al_roethlisberger

So, since the name has been dropped a couple times, for those interested... I went and tracked Lindeman down and gave them a call. Lindeman Engineering. USA Tel +1 408-371-6151 San Jose, CA I just got off the phone with him, and he gave me a detailed explanation of what is "wrong" with the front forks as delivered from the factory, in his opinion. Feel free to give him a call yourself, but basically he said that by design the suspension valving is machined to only provide compression during the very last inch or so of travel, so in many cases the forks are setup very hard. They rebuild the valving so that is has a more normal compression "like all the rest of the world does" ... and sets up the forks appropriately for your weight, style, etc. Total work is from $400 to $500(parts & labor) depending on what is needed, and takes 10 days on average. Regarding the rear, he says the stock Sachs shock is "OK", and they can rework it for about $150-250 depending on if a new spring is needed. They offer a 10% discount on the rear shock work if you get the entire package done. al

.... I think what Jaap meant was that one had to be a member of the Yahoo club you pointed us to.... to see your photos. I have no idea why your photo to the Forum didn't post Interesting solution, may have to check into it... although I'm still looking at just going with tam's idea of prying off the cap and attaching a hose. I think the breather is the only item at any real "risk" back there from flying debris. Dunno though... al 400

BTW, in response to someone else's note that Genmar was working on a kit as well.... I dropped them a note on the availability and engineering of their risers, and this was their response: Pretty cheap if you don't need ultimate adjustability. I suspect they'll only really raise the bars an inch or less, and might just by the angle of the fork-tubes push them back a fraction. But if that's all you need... it's an option. Something to keep in mind in a month or two. al

Hi, Well in response to Jaap's question about interest in a separate member introductory section, I thought I'd start a thread here in the meantime. If we end up with a separate Forum for this, it can always be moved OK, well where to start... I swear, I'm not really THAT interesting Well, I live in San Jose, CA... and have been riding motorcycles for really only a short time, about 4 years now. But I had always been interested in bikes, and "things with motors" in general My "starter" bike was a 1994 yellow Yamaha SecaII, which my wife at the time and I shared as we learned to ride after taking our MC safety course. Over the next year, I passed that bike on to her, and I picked up a used 1989 Yamaha FJ1200 that needed some work. I spent the Winter cleaning it up, and getting everything tip-top, and it took me on some great adventures across the deserts of the American West for the next 2 years. Time passed, the wife moved on... and along with her went the Seca... but the venerable FJ soldiered on until I finally decided that I needed something a little newer as little things started to go wrong with regular intervals... hey after all it was a 12 year old bike at that point But when 2002 rolled around, I had the fortune of having some extra cash, and was shopping for a new toy. I had sold the FJ for a reasonable amount, and with a tax refund, had enough to buy a bike for cash. I had been looking at a new Yamaha FZ-1(Fazer 1000) or a 2000 Honda VFR(Interceptor), but then I ran across a review for faired version of the V11 Sport... and that was it.... I was pretty much SOLD More about me? Well as I mentioned, I live in San Jose, CA. I work for Cisco Systems as a Network Architect... working in our IT department designing our network and helping with the engineering side of the house consulting on product features, etc... I'm originally from the deep-south... Louisiana, and still have family there... Monroe to be exact. I have lived in Pittsburgh, PA... New Mexico, all around Texas, Florida, and now out here in CA. Other interests? Well, I like to tinker. I really like hands-on stuff, and one day I'll be lucky enough to have all the cool machinery like Rich Maund has got at his disposal.... for both wood and metal working, so I can make my own parts. I have lots of ideas, just no big tools After just buying my house, I've been spending a lot of time fixing up things here and there... been rebuilding and restoring some vintage light-fixtures of late, and will be remodeling the bath, etc soon I'm sure. I also attempt to play bass guitar at times, and like all sorts of gadgets. Back to motorcycles... my riding style is pretty casual, and I like to focus on performance, with reliability and economy as a primary consideration. I typically ride on the weekends, with the occassional ride to work. I take 2 to 3 longish week-long or multi-day trips a year, usually as far from civilization as is prudent. Beyond that, I'd like to get in a track day/class here and there to improve my skills, but I'm no back-street scraper for sure. Well, that's about it.... oh, I guess physical stats... umm, 34yrs old, 5'8", and about 200lbs ... if that matters to anyone al

