al_roethlisberger

Nice set....

Mine "jitters" as well depending on the RPM(low RPM idle "jitters" more, and smooths out at 3k), but I just look for the median. al

Dunno, but I wish they made a dual outlet version.... (do they??) I think they'd sell more if they offered both. al

Wow, I bet those CF wheels are stratospherically expensive. And they look good, but I'm not sold on CF wheels for street use myself. I'd have to see a lot more real world "testing" with CF wheels before I'd feel comfortable using them for daily use. But sheesh, they are neato Again though, I would be very interested to see the weight difference between a "typical" spoked wheel for this application, as compared to our stock cast Brembos. Also, since I haven't had spoked wheels since bicycling or dirtbikes(keep in mind, I'm a relative youngster ) ....other than cleaning, are there major maintenance or performance tradeoffs with modern spoked wheels? I think some black spoked wheels(maybe with a silver edge), like on Todd's Jackal, would look great on the 02 Champagne LeMans al

It's hard to tell from the photos, but did your friend leave the recessed center the original silver painted color? I ask, because in a round-about way, I'm curious if he was able to get lid off of it's hinged base on the ring. I couldn't. I have two lids, and was going to disassemble one to get it coated another color, but then realized it was nearly "impossible" to get the pin out of the hinge to separate the two parts ...or maybe I just didn't know the right method Anyway, from the photos, it looks like your friend just put the top surfaces of the lid on a buffer, as opposed to polishing every nook and cranny?? ...leading me to believe he/you didn't find a way to take the hinge on the lid, or key flap, apart either. Am I correct? al

....or if it's metric, and it probably is, your local harware store may not have the correct size and "finish"(you probably want stainless steel IMHO). So I would recommend also considering removing one of the other clamp bolts, and heading down to your local metric supply house to match it. They should have an assortment of correctly sized bolts, even in SS that will be darned close. I've also seen these clamps online, although don't recall where. ...probably someone like MG Cycle or Harpers. al

..... I still say hanging the swingarm off the back of the transmission seems a bit dicey to me, especially with 100+ claimed HP Even with our "underpowered" bikes, extra frame bracing was added to stiffen things up in the rear for the later bikes. I'm sure the frame/geometry is much different on the MGS than our V11, but all that stress on a "relatively" weak and stiff aluminum casting such as the transmission would be worrisome to me in real world long term riding I know it's been done for years with other bikes, but we're talking a Guzzi transmission here after all It's just a feeling though, as I have no data to base this "concern" upon al

I wonder if the spoked wheels such as those posted by Paul are much heavier than the more lightweight non-spoked wheels? al

Great step-by-step However, to be fair, if one gets the Speedbleeder fittings mentioned above, most of the repetitive steps are eliminated. Those things really work as advertised. The fittings in combination with their "Bleeder IV Bag" ended up making the cleanest, easiest, and most effective bleeding process I have ever done. al

... was it broken? The enricher just moves the throttle, about 1/4 open.... Mine works fine, although I rarely use/need it. al

Since someone was asking about the price of replacing a cracked LeMans headlight lens, I happened across the following product from Ventura: http://www.ventura-bike.com/english/produc...lightguards.htm They make one specifically for the LeMans, and although it's not terribly attractive, it might not be a bad idea for long tours. al

And I've read.... "never" ....but who can believe what you read these days I guess we'll just have to see, but I've heard that the Corsa(race only) version will be delivered eventually, but the street version is dicey. I honestly have no real idea though, and only time will tell. Maybe someone closer to the factory has heard something more concrete?? al

I'll be very interested to hear about this new wheel option Todd... Keep us posted al

....it started life as a Ghezzi Brian, but was their first and only 4V prototype(as far as I know). Zeb is apparently buddies with those guys, and he picked it up from them and continued to modify it to his tastes BTW, I'm surprised the V11 felt *that* much different to you than the Daytona ...other than ergos. al

You and I did , in the SpeedBleeder thread in "Technical Topics" ... that for the life of me I can't find right now al

