jtucker

According to this they have a "pendng" record of 157.953 MPH. I'm not sure why it's pending... every other record seems to be certified. __Jason

Yup. And if the problem occurs on my bike again, I'm going to try the filter/pump location swap first, I think. I will keep Raz's "pump jump" trick in my back pocket, though. I'm curious if that would work. Actually, I just like saying "pump jump" __Jason

So, your pressure regulator and petcock are on the *same* side of the bike? I didn't know any of these bikes came that way. Well, I guess that's one way to fix the problem of not being able to access all of the fuel in the bottom of the tank, no? PS: will you swap tanks with me? __Jason

Good info, Raz - thanks for that. I'm going to keep this "pump jump" in mind. As for why it happens to some, and not others? Who knows? Why do some V11s ping, while others do not (BTW.. before my rebuild, mine pinged... not any more!). As the folks trying to set up their TPS seem to be finding out, each one of these bikes seems to have its own "special" characteristics. Perhaps some bikes are running hotter than others for some reason, which makes them more susceptible to vaporizing the fuel in the lines. There is tremendous opportunity for a science project here, if only someone had enough time, gumption, and access to a pool of V11 "test subjects". __Jason

I'm not sure what year it changed, but the "factory recommended tire size" for the V11S used to be 160/60 on a 4.5" wheel. I still run that size on mine, and have no intention on changing it. Then, Guzzi decided to jump on the "fat wheel" bandwagon, switched to a 5.5" wheel, and fatter tire, for no apparent reason other than looks. Narrower wheels/tires are generally considered to handle better (less unsprung weight, less rotational mass (gyro), less flexation in the sidewalls, and quicker turn-in due to narrower tire profile). There are bikes out there that put out WAY more HP than a Guzzi that probably require a 180-section rear tire to maintain traction. IMHO, the Guzzi does not require this at all. __Jason

Well, if you're mechanic has a fix for this, then by all means be sure to share it with us! Also, while he's answering the unanswerable, be sure to ask him about the meaning of life! Sorry... my brain has vapor lock, methinks... __Jason

It seems it's been 6 or 7 years since this problem was first reported here on the forum, and we're still no closer to a fix. Well, short of getting a newer bike with the in-tank pump, that is... I too thought the manual petcock might fix the problem, which is why I had one installed during my rebuild project. Sadly, anecdotal evidence here seems to suggest that was futile. I've also wrapped my fuel lines in aluminized insulation... not sure if it helps or not, though. Time will tell if any of the things I did had any effect. Or maybe it won't. The strange thing is, my bike ran fine for about a year or so with NO vapor lock issues at all, and then suddenly it started happening fairly regularly (change in fuel formulation? ) When the problem happens, there is a very noticeable change in the pitch of the fuel pump. I always assumed this was because the pump was sucking vapor rather than liquid, and that once it sucked vapor it was useless until it was "primed" again (somehow). I had thought - possibly incorrectly - that allowing the petcock to vent while the bike was parked might fix this condition. Hmmmph. I guess the question I have now is: What actually causes the change in pump "pitch". Is this really because it is trying to pump vapor? Or, is it something else. The only other "else" I can think of is that it is encountering resistance on the regulator side... like a blockage shortly after the pump (or in the pump?). Just thinking out loud here. Since I got my bike back on the road, I haven't experienced any really hot days yet. If I keep having problems - despite my cheap & lazy attempts to fix - I may start investigating a bit further. I've got a fuel pressure gauge kicking around here someplace, and might consider hooking it up to try and get some empirical data - like, when the pump spins up, does the fuel pressure actually increase, or not. The fact that the pump shuts off leads me to believe that there is, in fact, a pressure build-up, but who the hell knows. Maybe next time it happens, I'll just pull out my trusty V11 voodoo doll and start poking needles in it. Seems about as plausible a fix as anything else, no? __Jason

FWIW, this just popped up on my radar screen from another list I'm on: $170 package deal on a set of Pirelli Diablo Supersport tires. http://tinyurl.com/6lddo3 I've never used the tires or the vendor, so I can't vouch. Just wanted to pass it along in case somebody here found it useful. __Jason

