwerke battery positive electrode. So then I found a 7mm socket in a set of small such tools, and I proceeded to move the ground lead out of harm's way, to the back corner of the box: Of course, the whole box is grounded, and so any contact with the battery positive pole will result in regrettable fireworks, but at least there isn't the realistic possibility of wires rubbing themselves into self-immolation. BTW, last week I went for a putt, and the starter weakly hacked twice and died. Battery was drained, dunno why, either I haven't been riding enough (a few miles once a week), or I haven't been keeping the alternator happy with enough revs while tootling downtown. I have no magic high zoot chip controlled charger, just a 40 year old Schauer car battery charger that never even dreamed of silicon. Putting it to work, it showed a 10 amp draw when initially hooked up, but steadily dropped to well under an amp in a couple of hours. After the charge and a week later, the battery showed 12.74 volts with the ignition key off, 12.14 with it on (headlight on low beam). The engine fired right up, and I put on a few miles about town trying to keep the revs over 3k. Upon shutdown (ignition key off), the VOM registered 12.99 volts. So has my battery safely passed through the valley of the shadow of death? Inquiring minds!

Yeah, I noticed the inner tube idea in an earlier post, but it looked like I had enough free space to not need it, perhaps I'll reconsider. As an alternative, I went to unfasten the ECU ground wire and reattach it to the back corner of the aluminum box to avoid the short possibility entirely. However, an 8mm wrench was too big and a 6mm wrench too small. Did those uniquely artistic Italians really employ a 7mm bolt head??? The mind boggles.

I went for Plan B. Rather than trying to fight to reattach the leads and the adapter flange to the battery in tight space afforded in the bike, I removed the battery, attached the adapters on the bench, reinstalled the battery in the scooter, and then connected all the leads on top, enjoying much more finger room in doing so. See below: I think there is enough clearance, the connection stack exceeds the top plane of the battery only by the thickness of the securing nut, and it doesn't appear to touch the seat pan above. So now I can use alligator clips to charge the battery, rather than the bullet connector set-up I had laboriously installed before, which would do me no good out on the road. Does anyone see any problems with this (I haven't road tested it as of yet). Though I've been called a flaming asshole before, I'd rather not give physical proof to the assertion. BTW, this item is also available on Fleabay for under nine bucks shipped (Odyssey Battery L Terminal Adapter).

A step in the right direction, styling wise, but still short of a V11. The big question is why can't Guzzi do something like this themselves??? Too addicted to the Weird Harold School of Design? https://www.ipothesys.com/

Extraneous comment from the peanut gallery: That is a fine looking scooter even by today's standards. IMO it beats anything Guzzi's made since the V11 (MGS-01 aside, hey, there's one for sale right now for only fifty two kilobucks! ). Good fortune and happy riding with your retro-mount.

PM sent, another fishing cast!

C'mon, Pete, quit holding back, tell us what you really think. A bit more seriously, has there been any better Guzzi since the V11? The newer models may have tech advancements, albeit combined with butt ugly styling. Sorry, the new V85 is a step in the right direction, but still no cigar.

PM sent Wed., 4/10 at 12:27 PM.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2002-Moto-Guzzi-V11-Scura-/253972262179?hash=item3b21ed2d23%3Ag%3AUMgAAOSwanZb5SWT&vxp=mtr&nma=true&si=OonQnDutxFVbRc6qO0B4ryDxjls%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 Scamramento, shoulda known!

On Saturday, Nov. 10, I cleared off all the dying bines of my small hop garden, and damn if some of the rhizomes weren't sprouting new growth already! Below pic taken today. Usually the plants go dormant until at least January. Hopefully they don't get going only to die off mid-season (has happened before, followed by an entire new replacement growth, but too late for a decent harvest).

The Astro is a rebuild effort stalled for years at the 90% level (still need to redo the Lockhart rear brake master cylinder). I wanted to put it up on the mantel, but SWMBO didn't warm to that idea. Will probably raffle it off someday to someone who wants to complete the journey, have two guys locally dropping hints. The Sherpa T I bought maybe thirty years ago with sixty-some miles on the odometer (now still sitting unmolested on the lower left fork leg!). I put on another thirty miles screwing around in my driveway before retiring it to the rear of the garage. It's near showroom new (not a mark on the skid plate!), other than a slight rash on the muffler box where I dropped it once. I did do a lot of trail riding over the years, but on Yamaha and KTM scooters.

Besides my 2004 MG V11 Sport Naked, I have 2005 Suzuki DR650 (rider) 1980 Bultaco 350 Sherpa T (garage queen) 1970s Bultaco Astro 360 (garage queen)

The best improvement for my V11 Sport? 20% more power? Naw. 20% more mileage? Nope. 20% less weight? Yeppers!

Thanks for the updates. Haven't heard back from Pete Roper, but Mike Haven came through with a full kit. El Lay (per Matt Groening) is indeed Los Angeles, where I was born and raised, escaped after high school. Now hiding about half way between there and the other great Kaliforniastan coastal scab, San Francisco, but contemplating The Great Escape II, likely when Prop 13 goes down (hopefully somewhat before).

Thanks, Chuck, I tried accessing Haven's web site, mphcycles.com, but all I get is a blank page, dunno whether the problem is on his end my browser (Firefox).