al_roethlisberger

Just a quick observation. I picked up the Buell kit(pegs and springs) this evening, and went out and picked up some 1/4x3/8x1(idxodxlgth) bushings as you described(inches). However, I soon found that the diameter of the pin hole through the Buell peg was much closer to 7/16, and the 3/8 bushing moved around quite freely within the hole. My concern is that the peg would then be quite loose around the pin/bushing combo. What has been your observation? I found two bushings at http://www.mcmaster.com/ that one could "nest" to get the correct ID and OD, if I am correct... Part # 6381K446 has 5/16"ID and 7/16"OD and 1" long Part # 6381K411 has 1/4"ID and 5/16"OD, but it's only 3/4" long, so one might have to use a couple per pin. Anyway, what are your thoughts.... did you find the 3/8 bushing loose?? al

Permatex makes two excellent gas tank sealing products, both labelled as "Motorcycle and ATV Gas Tank Sealers". The blue product is for parts that move or will be disassembled, and as such does not harden. I have used this product for fitting all the o-ring/mating-surfaces for the petcocks and fuel-level sending units. The gray product is the sealer to use for relatively permanent fittings. It will stay flexible, but hardens. Any auto store should have these, or you can get the products online. al

Well, if your standard PCIII is doing everything you want it to do, and the bike runs great.... then I guess you don't *need* to upgrade to the USB model. That would be my opinion. But the USB model offers a few advantages. First, it has the ability to support a 100% more granular map than the previous model. The standard PCIII sets the fuel mixture on 500RPM steps, where the USB model can map on 250RPM increments. The USB model, due to it's more powerful processor and different architecture, also has the ability for add-in modules..... both sofware and hardware. An example for our application is the "Accellerator Pump" software upgrade, as comvered in this thread: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...ic=3017&hl=pump Another example, although currently not available for our application, is the hardware ignition curve module. Although as mentioned by Todd above, this may be coming. There are probably other advantages as well that I am unaware of that Todd can cover. But I believe these are the basics. And again, my opinion is that as long as the standard PCIII is meeting your needs, you are probably fine keeping that model. al

Awesome I'll be picking up my kit at the Fremont HD dealer tomorrow. al

Thank goodness for a bell housing ouch That's a real shame too, as he must of had one of the few '02 engine cases that DIDN'T bubble al

Well, to sum-up one aspect of this thread based on several responses, and now that I've had the 2003 tank for a while.... I think it is safe to say that on average, the 2003+ tanks with the internal fuel-pump module and integrated fuel-level sender, will glow the idiot light at about 3.5 gallons(US). At that point, on probably has another gallon or more of accessible fuel, so depending on the mileage per "unit" you've been observing, you can extrapolate your "reserve" to get to the next station. And based on the following thread on Sport-touring.net: http://www.sport-touring.net/cgi-bin/msgbo...;f=1;t=163;st=0 ...I'm actually now not too terribly disappointed with the mileage we are seeing on the V11. After all, it wasn't designed from the outset as a mile-munching long-range GT bike, and many sport touring riders actually ride bikes a lot like ours, that also were not... and seem to have similar ranges. So I don't feel too bad anymore I would guess that "on average", we can see ~180 miles as the maximum range on the V11 without too much panic, and if the planets are in alignment, a bit over 200 if MPG inches up much above 40. But I wouldn't count on it And as I mention in the ST thread above, in the end.... 150-200 miles at average speeds of, say... 70mph... *average*.... is between 2-3 hours seat time. I don't know about you, but personally, I like to stop and smell the roses and stretch every couple/three hours anyway As long as my bike continues to deliver a reliable 170-ish total miles, I'll be happy. I can't deny that I'd prefer a consistent available 200 mile range just for emergencies though However, my past experience with highway/long-distance rides did give over 40mpg, so I guess it's possible if one assumes ~5G of useable capacity... and LD rides are where I've typically had "range anxiety" anyway. al

