audiomick

I'm afraid the screenshot is not much use, Joe.

She doesn't look at all comfortable on there.

Very pretty.

Pete, you didn't mention part #7 here. https://www.stein-dinse.biz/eliste/eliste_bild.php?sid=1919g575295g5686ebcg&lg=de As far as I know, that could be an issue on earlier CARC swingarms, in which it was a plain bush or something. As I expect you know, later on the "silent block" was used instead, because the bush or whatever it was before that was prone to wearing out and getting sloppy. A very experienced mechanic, I believe he spent some years working in a Guzzi workshop, has told me that this "silent block" mod can be done on any CARC, and is to be recommended. Can you comment on that, and maybe name the model year before which the silent block was not standard? Edit: someone in the german forum that I am active in turned up this source for the silent block: http://www.dealricambi.net/risultati.asp?c=144&s=883045 No idea what the quality is like, but at a fifth of the SD price, one could give it a go. I dare say it is a standard part that could be sourced in other countries too, but I have no idea what the dimensions are.

I'm not sure you'd have to do that with a V11 Le Mans. Mine has two holes in the top yoke that appear to be intended for the handlebar mounts that aren't there on that model.

Ok, no stress. Get healthy first, that's the most important.

@Chuck Hi Chuck. Did you recieve a PM from me? In my out box it says "not read".

Do you mean this: https://www.ebay.de/itm/144834133492?hash=item21b8c97df4:g:fmcAAOSwBP1jhnuc&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoL0XWQwcV%2FNUMFviTyrXoYhGd9w4mZwQj%2FFpdP1qfiSB8YxSSlBjwyUbgK0Isn8OO5GROYSsCLbIjOdA9HEm3zGI%2Bsn64Jbaf7Gh%2B%2BLHvC%2FyqyS4%2BSfXLl%2F8%2FJ7acJ%2Bjl9%2FfN0Z7TgrpkkwqVaMcEBuViTRnPdCD%2FpJBHr1EBUZN%2B3Eq67XEyHfl4OA%2B4HdtWx6iEP2OR3VLcf7BVubsvNE%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR4K0l4K2YQ Good, that they are still available, but that looks like "new old stock", i.e. they will run out one day.

Not necessarily. My Le Mans has got adjustable rebound damping in both forks, and no adjustment for compression damping. I gather the earlier models had "R" and "C", but my model only ever had 2 x "R".

Before I got onto the idea of a V11 Le Mans, I was thinking about CARC bikes, maybe. One of the things that pushed me towards the V11 Le Mans was the clip-ons, a must have during my formative years. Another was the frame mounted half fairing. One thing that put me off the CARC models a bit was part number six here: https://wendelmotorraeder.de/kardan-gummis-breva-1100-05-07-ex-30_3006_300611_30061110_3006111013.html the rubber boot around the bit that sticks up out of the final drive. Those words "nicht lieferbar" mean "not available". I gather the boot can't be had anywhere, even if you offer to sell your granny for it. Someone in another forum described how he botched up a solution, which would probably be possible and stay good for a while. Still, not being able to get a part like that, small but crucial, does make me stop and think.

Buy 'em both. Or all three....

Indeed they are. I'm looking for mirrors for my V35 Imola at the moment. I really liked the ones that were on it, but it fell off the sidestand about a month ago, and one of them popped out of the ball joint. After much searching, I had to come to the conclusion that the manufacturer is unfortunately no longer in business. One candidate was these, possibly the most expensive mirrors I have ever seen: https://www.motogadget.com/shop/de/m-view-club.html I like the look of them a lot, and they are technically very elegant: they are machined out of aluminium, and the mirror surface is the base material polished and coated to form a mirror. Unfortunately, I think they wont work. The stem juts forwards where the joint is just above the base. On the Imola, there is about zero space between the mirror mount and the fairing, and I'm pretty sure they would collide. Bugger. One more lost chance to spend far too much money on bits for the motorbike. Incidentally, the best stock mirrors ever were certainly those on the Kawasaki 1000 GTR (also known as the Concours in some small, insignificant markets....). They are unobtrusive, blend well into the lines of the fairing*, never, ever, ever vibrate (even at 180 kmh +), provide an excellent view to the rear, and are placed such that the riders hands are protected by the mirrors from the wind. * Edit: one could also say that there is so much fairing on the bike, that the mirrors just dwindle into insignificance.

