chamberlin

haha you are probably right....and looking at that photo again reminds me that I haven't replaced the brake/clutch fluid reservoirs yet!

The handle bar controls are finally complete! Picked up (a very expensive) spare front fender, so I can use this one for the repaint instead of the original grey (going to keep the tank and all original bodywork untouched and store them). Went for broke today, my painting experiment to try to match the Coppa Italia cover....hahahaha yea right. My plan was to spray-mix these two colors after an etching primer coat on the bare aluminum rocker cover. Here is the result (see previous posts for photos of the bare cover, I forgot to shoot a photo before painting it). Came out pretty good, but didn't even come close to matching the Coppa Italia/Cafe Sport cover (on bottom of photo): Since I could not match the Coppa cover, I was really torn as to paint over the original bronze finish...BUT, I paid good money for the damn thing so I finally decided to paint it to match. I actually like my mix-combo paint colors a bit better than the original, and I like the matte/sparkle finish too. Hope it holds up to heat and the weather. If you can't beat em, join 'em. The only way to tell the difference now, is that the Coppa cover had a thick coat of original finish which filled up the "MOTO GUZZI" and rounded the edges. The bare cover has more defined edges because of this.

That exhaust alone is like $1000 and VERY hard to find !! Rarer than hen's teeth. Yes indeed, and he has the proper ECU to go with it. What's all that white stuff around the bike in the photos?

Spring must be coming indeed! Never seen this many new sales ads in one weekend.... 2002 Sport Scura, well looked after, with new gloss paint: http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/mcy/4326063653.html

Nice silver red-frame sport with fairing in Texas http://dallas.craigslist.org/sdf/mcy/4333164421.html

Very nice Rosso Corsa in the NE: http://www.ebay.com/itm/2003-Moto-Guzzi-LeMans-Rosso-Corsa-Ohlins-suspension-titanium-factory-cans-/261397072912?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

Supposedly very nice 2003 Le Mans for sale, but the seller seems a bit uptight going by his description! http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/mcy/4331236189.html

2002 (being sold as a 2003) grey sport naked with low miles: https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/mcy/4328042799.html

Wow, here's one for the collection! http://www.ebay.com/itm/Moto-Guzzi-V11-Sport-/251451304277

thanks for the great report, photos and shipping work around Bello!

Finally got a new starter/kill switch! Moto Guzzi OEM part....hand control upgrades are now complete. Even got a new protector boot for the brake switch wires.

Rosso Mandello in New Mexico....or Phoenix? Be careful on this one...it's been popping up multiple locations on CL. http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/mcy/4270183411.html

Yes indeed, low production bike for sure (hence my quotes on the word 'mass' )... and from what you are telling me about the Scura R, and what I've heard about the Tenni model, it seems like they pulled serialized frames off the line and just saved them for special batches (for whenever the marketing dept. calls for them!!!)

Hahaha Docc, yea seems kind of silly for a 10 year old 'mass' produced item! I also said "somebody looking for another V11 for their collection" Are we getting the picture here? I hereby state these are collectible motos.... ergo, they are collectible motos!

Don't know if this is OK to do here, but I am always looking for more V11 photos online, and one of the best way to get photos is to search the bikes for sale. I figure I might as well help out somebody looking for another V11 for their collection when I come across a worthy bike. Here's a 2002 (sold as a 2003) silver naked in New York with less than 700 miles! Not cheap, but probably close to collector grade: http://newyork.craigslist.org/wch/mcy/4313297114.html

OK! So I read the birth of the V-Twin section, and it seems that Greg Pullen has it correctly. "Brief" bullet point recap of Pullen's text: Carcano had been working on a powerful and simple V-twin since the demise of the V8 in 1957 Carcano had dreamed of building a road going V-twin but his original designs in the 50's never made it off the drawing board after the V8 project was dropped, he re-visted the idea of the V-twin, hoping it would find a place in farm water pumps and be a utilitarian motor, but Moto Guzzi ignored and concentrated on the 2-stroke designs Carcano kept the V-twin idea for a motorcycle in the background, but in the meantime dropped his prototype into a Fiat Nuova 500 for fun (causing a few rumors in the auto journalism world) Moto Guzzi did employ a 90 Deg. V-twin in the attempted replacement for the Ercole/Ercolino Motocarri trikes: a military vehicle called the 3x3...only about 200 were built, but this 754cc V-twin motor was penned by Micucci, not Carcano the Micucci motor was related to the Carcano engine only by the most basic layout and had little else in common with Carcano's design Guzzi finally entertained Carcano's idea to power a Fiat, but Fiat showed no interest...and as we all know now, Abarth became Fiat's tuning house instead a bidding for a new government motorcycle contract was offered up to Guzzi, Gilera, Laverda and Benelli in 1963 Carcano and Todero re-fit the V-twin intended for the Fiat into a motorcycle chassis and won the contract 1965 Milan show debuted the 704cc robust engine as a commercial offering while police and army contracts were also being filled Carcano was focused on squeezing power for racing in his previous designs, but this time he was focused on longevity for this new V7 motor big end bearings which were easily accessible like a car sump unbolted like a car electric start only like a car (big battery and generator) produced until 1976 with USA buying the bulk of the production run So, looks like Pullen has put another nail in the coffin of Mick Walker's mis-informed storyline.

