callison

I have the round Mistrals on my V11TT. The previous owner got them as part of the $1000 bonanza MGNA was offering new buyers (and that's all he got too - nothing else ever came in before he sold the bike to me with 528 miles on it). They sound magnificent. 9000 miles and 5 months later, they still sound great and no apparent problems with the bike.

Yeah, I'm running a reverse pattern on my California, only it's backwards! It's a heel and toe shifter. Seriously, while I really loved the reverse pattern on my RD-350 when it was completely cafe'd out, I wouldn't do it now because it would make the transition between bikes (I have four) a bit more onerous.

When I got soaked the other day, I had on one of those BMW under garment thingies with the weird phase change material. I stayed dry while the clothes outside got wet. Dry is good, wet is embarrasing. I did the same ride two days later but the rain only lasted for 15 minutes instead of an hour and I didn't have any soak throughs. I was a whole lot more careful about ensuring that the BMW rainsuit was closed up properly and the interior "bib" drawn up as far as it would go. There will undoubtedly be more days when I get to "test" the rain garb and I'll get an opportunity to see if it was suit permeability or just poor technique while donning the suit.

I kind of doubt that fuel pressure varies greatly from bike to bike. Mechanical regulators are a mature technology and the specs for the regulator are pretty tight, something like 42 PSI +/- .5 psi. I am going from memory here, but I'll look it up later. I did run across one 97 California with a cam from a 97 Sporti. He just modified the regulator for a higher pressure to accomodate the necessary fuel requirements and the bike apparently runs just fine.

I didn't drive the V11 today simply because I've been waiting for an answer. Tonight, I'll drain off the excess. That does raise the question though, how much should really be in there if you've measure it and even more importantly, does following the manufacturers recommendations for the rear box overfill that as well?

There's a whole lot of knowledge on these substitute coils at http://www.b2g3.com/boards/board.cgi?&user=wildguzzi, try posting your question there.

I had thought that I had a pretty good rig for foul weather riding. Yesterday I spent an hour in extremely heavy rain and my BMW rainsuit did precisely the same thing a cheap rainsuit does - it soaked through in the crotch area. Looks kinda bad when you unsuit at work... Does anyone know of a rainsuit that actually works and lasts for more than one season? It's bad enough the Guzzi gearbox gets wet, I don't want my "gearbox" to get wet as well

Well, after I got home from work this morning at 1 A.M., I drained my gear oil(s). The rear box looked normal, the transmission was indeed milky, just like everyone has been stating it would be. I ran a half can of engine oil through the box, let that drain real good (no milk), and then put in the required amount of lube, measured precisely. Now, with the bike on a stand so it's vertical, the window is completely full. I had assumed before that the fluid level should fall in the middle of the sight window, but apparently this isn't so. That sort of makes the window useless as an accurate way of filling the transmission without the benefit of a measuring device. On the 5 speed box, you would just fill it until it just barely reached the bottom of the sight hole and that was it. This window appears to be more of a guestimation. Am I reading all of this correctly? I did put in .85 litres of lube IAW pg. 118 of the owners manual. Well, since I have more commuting in the rain today and for probably the near future, it won't take too long to determine the moisture infiltration rate. I'm prepared, I have more lube on hand for a quick replacement. I will say that changing the transmission and rear box fluids on the V11 is a whole lot easier than it is on the Sport 1100i.

I'd take this one with a grain of salt. First, upping the voltage will help - that's a given. That will also up the current too but there is no way to "feed more current" to the ignition coil. The dwell time is sufficient at any rpm that a Guzzi engine turns that the coil will saturate as it is supposed to. You can't feed it additional energy based on rpm because it can't use it. Second, it's states it is for 2000-2002 models. All Guzzi ignitions are sufficiently similar that it ought to work with any electronic ignition. Third, this thing was offered up two years ago as a solution to everything under the sun, boosted the electronics package input to around 27V, which is right where the ECU starts to fry, and then it disappeared for nearly a year after people pointed out that it would probably do damage to the computer. Now it's back at a reduced voltage. Before I would shell out this kind of money for a DC-DC converter, I would buy a real cdi unit and hook that to the coils. Now before it sounds like I'm going entirely negative on the unit, I will say that if it were set to just prevent voltage sag to the electronics at low rpms when the alternator is anemic, it would not be a bad thing. Given that Moto Guzzis have universally poor grounding in their wiring, adding a product that boosts the voltage just reduces the saftey margin on some very expensive electronics. Your choice. If you're interested in the travails of "rolling your own" EFI, check out http://www.jefferies-au.org/My16M/index.htm. Cliff Jeffries in Australia did just that (and is still doing that - it isn't easy) and his observations on the Marelli electronics and his own progress makes for interesting reading.

CDI ignitions essentiallycharge up a capacitor to 200-400 volts and then dumps it into the coil with a very fast risetime. Just like the strobe on a camera. Since the Guzzi has +12 volts across the coils at all times, their ignition only counts as a pointless induction (Kettering) system. The risetime of a transistor switch is better than points, but nothing to write home about.

