dbdicker

Scura just turned 6000 miles and not a whisper of peeling or bubbling paint to be found anywhere on the case (No jinx) (also no bad clutch noises, or spring noises, or any other unwanted noises) [NO JINX] --- just loverly V-twin noises ! Just a lucky one to come out of the Factory? A particularily slow old man underrevving a very quick sport bike? Dunno..........but it works for me. Dan

Amen.

Hilarious --- I think it mirrors quite a lot of our own experiences too.......... I suspect the V11 will be perfect for you, but only for a short time. You'll lust after something else, surely. Do yourself a favor when you do ---- something I should have learned a long time ago ---- DON'T sell the V11 when you ache for something new. You'll regret it. Dan

one day indian summer today, went into the garage to start up the Scura, small oil pool under the bike -- only perhaps 15 drops or so, accumulated since last week. Definately motor oil, the pool has formed under the point where the frame connects to the bottom of the left (gearchange side) porkchop, where the shop stand goes. Clearly the oil has dripped from somewhere else and collected here to drip down. In addition there is some blowback on the crossbar of the swingarm, mostly on the left side, where some dirt is clinging to where the oil shot back. some signs in that area of blow back on the exhaust pipe as well. Did an oil change about 1500 miles ago, everything seemed fine. Changed tires about 300 miles ago, I can't imagine what I could have done to cause an oil weep from that but what do I know? Of course, I've looked as hard as I can but there's a lot in the way, can't imagine where in the back of the crankcase this could be coming from?? Is there a breather somewhere that might be clogged? this seems to be happening whether running or sitting idle. anybody had a similar experience? Ideas for analysis, seriousness, methods of diagnosis? I'm still under warranty (provided I can find out what's wrong and convince my local dealer to honor it ) Bike running great and the oil level hasn't dipped enough to worry me ( I think.....that dipstick is really unFATHOMABLE, if you ask me) HELP! (at the very least, tell me it's not serious........) With these italian bikes, it's always SOMETHING..............can you say R1150R? I shoulda NEVER sold my beemer................ Dan

Oh my. And the symptoms would be? ..... Reading through this thread, I'm hearing that there would be increased rattling at idle, some unknown flywheel noises that sound like whining or chafing or what? Now I'm concerned, even though I don't ever really shag my motor or ever approach top speed on it. If it's gonna happen sometime, I need a good idea of what it looks like before it fails on the highway, no matter if MG is acknowledging the flaw or not. Dan

Put EBC sintered pads on both front and rear. Much quicker bite in the front, which I was looking for. Dan

Adding late to this thread, just put on a pair of the Avon 45/46 tires after running the Bridgestone 020's. Officially, then, the Avons are DA BOMB. They have a triangulated profile in front, which makes them much quicker steering than the Bridgestones. I think this is key to their favor for V11's and other Guzzis. Our bikes are fairly long and (relatively) heavy, making them fairly slow steering machines, if very stable. I can't imagine these tires on a Honda CBR, but for my Scura, they seem to work beautifully. They also seem to me to have better grip than my Bridgestones, or at least feel much more planted at lean than my others did. Very confidence inspiring. I'm no racer, can't say that I'll ever get to the very ends of these tires, but I'm really, really happy with them. They'll be the set of tires I stick with for this bike, for as long as I own it and Avon continues to manufacture them. Dan

Just to add a fly to the ointment, I had the MPH-cycles' modified CRG hindsights on my Scura and removed them in favor of Napoleon mirrors. No LeMans fairing on mine, so the mirrors are mounted in traditional V11 fashion. I found the CRG's to give me very little information, the convex mirrors are very tiny and cars would 'sneak up' when using these mirrors. Of course, others would argue that cars should never be 'sneaking up' on you when riding a V11!! Good luck. dan

Wow. You've got a beautiful woman there. I've felt guilty putting anyone back of my Scura for any distance. High pegs, yes. Since the poster already owns a Jackal, I don't see the problem.......he should get a quality 2-up seat for that with a backrest and bags and buy the new LeMans for HISSELF........... Dan

OK! All finished! I cleaned and regreased the spindles, put fresh (heavy) grease on the drive gear on the wheel and light spray grease all around the splines in the drive shaft. All looked well. KB, I held the spacer in place with some grease while reinstalling, a cupla bangs of the rubber mallet and it all went on pretty well With new brake pads in place, bolted it all up nice and tight and took it for a spin . Yee hah! Brake pads have really nice feel, much more responsive to the lever than the stock stuff. Can't tell much about the new Avon rubber yet, certainly turns in a lot quicker, but that may just feel that way because they're not as squared off as my Bridgestones were But about these Avons..............the rear wheel needed about 4 (!) ounces of weight to balance it, this after trying it at one spot then rotating the tire 180 degrees around the wheel...........my guess is that these tires missed the 'first rank' of QC at Avon and were sold in quantity to the mail order houses. Not blems or second quality of bands ( I think), but it may prove again that you get what you pay for. No big deal, they balanced fine, but I'll be more wary of mail order tires from now on. This pair were purchased, BTW, from Motorcycle Accessory Warehouse (www.mawonline.com) ON THE ROAD AGAIN!!! Planning for 5 hours in the saddle tomorrow morning..........oh YEAH!! (don't worry, I'll give the tires 50 miles to run in before thrashing them! ) Thanks to all.....I love this forum! Dan

