AndyH

This bike must go as I can no longer ride it: will accept any reasonable offer. MOT 30000 miles on clock owned by me for 4 years and 15000+ miles. This is largely a standard bike, however: - Guzzi flat bar fitted, Givi flyscreen and Ventura rack: very comfortable and practical bike for long distances. - Mistral crossover and PCIII fitted, custom tuned by DynoJet centre: runs very well. - centre stand I have enjoyed good reliability: never had a pawl spring break nor any ethanol blistering or swelling on the tank that I can see (I only use super unleaded). Ridden to Italy and back in May 2015. Just one thing: rev counter doesn't work any longer. I've got a spare for repair. Wheels have been repainted and lacquered and I have touched up the paint on the engine and bevel box so bike presents pretty well. Timing chain replaced (and TPS done) last year at Streffords of Worcester. However, I have done most of the maintenance work myself until recently: Guzzi workshop stand, some special tools as well as spare swing arm and hugger, various new and used replacement parts including clocks and new intake rubbers. This bike is a good runner, is well looked after, but some cosmetic damage to the tail fairing from luggage attachment and scratches to silencers. PM me if you are interested - as I say, this bike has to go one way or the other or it'll be a barn find in 20 years.

V50 mkII 1980, last ran in 2012, rebuilt cycle parts and electrics since, will get it running in 2015, promise...!

I suspect that if you've run all this time with the Sachs staying in one piece, it's not going to split any time soon. When I looked at the broken eye on the end of mine, it appeared that it had fractured at an angle and made me wonder if the alignment on the swing arm end bolt might be out, just a tad, but enough to stress it to failure point... Sachs shock bodies are alloy, right? If I'm right, you'll either get the problem with the Sachs or you won't. Happy Christmas all, by the way. First post in months, been away working but I got time at home today... at last!

Art? with the weight distribution favouring the front so much, it's more than a bloody art! I have to confess I'm neither tall enough nor strong enough to win that battle routinely: being tall enough on its own would have helped. Glad I got it though because when you need it on a trip, nothing else will do. Can always get a baffled passer-by to help lift the back end!

Could be your last visit while it's still the same country! Better stock up while you can otherwise I can see it attracting import duty...

That's about the best description of the procedure that you'll find. I had to modify mine to clear the rear tyre with a cutaway: it would have been an MOT fail otherwise as it was rubbing at full suspension extension. And mine's a 160 section tyre too about as narrow as you get. Loads of fiddling about needed, so good luck. Does the job now it's sorted though.

Mine has never had these hoses since I got the bike. As far as I can see they'd make tank removal and refitting a whole lot fiddlier. Nevertheless as I've never seen them in place, and they must have been put there for a reason (like the vermiform appendix perhaps?), I too would be interested in the outcome of this thread.

We played Silver Machine at my brother-in-law's funeral last month: never really thought much of it before as it was always on in the College bar when I was a student so I just ignored it after a while. Kind of put a different spin on it for me: thought it was kind of cool after all as we carried the box in to that whooshing sound. I got a silver machine too as it happens.

I've found mayonnaise every time I dropped the sump, which so far has been every oil change. The first time I had to do so was because the filter had to be destroyed to get it off, and after that I used the hose clamp option to keep it secure. I was surprised to see mayonnaise after an extended period of unusually warm weather (for these parts) with the engine doing no less than 50miles each trip. So I'll drop the sump to clear out the creamy sludge and keep using the hose clamp, unnecessary though it might be because: i) the opportunity to check all's well (no bits in the gauze) and ii) the security of knowing the filter won't unspin in use seem well worth the meagre effort of undoing a dozen or so screws and the cost of a new gasket. It's unnecessary to wear protective gear until you fall off. Your choice.

now that sounds good... Wish I could be there.

Bezel: the chrome ring round the edge of the glass

Looking at that Facebook page, it's occurred to an awful lot of people to put a chair on a V11. Never gave it a thought until now... That said, sidecars have always been a disaster for me (wrote off a car once... - don't ask!)

No strap... I use a piece of the compressible web foam (like folk put under their luggage to protect the bodywork, or in the bottom of tool drawers) on top of the battery. Allows the seat to hold the battery in place without squashing it and it's a useful way of monitoring the pressure points on the battery. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

It all depends on the length of your legs. I'm on the short side but my knees are still quite close to the heads but never been a problem. My mate in London is rather taller (6ft) and with longer legs and with the height of the pegs he didn't like the tendency to knock his knees on the heads at certain times (braking, bumps etc.). Slipping further back in the seat didn't help much as he slipped forwards, so the V11 wasn't for him.I don't like gravel rash so always wear a good second skin and heat to the knees is never an issue. In winter and colder weather though, there are no better hand warmers than those rocker covers!

