po18guy

750 or 900 SS fairing with "touring" screen. NICE front brake upgrade.

Wasn't going to say much for a couple of reasons, mostly because it would be nonsense. BUT, from the side view one can see that the engine/trans has been put on a major diet and paring down. Alt must be driven by a jackshaft? Or tucked in the V. Not a big fan of the "adventure-touring lifestyle". But it does have the frame/suspension for a proper sport-ish bike. I see the cantilevered shock, but have they made the CARC appear even heavier? It looks really slim from the right side. OK, there's the nonsense. It is not only the Japanese who are inscrutable.

Dunno how good they are, but there are made in Italy TPS units for $80 or so. The early V11s are a little fussier than the later versions, but once the "usual suspects" are banished, they are pretty good. Compare adjusting 4 in-the-wind valves with basically all other bikes and the V11 begins to look rather good. https://www.ebay.com/itm/352802908767?hash=item5224b12a5f:g:SjIAAOxy0bRTAhm2

Just as the '55-'57 Chevys had 90º V engines, so also did Moto Guzzi's own '55-'57 GP racer. But, while racing could tolerate liquid cooling and frequent replacement of consumables, the road bike owner would likely not. I see the Ducati Apollo and Ariel Square Four being examples of too many air-cooled cylinders, given the heat dispersion and lubrication abilities of the day. So, why not cut the cylinder count down to a more manageable level, give them fins and rotate the cylinders out in the air stream? There being no O-ring or X-ring chains at the time, and given the bike's intended use, the air cooling and shaft drive made perfect sense. Particularly since a bevel drive would have to be added to use a chain. The design made such sense at the time, that Honda famously copied emulated it (probably claiming Lilac inspiration, but come on) with a new twist of the heads and the liquid cooling that the V8 possessed 20 years earlier. Laverda also gave a tip of their hat to the basic layout in their V6 test mules. By way of truism, as it is with all things that are, the V11 is what it is. Motorcycling history is littered with the carcasses of various men's brilliant ideas - ideas which were doomed for a variety of reasons. We have our idiosyncratic bikes through the persistence of the human will.

But, it's got a HEMI!!! Guzzi v. Chrysler 426.

The 1980 Kawi KZ1000H was the first fuel injected production bike, but AFAIK it had no integrated engine management system. Interesting that it was rated at 98bhp, but 264killos! Ouch! And I thought the V11 was heavy! https://japan.webike.net/KAWASAKI/Z1000H+KZ1000H/12708/m-spec/ "any sporty 600 will trounce it in the twisties, a 900SS is a better handler and an R1150R is a much more sophisticated and refined machine." Proof that some guys just don't get it.

Little be it known that the engine was not intended for something so plebeian as a tractor. It was actually to power Italy's locomotives, adding engines in series as needed for the Alps. It was decided that the power impulses would frighten the rail passengers.

Some guys have all the luck. The traditional Guzzi dealer in Seattle retired and closed shop. Unless his employees are now at the two dealers who opened several years later, the new dealerships are hipster types who place the V11 in the late Pleistocene era.

New Hampshire, you say? Cycle Gear in Manchester can get them, and mount and balance them. Or Pirellis, Dunlops, Michelin, etc.

When my ankle heals (another V11 story), and since the rear Michelin had a nail has a repair, I think I might try the Avons. For my riding, which is moderate twisties and intertstate/motorway, it seems to be appropriate. A three minute vid.

Here is a thread covering one aftermarket centerstand. My V11 has one. It is well made, but poorly engineered. The pivot point needs to be about 2" higher with the stand's legs increased about the same amount. As it is, you are lifting the bike too near vertical in the first part of the lift. The rear tire ends up about 1 1/2" from the ground. Therefore, I roll the rear wheel onto a 2X6 laid flat and the stand is much easier to deploy. Takes a little balancing act, but it works.

If the bike is one owner, then something is amiss, clutch-wise. If the bleeding and cleaning/lubing of the lever and pivot do not help, I cannot imagine what the issue is. I swapped out the OEM levers for shorty CNC units, adjusted the lever plunger screw and lever for reach, and no problems. No arthritis, but I do have neuropathy in both hands. A different diameter master cylinder might help and is not all that costly - cost being very relative here.

