al_roethlisberger

Call Moto Italiano in San Jose/Capitola, CA They apparently deal directly with the guy that makes them, and can usually get a set in a day. $100 a piece. I agree that the gold are a bit too much "bling" hence I have the silver, which looks And yes, the Brembos have "big" pivots. al

Keep an eye on the little plexi windows on those Rizoma reservoirs Richard. The brake fluid dissolved and nearly ate through mine in about a year. Rizoma sent me a new set for free, and so far they look fine, but it's something to keep an eye on. If mine dissolve again, I'm just going to have aluminum plates put in the holes, as the reservoirs are too dark to really read through the windows anyway. al

www.xe.com

I have heard that "more aggressive" pads do make a difference, but I've also heard that some end up going back to stock as they liked the "milder" bite. So it is, as always, a matter of personal taste. The brakes on the V11 are the same as many mid-90s through early 00s Italian "sport bikes" as you can find on older Ducatis and Aprilias. The newest, basically this last year or two, have the newer Brembo 4 pad calipers which look a bit smaller, and the bolts are on the back giving them a "machined from billet" look, but they are still 2-piece. I have heard they are indeed better though than our older 2-pad Brembo "Oro" series, and Paul had a set for a while and liked them. You can find them on eBay for about $300 for the pair, or buy them from Todd at Guzzitech as competitive pricing. You'll need new brake lines though, as the fitting is at a different angle, and I've also heard that to really get the most benefit, you should also convert to a radial lever/MC. But yes, our brakes are quite good, hence my comment. And if you want more "bite" perhaps changing pad compounds before spending $300-1000 on new brakes might get you the results you are looking for. After all, the brakes we have seem to have been "good enough" for the priciest of sport-bikes over the last 5-7 years al

Heh, remind me never to piss you off

I think this was a very good and balanced article, for a change The only part I have a real contention with is: The brake observation is probably not too far off-base, but it must be taken in "context" with the rider's experience on bikes with probably less weight and indeed better brakes. But I find the V11 brakes to be quite good, especially as compared to my prior bikes But with regard to the Ohlins comment, although it is true that the forks equipped on the V11 from Ohlins are an OEM unit, they seem to be the same units as Ohlins' "Road and Track" series, which are not "damper-rod forks with no separate rebound or compression damping". Perhaps he read the specs on the standard Marz forks and thought they translated to the Ohlins? Because the Ohlins I have, which are supposedly the same units as fitted to models like the Copa, certainly have rebound, compression, and preload adjustment in both legs And, I can assure you that the ride with the Ohlins is far better than the previous 02 spec Marz I used to have. al

Really? I never knew that. Can you give a brief explanation of "why"? Thx

Hrmm, interesting... hopefully that is all it is(hitting the kill switch, or similar). It only worries me a little since the "huge delay" in getting the bike back was an electrical problem where it wouldn't run. But I think(knocking on wood) that this was merely a coincidence. I'll try to take some photos soon I guess, it just hasn't been a priority. I barely get time to dig it out from all the boxes and crud in the garage to actually RIDE IT, much less go pose it somewhere for a photo It pretty much looks the same though, just with a Rich Maund seat on it right now that I am testing "against" my old Corbin. The jury is still out on that one BTW. They both are "good", but "different"... can't tell which I prefer yet. al

I agree... someone just posted a Question/Answer on this similar(don't know the details) topic to the MGNOC/Topica mailing list, and Dan Prunuske's response was: I hope this is all the problem is, as this would be an easy fix. I had the exact same problem with a 1981 Oldsmobile, as it happily sucked oil right down it's gullet

... have fun(like you wouldn't ) and let us know your thoughts once you get back It's always interesting to hear feedback from folks new to the brand/model al

