Scud

Filled the Giant Loop Great Basin bag with towels, just to give it a road test. It was a simple strap-on mount: removed seat cowl, used a micro-fiber cloth over the painted tail section, straps around footpeg brackets and under tail. It's stable and it didn't interfere at all while riding. Double-wide pies. That's living. Cherry Apple Flaky crust for the late Sunday breakfasters at home. And a frozen Chicken Pot Pie for later.

I spent a lot of time fussing with the suspension settings on mine, which was absolutely worth the effort (and steep learning curve for me). As for quickening the steering: Damper: I turned the damper to the position of least resistance (it was set pretty tight when I got it). This made a huge difference - quicker steering with less effort. I value the protection from potholes and road debris afforded by a damper, so I just turned it in two clicks to give me a touch of protection. Tires: Some people said that the bike handles better with a 170/60-17 than the stock 180/55-17 (total tire height is about the same). I followed that advice and have the narrower tire on the back now. I'm pleased with it. Pre-load: Getting the spring pre-load adjusted was like magic (because mine was set too soft) - especially in tight downhill corners. Sounds like you may have already done this, but I thought I'd mention it anyways. Definitely not a sport/race bike, but I run it through every twisty road I can find and I love it.

Before you go tearing it apart - have you tried loosening all the bolts on the timing cover (one at a time) and retightening them? I had a slow leak on mine and that fixed it. It's a metal gasket, so the gasket is unlikely to go bad.

That silver one is nice. It's been for sale for a while. The asking price is only a few hundred less than what I paid at a dealer for my Scura (with only 200 miles - and let's not discount the value of Öhlins suspension). Recently in San Diego, a certain 2003 red LeMans sold within a few days of being listed on Craigslist... I resisted the urge to post the link here. High prices are good if you're selling. There are still good values out there for people who know how to fix stuff. From a purely financial perspective, it seems that many of these bikes are worth more as parts than as whole bikes. While sad in some ways, I think that's probably true for lots of other bikes too - it's not just a V11 thing, it's even true for old cars.

Thanks guys. She's having a "time-out" right now for fresh fluids. @Chamberlin - the serial number on the LeMans has a bunch of 1s, and ends in 58. So I guess it rolled out of the factory shortly after your "all 1s" 2003. I re-read your resto-mod thread recently. It's going to be very helpful.

@Docc: Is this the lightweight oil that you use in the gearbox? http://www.amazon.com/Red-Line-58404-Lightweight-Oil/dp/B000CPI5YG/ref=pd_sbs_auto_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=09JN74NG6DJBF8S6QKT9 Do you use the same in the final drive, or do you use the heavyweight there? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CPI5XW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER I saw that some people are happy with the Redline heavy shockproof in the transmission. In one thread, the heavy oil solved a leaky transmission problem. Also - do you change these oils every 6,000 miles per the manual's specified intervals, or do you let them go longer?

Check the fileshare section. There's a thread that has some of the tail scripts. You could give the file to graphic artist and have him or her do a custom one for you - then output as a decal. I didn't see one for Nero Corsa; that would have been convenient, because you could just replace the "Ne" with "Azzu".

Azzuro Corsa - that would look good in script on the tail.

That's coming together nicely. Do you plan to paint it to match the bike or to use a complementary color?

Clever. Thanks for the tip.

I disconnected the sensor and made it home without event. I figured that it was running great before and it would get me home, but I did watch those lights. I appreciate the cautions (and I understand that nobody wants to be the guy who says "just ride it" after the oil light flashes on). It's like telling a guy with chest pain that it's OK to skydive... That being said, she was naughty today and has to sit in the corner for a time out (for fluids). A quick search for "Honda Civic" didn't produce the replacement sensor. Moving off-topic - is there a list of cross-compatible parts and supplies somewhere on this site? Things like an automotive oil pressure switch, Isuzu Trooper fuel filters, aftermarket spark plug caps, etc.? A list like that could be handy.

