Darius

dlaing FWIW - My dyno print out from Ferracci shows correct fule/air ratio throughout the RPM after the CO2 adjustment (I am assuming Ferracci has no reason to be "optimistic" about these results). Other than running slightly lean 13.8:1 at 3-4K RPM the rest of the range is just about perfect. Again - the only mod at that point was the Gianelli pipes. I have the impression that Gianelli was/is OEM supplier as the mufflers are identical in dimension to the factory Ti cans I now have on the bike - only difference is aluminum skin and welded connection at can/pipe (VS the Ti can springs). Perhaps some aftermarket exhausts can be OK with minor adjustment of stock ECU. Certainly I agree that any other mods require the steps you suggest - as I went with PC III after my rebuild and mods.

Thanks all for your input. The inner cable tip came off the latch because there was too much free play (about 3/16") at the cable end as I have seen others note.. My solution was to dig a lead pellet weight out of my fishing tackle box and pinch it on the cable end - problem solved. Though I have no patience for fishing, I am pleased to finally get some good use out of the gear :-)

Thank You Dave!! The seat popped right off. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your wonderful idea. If it sounds like I am in an infinitely better mood its because I am! As suspected, the cable end had come off the latch. Best Regards

I went with the Megacycles 620x9 per Mike's suggestion. My emphasis was on usable mid-range power (VS high RPM) which IMHO is in character with the Guzzi. After Mike got done - the beast runs strong to redline on all gears so I am happy with the results. I stuck with the OEM air filter b/c I was concerned with effectiveness of gauze/oil (Mike does not share my concern) but have a BMC waiting for installation when I can get the tank off (see other thread about my seat removal challenges).

I am several hours into this aggravation with no results! The cable seems to have come off the seat latch mechanism under the seat. I have disassembled the remote Key release and can pull the cable fully. I have also removed the (roughly) square panel part of the fender liner so I can get to the underside of the latch but cannot seem to get it to release or get enough bite on the 10MM nuts holding the latch to remove the mechanism) as was done by another forum member in a previous thread) despite ratchet universal joints, extensions, etc. The angles and tool tray hamper this. I have started to remove the fender liner but cannot get the nut in the center off as the bolt just spins. BTW - this is just the immediate problem as the reason the seat needs to come of is the bike refused to turn over when I pulled it out for a ride (checked all the usual suspects - neutral, clutch switch, side stand, etc.) It later started "business as usual" back in the garage! So I need to check things out before I ride away from the house. I am aware the real reason for this is pure jealousy as I elected to take the Ducati ST on our recent 2500 mile Blue Ridge Parkway and Tail of the Dragon trek but I think I have been punished enough at this point. These Italian Bella's certainly earn their reputation! Any advice from the esteemed members of this forum would be most appreciated (yes I am sucking up cuz I need something :-) Thanks in advance!

I have to agree with jtucker on all counts although Eraldo Ferracci is quite a character! When I bought my 2003 LeMans its came with Gianelli slip-ons, otherwise stock. It ran fine with minor adjustment of the CO2 at idle. As a side note, Eraldo himself dyno'd the bike and recorded 86 HP which I though was pretty impressive for an essentially stock machine. Later, Mike Rich (another excellent resource) got 82 HP after engine rebuild with hi-comp pistons, cam, valves and porting! The bike definitely runs stronger so one can only conclude Ferracci's dyno is on the "flattering" side of the spectrum.

Stu You can get the Omron's through Motratech (www.motratech.com). John is a member of this forum and a good guy to deal with in my experience. Regards

Ratchet - thanks for the reply. I did follow your advise and bleed the caliper off the bracket and held as high as possible - perhaops I will repeat the bleed but based on the firmness in the pedal once it travels about 1.5 inches I am guessing air is not my problem. Perhaps the water in the fluid has corroded the master cylinder piston?? Here again - my puzzlement is, given adequate freeplay at the pedal, would pressure build up not tend to push the piston down eventually clearing the relief valve to the reservoir? I couldn't find a blow-up diagram of the master cylinder innards in the service manual so I am "flying blind" as the saying goes. I am picturing the piston covering the relief hole to the reservoir as it goes through its initial travel. I must be missing something in my thinking here - perhaps a lot!http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/style_emot...efault/cool.gif

I had as similar event of the rear brake dragging and bringing the bike to a stop followed by the brake hose popping loose at the caliper! Fortunately this occurred just 3 miles form home. I believe this was caused by water in the fluid so I replaced the hose and bleed the system - good to go - sort of...... There was sufficient freeplay in the rear brake lever to allow fluid to come through the reservoir for bleeding. However, when I go for a ride the brake pedal freeplay goies away after a few minutes and starts to drag slightlly. Then the freeplay returns to normal (in about 30 minutes) and is OK for the rest of the ride. What I cannot understand is why pressure in the system does not bleed into the reservoir instead of locking up the system. Is there some sort of check valve in the master cylinder that might be malfunctioning? Any pearls of wisdom would be most appreciated.

