al_roethlisberger

Well, many of the old-timers may remember me from the early days of v11lemans.com I was very active in those early years, and have popped back in from time to time. In 2002-2005 I had been very involved in this forum and the MG community, and really experenced great comraderie worldwide... such as when Jaap came over the USA for his tour of the country and we met him for dinner in SF. But in 2006 we had another child, moved to NC (no riding buddies), got a new job, bought an old fixer-upper house, and priorities just changed... and the bike sat. I still really love the bike and it still inspires me when I see it sitting the garage, and I still think about all the tinkering I have done and like to do, but it still has less than 5k miles on the clock (if I recall), where my last bike had over 80k when I sold it. So clearly our priorities have changed, at least for this stage of life where any free time is dedicated to working on the house and our young family. Plus, my oldest daughter just was accepted to UNC Chapel Hill ..... but now we have to find some creative ways to fund it. So, one may be selling the bike. I have to be honest that I'm not really keen to do so, as I really have a lot of blood, sweat and smiles in that bike. But I wouldn't put holding on to the opportunity of findng the time to ride again above my daughter's education. So my son and I will be getting it ship-shape in the next month or so, registered again, and put on the road and make that decision after a few rides. The bike is started a few times a year, rolled out and cleaned, fluids change/checked, etc.... but it hasn't been actually ridden in at least 4ish years. I know that is sacrilege ....but time just seems to fly with growing kids, house projects, etc. Will let you know, but wanted to share. For those less familiar with my bike, here is a quick but dated synopsis from a few years ago. http://www.pashnit.com/bikes/V11-Lemans.htm Al

Man, spoked wheels.... If they: 1) Didn't cost a mint. And yes, $2k for a set is a "mint" to me when I have perfectly good wheels already 2) Didn't weigh more than the stock rims. ...I'd really consider trading them out. They definitely look better to me than the OEM cast rims. Al

What he said (Not meaning stupid though ) I'm not a true mechanic, but am mechanically inclined, and taking the porkchops off was a simple task even long before we had any "how to" posts floating around. So I bet you can pull it off. They may sound scary, but they really aren't rocket science and only support/align the rear end of the bike. It isn't as if they hold the entire center of the bike together I'd recommend taking them off for the repaint and then checking any number of things that are now easily accessible. BTW, I recommend powder coating them versus paint, but either will work of course. Here are some threads: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11740 http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15581 http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1575 http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2719 http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=902 Good luck! Al

Yeah, I was watching those and considered bidding so I could test both. But the price was getting pretty high so I just opted to test the Motratechs first. If I don't like them, I can try a set of the Motobits later. al

I know this is an old post, but I just had to say that Applebees was the first restaurant that my then wife and I went to upon arriving in California. We had just moved into the apartment down near Cisco Systems and hadn't even unpacked. Gosh, that was almost 15 years ago Wow... So the "NorCal Guzzi Folks" aren't meeting up at Alice's in the evening anymore? Al

Who "runs" and organizes the NC MGNOC club/chapter events these days? The link at MGNOC is to a dead(operative, but not updated since 2001) website. I contacted the admin and she says it is indeed "dead", so I let MGNOC know.

Absolutely Yes it is expensive, but it's a boutique bike from a small volume manufacturer. One isn't going to get Honda economy of scale pricing But if I didn't already have a "classic" air-cooled bike, and had $22k lying around, this "anachronistic" machine exactly the style of bike that would appeal to me, particularly since it would be uncommon as well. I'll always be a fan of air-cooled, engine hanging out, minimalist bikes. Although I grew up at the tail end of that era, that kind of bike is what epitomizes a motorcycle to me, not fully faired, electronic, water cooled appliances ....even if they are generally speaking more powerful, efficient and reliable al

I think it was Gary Cheek? who first mentioned this in this forum back around 2003ish and provided a very similar diagram which a few of us implemented with the results reported in this thread.... much better lighting, and more confidence that our switch-gear wasn't going to melt He didn't include any diodes as a fail-safe though, which I admit is a pretty good idea. But one would have to lose both relays and/or some combination of low/high filaments in the bulb to have NO light, so I don't think I will add them to my setup now as you'd have to be pretty unlucky. But if I were building it from scratch again this would be the way to go. Good going! BTW, the following gizmo looks really slick for these types of wiring bypasses and other accessories. I'm thinking of picking one up to clean up my 3-4 added circuits, fuses and relays for horns, lights and heated grips. I hate my stack of rings on the battery.... just one more place for electrical SNAFUs This would clean it up nicely. http://www.aerostich.com/powerpak-power-distribution-module-pdm60.html Anyone play with one of these yet? Al

