al_roethlisberger

Do you recall the size and pitch of the threaded end of the brass fitting you used? al

Ah hem... regarding real gold plated parts, well my mama always said that if I don't have anything nice to say... well.... let's just leave it at that The polished covers turned out great though. I'd hate to have to maintain them though

....what "all the tongue-in-cheek HD put downs"? Heh ....there was only one vague reference by Mike regarding chrome, and although I'm sure it was in a bit of fun, it's fun and humorous because it's generally a true statement And I don't think that is meant to be perjorative. Just visit any HD boutique and see where the priority lies. And that's not a "bad thing" per se, just a style and personal choice. In fact, this seems to be in alignment with your comments about "HD riders being more YUPPIE than even Guzzi riders" Although I have to admit that anyone equating Guzzi riders with yuppies or rubbies is the furthest thing from a reasonable description of a typical Guzzi owner as I've ever known Few Guzzi owners take 50 mile Poker runs down to the local watering hole as their regular weekend jaunt, or trailer their bikes Obviously this isn't descriptive of all HD riders, but as you point out, a large portion of their customer base do fit this description, and IMHO that's too bad as I think they're missing out on what motorcycling is all about. But as always, to each their own, and if it's what makes them happy and they aren't hurting anyone... well Anyway, back on topic.... yes the PC can make a great difference in smoother throttle response, and in tuning your bike to work well with a variety of modifications. In theory the M15 ECU should be enough to tune the bike to work with any reasonable modification, but the problem is that in the USA there aren't enough shops with the software and experience to tune the M15 and the Guzzi optimally. However, there are a plethora of good Certified Dynojet Tuning Centers. If you were in Europe, the need for the PCIII might be less, as they have more shops like TLM that have experience remapping the ECU itself. Since we have an open loop EFI system, remapping is mandatory if you've significantly changed the intake or exhaust system... as the system cannot dynamically adjust the air/fuel mixture. al

It shouldn't *require* further tuning, but even with the stock ECU and stock pipes, additional tuning is often optimal after delivery from the factory So... it just depends. No harm is done to "dial it in" a bit more after the application of the new pipes and ECU, as each bike is a bit different. If I had the opportunity to check it out on a gas analyzer, I would. ...but no, it shouldn't be required to run fine. For all practical purposes, it should be a bolt on affair if the bike was already running fine with the stock setup. al

Silk is a good alternative as well. One can get silk uppers and lowers at just about any sporting goods store, especially if they sell snow/ski apparel. But the new synthetics from underarmor, etc... have become quite good as well. al

Heya Apex, Yep, several good threads on this, including the grand-daddy of them all: Hollow Front Axle Thread A general search for "ohlins" in the title returned some of the following: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...=2416&hl=ohlins http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...=2238&hl=ohlins http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...=1464&hl=ohlins But the Ohlins didn't just show up in '04. You could have gotten them all the way back in '02 on a Scura, or starting in '03 with the Rosso Corsa. Obviously though, if you were waiting on a factory black bike, then yes the '04 Nero Corsa would have to be your choice Bottom line, you can convert your bike to Ohlins front and rear for about $1500-2000 "net" after you resell your old suspenders, best case. The up-front cost is probably closer to $2500 to $3500 depending on the cost and source of the parts(new versus used, etc). Check out the threads above, and I think you'll be pleasantly suprised. One thing you should be lucky regarding though.... AFAIK, your '03 should already have the hollow axle, and therefore correct spacer. So in theory, this should save you the hassle of making a new wheel spacer, and finding new bearings. Good luck! The gold toned suspension will look great with black al

