jrt

You can also download an owner's manual CD from: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/v11man...?yguid=74904609 Ignore all the messages- they're robots. The only reason to join that group is to go to the 'downloads' and download the manual. Follow the instructions, set up the directory structure right and you'll have kind of a web-like owners manual (if you have a PC. If you have a Mac, you'll have to navigate it manually). It's easier than I make it sound. Congrats on your bike! Enjoy! Edit: also see this faq, just as a matter of info. http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5692

The Jackal doesn't have Ohlins.

I like how in the picture, it looks like you're standing on the side that's falling over. OSHA wouldn't approve Nice paint job!

I thought about that, but I can't make it work in my head...ok...I think I just did. The twisting forces don't come from the wheel- they come from the brake caliper- right? Gripping the wheel-even on a disk that's not centered- will transfer force to the brake mounts, and to the center of rotation. There's no such transfer on the brake caliper, so I guess that's why the forks twist on you Baldini. Now, I have a G5 with linked brakes, so the rear and front brake levers operate on opposite disks. They may be much weaker braking, but I've never seen such behavior. Nowadays, I have a set of leading link forks on it, so it's a mute point. Maybe you should go dual disk, Guy?

A friend of mine is looking for a new helmet, and frankly it's about time for me to get a new one also. He currently has an HJC, but says that it squeezes his (narrow) head front and back. I have a Nolan that fits my melon-shaped head just fine. So- what kind of helmets fit what kind of head shape? What fits a melon-shape and what kind of description is used for a narrower head? A fish? Steve (the friend) is also looking at Arai, and I think they'll work for him, but within Arai, there are different shapes? Arggg. I know the Arai is wickedly painful for me. Can a helmet be tailored to an individual? If so, then who does that? So, here's a graphic (not gross, just unbelievable) illustration of a helmet functioning: http://www.araiamericas.com/news.asp?Artic...cle_current.asp

If you get rid of the stock mudguard/fender, there's probably no reason you *have* to keep it. None of my old Tonti bikes have a fender brace and they run just fine.

You might be able to turn this into lemonade. A lot of folks complained about cracking the V11 sidecovers early on (I did, and had it replaced under warranty). You could contract out and repair some of those (might as well use the welding iron you're buying). Also, all the new tanks (breva 750/1100, Norge, etc.) are probably the same plastic. I think you can weld almost any plastic- polypropylene, polyamide, and I bet even polycarbonates.

Odd. I've got 20K miles on my bike, and I've never replaced the angle unit or cable. I still have about a 10 mph bounce in the speedo (it's the speedometer, not the cable). As mentioned above, the routing makes a huge difference. Even on my old Guzzi, I had a factory cable that lasted the better part of 50 or 60K miles before it broke (because water got in it and I didn't properly lubricate). After I replaced it, the cable would break every 5K miles or so, simply because I didn't route it properly (and didn't know any better). After learning what my problem was and routing the cable properly for minimum bend, it works great again. Too bad the Veglia speedometers are junk. FWIW, I use a light oil lubricant. i bet some of the new ones with teflon would work pretty well in this application- the carrier oil is very light and evaporates within a few minutes, leaving particulate teflon.

I'm pretty sure that POR won't bond to the tank, which is made from a fairly inert material. The POR might make a tight seal against the tank for a long time, but I am skeptical of it as a final solution. I'm speculating here, but the tank is probably polypropylene, which is one of the cheapest and most inert polymers. There's just no way to chemically get a hold on the backbone. Very similar to plastic milk jugs. You could try some POR on a milk jug as a test run, I suppose. Joe C.- if you weld the tank, there's no need for reinforcing material. It's welded- a done deal- two pieces made into one again.

On a bike? No. But I think Mercedes had a (mechanical) fuel injected 6 cyl in the late '60's/early '70s? It should be do-able, but not necessarily pretty. FWIW, I've seen single carb manifolds for the loopframes where someone (clever or otherwise) mounted a VW beetle carburetor to feed both cylinders.

Can you take it to someone who does plastic welding? I'm not sure the paint job will live through it, but if it's underneath, then just a touchup might fix it. Sorry to hear your bad news.

Pierre, that's a good picture. An amusing story too, as it was a bike that was left at a shop and the shop owner decided to have some fun with it. Biggest thing holding back some of those bikes pictured are those silly VHB29 square slide carbs. Toss a B10 or X09 cam in there, some 43 mm's and it'll run the pants off a stock Jackal. I know- I had a Jackal and there is NOTHING wrong with those bikes, but there's a lot of room for improvement on the older units.

Yes, but i don't remember by how much- maybe only 10 mV or so. I still get upper 30's/low 40's for mileage, which is what I got before. I should check the miles/gallon again- I haven't done that in a couple of years. Sadly, though, I don't think I've put 1000 miles on the bike this year....

Good luck on the Guzzi, and drink lot's of water for the hangover. Both are good decisions.

It's a strange and unpleasant occurrence, that's certain. I hope you and yours are ok. And condolences to all those hurt by this. The bridge has been inspected every two years- for the last 17 (yes, seventeen), it has been certified as 'deficient, but serviceable'. My opinion- and it's just that, I don't have any evidence- is that it will be a combination of fatigue and washing out the pilings by the Mississippi. glad you are ok, ben.

OK, I'll try it to help out a fellow forum member. Forum members, please don't turn this into a political discussion. Regardless of anyone's position on Iraq and US and Iraq, this is not that. This is an individual's efforts to help out his friend. I think we've been through the "other" debate. Just sayin'

I eschew dirt roads, but ride through june bug plaugues all the time.

Finished or unfinished bolt is a whole different issue. I was thinking about the shearing force itself. It can't be evenly distributed over the entire (or around the entire) bolt. It's concentrated at a point or distributed over a sector of the cylinder, no?

I think this boils down to just the fact that everyone is built different. What works for me doesn't work for Ratchet or Dave or Kev or Kitty or anyone else. Enjoy the uni-Q-ness.

So, you can easily calculate the area of a cylinder...but what's the area used in the calculation of shear strength? This seems a good application of calculus

I didn't realize that the '03s had a tach cable? The earlier (veglia) ones are electronic.

Hah! If you want to have some fun, call up and ask how much they want for a rear brake light pressure switch. Gadzukes! Ya better be sitting down.

Really....don't you think string would suffice? I guess it depends on the size of the family

I thought the paint was just a flag, applied after tightening. I never thought about it as an indicator. Hmmm. Well done Docc. What are you going to use as replacements for the rotor bolts?