[Power Commander at K & N for $145]

A follow-up:

 

I ordered the unit Wednesday, got it Friday. After loading the V11 stock map (M706-001) and installing the unit I took it for a ride. The improvement would, I'd guess, be greater for a bike with pipes or other modifications but for a stock bike it was just a bit "sweeter" and the flat spot around 4K was gone. A nice improvement but not a necessity until you start playing with cross-overs and aftermarket cans. For $145 USD I feel pretty good about the PCIII but I wouldn't pay retail unless I had or was planning to make changes to the intake or exhaust, JMHO.

 

Cheers,

 

Lex

[Gas Tank Games]

Addendum

 

All,

 

First, thanks for the help. I not as new as some think (a couple of months) but I am new and good advice from nice folks makes me even more sure I will look back on the purchase of my first Goose as a good move. I originally wrote a small “how-to” based on what I learned during this experience but Al’s write-up in the FAQ (the FAQ is a great idea, BTW) covered everything I was going to say and more. Below are a few comments.

 

First, I had already removed the charcoal canisters, not because they hurt the engine in any way but because it drove me crazy (I’m an old fashioned, anal retentive, engineering, BMW riding type) to give up the tool kit space. I didn’t, as nearly as I can tell, change anything from the disk shaped valve “up” toward the tank. FWIW, I would love to figure out a way to mount the canisters W/O giving up the under seat space, any ideas?

 

For my fellow newbies, there are two valves in the line we are talking about; the one closer to the tank is the “tip-over” valve. It is (at least on my bike) black and basically cylindrical. You can test it by sucking or blowing into the top; air should flow freely while the valve is vertical. As you tilt the valve you will find it stops flowing air at a certain point. Please note that the valve and lines may be full of gas fumes, getting that in your lungs is probably not the healthiest thing you can do. The second valve (black and dirty yellow on my bike) is disk shaped and doesn’t seem to cause any problems.

 

I did some testing and found my bike would not vent the tank while on the side stand. It worked fine on the shop stand. What I discovered is that the valve is tilted (the top is to the left of the bottom) by the way Guzzi “plumbed” it into the system. Put the bike on the side-stand and it leans to the left. The valve on my bike was then tilted enough to stop the flow of air in and out of the tank. I solved the problem with a solution similar to what Al mentioned, I attached the valve to the frame and added a longer hose to connect the valve to the tank. Since I didn’t change the location of the tip-over valve I would say this problem could affect any V11, if your tank makes “whooshing” sound when you open the gas cap check the valve.

 

Finally, I couldn’t get Al’s links to work* and I failed to find the article using the search function (both before I wrote and a few minutes ago) but you can read the thread I think he is linking he calls “Tank Suck” by going to page six of the “Technical Topics” forum, it is near the bottom of the page.

 

Cheers,

 

Lex

 

*I get bumped back to the login screen

[Gas Tank Games]

AL,

 

Thanks, I didn't realize the valve was position sensitive. I'll orient it

properly today.

 

BTW, I'm not that new to the forum but I have been a lurker for the most

part. I didn't have anything interesting enough to say to make a post.

Watching my tank grow was interesting to say the least.

 

Cheers,

 

Lex

[Gas Tank Games]

For some of you this maybe old news but in the hopes of preventing any other newbies from learning the same thing the hard way here is my report.

 

I started a small project on my ’01 V11 Sport today. One stage of the project involved lifting the back of the tank slightly to run some wires. Even counting fabricating a small bracket I figured less than an hour. Boy, was I wrong. Six hours later, I was cleaning up. What took so long? The tank would not go back on the bike. I pushed, pulled, lubricated the mounts, checked for something in the way, no help. Finally, I took the tank off completely; I found the front of the tank was rubbing on the frame but no clue as to the problem. I’ll skip all the things I tried but nothing helped until I pulled the vent tube that used to run to the “pollution cans” under the seat. The tank made sucking sound and grew before my eyes! The tank then dropped into place just as it has every other time I’ve messed with it. Obviously, the tank had contracted due to a good deal of vacuum.

 

I’ll open (and close) the gas cap before I move the tank in the future and make it a habit to park the bike with the tank nearly full, fuel doesn’t expand and contract nearly as much as air. This can’t be good for the tank (or its paint!) any suggestions for eliminating the problem without dumping raw gas on the ground?

 

Still amazed by watching my tank grow,

 

Lex

[Power Commander at K & N for $145]

I just ordered mine, Thanks!

[Newbe needs help.]

I'm sure Jason is right about the better sound/ run the bike harder equation but less restrictive exhaust (at least in my experience) will not make an engine run hotter IF you can restrain your throttle hand. Getting the hot gasses out of the head faster should slightly reduce engine temp.

 

From the little I know about the V11 (I'm a long time rider and shade tree mechanic but very new to Guzzis) it almost looks like the "mid-pipe" and maybe the mufflers are designed to make the engine weak at 3-4K RPM, the speeds you would use most during break-in. This also happens to the RPM where the sound tests are done, if I understand correctly. I would guess (anybody really know?) this is done by reflecting positive pressure waves to the exhaust port while the valve is open in this RPM range, holding the hot gasses in the head longer than they would be if the pipe was only designed to make the engine run well. I understand it is fairly common to use tricks like this to make a dip in the power curve to get "sweet" sounding pipes past the sound meters.

 

I'm not sure if I have a point or I'm just justifying to myself that I'm not an idiot for planning to put a Stucchi crossover on my bike before break-in is done. ;^) If I do have a point it is that an exhaust designed for the engine and not to meet an arbitrary sound standard is a good thing for many reasons. Just be sure you can restrain your right hand when that beautiful music is coming from the pipes until your engine has been run-in properly.

 

JMHO,

 

Lex