I think some quality tubeless spoked wheels would be awesome.... just not for $2500 as that one set was I'd probably even trade some performance just for that "look" al

...from what I recall, my set of Teckno bags came with some little plastic clamps that went on the top bar to keep the bags stationary, so they could not slide. It seems from a number of posts WRT sliding bags, that not all kits came with these two parts al

Thanks WRT to suspension - If I could afford some PVM wheels, or find an affordable set of Dymags(they don't make them anymore), I would put them on lickety-split. Reducing unsprung rotating mass almost always produces positive results, and according to many is one of the most noticeable and best spent of the "expensive" modifications one can do to a bike. I don't think there's really a downside, although I have heard some issues voiced by those in the know that for real-world street riding that heavier wheels(...it's all relative) like our OEM Brembos adds some degree of "damping" with regard to road irregularities, etc Also, as Paul has pointed out, there may be some manufacturer/model specific wheels that one may need to be mindful of specific issues like lack of a cush-drive(OZ wheels) or more race appropriate wheels that may not hold up to the abuse public roads present. It would be very disappointing I'm sure to spend $3k on a set of wheels, just to bend them on the first pot hole Drivetrain - Well, I can only report what I've been told, as currently the rotating mass of the drivetrain on my bike is still stock. When talking to Mike Rich about the potential of lighter pistons, connecting rods, flywheel.... he said that for a street bike, a flywheel and related mass is there for a reason, to smooth out the engine pulses, and make for a smoother bike. Now, that doesn't mean that a bike with a dramatically lightened drivetrain won't idle, or is unrideable.... but there is a tradeoff. For example, he cited an older Guzzi that someone had done a lot of work upon to get a light rotating mass, including shaving the flywheel.... and in his opinion, it wsa unrideable in city traffic.... idling poorly(like a hotrod Chevy with a big cam), snatchy, and easy to kill... frustrating. Now on a race track, it would have been fun though. But for someone that only lightens their engine's rotating mass a bit, then you can end up with a quick revving engine, that still idles well, vibrates little, etc.... And for someone that puts on lots of highway/touring miles, the stock mass(or even more??) might be better. Making some assumptions on how most of us ride our bikes, what I would recommend though is that "drop in" pistons(essentially the same weight as stock), Carillo rods, and a slightly lightened flywheel(such as the single plate represents) should be fine, and make for a fun quick-revving engine, that will still run well. Also I would recommend calling someone like Mike Rich, and describe your riding style, goals, and see what he recommends. Keep in mind I'm no expert on these issues though, so continue to do your own research by talking to others that have made these types of modifications. al

I am very pleased with my dual-plug setup, although I can't really say why as there is no objective data to suggest it is really doing anything "good" for my bike at this point ...maybe it's just because I think it's neato, and was a fun challenge to get working ... and the "potential" benefits it provides Here is the FAQ again: Forum Dual-Plug FAQ It's posted on Guzzitech as well, but it's just a link to the same document. Anyway, here is a link to Mike Rich: http://www.cookedgoose.org/sponsors/richmotorsports.htm WRT my engine mods, they are actually pretty "mild" so far: - Emissions and vaccuum/vapor-recovery systems removed - Mike Rich "Stage II" ported heads - TiN coated valves - Dual plugged heads - Airbox removed, pod filters installed - PCIIIusb - Leo Vince exhausts - Stucchi crossover - Ceramic coated exhaust system Coming... - Mike Rich high compression pistons(~10:1 actual) - Megacycle 620x9 cam - Carillo connecting rods - Ti pushrods with race valve springs for higher lift cam And I think that will just about "do it". As I've always said, if I can get 90hp, I'll be satisfied. And of course, somewhat related... although not a direct component of generating more power, I have swapped out my 2002 tank with it's associated external fuel-pump/regulator plumbing for a 2003 tank with the later model's in-tank system, including installing a "balance tube" to equalize fuel levels in both sides of the tank automatically. This change to the 2003 tank effectively eliminates the "vapor lock" issue, and really cleans up the under-tank area. While I'm at it, ther non engine modifications are: - Powerlet power outlet, batter charger plug - Corbin seat - Kisan Technologies headlight and tail-light modulators, and signal cancellers with running light function - "wake your neighbor" FIAMM horns, wired with a relay directly to the battery(the headlight is next ) - Ohlins suspension front & rear - M Toby steering damper - Heated grips - lead-shot and silicone weighted bars - Throttlemeisters - Touring windscreen - Powder coated sideplates and matching valve covers - Custom "under fender" extensions to protect the shock, transmission, battery, and wiring harness from debris since rear hugger has been removed - various stock harness wiring improvements/upgrades ...and various purely cosmetic bits like my faux airbox sidecover support frame, rear fender eliminator, CF front fender, etc... al