You have a PM. Perhaps I will be able to test both after all Thanks, Al

Here I think is the closest answer to my post that we have so far: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=14974 But never-the-less, would love to hear more if there's more to offer two years on.... Thanks, Al

Like many of us here, I'm not well suited to the stock peg location on the V11. I tried the Buell peg replacement early on, but it really didn't work out quite right for me in regard to alignment with the brake and shift levers, etc. So it was never a perfect(or even near perfect) solution. I'm not a tall guy(5'8, 30" inseam) so the V11 LeMans riding position was always a little too aggressive for my comfort, especially for longer rides I was just leaning too much into the bars. I suffered some discomfort in my wrists and hands due to forward pressure, and even felt like handling was negatively impacted. The rearward foot position wasn't too extreme per se, but I think this contributed to the said problems above for me. My prior bike many years ago was a Yamaha FJ1200, and I felt that the riding position was quite comfortable for 10+ hour rides. My buddy's 1998 VFR, while definitely more aggressive in riding position than the FJ, was also still reasonably comfortable. So,I'm wondering which of the following two peg kits might get me somewhere in that sweet spot, but not put me into a "cruiser" position either: http://www.motratech.com/Motratech/MGCSB10.html http://www.motobits.com/guzzi.htm Both kits look to be high quality, and I know several folks here including Greg Fields run the Motobits kit. And of course one of our forum contributors makes the Motratech kit, and it too has been endorsed as high quality. I think the nod to quality and fit/finish appears to go to the Motratech kit though, and it is a bit more expensive. Although the Motratech kit doesn't drop the height much, it moves the pegs a full 140mm forward, which I'm not sure is good or bad for me. That seems like a big jump forward. The Motobits kit is about 1 inch down and forward, similar and maybe a bit more than the Buell solution, but with the advantage of keeping all the shift/brake levers aligned and adjustable like the Motratech kit. One downside I see with the Motobits kit is the lack of folding pegs. Has anyone adapted the stock folding pegs, or other, to the Motobits kit? I'll probably do some visual mock-up on the bike, but there is no substitute for actually riding with the parts installed. Unfortunately at $350-500 a piece, one can't really afford to buy and try both. So, I'm curious to hear others' experiences running either the Motobits and/or Motratech kits. I've seen several positive posts here about the Motobits and Motratech pegs in passing, but wondered if we had any long-term or even if lucky some head-to-head comparisons in ride feel/comfort? If the Motobits are somewhat like the Buell solution, then that helps a bit. I have heard the position with the Motratech kit is similar to a Centauro location? Not sure.... Thanks, Al

On a related note, but an aside: I wonder whatever happened to that fella that used to do the cartoon renderings of various bikes? One would see his shirts on eBay every so often in the early 2000s, then I think the manufacturers gave him some grief and he quit. I still have one, very faded, that I like quite a bit. It has the cartoon silver V11 on the front breast and large across the back. The cartoon(of all the bike models) has a lowrider/stretched bulbous... well "cartoon" look, but is still faithful to the real bike's proportions. All the bike models were really good, like any good cartoonist capturing the essence of the subject. I did a quick Google, but amazingly it wasn't anywhere to be found anymore. That was and is a great t-shirt. I wish those were around. I'd pick up another V11lemans.com shirt one of these days when they become available again, particularly if they helped fund the site a little. Al

Focusing in on one point.... not unique to this Duc, but I really don't like the trend of the past few years of these short fat exhaust cans, many of which are all "trapezoidal" as well