What Joe said....

How about a photo to eliminate confusion?

Yep, and he's a legend. (mate...)

Of course. She is Australian.

Yeah, same here. Copied the rest out and put it in the address bar. All I got was "this page doesn't exist". I notice that the format of the "links" , i.e this: .com/37737215-e75a-4437-b772-db940d46dd91 doesn't seem to match what I see in the address bar when I go to a random post somewhere in the forum, which looks like this: .com/forums/topic/5691-breakdown-of-model-year-changes/#comment-256916 No idea what that might mean, though.

Yeah, I had a look at those links too. They seem to be just not there anymore, for whatever reason. Any idea where the "blob" before the https: comes from?

Thanks for that.

I'll do that (probably...), but I'm already familiar with the term and the concept from German forums. @LaGrasta : the "new bike" inspection hasn't happened yet, but it will come. The workshop that I share with a couple of blokes is no warmer than outside, so I'm not in a hurry to spend several hours in there checking over the bike until it gets a little less cold outside.

Yeah, one easily forgets that electrical contacts are something that need servicing. For instance, power cables and powerboards (plugs into the wall and has multiple outlets...) that are used in the "event branch", i.e. PA systems, lighting, video etc., and in fact anything that has a power cable on it, is supposed to get a yearly inspection here in Germany. When was the last time anyone here opened the plugs on that old power extension cable in the workshop to see if the screws were all still tight? For the electricals on a motorbike, it is just as relevant.

Thanks, I'll look at that. I got a PM earlier today suggesting I look at this topic: https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/topic/23441-solved-had-to-get-a-jump-start-from-roadside-assistance-starter-motor-not-cranking-after-a-chilly-night-intermitent-issue/ The symptoms described there match mine exactly, so I will be looking in that direction for sure. The gist of it is, the starter solenoid gets it's power through the ignition switch, and it may be that the switch is not letting enough amps through. Adding a relay which provides power directly from the battery to the solenoid and is triggered by the ignition switch will be more reliable and more robust. And should (or could...) solve the problem immediately and permanently. It is going to be a while, maybe a few weeks, before I get around to looking into this problem. Any further tips or information would be more than welcome. Thanks for the contributions so far.

So that would be a Valeo starter, right? I've read about the problem they had with the magnets for a while. I gather the problem was solved in newer models, but I don't know for sure from when on. I assume mine (V11 Le Mans 2002/2003 model) would have a Valeo starter. As far as I know, Guzzi started using them somewhere around that time, and they were in all the models. Can someone confirm that for me? Edit: I could, of course, go down and see if I can see a brand on the starter, but the bike is under a cover outside, and it is raining...

Thanks for that, docc. I'll look at those.

On the newly acquired V11 Le Mans, the starter button doesn't always work immediately. For instance this evening after work I had to hit it about 6 times before the starter kicked in. The previous owner had told me about the problem before I bought it, so I'm not surprised. Mostly it works; when it is being finicky it is mostly only once or twice. Tonight was the worst I've seen, but then again I haven't ridden it much yet. I haven't looked at anything at all yet. I'm assuming the battery is all right for now, firstly because the previous owner fixed a number of things during the 6 months or so that he had the bike, and I can't imagine he left a dodgy battery in it. Secondly, when the starter does kick in, or when it starts first go, there is no sign of battery weakness. The starter turns as I would expect it to, and the bike starts pretty much straight away. What might be relevant, or might not, it's only about 5° C here at the moment. Maybe the low temperature had something to do with it being particulary contrary tonight. That would, however, indicate a weak battery I think, and as I said, I think the battery is ok. When it is playing up, the dash lights dim a bit, so I don't think the starter button is just not switching. What occurs to me to look at: Check things like the connection from the minus on the battery to the frame, and "follow the volts" from battery plus to the starter with the multi-meter to see if any are getting lost on the way. And check the voltage at the battery with the motor off and with the motor running, of course. Also a check under load, i.e. lights on and activate the starter to see what happens to the battery voltage. If that all looks good (and at the moment, I suspect I'll find something in there somewhere...), I reckon I'll have to consider having a look inside the starter motor. So now the questions: Are there any known issues with the starter button, the starter itself, or anything related, that might cause such a problem? Does anyone have suggestions about what else I should be looking at? Thanks in advance, Mick