pete roper

(Gurgle!) The pressure sender switch operates at about 2PSI. If the light is on either the switch is stuffed, (Cheap and easy to fix.) or there is a major issue with pressure loss. What speed is your engine ticking over at? If your oil light is coming on at 1200RPM, (Which is what the tickover should be.) I'd DEFINITELY say investigate further. While standard big end shells are cheap undersizes aren't and neither are mains. Stripping and rebuilding a motor and grinding the crank doesn't come cheap either. Pete

Two reasons. 1.) I don't like the silicone type grease used in most 2RS bearings nowadays. 2.) There is never enough of it. If they put an adequate sufficiency of decent grease in there when they sealed 'em you'd never have to buy another one . No, that isn't strictly true but if a rolling elemant bearing is correctly packed and sealed it will last a very long time. Remember, sealed bearings shouldn't be packed *full*. If you do that there is nowhere for the grease to expand as the bearing warms up so it will pop out the seal. Also too much grease will prevent the rollers or balls from turning so they will skid producing rapid wear. There is always an element od skidding in a rolling element bearing, (The outer race is longer than the inner one so the rolling element has to skid as it turns on one of the races.) havind grease in there enables this to happen with less friction and that friction that there is has it's heat disipated effectively by the correct amount of lubricant. Pete

The late model ones are directional Viton seals and are superior to the earlier flurocarbon type. Another advantage of doing the job by pulling the cover is that it allows you to replace the o-ring inside the sleeve which is quite often the source of the original leak and seal the sprocket end of the sleeve with a smear of silicone. pete

I pull the sump. I hate the 'Manhole' it sucks, even with the correct filter tool its hard to get the filter tight enough and given all the tales of filters loosening I do 'em up good and tight with a strap wrench! Pete

Interesting you should make this comparison Jon. I've got a champagne LeMans in for some work at the moment and rode it and my 'G' back to back yesterday afternoon and I'd have to say I agree with you on all counts. Given the fact that the motors are to all intents and purposes pretty similar it's very interesting to see how different they feel. The change in the rod/stroke ratio is the thing that I think is most apparent but whether this is responsible for the lack of 'kick' at about 5,750 that the Griso has or whether this is simply the result of different and probably better, mapping I don't know. It would be interesting to Dyno the two machines back to back and see what happens where! Gearing in the two boxes is also a contributory factor too I'm sure. While the V11 is probably quicker in absolute top speed I think that the 'G' is deceptive mainly because it doesn't have that 'kick in the pants' step at 5,750 but taking both of them out along the same road and doing full throttle roll-ons they both pull in the horizon at a perfectly acceptable rate especially in 3rd, 4th and 5th! I'm really looking forward to getting the Scura back here next year. Then I'll be able to do some real comparisons to try and see what's what. Pete

I'll second what Ratch said about the Z6's. I had a Sportec on the back of the 'G' after the original Rensport wore out. It stuck like glue but was VERY soft, wore quickly and I got two punctures in it which *could* just of been bad luck but also I think shows that they are extremely soft! I patched it internally twice and wore it out but since changing to the Z6's I've seen no need to go to a *sportier* tyre. You ride a good deal harder than I do though so your requirements may well be very different. Having said that, if it's CHEAP or better still FREE? Grab it and run. Pete

The reason there are two plugs on the back of the sump plate is that the larger of the two on the right is simply a hangover from earlier models, (Sport i, Centauro, Daytona RS etc.) that had two oil return pipes from the spine which acts as a condensor for oil vapor expelled from the engine in service. V11's only use one so rather than modifying the casting they just put a plug in there. As Docc sez, the drain bolt is the central, lower one at the back. Use a new crush washer. For some reason broad sump drain plugs seem to like to come loose. I've never had one that's been on the point of falling out or heard of one doing it but I quite often find them less tight than I think ideal. Pete