Anyone have a link to the thread with the GM sensor info? I did a quick search without success, although I do remember at least a couple contentious head-temp threads over time. Thanks, Al Hello Al, Here's one of the threads that spiraled into oblivion: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=14832&hl=temperature&st=0 The sensor in question was sourced from GM and was the air charge temp sensor for a '00 Pontiac Grand Am 4cyl. I can find a part number for the sensor and pigtail in you are interested. Thank you, I would definitely like to put this on my list of Spring tune-ups. Just drop me a note, or better yet maybe post a new topic to the tech section with a subject like "GM Head Temp Sensor Details". Then anyone can find it and install it if they'd like to give it a go. I'm definitely game. BTW, does the polarity of splicing the pigtail matter to the OEM harness matter? I too have the recurring 3-4k hiccups and pinging when hot and so far no amount of tuning has fixed it, although to be fair I still have plenty of opportunities there too. But based on the reports of symptoms associated with this sensor question, I'm starting to feel confident that one of the solutions may be a good fix for my bike. Al

Anyone have a link to the thread with the GM sensor info? I did a quick search without success, although I do remember at least a couple contentious head-temp threads over time. Thanks, Al

For a local bunch of friends, I too think this probably is a good option as well.

I think one has to balance the need for a targeted audience with "critical mass" and for a subject like the "V11" Sport(based) Guzzi, how many forums can effectively be supported and be healthy and helpful? In this case I think that a healthy singular(or few) forum is the way to go, with sub-categories for regions, etc. When you get everyone together in one place, you realize the benefit of that "critical mass" of knowledge versus having it spread over 100 different sites. I wouldn't discourage someone from setting up their own regional or interest forum, after all it is a "free world"(more or less). But I think for "boutique" interests like small motorcycle marques and specific models, one "big" forum is the better way to go. Although I haven't been hanging around for a while, I've often worried that this forum would go away as the V11 models got older. It would be a huge loss of information if it did, not to mention the camaraderie. I'm glad v11lemans.com is still around. Al

Any "new news" on the 70 or softer Urethane pucks that were mentioned a few posts back? I'll likely be tearing into the cush drive this Spring. Al

I see that the PO changed the plate to the correct pawl arm, but some of the aftermarket springs were designed to overcome this problem and may be the larger diameter. So I'm not sure what type of inaccuracies you might get with a 15mm pawl and 16mm spring. I'd also suggest making sure you aren't "mixing solutions" to the problem and getting inconsistent results. Al

Yes Nemo, and his various incarnations(you do recall he had more than one ), was quite entertaining as long as one took nothing of his too seriously If you did, it got somewhat scary...

Hrmm, I think we saw this thread in 2002, no wait 2003, or was it 2004,5.... I love "Going out of business since 1921". I think I'll put that on a t-shirt. If by design or incompetence, I think Guzzi will remain a boutique marque for many years to come. As long as they stay generally viable and "alive", I'm OK with that. I really don't want Guzzi to be Honda. I agree with others that point out for all the current woes, Guzzi has really come a long way in general fit/finish, number of models, and "innovation" in the last few years. As was said earlier, Guzzi saw only a handful of model changes up until the mid 2000s, where they've now released several new models, 8V engines, new shaft-drive designs, and apparently a water cooled engine on the horizon. As a low volume, non unobtanium brand, I think there will always be compromises such as parts-bin switchgear, but as a whole I think Guzzi is in better shape than it has been in years. A buddy of mine at work just found out that I am an MG owner and had to share his pleasure with his V7 Classic. That was unheard of just a few years ago, as that model didn't even exist! Al

I'm just not a fan of the aesthetic of water cooled engines, although I recognize the engineering and performance benefits. But I think, like other air cooled engines, part of the allure of the MG engine is its air cooled industrial look. If they go to the antiseptic look of a water cooled engine, I'd think it would be a great idea to design some fins to retain the classic look. Who knows, it might even lessen the load on the water cooling system. They won't do this of course, but just sayin' Al

FYI: Moto Italiano in San Jose closed some time ago. They have reopened their new store at: 3600 Soquel Ave. Santa Cruz, Ca. 95062 Phone: 831-462-6686 http://www.motoitaliano.com/

Ah.... harken back to the "early days" of stock muffler butchery There were so many thread of drilling, cutting, splitting, coring.... subsequent dyno runs, and the results were pretty consistent: bad sounds and poor performance. Plus they weigh a ton. Either leave them stock, or replace