I haven't measured my rear sag recently, but did so at the shop a few months back, and it was near the recommended spec for my size/weight. So I dunno BTW, the highway jounce isn't absolutely terrible, but it's definitely noticeable, and I'd love to reduce it. al

That would be great! If so, if he can get the part#, or at least just the bike model# and location, we could go down and order one. BTW, do you have any thoughts on whether the BMW breather really is better, or we just have an unlucky placement of ours... right where the water spray nails it off of the rear wheel? Maybe your friend can also compare how they're built to see if one is better at rejecting water than the other? That would help a lot too. thx al

That would be very interesting to know... regarding the BMW. It would be great to find a bolt-on replacment like that. Are you able to check? al

Agreed.... I don't want "harsher" and don't ride the track.... I get pretty jarred on our local freeways' expansion joints, much more than my FJ-1200, and I have the same opinion in regard to my friend's VFR comparing it to our bikes. I'd like to get mine comparably "dialed-in," hence the start of this thread, but I don't want to spend money for no good reason just for bragging rights. As an aside, Ken at Evoluzione says the Penske rear makes a phenomenal difference. But I don't know if it addresses our specific issues. I didn't ask. It's possible he meant it's better for go-fast applications, I dunno... BTW, your garage sounds(ed) very similar to mine: - 02 V11 LeMans - 98 VFR (...not mine, but stored for a friend) - ...used to have a '94 Miata M-Edition with requisite goodies. I was very active on the Miata mailing-list, and have an old "how to" page on www.miata.net somewhere ...and my GF is in Fremont, I am in San Jose al

....inspired from the "03 Rosso" suspension thread in "Buy and sell": 03 Corsa Rosso Suspension Thread In regard to upgrading the suspension... here's a question for those that have done so, or are knowledgeable about such things: So, obviously it would super-nifty to be able to spend lots of dough to upgrade the front and rear to Ohlin's, Penske, etc.... and make for the best suspension money can buy. But of course the reality is that most of us have very limited budget (...if you want to call it that, I generally just spend till I run out ) so we can't necessarily spend that much to fix something that "ain't broke" So, if you had to choose, based on experience with our OEM Marz front suspension, and the rear Sachs shock... which would you think gives the most noticeable "bang for the buck" to replace? I've heard some great things about just upgrading the rear being "night-and-day," and haven't really heard anything in regard to the front... although I'm sure it could be "better"... but how much? Is our front suspension actually pretty good in comparison? ...or not? I've only got a few real complaints in regard to the suspension, although I know that my riding skills and style in no way push it to it's limits. That only complaint being I get a bit more highway rhythmically jouncing from expansion joints than on past bikes... Anyway, obviously subjective to some degree, but a discussion I think would be interesting. Which would you focus upon, front or rear? al

Does anyone know if the breather is simply just a breather, or a one-way PCV? A couple ideas.... 1) The reason I ask is that there are a number of nice PCVs at my local auto-shop that are tapped, and theoretically could be screwed in to replace the OEM breather, and these have nipples to facilitate running a hose somewhere dry. But if the breather, is really a "breather," not a one-way PCV, that's not an option... I guess. If not, I might be able to just find a plain fitting that could work. 2) Or, and to tam's suggestion below, has anyone *tried* to pry the cap off of the OEM breather successfully?? I don't want to really "test" trying to get it off of mine, and ruin it If it comes off easily, that would be an easy fix to attach a hose, etc... And finally, if none of these are workable.... not a PCV, or the size/threads don't match... or one can't get the cap off of the OEM breather without tearing it up... I am working on a breather cover made out of some PCV boots and breather element foam that actually fits quite well and looks fairly like something that might come from the dealer... and should keep water out. But I'd like to do one of the top 2 suggestion first, as they'd look better, be more durable, and simpler. al