Oh you betcha.... lots A quick search of "dyno" returns 10 results in the title only, so a more detailed search would provide more I'm sure: "dyno" forum search results But, yeah... that "91hp" figure is, as with most marketing hooey, optimistic... and most importantly... measured at the *crank*, not rear wheel. Most V11 Sport models are delivered with from 76-78rwhp(rear wheel hp) as stock. And since I believe the G&B actually uses an EV motor(which focuses on torque, not HP, as stock) this may be why their stock engine is also similarly rated. Now, that being said, one can easily get into the low 80s with minimal tuning and modifications like an exhaust and/or airbox kit. If one is more daring and starts to combine all the basics such as those mentioned above, but also including a new crossover, PCIII, and other add-on tweaks... the mid 80s start to come into play. Then, if one really wants to get "wild" ... spend a lot of $$, and add pistons, cam, and similar... you can get 90-ish rwhp, and still have a civilized and reliable bike. But once you start pushing much past 90rwhp on these bikes, you begin to get into the power/durability tradeoff.... where you start to trade long term(or at really high outputs, even short-term) reliability for power. As I mentioned in another thread welcoming the new "Guzzi girl" when she asked a similar question... although someone may have certainly built a ~100hp 2V Guzzi motor, I've not seen one. And I would be very surprised if an honest to goodness 2V 100hp would: 1) Stay together very long in dayly street use 2) Be very much "fun" to ride more than 10 minutes ...but I could be wrong. However, never-the-less, with all the members in this forum... and the budgets many seem to have... for all their efforts, "reasonable" modifications up to and including new pistons and cams seem to top out at the low 90rwhp range. I think the most we've seen documented may be 91 in fact. With my current modifications, I maxed out at 86rwhp last year, but we ultimately tuned it back a bit to choose some efficiency over raw top power So I think that now, on a good day, I should have about 84rwhp. I forget my torque, but it's in the threads linked from the search above, and in my two "dual plug" threads. http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...20&hl=dual+plug http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...30&hl=dual+plug My actual post dual-plug dyno run is in the dual-plug FAQ: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2355 WRT a shop in the SF area... I can't recommend Hare Racing in Sunnyvale enough. They are a private shop, owner operated, and just great people. http://www.hareracing.com/ They've mapped several of the Guzzis in the bay area now, and the more they get, the better they'll continue to get at servicing and mapping the bikes So I would definitely give them a call. I think they're the best private shop in the area. Good luck, and yes it will be interesting to see other's dyno runs, or at least the stats al

...or a LeMans But seriously, good luck with the FJR though, it's a great bike. I was on the initial customer petitions some years ago to get Yamaha to bring that bike to the US when it was first announced that in Yamaha's view... "those kind of bikes don't sell well in North America" ..and it was only going to be a Euro bike But when I finally found a gray market FJR to test out before it came to these shores, it was just too big for my tastes, bigger than my FJ1200, and my FJ was already too big for me ...and then I saw the LeMans ... and there ya go However, I'm sure you'll love the FJR and good luck with it! Cheers al

