Orson

The eagle design is really nice!

How's Greece as a riding destination? In September? I've heard some good bits about the mountains in the north. I tend to ride most of the day, and don't care much for stopping and visiting tourist sites, although I will stop for a good photo op. I would definitely avoid Athens traffic. Is it worth hopping onto a ferry from Italy, or should I just stay and ride in Italy?

Fantastic! Sounds great! I am extremely jealous!

I'm no expert, as I just head out and see what I run into, but my trip reports might give you some ideas: Wales I Wales II Wales III The Brecon Beacons National Park, South Wales South entrance to Snowdonia National Park, North Wales

I also have faded Tekno bags. It adds a patina of authenticity

Regarding waxed cotton jackets:

it seemed like 3750 rpm was the sweet spot on my Tenni. now with 60,000 km on the clock, the sweet spot seems to be climbing to around 3900 rpm. maybe it's finally getting broken in

The one I got from Moto Guareschi is pretty big. I think it came as a matching set with the Teknic saddlebags, but I could be wrong. If your Italian is any good, you can try calling Moto Guareschi Sorry I can't be more informative, but the tank bag is in Italy, so I can't look at it. Here's a picture of it:

I notice that a Tenni is front and center in the forum banner, so all is well in the universe

A few years ago, when there was a terrorist attack here in Saudi, redneck sent me a message hoping I was doing ok. I thought that was mighty thoughtful of him. R.I.P. redneck

I've seen Soren's bike, and thought it was a V11 until he told me he had made a fairing conversion on his Scura

Contact forum member tikkanen. I believe he has done the V11 fairing conversion on his Scura

Again, which logo are we talking about? V11lemans.com logo? V11 logo? or moto Guzzi logo?

170 Tennis produced

Which logo? The forum logo, or the Moto Guzzi logo, or a V11 logo. I'd be interested in a XX Large T shirt, but I'd like to see a picture first Didn't Jaap get an angry letter from Moto Guzzi the last time regarding registered trademark issues?

A blue-ish gray or a gun metal gray with orange or maye a dark blue and orange. orange goes with many colors.

Harley racing black & orange is another option

Tenni racing green would be the logical choice

I own a Thruxton, and also had the opportunity to take a V7 on a 4 hour test ride. I wasn't expecting much, but once I got out of town and into the twisties, the V7 surprised me. It was a hoot to jam on the brakes, hit the apex and then pin the throttle to the stop The V7 felt more planted than the skittish Thruxton. Maybe it's the wider handlebars on the V7 that make it feel more controlable. All in all though, I'd have to agree, the V7 could use a few more ponies

I dunno about land speed record, but Ashley Law piloted a V11 to a 97 mph average at the 2002 Isle of Man TT

Yes...Merry Christmas to all although, going by the picture on the front page, it appears Jaap is somewhere in the Caribbean....without US

Here's a list of what to look for written by Al Roethlisberger in a previous thread: 2002 was a bit of a double-whammy for the LeMans. It was Aprilia's first year of MG ownership, they stirred things up a bit such as consolidated/relocated much of the parts inventory that year, and was the first year for the LeMans and "long frame" bikes. With that in mind, although the V11 Sport had been in production for a couple years at that point, the new LeMans(and other V11 models of that year) had a few "bugs". 1) "fuzzy engine paint" - As you've no doubt noticed, the black engine paint introduced in ~02 tends to bubble and flake off of the drivetrain, especially in areas of higher heat. There was a "recall" some years back where MG would either provide new engine cases with ostensibly improved paint(which required a rebuild) or exchange for swag such as riding suits, etc. I suspect that this program is no longer available, or that a previous owner may have opted for the swag(and I'm relatively certain there aren't any other new cases). But most owners just chose to live with it as it isn't service affecting. Some folks also have chosen to strip off the black paint, and repaint with a different engine black or silver. Bottom line, this is a cosmetic issue. 2) Relays - As mentioned the stock relays have had issues for many, but there are several aftermarket varieties available that are much more reliable. It is often just a good idea to change out the whole batch of stock relays to avoid problems down the road. 3) Longer frame - This isn't a problem per se, although some folks were disappointed with the "slower handling" of the 02+ bikes. For some this isn't an issue, and some have said that tire choice can ameliorate the change. The same is true of the wider rear tire on the 02+ bikes. The 02 bikes carried over all the 00-01 body panels and in the case of the fuel tank was a little different "fit". It really is a cosmetic issue with the tank looking a bit "short", which was fixed with a new tank in 03. 4) Tank suck & Vapor Lock - These two related, although not necessarily dependent issues were a product of all pre 03 models and the external(of tank) fuel system, after which the fuel pump system was moved into the interior of the fuel tank. Not everyone has experienced the VL problem for a variety of reasons(which includes where the factory placed your fuel pump), but it does seem more susceptible to those in hot and higher altitude climates. For more detailed info on this issue, check out the FAQ at www.v11lemans.com. Although the vapor lock issue isn't consistent for all owners, the tank suck issue seems more prevalent and can cause tank deformation. 5) Transmission - There was a transmission recall for some 00-01 V11s, but I don't think any of the 02 LeMans fell within that recall. However some 02 and 03 bikes did receive a defective transmission side plate where the shift spring boss was 1mm too large, 16 instead of 15mm if I recall. In these examples the shift return spring would bind and eventually break, leaving the transmission stuck in the gear it was in. This is an easy fix. Early repairs were to install a heavier spring, but we soon found the mis-sized boss to be the real problem. The fix is to either get a new side cover or just grind down the boss. You've already looked at grounding which can be a challenge as well as checking all lubrication. But other than the issues noted above, an 02 should be fine. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All I can think to add is that some 2002 bikes had a wrong sized spacer on rear axle can cause wheel bearings to wear prematurely

Thanks for the link I enjoy those "Edge-of-the-known-world" type trip reports

Bella!

Ronnie Cramer's Motorcycle Web Index Thousands of motorcycle links