Skeeve

The 4v HiCam ["8v" in Piaggio-speak] motor in the Daytona also saw use in the Centauro, aka "The Beast:" nothing but good reports about how that motor feels vs. the traditional 2v mill [high maintenance tho'.] Since the V11 is an evolution of the 1100i, I can't imagine they feel that much different beyond the shorter gearing & closer-ratio 6 spd in the V11. The Daytona has the stonk to make the most out of the tall gearing, and with the broad powerband the old-style 5spd won't be much of a hindrance. That's just based on hearsay, but it's what I've distilled out of years about reading various accounts. And of course, the Daytona RS is the most gorgeous bike ever, followed closely by the V11 LeMans!

The 4v HiCam ["8v" in Piaggio-speak] motor in the Daytona also saw use in the Centauro, aka "The Beast:" nothing but good reports about how that motor feels vs. the traditional 2v mill [high maintenance tho'.] Since the V11 is an evolution of the 1100i, I can't imagine they feel that much different beyond the shorter gearing & closer-ratio 6 spd in the V11. The Daytona has the stonk to make the most out of the tall gearing, and with the broad powerband the old-style 5spd won't be much of a hindrance. That's just based on hearsay, but it's what I've distilled out of years about reading various accounts.

Boeshield T-11. Won't stop environmental corrosion, but will help slow it down. It'll give your shiny bits a nice matte finish too. Do you have an assigned space in the carport? There's a company that makes a little fabric motorcycle shed [think of a convertible top that folds manually from the ground in front of the bike over the whole thing, attached to it's own base that you roll the bike onto, & can lock closed.] Does your carport have power access? If so, a small dehumidifier w/ the little portable garage mentioned above might be the best combo. Otherwise, rent garage space further inland, or switch to scooters. Motorcycles want to sleep in a garage!

Ouch! Ah well, I knew it wasn't gonna be cheap, but 15% of the value of the bike [like I would ever sell it! ] is not a no-brainer. Still, best start saving my pennies...

1st things 1st: as prior respondents have pointed out, the only White Power shocks came on models previous to the V11 Sport/RM/LM series [ie, post Y2K models. IIRC, White Power ceased to exist sometime in the late 90s, having realized that their name was a serious handicap to selling product Stateside due to unintended racial connotations...] So the question is, does your shock say "White Power" or were you automatically converting the WP logo to its original name by mistake as you typed? If it's a White Power shock, it may have the original spring off an 1100 Spot/Sporti, which were slightly heavier bikes and sprung more stiffly than the V11 Sports as delivered, so you may be OK w/ the spring that's on there. If it's a WP shock, then it may or may not have come w/ a custom spring, so again, you'll just have to test it out by measuring static & "race" sag & comparing measurements. It seems like a lot of bother, but get a friend to help & it will take all of 15 minutes and it's a good excuse for a beer afterwards to treat yourselves for an important job well done. Personally, I'd keep the White Power shock & have it rebuilt: it'll be cheaper than buying a new Penske or other similar fully-rebuildable aftermarket shock, and there's nothing any of them will offer that the WP shock doesn't [well, in a comparable price range: spending multiple $1000s on some high zoot magnetic rheostatic computerized widget isn't at all reasonable for this application, at least not to me... ] - don't forget, when WP & Ohlins 1st came out, they were the beginning of modern high quality suspension [& lest people forget, WP was considered the slightly better of the two at the time by many...] Best o' luck!

'Tis a thing of beauty & a joy forever, but I'd want mine to retain the stock "aero" flush mount gas cap setup. Powder coated black to match the rest of the bike [& save my vision on sunny days! ] & it certainly would seem to be a solid solution to the fuel-stretch issue w/ the plastic nylon tank! What did that beauty run you?