<!--QuoteBegin-Maria Delavega+18 June 2004, 01:19--> QUOTE (Maria Delavega @ 18 June 2004, 01:19)<!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-Admin Jaap+18 June 2004, 07:55--> QUOTE (Admin Jaap @ 18 June 2004, 07:55)<!--QuoteEBegin--> The kit would come with a 4-valve engine too? My guess: rumours <!--QuoteEnd--> <!--QuoteEEnd-->Boh, rumours, i don't know, they can transform a v11 into a Ghezzi, why not a v11 into an MGS? Maybe that'll be very expensive, we'll see... <!--QuoteEnd--> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Welcome Unfortunately, unless someone surprises us, I think the answer to your question is a "no" As Carl suggests, there may be a cosmetic kit someday to dress a V11 to look "somewhat" like a MGS, but the bikes are so fundamentally different in frame design, bodywork, engine, and dimensions... that one couldn't easily make a true transformation. To say that "[G&B] can transform a v11 into a Ghezzi, why not a v11 into an MGS? " is somewhat misleading, as it's important to realize that although the G&B is a higher performance version of the V11, it is still fundamentally the same bike, and is limited to the ~90hp that is the normal maximum one can reliably get out of the 2V engines. And to extend that premise that a V11 should then be able to be transformed into an MGS clone, is more of a reach. Heck, you'd at least need to find a 4V engine (Although, to be fair, with some work, some have fitted a 4V engine to V11 bikes ). Anyway, it may be "possible" but it would be very expensive to get a kit that really looked well executed IMHO. WRT the engine output, it is true that there are kits to increase the displacement of the 2V engines up to about 1200cc(maybe 1300 as you suggest??) but with all more extreme performance upgrades, there is a reliability tradeoff. There isn't a lot of material left in the MG cylinders to remove much material before one risks issues with thermal dissipation, and physical strength. So if one reduces that strength, while increasing power.. well, the long term results may be disappointing. But regardless, I've never seen 100+ hp out of a 2V engine. It may be possible, and someone may have done it, but I've never seen it in a street bike that I would expect to have any longevity. However, it is quite simply to get 80-90rwhp reliably out of the 2V engine. And finally, keep in mind the "rideability" aspect. A 100+hp V11 might not be that friendly of a bike depending how you've wrung that power out. The bike just wasn't designed for that much output. And also, 80-90rwhp is quite adequate on the street. Sure, more modern bikes with much less displacment and weight certainly exist(and frankly are quite common), but in the real world, the torque and power delivered from the Guzzi are very useable, and adequate.... which it sounds like you've discovered with your friend's Daytona Because unless he's vastly modified his bike, it probably puts out just a bit more power than a V11 Riding a Guzzi is more of an "experience" than satisfying a top-speed or HP desire, and if the latter is what one is chasing... then it will be disappointing. If you simply want some more "racey" looks, there are all sorts of bodywork options like Paul's tail to get you there But I don't expect to see a conversion kit to make a V11 into an MGS. Heck, if anything, I'd just get a Sport1100 or Daytona, and make it look sorta like an MGS... that would be easier. ...something like Paul has done with his. I would suggest getting a test ride on a Scura(or other V11 model) and see what you think. And if you buy one, ride it a while as stock, then upgrade if you find you need to. I bet you'll find you may "want to" upgrade, but don't "have to" Take care, and again... welcome to the forum Let us know what you find, and when/if you buy your Scura!! al

Well, just as an FYI... keep in mind that from the sectioned(cut in half) stock exhausts I saw in a thread a while back.... from what I recall, it's not a straight through pipe inside the can, but instead like an auto muffler, a multi path/pipe setup with at least 2 chambers. So even with pulling out the packing, it's still not going to be quite as free flowing as aftermarket cans. al

..my bike leaked in the exact spot, with the same result as you describe. It turned out to be the rear seal of the transmission, replaced under warantee. al

Do you find the "radial" brakes that much better than the "standard" Brembos we have?? al