danl

So I think this means that if you feed power into the petcock connector (from a battery tender connector let's say) you can power up the ECU and the start switch (with the run switch off) to get the bike running if the Ignition switch or something in the side stand circuit goes south. Is this right? It looks that way from the wiring diagram. Actually it looks like you could power up the whole bike if the run switch and ignition switch were on, but the wiring and 5A fuse on the petcock circuit might not be able to handle the current. I have an electrosport regulator, so I think I would charge the battery too, even with the run switch off. If this is true it might be a good idea to keep a harness to send power into that connector in the tail.

There is an old thread on this: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=17114&hl=%2Bspoked+%2Bwheels I always thought this sounded like a cool idea, although the stock wheel is already a pain to clean behind those discs!

Could you mount the LED just behind the headstock, alongside the spine where it is visible in the notch of the tank? You might need to lean forward a bit to see it, but then again, you're hoping not to need to look for it!

Great. Thanks Al.

That sounds like a great upgrade. I didn't even know it was a possibility (guess I assumed the tank dimensions had changed along with the frame length). What's involved in doing this swap? Is there a topic on this? I did some searching but couldn't find it if there is one. Dan

Here are a couple photos of the finished product. Plugged right in to the unused petcock connector and worked as expected. This was the least intrusive electrical mod I've done! The USB Port behind the headlight is barely visible at quick glance.

The USB cable is from Amazon. I can't find the single port version anymore. Here is a dual port version: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SL0HHFC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00 And another one that looks like the one I have, just packaged a little differently: http://www.amazon.com/Weatherproof-Charger-Socket-Bare-Wire/dp/B00HQ5JS7I The one I bought came with an overmolded cable and fused ring terminal connections. I had already trimmed it to length and removed the outer jacket when I took that picture. The AMP Superseal connector, boot, sleeving and heat shrink came from Cycle Terminal: http://www.cycleterminal.com/index.htmlhttp://www.cycleterminal.com/index.html I'm planning to mount it behind the headlight, inside the left mounting ear. I'll post some pictures when I'm finished.

I like it too! I've been planning to add a switched USB connector for my phone using that connector. The AMP connector and sleeving just arrived on my desk today.

It is true, I have committed a cardinal sin of motoring - disregarding the oil light! One piece of info I left out was that I had been riding in heavy rain for a while and suspected (hoped) that these two were related. To be clear, I'm not suggesting that anyone make the assumption that an oil light is is due to a bad switch. I took a huge risk, and was relieved that it worked out the way it did.

Aren't these switches normally closed? I believe the fact that the light went out only proves the wiring isn't shorted to ground somewhere along the chassis. The oil pressure switch can fail in a state where the electrical circuit doesn't get broken and the light remains on. This happened to me. I remembered reading that the switches were prone to failure and decided to risk a short ride home with the light on (being on the shoulder of an urban expressway with a state trooper telling me I had to ride away or get towed helped me make the decision). Replacing the switch solved the problem. This doesn't prove that you do have oil pressure however. I would guess that you have at least some pressure, since you rode a few kilometers and your engine isn't making horrific noises. If it were me I would wait until the new switch arrives, then install it and risk the 5 seconds or so of run time to test it out. If you truly have no oil pressure then some serious damage has already occurred on the ride home. I'm sure others will argue that the cost of draining the oil to check the filter is pretty cheap compared to an engine rebuild. That math is pretty hard to argue against. You could also pick up an oil pressure test gauge if you really want to verify your oil pressure: https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1ASUM_enUS490US490&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=oil+pressure+test+gauge&tbm=shop Most of them come with a number of threaded adaptors to fit different applications. Dan

Motrhead - hopefully it is only your pressure switch. I have done a similar ride of faith back home staring at an oil light. Not fun! I used a little silicone around the crimped metal to plastic joint on my replacement sensor in case that was a possible source of failure. The Ducati Monster oil pressure switch uses a sealed AMP connector instead of a spade connector like the one on our bikes. I have always wondered if that switch would be any more reliable than the Guzzi part. Now about that V11....That exhaust looks kind of homemade. Maybe a Flowmaster? It looks like a later bike with an early tank and tail. I love it! The owner of that bike has to be a member or at least a lurker on this forum! Maybe they will respond once they get back from a nice long trip. I'd love to hear what it sounds like.

I'd love to make it there someday. Thanks for posting those! Did anyone else notice that Dr John's autograph is actually "Dr John"?

Thanks for that feedback. I wonder what the downside of running the GT on a lighter bike than it's designed for would be? Probably a slightly harsher ride at least. The PR3s are still available from lots of sources. I may go with those as they seem to be a great set of tires. Also considering Pirelli Angel GTs.

I haven't tried to source them, but I imagine they are a standard metric size. If none of the Guzzi suppliers have them you could try McMaster-Carr. You'd probably have to buy a bag of 50 though! They are probably available in some carb rebuild kit, but you'd still have to come up with a dimension and do some research.