More goodies today! New choke/fast idle control to replace the sun damaged one (I didn't even know there were graphics on this lever until I got the new one!) Choke lever installed, left side controls complete, just need the new starter/kill! Original decals for the gas tank for when the time comes to repaint: Sun faded gauge holder, versus new one:

Docc, I actually don't mind the different color shades (and finishes) of the covers versus the tank color...it's kinda the charm of the V11 series, no?....plus, I definitely couldn't get myself to paint over the original Coppa/Cafe bronze color! I *could* repaint my original grey covers, but I am now trying to save all the original pieces as-is...I'm also attempting to get a used tank and used plastics to use, so I can leave the originals alone...but that's certainly not a cheap route!

Pullen book has arrived.... Nice coffee table book, but not sure there is much more than general historical over-view material though... Certainly not a book for V11 fans, as there are only two! V11 related photos: the Coppa Italia original racer at the museum, and random shot of a bagged-up 2002 champagne V11 Le Mans (from UK doing a factory pilgrimage). The V11 text is also extremely brief for a book of this size, barely a side bar's/footnote's worth. Basically mentions the V11 was the bike the Centauro was supposed to be, and then proceeds to detail the Aprilia history and take over during the time of the V11 and the company's 80th birthday. Rosso Mandello model mentioned as well. No juicy tech info whatsoever. Docc, I will read over the birth of the V Twin/V7 section and try to verify the historical choices the author made...if you can give me a quick synopsis (via PM) of the 'controversy' this will help, as I am a Guzzi newb

Sport Scura FS in L.A., looks nice! http://losangeles.en.craigslist.org/sfv/mcd/4310784860.html

Thanks docc, I was hoping to get a positive response on the color - I wasn't so sure on the theme ideas Maybe Coppa Café would be apropos? This is all in good fun eh! I guess I'll have to switch from Vodka to Java! Never been a coffee drinker Appreciate it Andy! Since I have an actual new rocker box cover from the Coppa Italia/Café Sport, as well as an 'in the raw" cover, I definitely want to keep the original paint on the cover I have, and paint the bare cover to match exactly (or, find another supplier for a second OEM bronze cover). I really don't want to paint the rocker covers with the same Lexus paint as the tank/fender/seat cover. I like the matte finish of the OEM covers set against the glossy tank. Thanks Guy! I hope they perform as well as they look (and as much as they cost!). BTW, did you get my emails from around new years or more recently a couple days ago? I managed to get the ignition set from Italy, but I am desperate for a new starter/kill switch (pattern part OK). I sent you an email about it.

Been searching out motorcycle painters in my area, and putting a lot of thought into a color scheme. I'd like to have a color that isn't far off from what you might see in the 2003 catalog, and one that I might be able to fit into a fictional Guzzi theme. Today, I happened by a Lexus IS 250 in Fire Agate Pearl. My search is over. Subtle, classy, understated, but fits the bronze/cafe color that I was looking for. So the theme then? Coppa Cafe? (haha cup of coffe, get it? hmmm, no.), Coppa Bronzo? (not something to really be proud of winning right?), Cafe' Scura? (no cream please), hmmm maybe screw the theme idea. But the painters I am looking at are more than capable of scrolling a suitable phrase on the tail piece a la many V11 special editions. Anyways, I am pretty set on this color, and it is suiting as well, because the Fire Agate gemstone is only found in the area of the desert southwest...i.e. here. This is what it looks like... below, is by far the best photo of it I found on the internet; it's a very hard color to capture by camera:

Amazon is now showing a Feb/March delivery! My wife is pissed! Me too of course! Just got another update, they are saying the book should be here around Jan. 30th...we'll see!

Thanks gents! I will be sure to give a full report on the GPS speed once up and running. I may install a switch for the hot start, so that I can flip it while prepping to ride and by the time I'm moving, the satellites will be captured. There's probably no way I'll ride this bike enough to leave the hot start 'hot wired', even at 25 microamp draw it would just seem pointless on a smaller motorcycle battery.

Gauges arrived! Really happy with SpeedHut's service level. Great company to work with. Hope the gauges work as planned, and it seems pretty straight forward. New ignition switch arrived from Italy as well. Also purchased some tank decals in preparation for repainting. The top decal (the one that replaced the tank pad on the '99-'02 bikes) does not appear to be available . Also ordered a new aluminium gauge cluster bracket, and choke lever assembly. I'm gonna have to repaint the plastic "T" housing for the dash lights, as that part alone is almost $150. I am planning on wiring up the original lights, but also running the SpeedHut status lights in parallel (L, R, hi-beam).