I had this discussion with Mike Rich last year and have forgotten most of it, but, he stated that as long as the heads were capable of being flowed (there's a lot of varation from the factory, apparently the seat grinding has been done by hand for a number of years), he could improve the heads. I recall a figure of about 12 horsepower per jug for flowing and 3 more for dual porting, but I'm pretty certain that was in reference to the Stage III porting. The heads for the V11 may be and probably are, better than those of the earlier Sports. The earlier heads rated at 96cfm stock, 112cfm after porting by RaceCo and the same heads - 140cfm after Mike Rich for the LSR bike. He certainly knows his trade. There is a Scura running around with the full stage II and dual plugging and I remember reading about it on one of these forums. A very strong bike. One thing is for certain, for dual plugging, you will need the services of a shop that can modify the map in the ECU and dyno time if you're going to take advantage of the dual plugging. A Power Commander is of no use here, it can't alter the timing. I think Dave Lofgren did the work on the super duper Scura for the maps. http://www.manleycycle.com/Tech.htm#MotoGuzzi

Nope, but I do remember how he described it. At the rear of the spine there are two openings for the bottom of the oil vapor recovery area (drains to the sump) and a fitting at the top front of the spine just aft of the steering head. On the Sport 1100i, both rear "drains" are used, in the V11 Sport, just one. For the Sport 1100i the one on the right gets plugged (V11 already is) and the left one is plumbed into the fuel line where it comes out of the petcock. The top fitting up under the tank gets a vent line run up into the fairing to a location higher than the tank. Naturally, the spine needs to be rinsed clean of oil prior to this unless you want emulate a two stroke or a diesel. The oil vapor line is re-routed (or replaced) with a line running up into the tail fairing where a vapor recovery canister is installed. How large this should be is something I don't know. I do know that the original post for the black Sporti was a request for information on how to return the system to stock because the canister would fill up after 600-1000 km's and then dump on the rear tire. I emailed the info to the fellow and asked what was going on. When he described the installation I thought it was about the neatest idea I had ever heard implemented on the Sport. Still do. I suggested that he just run a line from the canister back down to the sump like the original installation and eventually that is what he did, fixing his problem. This approach to added fuel capacity to the spine frames is just calling for a nicely manufactured kit. It would be advantageous to put it somewhere unobtrusive though and not lose that toolkit space. Inasmuch as the Buell Firebolt stores oil in the swingarm, I see no reason why the oil vapor recovery plenum could not be a special construction of the rear wheel shroud.

Okay guys. Now you've got ME scared!!! I'm due to change it this week anyway, but if there is a good method of making the vent less water susceptible, I would appreciate knowing it. FWIW, my oil just looks a little dirty in the site glass and not foamy, but the real proof will be when it's drained.

You're not too far away. We (the normal, no... make that the usual group of die-hards) have been trying to do some sort of breakfast/ride every second weekend of the month. Usually in the Sierra foothills although we're not constrained to that. You should join us sometime. Mike Stewart or Al would probably be happy to drag you along from your area. I haven't planned anything for January (yet), the turn-out for last weekend was pretty anemic due to the holidays and the weather, that and a lot of fun roads - aren't fun this time of year. There is a Guzzi breakfast in Winters on the third Sunday of each month, which would be this coming Sunday. I've only done a few and have no idea what the turn-out is during a winter month.

I'm pleased to report that I have been running a heated vest, heated grips and a heated helmet faceshield in addition to running lights on the V11 and there is no indication that the electrical system cannot keep up with this particular load. The same is true of my Sport 1100i and nearly true on my California 1100i (there must be a dirty connection somewhere on that bike since all three have identical charging systems). Running lights: I am using the Kisan Technologies SM-2 Signal Minder (so is Al I believe). Accessing the wiring in the tailpiece is painful and best accomplished by dropping the inside of the rear fender. The turn signal flasher socket can be used if the terminal positions are reversed which takes a bit of work with really small jewelers screwdrivers. The SM-2 is too large to fit in that location though, so I have the socket detached from it's mount and tie-wrapped into place about an inch towards the bike centerline. If you leave the socket mounted in the original location, the seat will not shut. There is nothing quite as comforting as knowing that your visibility in poor weather conditions, especially fog, is greatly enhanced by these units. Your local vehicle codes may prohibit the use of yellow running lights at the rear - California does, but I've yet to hear of anyone ever being cited for it. My heated faceshield isn't street legal either, it's for a snowmobile, but I doubt that it will ever garner a citation as well.

I've been riding in the same rain. My gearbox was a tad low (maybe that's why the neutral light has been so erratic...), but my oil looks more dirty than milky. I'll be changing it this weekend - it's over due. The manual has the interval at 6000 miles, where the Sport 1100i specified 10,000 miles and I'm at 9200+ miles on the V11TT. I had just assumed that the intervals would be the same and never checked the manual for gearbox intervals. That just tells me I need to pay more attention to the manuals. If my oil isn't real milky, it may be because even my short commute to work is 55 miles and it gets warm enough to drive some moisture out. I'll know more when I drain it, and then I'll report back here. I will be changing to the BMW motorcycle synthetic lube with a dollop of engine assembly lube in it (I can't get moly, so the assembly lube is a good substitute). I will refer you to the thread on the Australian Guzzi Forum: http://www.guzzi.com.au/forum/guzzi/msg/12582.html and remark that Pete Roper is well known for his mechanical skills with the older Guzzis. There is no reason to believe that what he says about the longevity of the Guzzi transmissions when using the proper oil would not apply to six speed transmission.

