Baldini

How you can do performance comparison without optimising fueling for each set up KB

Sticking piston? Rotor getting warm when not braking? Check/Clean calipers, check seals, change fluid? Check rotors true. KB

Mine too. I had same concerns. Just a blob of yellow paint over sticker. Spoke to a couple of dealers familiar w MG factory practice. Both told me it was likely they had a bin of stock ECU's & programmed/stickered em to suit application. When stickers ran out they just used what was to hand & reprogrammed it for kit, in my case a Cali ECU. From what I know of MG I can believe that. Mine didn't run great when kit ECU fitted with pipes, but it felt to be running rich. I figured with the open pipes & xover, if it was a stock Cali item it would have felt weak? I dunno, but once I'd done PC111 & dyno it runs great so I moved on. KB

Ohlins spec air gap of 85mm as stock for R&T forks. I run mine around 100mm. When you dismantle forks, do be careful to watch out for small needle assy popping out the top of long thin tube when you pump to purge oil. If you're not careful you could lose it. If you're replacing seals, there are later double lip type which are supposedly improved. KB

Can't find the specs that came w the Ti kit, but as I remember it FI was set up as stock spec (02 bike). I could remember wrong. Fitting cans was straight forward but getting them lined up (I never did fully) involved a bit of farting around inc cutting half inch off oneside of Stucchi x-over outlet. When I ran it with kit ECU (Mine was marked Cali but w paint blob thru it - I found story same as Waspp tells it) it wasn't great, seemed rich & lumpy but definitely pulled harder. Stock ECU ran smoother, but stuck w kit ECU cos I'd rather be a little rich than weak. Soon as I could, I got PC111 & dyno run - made all the difference - runs smooth, pulls hard. Definitely worth doing (or go with Cliff's unit which I hear can be set up to get fuelling & ign even better). KB

You can download Ohlins manual at http://www.ohlins.com > Clik Motorcycles, clik Manuals. There's detailed threads on this site re servicing Ohlins, try search. Or if you have specific question, there's several of us have done it...frequently.... KB

Avon UK production championship - Roy Armstrong (?) late seventies...77? US Endurance championship (Dr John's bike) - early 80's KB

& Good luck to you! There's arseholes out there for sure but they don't identify emselves by make/type of bike. I've still got good friends who ride Jap sports bikes & ride them well....& I've been an areshole myself plenty on a Guzzi! I can't be doing with the anti-Jap prejudice often shown by Italian/British/HD types - often it'll be some newbie just spent his load in some fine Ducati or HD thinks he is better than the R1 owner who's worked his way thru Fizzies, RD's, over the years...Does seem these days there's a a lot of the "all the gear & no idea" bunch - but not only on sports bikes! Best leave em to it.... Good for you for getting off your arse & organising something. KB

?.... please enlighten me Jim? KB

..."dayglo-clad rice burner muppets", "inadequate a-holes" & "tossers".....if you dislike em so much why ride all the way to where you know they are? KB

Guzzi raced 850 version of V7 Sport at LeMans, 71 Bol d'Or.

Yes. KB

Chris, sorry to hear re the eyes, hope it clears up for you. Guy, shit happens! hope you're over it soon. Sorry I missed you chaps, too much other commitments. Best to all, Keith.

Had a look at the test, not sure what you want a response to? R1 etc - lots more HP, far less wt than V11. Dyno or fast racetrack: V11 is nowhere. Torque figs., hence; useable, twisty road performance - much closer. HP is as much a liability as an advantage in the twisties, where tyre choice probably has as much impact. Ratchet (you don't mind my calling you by your first name I hope?) On a twisty road with all it's variables, if I am kept from keeping up by the V11's abilities rather than my own - that is faster than I want to be going on open roads. The pace at which that feeling occurs would be similar whatever bike I was riding. Therefore a V11 is as quick as anything else - for me. I think you are not saying anything different? Your concern re people hurting themselves riding V11 beyond it's abilities to stay with R1's etc..Do you think they'd be any safer on a R1? or anything else for that matter? Gotta go, I only booked the 5 minute argument . KB

If you want best grip, quick steering (& quick wear) try Michelin pilot Power 2CT. KB

No it isn't. KB

There's a bloke over on the UK Guzzi Club forum trying to gauge interest for a Guzzi only trackday for June/July 2008. He mentions Mallory & Cadwell as possible venues (Mid England). Anyone here interested? KB

I need to be a bit quicker w the edit button! My point is that in reality V11 performance is so usable that it can "keep up" better than it has any right to if you just look at paper figures. V11 performance is good enough for most, most times. At extremes it does not have "performance" (measured as HP & weight) of modern sports bikes. V11's limited HP is always accessable via good torque, so that it's "performance" is enough to "keep up" on slow/medium (& not too bumpy) roads when ridden at reasonable pace & most other roads if you're not riding too **** fast . Replacing parts with better/lighter will improve "perfomance" to a point where, with enough dedication & no original parts remaining bar tank stickers, it will match a stock R1...possibly. I don't see an argument, I guess it is semantics. I think the fellow who originally posted has not come back? Perhaps he felt he would be intruding on a private squabble? KB

