docc

Yeah, I heard Joe retired a couple years ago. Love his stuff!

I recall Meinolf had offered a "clean" map that he uses, but I don't recall how exactly he has his V11 set up. That would be a guzzidiag/Tunerpro approach if I understand correctly . . .

If I heard someone holler, "Flying brick!", the next thing I'd expect to hear is breaking glass . . .

Here's what I learned: "I use Dual Star but they are no longer in business. A similar product is Symtec Heat Demon (sold by Revzilla $53). It’s a mylar sheet with heating elements that allow you to use any grip you want. Off-low-high settings only. I think the best grip with controller is the Oxford Heaterz grips. They make several different grips for different riding styles and comes with a 7 heat selection controller. Revzilla - $89."

I know who to ask . . . .

I like the simplicity and the satin finishes, especially mixed with some organic materials.

I bought the Sport new in August 2000 with the rare three year warranty, so the exhaust replacement was likely in the first two years. By year three, Aprilia's ownership was in full swing and they contacted me to "exchange" my three year warranty for a two year warranty. Which would have been expired when I received it! I managed to put almost 27,000 miles on the bike in the warranty period and, with the help of my dealer, worked through numerous issues, including the early gearbox problems. For much of this I credit my dealer, a Mr. Ben Curlin. He suffered with all of the same difficulties dealing with the company as now, but absolutely stood by me beyond any reasonable call of duty: a fine gentleman in every way.

Use a quality digital voltmeter and record the existing voltage, turn the bright headlamp on for a few minutes and record where the voltage settles. This gives you a baseline for what the battery will need to give it a full state of charge before putting it on "trickle" (*float charge*). Once you get your baseline voltages, let's discuss charging. Then you can measure the voltage your "trickle" charger puts out (conventional trickle chargers typically use too low of a voltage to keep an AGM at full state of charge (13.5-13.8). No dramatic sparks, please!

Moto Guzzi replaced mine under warranty for this issue. Seems like I was able to reproduce it by bumping the crossover (not the later model's front pipe) with a rubber mallet and I could hear it rattle.

For reference, the original V11 fitment AGM has 150 CCA.

Good stuff. Thanks for posting, guys! I think it's poignant that battery condition/type/charging is such a prominent topic in "How a V11 Runs."

Correct sag is about the correct springs. I got *close* with just spacers, but it ''went badly" - read: crashed. Spacers will not take the place of the correct springs.

How so? (After all this time, I am just barely coming to understand the care and feeding of the AGM . . . )

Really interesting that the later (2003-2004) "naked" still had fork mounted lamps and instruments, no? (While the Café Sport / Ballabio / Coppa Italia all had the frame mounted kit placed well forward, I had long thought the fork mounts were gone after 2001, but not so is it?))

The reason I share the question about the bike's charging output is that (apparently) Yuasa states not to charge their AGM above 2 amps. I told the rider who was concerned about this that I expect the bike is always putting out well over that. So, between Yuasa saying nothing over 2 amps and Odyssey saying nothing under 6 amps (will *charge* the AGM), what is the V11 charging system actually doing with amperage? Does the charging system taper current like a microprocessor controlled charger?

The right springs and oil selection can work wonders for small $$. Yet, I find seals to be fussy. Making me fond of Seal Whisperers.

@gstallons - thanks, my friend! I've been planning on this thread for quite some time. After reading this forum since 2003, and fussing with several V11, I really believe the battery condition is both critical for optimum performance and often rather neglected. One of the three or four most important aspects of a happy V11! @footgoose - I share your question about charging output. I mean, the voltage is straightforward to measure, and the AGM will not be entirely well charged if the regulator is below 14.2v. But what kind of amperage is being put out by the V11 charging system? The chart in the Workshop Manual states 13 amps at 1200 rpm rising to 26.5 amps at 6,000 rpm. I do not understand if that amperage is regulated in any way depending on the battery's state of charge. Others here know these things far better than I . . . I have run some heated gear with some commensurate learning curve. The system did not sustain both my Gerbings jacket (77 watts) and gloves (22 watts). If I had a do-over, I would go just with a vest. That said, when I'm going to take the Sport out with the heated jacket, I condition the PC545 before by discharging it and bringing it up to a full SOC (state of charge). My theory is that the charging system can dedicate to keeping me warm and not have to do double duty also trying to bring the battery up to a full SOC. This has been working so far and I am hopeful that my regulator and stator are benefiting from the reduced load. One of the take-aways has been, if your AGM is below 12.65v, do a proper discharge/charge at correct voltage/amperage before expecting the V11 to do it for you. Instead of "maintenance free" (they're not!), perhaps we could more accurately say only, "Never add water."

