Scud

That's a proper adventure off to a good start. The brick is the support vehicle right? He doesn't get to park with you at the BBQ, but he's carrying everybody's clothes in the saddlebags and the BMW 22L top-case with the rear-hinged lid that needs a bungee strap so it doesn't open at speed and blow off... scattering your socks and skivvies...

...then I would buy another Scura and pocket the (substantial) difference.

Have a great trip. Looking forward to the updates.

The guys at Powerhouse in the UK were super helpful. They have now listed 5 different kits for V11 Sport/Lemans brake caliper rebuilds, including a set of stainless steel pistons for the fronts. Here are the links: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Moto-Guzzi-V11-Le-Mans-2001-2004-Brembo-front-brake-caliper-seal-repair-kit-/181430373173?hash=item2a3e17cb35 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Moto-Guzzi-V11-Le-Mans-1999-2005-rear-brake-caliper-seal-repair-rebuild-kit-/152728235183?hash=item238f4fecaf http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Moto-Guzzi-V11-Le-Mans-1999-2005-rear-brake-caliper-piston-seal-repair-kit-/162694437725?hash=item25e1581b5d http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Moto-Guzzi-V11-Le-Mans-Sport-Front-Brake-Caliper-Stainless-Steel-Piston-Set-/182804949523?hash=item2a90062a13 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Moto-Guzzi-V11-Le-Mans-Brembo-Goldline-front-caliper-brake-pad-retaining-pins-/152728253973?hash=item238f503615 I ordered seals for fronts and rear. They combined shipping.

I failed to tighten a brand new breather hose (on two separate occasions, cuz I 'm a slow learner). Both times, it made a huge mess on nothing more than a 5-mile shakedown ride. I don't know the quantity lost, but it made a significant puddle in the garage.

1) Agreed, but since the wheels are different widths, it's worth being aware before having something machined. SP can pull his and inspect/compare if he ends up with a later axle. 2) Yeah, I think the nuts are the same, but I think the RH sides in 2000 vs 2002 take a different size hex wrench - and I think the 2002 takes a larger wrench.

I think I have one from a 2002 LeMans with minor road rash on the non-threaded end. I can check on Thursday if you don't find one sooner/closer. I think the size of the bolt head is larger in later years, but I also think that all other dimensions are the same. However, this is worth verifying, because the wheels are different widths (for 10mm wider tire in 2002 - although the hubs are probably the same width.

Thanks. I was having a hard time moving just one piston with various clamps and wedges - so frustration was the mother of invention here. As Cabernet mentioned on the last page, I suspect this is a short-term fix, so I'll get a set of seals in. There's an e-bay seller in the UK called powerhouse-uk that lists an aftermarket seal kit for Moto Guzzi V11 front calipers. They make caliper rebuild kits for many bikes, so I have also inquired about the rear caliper.

The exact dimensions are not essential, I just started with whatever block I had that seemed close enough and cut it without measuring. But here are the measurements of the final product: 70mm x 37mm x 20mm. The step thickness is 7mm (13mm cut away from the 20mm side) to allow one piston out. After measuring, I "promoted" it from the wood block box to the tool box. I think it will be handy for simple cleaning too - to work one piston at a time.

I've been struggling with my LeMans' dragging brakes for a little while. A week ago, I swapped the calipers for a used set I had - but they were dragging too. So I figured I'd pop the pistons out and do a serious cleaning. I made this little tool out of a block of wood block so I could pop out one piston at a time with compressed air. Here's what I did: Piston in Ultrasonic cleaner with Simple Green for a couple minutes. Wipe out open cylinder and seal with paper towel. Reinstall piston (using just a bit of brake fluid as lube) Repeat for other three pistons. Six of the eight cylinders had visible debris in them. All the seals released a bit of dirt when I wiped them with the paper towel. Now the wheel turns freely and the feel is vastly improved.

That's what Admin Jaap is riding too. I found another thread about it: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19071

Thanks again for describing this test. After cleaning the pistons and performing the above test, the brakes are still dragging - not spinning freely. So I guess that means it's time for a rebuild kit... It's not easy to find seals for these Brembo P4 30/34mm 4-piston calipers. I found a kit on eBay in the UK that fits a 1995 Ducati 900SS (same brakes as V11). http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ducati-Supersport-900-900SS-Superlight-1995-Brembo-front-brake-caliper-seal-kit-/161086784313?hash=item2581854339:g:1gwAAMXQAEFSC8nk&vxp=mtr That's gonna cost $70 and take 3 weeks. Anybody know a US-source?

I've been buying oil in 1-gallon jugs (3.8L). I change the filter every time and just dump in the whole 3.8L (compared to 3.5L recommended in manual.) I just make sure the oil is between the two "rings" that are cast in the dipstick. If I fill it to the top it seems to go down quickly till it finds its own equilibrium spot.

You're welcome. I'm about to go solve a brake-drag problem on my LeMans now... your thread and another recent one has me well-equipped to figure out what's gone wrong.

You had it assembled without the spacer? Your photo has it in the correct spot. Without the spacer, the wheel would be held in place laterally by the brake pads. Side-to-side movement of the whole wheel could explain the dragging.

After looking at tire/damper/bearings per above, take a look at your suspension. Start with the position of the forks - are they in the original spot, or are they sticking up out of the triple-clamps too much? Then measure sag to see if you need different springs.

welcome brubache - maybe you could start up a new topic about your rescue project so we can follow along. Another member is just starting to part-out a complete bike - that might be a good parts source to get you started.

Binge & purge... Decided to keep the Greenie. Getting the red LeMans ready to sell at lower price than above after moving some goodies to the Greenie.

If it's to replace the spine-frame, it would be a black and white 1200 Sport. Next choice would be a Griso. If it were to go next to a spine-frame, it would be a Stelvio.

Congratulations on the bike, it's a beauty. I saw that and another bike of his listed on e-Bay recently for premium prices. Will this be a collector/showpiece for you - or will you be riding it?

Looks like Chuck and I posted at same time. You could certainly start with the heads as he suggested. If you find nothing wrong, you can keep going from that point.

Tinus - it sure seems you're in a tough spot. On one hand, you want to trust the work of the mechanics. On the other... anyone can make a mistake (like failing to torque a bolt on a connecting rod) and it seems that only disassembly and inspection will reveal the problem. Then there's the ride-it-till-it-fails approach. And if the failure is catastrophic, you either find out what was wrong and fix it - or you're left with a pile of parts that's not worth fixing. I had a similar noise on my Champagne LeMans project - right when I thought I was "done." I can't tell you what to do, but here's what I did: I pushed it the corner and focused on other stuff for a while (then I scavenged a few parts to get my Greenie project on the road). I think I'm gonna pull the engine and strip it down as Pete described above. It's either that or part it out, which seems a shame. I wouldn't enjoy riding it if I was worried about reliability.

GuzziTech in Santa Monica, CA? That's Todd, who used the name RacerX on this forum.

I can't speak for anybody else... but I discovered those screws and how important the adjusters are when I put new levers on. And I tried adjusting the one on the clutch lever to compensate for what turned out to be different problem with my clutch. Back to brakes... are these bikes getting to age where we should be expecting some failures in the hydraulic lines?

I think this is referring to the adjustment screw on the lever, which actuates the plunger. If you screw it in too much, you reduce the free-play, and can end up not allowing fluid back in. I had that problem on the clutch side a while ago. The lever went rock hard and the clutch started slipping - then I backed that screw out and got some free-play back. Same principle with the brakes - but worse potential consequences (lock-up brakes vs slipping clutch). If that's not what it is, then there's an adjustment I don't know about yet.