thank you all.......thank you KB...... I had removed the axle completely in the rear, and the bevel box had extended away from the axle along the drive shaft....... I've supported the box by reinserting the axle partways, and the bevel box realigned with the axle by just pushing it back towards the front of the bike. I had thought it was not aligning because the suspension had released. *should* be smooth sailing from here. Pretty pathetic performance so far from me, although everything looks strange the first time you do it, I guess............... Dan

uhh, one more question...... When removing the rear wheel, it allowed the rear suspension to fully extend, misaligning the axle space. How will I ever reinstall the wheel, inserting the spindle while compressing the suspension enough at the same time?

Thanks KB, Got it sorted. Both wheels off and ready for new rubber. Gonna change the brake pads to KBC sintered for more bite. You're right, not much room to get those calipers out. Had to enlist my son for an extra pair of hands........... how do all you guys do it? I've got neat piles of bolts and tools everywhere...........

whoops, my bad........ a little liquid wrench and it came right out. I'm ridiculously pathetic, aren't I? On to the front....... Dan

Proving once again that I wasn't born to wrench my own bike......... On trying to remove the rear wheel, the axle nut is moving with the axle. I know this must be simple, but I can't seem to find a place to hold on to the spindle while undoing the bolt. There seems to be some sort of collar washer around the spindle inside of the nut, but I don't know how to remove it, or if it actually is intended to be removed. On reinstallation, I'll seemingly have the same problem, isolating the axle while tightening the axle nut. What a dope I am, eh? Dan

All previously discussed. Run a search using "scura" where all the previous and current owners (including me) chime in on the pros and cons of this particular model. Only thing to add is I'm not sure if this price is 'suspiciously cheap'. Many Scuras were sold new as leftovers at many thousands off their retail prices. A resale at about the price you quote then would only represent a 30% drop from what they probably paid. The bike could/should be fine. Good deal for you, for him, nice bike, buy now........................ Dan

All I can say is it's good to have guys like Pete on this forum. The guy knows freakin' everythin'! Dan

In planning for my w'end trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway starting t'nite (good weather forcasted, woohoo!!), I've been searching for a nice pair of leather motorcycle pants. Previously, I'd been a jeans-wearing rider 'cuz I liked the comfort and have found the leathers look a bit........well.............young and affected, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I figured that my skin is worth more these days than it used to be, and, at least for touring and all day rides, I'd bite the bullet and offend some people and wear some leather pants. Checking around, I found that the big name makers (Alpinestars, Dainese, Vanson) all offered products that seemed mighty expensive for a pair of pants. Most ranged from the mid $200 level to well over $400 bucks!!! Came across this guy on Ebay and saw his offering of "V-pilot" leather pants for $100 and thought it might be worth a shot. I know, I know........"Leather Paradise" sounds like an outlet for x-rated lingerie. However, I got the pants yesterday and boy, am I impressed!! Double stitched in all the right areas, fully lined, solid 1.3mm leather and with strong-looking zippers at the ankles and expansion sections on the back and sides. Unbelievable quality for the money, if you ask me. If his leather jackets and race suits are as good, his stuff represents a major bargain over the 'brand name' manufacturers out there. I'm so impressed with his pants, I put my (slightly worn) Alpinestars mega-buck vented jacket up for sale on Ebay and will buy his matching jacket with the profit and bank the extra.............. Is it possible that this guy buys from the same sources as the big names? (all this stuff seems to be made in Pakistan anyway) I know that Vanson is American made, but clearly there is a lot of slippage from race endorsements and advertising, as there is for all the other brand names of products out there. In any event, thought I'd let you know about the find and would like to hear an endorsement of the product. No relationship to the provider, of course. Now, on to Virginia!!!!!!!!! (drool, drool) Dan

found the BT-20's actually decent in the wet, although they're not the most inspiring in grip, either in wet or dry. Have tried (on various bikes) the dunlops, michelins and Metzelers, of which the Michelins felt grippiest to me, although chewed themselves up fast. The Bridgestones are lasting a good long time, I've got 4500 miles on them and they look like they've got a few more thou' in 'em yet. I've got a set of Avon 45/46's on order based on the raves from this forum..........I'll be trying those next. good luck! Dan

"nicht mehr lieferbar" = no longer available. If you can't get 'em, it doesn't do you no good, no matter how nice they look. Dan

I had the same issue when I first tried to install my Throttle meister. It was solved by using more spacers than they include with the 'stock' kit. Call TM and request more spacers............ Dan