*laugh*.... yeah, well I finally got the stars aligned yesterday and got the bike up to the shop about 20 mintues before they closed I don't know at this point if we'll ever find the real reason my bike hasn't been running, as by the time they do the complete list of things I've got for them.... too much will have been tinkered with. The Leo's are ordered, in titanium, so now it'll just be a wait-and-see affair. However, I did temporarily mount a single titanium Arrow can that they had lying around, and although the finish on the Arrow is more "brushed" and shiny than the "matte" or "satin" finish on the Leo's, it did look quite nice. I'm thinking that the finish on the Leo's may end up a bit more gray than platinum-toned like the Arrow, which may or may not be as good a match... but I'll only know once I have them on the bike. ...I'll let you know, and post a photo as soon as possible. al

AH HAH!! I was looking at Paul's new tail carapace, and his pic from the rear confirms my suspicions... and has identially uneven hangars like mine ...*sigh*, although I was kinda hoping my left-one was an accidental pre-2002 so I could get a matchingly bent left hangar under warrantee Anyway, that mystery is solved. I'll just have to shim the Leo's and their brackets accordingly, or maybe even shim the left hangar to get them spot-on even. Paul's Champagne 2002 LeMans from the rear al

Thanks Brent That sounds about right. The photo may be exaggerating it a bit. Hopefully I'll be able to take the bike to the shop this morning, and maybe compare it with one on their showroom floor. al

Nope First we need to confirm that we are speaking the same "language" So from this point on, let's go with these definitions: - bracket = the triangular solid piece of aluminum attached to the exhaust cans themselves by two bolts. - hangar = the triangular "ladder" passenger peg mount, and exhaust hangar mounted to the seat/tail frame of the bike I think that will make things easier OK, that done... let me explain. With the wider rear wheel on the 2002+ models, MG had to make some more room in the back. So they widened the spacing between the exhausts a bit to clear the swingarm and bevel-box on the right. My quandry however, is on my bike... did I accidentally get two unevenly "bent" hangars or are all 2002+ bikes "equipped" with these nicely uneven hangars as viewed from the rear? I'd like a couple people to stand behind their bikes, ignore the exhaust can brackets, and just look at the hangar and see if they are evenly bent out from the bike, or if the right hand one is sticking out more... like mine in the photo: Rear View of Al's Bike Now, to your point about the "brackets"... yes, from the factory on 2002+ models, these FOR SURE aren't the same left and right. The right-hand bracket is bent further, to kick the right muffler out a little bit more, again to clear the widened wheel/swingarm. As delivered from the factory, these are mounted to the inside of the hangar. But to try to even it up a little-bit, I moved my left-hand bracket to the outside of the hangar, and that helped a little. But the exhausts were still noticeably off-center. I then tried getting a bracket from another set of OEM mufflers, and used the left-hand bracket for my right... but the OEM and Stucci x-over, in combination with the hangars, will only let you twist and move the cans so far left or right, so I was unable to adjust them perfectly even. So, the only real issue and question I need resolved is, are my hangars the same as everyone elses' 2002+ with the right being "bent out" several degrees more than the left, when looking at the rear as in my photo above? If so, I need to get MG to get me a new left bracket that matches under warrantee. If not, well it'll still be better with the Leo's as they knock it a bit more straight with matching brackets at least And if this is just mix-up by MG on my bike, this would at least put my mind to rest that the designers at MG were nuts when they intentionally made the rear exhaust so cock-eyed Please walk behind your LeMans guys, squat down, and let me know so I can let the shop order the right one if necessary this week al

Nope, never have dropped the bike. My brackets came delivered this way. And in my case, it's not a case of the mounting tabs being bent, the actual brackets have a different cast-in curve/bend. The one on the right is made with it's bend a bit greater. I've always assumed that this, along with the special bracket on the right muffler was to accomodate the slightly wider rear wheel, rear bevel-box, etc.. Question: On everyone else's LeMans, are your passenger/exhaust brackets bent/angled out differently too(the right hand side sticks out more, please see my photo link above)? If not, I need to get my dealer to order me the correct 2002 unit under warrantee for the left side But I think it's supposed to be that way... I'm guessing. thx al

