ShiftyAl

I have all of these listed on Ebay. You should be able to find them all if you search for auctions by "shiftyal" or simply "V11" and the corresponding part names. Unfortunately I had to sell my bike to finance a trip to europe on my MUCH less sexy KTM. Don't worry....the V11 was STILL my favorite bike ever and I'll return to buy another when I get back to the states and back on my feet! Thanks, Alan

Well......it seems I lucked out! I removed the old bearing gunk on the crank with some strips of 2000 grit sandpaper and an hour later it was mirror-polished. I put in new bearings, a NEW oil filter and new sump gaskets. I primed the oil pump by turning her over sans plugs to witness the oil light NOT glowing and decided to put them in and start her up. She ran beautifully and I've since put over a hundred miles on her. All seems well and the whole thing only cost me 65 bucks and perhaps a bit of needless wear and tear on the motor. Either way......I'm back on the bike and happy as hell that I didn't have to completely tear down the motor! THANKS to everyone for the advice and guidance. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it stays together! Alan

Excellent! So.....Roper, what's this windage-tray thing they say you make? Should I go with one of those while I have this thing apart? Thanks, Alan

Well...I've done as directed this evening. To my surprise it wasn't as chaotic underneath as I expected. The front big end bearing showed wear, but the crank itself showing no scoring whatsever! The back big-end bearing showed a bit worse. It didn't spin a bearing, but it did obviously get hot and it did blue the crank surface and the rod cap as well. The old finger nail test on the crank showed almost zero scoring, just some blueing in the center. Perhaps I should just take some good photos to get some opinions on here. As it stands I believe that I will purchase some bearings and press my luck. I mean......what do I have to lose other than another few grand!?!? Anyone care to sound off on this?

OK.....I THOUGHT this thread was about oil filters loosening up? Let's all just bash each other privately. That would work wouldn't it? Anyway.....if you all read that "failure to lubricate" thread that I've posted, you'll notice that I just posted the news that my oil filter DID in fact loosen up on its own and the previous owner is to blame. (and me of course for not double-checking his work). Regardless, I would like some solid advice for how to prevent this issue again. I will, of course, tighten the filter up as tightly as I can, but I want a cheap insurance policy to keep my piece of mind about it. Anyone care to sound off on what I should do??? The peaceful and non-confrontational, Alan

Ok guys....I thought I updated this weeks ago, but for some reason the post did not come up. I am a student and it's taken me a while to find the time to even look at my V11 again. In the meantime, the trusty old T3 has been getting my love. UPDATE: I pulled the pan and found exactly what I expected to find....... The oil filter was hanging on by only a thread or two! Problem found......and I'll never ignore another oil light again. The engine isn't locked up, but it certainly wasn't making fun noises when i shut it down. My friends (not guzzi owners) tried to convince me to put the filter back on, fill it up with oil and take off. I refused out of fear of only worsening the internal damage. Regardless.....I've been searching on the classifieds here and ebay in hopes of finding some low-mileage wrecked bike with a perfect engine for cheap. Fat chance! So....after I graduate in May I'll likely pull the engine out and take it apart. My friends also tried to convince me to attempt to replace/hone the jugs and put in new pistons. It seems to me that a complete teardown will likely be in order. Am I correct in that assumption? Thanks again, Alan

Thanks to all for your feeback and encouragement. Pete, your comments are more of the specifics that I was looking for. I suppose that if I can rebuild the engine in my E-type without failure then I can rebuild the Guzzi V. The articles on that website look like they'll be my mental savior. It's always comforting to know one can rely on the experience of others to tackle a new challenge. After reading more on the forum, I'm quite certain that I either had a sticking OPR valve or the oil filter backed off. Either way it SUCKS and I'm also almost certain that a polished (if not reground) crank will be in order. I'm finishing up my last semester of school right now so I won't be truly pulling the motor until May (if I can stand it).....I'll just break out the trusty T3 and ride it until then. Also...if anyone comes across a bike that's to be parted out with a decent engine....PLEASE let me know. I'd rather just start over with a decent motor then have to rebuild this one. Thanks again, Alan

Hello all, I just finished a lengthy search through the forums history to find my answers, but none presented themselves. On a short ride yesterday with the girlfriend it seems that I killed my V11 sport. (2000 w/ 17k miles) We were headed just a short distance to run an errand and I noticed the oil light was on. I listened closely and all seemed to sound normal. I pulled into a parts store and checked the oil. It was low, but still registering on the dipstick. I'd heard of the unreliable oil lights so I added half a quart of oil or so...checked it again and rode off with the light still shining in my face. DUMB! (I have ridden and driven for 15 years and dogged the hell out of everything and NEVER blown an engine. I think it is THIS false sense of security that led me down a path towards shreiking doom.) About 3 miles down the road I noticed a strange noise so I pulled in the clutch and turned it off as it shreiked to a halt. One more quick blip of the starter button confirmed my ears were correct. OIL STARVATION! So.....while it didn't lock up it DID lose oil pressure. I was in a hurry to meet some friends so another friend picked it up for me and dropped it off at my shop, but I have yet to tear into it to diagnose the issue. After reading about Staedtler's issues I'm f'ing scared to death. I do have the ability to tear it apart and rebuild it myself (though it will be my first Guzzi teardown), but I'm concerned about cost and diagnosis. Someone say SOMETHING to appease my fears?!?! Thanks in advance! Alan

I'm interested. Do you have pics of it?