Hey! Keith! Your Tonti's famous! It's got it's own slide show!!!! Pete

Or simply go to the nearest workshop and ask the owner to order you a couple. Biff 'em out and give them to him, he orders them in and you install. better than $700 and a tow! I always wash bearings out before installing 'em. Pop out a seal from one side with a small screwdriver and wash the crappy then silicone grease out and re pack 'em about 2/3rds full with bearing grease and pop the seal back in. Install with the removed seal side inwards on the wheel. Wheel bearings only work at comparatively low speeds and really high loads are unusual, they should last for ages unless they overheat. What causes overheating? Usually lack of lubricant! Pete

When you're hung like an elephant's trunk holding a melon 5.5 doesn't even start getting to the width! Well YOU started it Haven Pete

Sounds like Keith's and Greg's figures are v. close to the mark. So that will be my starting point. It'll be a while until I can confirm anything as i won't probably be going over to the US until next year. Pete

Well, it'll be a while before it's available as the bike has to get to or be got to Houston then while it's being re-clutched the wheel can be flogged out and sent to whoever wants it and theirs can be sent back. The whole poxy bike will probably have to sit in a corner for a while as it'll be getting its forks and shock sent of for overhaul and re-springing. Like you Mr Laing I'm not too fussed that the wheels will be different colours. Anyway, I can fix that when I get back to Oz with a couple of cans off rattlecan black . Round and less than gouged is more important to me! Actually I think that painting or powdercoating them some colour to upset the purists would be most fun. Yellow, pink, lime green? Pete

Wanna swap? I want a skinny one! pete

Basically, yes Pete

Well, I've just sent Wally a message and as long as he's still amenable it looks as though #372 will soon be mine! Now all I've got to do is arrange to get it to MPH, get it clutched and re-sprung for a massive lardy and get over there to give it the flogging it so richly deserves! then I have to battle with the F#ckers at DOTARS to get it back to OZ. That'll be fun. NOT Pete

I haven't really been following this thread but just read it through and nobody else has suggested checking your driveshaft trunnion alignment. Get the rear wheel off the ground so you can spin the wheel, (Or simply roll the bike forward or back.). Now wipe the shaft and you'll see that on bothe the front half and the rear half there are, or should be, two painted lines. These have to line up with each other exactly to ensure that the shaft is correctly aligned so the hookes couplings can work correctly. If they AREN'T aligned as the suspension works every time the shaft rotates it will exert enormous forces on the driveline and the torque that results will be fed back to the frame via the torque arm and this will DEFINITELY make the bike handle very strangely!!!! Pete

The rocker covers on my 'Vert are powder coated but its all flaking off and looking fairly manky now, (At least it was the last time I saw it, it's out on loan and I haven't seen it in nearly a year!). I don't think this was poor preparation, simply due to different coefficients of expansion. Pete

Useful. Thanks Keith. I weigh 210 with clothing and boots but without helmet, jacket, overkeks etc. so if you reckon your rear spring is just adequate then it sounds like a 105 on the back would be the way to go for me! Great bloated lardy that I am! Forks? probably the 10's would be fine. Remember I don't ride particularly hard but really appreciate GOOD suspension. I'll Email Todd direct and see if i can get a price for the work I think it needs. When Greg gets back from his bear-wretling this weekend I'll try picking his brain too! pete

Sorry Ratch, not meaning to seem an ingrate, simply not wanting anyone to bust their balls for me, thassall. One thing has just occured to me though. if any forum members have some luggage suitable for a V11 I could borrow for such a trip it would be really appreciated. Over here my Griso is bagged up and is a superb touring tool so it's unlikely that I'd want to permanently bag up the Scura but also I wouldn't want to buy a complete set of luggage just for rippin' round the USA. If people have a set of racks and bags I could borrow that would be great!!!! pete