Ah yes. The black Sport 1100i. That one is in New Zealand. The current owner doesn't know where the previous owner got the silencers, but they do look nice. That isn't what is truly unique about this particular vehicle though. This bike has had the oil breather line routed to a canister in the tail piece. And the old vapor recovery area - the spine - has been added to the fuel system as an auxiliary tank. This adds nearly a half-gallon to the total system capacity. Again, the work was done by the previous owner, but it is indicative of the level resourcefulness of Guzzi owners. One of these days, I'm going to do the same thing to mine. This could be done to any of the spine frame Guzzi's and if you're after that extra little bit of fuel capacity, this would be one way.

Well, I'm an old fart (51) and I LIKED the 70's. No big deal, and yes, current style favors the cans. But... the cans are just an outgrowth of building a bike that evokes the image of the street bike being similar to it's race-bred brethren. When noise laws were applied to race tracks, the racers immediately added cans and there, form followed function, the silencers merely had to perform a mechanical function and no thought was given to giving them street bike esthetics and it would have been inappropriate to do so. Then the bike manufacturers start making street bike exhausts look like the race bikes and what was functional but not esthetic, became the norm. I am under no illusion that my bike is a race bike, therefore, an esthetically pleasing exhaust that performs well, should not be precluded just because current style favors a track bike appearance. I'm not trying to be didactic, I just feel you should have the option of either type of exhaust.

You're right, I did say that you wouldn't want to carry a 27mm allen wrench around (it would be larger than the toolkit), it's just a measure of how prepared you feel you need to be to get on a bike that has very little brand/dealer representation in the U.S.A. It may not be necessary to be able to remove the cover, but it doesn't hurt to have the tools available to do so. I don't carry around a 27mm allen wrench for the simple reason that the old spark plug socket from my RD350 fits well enough to remove the cover. It's a piece of stamped metal, low quality, but lacking bulk and weight, so it has the merit of being an adequate tool for the task. But I still can't get the filter socket to grip well enought to spin the filter, so it's a moot point (and I don't carry those filter grips around - they're huge). The other end of that cheesy socket does fit on the crankshaft nut for doing tune-ups. I replaced the alternator cover screws with the same type as the pan a long time ago, so that "custom" allen driver fits there as well. If I have to remove the pan, I can do it easily, and if I have to remove the filter, I can remove the pan and a stab with the screwdriver will proved the means to spin it.

Squashed Nose. I don't see where I said anything about carrying the oil filter wrench along. I do carry a socket set on long trips though, and that includes the allen/socket combo I mention above and that fits a whole lot of things on a Guzzi besides the pan. Very useful. And if I remove the pan, a screwdriver can remove the filter, and there's one of those in the toolkit as well.

Er... change the gasket. Well, I did once on my Sport 1100i, but only because the dealer had glued it in place with some awful strong stuff (I had to chisel it off and then resurface the surface). That was at the 3500 mile point and that bike now has 60,000 miles on it. Still on that second gasket. The ONLY time it has ever leaked was when I forgot to tighten two bolts and they dropped out letting oil slowly migrate to the rear of the pan and then drip. A couple of drops a day. Replaced the bolts and the problem went away. I don't even bother to put a mild adhesive on the gasket nor do I over-tighten the bolts. They're finger snug and then about 22 degrees more with the wrench. That isn't very much. Works for me, but I'm careful because I have a surplus of thumbs. You could say I'm digitally dyslexic and the ambi-klutztrous. I have had problems with the oil filter wrenchs failing to grip the filter so that it can be removed through the access port. Instead of spending time fighting with a failing enterprise, I have taken the proper size allen wrench and cut the straight section off and semi-permanently attached that to a 1/4" socket. Having a specialized tool like that can make removing the pan a fairly easy job. As I have other less modern Guzzis, it makes sense to have this kind of tool because dropping the pan is a required procedure to change the filter.

Moto International sells a center stand for the Sport 1100i. On that bike, you have to replace the stock crossover with an aftermarket one. As the aftermarket crossovers are very similar to the current one on the V11 Sports, it will probably fit. Kind of pricey though. It's inevitable that you can scrape a stand. Try not to.

Janusz, you aren't contradicting anything. I merely said that Pit Bull stands are a quality item. They are and so is the MG stand. I wouldn't say that a Lockhart Phillips stand is worth much though, so that would be one to stay away from.

You can cruise http://www.motostrano-store.com/index.html which is a Ducati enthusiasts store and under "Parts for Sale" you will find Link to adjustable clipons These may fit a LeMans or they may not. Worth investigating. This store is in the San Francisco Bay area, USA.

At about twice the price, you can get a front and rear stand from Pit Bull. Quality costs, but these are worth it.