Don't miscontrue my meaning: the Stucchi will change the top end output vs. the stock pre-muffler [not a true x-over: it's a comparatively HUGE volume, = to about 1/2 of one of the mufflers] more than the Mistral. The "hole" btw 3.5-5k rpm w/ the stock pre-muffler will be filled in slightly w/ the Stucchi, & more so with the Mistral, from all anecdotal evidence and dyno reports filed here on V11LM & elsewhere over the years. To get maximum benefits from any of them [stock, Stucchi or Mistral] you'll need to adjust the fuel map via one of several means: the noise & pollution tests for various countries are typically performed at idle & a set speed [35mph or kph equivalent?] in 3rd? gear; that's why the stock fuel/air map is too lean in a particular band off idle [combination of f/x from airbox muffling, restrictive stock exhausts, fueling, etc etc etc.] Change any part of the equation [air filter, airbox lid mod, x-over, etc] and it forces changes to the fuel map to derive passably correct, let alone optimum, performance! Me, I'd have the Stucchi already if it wasn't for: #1: I'm chronically broke, & have been for the past few years. #2: I'm interested in "rolling my own" [tinkerer] to some way utilize the proven f/x of Yamaha's EXUP system. #3: I'm focusing on solving repair/maintenance issues for my present cage crisis over bikes. OTOH, if I was using a V11 as a daily commuter in traffic, I'd opt for the Mistral, since it maximizes midrange ["roll on" flexibility] over all else, and the ability to mount a ctr-stand would then also be of significant importance for parking adaptability.

Uh, I think you've got that backwards: the Mistral, being almost completely a phonic x-over, doesn't share muffler volumes so at high rpm/exhaust output, it's more choked than the Stucchi, which is a true x-over in the sense that both headers are joined & then split out again to the mufflers. Anecdotally, the Mistral fills in the hole better in the roll-on from low rpm [& will also allow fitment of the aftermarket ctr.-stand], while the Stucchi posts higher power peaks on the dyno charts & also functions better than the stock x-over down low [but no hope for a ctr.-stand w/ the Stucchi.] BTW, for the original poster: you sure about that year on your Billybob? AFAICR, all V11 production ended 2004: 2005+ models were leftovers since the factory was in limbo during the Piaggio takeover of Aprillia in that time frame...

AFAIK, all the cool cross-tour rubber [Anakin? Kankakee? Ankaree?] that has massive voids & nice short blocks so they're still about 80% street & 20% dirt at best only come in 19" & 21" front tire sizes. Tend to run to 18" rear wheel sizes too. That was probably 5 years ago when I last checked tho', when Buell was still making the Ulysses & they switched to a 17" front & had to go w/ a pure street tire, maybe things have changed for the better since then?

Um, I think you mean to write "I'm sure ALL of it is due to rider talent..." since anyone who can take a V11 to victory over Ducatis at Daytona [a notoriously "fast" track] has got to have the balls composed of a mix of copper & zinc & blood made from the water melted off Greenland's 100,000 year old glaciers... Oh, and I suspect that the heads on that 750 were Lario 4v units...

Just a wild guess, here, but since the 15M was used in some FIAT or other, and FIATs weren't coming stateside at the time , I think that would rule out the SAE protocol. And wouldn't the ISO xxx CAN require a CAN-bus which the Guzzi doesn't have? So I'd guess just your standard ISO would be your best bet, but as HaydnR suggested, check out the ducatidiag forum [altho' I think that's mostly aimed at the 5am ECU also used in the new Guzzis...] Best o' luck!

Idle speed dropping is also the 1st sign of time to adjust the valves...

Hey, 6# is 6# [or however much it is. 10#? 12?] And it's placed up high [at least on the V11 LM; I dunno from Grisos or other CARCs...] Would the wt. diff. make a difference to feel if you'd moved your battery under the gearbox like on some Tontis? Not likely! But removing the wt. from on high on a bike that already carries its wt. high above the axle centers is going to affect s2s transitions: it's that whole "mass centralization" theme for their sport bikes that Honda copied off of Buell over the last 10 years or more... Every little bit counts. Some more than others: I'd love to lose that same wt. from the swingarm & wheels [unsprung wt.] vs. the battery, but I'll take what I can get. The bonus is better charge retention for a garage queen [or someone who lives in a climate w/ long periods of non-riding weather, like say, Minnesota... [stop! Don't say it! "That's what ice-racing is for..." Doh! Yeah, yeah, but your Guzzi is still locked away for the winter! ]

Well, for a concrete reason, what do y'all think of "adding to the patent pool?" Is there something Ducati owns that you can think of that Audi might want to apply to a cage? Better traction control software? I mean, besides the obvious halo f/x of owning another upscale brand [the same expert quoted above probably had the same thing to say when Audi acquired Lamborghini, after all... ] What do you think?

There, fixed it for ya! My understanding tho' is that the Griso isn't all raked out like the H-D V-Rod, it just has a long wheelbase that slows things down. I could be wrong tho', I haven't paid all that much attention to the Griso other than looking at it. For those who've never seen one up close, they look MUCH better in 3d than in pics: I positively loathed the looks of the concept bike that got so much press until Guzzi finally displayed one at the CWIMS show in Long Beach about 5 years ago now; then I became a convert. [unlike the V-Rod, which looks just stupid in photos AND in the flesh, & feels even dumber when you take one for a test ride. H-D realllly needs to do a rethink on that one!]