Thanks - I think there are two oil sensors. for pressure - which sends an on or off signal to the dash light, and for temperature - which sends info to the ECU. Since this bike has the pods, I assume the sensors have been "tricked" to make it run well. Fear not, I won't ride with the pressure light on. I will give it a thorough inspection/fluid change. But thought I could sneak in a few commutes and little joy-ride first. Unless there's another cause for alarm, I'm going to pull the oil temperature (not oil pressure) sensor plug off again and ride it home.

I noticed yesterday that the oil temp sensor (the blue plastic thing on the RH head) was disconnected. The connecter had been taped against the wiring harness. So I freed it and plugged it back in; everything seemed fine for a ride around the block. I just picked up this 03 LeMans a few days ago, which was running very nicely, but had clearly had some electrical mods. This morning, I rode it to get gas and then to work (less than 10 miles total). Between the gas station and work I experienced these two new problems (which I did not have before plugging in the sensor, and after the bike was fully warmed up): Harsh hiccup at idle Oil light came on at idle (about 1,000) - but went out when I increased it to about 1,400. Other things that might be good to know: K&N pod filters installed by PO I replaced the rubber caps over the throttle body balancing tubes (the ones on the bike were badly cracked) Full tank of premium gas Oil level is slightly above the maximum mark on the dipstick (and oil looks clean enough, not old) Here are my short-term questions: Does a disconnected sensor indicate another problem that I should be aware of? What are the side-effects of running with the sensor disconnected? (I assume I should unplug it to ride it home, because it runs great unplugged) Is there an obvious solution? (feel free to paste a link to an appropriate thread instead of repeating information) Longer-term - I'm going to go through the whole bike and get it sorted out. BTW - Sorry for starting a new topic on this. I found another one on this topic, but it was locked after 58 pages of... well, I'm not sure what to call that, but I'm glad I missed it.

I haven't taken it for a proper ride yet. But so far I'd say the difference is small. It does seem to have more torque reaction at idle than the Scura (the sideways twist while standing still and blipping the throttle. Possibly a little slower revving than the Scura, but I also wonder if I'm trying too hard to notice the difference. The noise with the clutch pulled in is less pleasant than the noise of the Scura with clutch let out, but that's just personal preference. For comparison, I put a vented clutch cover on the Ducati I had, because I like mechanical noises. However, the other differences are larger and taking my attention now. The PO is shorter than me and altered the riding position as follows: Shorter rear spring (which lowered the back) Moved forks up in clamps (which lowered the front) Moved footpegs down and forward Bar ends (per above pic) that are much higher and further back This was his last sport bike and he's on a gorgeous Guzzi California now. With all the height and control mods, it feels more like a touring bike at the moment.

Here's a close-up of how the PO did it. Pretty clever, I think. But I like the stock bar height, so it's all coming off soon (especially the blue hoses). Hurray for box of stock parts!!!!

Have recently turned old myself (50 last week and now apparently eligible to joint the American Association of Retired Persons ), my present was that I get to buy/sell/upgrade the bikes. I just sold my 2006 Husqvarna TE510 and still have my 1973 Honda CB350F listed for sale. I was all set to pull the trigger on a 2015 Husqvarna FE501s, but figured I'd be pissed the first time I dropped an expensive new dirt bike. (I literally and figuratively rode my TE510 into the dirt). Thanks to Craigslist, here's what came home for my birthday weekend (all for about 75% of the price of the new Husky): 2007 Husqvarna TE450 - 1,600 miles, nearly perfect (mostly street miles), seriously upgraded (full Akropovic exhaust, Scotts damper, etc.). 2003 V11 LeMans - more details following the picture. More on the LeMans - it's mechanically rock solid, ITI odometer gave up around 5,000, but actual mileage might be around 10,000. The previous owner made several mods, but kept all stock parts (which I now have). While I like having two street bikes for when friends visit (or when one needs maintenance), I might prefer this one for long-hauls, because the fairing offers such excellent protection. I'll probably take it back close to stock. Fair warning, I'm going to have some electrical questions.......

