GuzziMoto

What brand tires do you normally prefer. Tires are such a subjective thing. There are few "Bad" tires out there, but there are subtle differences between brands. I prefer Michelins, but the only tires I have ever hated were Bridgestones. But other people like Bridgestones, even my wife. It is kinda like asking what the best flavor of ice cream is.

That Coppa is sweet, but $10k? They clearly expect to get the cost of the mods back out of it. Around here that ain't how it works. The more you mod a bike the less of what you spent will actually come back to you when you sell it. Lovely bike, too bad they don't ride it. Hope the next owner does.

Guzzi's have more weight on the rear than most other bikes. Plus, V11's have a small rear brake for the size. Todd even had a plan at one time to offer a larger rear brake with a larger pad to go with it. I don't know if he ever went anywhere with it. If you use the rear brake much on a V11 I can see having issues. I use the rear brake very little, and I have no issues. However, I think you need to determine whether it is just fading or if you are actually boiling the fluid. If you boil the fluid the brakes will fade and they don't fully come back until you bleed them. If they fade but after cooling they come completely back I don't think that is likely the fluid boiled. Boiled fluid needs bleeding to get braking fully back to normal. It is also possible you are exceeding the operational temperature of the brake pads. I would suggest if that is the case you should switch to a full metallic, perhaps an HH pad. EBC should offer such a pad for the rear brake of a V11, but I would consider trying either stock Brembo pads or a different brand. EBC are not exactly the top line brake pad company. That said, they do offer some good high friction full metallic pads. But consistency over a wide operational temperature range is not always their strong point.

I got chewed out for suggesting something like that once before. All Guzzi's are limited production. Having a numbered plaque is not required. Some are less common than others, having a numbered plaque has little to do with it. My '93 Daytona is probably rarer than a Scura, my wifes Lario is probably rarer still. But that has little to do with how much fun they all are to ride. I enjoy riding ALL my Guzzi's, and would happily enjoy riding yours if you want to lend it to me ;-) Can't we all just get along?????

Usually they are like a quarter turn (or less) and then they pop out. Typically they do not hinge. I like that they don't require a key, but to others that might be a negative.

I would agree with you in theory, except that docc actually tried it and got larger clearance when warm. Perhaps it has something to do with the difference in push rod material to cylinder material. Or maybe more tests are required.

I can't see taking a motor apart if it runs fine just because you get oil pressure readings like that. I am pretty sure the Guzzi motor is a plain bearing motor. Plain bearings do not rely on high oil pressure to work, they rely on oil flow. They need oil to work but they do not need high oil pressure to work. Do you know anyone else local to you with a V11? You could mount your oil pressure rig on theirs and see what pressures you get, but even if yours is lower I can't see taking it apart if it runs well. Look at the moving parts that you can see without taking it apart. Do they show signs of heavy wear?

I would expect valves to be tighter when warm. How much tighter? Well, you could adjust yours to spec, then run the motor to get it up to temp (that is one of the problems here, what temp is up to temp), then check yours to see what they are warm. I would avoid doing it this way, but I think it can be done.

Another thing to check is make sure the boots that connect the TBs to the heads are seated and no leaks. An intake leak can make the motor slow to drop to idle as it leans out the mixture. A small leak can do that without much effect on the rest of the running. Making sure the TPS moves smoothly and is set correctly is also important.

While I do kinda agree with the last two posts, I also have to point out that while a clutch job on a Guzzi is harder than it is on most Japanese bikes it is also a less common thing to have to do. And if you do this right this one time you will probably never have to do this again as long as you own this bike. Guzzi's, along with Ducati's and other more exotic bikes, are never going to be as easy and cheap to own as a Japanese bike. If they were the Japanese would not be able to sell very many bikes. In the end, you have to decide if you like the bike or not and whether it is worth the time and / or money to fix and keep. As far as the new Cali goes, if you want one but that would be something that would stop you from buying one then you really should not buy one. But to me that seems rather silly. The clutch on your V11 is not a bad design, nor is the clutch on the new Cali, nor are they the same design. Any bike with the motor and trans set up like they are on a Guzzi is going to be more work to change the clutch than it is on most other bikes. But Guzzi made the clutch so that you don't have to do that very often. It is a fair trade.

They are all pretty much the same. They have a few known issues, some potentially serious. The 2 valve motors tend to be pretty bullet proof, but a few of them had issues with the oil pump going and that is obviously a potentially serious failure. I think that was a small group of early bikes, but I would check.

I never much cared for the Ram mounting system. I have bought two mounts from these guys. http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/1735/Zumo-GPS-Mounts They offer locking mounts. They work with the Ram mounting system but they are work with a 1/2" crossbar mount. They don't offer a bike specific 1/2" crossbar for a Guzzi but they do have a couple universal options that should be workable.

