al_roethlisberger

If we are talking about the same thing, then yes I've always called the plastic plug the "flywheel inspection plug". There are two of them, one on each side of the front of the transmission, where the engine and tranny meet up. If you remove the plug(or in your case, it sounds like it got pushed in).... you will see the *steel* flywheel and ring/edge gears for the starter. This observation hole is most often used to check for the TDC marks on the flywheel when adjusting the valves. You mention a "nylon wheel" ?? I'm not sure I know what you are referring to there. Can you elaborate? The photo below points to the plug Carl and I are talking about... is this what you are referring to?

Just a few google searches: http://www.adventuremotogear.com/twinmax.htm http://www.ibmwr.org/prodreview/twinmax.html I don't know anything about Adventure Motor Gear, but they came up several times. The price is about $80 for the unit I believe. al

Who was seriously suggesting a "class action" lawsuit? Other than a brief retort during a few past rants(several times sarcastically by those playing devil's advocate BTW), I don't think anyone was advocating this Anyway, since I am a fairly vocal critic of problems when I do find them, I'd just like to say again that I love my Guzzi.... I really do And although there are a LOT of little nits I fix on a weekly basis that I never mention, the ones I do address are either important enough to my "Guzzi experience" or it's an endemic problem across the model-range that I think MG should address. Believe me, I a lot of my own problems to resolution, but if I can make MG aware of an issue that later relieves future owners of some fault, I think that feedback is worth it, even if it's a little painful when MG won't initially recognize the problem. I agree whole-heartedly about the "character" and "soul" of our bikes... and that's why I bought mine But there's a balance, and for some of us, we'd rather work on the new "fun stuff" and not have to revisit work done incorrectly the first time by the factory. That can be a bummer.... especially if it happens repeatedly. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the factory to get the basics(paint, electrics, engine) right with stone-age technology in the year 2003 I think that's why it is often frustrating for even seasoned Guzzi-philes. However, that being said... al

hrmmm, I scan eBay almost daily for Guzzi stuff.... haven't seen any forks. Must not be on the USA eBay site. eeeeenteresting. So, it seems that there are more used parts of this type available in Europe than here in the USA... no surprise Anyway, Jaap/Paul... if you come across another set of used Ohlins in good condition from a V11 that will work on the LeMans, lemme know. al

What I want to know, is where Paul keeps getting these good deals on salvage/used V11 parts al

I can definitely verify that my rear brake drags a bit, just by heat alone. Got back from a ride, and my front rotors were cool to the touch, but the rear was definitely warm... not hot, but very warm. I think my brake pedal/lever is set appropriately, so I don't think that's the issue. I'll get some brake cleaner and wash it out vigorously when I think about it. odd that they drag like this... al

Hey Victor, Any chance we can see a photo of the new FBF unit? I couldn't find it upon my last visit to the FBF website. al

Had the same thing last night heading out for a ride in the mountains... but just added a little oil, and all was well. No more light. It was definitely low. al

...or a TwinMax. Super easy to use, and not that prohibitively expensive. [knocking on wood] ... my bike used to ping under hard acceleration on hot days as well, but it seems to have disappeared after my head-work, and the PCIII. Since I changed too many variables at once, I unfortunately don't know where to attribute the reduction, but it has gotten better. al

I'm very interested in this as well, as one day I might powder-coat/anodize various bits of frame, valve-covers, "pork chops"[side covers].... during Winter months as my fashion-sense wanders.... Yep, anodizing or powder coating... which is best... I saw an AWESOME red powder coat they applied to a frame on "American Chopper" .... it would be a great red for the V11 Sport/LeMans bits. al

...do you mean the rubber flywheel inspection plug on the side? This is an "odd one for the books". al

Some interesting info from Mike Rich: al

..so just to clarify, those are the Showas from the Monster 900 on your Sport1100 Paul? al

...welcome Bill! That is a great looking SP Love the color, and that home-made exhaust is trick... who cares if you lost a little power al P.S. Sorry, but I have no idea on the fuse blowing. I've not heard of too many fuses going south, just the obligatory relays. I too have one of the new USB PCIII units on order, as Todd also told me about the module/slot for future expansion, such as an "r" module for ignition mapping... if we're lucky

Interesting thoughts on the axle, and a brace. ...hrmmmm, anyone have any thoughts on this? al P.S. ...and still no reviews or dimensions outta all those '03 owners out there?

