docc

Jim, I just swapped oil in my sport yesterday. With the oil warm I refilled 3 quarts. I'll recheck it once it's stirred again to be sure it's on the mark. look well ahead, docc

I've noticed several pictures of spine frames with a stand under the frame side plates. Are these conventional swingarm stands or.... Where can I find a good quality support for my V1s? Thanxx, docc

It's funny: on some of the other boards it's the dreaded 'oil thread' that keeps resurfacing. Here on the V11 site we just can't get enough of suspension. After reading all the threads I could find on this I made some changes to my 00 V11s. I had followed the advice of an 1100i rider and gradually moved all my damping sttings to max. Recently I found some good info at guzzitech.com written by Ed. I set fr & rr rebound 75% and fr & rr compression 50%. The bike is so much nicer to ride. Much more compliant on the imperfect roads I ride. Now, I'm 160# plus gear and the sport's forks sag 45mm from full extension. "Too much," everyone says. Bottom line seems to be the bikes are sprung soft and overdamped. I'm planning to change fork oil to 5wt and add a 10mm spacer, drop the triple clamp 10-15mm. Suspension tuning on the cheap. For your weight most riders would recommend a spring upgrade (still pretty inexpensive). What year is you sport, which rear shock does it have and have you put many miles on it? Good riding! docc

You're right about using the GPS. I'll have to enlist some help from the sport-tour guys . Beats averaging out those last three or four tickets. Those guys say their method of speed determination is rather accurate.

Still, do you think that 6% translates to the odometer as well?

Travelling I 65 the other day, leading a Lemans IV, I began counting seconds past mile markers(using my added dash clock with sweep second hand). For 4 or 5 trials , showing 80 on the speedo, I kept getting 48 or 49 second miles. That translates to 74.23 mph !! Is the speedo really that botched? My buddy said his LMIV was also showing 80. Next time on the slab I guess I'll crank up to 85 (a true 79?). Now my question for you , the gurus of Guzzi: If the speedo is off by 7%, is the odometer also off by 7%? If so I don't have 20,000 on the sport, only 18,600???

I fried the rear brake side bearing on my 2000 sport at low miles (around 12000). It was replaced by warranty (OK, I replaced it but MGNA provided the part). This was during a time I was trail braking heavily with the rear brake to keep the driveline from unlocking while cornering. BAD IDEA! This technique ate the rear brake and cooked out the rear bearing grease. Now I 'trail brake' with the front(per Pridmore) with better results and (hopefully) no more bearing failures. Look well ahead! docc

Rich, had a buddy experience night mares with wheelbearings after powdercoating some wheels from a Honda VFR. Apparently from the heat affecting the roundness of the seating surface for the bearing. Hopefully you'll have none of this but just keep an eye on those bearings. i'm jealous! Red wheels? What color is your sport and won't you please treat us to a picture when it is back on its tires? Look well ahead, docc

The Rider Course is such good advice! A great place for a new rider to 'get their sea legs'. Will there be Breva's in the US? Maybe an expensive beginner's bike but a nice addition to the shop, yes?

Cliff, I had slowly increased my steering damping on my 00 V11sport to compensate for the wear in the front tire. After reading your post (and changing the front tire) I backed the damper all the way off. Felt like the bike lost 75 pounds! On the "some tires - some bikes" discussion: I remember the Pirelli Dragon Corsa that came on the sport. Very nervous tire. Just like Carl was describing, like it would not 'settle down' yet would turn in very sharply. That pirelli has the pronouced 'vee' shape of a roadrace tire. No doubt the V11s is much friendlier on the road with a rounder profile. Look well ahead, docc

While refitting a Merkur (Ford Sierra) i read the opinion that the vast majority of electrical problems can be traced to connections and conductivity. I've found this to be largely true (on the Ford and on an older bike I spent 4 years unravelling). Sure, you could have component failure, but it's worth your time to clean and inspect the harness and connections first. Good hunting and keep us posted! docc

