al_roethlisberger

Actually, if you check the link to the photos the seller posted, as well as the thread on Sport-Touring.net linked somewhere earlier, you'll find that the good Dr's 2002 is apparently a "late model" 2002, as his fuel pump is indeed in the Centauro/Sport1100i "out front" location already So he should be set pretty good to have a better chance at avoiding vapor lock

I tell ya, this is one forum just overflowing with "deja vu" these days ... first it was asking about "two drain plugs", now this... sheesh Dude, from like last May: Ben Roethlisberger Doesn't Wear a Helmet Thread - Part 1

Well, how ya like it?

...and now the thread is officially "hijacked"

...yeah, that looks like a real "winner" there

Here are some photos of the bike: Dr. Gil's New 2002 LeMans - Champagne ...and see: Orson's attempt to have MG take over Sport-Touring.Net Thread

..... and the old farmhouse in the background is really neat too

Yeah, I'll be curious if this is Dave's old bike as well. We'll know for sure if it has Two Brothers bar risers

Great photo Tim.... although I must say.... you look HUGE on that bike Is it just the photo's perspective?

...he may have. Between him and Joe Camarda, I'm pretty sure they've had just about everything go wrong that can al

And Corbin has finally stepped up to the plate and now officially supports 2002 seats, so that's an option as well. I personally didn't find the stock seat too awful. I did a 3 day tour on it when I first got the bike with no butt-burn issues, but it all depends on personal preference I guess. For the record, I have both a Corbin and a RM seat... like 'em both so far, and as soon as I join my bike in NC, I'll be testing them back-to-back more vigorously. al

Spooky Deja Vu.... Do I hear an echo in here?? See: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...c=4366&hl=drain http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...c=2339&hl=drain http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...c=2315&hl=drain Sorry, I couldn't resist.... I mean, heck, even the titles in one case are *identical*

...no workee But I agree that is an awesome photo of Jessica, and generally I don't even really like her

Yes, you are "under the stupid idea" ... just kidding But honestly, it just depends on where you go I'm not a big proponent of riding around like "Ricky Racer" on public roads, my personal opinion, but there are lots of places up in the mountains, and especially out on our 1000s of miles of desert highways where one can easily go "a ton and a half" without ever seeing a cop for a long time.

I've never been a huge fan of the bike, as it seems to be clad in too much "fake plastic stuff" for my tastes I think the new photos do look better though. Perhaps it is growing on me al

That's true. The brake issue can by a symptom of the also oft-mentioned "rear bearing/spacer" issue. So, if cleaning your caliper does not help, you should do as suggested above(or do it at the same time just to be sure). al

Yeah, this seems to be relatively common.... or at least "not rare". My dealer even brought it up briefly as an aside during a conversation some time ago, as he has seen a few. I have to wonder if people/dealers are somehow "torquing" the headers when trying to get the exhaust system aligned, etc?? ....and this is causing stress=cracking?? ...or maybe this is just a symptom of a light exhaust system, and some just break al

....we can hear you, honestly Anyway ..... Question: Clarification, are you saying the rear *master cylinder* failed, or the caliper(technically a "slave") has failed, or both?? And BTW, just in case anyone is unsure, the rear master cylinder is that gold tubular thing attached directly to the rear brake pedal by its linkage located near the heel of your right foot If this is indeed a failure of the rear master cylinder, although I am sure it has happened(especially since this part is used on many makes of motorcycles), I have not heard of any rear brake master cylinders failing via this forum If however you are really saying that your rear *caliper* has been dragging, and now has seized, this indeed has been reported more than a couple times. Do a search on "groan" or "drag" and you are sure to find more info. In fact, we probably need a "rear brake groan" FAQ since it comes up pretty often, but I just haven't had time to get around to it these last few months, what with the new job and getting ready to move But anyway, yes, the design of the V11 rear brake caliper seems to be mildly problematic(but sometimes more catestrophic). I think we've only heard of one other rear wheel "lockup", and I think that one was because the screw-in locking pin on the bracket backed out, not because of a brake seize. But, what seems to happen with regards to "groaning", dragging, and sticking of the pistons is that since the caliper is underslung, it seems to accumulate a LOT of brake dust and other crud, quite quickly. The solution I(and many others) have found is to routinely(say every 3-6 months if you ride a LOT, or once a year if not so much) remove the caliper, hang it in a bucket and very liberally spray the heck out of it with brake cleaner.... just empty the whole darned can. You will be AMAZED at the amount of black gunk that comes out of the caliper. And then you'll find it doesn't drag again for another few months. The theories about the brake line getting hot are a good preventative measure too. As long as the line is correctly routed/clipped to the swingarm, you should be fine. But I've found mine incorrectly routed and loose from its clips on a couple occasions, so it's good to check this issue every so often also. But all-in-all, if this is indeed just the "dirty caliper problem", this should not be a major issue to correct/maintain. If your master cylinder has failed though, that is a different story, and is just probably "bad luck". In that case, check eBay for a used one from a Guzzi, Ducati, etc... as again, this is a very common unit. Good luck! al