...excellent! It's so funny to see the Europeans take these relatively "short" trips, and include basically all the great European cities of history(well, the western ones anyway). Amazing Great to hear the bike ran like a clock Mine has actually been doing pretty well too since the valve-adjust(knocking on wood). al

....amen No worries al

Thanks John, but no need to apologize. My diatribe wasn't really directed at anyone, or any specific post, in particular. However, I was and am still put off by some comments I and others such as Fernando have received over time on the subject. Like Rich Maund's comments in another thread... and as I've even pointed out to many potential buyers... yes there are a handful of known issues with any of these bikes, but once they are sorted out, the bikes seem to run well. But a few of these issues are expensive to repair, so indeed we want to try to get them sorted out prior to the warrantee expiring. Then after that, they'll probably be in better hands, the owners BTW, someone mentioned one of the handicaps of a new bike/warrantee is that one is often cautious to modify anything in fear of voiding the warrantee. While I can understand that position, and it is a safe and conservative one, it seems that policy often is at the discretion(within reason) of the dealer. My dealer encouraged me to tinker and modify from the start, and has been very supportive of warrantee claims, even in regard to the engine after I did the porting and new valves. So, I guess it just depends, and in my case I'm lucky in that regard. Thanks again John, no worries al

...hear hear Glad to hear you've "made up" with your bike

Perhaps I wasn't clear... I'm not terribly interested in replacing the front suspension on my bike today, and would in fact prefer to be able to just have it tuned well. However, as I was sitting around, my mind wandered and wondered(as it often does) what it would take to change out to the '03 front suspension on an '02 bike... so I posed the questions to get the ball rolling for that inevitable time when someone will want to do so. And yes, I realized ahead of time that the OEM forks would be prohibitively expensive(and "uncompetitively priced), and didn't intend on buying new ones. However, over time, just as was suggested about using used Monster Showas, I'm sure someone will upgrade their '03 Marz to Ohlins, or a wrecked bike with miraculoulsly untouched front forks will show up... thus making a perfectly serviceable used pair affordably available That instead might be a very affordable option, especially if the '03s are noticeably better than the '02s... which we still haven't even touched upon in the 5 replies to this thread... ah hem... Anyway, I just thought it would be an interesting exercise to figure out... al

...uhhh, hrmmm, ok. I didn't think I was putting the screws to anyone, even MG In fact, I believe that I was simply passing on some good news that MG finally had an official solution, with two viable alternatives, depending on the owner's preference. Further, I attempted to offer reasonable suggestions for those that wanted to pursue "option 1" but didn't have a perceived competent local dealer... again coming to MG's defense. So I don't see how I am bashing MG or somehow suggesting that I should have gone out and bought a Japanese bike. Maybe I'm just grumpy this morning, but come on... However, on the other hand, while I agree and have never contested that "Guzzis are for the long-haul" ... I don't think it is unreasonable for one to want this problem corrected. I can certainly see how some folks may not care about the cosmetics, and that's fine, but to suggest that for some of us pursuing this very valid warrantee clain is "litigous" or frivilous is a bit insulting. ...sorry. To each their own, but MG let the customer down, and regardless of whether this is their typical track-record, or that it's only cosmetic... apparently it's important and visible enough even at MG to finally issue a service bulletin. So I guess it matters to a significant number of customers somewhere. I ride my bike as well, but when I've had a long day at work, I also like to wander past and just "look at my bke" ... and that's not a character flaw And I'm going to vent a bit here... apologies in advance... On a similar note, with all due respect... and I'm not directing this at anyone specifically or personally... but I'm growing a bit tired of being reminded that maybe some people just aren't cut out to be a Guzzi owner because they want the bikes to run, be reliable, etc. I knew what I was getting into when I "bought into a Guzzi" as well, however I'm sorry, but I don't buy into this dogma of "just dealing with it because it's a Guzzi, and that's its character." That mantra only goes so far, and if you really love Guzzi one would recognize that this attitude will be the death knell for MG long-term if the customers don't help MG recognize and correct these problems. Character can't get you across town if the rear-brake seizes, the engine dies at redlights, or the bike vapor-locks. After all, it is a business first, and if the product can't compete because of real or perceived QA issues, MG will fade away. It just doesn't have the customer base or pinache of HD, Ducati, or other arguably "boutique" brands where customers are willing to forgo easy and affordable maintenance costs, reliability, durability, etc.... for status... for "character". I can deal with a lot to some degree, and I can fix quite a bit myself, but when there is an endemic issue, mechanical or yes, even cosmetic... it is perfectly reasonable to seek support from the dealer or manufacturer. I think it's actually a bad policy and strategy for health of Guzzi to just "write it off" to character, and soldier along. I've been personally reprimanded on a couple other lists by "long time Guzzi owners" that have "30yr old bikes that never give them trouble, so what's wrong with ME?" ...not the bike. And as I've said to them, I'll say here... congratulations, I am very glad that your 20-30 year old bike runs without trouble, is reliable, etc. However they are different animals, sorry. They new bikes may have the same basics as that 20-30 year old bike, but since then MG has bolted EFI and computer on top, changed almost the entire bike, and all the supporting systems. And some of them have been problematic, and especially in the case of the EFI, it's been more than troublesome to fix.... even for dealers and seasoned mechanics. So, all that being said... yes I still love my 2002 Guzzi LeMans, and I'm sure I'll have it for a long time even after I can no longer bug MG about warrantee claims. But until that warrantee runs out, I certainly am going to try to get them to fix obvious defects, so that I don't have to address them myself out my own pocketbook years from now. And that's my perogative, and it's not wrong, just a different perspective. Because 5 years from now, I'd not only like my bike to run like a clock, but also look like a million bucks. And I don't think that's unreasonable. I have a 15 year old Chevy truck with nearly 200k miles to look the "rough and tough" practical role. My LeMans however, is my "Ferrari", and I like it looking as well as running that way Is that so wrong? So to those that tell me to "ease up" when complaining, I think I've gone pretty "easy" already. All I ever do is call my dealer and politely ask about the status of X,Y, and Z. I could have an attorney call them, or even pursue "lemon law" issues, but I haven't and don't intend to. So, I'm already pretty "easy". Now it's just MG's turn to deliver... after all, I paid them over $10k ... so I think that's reasonable /rant al

