docc

Thanks, man! Once all that paint did not come off under the wire wheel, I thought, "This should be preserved." Looking like a camo pattern from an Aermacchi prop plane . . . Then I started looking at the valve covers and shaking the rattle can. That's when the barkeep cut me off . . .

This is my fourth refinish. I had a lot of fun with the zinc chromate thing; learned a lot from all the discussion here! I looked at carbon fiber covers, but couldn't make a decision. After running this one over the wire wheel on the bench grinder, I found a lot of the zinc chromate holding fast. Desiring to put the lower "tongue" extension back to silver (before the road does!), and still wanting the homage to Carcano and the green primer race bikes, I decided to sand it with 600 grit and clear coat it. Patina, preserved!

Two years and 10,000 miles. I have a new plan . . .

Got my replacement WIX 51215 today. Application is: H-D, Buell , and Moto Guzzi V11! I'll be taking the label off this time. Agreed, it is probably fine either way, but removing it should be considered "best practice."

I leapt like a freaked cat when the wife started moving boxes around the GB this morning. Six months from turning thirty, and probably now worth double (or triple) my Sport. Of course it also has only half the miles . . .

I see this recent post in our thread on "Craigslists, Auctions, ebays - V11s for sale" https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=18375&p=236555

Aw, sorry to hear, man! I hope your "personal parts" are okay! I don't know anyone who has bought a running V11 for that kind of (ridiculous) money. I have established bike value in the past, for insurance purposes, with a handful of asking prices on available similar units. Don't forget the shipping costs. Perhaps we have members that would be willing to share with you privately what they have recently paid for actual purchases?

Ride it like you stole it?

Now, there is the explanation I could never have found without an honest and personal conversation.

Here is the WIX 51215 label after 5,000 miles/ 8.000 km. The tiniest bit of one corner was barely lifted. The entire label was well adhered, scarcely even discolored, and covered by a clear film. While the label peeled off easily enough from the lifted corner, it was really hard to keep the clear film separated for the photo. Conclusions and impressions? (It'll be fine, just don't put your filter on "finger tight" One and an eighth turns! )

The Sport managed to lead a small group 260 miles today and roll over its 110,000 mile service interval. The oil is in the bucket . . . Being "Boxing Day" in the UK, I suppose it was good that three of the bikes along were BMW "Boxers!" BTW, what exactly is "Boxing Day" and why is it the day after Christmas?

Merry Christmas from the south'n US to all! Temps warm up just enough tomorrow to make a run up the plateau for a warm lunch. Y'all come, now, ya hear?

I don't remember posting it recently. It's not in my twenty pages of attachments and not on my hosted images on imgzeit. Not in my Gallery. And no where in any combination of google searches I've made. Anyone know Gregory Bender that could ask him where it went?

I finally found my link to that image went to Gregory Bender's "thisoldtractor" site, but the page is "Error 404." It certainly does not come up on common searches on the web. I looked through guzzitech.dk, but still nothing. This was a 3/4 view rendering, in color, from the right front of a green V11 with a full upper fairing. I had thought it actually said Marabese on it, but I don;t see it on any of their websites either. It looked very much like Craig's beutiful Laverda 750 SFC fairing: Does anyone else recall this rendering? Any ideas how we might reference it again?

Did you ever get your Ignition Switch back together J_G?

Excellent tool and made in California for Dave. Josh put me onto this. I have tool maker documented somewhere . . . Great to use! [edit: yeah, here ya go: Dennis Stubbelfield Tools in L.A. makes it]: https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19495&p=215930

So, 479 miles/ 773 km since I "messed with" this fitting and no funky drip. (knock-on-wood/burn-incense/nudge-nudge-wink-wink) Perhaps it simply forced out some debris or "re-seated" the flange-flare (no O-rings on mine) by rotating the fitting while tightening it down. As well noted, just reefing on it and over-tightening is not the answer. For those who insist on dropping their sump every oil change (not me), be aware of carefully re-attaching this crankcase vent return line.

Alright, some of you have noticed I've been trying to update, clean-up, and re-link some of our archive threads about the origins of the V11. Thanks, again, to ScooRoo for raising a good question about who, at Moto Guzzi ,may have asked Luciano Marabese to pen the V11 Sport. Those discussions are posted elsewhere: Luciano Marabese / V11 Designer V11 vs. Sport 1100 I have searched and searched (and searched and searched and searched!) for the design study drawing that depicted the early green V11 with a fairing (more "sporty" than the eventual V11 Lemans). Does anyone else remember this design study? I cannot find it anywhere.

Haha, Tom! Even the designer of the V11 himself, Luciano Marabese, could be lost for words what the V11 has that fascinates us: "And despite everything, this bike, when I see it still leaves me ... (smile) You know it's not normal, eh? I ride bikes and I'm used to it, it's almost a routine, but this bike has something." - Luciano Marabese, Anima Guzzista interview, 2002 Later in the interview, when complimented again on the design of the V11, Marabese says this: "The bikes for me are sensations and in the V11 a certain libido is combined for some forms with a basic impression of masculine, essential motion." (I realize this is an awkward internet English translation of what the fine man actually said in Italian.)

Riding through the hills and along the creeks today on the Sport, I got thinking what an interesting corollary between Luciano Marabese creating the V11Sport design "without being requested" and that Guilio Carcano created the big-block V-twin, similarly, for use in his personal Fiat 500, also "without being requested." Purity combined!

This would also be a good chance to inspect and perhaps replace the crankcase breather hose that goes from that crooked tube on the backside of the motor to the front underside of the spine frame.

High of 50ºF/10ºC, and sunny skies = search the countryside for a pot of chili and some views. Success on both counts!

Yep, that is the pushrod seal, GU90400816. The only two bolts that go through to the crankcase are the bottom two. Pretty sure I used Teflon pipe thread sealing tape (that detail may be in the thread I linked "Bell Housing Leak". I replaced my clutch springs with OEM pieces that came from the no-longer-in-existance Moto International. Even with over 100,000 miles, they were not collapsed. If there have been any oil leaks inside the bell housing, inspect the friction discs and clean all the friction surfaces.

Pressureangle just did this sort of thing on his gorgeous, yellow 1100 Sport (amazing!) . . . https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20345

Oh, mate, you thought I said "Greenie and Ready?"