Hrmm, dunno about the wheels Joe.... on two points. I kinda like my black/gray wheels Also, what year are your silver wheels? As of 2002 the rear is 1" wider I believe.... I think the pure silver wheels might be a bit "bright", but if they had a slightly gold tone, they might match the champagne better... dunno. Might have to get together with you later in the season and put the front on just to see what it might look like. Never know... might look really good. al P.S... back on topic, BTW anyone have any recommended best sources for Leo's online to recommend? ...esp in regard to price? I've got a quote for ~$715 from Moto Italiano, which seems pretty good for Carbon or Titanium Leo's so far. Oh, and P.P.S ...if anyone has pics of the Leo's from the rear, regardless of color, I'd love to see how their straps/mounts help with the uneven spacing of our stock mufflers.... or if they do at all. Part of this "problem" is from the straps/mounts on the OEM cans themselves being uneven, so obviously if the Leo's just have standard "even" brackets, that'll help. But with 2002+ bikes, an extra inch is added on the right by the passenger peg and exhaust mount bracket being "bent" out further from the factory. So, I'm wondering if the Leo's allow you to mount the right muffler on the inside of the bracket, and the left on the outside to help offset this uneven-ness... or if their brackets somehow take this offset into account... the net result being centered mufflers. Or, if their mounting setup ignores it completely. I still can't get over why they didn't make the footpeg brackets "even" when they pushed the right-hand one out to accomodate the wider rim for 2002+. Very weird. Just as a sanity check: When looking at your LeMans from the rear, is everyone's exhaust/passenger-footpeg black brackets noticeably uneven, or did I get a powdercoated 2000 bracket on the left side by accident? It's really obvious that the right bracket sticks out further when looking at the rear of my bike. You can see it clearly here: Al's uneven exhausts.... check out the difference between the left and right-hand passenger-peg brackets

P.S. Please don't make too much fun of my really baaaaad Photoshop job there ...it was just a "quickie." al

Ok, believe it or not, there doesn't seem to be a wealth of Champangne LeMans out there with either the carbon-fiber or titanium Leo Vince's installed... at least with photos on the web so I can compare them. So first, if anyone has any good photos of their V11 LeMans with either, especially the titanium cans installed, that would help me a lot. Please feel free to post some pics to this this thread, or just email them directly to me. I know this seems like a simple decision, and the easiest selection would be the carbon cans as, as a default, I know it looks "good". However, after doing some rather poor and quickie Photoshopped pics, I think the titanium may make for a striking contrast to the lower all-black rear, and maybe even match well with the champagne paint, and the various silver/gold-hue finishes abounding on the bike. *sigh*... I dunno... I am also interested in the titanium because of the durability over carbon. I'm sure they've gotten better, but I've just seen too many 3 year-old carbon cans on Ducatis, etc... that are all faded and shedding their resin, that I'd like some $700 exhausts to last longer. Durability is especially a concern for me, as during trips and 2-up rides, I don't want the CF cans to get all scratched and worn if something happens to rub, like a bag... or shoe. Anyway, it's mostly personal choice of course... and honestly I'm leaning toward the titaniums now. But since the weekend debacle gave me a couple or three more days to decide what cans to order, I'm trying to think it through. Thx al

Ouch... I can believe it! .... the stock bars have a pretty heavy rubber/steel insert. Just converting to lightweight tubular steel, especially if wider, could certainly exacerbate the vibrations al

Thanks Carl =) I'll definitely keep that in mind the next time, although the U-Haul trailer is only $15 and around the block.... I think I'd spend more in gas coming out to your house picking it up! Yeah, it was a "heck of a day"... but no big deal. The bike wasn't going to get worked on any quicker dropping it off late Saturday or if I get it there Tues/Wed... so I just put it in perspective, and made the best of the rest of the weekend I tell ya though, it's always interesting to be completely "vehicle-less" al