BMWs, like my /5 use tapered rollers, but they also have an adjustable shim setup for preload. I've been told they use them because of the lateral loads that occur with a sidecar setup (which seems logical). Most ball bearings are only rated for radial loads, and can't tolerate much axial misalignment. The spacers in my Guzzi wheels are pretty cheap looking. I'm not surprised to read reports of other peoples spacers being under/oversized compared to their bearing seats.

I'm due for a new set of tires and am thinking about the PR4s. I noticed a number of suppliers don't carry a 170/60 in the standard PR4, only the PR4gt. Our bikes aren't especially light, but I'm not sure they are in the heavy sport touring class that the gt tire is intended for. Anyone have additional thoughts on these tires in the year since the last post? Dan

I think that is an AMP Superseal connector. The one on my bike doesn't have a cover. You could make one out of a mating connector and some of the rubber plugs for blocking unused wire positions. Here is one source I like for wiring supplies: http://www.cycleterminal.com/amp-superseal-connectors.html

David, I live in Philly. Manayunk Triumph is just a slight detour off of my daily commute. If you are still interested in that bike I could stop by one day after work next week. Send me a PM. Dan

Hi Docc, Well I thank you for the vote you would have cast! Thanks also to anyone who did vote for me. I didn't end up winning the contest (which was a long shot at the end anyway). The truth is I had been thinking about making that model for a while, but probably wouldn't have followed through if they hadn't held the contest. I'm going to see if they have any interest in offering a tweaked version of the model as a fundraising item. I think I could make it a snap together design that is printed in color and doesn't require painting. That is very cool about your voyage on the America. I imagine you have seen photos of that ships time as a troop carrying ship and it's ultimate fate. I find all of that stuff fascinating. Dan

Here are a couple photos just to close the loop on my earlier post. I tried to get a similar angle to the picture Scud posted of his modified stock fender My results aren't that much more compact than his. I've been running this setup for 5 or 6 years now. Lately I have been thinking about thinking about re doing this bracket and switching over to LEDs for the tail, indicator and dash lights. I got one of these to try out: http://www.amazon.com/Universal-CRF250X-CRF450X-Brake-Indicator/dp/B009IE4ETM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434205278&sr=8-1&keywords=crf+led+tail+light It's way brighter than the stock unit, and really small. I like the style and size of this one too: http://www.dimecitycycles.com/vintage-cafe-racer-caferacer-bobber-brat-chopper-custom-motorcycle-electronic-lighting-parts-lucas-led-taillight-no-bracket-225-1008.html

And a few more photos. By the way, I think I really only need to end up in second place to win the tour.

Hi all, Hopefully this is ok to post. Please let me know and or delete my post if it is not. I'm hoping you fine members of the motorcycling community might be willing to help me win a tour of an awesome, rusty old piece of history (the SS United States) that has fascinated me since I moved to Philadelphia in 2001. I have designed and built a scale model of the ocean liner SS United States for a contest being held by the SSUS Conservancy. My model was designed at (1"=100' scale) in Solidworks and 3d printed. I did the paint and assembly. You can vote at the link below. Voting ends on Sunday 6/14. While you are there, check out the rest of the site to learn some more about the ship and the efforts to preserve it as a museum / event space / anything but scrap metal. http://www.ssusc.org/instagram-contest-model-the-ss-united-states/?utm_source=Big+U+in+Dutch+News%2C+Spring+Maintenance%2C+Model+Contest&utm_campaign=Big+U+in+Dutch+News%2C+Spring+Maintenance%2C+Model+Contest&utm_medium=email If two people on the same network try to vote, the second person will likely get an error message. Using a phone with Wi-Fi turned off seems to work There are a lot of really impressive models in the contest (although many are builds of a Revell kit), but I'm guessing that mine is the only submission by a member of the forum!! Below are some photos of my model and the process. Thanks! Dan

Roy - I'm curious what type of crimps you use. Do you rely on the crimp alone or do you solder too? I have always twisted, soldered and heat shrinked, but I bought some of these to try out recently: They seem like they make a nice tight connection, but I haven't actually used them. It seems like they would make the rigid portion of a splice much shorter than a twisted and soldered connection. The ones I bought are from this vendor: http://www.cycleterminal.com/splice-terminals.html But searching for "open barrel crimp splice" brings up lots of similar products from other vendors.

Like a number of others, I have removed and later reinstalled my airbox. It seems like a rite of passage for V11 sport ownership! I don't have strong feelings either way (except that the frame and monoshock are oh so cool looking!), and a quick search will yield days worth of debate on the topic. My one piece of advice is to take lots of photos to help you revert to the stock setup if you decide to later on. This will be especially helpful if you decide to go for the extra credit points of re-routing the wiring harness up next to the battery to hide it and moving the fuel pump above the frame!

You can buy the whole fuseblock with male spade connectors (instead of crimp terminals) on Amazon for $8: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H9K8556/ref=s9_simh_gw_p263_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-4&pf_rd_r=0JAT6R41NV4EVJREKART&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2090149182&pf_rd_i=desktop That will get you 16 terminals you could use in your fusebox to re-purpose any fuse locations that aren't being used anymore. Not as good as crimp terminals, but it's one of the factory connections - my bike uses spade connections on two of the circuits so that the Chassis harness and ECU harness are not permanently tied together.