Now that the '03s have been out for a while, I'm hoping it will be easier to get both some subjective and objective information on the 43mm front suspension that was delivered with all '03 V11 Sport variants. First, objective 1) I'd like to verify the dimensions of the 43mm forks, especially in regard to their dimensions as they pass through the upper and lower triple-trees. I ask because if one wanted to swap out to the '03 units, I wonder if either or both clamps must also be upgraded. 2) Similarly, are the dimensions at the crown, where the forks pass through the clip-ons(esp on a LeMans) larger, or the same as pre-03? Again, to determine if one needs to replace the bar clamps or can reuse the '02 units. 3) Finally, what other bits would be required... obviously a new axle, bearings... Is the fender the same?? Anything else? Bottom line, I'm just trying to figure out the complet parts "package" that will be required to swap them out. Second, "subjective" Has anyone had a chance to really compare the new forks with the pre-03 units? Is the ride significantly better? Even if better, I would also be interested to know how well a "properly sorted-out" pair of pre-03 forks compare with the new ones. For example, if a pair of Lindeman reworked '02 forks are basically just as good as the '03 units, then the justification for upgrading wouldn't be as pressing. Just thinking ahead I don't think I'll ever do the "Ohlins" thing for the front, for one because I don't think I want bright gold forks... honestly But, beyond that silly reason, they are pretty pricey, and I doubt I'll need the advantage they offer. However, I am interested in improving the front end, so I'm just thinking about the option to "tune" the current '02 forks, or maybe get the '03 units(and tune them as well) if they offer a significant benefit over the '02 units. ...and that's really my question. Other than seemingly improved "specs", in reality do they?? thx! al al

umm, they don't make a PCIIIr for the V11 Sport/LeMans... are you sure it's an "r"? al

I think it just depends on "state of tune", how "broken-in" the engine is, the type of riding... etc. My light usually comes on at 120-140 miles on my 2002, and then I seem to have about 40 miles left. However, I was getting almost 43-45mpg on a long trip last Spring, mostly highway riding. So it just depends. I think I get around 30mpg in town/twisties though. al

Brian, While I can certainly respect your pragmatic approach to this issue, for many of us, this defect in a brand-new motorcycle simply isn't acceptable and must be addressed by the manufacturer. Like many people, I paid well over $10k for this motorcycle, and it was my first new *anything*... and in fact the most I had ever spent on a vehicle in the past was a used truck, at $7k So, when I decided to buy a new vehicle, I was quite excited, and wanted to be rest-assured that it wouldn't give me any trouble. So when this defect, among others, arose.. . yes, I was and am disappointed. I don't think any of us are litigious(I am certainly not), but I think we have a reasonable claim with the manufacturer for the paint failing within a year of purchase, and with less than a year of warrantee coverage left.... we have to be proactive and drive resolution. Perhaps one day I will "blast" the engine and make it black again, or even silver... who knows. But I don't want to have a leprous looking engine between now and "ten years" on what is essentially a brand-new bike. For me, I unfortunately can't be that pragmatic I'm glad to hear the issue, from a cosmetic standpoint, isn't terribly concerning for you though. I'm far too "anal" to get past it al