VtwinStorm

This gives me a good deal to look forward to in the Spring. A new set mounted and balanced was $500 USD, but from what I hear, these will be great on the V11.

Exactly. I want to lean the bike and not have it slide away...learned my lesson with cheap hard tires when I was a teen! I'll take one step under racing slicks, if I want to really ride. Cheap insurance.

I don't care about mileage. I have 5 bikes and three cars. I replace tires on my bikes every three years no matter what. I never get anywhere near 5k on a set. I want grippy, good cornering and braking. Otherwise, I would be riding some bagger like a Road King or BMW GS....lol I want sporty.

Thank you... still it's worth it to have access to a machine of such charisma.

Tom, have you tried Diablo Rosso IIIs on the V11?

Bought a set... will mount them in the Spring... anything to make installation and removal of the battery easier!

(Ugh! Not another tire thread!) They certainly look the business. I have a set on one of my 900SSes, and they are great. How do they handle with the tiny rear wheel and heavier weight of a V11? I really didn't want another set of Angel GTs...three of my bikes already run those, and they are good but not as sticky as I prefer. Came from a set of Dunlop Sportmaxxes, which were... adequate but didn't set my heart on fire. Admittedly, they were old... I'm running the Diablo Rosso IIIs either way...just excited for Spring and want to daydream about riding my V11 during sunrise on a July morning with no traffic...Le Sigh... Any thoughts are appreciated, friends!

I know... just fiddly. 😆

I can barely get a slim wrench in there to remove the battery. A ratchet is impossible! This included "massaging" under the battery tray and "pressing" upward. If the tray were solid, it would have been even worse! The clearance is in mm...this is after removing the hold down strap completely, which gives me juuuuuuust enough help to make it possible, but it ain't a walk in the park! I tend to install and remove m/c batteries often because I keep 3/5 bikes at a storage unit as I rotate them during the Spring...so any help in making this easier is so appreciated!

Docc, you are awesome, man. Thank you.

I've got three lines each on positive and negative terminals. It's nuts. So these babies will help me with the V11?

Got my V11 Sport delivered to my storage unit this morning. They installed the Roper plate/tray (see the Roper line now), and the bike looks amazing...but boy, oh boy...I hate the battery setup. Guzzi, what the heck, guys?! lol I know this has been asked, but is there a better, smaller, NON-lithium (AGM preferably) battery I can lay on its side and not have it leak or go ka-boom? Date code on mine is sometime in 2019...don't want to tax the starting and electrical system. I am also leaving the fuel tank cap open to air out the next six months so the tank can de-swell, hopefully. Stupid plastic tanks... Can't wait for Spring. The bike is just pure elegance. Will resize and post pics with my other bikes this weekend when I have some spare time...

I got the good news today, my V11 Sport is done. Nearly $2k, but she's in top running order for next Spring. Next week she will be delivered to my storage unit with a totally empty tank. I will remove the battery and keep it on a maintainer, and I and my V11 will be ready for the warm happy roads ahead in 2022. I want to thank Seacoast Sport Cycle in Derry, NH for getting my bike in and taking good care of me. They aren't cheap, but you usually get what you pay for. Love these guys.

Boy, do I know that feeling sometimes! Well, I stopped by Seacoast Sport Cycle (love these guys!) last week to drop off my Roper Tray which they will install for me. All seems to be well with my V11 Sport. Should be done this month and dropped off with a totally dry fuel tank for my Winter storage. Their report is all the fluids before draining were really clean, except the brake and clutch fluid. Those were a wee bit dark. Fork oil was changed, seals on them were good. Drive shaft was greased, as were the chassis/swingarm bearings. No signs of terrifying glitter in the bevel box, trans, or oil, so...a big whew at that! New Pirelli DIablo Rosso IIIs got installed. All fuel and vacuum lines were also changed (they were 20 years old). There was a breather hose/valve on the engine that needed replacing, so they replaced that. Valves were adjusted, new plugs, and throttle sync is the next job w/the Roper Tray and a quick road test before I get her delivered back. They did say the tank swelled a little bit but drying it while empty out over WInter will let it shrink back into place. I am relieved I didn't buy a pile of junk. She has just under 13k miles, and the speedo and odo drive both still work. All in all, they said I got a great machine that needed hardly anything. I should have her delivered to me by the end of the month. Come Spring, I will top her off with some new 93 octane, put in the charged battery and start really riding her. I am so excited to finally have a Guzzi V11. April/May can't come soon enough!

Goddamn. Amazing work!

Update: AF1 Racing had the OEM wires... around $80.00 shipped...ouch. At least I got them on the way...Caps were on eBay for under $20 shipped. Result!

Docc, you are more useful than"Guzziology". Thank you, and congrats again. May you and your Red Frame have another 20 years and 124k miles of safe, comfortable riding joy.

Oh, one last thing, Docc: We want a glorious photo of the ODO as you crossed the 200k threshold!

Also again thanks to AF1 Racing and MGCycle, I was able to find the last parts I was looking for. Love these vendors!

Outstanding, Docc. I love roads with lots of elevation changes. I'm jealous. I don't have my V11 here, but do I need a special wrench to drop the oil filter? The Guzzi Parts Catalogue doesn't list one under "tools". Is that special wrench for earlier 5 speed Guzzis?

If I were retired and had the time, sure.

Well, you live in Tennessee... I'm stranded deep in New Hampshire. Late this week it will finally start dipping into the high 30s overnight. I hate the short riding season here. It is a kick in the teeth every Nov- April. Le Sigh. Carve some corners and scrub some tires for me, Docc.

I'm in love. As usual, Docc, right as always. I daydream about April 2022 almost daily now... can't wait to ride again.

Also, a red frame V11 Sport in black with the silver engine, trans, bevel box, and wheels really looks classy. She's timeless, ageless, like a fitted tuxedo. The V11 is a criminally underrated machine.

Thank you, Guzzimax. I bought a 100 year anniversary book on Guzzi, and no production numbers are listed. Unlike every Ian Falloon Ducati book I own... because I was also interested in production numbers for colors, years, etc. Black was not my first choice in color for the V11, but after finding nothing but clapped-out, high mileage, overpriced, abused examples of the breed locally...I expanded my search for the best V11 Sport I could find in the entire US. I found this one around 1200 miles away, and after a non smoking startup video...I paid over the phone and got her in 2 weeks. I would have loved a greenie V11 Sport, but I couldn't find one. That color really adds to the personality of the motorcycle. I think the Givi bikini fairing adds some balance to the front, really looks great and I'll be keeping it. Never could find production numbers anywhere...if anyone knows, I'd love to know. For the V11, with no actual sources, I hear around 5k bikes a year...but don't quote me on that, as it is hearsay. Love my burly V11. What a cracking motor!