Bbennett

I totally agree with Steve G. above - that says it perfectly Bob

I get the low fuel lamp at 110 miles. I use a PC-III As many here know, there is still quite a bit of fuel in the lower part of the right hand side of the tank even when you "run out" of gas. In a pinch you can get enough over into the left hand side with some creative shaking/sloshing.

I agree, crashes are so unpredictable it is impossible to be mentally prepared. I was actually (trying to)putg forth the notion that hitting an object at low speed under "control" can be better than laying a bike down and sliding into the object at high speed or rolling and flipping to avoid hitting an object at all costs. But every situation is different and I can see this point of view is highly debate-able. I am glad this crash did not result in much bodily harm to you Coz!

My sympathies!! This is a reminder to me to practice a key maneuver every few months - a full "panic" stop from high speed. Minimum distance to stop w/o dropping the bike. It is a very good thing to practice - before you need it for real. I also believe - and this is subject to debate - that it is good to be mentally prepared to hit something (e.g. back of a car etc.) if you absolutely cannot bring the bike to a 100% stop. I am no believer in the "lay 'er down" school of thought. Certainly at speed, laying the bike down on purpose is just dumb - and the bike is just going to go/skid farther than if you were cranking on the front brake until the end. Bob

I sat on the Ducati classic - did not ride it - but it felt very small to me. It looked good - not good enough for me to consider selling the V11 certainly.

I am interested, and am from Seattle. Let me know when you pick a date for the Spring ride. I sent Helicopter Jim a private message - did not hear back yet so I am posting here! Thanks, looks like a great route Bob

OK, I want to buy that switch off of e-bay...can someone from the Netherlands tell me what button that page above says either "buy" or "email seller" ? Thx

I am the original poster of this thread I might just get this... http://cgi.ebay.nl/Schalter-Moto-Guzzi-V11...1QQcmdZViewItem (it is a left hand light control with an on/off switch)

Thanks, sounds like the bike already does what I was thinking of...... Sometimes that is a hard choice..get cold or risk not starting when engine is cold the next day I appreciate the advice Gary Bob

It gets cold here in the winter and I often wear an electric vest. This qucikly draws down my battery power even when I turn it on / off as I go along. Driving in town I do not think I consistently ride at an RPM that will re-charge the Odyessy battery. The result is that starting the bike the next day is very iffy. I could put a trickle charger on it but I had an idea today. What if I just installed a hidden on/off switch for the headlamp that reduced load on the battery when starting? Or is the headlamp already not turned on when starting...? Too cold to trudge out there and try it right now.

Very sorry to hear of your crash. I have a 2001 Sport and have not experienced any tank slapping behavior and have stock suspension. I do not use the steering damper at all.... Bob

I would like to see it in different livery - to me it is missing a certain something. Right now. I think it is too arched. I prefer the V11 or the Griso 1200. I also wonder why not make the MGS-01 street legal? This seems so obvious... Bob

Gee, the author in the above link has little good to say about anybody it seems. His specialty is "damning with faint praise..." In my book, the title goes to the guy who won the most points in a season and that was Nicky. He is not flashy, maybe that is why he seems to not be getting as much respect as one might think. On another note: should we be expecting a new crop of 800cc sport bikes soon in the stores? I see the new Honda 800cc is a 4 banger....but they claim decent low end performance

I am a Hayden fan = am totally happy. I was so afraid he'd have a mechanical DNF or something weird even after Rossi fell. But I was surprised that there was no commentary about how Rossi got back on his bike and rode the thing fairly well - I would imagine the bike might not have been in 100% tip top shape. Maybe he was just trying to stay in the race but I do not think he was ever lapped. So frustrating in the US broadcast to see approx 8 or so adverts in the middle of a short race. The broadcast should be commercial free! Bob

Start with easy stuff: make sure battery is connected solidly and has not vibrated (partially) loose.

Stock pipes are probably heavier if it matters to you. Bob

You are exactly correct in your last post. I finally took the bike into Moto Int. in Seattle and they confirmed the roll pin had fallen out. They said I was lucky that it had not damaged anything upon exit. The bike is shifting perfectly again and my thanks to the Forum and to my dealer. If YOU are experiencing a large number (1 in 8 shifts) going both up and down, please consider the possiblity that this pin has fallen out (see above post).

Ok. that's funny (post above about attraction factor) Man, what a bike to start out with. But it kind of makes sense. If I might recommend a book by David Hough: A good book on motorcyle safety

Thanks, I went over the linkage - tested it at the limits of the adjustable length tie-rod and even experimented with the optional 2nd hole where the rearset connects to the shift linkage. I could certainly "feel" the difference but the missed upshifts and downshifts re-occured in all positions so I went back to the original length on the tie-rod. I miss a shift about 1 in 5 times. That is alot. Experimented with the mysterius acorn. Removed it, saw the slotted end adjustment screw underneath - and in fact attached to the surrounding nut. Turned the slotted adjuster it and noted the cam-effect on the rest of the controls. As you turn the adjuster, the entire shaft rotates slightly, thus rotating the entire rearset around the main shaft. Yes, back and forth. Turn it too much and you get the opposite effect. Classic analog situation. Rode the bike at both ends of the adjustment and once could "feel" the difference when riding but it still experienced missed upshifts and downshifts at the limit of the adjuster (the total affect was within (1) 360 degree turn of the slotted adjuster. Put it back where it was. I did *not* change the position of the entire adjustment linkage around the main transmission shaft. I did *not* change the transmission oil. So....I still have missed up and downshifts on a bike which til now had 13K of essentially flawless shifting. It happens commonly going into second gear on the upshift and into third or second on the downshift. It happens so often now I can 'feel' when I have missed going into gear, even though it feels partially "in". Sometimes I miss a gear going down and the net result is that I accidentally go down 2 gears - could be dangerous prior to going into a curve. I believe I am back to where I started and have not made anything worse - 'cept for a little wear and tear on the head of the rearmost linkage bolt (tight fit even with SACHS cartidge temp. removed). Could this be a clutch problem?

Am now getting false upshifts and downshifts on my 2001 V11. 13K miles. Have never replaced the shifter spring. Searched the forum for this answer - no luck My (simple) questions is: When the shifter spring fails is the bike disabled? I am not capable of a shade tree fix. I need to know if I can keep riding the bike until my new spring arrives without worry about being disabled from this issue. Thanks Bob

Replying to Icarus: no after-market cross-over on my bike. And I am 100% satisfied with the sound and performance. The bike exceeds my capabilities and I consider myself a very capable driver.

Indeed, when I went to oil the pods I saw the metal strip was present on the other pod as well.....my mistake. This seems to be a normal characteristic of the K&N pods to have this metal strip. Why I never noticed it until now is another question. Anyway, thanks to all, pls consider the matter "closed".

Thanks - your post is helpful. I should re-oil, good point. And I think I will rotate it so the missing mesh is not in view. The bike is running perfectly, I seem to have a V11 that just goes and goes (knock on wood I know!) Am leaving for the local VME meeting tonite in a few minutes - it is totally sunny here in Seattle and there will be lots of vintage bikes for sure. VME= Vintage Motorcycle Enthusiasts. Maybe I will see some other Forum members..

here is a pic of Staintunes from my 2001 V11 Staintunes on V11

Just noticed this after a 250 mile ride: Should I replace? I forgot where I bought them and the partnum....pls send if you have this info. Thanks 2001 V11