GuzziMoto

While appearances have certainly driven the wider-than-necessary tires on the V11 series, I also wonder that the 5.5" rim was part of Moto Guzzi attempting to address early complaints about the V11 stability along with lengthening and bracing the frame, revising the clip-ons, and changing the tire selection. No doubt, the "long-frame" wide wheel V11 are more *planted* . . . That could be, but if so it is very superficial. It would only feel more stable until it became unstable. And, as the wider wheel and tire weighs more, that point / limit may be reached sooner. I think it falls more into the fashion statement category. Perhaps with a lighter version of the 5.5" rim it would not be as much of a handling detriment.

I think they fit the wider rear rim, and matching wider rubber, for looks. It did not need a rear tire that wide, and handling was a little slower with the wider rear tire. It was more about style than function. If you like the look of the wider rear, it is that.

None of mine set off any car alarms. I like louder than stock, but not so loud I annoy people. I hate the stupid "loud pipes save lives" bullshit.

Well, I can respect your conviction in what you believe, but I have to disagree with your opinion. I am sorry that bringing up racebikes and their exhaust systems has confused you or made you feel this was off topic. In the end, comparing a two into one and a two into two racebike is about the same as comparing a two into one and a two into two street bike. But if you feel that is not relevant, we can stick to street bikes. I have already listed a direct comparison between two Moto Guzzi of the same displacement. This is not opinion, this is two 1100cc Moto Guzzi's. One has a two into two system using aftermarket Mistral mufflers, the other has an aftermarket two into one set up. They are both of comparable loudness, and power is within a couple hp between them, as tested on a dyno. The two into one pipe does have a considerably larger baffle tube, and if you looked at it you would think it would be substantially louder than the other system. But, likely due to the sound reducing properties of the collector, it is not much louder at all. And with a honey-comb type db killer it is actually quieter with no real loss of power. In fact, the two into one system makes more mid-range than the two into two system. Again, if two into one systems are so bad on big twins, why are so many manufacturers switching to them? I am curious to see how the system works out for the OP. I doubt it will be a reduction in power from the stock system, but it is possible that it may need some fueling tweaking to get it right. It may be too loud for his tastes, noise levels are a matter of personal taste. But the notion that the exhaust in question doesn't work and can't be made to work is laughable.

Every Moto Guzzi racebike I have raced against has had a two into one pipe. I am sure there are people running two into two pipes on their Guzzi racebikes, but the fastest ones I have ran against, like the Raceco Guzzi of Pete Johnson and Manfred Hecht, ran a two into one pipe. Stock mufflers work primarily by volume, so building a single muffler means it has to be larger than one of the mufflers in a two into two set up. Often it is basically the same size as the two mufflers put together from a two into two set up. Although, sometimes it is not rally much larger. But an aftermarket muffler works differently, and does not really need to be much, if any, larger than one of the two mufflers of a two into two set up to get the same results. One aspect that plays a factor in this is flow. People tend to assume that exhaust gas flow is a steady stream coming out of a motor. But it is clearly not. It is not steady, nor is it always in one direction. Since on a twin like our Guzzi's the two cylinders are never exhausting at the same time you can use that to your advantage when you build a two into one set up. Buell was incredibly good at that, their stock mufflers worked very well. If you don't like two into one set ups, that is fine. Don't. My wife, as mentioned prefers two into two pipes. But she did not let that stop her from buying a Ducati with a stock two into one pipe. And Christ, that Guzzi in the video link sounds awesome. Brings back memories....

What? Guzzi sells plenty of big twins with two into one ppipes stock. So do other brands like Aprilia, Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha, etc.. The main reason for two into two exhausts is looks.Being a two into one system does not automatically make it louder than a two into two. It can be louder, but it can be quieter. My Griso with the stock two into two into one pipe is as quiet as the wifes V11 with the stock pipe. My Griso with the two into one aftermarket pipe and the db killer I put in is quieter than either the wifes V11 or my Daytona, both with aftermarket two into two set ups. You may find that with a large open muffler it is too loud, but you could also restrict that large open baffle with a DB killer if required to quiet it down. It comes down to tastes. Correct answer.....Unless you want a pig ugly exhaust and muffler system then to get the performance and keep the sound legal you need a 2 into 2. The Griso is a good example of what I'm talking about,ugly as sin, and although I haven't been inside one its debatable whether its a single muffler or a siamesed unit, what with its twin outlets and all.Wont even bother with the Suzuki twin range and their attractive twin cylinder range muffler....not. You simply cant keep the noise reasonable and the performance good with a muffler as pictured in the original post. Ducati tried the single muffler design with their 999 years ago and to get the performance they had to resort to an ugly box. Do you really think that simply adding a DB killer to your single aftermarket muffler doesn't destroy any perceived performance gains you may or may not have got? If it was that easy we wouldn't have the giant ugly boxes we all have to put up with stock. Ciao I don't really think my stock Griso muffler was that ugly, but to each their own. Again, many past and current big twins run a two into one muffler. The wifes Ducati Monster has one, My buddies Aprilia RSV has one, my Griso, the Buell X1 Lightening I used to have, my Honda CTX, the list goes on and on. As to the DB killer in my Griso, it has been dyno'd and runs great. It does make slightly more power without the DB killer, but the difference is tiny. And even WITHOUT the DB killer in place it is only a little louder than the wifes twin muffler V11, in spite of the noticably larger diameter of the baffle tube. My old Ducati racebikes had two into one systems and just the sound reducing effect of the two into one collector was the only sound reducing we used. And when questioned, we proved via demonstration that the collector reduced the volume of the sound.