Ratchethack, I've been out with good riders on modern sportsbikes on the road & we've enjoyed ourselves. On the type of roads we ride, & straightlining excepted, the point at which the limitations of the bike seriously limit progress is, for the most part, beyond a speed that is wise on open roads. ie: consideration for personal safety & the safety of others limits speed before the abilities of the V11 to "keep up". For the use to which they are mostly put, in a general sense Guzzis are"competitive" with most other vehicles. On paper & at the limit, the V11 cannot "compete" on hp, or weight, in a straight line, under very heavy braking on a bumpy surface or in speed of steering. However it is also those same features that, in most real world riding help make a V11"competitive": Low hp means it's safe to open the throttle pretty much anytime, weight & slow steering bring stability in long smooth sweeping corners. Relaxed nature of the motor & decent torque across the rev range make it easy to keep up good progress on the right roads. My observation is that it is the huge performance of modern sportsbikes that often slows them down: most riders would be quicker on something a little less potent. I don't see the need for so much sarcasm in your posts. Or do I misunderstand the purpose of this thread? KB

It's very important to make sure the tap is FULLY CLOSED! It can feel like it is but isn't & it'll p*** fuel everywhere! Trying to get the hose back on with petrol going everywhere is a very unpleasant experience I'd not wish to repeat... Tap'll still drip a little fuel even when fully closed. KB

Everything he says! Re tyres: If your tyres are worn or poor originals, changing them can transform the feel of the bike. If you want a really neutral, secure consistent feeling Conti SportAttacks are great (when new, but handling goes off with miles). Diablos are v consistent. For real quick turning & grip Miochelin Power2CT's. KB

Trampling on my dreams again Ratchethack! On good tyres & sorted fueling/suspension (ish) V11 (Scura is my experience) will perform well enough on medium twisty roads to live w/Jap sportsbikes - when going has some regard for personal safety & other road users. Before limiting characteristics of bike really affect pace, for me, it's too fast for the road whatever you're on. You have to ride Guzzi smoothly & to it's strengths which is mostly the torquey nature of the motor (say 60-70Ftlb compared with 70-80Ftlb for Jap litre sportsbike?) - it's not all about HP & the Guzzi motor is very flexible & forgiving. Useable torque is available consistantly across the rev range from even as low as 2,500rpm, I find I can happily stay in a couple of gears while Japs are running thru the box. It makes for a hugely enjoyable, relaxing ride on any good long run over medium twisty roads. Very tight (say 10-30mph) corners & stop start going does not suit Guzz, nor do last minute choices & indecision (chassis isn't as forgiving as motor!). You have to let it move around a bit under you & not fight it, but if you really push V11 hard it struggles as Ratchethack says, with all the limitations mentioned plus a pretty flexible frame. Sometimes my old Tonti gives me more confidence. Don't expect to ride it like a Jap four - it doesn't work - it needs a different style: smoothness & consistency. Sort the V11, learn it's strengths (don't try & impose yourself on it - you'll never win), learn how to get along with it, & let it get along & it might surprise you (& your mates). KB

Bolts were generously loctited but didn't take much effort to crack open. I'm not an expert but they were certainly no more than averagely tight for an 8mm bolt, & pos less so. Didn't feel they were as tight as 40-42Nm MG spec. Bike is UK spec 02 Scura. FAIK there are no model variations within Scuras, except territory related. KB

Guzzis take a fair bit of getting used to if you've not had one before, but can be got to go pretty good, however, tight corners is not natural habitat & hustling there is always going to unsettle a V11. They are, as you note, heavy & with a highish seat. There is also driveline backlash, a pronounced rearward wt bias, snatchy fuelling & sometimes a bit of a nomans land in lower gears. But as Dave says they can be got better. If you're pushing in corners you really have to get as much wt as you can onto the front or they push wide. Lowering front helps a lot. Correct springs & suspension settings also. But tank design means it's difficult to really get up over front wheel. Going down to a 170 rear from 180 improves turn-n imbalance. Good tyres (what's on yours?) give confidence & aid steering & /or stability. For confidence, try the stickier the better, but they don't last long. Is fuelling set up good? they can be got pretty smooth with dyno set up but can be very snatchy if badly sorted (esp distracting in tight going). Above all, thing is to ride them smooooothly. They don't respond well to inconsistent, ragged inputs (especially on the brakes) or stop start going. KB

Took engine out. Bit of f'in about but not too bad. Made a little trolley as Paul suggested (worked well but shop only had 2 swivel castors meant I couldn't get it to move sideways so easy...). Found it easier to disconnect electrics & remove subframe completely. Also best to remove exhaust system completely - I tried at first leaving the balance pipe in place but needed the space for leverage when motor hung up on dowel at bottom of bellhousing joint (slight corrosion). Will try a more informative "how to" & some photos when time permits. I have looked at the clutch. These are my first thoughts: The flywheel is showing no obvious cracks to the naked eye, but clear stress marks (dye penetrant test may show as cracks) are visible above outside edges of bolt holes in places that correspond exactly with cracks on previous failed flywheels. The large ring washer that sits around flywheel centre is not flat & stress marks on flywheel correspond with where washer contacts it behind bolts. (The outside edge of the washer is not in contact with the flywheel). Wether this washer is distorted at manufacture (possibly pressed rather than machined tho it does seem to show machining marks) or by bolts when torqued I don't know. Bolts have a very small contact area with this washer & I would have thought a larger face under the bolt head would have spread the load better. Another thing about the washer is that the centre hole where it sits on crank is oversize. The washer that came with the RAM kit is snug fit on crank. There is also a witness mark on the back of the flywheel where crank edge sits, that corresponds again with the point at which the failed flywheels have cracked around the centre. Every component of the flywheel/clutch assy is different to that on the RAM assy I have. To my untrained eye, there is no very obvious difference that would immediately explain the problem. The centre section on both flywheels is same thickness, & both flywheels weigh about same. I will start a seperate thread on clutch/flywheel with details of differences etc, & hopefully have some photos to make clearer. KB