Actually, he didn't take my avatar shot - but it was taken in the same location. As for getting a print, I'll send you a PM shortly... I just brought home a 10" x 15" print yesterday, and it's stunning. His printer is capable of much better color than any computer display. His prints are done on Museo Silver Rag archival paper, and are signed and numbered (mine is 1/45). I'll be getting it framed and hang it alongside my signed/numbed Guzzi V8 lithograph He told me he has someone else interested in purchasing a whole set of his motorcycle prints as well... and that guy doesn't even own a bike... just likes the pictures! __Jason

Ahh, thanks for the clarification Paul. __Jason

Thanks! The photographer that took the shot does amazing work. I was actually following his (non-motorcycle) work online looking to maybe buy a print of one of his photos taken around Philly... and then I realized he actually lives in the same building as the shop where I take my bike to. What luck! I was going to get around to doing that eventually... I have some ideas for some other cool photos - just haven't gotten around to yet... __Jason

My bike... Photo by Michael Penn Photography. A few of Michael's other motorcycle photos here: Michael Penn's motorycle set As cool as his HDR photos are online, they look even better in print. I intend to get a print of this framed. __Jason

Aesthetics, mainly. The deep sump seems to have *much* more surface area than the stock sump, with its own cooling fins and the external filter. I have no doubt that it sheds heat better than the stock pan. I would, however, keep a temperature gauge on it just to be sure. All this is moot, however, if I can't get my hands on the deep sump. __Jason

I haven't ruled out Pete's windage plate, and in fact it may be my only option if nobody is selling the sumps. I would prefer the deep V sump, however, because I actually would like to remove the oil cooler. __Jason

The indication I'm getting is that Moto Speziale is possibly no longer producing parts at all. Has anyone else heard anything about this? __Jason

OK... I'm intrigued. Oh, and Ignore my previous post... __Jason

OK... I gave them a call. The fellow I spoke to seemed to confirm my suspicion - the sump doesn't "officially" support the V11 Sport, due to the issues that we're already familiar with (oil cooler loss, sidestand bracket). However, there seems to be a bigger issue - they don't have them in stock, and don't know when (or if) they will get any more in. Soooo... anyone know of a shop that has the deep-V sump sitting on a shelf? __Jason

I thought so too: BTW - the frame is not painted red - it's powder coated. Spare Parts sent my swingarm to a local powder coater here in Philly to have it done. I also had my Magni fairing subframe and Tekno bag mounts (not currently on the bike) powder coated the same red. Brent - if you call DGM in Philly (http://www.dgmchrome.com/serv01.htm) they might still have the color info on file. The Spare Parts Co has sent them a fair amount of work in the past. Powder coating is the way to go (the stock wheel finish is powder coat), however, I would be careful - powder can be cured at different temperatures, and if the wrong temp is used on aluminum wheels, it could anneal the alloy and weaken them - or so I've heard. __Jason

Soooooooo.... what you're telling me is that those old Avons that have been on my V11S for the 5 or so years it was on the bench should probably be replaced then, right? Actually, I was planning to replace them - even though they do *appear* to be in surprisingly good condition still. I'm thinking about giving the Sportec M3s a whirl. __Jason

I'm going to make an assumption here. I'm guessing that the original poster could buy these heads relatively cheap, and then dump money into them and get them to (maybe) work. OR, he could simply take his existing heads and send them to someone like Mike Rich to work his magic on, which is a sure bet. In other words, I suspect these LM III heads may be more trouble than they're worth. __Jason

BTW, thanks Jaap - you're sidestand info is exactly what I was looking for. Followup question, though - do I *only* need the bracket from a Sport 1100, or are there any other doo-dads that need to go along with it? __Jason

Hmmm... except that it was not a German shop Really, all I asked them was to confirm that my stock sidestand would not work with the deep sump. Their response was that the sump would not work. I should probably just handle this the old fashioned way and pick up the telephone. Or, I could just order it anyway and deal with the consequences. __Jason

The only thing I can think of is that MG Cycle is claiming it won't work because they're afraid that it if I get it, I'll come back bitching about the sidestand, oil cooler, etc, etc, and they don't want to deal with a potential pissed off customer. __Jason

I sent an email to MG Cycle asking about the MS deep sump for my bike. Specifically, I asked about the sidestand mounting situation. Their response just said that it will not work with my model bike. So... does that mean that mean that the sidestand won't work, or that the deep V sump as a whole won't work. I'm confused, because I was pretty sure people were using these things, no? __Jason