...and if the filter's held in place by a hose clamp as many recommend, you'll need to... the trapdoor won't help, check with the PO.

Shows how different these bikes are. I was less than convinced (=disappointed to be honest) when I replaced a very rattly but serviceable standard box with the Mistral. It felt like it was running far too rich in the lower mid range (no science, just a hunch and eventually it turned out I was right). Torque was definitely down in that range and it wasn't until I started mucking about with GuzziDiag and TunerPro that I got the fuelling anywhere near back to where it should be. It took a PCIII to really make it run really sweet though. That said, however, if it's already working better for you with the Mistral, you really don't need to spend the money on a PCIII yet, not to mention the essential dyno work to individually optimise your fuelling. For me, I think the PCIII and dyno work just brought mine back to a bit better than how it was running before the standard x-over box fell apart so I'm still trying to figure out the overall cost benefits! Some on the forum have recently opined that these bikes were set up pretty much right, straight out of the box, and I agree (up to a point) but age (mine's 14 years old), wear and tear, subsequent changes in fuel quality and the principle that 'no two Guzzis are the same' mean we cannot really rely on that notion in practice. And your experience with the Mistral bears that out.

Sachs-Boge, the one prone to cracking the rear shock eye? Somehow doubt it after this time if the bike's been ridden hard. The most shocking shocker I've ever come across! Can it quick if it is a Sachs-Boge: you don't want to be riding if/when it lets go.

Better start marking your bottles, mate!

My fourth tach (Veglia) has just packed in. This bike serially destroys them! I've had one repaired by Casa di Moto and the other by Peter Bond in the UK. The Casa di Moto fix was the best, for a short while at least! But they all seem to go that way eventually. Could this be a grounding problem? I'm not going to bother paying to get another one fixed again if the cause is an electrical fault outside the tach itself that's just going continue wrecking them! That issue'll need sorting first.

I was about to start a thread "Paean to the V11 - the holy grail of biking" (I've had a few G&Ts) but this thread'll do. My bike gets better and better. I bought it in 2012 with a knackered shock, knackered speedo, knackered tacho, knackered swing arm bearings and knackered paintwork on the metal bits and still thought I'd found something special (first Guzzi an' all). The electrics have given me a bit of gyp since as well (charging and stuff) and vapour locks that had me fuming in hot weather. Since then I've sorted the shock, sorted the speedo, sorted the electrics, sorted the swing arm bearings, sorted [some] of the paintwork and sorted the vapour locks. In addition a PCIII as a birthday present last year along with a trip to the local doctor Dyno has sorted the fuelling. I have done four 90 mile round trips to the office this week sometimes hitting 120mph (on private roads, of course) and 170 miles won't let me put 17 litres back in the tank (that's around 50 miles per UK gallon in my book). Some fresh boots front and back have sweetened the handling too. A work colleague today told me that he was leasing a Mercedes C63 AMG. We discussed the merits of leasing and mused whether you can lease bikes in the same way. He googled it and the answer was 'Yes, of course: let's see, what's your dream bike, we'll find out how much per month?' I couldn't answer him: they don't make them any more. I get off after a ride back from work and just marvel: this bike is just astonishing. Where did I get the luck to pick this up for just £2000 with 14k on the clock? I consider it a lottery win. OK, so the tacho has just gone west (4th time in 20K miles). Don't need one really: the engine just says change up, change down and it's done, automatic like. Just a thought: the Japanese treasure hand-crafted tea ceremony ceramics for the minor imperfections in the pottery. They couldn't find it in them to put them in their bikes though. Wouldn't be a Guzzi if it was absolutely perfect anyway.

Then you have to try Bunnahabhain docc, if you can get hold of it. It is quite different from the other Islay whiskies in some ways but worth sampling.

Skye is indeed lovely. So's the whisky. Its midges are not. They come out before the A9 cameras are switched on.

Only swing arm removal seems to do it with my 2000. I'm taking my wheels in for new boots this week, so I'll hoik off the arm, spin the bearings to redistribute the grease and then the shaft and U-joints'll get greased. Only thing is, I'm not sure when to stop: got a load of fly-off on the wheel etc. last time... better than too little I s'pose!

Between A'bunadh and Bunnahabhainn - both of them really fine, but for me, I think the Bunnahabhainn has it.