al_roethlisberger

Also, if callithrix rode the bike stock for some time, maybe even dyno it and THEN installed new pistons we would have a really good insight what these pistons are good for in a objective, "scientific" way. ....or hey, maybe he could just reinstall the stockers for us? Although your point is true, I suspect would could just take another stock '03 LeMans dyno for a "close enough" benchmark. al

...ah, so you sold the '02? What '03 model/color did you get? Keep us up to date on the piston project for sure, and if you have ~$75 lying around, it would be great if you could run down to Hare Racing and get a dyno run since it sounds like this mod was done by itself, and we could get a good measure of it's sole impact I hope to be heading down there myself this weekend or early next week for a dyno run for the dual-plug eval if my exhaust clamps that Jet-Hot forgot to mail show up It's too bad we don't have two bikes, one with the FBF pistons, and one with Mike Rich's... to compare their relative strong suits. al

That's very interesting that you have the 20 on the front and the 10 on the rear.... as this is the opposite of what I've read that many ST guys are using. They found that they liked the additional grip on the front with the 10, and extended wear the 20 gave them for the rear al

I don't even know that I want one for sure, but I did find the center stand on my FJ quite useful. But then again, I've gotten quite used to the LeMans not having one, and using the factory paddock stand But that being said, I'd love to see the stand installed from a variety of perspectives, both down and stowed.... especially some shots from the side and rear from "afar" as well as in close. al

Thanks Neovo/Biesel ...however, these are the same photos we've had posted here before, and I(and others) are really hoping to get some other photos from afar, the rear, above, etc... in the down and stowed(up) positions. These close-ups posted, while also very valuable, don't provide quite the perspective(s) many of us were hoping to see before making a buying decision So if anyone has any others, that would be great al

I'm sure you are correct regarding Guzzi applications and pricing due to the special drive for the rear, and has been my experience as well. I'll have to retrieve the article later and provide some examples of other brands they listed. They used a Suzuki GSXR as the test bike/application. In regard to magnesium, they noted that they did not recommend mag for street use, instead recommending cast/forged aluminum, as we all have heard before. The concerns for magnesium were of course breakage due to it's low tensile strength and rigidity. They also mentioned that CF wheels were actually quite strong, but aren't certified for race use(and consequently also not really recommended for street use) due to concerns about breaking/delamination due to CF's ultra-rigidity. al

...aaaanyway While we were talking about lightweight wheels, I guess "Sport Rider" magazine here in North America apparently was listening If you pick up a current copy, on page 37 they have an informative article covering several different manufacturers, and examining important factors such as materials, moments of intertia, etc... There were a lot of manufacturers that I had not heard of, and some were well below $2000 If you have a chance to pick it up, it's a good read ...and BTW, yes... no surprise I guess... PVM was at the top of their list al

I don't know, but as mentioned in the other thread, the springs from Oklahoma are a slightly larger gauge .... for whatever that's worth Thanks for the update! al

That's an excellent question! The MG Ti system certainly comes with different hangars that raise the cans, and eliminate the passenger pegs... but I wonder if the stock hangars could be employed? I suspect they could, but it really depends on how much one can rotate the cans upon their "lead in" tubes. After all, conversely, in some places in Europe where regulations limit aftermarket mods, it is very common to retain the stock cans and install high-mount brackets... and it works, although they are a bit twisted of course. Someone who buys the Ti kit should give it a try with the standard hangars and see how well it works out al

Excellent review Frank Do you think you could post some additional(additional to Mike Haven's photos) of the bars installed? As I mentioned, I'm going to try to soldier on with the stock setup, but will still keep these in mind if and when I decide risers would be helpful. Thanks! al

I don't have an answer, but here is my post from the "tire size thread" in this section a few days ago.... ....and the question still remains al

Yeah Moto, a few folks have put the Centauro risers on the bikes before the Ballabio came out Jason did a whole "How To" write up: http://www.motoguzzi-forum.nl/howto/adapting.htm ( :!: P.S. Jaap, the link seems to be dead right now ) To Mike Haven's point, there are actually several vendors out with bar risers now. We tried to cover several of the efforts in the FAQ section: Raising Handlebars FAQ Here are several nice examples(in the threads): http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...65&hl=handlebar http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1549 ...but Mike is correct though in that it is a relatively(literally, relative other market opportunities for the manufacturers) small market, so I'm not surprised that many more are not out there. In fact, I'm actually surprised by the number that are, such as the Two Brothers solution. Gen Mar was also making some risers, but I haven't heard nor checked with them for a long time. al

....good point

....all excellent points Jean-Marc, and it does put it in perspective. But even at the prices quoted for the OEM wheels, it's still ~$1000 premium for the new wheels, and I don't think anyone will pay me $800 for a used rear OEM Brembo Perhaps one day if I fall into a couple grand I just can't figure out how to spend I really would like to have some of these wheels one day honestly, but that's a painful amount of money to cough up at one time.... it's true that I may nickle-and-dime myself into spending more on various goodies over a year, but sheesh ... ~$2500 is a lot o' dinero in one whack al

Yeah, I understand... but he also wasn't a great advocate of the PCIII, so from that perspective I can see "tuning" fuel-pressure versus remapping the actual pulse. From my conversations with various folks, I think I'll stick with the standard fuel regulator, and tune the injection to that constant.... at least for now After all, the regulator is just a spring, and even if it's 43psi, it should be a constant 43psi, and with the PCIII I think one can tune to that. ...and I'm a bit leery of that "glue in" adjuster.... with all the vibration, heat, etc... I'd hate for it to pop out = fire al