Yep, no difference A sensor, TPS, or something similar is just out of what with the ECU. I'll just get it adjusted at the shop though, so no worries. It was going up there anyway al

Also, keep in mind that the pre-2002? ....maybe pre-2001? ...bikes have the evaporative cannisters under the seat where the tool-kit goes. But all 2002 and new bikes have the cannisters mounted behind the exhaust crossover right in front of the rear tire. While you do get the tool-pack space back, I just thought it looked awful, and as you pointed out Lex... I too was fairly anal-retentive and wanted to do without all the various extra hoses the setup presented ...so it came off the same day I brought the bike home. al

Boy, yesterday was one of "those days"... probably shouldn't have even have tried to leave the house after some point In case one wasn't following my plan for this weekend, I was supposed to get a trailer and cart the bike up to Moto Italiano for all the Winter warrantee, tuning, and head work.... well it just wasn't meant to be... - Meant to get started "early"... supposed to pick up trailer at U-Haul at 9am... I woke up late, and the whole highway was encased in fog, so no one was driving faster than about 50mph. Got there at 10:30... no big deal I guess - The trailer had been broken when I reserved it, and they were supposed to fix it before I picked it up. Well they kinda did, which consisted of wire-tieing the wiring harnesses to the outside of the trailer, and patching holes in the loading ramp with some silver insulating duct-tape stuff , oh geez, too much. But I took it anyway, as I had a board I could lay over the ramp. - Got home, hooked it all up in the driveway, loaded up the bike... couldn't get the tie-downs to cooperate at all for some reason... and by this time it was almost noon(keep in mind, I wanted to be up at the shop at around 10.. )... so my friend and I went to get lunch. - Get back, write my "list" for the guys at the shop, get everything together, we both jump in the truck... turn the key.... it just cranks and cranks and cranks... I just drove it an hour ago?! - So, after a few hours of troubleshooting(BTW, the truck/trailer combo is completely blocking the driveway, and until I get the truck moved, I can't even get the trailer out of my backyard! ).... we head to the auto-parts store in his car to get a new fuel-filter, as it seems I'm not getting fuel through the filter... maybe it's plugged... - Oh yeah, so we get to the auto-parts store, we both jump out of the car, he hits the lock button... and the doors slam.... car still running. - So I laugh and just stroll on into the auto-parts store and get my stuff while he stays outside and wrestles with getting his door open with a coat-hangar he got from the shop.... - 45 minutes later, we finally get back to the house. It's about 2:30 pm by now. - I'm thinking, maybe just maybe I can get this truck running and we can make it to the shop(30 miles away) to drop the bike off, as they'll be closed Sunday and Monday... and I don't want to be stuck with the rental trailer for 4 days worth of rental! - Well, by this time, I've ruled out everything except the fuel-pump, which is the one thing I can't fix... as it's in the fuel-tank. And sure enough that turns out to the issue after further testing. - So I call Moto Italiano to see how late they're open... and he says 6pm(good.. I can rent another truck to get this all settled), but then he says... "oh, but all the service guys are gone today. They got in late from their classes last night, and decided to not come in today... sorry." Ahh, gee I'm glad someone told me that when I called Thursday to make an "appointment" to drop off the bike! Good grief. - So at that point I just unload the bike, and call U-Haul, which is just 2 blocks away, to borrow a truck(and they were nice enough to lend me one for a few minutes) to take their trailer back to them. By this time it was about 4:30pm, I was covered in greasey-dirt and gasoline, and just exhausted.... and didn't manage to get one darned thing done, except find a new project to spend $500 on... a new fuel-pump. And these were just the "high-lights" ...the tow-truck is on the way this Sunday morning Yeah, at some point in the day yesterday, we just looked at eachother and said, "...no matter if we get this truck running, I'm not sure I even want to try to tow the bike up to San Mateo. This day is just too freaky. We'll probably have a blow-out and flip the bike on the freeway or something!" Ah, just one of those days.... I guess I'll try again later this week. *sigh* al

