jrt

Here's one option: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=13993 And another thread on the issue: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11554 and another: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10468 I didn't read this thread, but it seems relevant.. http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11930 Or you could go with various purveyors of Guzzi goodness: www.moto-spezial.de www.ghezzi-brian.com Hope that helps, J

I like those little Honda 90's. Fun bikes.

Not mine, but funny: Found on rec.crafts.metalworking Subject: Beware synthetic oil Beware of synthetic oil, it can do terrible things to you and your beloved motorcycle. It will not only leak out of your engine faster than you can put it in, but it will also cause your oil filter to clog and implode, dumping debris and dirt into your lubrication system. It also will make every part of your bike permanently slippery because of its linear molecular chain dispersion action. Then it will leak onto your kickstand causing it to retract automatically, dropping your bike on the ground! But that's not all... Synthetic oil will round off your gears and spin your bearings. It will also splatter onto your seat causing your girlfriend to fall off in the apex of a turn and she'll never ride with you again. Synthetic oil coats your sight window and your timing window with a whitish pro-emulsification additive that is both non-removable and highly corrosive. Synthetic oil will completely leak onto the ground overnight and your dog will drink it and die. Synthetic oil will wear out your tires and make your battery leak. It will give you the desperate need to urinate after you put your full leathers on and then jam your zippers shut. It will contaminate your gasoline causing your bike to stall on railroad tracks and accelerate uncontrollably near police cars. It will make it rain during rallies and on weekends. It will lubricate four timing belts causing them to jump teeth and break your valves to bits. Synthetic oil chemically weakens desmodromic valves and causes the clearances to change every six miles. Then it melts the black soles of your riding boots night before you walk across your new carpeting. While riding past groups of attractive women it will cause both of your handlebar grips to slip off at the same time so you smash your windscreen with the bridge of your nose. It also causes your swingarm to crack, your studs to break, and your rotors to warp, and then it voids your warranty by changing your odometer reading to 55,555. It also dries out your wetclutch and wets your dryclutch. It makes your clutch slave cylinder seal fail in the heaviest traffic on the hottest day of the year while putting an angry wasp in your helmet for good measure. Synthetic oil hides your 13mm socket and puts superglue on your earplugs. Synthetic oil will scratch your faceshield and make your gloves shrink two sizes night before trackday. Synthetic oil stole your neutral and sold it to the Chinese for $1.25. Synthetic oil will make you grow a tail. Synthetic oil will write long crazy e-mails to your Internet friends and then sign your name at the bottom!

I'm not as much a fan of Hawai'i as Italy. I don't have specific recommendations; I say just enjoy the lengthy dinners and exceptional homemade wines. Look for the small, family restaurants out of town.

I'm not into square tires, but I would like to find a SINGLE shock absorber for my sidecar.... (BQ +1)

Topic moved to Technical Topics. Topic.

I like a motorbike that shows the engine off. You've done particularly well on choice of headlight/instrument and on the tank. Nice job overall.

C'mon, man, think big! Charge the space with tritium and see if it initializes fusion.

How many children do you have? Are they house-trained?

This is my opinion- others will have different ones. I don't believe there is any need to substantially increase the hp output of the V11. The motor is well developed, makes more power (torque) than is needed for most of us and also it is already pushed close to it's design limits. Significant changes will likely only have a negative impact on the longevity and (for me) the overall ridability of the bike. What really makes a difference to me is remapping the power output to be more consistent and have power in the rpm ranges that I generally run in. 90% of that was accomplished by adding a stucchi crossover and mistral pipes. I suspect the other 10% would come from a power commander, but I don't have one of those so I won't really address that. What often makes a much bigger difference in terms of riding is to sort out any suspension issues with the bike. They handle pretty well stock but they become absolutely fluid through cornering when performing well. I liken riding the V11 to surfing. Smmmooooootthnessss counts.

Dental floss is ok, but I really go for zircon encrusted tweezers. And BFG- I'm always trying to expand my alcoholic tendencies, so if there is any such thing as a drinkable Irish whisky, let me know. I have my doubts.....

+1

I'm jealous. It's just about freezing here right now (but sunny). Should warm up to the 50's by midweek. Sadly, this is my spring break so I'll be doing work around the house rather than riding. I'll get some short rides in, I suppose. Oh- by the way- I like the way you arranged the power strip. Mine's underneath the rail because I thought the seat would hit it otherwise. Your solution is a lot more accessible and neat looking.

Paternity Or Sorority? Ok, I apologize, Docc- it got weird.

Most of my Guzzi's *have* been wiring bad dreams (not necessarily nightmares). The V11 has been the exception for me. Shrug...I'm not sure I have a point there.

"POS"? Freudian slip?

Classic. Thanks.

English is a strange language. You'll be just fine. Nice bike!

I doubt they are readily available, but you can make one for about $3. Here's a really poor picture of how I attached mine: http://picasaweb.google.com/jrtelford/Guzz...832067311187202 I just ran a fused line from the battery to a radioshack or equivalent power strip. I mounted it (ziptie) underneath the rail- the rail itself is insulated by all that electrical tape. Of course, the strip is upside down, so I can't add/remove any of the leads without removing the entire cowl. Overall, a fairly poor design on my part, but I haven't had a lot of time to think about a clever mounting area. Any ideas? I can't put it on top of the rail because the seat rests on the rail. My second choice was just in front of the battery- there's a small, but useable space, but I would have had to build a bracket and it's also a lot more prone to water thrown up from rain or whatnot. So- it's a tradeoff. Edit: Oh- don't forget to run a spare ground from the headlight (or anywhere on the front forks) to the engine case. The ground scheme for the headlight is....well, it's dumb. It runs through the (never filled with) greased bearings in the fork head. So, be kind to the headlight and run another ground. Doesn't hurt to run a spare ground from the battery to the frame also.

On most alternators, the regulator is built in. On Guzzis the alternator and regulator/diode board are separate. Do NOT hook it up to the yellow alternator output wires. Hook it up through a fuse to the battery. In fact, the battery is so crowded that I put a little outboard power strip on my V11 to make things like this easier to do.

Mines always run just fine. I did two weeks, about 3000 miles (part of it was a meeting). I suggest taking some aspirin, but I'm getting old and cranky. Hmm, I might be making that trip again this summer as it turns out. I'll have to start a thread in a month or so for things to do in Maine.

I've never been a dealer and even I have seen some crazy behavior. Probably best saved for a campfire.

Do you need forks or did you just want to swap them out? The 35 mm fork tube should be easy to find...well, in the US. Not sure about Australia. Guzzi's are easy to work on, generally forgiving if you keep oil in them and seem to run forever. Have fun with it!

When money is illegal, only illegals will own money?

That looks great! I like the porkchops- did you strip and clearcoat them or are they anodized?