.... "did it take 3 and a half weeks??" Well, I wasn't counting, but yes, I guess it did You're right, I was in no hurry, especially since my friend at the NC end was on holiday the last weeks of June, through July 4th. So I don't guess the Eagle One guys hurried, as I asked them to make sure to deliver it after July 5th. But no, I am not in NC yet. We are just finishing up various projects here on the house, and having our last garage sale today. We have cleaners coming in Monday, and plan to put the house on the market this week. If all goes well, we'll move sometime in August. Time will tell, and we'll be at the mercy of the housing market. al

Well, the bike arrived in NC in perfect shape, and the entire experience was very positive. I can't recommend Eagle One Express enough for those looking for a MC shipper. al

Interestingly, from an aerodynamic sense, some of the benefit I've heard that a well designed velocity stack, is the the air it draws up and around around the "flare"/"bell" edge as well... not just a direct shot down its throat. So, if one bolts a filter directly to the end of a VS, in theory some of that benefit is lost. In fact, if you look at our stock plastic VS that goes into the airbox, you will see that it protrudes an inch or more into the volume of the airbox, allowing it to draw air from all around the bell, not just a direct shot. How much benefit does this provide?? I honestly don't know, but have heard that it is significant. So, as I mentioned in another thread, I am very interested in shoving my big K&N filters over the stock VS, such that the "flare"/"bell" is inside the volume of the filter cylinder. An acquaintence mechanic at a local dealer has done this, and it is feasible, although shoving/working the K&N over the end of the flare is a bit of a trick, and takes patience. al

I don't have the answer to your question, but I'll sure be interested to hear what the replies are I've had great success with Hare Racing, here in the SF Bay Area, so am hoping I(we) can find something similar in NC. I am moving to the Raleigh area in a couple months. al

Glad to hear you are OK Tom As far as "totalled"... just going by what I had heard. It would be nice if the bike is fixable. I'll have to pop by Moto Italiano and see what it looks like al

My buddy Dr Gil was just about to get a test-ride on the "Guzzi of his dreams" as the owner of an 03 black LeMans was bringing it up to his house for the weekend. But the owner unfortunately crashed on Hwy1 and totalled the bike within 100 miles of Gil's house. Fortunately the owner was apparently OK, but the bike is now a "project bike" from what I hear I think I know who the owner was, but since am not 100% sure, will let him tell the tale. .... just glad to hear he didn't go over the cliff, and seems to be basically OK And I'm very sorry to hear about the bike That makes one less of our now "collector" bikes in North America So, Gil is still on the search(see the classifieds). He lost most of last year with valve trouble from his old Triumph, and this year is quickly becoming a disappointment as well now that the Triumph finally died. Hopefully he can find another LeMans soon, as this was quite a disappointment. BTW, he apparently really likes black al

Sorry to hear you are letting the bike go. Getting them to "run right" is a much loftier(and sometimes harder) goal than MPG in my humble opinion ... so I count you as a pretty lucky guy that got one: Keep in mind, in many cases, the more performance mods... MPG suffers, not improves. It all just depends of course. But I will say this. I've always gotten sub-30 MPG around town, without exception. I did get 40+ MPG on a long trip once, mostly highway drone, so it just depends. But although I would agree that 23 is definitely on the low side, 25-29ish seems about average for around town and twisties. Which BTW, doing the math..... you have a little less than 5gal "available" fuel in the tank, so 5x23=115 miles until reserve. That is very typical what everyone reports here, 120-130 miles when the reserve comes on. And if you go find my thread here about MPG, and a poll I started on www.sport-touring.net, except for some uber-sport-touring bikes, 120ish miles at reserve was very very typical. After that, I didn't feel so bad. So, your MPG, while not great, seems typical... if maybe a couple/three MPG on the low side. I know some folks claim super-MPG on some bikes, but I think that if you really look at their data, especially ignoring high-MPG outliers from super-slab trips, you'll find a lot of them get 30 or less MPG, especially liter+ bikes. You might check your PCIII map to see if it is running rich in a few spots, but other than that, the bike is pretty simple. What type of riding do you do, and what is your "style"? That can have a huge impact on average MPG i.e. long continuous sweepers vs stop-and-go cruising Good luck al