Moto Guzzi V11 Sport/LeMans "Vapor Lock" and "Tank Suck" FAQ ****************************************************** Introduction: ---------------- Many owners of 2000-2002 V11 Sports and LeMans have complained of an issue often characterized as "vapor lock." This condition is often described as having just parked the motorcycle after a longish ride in a hot and sometimes high-altitude environment, then finding that when coming back to start the bike within approximately 30 minutes, that the fuel pump "whirrs" as if never pressurizing... as if "pumping vapor, " and the bike will not start. If the bike starts at all, it runs very poorly, stumbling, and ultimately stalling. However, if given another 20 to 30 minutes to cool off, the bike will start without incident. As is common with many conditions of this type, the problem has proven nearly impossible to replicate on command by dealers and service centers, although several have diligently attempted to do so. However, this condition, while uncommon as measured against a total percentage of V11 Sport/LeMans owners, is genuine and inconvenient. Moto Guzzi North America and in Italy apparently also do not have an official opinion on this issue as of January, 2003. However, one has to wonder why all 2003+ V11 Sports and LeMans will have an in-tank fuel-pump. This modification could have only come at significant expense and engineering effort on the part of Moto Guzzi, so we can only assume that Moto Guzzi is aware of the issue and this new pump location is partly to address this problem. Hopefully, all 2003+ bikes with the new integrated fuel-pump will not experience this issue going foward. However, the exact cause of this condition continues to be debated. Depending on the motorcycle and circumstances, several different issues can be at fault that present similar symptoms. These include: - The infamous "tank suck" (non-vertical alignment of the tip-over valve) - Faulty electronic pet-cocks on early V11 Sports - Faulty relays - Poor EFI pressure regulation But, it is believed by many that the "classic vapor lock" scenario is actually heat related based on apparently correlated evidence and symptoms experienced by riders unfortunate enough to suffer through this issue. In almost every case, the owners have reported parking the bike after a hot ride, experiencing the scenario described, but then finding that the bike will start reliably once given additional time to cool. In this scenario, the obvious culprits seem to be the fuel-supply line and fuel-pump which reside closely above the left cylinder on V11's. In some cases, it has been found that the fuel-line actually rested upon the cylinder upon delivery from the factory. With this in mind, many have surmised that heat radiating from the left cylinder has soaked into the pump and/or line, vaporizing the fuel, making it nigh impossible to properly pressurize the EFI. However, after attempting to start and pressurize the system and/or letting the bike cool over time, the fuel has an opportunity to condense, and allow for a normal start. While there is not currently any certain solution or conclusion for this issue, several discussions have been evolving, and some suggestions for "heat shielding" for the fuel line and pump have been considered. Unfortunately, at this time there are no aftermarket kits available providing any shielding for the pump and line. As more information can be gathered, perhaps sometime in the near future the exact condition and cause of this problem can be identified. Until then, owners will have to simply be aware that when this condition exhibits itself, the only solution is to provide time, allowing the engine to cool. One other option is to find heat-shielding from an auto-parts supply for the line, and potentially build one from aluminum for the pump. However, no one has done so with any measureable results as far as this Forum is aware. UPDATE (01/27/03) ----------------------- It has been discovered that some late 2002 V11 LeMans(and perhaps Sports) have had their fuel-pumps relocated as delivered from the factory in front of the oil-cooler, aligned perpendicular(horizontal) to the frame, with the fuel-filter relocated as well. As mentioned, all 2003 bikes are to be delivered with their fuel pump integral to the fuel tank, but perhaps this was an interim solution to address the heat-related "vapor lock" issue until the new system was delivered in 2003 models. If one has this unusual setup, the "vapor lock" issue may be less likely. UPDATE (11/18/03) ----------------------- After some testing, it seems verified that relocating the fuel-pump above the spine can significantly reduce the temperatures of the pump and low-pressure fuel-supply line, and reduce if not eliminate this condition. This of course requires removal of the air-box, and replumbing and shielding the lines. More information can be found in the two "fuel pump relocation" and "vapor lock" threads listed below. Additionally, often related or confused with this condition is the oft-reported "tank suck" phenomenon common to V11 bikes with the plastic fuel tank. This condition is exhibited also by poor starting, idle, and performance very similar to the "vapor lock" issue. However the cause is well documented, and easily rectified. To verify "tank suck", one merely needs to open their fuel-cap, and if upon doing so one hears a "whoosh" of air being sucked into the tank AND/OR one notices deformity of the plastic fuel tank before or after relieving the pressure differential, "tank suck" is the culprit. Fortunately, again, the cause is well-known... the one-way tip-over valve under the fuel tank is not oriented vertically and should be stabilized to a vertical member of the motorcycle. For emissions equipped bikes these days, the fuel-cap no longer vents to the atmosphere. Instead, intake vaccuum is used to "suck" the gasoline vapors from the tank into a charcoal recovery system, which is then fed back into the intake for clean burning. Additionally, your overflow hose has a one way valve, called a tip-over valve. If this valve becomes oriented "non vertically" it seals off, not allowing the tank to breath. Because this hose and valve typically hang free, if the hose is moved and orients the valve incorrectly, the tank will seal... and contraction of the internal fumes and/or vaccuum from the intake will cause the "tank suck" condition. Fortunately, it's an easy fix... just attach the tip-over valve to a vertical member of the frame or other mostly secure item under the tank with a nylon wire-tie, and all will be fine. Or like some folks, you can simply remove the valve altogether. The disadvantage there of course is if the bike falls over, without the valve, you may dump fuel on the motor and ground, which can be a "bad thing" Other solutions include removing the entire emissions systems from the motorcycle, and removing or piercing the rubber venting plug in the fuel-cap. However, depending on the modification, there can be some risk of fuel spillage in a tip-over, and venting fuel fumes where undesired. As always, YMMV. Listed below are URLs and contact information for general information and several online discussions. Information: --------------- Guzzitech - Electronic Petcock Malfunction V11 Forum Topics: ---------------------- Fuel Pump Relocation Thread Vapor Lock Link to Jason Tucker's "vapor lock" Online Survey Pinging and Vapor Lock - Dealer experience with these issues Engine Hot = Start Problems - Fuel injection pump is not working Tank Suck