The synthetic isn't a big deal in regard to melting in a crash, especially if you have leathers over them. Can it happen? Sure I guess, but Cordura solutions like those used by Aerostitch, etc... wouldn't be so popular if it were a major issue. In my experience with running in the heat and motorcycling in very hot and cold weather, although I too like the feel of cotton, it doesn't do a good job in either extreme if it gets even slightly wet... from perspiration or water. I was amazed with the difference in comfort when I switched to proper running shorts versus cotton Similarly I have special motorcyling underwear that is designed to reduce "seam burn" on those 10+ hour days, and they wick the moisture away so it can evaporate. A huge difference in comfort. Anyway, YMMV, but if you have the proper gear over your underwear, I wouldn't worry too much about the "melting" factor. After all, if you've gotten that far through your armor to begin melting and abrading your underwear, well, I don't think a couple mm of cotton or poly is going to really make that much difference .... al

In case you missed it through your research, we also have a FAQ on the suject here: Intake and Air Filter FAQ It's mostly collected Forum threads, but can be helpful to see what others have done. It looks like you may have already read my thread based on your search for the 1780 filters though. I don't know why the dealer couldn't find these, unless K&N has discontinued them Maybe if you can print out a photo, they can look up the new model # if so.... From: Airbox Lid versus Pods Thread Below is a photo of them installed behind the side-covers, clearly showing their built-in angled "runner". I don't know if that helps any, but.... well, good luck al

Yeah, I have no idea regarding it's fitting in the stock bucket, etc... just brain storming at this point. But I do have to say, there is no comparison in brightness with a 100W halogen and the HIDs.... the HIDs really are much brighter. And then of course, theres the power consumption advantage, and I think for a lot of people that would be a huge bonus Anyway, it's a lot of $$, so we'll see if I even attempt it next Winter. I'm not bothering now.... after all, it's riding weather , and no need to take anything out of service unnecessarily Just thinking ahead al

I've thought about this for a while.... but since our bikes have a single element providing both high and low beams, converting to an HID projector requires a special servo activated unit, as opposed to relatively easy conversions on bikes with two headlights where the HID can be used as the high-beam. Although an expensive project, in theory one could make this conversion for about $200 based on the following kit: http://www.hidtech.com/view/1064515734 It uses the quality Hella ballasts, and has the ability to offer both high and low beams via a servo activated shield. One could potentially buy the kit, install half of it on the bike, and resell the other half.... making for an affordable solution. For those that ride a lot at night, or have poor night vision, this could be a very good solution. PLUS... and a big plus for many V11 riders, this conversion would cut the load on the electrical system by 30 or 40 Watts(or more if you are using over-wattage Halogen bulbs), which means one more piece of heated gear you can now support safely Anyway, just a thought. Looks like an interesting project I might look into this next Winter, but I think I'd want a spare/salvage headlight and bucket before cutting on mine al

You can get the newest relays from Dan Prunuske at: http://www.dotnet.com/~pyrodan/ The relays on the early bikes are probaby the only major endemic problem, and of course that is easy to address. There is a recall currently on the V11 Sports for connecting rod bolts, and transmissions. You can do a search of the forum for "recall" , or contact your local dealer to get the VIN ranges for the recalls. Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on your new bike! al P.S. Sorry about Indian, I wonder what will happen next for them. They were just down the road from me, and the San Jose dealer is literally a couple blocks from my house.

That's a hard call, as it's hard to block all that ventilation. But you might check into underarmor: http://www.safetyleague.com/Products/Unifo...or/ColdGear.htm I've been thinking about getting some for hot weather. I hear great stuff about their apparel, especially for hot weather.... al

Thanks Carl http://www.guzzitech.com/1100shift-carl.html ...sounds like you lost the whole linkage? In my case, it's just the bolt that goes into the back of the shifter itself, that attaches it to the dogleg. So I got a bit "luckier" BTW, it's just an M6 Hex head bolt that goes there, right? I looked through the parts and service CD and didn't see an exploded view of the gear selector linkage There's no special bushing or anything that I lost as well eh? al