OK, couple of things here Tom has a mate down Pensacola way with a Scura he's thinking of selling. This has the advantage of being much closer to MPH than Solo's bike BUT.......... There are a couple of things. a.) we aren't sure if it's for sale or what he might be asking, mileage etc. b.) There is the matter of honour. I've expressed an interest in Solo's bike and as long as it doesn't turn out to be a horrible old s#itter that has been flogged to death by a mouth breather I feel obliged to run with that. Old fashioned I know, but I'm like that . Lastly while the offers of assistance are greatly appreciated I am very lucky in the fact that I am not impoverished. While I obviously like to keep my eyes peeled for a bargain I'm not someone who has to do everything on a shoestring, I can afford to pay the fair market rate for any bike I buy or parts and am more than willing, if I get work done on any of my machines to stick my hand in my pocket and hand over the sponds without pissing, moaning or cutting up rough. Of course I could do the work myself but that would involve me spending a heap of my 'Holiday' sweating in someone elses garage/shed fixing shit when I could be riding! Bugger that for a lark! I'm 50 years old and, in my reckoning, comfortably off. If I'm going to have the enjoyment of riding a well set up bike around the USA for several weeks before bringing it home I expect to pay for the privelege! One of the very, very few things that really gets my goat are people who phone me up and pick my brain, often at length and sometimes when I've phoned them back so it's on my dime, and then phone me up to TELL me that they've managed to get their parts from somewhere else for some paltry number of dollars less than they would of got them from me! This is particularly irritating if they have bought stuff from overseas thinking they are making a saving and then get hit up by customs when the stuff arrives so what they pay is in fact almost exactly what I would of charged but of course I don't make a cent on it! Needless to say such people find that the flow of information they might require suddenly slows to a trickle . No way in the world am I going to stitch up someone else in the trade the same way by expecting discounts, freebies or anything. They've got a living to make so I have to stick my hand in my pocket! (boo-Hiss!) And that, coming from a man who is so mean he can peel and eat an orange without taking his hands out of his pockets is a BIG ask Pete

Yeah, it's the engine paint that goes manky. To be honest that worries me not a jot Pete

Mike, I think the Sport i's have 17 inch wheels so tyre choices are a lot easier. They also have a cush drive in the rear wheel which seems to have dealt with the gearbox issues on straight cut three dog box models. I know you've had no problems with yours but it is a common problem. I think you just got lucky and/or ride it right! Pete

OK, so I'm seriously interested in theis 'ere Scura. Apart from the exploding clutch I seem to remember that the other bug-bear that Scuras suffered from was rather *odd* choices of spring rates bith front and rear. I did have one bloke with a Scura as a customer briefly who dumped his in the first week or so of ownership because it was handling so weirdly, (Or so he said.) I think that this bike is now owned by one of the board members here? Mr. Forrest maybe?? I can remember taking it for a ride and I couldn't really get it to misbehave too badly. From memory it seemed horribly over-sprung but with any new machine the suspension is going to be stiffer than when it has broken in a bit and I wasn't able to do any messing around with it as this was pre-agency days and I didn't want to risk invalidating his warranty. So, question is, am I imagining things or was there some issue with spring rates on Scuras and/or other Ohlins equipped bikes? If so what was it and if it was, as I suspect, the springs what have others done about it? If I'm going to buy a machine sight unseen and get the clutch replaced before galavanting around the USA on it I'd like to ensure that all of the *obvious* things that need fixing are fixed on it BEFORE I find I've got an unrideable pig by which time I'm going to be in the middle of Bumf*ck New Mexico! As I've said before my experience with V11's is far from great. They are a fairly rare beast in Oz even compared to other Guzzis so I don't tend to see them that often so any help is appreciated. Pete

Beginning to look like a plan Pete

Todd, roughly how much in $ to get your lot to swap out the hand grenade, sorry, clutch and bung in something decent? Either a ten springer or a RAM, not bothered which as long as it wouldn't saw the gearbox off by exploding It'll give me an excuse to come visit, pick the bugger up and ride it to LA myself (I can feel my back protesting already! ) Pete