Moto Guzzi V11 Sport/LeMans Intake Kit & Air-Filter FAQ ********************************************** Introduction: ---------------- Several vendors are producing kits to eliminate the top of the airbox, or completely remove the airbox from the V11 Sport/LeMans intake system entirely. Additionally, there are multiple options to convert from the OEM paper element, to reuseable and high-flow filters, or replace the single filter with individual "pods" attached to the intake runners. Depending on one's goals, many of these options are viable, and can be had as complete kits, or simply as "shade tree" modifications by replacing the filters oneself, or cutting multiple holes in the air-box lid for "increased flow". In this example, many have advocated cutting 6 2" holes in the lid. Although there are only a few complete kits available today, other vendors are looking into more complex air-box modifications scheduled to be available later in 2003. Listed below are URLs and contact information for several of the best-known vendors providing these kits, along with some general information and links to online discussions. Information: --------------- Aftermarket filter applications at www.guzzitech.com K&N Filter Replacement for OEM Paper Filter - Note, the correct model number for the V11 Sport/LeMans is apparently MG-1093(old) or 33-2682(new) and is available from sources such as Harper's Moto Guzzi, although they list their part number as MG0003. Fast By Ferracci BMC Replacement OEM Filter, and Airbox Top Eliminator Kit Evoluzione Airbox Kit with Airbox Lid Runner Extensions and Pod Filters - Note, as of March, 2003 Evoluzione has suspended sales and development of this kit due to inconsistent fit and logistics with the V11 LeMans they have worked with. However, feel free to contact Ken Zeller to check on availability and pricing in the future. Forum "ram-air" Thread "Pods" versus Airbox Lid Eliminator Thread FAQ Administrative Contact: ---------------------------------- Please feel free to contact this FAQ's administrator Forum Private Message to submit new information or suggest corrections. Ryland3210