Don't be sad Docc. It's just about matching. If one has a black engine case, a black timing cover looks correct. Silver cases... go with a silver cover. Personally, I think the same for the alternator cover, but on some bikes they look sweet with an accent color - like red. Czakky - I've noticed that a lot of people use the Harley crinkle paint to match the 2002 engine paint. I already picked up a can of that, but haven't tried it yet. I'll probably let it get a lot worse, then strip it and paint the whole case at once. I can't see it while I'm riding, and it is not disgusting yet. I wish I had taken a before and after pic of the engine. That trip to San Jose really changed it. I can't imagine how upset all the buyers of new bikes must have been in 2002. I saw MSRP for a Scura was US$14,000. You drop that kind of money on a new bike and you assume the paint will last a few thousand miles...

Welcome in the club… Had mine in twice for re-painting (warranty). I still see red pork chops, Scud, thought you were going all in on the dark/Scura side?? Good catch. I didn't black out everything possible. The more I darkened the smaller parts on the bike, the more I liked how the red porkchops stand out. I'm pretty fond of the gold forks too. I might still darken a few more bits - like the exhaust tips. But It's dark enough now to draw the light out of a picture...

Thanks. My route yesterday was almost all new roads to me. The only other new part to me was the redwoods. Yesterday I planned the twistiest minor roads I could find and went from Paso Robles to San Bernardino without any freeway - and just a few visits to small cities to make sure there was gas on my route. More than once I thought - "this road can't be real..." For example, after crossing the Carrizo Plain. It was sunrise, the wildflowers were starting to bloom on the hillsides and the road was perfect. From there, it was a massive climb to where I took that last picture - which was at 5,200 feet. It was about at the dot above the Barbara in Santa Barbara on the map. Shortly after that pic, I rode briefly into the cloud ceiling. Fortunately that didn't last long as I as started dropping elevation again. Just epic... must do it again. Maybe next time I'll take a few days and a sleeping bag and tent. So much to see along the way.

A bit over 4,800 now. And the engine paint is starting to bubble all over - not just in a few spots anymore.

Agreed, this is a great thread. Although it takes a long time to "read" all the posts. Something about a road trip always makes me reach for Neil Young. Here's one I like that he did with the members of Pearl Jam.

Update on my timing cover leak. As it turns out, all I needed to do was re-torque the bolts. Funny that of all the bolt heads I darkened, I didn't do the timing cover. The two bolts nearest the leak came out far too easily. When re-torqued, the leak totally stopped. I figured it out two weeks ago and I just stress-tested it this week on a 1,000 mile trip - not even a little weeping. That's great news for me - and further evidence that these bikes can sit for long periods of time without dire consequences. Ironically, I transversed the Tejon pass today - also known as the Grapevine as referenced in the above post. The Grapevine is part of I-5, and I avoided the freeways by taking all the twisty two-lane mountain passes the long way over the mountains, instead of the pass, which is the shortest, lowest elevation way.

Here are some details from my trip to San Jose: Monday: Carlsbad to San Jose via mostly coastal roads. 553 miles. Tuesday: After work, Paso Robles via inland valleys. 162 miles. Today: Paso Robles back to Carlsbad. 370 miles. Total: Pretty close to 1,100 total miles. Elevations from sea level to 7,000 feet. I used almost 28 gallons of gas, yielding about 39 MPG. Didn't stop to take many pics. But here are some in the Redwoods, North of Santa Cruz. Not to be deterred after all those miles, I found another way in.... And the roads through the redwoods... Wow. Pictures cannot do it justice. This morning, in the Los Padres National Forest, someone said: "Let there be Guzzi."

I ended up only using my Ogio Mach 5 backpack, which I now can recommend without hesitation. I carried 1.5 liters in a Camelback, plus clothes, snacks, etc. It was comfortable the whole trip - except once when I forgot to fasten the belt across my chest, then it pulled on my shoulders. When fastened correctly, even in some extreme cross-winds it was rock solid. The Giant Loop bag was waiting for me at home... so I'll try it out later. It looks to be a high quality bag. Even though it's pricey, I think it will serve on multiple bikes - and I'd like to try some multi-day dirt bike trips, which that bag will be good for. On the cheap (aka rationalization) side - someday when I get another adventure bike I will save a lot of money by not buying the hard bags and mounts for it.