My sales brochure for the 2000 V11 sport says the clip-ons are "adjustable in both width and height." I thought the 'security pins' were for shipping. And, anyway, they're quite secure in that bag with my security reflectors, security off-road plaques and security vapor cannisters. As long as the clip-on pinch bolts are properly torqued to the forks and there are no clearance or binding issues you should be able to position them where you like. The fully adjustable controls are one of the terrific, little noted, features of these bikes. Ride well, docc

I like the 'committed' riding posture of the v11 sport. With the Stucchi fly screen wind lift is reasonable at freeway speeds (70-90). Rather than change the clip-ons, I rotated mine all the way back after losing the little locator bolts that offer only three positions. It brings the torso a little more upright, shortens the reach, without any extensive changes. Without the 'locator bolts' you can lower the clip-ons as well. Handlbars must really change the whole feel of the bike. I'm sure it would enhance the comfort for us "medium-old" guys!

I dunno. 60% of 170 is 102mm and 70% of160 is 112 mm making the 160/70 a taller tire , therefor more circumference. yet if you could figure actual tire size this way ( I'm not convinced the real measure comes out like this) the 160/70 would be 20mm (3/4") taller! It just seems incredible. Using the same questionable method makes a 160/60 12mm (1/2") shorter. Still there's got to be enough difference in the circumference to skew the gas mileage computation from speedo error. Yet:taller tire= taller gear=more fuel economy. Damn, now I'm dizzy again !

My theory on tires for bikes has always been, "try something new. If you don't like it , it'll be worn out pretty soon anyway." It sounds like the concensus is 160/60-17. I'm hearing Bridgestone but isn't there a good handling decent mileage alternative? Ride well, docc

That lower leading edge of the sump is the Achilles' heel of my Sport's vanity. Between the garp kicked up by the tire and that olive-oil -based brake dust, how do you keep that part of the engine looking decent? My owner's manual says to use 'petrol' but that has some auspicious drawbacks not the least of which are toxicity and flash point.

Isn't that tacky? It's the 'press to talk' lead for a two-way radio that I still haven't sorted out. But power mirrors.. hmmm.. is there horsepower in that?

DB, That's good to know. I thought the plaques wre some stupid US federal thing. Now that I know they are genuine MOT they look even better hanging in my toolbox , well and good off the road. I feel better knowing my cans are not being used on the UK motorways and my chance of getting 'nicked' by your constabulary is pretty slim! Good to hear from you, docc

I use the CRG also . They give the bike that loong looow loooook. The elbows aren't seen but the little buggers are quite convex. Objects in mirror are WAY closer than they appear. Still, if you don't expect to differentiate between types of cars (you can tell if the blue lights are flashing!) you get use to the small images (daytime running lights help). I had my bar end weights machined by a local shop to accept the mirror without an adapter. The mount is very secure plus I kept the damping of the original bar-ends( plus added an ounce of lead shot up each clip-on). The machining added $85!!! but the reduction in vibration is just outstanding. If the extra $$ is worth it to you , I have a machine drawing dimensioned for the lathe work. E-mail if you want it. --------------------- docc 2000 V11 Sport Honda GB 500 98 Ford SVT Contour

You know a guy loves his Guzzi when he shares his toothbrush with her!

Konrad, when you get the Mistrals on, make one of those mpeg movies for 'fileshare'. Love to hear your sport in a fly-by!

So, John, how much did your speedo change from 170/60 to 160/60? And your impression of the handling change...? Thanks,docc

So what are you guys going with for 'correct' sag? BTW, Lex, I'd love to see a picture of your V11 with those red legs! docc

Help me out: the way I read this the '01 sport has Sach's rear shock? (my '00 v11s is WP). I'm reading differant spring rates, usually in kg. What is the stock spring rate? Does anyone know what weight rider the stock springs are set up for? Looking to optimize my stock Marz/WP, docc

Carl, That's a good point and I have to agree. I just couldn't think of any other reason why that change would have made any difference. I didn't expect it to change how the bike ran. I really did it more in the interest of purity and the cafe aesthetic. I have read that the check valve on the evap setup can cause tank suction. Although I hadn't experienced that, I wonder - could that vacuum affect fuel delivery? If so that may be another source of the lean condition common to these motors. Thanks for the feedback, docc