Greg Is this the same or similar shape as the hugger RAZ shows on his 1100 Sport and will it fit a V11 LeMans? I have been looking for a hugger so I can get rid of the OEM shroud while protecting the engine/shock as Ratchet describes. Photos would be great if available. Thanks

Al FWIW - I am 5' 6" with 29-30" inseam and have been very pleased with John's FF kit. In addition to the better leg/foot position I found is it really helps keep me in the correct portion (pocket?) of the seat Corbin Gunfighter (which thankfully fit very well) instead of sliding forward against the tank every time I brake. I also found that with the FF kit installed I wish for even more set-back from Cycle Cat 2.5" risers for the ideal foot/butt/hand relationship but we are talking about small nuances compared to the huge improvement made by installing the kit. Hope this helps. Regards

I have been using a set of these for a couple years (older style with dial knob for heat setting) They work well but the one thing I don't like is the wires stick out in a forward direction like cables. Other grips I have seen have much more discrete wiring. I just bought a set like the Aerostich described above for another bike - like the idea of using any grip. Important thing with these is to get the insulation for the clutch side on aluminum bars.

According to Klaus Huenecke of EPM Performance Imports (US importer of Hyperpro) the 031/041 was OEM'd from Wilbers and is no longer available. I have ordered the new Hyperpro 3D shock for my 2003 LeMans and will keep the forum posted on the results. EPM is an hour from my house so offering my bike as the development mule is convenient. We are currently waiting for the factory to build the application so I would expect to be able to post something in the next 2-3 months. "I need a replacement shock for my 2004 Ballabio. The Sachs shock is leaking and I believe they cannot be repaired. Any suggestions for a reasonably priced replacement ? Thanks, Leon Mirsky." Depending on time requirements I believe the Wilbers is available through Todd Egan of Guzzi Tech - he is a very knowledgeable source for MG's His email is todd@guzzitech.com in case you want to contact him.

The kit I used was based on the DBR13-06 which is the Titanium finish version. The risers are specified S25-53 (this kit is for Ducati Monster and comes stock with 50 MM clamp bores). Handlebars came undrilled. One can locate the placement of holes for the switch housing pins by wrapping a piece of paper around the OEM bars (tape it so you make a tube) and poking holes where the pins go then using that as a template for the new bars. The Cycle Cat bars rotate 360 degrees so relationship from end of the bar is all that matters. BTW - I should mention this kit results in slightly wider bars than OEM - which I also fine benenficial for turning leverage. Additionaly - OEM bar end weights do not work with this so you need to get something else. One can also order Throttlemiester for Cycle Cat bars. If you would like the detailed parts list - send me a PM with your fax number and I will fax the parts pick list. Hope this helps. Regards

After searching the various options out there I elected to purchase parts from Cycle Cat which have worked out very well for me. You can see the comparison of stock and Cycle Cat below: Cycle Cat does not make a kit for V11 so I looked at various risers on their website and spoke with them to select the set-up that would give me the most possible rise and set-back. Also note the largest clamp size they make is 53 MM and my forks are 54 MM so I spread them a little (with a plastic tool so as not to dent the aluminum) so they would slip on the forks. Left side is all stock for routing of wires and lines. Right side required re-routing of brake line through the fairing behind the forks as well as routing the throttle cable behind the handlebar/riser but no replacement parts were required. I also had to mount the brake fluid reseviour further inboard by bending the OEM bracket and bolting it to the inside tip of the handle bar (Cycle Cat includes the bolt for this) All the controls clear the fairing once angles and set-back are adjusted. The end result is very similar bar angles to OEM but 5-6" closer reach which makes the bike much more comfortable for me.