What? Guzzi sells plenty of big twins with two into one ppipes stock. So do other brands like Aprilia, Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha, etc.. The main reason for two into two exhausts is looks.Being a two into one system does not automatically make it louder than a two into two. It can be louder, but it can be quieter. My Griso with the stock two into two into one pipe is as quiet as the wifes V11 with the stock pipe. My Griso with the two into one aftermarket pipe and the db killer I put in is quieter than either the wifes V11 or my Daytona, both with aftermarket two into two set ups. You may find that with a large open muffler it is too loud, but you could also restrict that large open baffle with a DB killer if required to quiet it down. It comes down to tastes.

Without seeing the size of the baffle tube / muffler output it is hard to know how loud or quiet it will be. In general, two into one collectors add a certain amount of sound reduction, so you might be surprised at the sound levels. As to power, a two into one, if properly designed and made, tends to make more mid-range. A two into two system tends to have an advantage on top. But that is a generalization, length and diameter of tubes can alter things. As an example to sound levels, My Griso has a two into one set up with a pretty f'ing large muffler baffle tube. It is only a little louder than the wifes V11 with the standard Mistrals (no db killer) with their smaller muffler baffle tubes. Power wise, her bike makes more max power on top but the griso holds its own in the mid-range. I say throw it on there and see what you think. Sound levels can often be adjusted by fitting some sort of db killer. The big difference between the two into two and the two into one is the WAY it sounds. The two into one tends to be less "thuddy" with more of a snarl. I personally prefer the sound of the two into one, but the wife prefers the thud of the two into two.

All those circuits, especially if the tail light is going out as well, are also on the same relay as I recall. If the relay drops, those will all go out. There may be something about turning on the high beam that drops that relay.

They are probably referring to the restrictors, sometimes called db killers, that are sometimes fitted to straight through mufflers to make them noise compliant. The mufflers do not always come fitted with them, depending on the manufacturer, the market they are sold in, and sometimes the way they are sold (some are sold as "Off Road Use Only").

Doing the rear brake pads on the V11 is easy thankfully. These Brembos are pretty nice to work on. Small though. I am amazed how they threw on such a small caliper on a 550lbs bike. Can't wait to get my Scura with the 4 piston caliper from a V11 Jackal. Should of had a 4 piston from the start. Who the hell uses the rear brake for slowing or stopping on a sports bike anyway. A four piston caliper would be a ridiculous overkill. Ciao When I am hard on the brakes the rear wheel is barely on the ground. The rear brake is mainly for parking lots and the like. On a big twin like a Guzzi, if I want the rear wheel to drag to control my speed I just down shift. That has the advantage of sounding great.

I see a picture.

OK, I will throw my two cents in this as well. We have, among other Guzzi's, an early red frame V11 and an '07 Griso 1100. Neither of them is "stock" but the V11 has more work done to it, including increased compression, improved squish, and porting. The V11 is a more raw motorcycle. It is more exciting to ride, and it is faster. The Griso, by comparison, is a couch. It is more comfortable, and while it is not much slower it is easier to ride to its limits than the V11. I like my Griso a lot, and if I did not have the V11, along with a '93 Daytona, to compare it to I would not have any issues with the Griso. And it is a seriously cool looking bike, even 15 odd years after it was designed. I do wish I had an 8 valve motor in mine, but the 4 valve motor is not bad. Mine has a full exhaust with a right side exit pipe and it looks and sounds fantastic. I am happy with my Griso and can recommend them to others, but I don't think I would want to give up a Rossa Corsa to get one.

The discharge warming up and better starting that goes with it is all to common with the Lithium batteries. There it really can make a large difference. I don't think it makes quite as big a difference with lead/acid batteries, but it certainly can make enough of a difference if you are marginal.

I think both heated gloves and heated grips have their places. I think heated gloves are going to be warmer and work in colder weather. But there is a convenience to heated grips. And they do work better when combined with guards or other covers (but then there is the "ugly" factor). In the past, I have personally used a heated vest and gloves, and found that worked well. But now I simply don't ride when it is that cold out. That seems to work better for me. I respect those that ride when it is below 40 degrees F. But I don't envy them.