Well, second day into riding the bike to work, everything seems good and the bike has loads of grunt. And as mentioned, it spins up quickly and smoothly. I've only had one hiccup, and that was at the end of my ride today, literally as I was turning into the parking lot. The bike just quit, obviously "electrically". It was as if I put down the sidestand while in gear, or similar. I flicked the kill-switch on-off, then it started back up after a couple tries of hitting the starter. I can only assume, at this point, that one of the "safety" or other on/off switches stuck/tripped after sitting for 6 months, or maybe a relay hiccup'ed? I'm not worried about it yet, as this was a one-time deal, and otherwise the bike has run flawlessly for two days. I'll just keep an eye out for a repeat, then try to figure out what's up if so. BTW, Mike, if you want.... feel free to find some time to ride down and take a test-ride on my bike for a few hours and see what differences you notice. I think that might be very telling since you have both an 00-01 model, and 03+ V11. Just let me know if you would like to do so al

The DP is more expensive? That's interesting. al

...something else, they also are small. Of course from an engineering standpoint, that is probably a "good thing", but the other day I was looking at a used FZ-1 while waiting on my bike, and although had shopped for an FZ-1 when they were new.... I just noticed and was so surprised how tiiiiiiny the engine looked as compared to the LeMans, or my old air-cooled FJ1200. Of course, it's obvious why it is so more compact, but never-the-less... it looked like a toy I just really like naked or semi-faired bikes, and especially like *FINS* on cylinders... like old airplanes, and yes... motorcycles. It's what I grew up seeing. Water-cooled engines, while technically superior, just don't excite me. They are too antiseptic ...of course, that doesn't mean I'll never own one. I just never have up to this point al

Conversely, the additional mass of the DP unit smooths out idle and steadies the revs.... a trade-off. After all, flywheels do serve a purpose But I suspect the tradeoff, while probably noticeable either way, is not huge anymore between the SP and DP versions. al

.... oh, now that's just sili bad.... bad..... bad.......

You can also call shops like "Aftershocks" or "Lindemann Engineering" and ask what spring rate would work well for your weight and riding style. They'll be happy to consult, and sell you the correct springs. al

Personally?? ....because I think water-cooled engines on bikes are "uninspiring" visually

I've had the TM "heavy" models since I bought the bike... in fact.... TM didn't even make a Guzzi V11 specific model when I bought mine, so it was something of an experiment. Several others on the board have bought them hence, and like them quite a bit. You can even buy the plain bar ends(without throttle lock) if you want, just for the weight. I can't say if they really helped with the vibes much, as it was so long ago, but they surely must have. I also filled my bars with lead shot and silicone. al

I was going to say check the banjo fittings for the oil recovery system, and the breather hose from the block to the frame, as these are both well known eventual leaks.... but they would just get oil ON the engine/exhaust and make a hell of a stench and smoke burning off the hot bits.... not come out of the pipes. I would still look to see if your breather hose has deteriorated and cracked, as that is a common thing after a few years of heat, and that does make a mess. al

No changes that I am aware of were made by Aprilia to reduce vibes, except maybe the new bars above the triples, starting in 02

....which is why I don't have those forks anymore

Yes, the "standard"(non Ohlins) forks on the 03+ bikes were completely changed. They are still Marz, but are a different diameter(43mm, up from 40mm if I recall), and have preload and compression damping in both legs, but not rebound. The old 00-02 forks had compression damping in one leg, and rebound damping in the other, and no preload adjustment. al

Since I personally haven't ridden a SP clutch bike, I can only offer the following: 1 - I find the DP clutch to be very easy to pull, and works flawlessly 2 - I have been told that the late-model DP clutches are actually quite light in comparison to older models 3 - Yes, they can be lightened, but again, from what I've been told the new DP clutches are pretty light already. And for a street bike, they work well to smooth the idle and drivetrain, without being a "drag". Hopefully someone who has owned/ridden/worked-on both can offer more specific comparitive details. But just as compared to other(more modern?) bikes I've owned/ridden, the DP clutch seems just fine in comparison. al

Pretty darned warm... how warm? Not "ouch" warm, but warm

.... I understand Well, it's too bad it didn't work out for you though. Good luck with what you decide to do with the bike