....yes, it often is a PITA to get everything to fit straight and even when switching out to aftermarket exhausts/x-overs. It takes a good bit of tinkering and cussing. This is especially true of the Stucchi crossover, which seems to have a high rate of inconsistent/crooked assembly. It took me two units to get a relatively straight one, and neither would slide all the way up the headers like the OEM crossover did. After that, it was twisting and spacers to finally get everything just right Here's some info on the emissions cannister: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...57&hl=emissions al

Well, my "base" high idle is definitely from two things, and maybe a third. I was just curious about the "creep" issue... But the causes of the high base idle are: First, I had the heads Stage II ported last year, and that typically bumps the idle. Second, I have Raceco Spec valve lash, and this typically bumps the idle a bit. ...and third, although I've tried everything else to lower the idle, I haven't checked the air bypass screws to see where the dealer set them when they were trying every trick in the book to get the bike to idle last Spring. I suspect if I set them correctly(assuming they aren't), I bet the idle will change too. So, I'm not too worried about the idle being about 200-300RPM high, as I know the cause, and may have recourse to lower it if necessary. BTW, thanks for the suggestion on the air inlets, but I haven't had an airbox since last Summer.... during the quest to duck the infamous "vapor lock" Airbox Lid versus Pods Thread al

...ahh yes, this inverse scenario you describe is related to valve lash, and is a common problem for North American bikes that have the "tight" lash specs to meet EPA noise limits. Yours may not be too tight, but if really too tight, this will actually cause the bike to die during the scenarios you describe I fought this demon a little over a year ago, and the dealer seemed clueless. After a couple months of working with them, Mike Stewart came over and set my valve lash to Raceco Specs, and I've never had a low idle/dying problem again al

Gotcha Todd ....if they ever get that ignition module in there, I'll probably have to run down to SoCal to let you map it, as I don't think anyone up here has the expertise... especially WRT the ignition curve. Let us know how it goes. BTW, what's the significance of the firmware update? al

So, my bike idles a bit on the high side anyway, between 1200-1300 RPM. This started after my heads were ported, etc.... and although I think I can work it back down a bit with some more tinkering, I'm not worried about it right now since the engine is coming apart anyway for the case replacement. But, to my question.... while I've gotten used to this relatively high idle, I've noticed that once the engine warms up, especially if for example sitting at long stoplight.... the RPM starts to "creep" up, sometimes almost to just a hair under 2k, so I'm guessing around 1700-1800 RPM. This was also noticed by the folks at Hare Racing when they got the engine good and hot during it's last PCIII mapping. But, after running the bike down the road a bit, and I'm guessing cooling it a bit after the long sit in the traffic light, the idle is back down nearer to it's original spot. So.... is this normal? Does the ECU add fuel when the temp sensor detects that things are heating up, and thus bump the idle up? Do your bikes do this? My last bike was also air-cooled, but "dumb" and was carb'd and had no fancy computer monitoring things.... so things like idle just didn't vary all by themselves. So I'm just wondering. Thanks al

I've never heard this, but that is VERY interesting. If anyone confirms that the Cyclone headlight will fit the funky sized LeMans headlight.... that would be a real coup. One can only get the whole assembly from MG, and it's very pricey. For just breaking a lens, it's silly al

Heh, well I'd have to defer to Docc methinks.... as the forums I "moderate" are pretty low key, and haven't really given me the experience to handle such a provocative issue ... anyway, "virgin" is pretty euphemistic after all And who's to say he wasn't just saying she's frugal?

Well, it depends Running an engine leaner will produce more power(to a point) but will also cause the engine to run hotter. Running an engine more rich can be used to cool the engine to avoid detonation and overheating issues.... especially with air-cooled bikes. Since our bikes rely on an uncontrolled variable environment for cooling, unlike a water cooled engine, this can sometimes be something of a balancing act, and fraught with compromises. But, "pops" in a particular RPM range can be symptomatic of either condition though, even being an overly rich condition... it really just depends. For example, I've been having a mild "popping" problem around 4k on my bike lately, and Mike Stewart thought it might be running too lean. However, after looking at the map, fiddling with the values myself, and also consulting Todd Eagan.... it seems like it actually was running a bit on the rich side in that RPM/%throttle range What I would do is download your map to your PC and send it off to Todd Egan at Guzzitech and see what he says. I suspect that if you tweak a few cells, the problem will go away. I just don't know which "way" to recommend tweaking them without seeing the map myself. But any ridiculously outlying values in the affected RPM range are usually clues. I'm just glad to hear that you have a PCIII, as it makes solving this problem much easier for the home mechanic al