This could be the best information in this thread. There are so few people who know how to make Guzzi motors go fast. Perhaps a thread about that instead..... Mike Rich sounds like he is seriously backed up last I talked to him. It actually put me off sending my Griso motor to him.

If your main concern is starting when the temps are low, that is one of the inherent weaknesses of lithium batteries and may be an issue for you. I find the ratings for lithium batteries very optimistic. Buy oversize. Their ratings don't really seem to match eye to eye with AGM battery ratings. Being in Texas you may not have the same issues with temperature that I did. But I was having issues when the temps were in the 40's and the bike was cold from overnight, having been in the 30's. Good luck with the lithium battery.

Setting / checking sag will tell you if your spring rates are correct. This applies to both the front suspension and the rear suspension. If you set the sag with you on the bike (race sag) to the correct, desired, amount of sag you can then check how much sag you have under just the weight of the bike. If the amount of sag there (free sag) is within range your springs are of the correct rate (or at least really close). If you have too little free sag when the race sag is set correctly your springs are too soft. If you have too much free sag when your race sag is set correctly your springs are too stiff. Adding or removing preload does not change the rate, or stiffness, or straight rate springs. If your springs are too soft, adding preload will not make them stiffer. It only really changes the ride height. But setting preload / sag correctly IS the first, and most important, step in setting up your suspension.

I have had three Lithium batteries from two different manufacturers. All three were modern latest gen lithium batteries. I don't really want to call out names of the manufacturers, I don't want to sound like I am bashing. Maybe I can get away with saying that the two brands were two of the top brands currently in the market place. All three of the batteries lasted for less than two years each. All three of the batteries had issues at times starting the bikes they were installed in. One of them was in my Griso and, while it worked well at first, as soon as it got cool temp wise it would not start my Griso. My Griso was not one of the latter gen Guzzi's were you could hold the starter button down to put the battery under a load. Maybe it will work better on bikes that allow you to do that. And finally, all three batteries had issues holding a charge long term. Part of that may have been due to the motorcycles the batteries were installed in, like the Griso has a low draw from the electronics, but part of that seemed to be from the batteries reduced capacity. I don't have issues with the same bikes using AGM batteries. I like the idea of a lithium battery. But, for me, in actual practice I have had better luck with quality AGM batteries. The AGM batteries last far longer, have more power, and are more reliable, at least in my experience. The extra weight of an AGM, or the light weight of a lithium battery, is certainly a factor as well. But to me, saving a few pounds on a 500 pound motorcycle is not something I can get excited about. I could not tell by riding it that my Griso had a lighter weight battery any more than I can tell that the fuel tank is 3/4 full or 1/2 full. This is all just my experience, and clearly others are more impressed than I am. I just hope you, or anyone else here, have better luck than I did. I will probably try one in the future, but it will likely not be on a Guzzi. I have an Aprilia I am building, it weighs just over three hundred pounds, and the light weight might make a difference there.

Good luck with the Lithium battery. I have not tried that particular one yet but the two different brands I have tried left me less than impressed.

I am also partial to straight rate springs. I tried a fancy dual rate spring set up once, it was not a good idea. Straight rate springs are the way to go if you can get a spring rate that is right for you and the bike. The only real advantage to dual rate springs is it allows a "one size fits all" mentality. The biggest issue with progressive springs is that spring rate and dampening should work as a team, but with progressive springs and straight dampening they really don't. They can't.

My wife's V11 has the Penske with reservoir at the rear and the forks I modded to actually give them compression dampening. My wife's V11 is an early red frame bike so its suspension may not be the same as yours. But the way hers were stock they had zero compression dampening until the forks were about 3/4 through there travel. At that time the bleed holes were covered up and the oil had to actually go through the valving in the piston. But until then the oil just went through the two bleed holes and not through the valving. I blocked off one of the two bleed holes and that gave me dampening. It meant that oil had to go through the valve stack. That said, if you are not a tinkerer type sending them to someone who knows them well, like Todd, is a good idea.

You can get all kinds of aftermarket clip-ons, including some with a rise so they can be mounted below the triple but bring the bars up above the triple. I think 1 cm is a pretty large change to geometry. You can try it, but it will do two things. It will speed up steering by increasing the rake. It will also decrease trail, resulting in lighter steering but less stable.

That is some good advice, Chuck. I have heard of more than a few people with dragging rear brakes on their V11. Sometimes it is bleeding, sometimes it is dirt / crud around the slave piston. It could also be from poor adjustment of the linkage not allowing fluid to flow back into the reservoir as it heats up. That could also result from the riders foot applying just enough pressure on the brake lever to move the master past the point where it is open to the reservoir. It could also be from old fluid with water in it. I typically ride with the balls of my feet up on the pegs, my foot isn't able to apply pressure to the brake lever unless I move my foot to a different position. Then, when I am done I put it back.

That is true, the Chevy is rear wheel drive with the motor mounted North/South. I did not think about that. I do think that the K75 is a neat motor/bike, but they needed to develop it further. It got killed before it fully developed.