No, I'm safer on my Triton when I'm being silly, and for Christmas I'm finally getting round to fitting it with the Grimeca 4LS drum I've had hanging about for five or six years. It's all laced up in an alloy rim, I've got the compensator mechanism and an adapted lever, cables, a pattern for making the support arms and someone to make me a set of wider yokes, so it should all happen soon...............in theory! That Triton is AWESOME! Who needs a new go-fast bike when you can ride slower and let everyone see just how cool your style really is?!?! And....."Dear Santa, can you give me a thirty year old's neck and upper vertebrae so that I can put the clip-ons back on, please?" Also....I'm 31 and I must say that after a long day of riding today, my "young" neck and upper vertebrae feel like they aren't so damn young. Thanks for posting the pic!

I am undoubtedly a motorized man who is lucky enough to have stumbled upon some worthy acquisitions. I'll post a pic of my E-type, but will include an obligatory motorcycle in front to make it at least motorcycle-related. Thanks for your compliment.....errrr....observation, though I must admit that I've been enjoying the V11 more than all of them lately.

I forgot to add these pics of my old Guzzi as compared to the new one. You'll notice that the PO of my V11 actually already drilled the triple clamps to add aftermarket bars. I've reinstalled the factory clip-ons for a more comfortable position because the ones he installed were not nearly wide enough to feel stable. It made the whole bike seem unwieldy. The factory clip ons are MUCH better, but riding the T3 makes me want the dirt bike bars back. Any thoughts or comments? another pic.

Hey guys, I'm about to do a little house-cleaning on my Guzzi and I'm wanting to take a few recommendations on sources for the parts in the US and what types are best. 1. I need a headlight I think. The metal bulb carrier bracket inside seems to have dislodged itself? Am I correct in assuming that it can't be disassembled and will simply need to be replaced? What type is best for our bikes? 2. Best source and type for billet reservoir caps? (also...is bleeding of the clutch and brake system as straightforward as my old Guzzi?? Any tips?) 3. My front tire is seriously more worn on the left side of the bike than the right.?? Any thoughts? Also...what's the best tire type and size for a 2000 V11? 4. After 17,000 miles the seat does not offer the support I'd like. I like the look of the factory seat, but does anyone have any rec's for a more comfortable and well padded seat? I'm a taller than average guy, but I find myself riding up close to the tank and it simply does NOT have the padding or width there I'd like to have. 5. Best source and type of rear fender eliminator kit? (I hate the huge stock one)? 6. I'd like to have a factory tank bag. Anyone know who still carries them? (MPH seems to be out) 7. I'd also like to buy a set of the small factory saddle bags. I have the brackets, but no bags. ?? 8. Anyone put a wide set of dirt-bike style bars on their V-11?? I know this question sounds ludicrous, but I purchased a set for nothing and installed them on my old T3 (see pic below) and find them to be amazingly comfortable. They also make the bike VERY manueverable around town.....it feels MUCH lighter than my V11 simply because of the wide bars! By the way...if you think this is crazy just take a look at the Aprillia Tuono. They simply took a sport bike with no fairing and slapped wide bars on it and presto! Supermoto style feel street fighter! I know I have other things I'm missing, but I figure this is a good start to get the ball rolling. Anyone want to lend some rec's? Thanks, Alan

Well...I rode it again today with no problems, but none of my trips involved hard riding with short stops. At this point I tend to agree with the diagnosis of vapor lock. I honestly never thought vapor lock would apply to a motorcycle, but it now totally makes sense. Due to school and finals, I've yet to thoroughly go over the bike. I intend to do that this next week and all of the suggestions given here will be followed up on. My list of parts to replace and refurbish is mounting already. I'm going to start another thread about recommendations for those. On a lighter note....I am esctatic about my purchase of my CRG lane-splitter mirrors and CRG adjustable levers. It's a serious improvement both functionally and aesthetically over the prior sets! I'll post here if I find any proof of this issue being something other than vapor lock. Thanks again. Alan

perhaps I'm new to this, but wouldn't "tank suck" be quickly remedied with the gas cap flipped open? It continued to run badly with the cap left open.