Hi KB, 1. Jim weighed me with gear on, came out to (gulp!) 252 lbs.......... 2. Yes. He said it was possible to go for heavier fork springs but didn't feel the range increase was worth the expense. Did go for a slightly different weight oil, though (245/262W). 3. The invoice is marked: SPG 1091-29 261F/248INS 13MM PRE. Does this make sense to you? I assume the 29 number refers to the rate, the 261 is the length and the 248 indicates the preloaded length as installed? If these figures aren't enough, I'll check the bike or call Jim. 4. Yes. I told him I was a guy who liked to ride long and turn corners, but a wasn't a racer by any means. He asked about what I was feeling with the stock suspension and seemed to instantly know what I wanted from the modification. Dan

Here's where I might differ from others. For me, I've enjoyed suspension changes much more than engine hop ups: High quality suspension has given me more pleasure than any 120-130hp bike ever has........... No poser crap, that's what I like and where I prefer to spend my money. Other guys run for PCIII's and mistrals, I like shocks and tires. Meanwhile, this email was sent to me by Jim at Pro Pilot about what he exactly did. I asked him to write in 'layman's terms' because, frankly, I couldn't understand what the hell he was talking about when he started to get technical and I'm working on a write-up for Todd Eagan at GuzziTech: Suspension changes were fresh ohlins fluids / a little different than stock. Valving front and back were modified for your weight, and plushness with more controlled damping from the initial compression,smother transition into mid-stroke , and rest of travel with applicable bottoming resistance corrected for rider weight. Pretty simple . Should feel "more Controled action" (less springy and jumpy) thru whole stroke front and rear with more usable function at adjusters.("better damping / much more comfy") Spring on rear was a "must change" to a firmer rate that actually makes an additional plusher feel because of starting force and spring rate correction.( slightly less preload, better spring rate for your weight, and better "ride height and function") Settings and on your invoice copy e- mailed to you. These are good starting points , also noted were the "full range of adjusters"). ex. Shock Rebound R-17 clicks out(40 posible clicks total ) etc. Go ride some more and enjoy- Jim Got that? Even in 'layman's terms', I don't quite get it...........but it feels good. As to the set points for me? Here they are for right now: Fork: Rebound 14 out of 30 possible - Compression 9 out of 30 possible 6 turns out on preload out of 16 turns possible Shock: Rebound 17 out of 40 possible - Compression 16 out of 25 possible Preload 13mm 12Bar of pressure This guy is not a poser. He knows his stuff. He continues to race while rebuilding suspension during the week for the last 20 years and holds one of 2 licenses in the US to access Ohlins's database and know precisely what he's working on............. Jim offers a box, send in service for those who can remove their shock. Turnaround is about a week, and at a very reasonable price, if you ask me. Pro Pilot Racing Website Dan

Went down to Jackson NJ yesterday to pick up my Scura from Pro Pilot after Jim finished upgrading/modifying the stock Ohlins suspension bits for my weight and riding style. In short, the discussion on this forum and elsewhere was confirmed; Jim needed to revalve both the front forks and the rear shock as well as replace the stock spring on the rear shock to a heavier one. The preload sag is preset, and I won't be messing with it: this rear shock has easy access to both damping controls but uses those nasty collars to set preload. Past that, he also has a computer analysis program that 'dials in' the variables of compression and rebound damping for my specifics. I will be getting a full report back from Jim about what those settings are, what can be adjusted and why, etc.......... but for now I just wanted to ride the bike a little and enjoy the Ohlins kit the way it was meant to behave. I've only had the chance to ride the 100 miles back home yesterday, all on parkways -- hardly the best test of great suspension -- but even that short hour and a half ride has me saying three words: Oh My God. I cannot believe how wonderful the bike feels compared to 1 week ago: It's fabulously compliant and plush, gliding over all the pavement irregularities without any harshness. Still, I can feel the street more clearly than before......what a pleasure. When I get a few more hundred miles in, I'll report again about settings and subjective impressions. However, I think it's fair already to say that this experiment has been a major success. I think it's also fair to say that the OEM Ohlins kit was incorrectly spec'd, and that most everyone would be benefitted from this kind of reworking from an expert like Jim if they've got the stock '02 Ohlins equipment. http://www.propilotracing.com]Pro Pilot Racing[/url]

Ah so YOU'RE the one guy who bought that goofy euro-spec Yamaha BT1100, eh???? At least they sold one of 'em And I thought that 70-hp, big bore, weird looking V-twin powered semi-trailies were the singular purvey of Italian motorcycle manufacturers, looking to retain their 'individuality' while going broke........... That bike is SO out of line with the rest of the bikes on offer from Yamaha, you wonder what nut got into the new products drawing room while all the rest of the Jap moto-drones were out to lunch............... Jus' kiddin'...of course......enjoy the bike! Dan