So, I was riding back from Berkeley today after our lunch with Mike, Janice, Jason, and Sonya... and as I was tooling along through Oakland, and felt around with my left foot to make a shift... and.... nothing. I don't mean "nothing" like a missed shift, I mean "nothing"... like well.... air Heh, so I looked down, and saw my lever flopped down as far as it would go, against the side plate Well, I wasn't sure at this point if it was the dreaded "return spring failure" or if some part of the linkage had let go, but since I was on the freeway buzzing along in 4th or 5th gear(not sure, but I'm pretty sure 5th)... I just thought, "well, just keep on going." Only another 40 miles to go So, since I knew I was in a high gear, I just prayed that I didn't need to actually stop between Oakland and San Jose. And for the most part I got lucky. There was one or two backups where I had to split lanes to keep up the pace, but for the most part is was "smooooth sailing". However, I began planning early where the most opportune exit was for my trip through town back home Upon getting to San Jose, I took the best exit that was close to home, and offered an almost immediate dive into a service station parking lot, where I could inspect what was really going on down there. So, after pulling into my local Shell station, I cut the engine(remember, no neutral ) and checked out the shift linkage. Sure enough, the bolt on the back of the shift lever, that attaches to the dogleg/linkage, had just vibrated right off... somewhere in Berkeley I then tried to see if I could shift the linkage with my hand to get it into a lower gear. Well, have you ever tried to shift the transmission by hand? ...without the leverage of the linkage?? ...uh yeah, Heh... so I hopped back on, started it up, and experimented to see if I could actually ride the bike stoplight to stoplight in 5th gear. Well, for those wondering, yes... you can ride the V11 Sport/LeMans(carefully) stuck in 5th gear. Thank God for torque So anyway, alls well that ends well... I got it home without any drama, and it's an easy fix. Just bring on the loctite this time! Oh, and as an aside... this should be a lesson. These bikes know when you are "talking about them" It was just during lunch today before riding back that I told Mike and Jason that the only parts I'd like to have machined from "quality stock" were the rear brake and gear shift levers, as they were cheap cast parts that break easily. hrmmm al

Yep, Uninstalled the tachometer by removing the two 8mm acorn nuts on the back of the plastic instrument nacelle. Then it comes right out. It was then very obvious what Mike, Carl, and others have been talking about where the case of the tach is grounded, poorly at that, by a loosely attached eyelet under the press-fit mounting stud. The studs are both a tad loose, but loose enough that the ground eyelet moves all around. I tested the lighting of the tach by wiggling the ground wire, and sure enough... it wavered. So, I tapped onto the ground wire with a vampire clip, and added a ground to the case with another eyeled under one of the various screws on the back of the tach. It seems solid now. Of course, the tach is still a bit more dim than the speedo, but not as bad. But I don't think they were ever perfectly equivalent in luminosity ....at least it shouldn't blink now al

Conversely, after my conversation with Mike the other night, the Pirelli Diablo Corsas and Metz Sportec(which are made in the same factory) seem to work fantastically on the 02+ bikes He's tried both, on his 03 and 00 bikes... So, perhaps as a general rule we can say that tires like the Metz/Pirelli work well on the "slower" steering 02+ bikes, while these tires make the "faster" steering bikes too nervous. I'm planning on getting the Pirellis once the 020's wear out. al

Who knows, it may have worked fine... after some "fine tuning" After all, mechanical fuel injection showed up in mass produced autos in the 1950s, and had been used throughout WWII. al

Just for everyones' clarification, 1 "full turn" from.... - 1 full turn back "out" counter-clockwise from closed(clockwise)?? or... Just curious. al

Well regardless of if you could raise the triples because of fork diameter(which you can BTW), you would seriously alter the handling characteristics of your bike by doing so Raising the triples ~20mm would be a dramatic change in geometry for the bike... and probably "dramatic" in a bad way ...you like choppers? al

It might, but based on the photo from Lex's bike above, it doesn't even look like the nose of the master-cylinder will clear the 02+ taller forks.... regardless ...maybe a side photo from Lex could show the clearance better, but if Cal wants to not have to jack the bars waaaay high to clear the fork crowns, this may not be a very workable solution it seems. Too bad if so I guess it depends on how high/low Cal wants the bars?? al

Ahhh, I see the problem. Hrmm, that is an interesting problem to point out with any late mode(02+) V11 Sport or LeMans and the Convertibar system then I wonder if they realize this... al

