audiomick

Quite apart from the post from Phil, I'm assuming that Guzzi most likely had a good reason for introducing the more expensive part later in the production term, and that it probably wasn't that the thing didn't work as well as the cheaper part.

I recently bought a Becker stand directly from Becker. Haven't tried it yet, but it is built well and looks good. Note: the sockets appropriate for the Bike need to be ordered as well. I forgot that when I bought the stand. Not hard to solve; they are just standard 1/2" drive sockets in the appropriate size. It just would have been easier if they had arrived with the stand.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who considers panniers essential. I've already copped some flak for expressing my intention to put Hepco Becker panniers and top case on the V11 Le Mans. I know it is prettier without, but I want the luggage capacity.

Yes, indeed. I've also just noticed the red fork gaiters. Very pretty. Chuck, have you got some more photos of that bike? I read about it somewhere several years ago already, and have been curious ever since.

I'm close to 100% sure I've seen that photo here before. Some months ago....

I'm not a thermal engineer by a long stretch, I admit, but I would be seriously surprised if the one compared to the other exhibited any difference at all as far as the temperature of the valve goes.

For what it is worth, when I "announced" having bought the V11 in the German forum, I got advice from a few people about what to look at and so on. One bloke, an experienced Guzzi mechanic, said "get a spare part #14 and part #19 from this drawing. They will start leaking". https://wendelmotorraeder.de/motorgehaeuse-v11-02-le-mansskura-ex-30_3006_300602_30060203_3006020330_300602033001.html Haven't got them yet, but I will now be getting the GU05001231 rather than the considerably cheaper copy of the original that both Wendel and Stein Dinse offer. Thanks @guzziart for the part number. Here the cheaper substitute part from the aforementioned suppliers: https://wendelmotorraeder.de/dichtung-stirndeckel-nachbau_gu12001200-w1-p-1043318.html https://www.stein-dinse.biz/product_info.php?products_id=5286 neither of them make refernce to the part no. that guzziart quoted when one uses their model specific parts catalogues for the V11, but both bring up a hit if one searches for the part number: https://wendelmotorraeder.de/deckeldichtung-kupplungsseite_gu05001231-p-1038730.html https://www.stein-dinse.biz/product_info.php?products_id=7188 Further down on the Stein Dinse page is the list "Passt an folgende Modelle", i.e. "fits these models". This list seems to include pretty much any and all of the big block models, including the various V11 models.

If there is no good reason for the "low head", space for instance, I think I would prefer the "normal" head for that application. The low heads are pretty, and perhaps sit flush with the recess in the yoke. I have, however, had issues with a low allen head bolt stripping out in the socket in the head. One case in point are the bolts holding the flange for the carbies on the V35 Imola. Low head, M6 if I remember correctly, probably 8.8. Either the ones that were in there were made of plasticine, or the head is just too low for the torque.

In fact, it would take a practiced eye to tell the difference from standard. The panniers are after-market, and the pipes are visibly non-standard. I didn't notice the difference in the motor at first glance, but since docc pointed out that is "the one" with the drone motor, I can see that is a little higher. From a distance, it looks very much like a standard Lario. Look here... https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/moto guzzi/moto_guzzi_v65_lario 87.htm

I gather you mean thes bolts? https://www.stein-dinse.biz/product_info.php?products_id=3601 https://www.stein-dinse.biz/product_info.php?products_id=214963 The cheaper of the two has a -Z on the end of the number. At SD, that means "Zubehör", i.e. from a third-party supplier, not Guzzi original (as the dearer alternative appears to be). I dare say any (good quality) standard M8 x 30 would work, not the least because of the price of the cheaper of the two. At that price, it can't be anything all too special. My gut feeling is that docc's advice about tightening the bolts is more critical than the bolt itself. Bear in mind that the bolt isn't holding a huge load, it is "only" clamping the yoke on to the shaft. It has to be in good shape, and tight enough, but that is all. Going by the pictures, the spline has the usual groove that the bolt sits in. As long as the bolt doesn't actually fall out, the yoke can't come off the spline.

Stay relaxed. You're paying someone to show you how to do that stuff. Demand your money's worth, and have fun.

No good to me. Anything I don't use any more doesn't get used because it is worn out. That doesn't mean I don't have too much gear. It's just that I do actually use it all from time to time. I still have the Dririder Alpine jacket I bought in Melbourne in about 1992. That really is worn out, but I still wear it occasionally, and can't quite bring myself to throw it out.

BMW Motorcycles have that too. I gather they have it better under control than on an older Guzzi, but it is still there. Apart from that, it seems to me to be the main point of such a course to learn how to deal with those situations on the bike one rides on a day to day basis. So I would just go ahead and do it, and not worry too much about the idiosyncracies of any particular type of bike.

The replacement switch is in. All the lights work, and the motor started, so I think it is right for the time being. Unfortunately I damaged it a little taking it apart to clean and re-grease. I think it is stable, but I will be looking for one of the "alternatives" from an Aprillia scooter or whatever to change out the casing at some point. I also managed to stick a screwdriver into my finger. Nothing at all serious, but within the first ten minutes in the garage, and whilst I was actually thinking "be careful what you are doing with that". The other project of the day was to change the clutch cable on the V35 Imola. Turns out that is not done quickly. I had forgotten, but got reminded, that the battery holder plate has to come out. The gap between it and the back of the gearbox isn't big enough to get the knob on the end of the cable through. Back in to the garage tomorrow to do that.

Don't break the bank. There is beer to be bought as well.

Ah, now I see nuts. Expensive, methinks, but very, very pretty.

Maybe because of this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plating#Cadmium_plating The link to the "Black corrosion-resistant-coated steel nuts" seems to be loopy. It sends me to a page listing lots of different grease products.

Getting back to this: The switch arrived today. The bloke that sent it still hasn't informed me how I can get the money to him. €20,- seems to be a pretty fair price to me. Anyway, with a bit of luck I should be able to get in to the garage tomorrow and install the switch. I'll be having a look inside, of course. At the very least clean and grease (I've got a hold of some Caigs grease, so I'll be trying that...). Depending on how the insides of the "new" switch look, it might be a case of "mix and match" with bits out of the old one. Report on progress probably in about 24 hours.

What? Is that for 1,000 meters or what?

To adress that problem on a couple of bikes, I bought this: https://www.louis.de/artikel/teflon-gleitfolie-fuer-gasgriff/10026095?filter_article_number=10026095 The ring will go on pretty much any bike, and reduces or eliminates friction between the grip and the switchblock. That was an issue I had with the Domino short-throw throttle on my V35 Imola. I put one of the rings in on the GTR 1000 too. If I remember correctly, I could put the flat sheet around the handlebar in on the Domino grip, but not on the GTR 1000, but that might have been the other way around. On one of the bikes, there wasn't enough gap between the throttle barrel and the bar. For the one on which the sheet wouldn't fit, I used some spray-on Teflon on the handlebar. That worked well too.

Correct. In fact, the small block models are the true Tontis, because Tonti was in charge of design for the whole bike, not merely the frame.

I like Armorall for that sort of thing.

I'd be interested, too. But no pressure...

How about Jaeger LaCoultre?