This needs to be posted in a "V11 xref" sticky in the tech section: valuable info here!

The reason you're getting conflicting info is that the stock tire size is 180/55 but the improved (quicker) handling option is the 170/60 profile. On the early model V11s, the stock size was 170/60 & the improved option was 160/60 [they came with a narrower rim than the later models.] Given that your 2k1 could be on the cusp of that change to the rim, 170/60ZR17 is the size you want for guaranteed fitment. BTW, the standard answer for plugging moto tires is that if the puncture is in the center 1/3 of the tire, plug & reduce speed rating by one grade [ie, Z->V, or V->H.] If the puncture is in the outer 1/3, better to replace: only try to plug it in order to get yourself to someplace where you can obtain a replacement. The "gummy worm" plugs work fine & are much less bother to install than the other kinds available, just make sure to follow the directions. Given your description, it seems that you're up for replacement. I believe Avon are the only moto tire manf. that offers a "puncture insurance" warranty on their new tires [only good for new, very low-mileage tires, but then, why is it that we only pick up nails in the first few 100 miles after replacing a tire? ]

Really........... no one with a prestine low milage rosso out there........ Im a nice person. Pics if you dare. PM me The only low-mileage NC or RC models I've seen online have been DECIDEDLY less than pristine (crashed): it seems to me that the folks who payed extra for the good suspension parts & fancy paint jobs really like to ride'em not hide'em! Good luck on your search!

Vapor lock, for certain. All the external fuel-pump models are susceptible to it. Symptomology is exactly as you described: nice, spirited ride on a warm day to get the motor hot, stop the bike for longer than a quick fuel stop & let the fuel lines get heat soaked, & the bike fails to start. Once everything cools off, it's back to normal, no signs of failure. Only thing that can be done is either: A] Swap the fuel tank & pump for the late model one (where the fuel pump is inside the tank to keep it cool & protected from the heat off the motor) - expen$ive! or B] try to insulate the fuel pump & attached lines as well as possible with appropriate materials (there's stuff out there in meat-space that you can use for this: check with homebuilt airplane supply catalogs like Aircraft Spruce or racing car parts places like Summit, JEGS, etc. for hi-temp insulation.) Best o' luck to you!

Well, you should be proud, Manuel: the Coppa Mans is legendary and quite stunning! Best of all possible worlds, you might say!

Why drag the cans on both sides? Look, the V11 is an evolutionary bike: Guzzi wanted to move the shaft down & to the right to give a better angle on the universal joints in the shaft and clearance for bigger rear tires vs. the old Sporti, and might as well give it 6 speeds while you're in there rearranging the furniture. Meanwhile, the company is still short of funds, so you're going to slap it all together as quickly & cheaply as possible so you can get it out the door to list it as a '99 [Yup, the original V11 Sport was officially a '99, even tho' I don't think any shipped until 2000 after Aprillia's take-over...] Besides, who cares what the cagers behind you think? They're probably too busy grumbling about the daft motorcyclist who just passed them to notice the asymmetry of the exhaust cans...

Can't really see anything, there's a Sportster in the way... Could this be a bike fitted w/ the Italian Griso-only racing league spec fairing? I can't remember what that looked like, and you can't really see the front of the fairing in this pic...

Advantage of the iridium vs. platinum is even harder more heat resistant electrode, so you can go with an even finer electrode with the same lifespan [or the same size w/ longer lifespan.] The smaller the electrode the easier time of it the spark has in getting started, and less likely to foul since the spark can burn thru any coatings easier. Typically, platinum & iridium plugs have extended change intervals; when plats first hit the market it was 30k vs every 10k for copper plugs, and it's only gone up from there. Some new cars come equipped with iridiums and there is no spark plug change interval: they're done w/ the engine-out belt change at 60k miles [when the Japanese just replace the whole motor, hence the cheap remanned motor prices on late model J-brand cars here in the States! ]

That's what I was about to say. OTOH, you can get a set of front-x-over-less headers from Todd over at GuzziTech and a Stucchi rear x-over for less than Ago's price on what amounts to the same thing if you live stateside. Serving their respective regional markets is all good. If the $-Euro rate changes radically, then you can play @ arbitrage to get a better price if you like. Everyone wins!