All of the above is true, as it comes from rider/owners. Guzzis are an acquired taste. Growing up around radial aircraft engines, certain parallels may be seen. They are, by definition, the road less traveled - and for many of us that is precisely what we seek. Being shafties, they prefer to corner on the gas, or at least neutral throttle. The shaft itself is very well controlled and your rear wheel will be dusty rather than greasy - a more than fair exchange. The suspension runs from very good to excellent. Cruising at 4K or just above, the engine is notably smooth and you make excellent time, provided that where you are going allows (or overlooks) such velocity. You don't always want penne arrabbiata - but when you do , nothing else will satisfy.

And, there is a certain "lucky" guy here who invented a simple bolt-on device to make shift throws even shorter. Made and sold (when available) by other creative V11 forum members. As to false neutrals, those on my '04 went almost completely away when I thoroughly bled the clutch. I installed a bleeder bolt at the master, so there is nowhere for air to hide.

At the risk of sounding politically incorrect, the V11 is a man's bike. It is big and heavy and 1st gear seems too high and low-speed maneuvering takes some practice. It must be commanded what to do. She's a big gal, but she can dance...and oh can she sing! Aprilia must have worked on the trans between '02 and '04, as mine goes 1-2 and so on with zero drama. Caveat: The shift lever must be adjusted to fit your seating position and even the boots you wear, or it will 'reward' you with false neutrals. False neutrals going up are no big deal, but downshifting, you may get a rather horrendous crunch unless you match gear speeds precisely.

Sometimes, if you call, you can find out when they are going to do a run of black powdercoat items. They might let you sneak you bar ends in for a fair deal. I did that once with a Kawasaki stator cover and they did it for $20, tagging it onto a run of black items.

Powder coating is a different universe from ceramic coating. There may be a company which does both, but IME they tend to specialize. You could ride to a few D/FW shops and get their estimates. You probably know this, if so kindly disregard. Powder coating is pulverized colored plastic that is electrostatically applied and then melted (baked) in an oven at 400F. It is highly durable, but is not intended for high temperature post-cure use. That's where ceramic coatings come in. Personally, I think silver gloss ceramic like on that Griso would look fantastic on your bike, which is quite a looker as is.

For small stuff, you can buy a Harbor Freight or Eastwood powder coating kit and do it yourself with a toaster oven. As to ceramic coating, M/C pipes are easier, as they are not the tangle of pipes that car headers typically are.

There are various ceramic coating companies in Houston. You could check these companies. KBS Coatings in Valparaiso Indiana also makes high temp aerosol and spray gun coatings p primer, color and clear top coat. https://www.kbs-coatings.com/engine-exhaust-paints.html Or some Rolite and terry cloth and a beverage or three.

One can only imagine the days, weeks, months drafting and erasing, recalculating with a "stone-age" slide rule. Actually, it would be considered an amazingly short design period these days. In Parilla's case, the street bikes used but a single lobe of a single cam to operate both valves. IIRC, the valves were set at 110º, which was then considered to be the ideal lobe separation in a normal, two-lobe cam. As wide as they were, the valve angle worked with the deep, aircraft-type combustion chambers of the day. High cam with short pushrods and rockers. Sounds familiar...

Parilla kept it simple.

The mention of UK manufacture is to maintain confidence in the brand. So many companies are turning to 3rd world and emerging nations for manufacture. Brazil, Thailand and many other nations are now relied on for major brand tires. On a car, failure is a disappointment. On a bike, it can be fatal. Confidence in both brand and quality of manufacture carries much weight in my mind. As a company, Avon has over 100 years of experience in both car and motorcycle tires. Do they make a top level racing tire? Don't know and I believe it is irrelevant to the street rider. I have ridden on their bias ply tires for just over 20 years and wet or dry have not had an issue.

To each his own. Even my Honda lawnmower has a 2-speed manual with spur gears. Sounds cool running up and down through the gears. Next is an Akrapovic can in place of the spark arrestor. A CVT would make it a Moto Scooti. No thanks. In any event, I've bought my last bike.

If it has a CVT, I'm gonna puke.

Which states are involved? Were I in better shape, I would ride it for you.