AFAIK, all frame and suspension geometry is unchanged 2002-2004. And, +1, 5mm fork change is noticeable; something to be done along with setting sags and selecting springs.

Also, here is Odyssey's official statement on premature failure in "Custom" V-twin motorcycles. Now, I think we can presume they're talking low revving Harley Davidsons and such, but this is worth noting: "ODYSSEY Short Service Life in Custom V-Twin Motorcycles Issue – This notice provides helpful information to the designer, manufacturer, assembler, dealer and bike owner that may have experienced a short service life with the ODYSSEY® Drycell Battery model PC 545MJ installed in Custom V-Twin motorcycles. The increasing popularity of the custom V-twin motorcycle with its big inch engine and high power starting requirement has introduced a new operational issue. New ODYSSEY batteries and other brands initially provide good starting power, but in a short time of use have no or poor starting power and appear to have prematurely failed. Factory analysis of warranty returned batteries indicate these batteries have not failed and do not have factory defects. Batteries with this type of performance are at low charge levels only! Cause - The custom bike requires 2 ½ times the starting power of stock HD engines, but have the same size battery and same 32 amp charging system. The custom bike is generally a short mileage in-town rider, with insufficient driving mileage to recharge the battery. V-twin charging systems only develop enough power to run the motorcycle until engine rpm is above 2,000, when excess power is diverted to charge the battery. Full charged ODYSSEY battery voltage is 12.85 volts. ODYSSEY Batteries with less than 12.40 volts cannot reliably start big inch engines. Solution – ODYSSEY Batteries are a military grade design and mechanically indestructible. Military design prevents shorted cells and vibration damage. They provide deep-cycle reserve and high starting power. Use a 12V, 6A (OMAX-6A-1B) or 12V, 12A (OMAX-12A-1B) Ultimizer charger with dealer or owner installed quick disconnect harness to maintain ODYSSEY at full charge for maximum performance and life. Always connect the charger to battery first, then plug into the AC wall socket. Always unplug from the AC wall socket before disconnecting from battery. Charger will not over-charge as it switchs to storage charge after recharging. Consistent use of the Ultimizer charger will assure trouble free starting power, with 4-8 years of ODYSSEY service life. Help - For ODYSSEY technical support call Bruce Essig at 660-429-7506."

EnerSys (Odyssey) is adamant that these batteries will not charge without applying a minimum of 6 amps, and at 14.2-14.7 volts (15 volt limit). @gstallons: check out their official procedure/ step 1 to recover a deeply discharged AGM (jumper to a healthy battery!): http://www.odysseybattery.com/documents/ProceduretorecoverdeeplydischargedODYSSEY.pdf @Scud: Odyssey publishes a list of approved chargers. BatteryMINDer is on the list and are good quality products. I almost bought one and choked on the $161US I'm still looking for a link to that document, but the BatteryMINDer they list is 12248-AA-S3 EDIT: Here's the list of approved chargers [updated link 13 June, 2017]: http://www.odysseybattery.com/documents/ODYSSEY_approved_12V_chargers.pdf

As mentioned in another thread ('03 V11 runs like crap), a weak battery on a V11 can be a source of frustration. This is a recurring theme and can lead to a literal "wild goose chase" of various other issues when, really, the battery needs proper conditioning. So, three things: 1) Don't let your AGM fall below 12.65 volts before "conditioning" it. (First, discharge with the lights on for a few minutes, then charge as in Step 3.) 2) Don't expect your V11's electrical system to take care of this for you. It may not run well and the charging system will get pissed off. 3) Be certain your charge and float voltages are correct for the AGM requirement: 14.2-14.7v to charge (not to exceed 15v) with a minimum of 6 amps, and 13.5-13.8v to "float"/ "trickle" > LESS voltage on trickle/float is NOT okay. Odyssey states that floating under 13.2 damages the battery: "Note, however, that the charge voltage should not be dropped below 13.2V as that will cause the battery grids to corrode faster, thereby shortening the battery life."

Aw, shucks . . . I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I'm so, so happy with the way my Sport is running. But it hasn't always been that way and remember well the frustration. At one point, I was considering learning shop-grade cursing in Italian. Seriously, though, marginal battery condition is (IMHO) a source of constant, niggly trouble with these V11. I've been conducting some further investigation on the charging requirements of the AGM battery and it has been a real education. Don't give up on that battery until we can sort out its conditioning.

There are those who have had Delrin bushings made and pressed in. Should last forever.

That's dedication!