.... we need a FAQ on this methinks, as it's been beaten to death From the several threads I've digested here regarding tire sizing, it seems the following: Optimal sized tires, for optimal profile: 4.5 inch rim = 160 (00-01 V11 Sport) 5 inch rim = 170 (not available to OEM Guzzi applications) 5.5 inch rim = 180 (01 RM, 02-present) Although the OEM tire on a 4.5 inch rim equipped bike came as a 170, if you put a 170 on a 00-01 4.5 inch rim, because the tire is a bit too large, the carcass gets "pinched" ever so slightly making for a less curved, but more pointed tire profile. This makes turn in very abrupt, less linear, and makes the farthest edge of the tire more vertical than otherwise.... making it more difficult to actually use this edge to edge. Also, being a more pointed profile, the tire may wear a crowned flat band more quickly, later on making for a harder initial turn in, followed by an even more abrupt transition. Fitting a 160 to the rim makes for a more rounded, and correct, profile... producing a more linear and consistent turn in, and presents a better opportunity to use the tire edge to edge. Anyway, this is what I've read, not personally experienced of course I could be wrong, and please point out if I've somehow gotten confused, but I believe this is what I recall being clarified in past tire sizing threads al

....yesssss, very expeditious on your part

He said the aluminum ones he made developed stress fractures over time.... I mentioned that although SS is heavier, for a street application, I'd personally choose durability/reliability over weight/performance.... especially when the weight will be down low anyway. al

Bolt on cans.... plug in new ECU.... ride As long as you've got the correct ECU for your model year, and you don't have any other major modifications to the engine/intake/exhaust, it really should be a plug-and-play affair.... as it is designed to be.... probably an hour's job at most, and the bulk of that being trying to get the cans to hang even The figures in the instructions are just suggesting that one check that all the other variables are within spec, such as the TPS, CO levels, etc... and if your bike is basically unmolested, and ran fine before installing the new kit.... then again, it should be plut-and-play, with no additional tinkering required. However, all things are a compromise, and as such, I'm sure it could still be tuned even better specifically for your bike. So assuming that it runs fine after installing the kit, just ride it until it's time for the next service, and then just have the shop check the CO levels, etc... and fine-tune the map on the ECU as needed... to get it just that little bit better for your specific bike. Bottom line, ceteris paribus ... no, you shouldn't need any additional tools or instruments other than a wrench and hex drive or two al

Maybe your friend fitted a 160 tire(instead of the 170 stocker), as many have done, that better fits the 4.5inch 00-01 rim If so, that would explain his "success"

I just mean I am waiting for the results of Pete and Enzo's testing and any prototyping on the V11 sump to be complete, and "hoping" Pete will decide to then indeed make a batch for our bikes based on the results of that work al

Yeah, I just don't know on this one... I'd pull the pump module out and see how it all looks. al

So, did you get them from an Aprilia Mille?? Used or new? Oh, and what are you going to do with the other special Brembo calipers you had? al

Gotcha, thanks ....here are the two current threads here on the subject: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3466 http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3474 Good reading indeed, no matter where the source I'm still "holding my breath" to verify if the tray will fit a V11 sump without surgery. Here's hoping so al

.....very cool Unfortunately for LeMans owners, some "chopping" will have to occur as the connectors used on the LeMans harness aren't the 3-prong units as used on this kit. ...OK, well this isn't entirely true .... one could get the 4-plex connector unclipped out of the bucket, and fish out the 3-prong connector that connects directly to the bulb inside I suppose, but you'd probably have to extend the wiring for the "city light" then Then you could insert the kit inline. Anyway, unfortunately it's just a bit more work or tedium to make kits like this work on the LeMans. But it does reduce the work of building the whole setup al

Aftermarket only Carl..... Here is the thread on the center-stand kit that is available: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...=1406&hl=center al