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Ooooh! I like that. Especially the number plate effect on the cowl & tail piece. White & red with gray accents is very nice indeed.

But on the topic of the Diavel, I think it's a really cool bike. I know a V-Rod owner who is seriously considering it, if he can ever arrange a test ride. For people who want a cruiser that can actually corner and doesn't weigh 900 pounds, the Diavel a very good alternative.

There's no way I would sell my Aprilia scooter in favor of a Ducati, Honda, or any other non-Piaggio brand. Unfortunately, Ducati knows marketing and Piaggio has their collective head up their arse. So the exposure will be much better (assuming Ducati really is coming out with a scooter) in the marketplace. Still, I don't see scooter enthusiasts jumping a Ducati scooter over Aprilia, Vespa, etc.

I'm toying with the idea of having my bike repainted this winter or next. The tank is all scratched from previous owner, fairing has some stone chips and airbox covers are worn where the tank makes contact. As I understand the red originally used is not available in the US. One thing I don't think I've ever seen is a Le Mans painted white. The 2002 looks great in the champagne color, and I love the Diamond White paint on the V7 Classic & Griso. Seems like not too far of a leap from champagne to Diamond White. I'd have to pick an accent color for the tank, airbox covers an cowl. Cool idea? Blasphemy? I'm interested to hear thoughts on this notion.

Hi swortsoul. Congratulations on your purchase. Have you verified that the square end of the speedo cable is properly mated with the angle drive?

It's cool to read about just how far people take thier mods. For those of you relocating sensors and modifying intakes, do you have your own diagnostic tools to hook into the computer port. Or are you going on "seat of the pants" dyno for calibration? For the forseeable future about the only thing I'd like to do is get the bike as close to proper stock tune as possible. There are several niggles to sort yet before it is back into excellent running condition. Maybe next year a Stucchi or Mistral crossover will be put on to rid the bike of that 4,000 rpm flat spot.

Thanks for the replies. The general consensus seems to be that there is no real negative effect. The airbox had pools of oil in the bottom. More on the left than the right. This matches what I saw in the throttle body also. Probably someone got carried away with the filter oil? The pods are cool, and whole lot easier than removing the fuel tank for cleaning. I worry that pods would be a bad choice for me since I frequently ride in the rain. Did you have to do anything to your fueling maps after installing pods?

I removed my tank today for the first time to replace one of the intake sleeves (previous owner(s) only replaced 3 of 4?!). Once the tank was off, I noticed that one of the previous owners drilled six 1 inch holes in the air box. The bike is using a K&N filter which is nearly impossible to see through. Cleaning that is on my list of things to do today along with new intake sleeve. What could the negative (or positive) effects of drilling the airbox be? Thanks.

I've got oil seepage in the same spot. When I tried to remove the sensor there was quite a lot of resistance. Hesitant to break something off, I just screwed it back in place without fixing the leak. How much force is typically required to remove this sensor?

That makes it REALLY easy to remember.

My Le Mans will be due for a rear tire by the end of next month. Unfortunately most of my miles are done on the expressway at 80-90mph for an hour at a time, so flat spots develop quickly. Are the Angels a dual compound tire? That would be nice for avoiding those flat spots. Also, how are they in cold/wet conditions?

Thanks Chuck. That's what I figured, but thought it was better to double check before beginning. I've already printed the Valve Adjustment thread for easy step-by-step reference.

Forgive me if this is a stupid question. When referring to left cylinder does that mean my left as viewed from the saddle, or my left viewed while standing in front of the bike? I am about to inspect the valves, and Guzziology (version 7) has me really confused on page 4-8 where it talks about finding TDC on Big Twins.

It was rear brakes. I took off the caliper and the noise went away. New pads are on and working nicely.

I've looked into that Famsa bag, but the price is insane. The GIVI bag looks like it would hold a 15" Macbook Pro. Did you need to buy additional parts to strap mount it?

My stand arrived and I got the bike up in the air today. It turns out the 2 noises I was hearing are coming from different locations. The rhythmic ticking is coming from the front right caliper. There's a metal clip that's rattling and whenever a certain part of the rotor passes the caliper, this clip lifts and makes a clicking noise. The same clip makes all sorts of racket going over bumps. I will disassemble over the weekend and see what's going on. The howling noise is coming from the rear wheel. Sounds like the right side, where the drive mechanism is. I can reproduce the sound consistently by slowly rotating the wheel. It seems to happen only at a certain point of rotation, just like the front wheel noise. Here's a short video clip of it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-MYiq5QAuw It seems like when I apply more lateral force while rotating, the noise increases in volume. Any ideas?

What tank bag is that? I'm looking for a good one to put on the Guzzi.

That would be cool, Dan. Shoot me a PM over at Apriliaforum if you're headed this way. My buddies and I take regular weekend blasts to Silver Lake, Pentwater, Ludington and points north of there. Another rider is always welcome. Last September we rode up to The U.P - no expressways. Hoping to do it again this year, but on the Guzzi instead of the Aprilia.

Thanks for the replies. I have ordered a shop stand and will inspect things thoroughly when I can get the front wheel up in the air.

The other day, I began to feel some pulsing in the front brakes of my 2002 V11 Le Mans, sort of like warped rotors. Yesterday, I began hearing sort of a moaning/howling noise coming from the front wheel and a faint rhythmic ticking at low speeds. The howling goes away when brakes are applied, but returns if they are released. It is most noticeable when coming to a stop. Does this sound like wheel bearing failure? I think I should take it to the dealer for inspection. If the sound is wheel bearings, is it unwise to ride 70 miles to the dealership?

Hi Everyone. New member here, long time member of Apriliaforum.com. After a few weeks researching the excellent tech & FAQ topics here I've just purchased my first Guzzi, a 2002 Le Mans.