Yep, the OEM wheels are kinda beefy, and your thoughts on weight savings are about right. I'd love to get some Dymags or OZ wheels, but I couldn't justify more than about $1200 for a set of wheels, and that would be pushing it... closer to $1000 would seem much more reasonable to me. I just can't see that they cost that much to make, at least the aluminum ones Ah well, I would really like some one day.... maybe we need to put together a "group buy" I think people are paying quite a bit of "brand premium" in many cases al

Just heard back from Alfred, and unfortunately it's not good news. Reading between the lines, it sounds like that unless they get a lot of interest from owners wanting their product, they can't afford to prioritize it right now, or in the near future. I would have to assume that they haven't heard much from owners interested in the product, so are focusing on larger opportunities... which from a business perspective, I can understand. They seem like a bunch of nice guys, and Alfred got right back to me, but it doesn't look like they'll have a product any time soon.... again unless there was a huge groundswell of potential buyers knocking down their door

I'm surprised to hear this.... this doesn't sound like the Moto International I know Well to your questions: I know you had asked this several times in the other thread, but I didn't respond because I thought for sure that Paul or Carl might give you a real figure. But since they haven't.... if you aren't desperate for the wider rear wheel(and honestly I don't think you need it...) ... just keep an eye out on eBay or on this Forum for someone selling a used one from a wreck or following an upgrade. Based on the Ducati Brembos I see all the time on eBay, I wouldn't expect to pay more than $250-300 for a used one. BTW, you'll have to strip or repaint any 5.5 incher you get if you want it to match your silver front rim, as all the late-model rims are the metallic gray/black.... unless you want contrasting rims that is Hogwash.... you can mount tires yourself, no problem. And you can even balance them accurately with the correct jig. ...no spin computer needed. True, you should get the right tools(Carl Allison posted a good treatise in the How To section I believe) but it only consists of a handful of "rim protectors" and tire irons/spoons.... and some practice. But more realistically for most of us, I know many shops in my area that will happily mount any tire you bring them... That's just silly. Many people order tires from "Tire Rack" type places all the time. Just call around to other bike shops. That's a strange policy, sorry they're giving you the run-around al

Gary, why don't you post some photos of your risers here? You might get interest from several folks As an aside, I just dropped a note to Cycle Cat to see where their kit is at. The last time I spoke with them, they had encountered some delays, but it was still on their R&D schedule. I'll let everyone know what they say. From what I can tell, it seems like they may have the best kit out there. For me though, with the new grips, lead-shot, and some excercise(strengthen the back)... I think I'm going to try to soldier on with the stock setup. It's not too bad, and only really starts to get to me after many many hours, so I'm thinking that if I can get back into shape and support a better posture with my knees and back, I can get some of the weight off of my wrists/hands and be OK. We'll see though. al

So, the last times I've bled brakes/clutch lines, it was not a speedy and very successful affair. I've got one of those $29.99 pumps from my local "Auto-Kragen-Pep-Zone" and that certainly helped, but it still wasn't ideal. Does anyone have any tips and/or recommendations on tools and method for making bleeding the brakes/clutch a quick, painless, and effective experience? I don't want to spend big money on some "super bleeder" but then again wouldn't mind investing a reasonable amount on something that works Thanks in advance al P.S. And on that note, recommended fluid?

Yeah, "love" will do that.... I still can't get into my leathers I'm in a similar boat regaring accumlated mileage, or lack thereof. I rode a LOT last year(and a WHOLE LOT more the year prior), but this year was pretty much a bust. I dont' know what happened... OK well yeah I do... I bought a house and the GF and kids moved in! That's OK, but I ended up with LOTS of projects, but whaddya going to do. There are only so many hours in the day ...now this year, I have a resolution that as soon as the bike is back from the engine rebuild... Well, don't be a stranger, and keep us up to date on your projects al

Has anyone checked out the new Avon ST AV45/46 series tires? I was planning on going to the "standard" Bridgestone BT10Front/BT20Rear as is favored by the ST community, although BT10 front and rear were also an option. But I've been hearing good things about these Avons, and the new Metzler Z6(I think that's the model)?? A couple/three threads on the subject: http://www.sport-touring.net/cgi-bin/msgbo...=ST;f=4;t=11390 http://www.sport-touring.net/cgi-bin/msgbo...=ST;f=4;t=11908 http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/s...&threadid=57839 al

Holy Shoot.... it's JASON! Glad to see you dropping back in. Where have you been?! .... you know, several of us have been without bikes for months here and there, but still come see our friends.... tsk tsk Anyway, well, other than what you've read in this thread... nothing new. I've got my plugs and coils in, and it runs fine. I can't tell any difference, in range or power yet, but then again I haven't taken any longish tank-draining rides since I put them in last December As soon as Jet-Hot sends me back my pipes... been about 3 weeks should be any day now... I am still considering running down to Hare Racing to get the PCIII remapped and dyno'd. That might tell us something. The only reason I'm wishy-washy on getting the remap is that the bike supposedly is going in for the engine rebuild in the next month, so I hate to drop $200 on a remap, that's just going to have to be redone as soon as I get the bike back with all the engine mods But, I feel somewhat "obligated" to let the community know if there is any measureable change in performance..... so I probably will do it. If I wait until after the engine is rebuilt, there will be no way to really tell what impacted what. The only remaining thing left to do to "tweak" the dual-plug setup is to send off the ECU to the Netherlands to let TLM remap the ignition. I'll probably do that this Spring after the engine rebuild. So, what's the status of your V11? I would think everything should have been done by now.... Gosh, hasn't it been like 18 months since your accident? You still have the Duck too? al

...upload it from your PC directly to your post on the Forum al

... mine also lights dimly, then grows brighter as the fuel level drops. ... on a 2002. al