Cal... That's very odd, as actually the triple-clamp on a LeMans(or 02+ Sport) is not lower... the forks are just longer... extending another 20 or so mm to accomodate the top mounted clip-ons of the later V11 Sport models. The ratio/spacing of the triples to the headstock, etc on a late model Sport/LeMans should be the same as any other Sport. Everything *should* be exactly as in Lex's photo, even on a LeMans. If it's not, I don't know why. The only difference between a Sport and LeMans solution would of course be fairing clearances. However, are you saying that the 'converti bars' perhaps don't clear the fairing and other bits down in the fairing as you turn the bars? I could see how this could possibly happen with solutions like this that extend the effective width of the forks inside the fairing al

Thanks for thoughts Ian To my point, from what I read in Guzziology(I believe, or similar) regarding the TB balance procedure, was that the RH idle screw was redundant since the both TB's are linked. If they TBs were not, then having both screws would be necessary. Basically the point was, use one or the other, but not both.... as adjusting one will just pull the other off of it's stop, and negate it's effectiveness. I think the left hand screw is suggested to be kept out of the two because it's easiest to get to For example: Let's say you adjust idle from the left, and get it "just right", but then adjust the right set-screw because your vacuum was off(instead of just going directly to the balance knob). If you are able to move the TB at all with the right screw, you've now also lifted the left screw off if's stop because the TBs are linked... throwing everything off again. Using just one screw provides a more consistent result, and trying to use both is not just ineffective, but throws more variables into the mix. No one seems to know why MG included two set screws on this setup, since adjusting either just negates the other, since the TBs are linked BTW, both/either of mine are useless, as they are both all the way out and my idle just is "what it is" reading about 1300rpm YMMV of course , but this is just the process that I've read I could be wrong. Thanks for the feedback regarding the air-bypass screws as well.... but here's a thought... If Mica's advice is simply meant to make sure the AB screws are "balanced" as part of this process, but we also agree that the AB screws should not be grossly adjusted without a gas analyzer, perhaps a better approach and description would be to suggest screwing the AB screws all the way back "in" and carefully note their postion(how many turns). Then(hoping both were close to even) one can back them back out to their previous settings evenly on both sides... if making them "even" is a goal. However, I'm not certain this is a good goal?? I may be going out of my depth here, but I would have to guess that if the bike were in a good state of tune, and a good shop adjusted the AB screws while using the correct gas analyzer sometime prior, and ended up with slightly uneven settings.... that maybe adjusting them just so they are "even" may be counterproductive? Maybe someone who has a better understanding of the function and impact of adjusting the AB screws can chime in here. I've never touched mine. al

Ian, Great work But a couple questions: 1) Why do you include fiddling with the air-bypass screws, since these are typically set with a gas-analyzer and not typically used to set idle/balance(as you note). With the instructions about adjusting the air bypass screws soon followed by the warning above, I don't understand how they relate to the process. I may have just gotten confused, but thought I'd ask in case I am missing a step when I balance my TBs... which BTW takes about 10 minutes with the TwinMax When I balance my TBs, I only use the white plastic balance adjustment knob. 2) I'm not sure if you meant to suggest using the right idle set-screw when you mention it, but it's been recommended that both the right and left set-screws not be used in conjunction, as they inevitably will be uneven. It has been recommended to back out the right set-screw such that it is irrelevant, and only set idle with the left screw. As an aside, my bike just idles high after my head porting, no matter what. It shows about 1300 rpm on the tach, but on the DynoJet sensor shows closer to 1900. It idled at about 1000-1100 according to the tach as stock, so I guess it's really only a couple 100 rpm "high" Carl Allison reported the same after his heads came back. al

The older(pre 2002) Marz forks have rebound and compression damping in separate legs. The fork crown marked "C" and the crown marked "R"... well, I'm sure you get it Anyway, there is a brass screw in the center of each of these caps/crowns, and can be adjusted clockwise for more damping, and counter for less. Hope that helps If you were asking "how much" instead of "how", well I can't help you there al