Thanks.I was reading an article from Amsoil claiming most synthetic isn't actually the real deal but processed dino. While I like Amsoil and often use their product, I do hate their PR. They love to say things that are usually based in fact but with a serious spin to make their point. There are different types and grades of synthetic oils. And one that is more "synthetic" is not automatically better than one that is based on dino oil. It could be, but it is not automatically so. Some that are more dino based, think of it as getting their raw materials from dino oil vs getting them from another source. But the oil can still be built to be as it was intended to be. It can still be a very good oil. Or it could be crap. But if it is crap it is not because it is based on dino oil.

I don't know if your pressures are OK, but I do know that it is normal for pressure to go down as the oil warms up. And switching to a heavier oil (like from 10/40 to 20/50) will increase the oil pressure seen at the gauge. Some 20/50 oils are thicker than other 20/50 oils as well. Oil weights are like tire widths, they are more of a general idea than an exact measurement. They are not regulated by anyone, they are self regulated using the honor system. Low oil pressure can be from a weak/worn pump or a tired motor with large clearances.

The "No Start" issue is a fairly common one with the CARC Guzzi's. Italians in general don't seem to understand electricity very well. There are a few ways to address the issue, I don't think there is one magic answer. The two main areas to address are the way the power is supplied to the starting circuit, which is what that link talks about, and making sure you have good clean electrical connections, especially to ground. My CARC Guzzi has suffered the syndrome as well, it started doing it after I switched to a lithium iron battery. But while I think the battery played a part in it I think the real issue is the two things I mentioned, poor electrical design and aging connections. The lower power of the lithium iron battery (yeah, I know, they claim the lithium battery have more power, they don't) likely just triggered the issue. It probably would have happened eventually as the lead acid battery got weaker. Anything that results in lower voltage/current for the starter can cause the issue. If the ECU senses voltage below its pre-programmed threshold it aborts the starting attempt. Something to remember if it happens again, you can always push start the bike.

The same seal leaking repeatedly after being replaced can be a sign of a bearing issue. Clearly, it is not normal.

That is a beautiful bike. Congrats.

That is funny. While I like the look of the CARC, leaving the left side open (my pipe exits on the right now), the CARC is heavy and does not accommodate a rear stand. I would happily trade it for something better. Also, the Griso gearbox is supposed to be an improvement but I find the V11 box works better and is shorter. Length is a major issue with Guzzi's, the longitudinal layout means that a length of the gearbox impacts the wheelbase and weight distribution. In this case, shorter is better.The Griso is nice, it is my rolling couch. But the V11 is a much sharper tool that handles better and goes faster. Of course, my Griso is an older 2v version. The newer 8v should be faster in a straight line. Probably not faster around corners, though. I am glad I own both (the V11 is really the wife's, but she lets me ride it) but if I had to sell one it would be the Griso.

They are all BASICALLY the same. But there are differences between years and between models. Some differences are obvious; the LeMans has a fairing mounted to the frame, some versions have clip--ons and some have traditional handlebars, and some versions came stock with Ohlins suspension. Other differences are harder to spot; the early red frames had steeper steering head angle and a shorter wheelbase, early versions had an external fuel pump and a pad on the tank top. The Coppa Italia is my personal favorite version. I don't own one but wish I did.

I thought there were two different seat bases. I could be wrong, and I am not sure when they changed. I thought it was the early red frames and then everyone else.

Maybe, but right now if I have a choice between two parts, one is made in China and the other is made pretty much anywhere else, I would pick the non-Chinese part. Sure some stuff made by non-Chinese companies that is made in China is good. But much of what is made in China is less than good. They have a long way to go and I am not sure they will get there. Japan has a much different culture. You know you can get bearings pretty much anywhere, right?

There are likely a few used sets of Ohlins around from Ohlins equipped Guzzi's, but I reckon they are few and far between. There are other bikes with Ohlins as O.E., but they may take a bit of customizing or fab work to make them fit. There are also plenty of other options for fork swaps, the GSXR fork swap has been pretty well covered already (and I am very happy with mine). Almost any fork you might switch to needs to be sprung and valved for its new application. Or even just having your forks set up/re-sprung by a good suspension tuner can make a big difference. In the end it comes down to what you can afford and how good you would like it to work.

While I agree with the sentiment that a lithium battery is not worth the trouble for a V11, I have not had the same good success with Yuasa as I used to have. They used to be the best battery, made in Japan. The ones I have seen in recent times were made in China and did not last as long.

There are people who have had good success with the Caswell coating and people who have had bad luck with it. As with any coating system, proper prep and application is key to success. So far my luck with it has been good.

I don't remember if I used acetone or not, I think I did. But the more important thing I did was to use a pound if drywall screws (coarse) to rough up the inside of the tank. Acetone should not affect nylon.