I did some searching for a rear shock and discovered EPM Perfromance Imports who is the US importer of HyperPro and Wilbers. As it turns out they are an hour from my home in Northern NJ. I spoke with Klaus Huenecke (the owner) and he informed me that the older HyperPro was actullay made by Wilbers and has been discontinued. After speaking with him I placed an order for the new HyperPro 3D shock model 461 for all the advantages you state. I also like the idea of progressive springs. We will be using my 2003 LM as the first fitment over the next few months. I will not be getting the remote ride height adjuster as my LM is set up for solo riding and light touring. I'll be upgrading the Marz fork to progressive springs as well. I will keep the forum members posted on our progress. In the mean time EPM's URL is http://www.epmperf.com/ if anybody wants to check it out.

Mike Rich just completed an engine rebuild for me after a loose oil filter failure. We used his MRM 10.25:1 pistons as well as Megacylces cam, MRM valves + valve springs, Carrillo rods, etc. I worked with Mike to determine the best approach to get better useable power without giving up any ride-ability and durability. Mike did not recommend dual plug conversion but did his Stage 1 porting. He says his pistons are designed to prevent detonation. I only have about 800 miles on the bike but am very pleased with the results thus far. He did a great job of mapping the FI as the bike runs without any glitches. I will be looking forward to seeing if there is any detonation problems next summer on a hot day (hopefully not). Mike has moved to northern PA. His number is 570-676-4785 email: mrmsport1@earthlink.net He has been a pleasure to work with.

Jean Marc If this shock is still available I would be interested in it. Please let me know how much you want for it (USD) plus estimated shipping to the US (New Jersey) Also, can you tell me what weight of rider it is set up for and if it comes with the necessary brackets to install the remote adjusters (I currently have the OEM Sachs with remote compression dampening)? Thanks, Darius

As one of the "victims" of the "roached engine" (Greg's technical term) for whom Greg has been wonderful at sourcing parts for, let me offer a great tip on saving money on the hose clamp. After intense negotiation on purchase of crank, cylinder, rods, cam, etc. - I got Greg to throw in the hose clamp for free thereby foiling his attempt to become obscenely rich selling these high margin devices! Though I am certainly not out to materially harm Greg, Pete or anyone else that makes a living selling hose clamps to Guzzitsi, I felt compelled in all good conscience to share this shrewd negotiating tactic with all the fine members of this forum. BTW - for those who might ask, my oil filter was installed by an authorized Guzzi dealer at the 600 mile break in service and came loose at about 1900 miles. I have not personally seen the filter but assume it was UFI. Guzzi will not cover this under warranty so it certainly does not seem that they acknowledge any design issues. Regretably the dealer is not taking ownership either so we have to seek a higher power for settlement.

Pete I just recieved mine and must concurr with others - beautiful piece. Payment has been sent via Paypal. Many thanks for your efforts. Best Regards

OK Greg You have my support on the hose clamp - kindly include one with the parts quote for the used crank, etc. If this is a somewhat common problem one might think Guzzi would address a design issue. The only other time I have heard of loosening oil filters is on my brother-in-law's Ford diesel truck - but hey, that was a Ford...

Pete Very sorry to hear you are dealing with yet another crisis with a loved one and hope all works out as well a possible. In case you are not checking it - I also sent you a PM with my address info and look forward to paying you in full as soon as you are able to let me know the amount owed. Best Regards Darius

Well, Ferracci called earlier today to tell me the cause of the oil pressure drop was an oil filter that came loose. They also took off the front cover to confirm the oil pump was OK. The good news - it seems there is no manufacturing defect lurking in the engine. The bad news - Guzzi says this is not covered under warranty (bike has about 1,900 miles and was sold originaly 7/2005). I have contacted the dealer who sold the bike and performed the 600 mile service to settle who pays for the failure but for those who get valuable information on Guzzi's from this forum - this one appears to be a "service error" issue.

About half way up the Min/Max markings with engine warm and dipstick screwed into the case. I topped it off before proceeding just to make sure. Oil pressure warning light remained on but valve train (or anything else) was not making any unusual sounds so I hoped/assumed (we all know what that gets you....) defective pressure sensor........Oh well.

By all means - I expect to get feedback from Fast By Ferracci within a week and will keep the forum posted. All I can offer for now is the oil pressure warning light went on and was I hoping it was a defective oil pressue sending unit as I had confirmed sufficient oil level. Things got more exciting as I had to coax the bike through a construction zone with no shoulder on the NJ Turnpike as the engine started to sieze (brings back memories of old two stroke dirt bikes!). In any case - this forum has been a wealth of useful information since I bought the bike a couple months ago and I will do my level best to share the learning out of this experince.