Cornering on a V11 - techniques?

[slowkitty]

Took my V11 out for its first long spin yesternite .....

 

The cornering on the V11 is, well, ... interesting. The bike felt like it wanted to go everywhere in a corner, and I was rather apprehensive about leaning it (I didn't). A fren with a Cali jackal joined me, we swapped bikes and his Jackal definitely is easier to lean over in corners, with no forces pulling it elsewhere. My fren also felt the same about the V11 in cornering.

 

Am I doing anything wrong during the corners or there's something to be adjusted?

 

Appreciate all help.

 

Cheers

 

Cat

[Dr Gil]

Took my V11 out for its first long spin yesternite .....

 

The cornering on the V11 is, well, ... interesting. The bike felt like it wanted to go everywhere in a corner, and I was rather apprehensive about leaning it (I didn't). A fren with a Cali jackal joined me, we swapped bikes and his Jackal definitely is easier to lean over in corners, with no forces pulling it elsewhere. My fren also felt the same about the V11 in cornering.

 

Am I doing anything wrong during the corners or there's something to be adjusted?

 

Appreciate all help.

 

Cheers

 

Cat

 

I've not noticed anything unusual about the cornering of my '02 Le Mans over other bikes. It seems a bit heavy and loves the slow curves more than the twisties but seems quite stable.

 

I should point out that I don't ride "hard" or "carve"...just a spirited sports-touring rider.

 

Perhaps the "interesting" part of the handling is tires (tyres). I run my tire (tyre) pressures higher than recommended. I run 38 psi in the front and 40 in the rear. It just seems to perk things up a bit.

 

Now if you're talking about the effects of torque and shaft drive in a serious down shift then yes, things can get "interesting." But you learn to deal with it.

[orangeokie]

I call it gyroscopic procession. It's common with the V11. It is something you have to get used to. Just be very smooth with the throttle. Nice and smooth.

[Ouiji Veck]

I love the way my 02 LeMans corners more than anything I've owned in nearly

40yrs of riding.

Yes it is different.

I can only try to describe it as "very diliberate"

Set up way early, way outside and steer with your ass and throttle.

It's a friggin' blast.

Toss it side to side approaching a corner to get the feel, then move to the outside of

the radius and crank through the turn.

It's the opposite of "flickable" and yes, it likes sweepers..not tight twisties as much.

Someone should chime in soon about narrower tires too.

Good luck.

[g.forrest]

yeah slowkitty. check your tyre pressures.

[mdude]

Took my V11 out for its first long spin yesternite .....

 

The cornering on the V11 is, well, ... interesting. The bike felt like it wanted to go everywhere in a corner, and I was rather apprehensive about leaning it (I didn't). A fren with a Cali jackal joined me, we swapped bikes and his Jackal definitely is easier to lean over in corners, with no forces pulling it elsewhere. My fren also felt the same about the V11 in cornering.

 

Am I doing anything wrong during the corners or there's something to be adjusted?

 

Appreciate all help.

 

Cheers

 

Cat

 

Same feeling I got when I received my V11, which I bought over the phone.... It scared me silly and went straight ahead in most curves. Dont listen to the salty seabeards in here who states "nuthin' funny 'bout he handling of this bike, lad. Now shut up and get on with it". Its a bit special and takes some learning, especially if you come from a modern neutralhandling bike.

 

The key is suspension settings; theres two easy things you can try. First back of almost all compression settings both front and rear, start from scratch. (do a search on this site about comp settings, there is some good topics on that). If the bike is set too hard it will bounce and twitch and not follow the road. Most bikes are set too hard, cause everyone thinks a sportsbike should have a rock hard suspension. It should be supple.

 

Important: Then adjust the preload on the rear spring. As stock its set up for an italian midget test rider weighing in at 20 lb. At 110 lb I turned it nearly three quarter of the way to the max settings. This heightened the rear by nearly 3cm from the stock setting, got more weight on the front wheel and made things dramatically better! Now it did what i wanted it to do.

 

I have found that the V11 rides better if you sit right up to the tank, arms slightly bent, knees hugging the tank. It also rides better on a full tank. This because the more weight on the front wheel the better.

With stiff arms the bike will fight you, with the Death Grip on the bars you will get wooden fists. Softer grips and slightly bent arms let the V11 move around a bit, and thats normal. An active apporoach to corners where you transfer weight and lean into the corners will help, a mild form for hangout. Actually, if you do the leaning, transferring weight to the side of the butt that points into the corner, the bike pretty much steers itself.

[WitchCityBallabio]

I would take a long hard look at both your tires and your suspension set up.

 

I like Ouiji find my V11 Sport Ballabio an absolute ball to drive and routinely drag my pegs in tight fast sweepers. I even find riding hard in the corners with a passenger fun. To me the bike corners like it is on rails. Set up the corner, dip into it smoothly, and let that delightful engine just smoothly accelerate through it.

 

I've owned GSXR's, VFR's, etc, and I find the Ballabio more fun to corner than all of them.

[stormsedge]

Cat, I agree with G.F...check your tire pressures. My bike is very skittish with pressures at anything below the min recommended. I usually run them 2-3psi higher. Also, you might back off your steering damper...I've backed mine completely off. k

[slowkitty]

Checked pressures ... 37 front and 39 rear .. it seems not low enuff to cause mischief. Will tinker with the suspension, perhaps will bring it to a tech to help me with it. The feeling I had when cornering is strange, like the bike wants wobble when I'm in a lean (and not a low lean at that!)

 

My other ride is a beemer, even taking into account the anti-dive nature of a telelever, still takes a lot of getting used to cornering on the V11.

 

Cheers

 

Cat

[pasotibbs]

Checked pressures ... 37 front and 39 rear .. it seems not low enuff to cause mischief. Will tinker with the suspension, perhaps will bring it to a tech to help me with it. The feeling I had when cornering is strange, like the bike wants wobble when I'm in a lean (and not a low lean at that!)

 

My other ride is a beemer, even taking into account the anti-dive nature of a telelever, still takes a lot of getting used to cornering on the V11.

 

Cheers

 

Cat

 

Just a thought but it might be worth checking the wheel bearings for play and make sure the front spindle spacer is on the correct side (LHS).

Other than that I'd say "ride it like you stole it" I've found that the Guzzi takes its lead off the rider if your nervous it responds with the same.

[Ouiji Veck]

like the bike wants wobble when I'm in a lean

 

Well thats a different kettle of fish.

Totally opposite of what my Guzzis feel like.

The normal sensation is it takes some deliberate effort to initiate

a turn. More than any bike I've owned..sorta like the CBR 1000 X 2

It's changed my riding for the better. Calmer..more deliberate. (there's that word again!!)

Once committed it's on rails...as Bob says..I mean really on rails, Like a brick.

 

No. Wobbly is totally inverse of it's normal modus operendi.

Curiouser and curiouser.....

Steering head bearings? Tweaked frame. Bent wheel? Lose seat?

Wheel bearrings......ahhhh....when my rear wheel bearring went..(it really WENT)

that was how it felt. Kinky in the corner. Just got off the highway in Vt. Attacked a couple

corners and felt some odd wiggling (wobbling?) Hopped off and grabbed the back tire and

twisted it side to side. Sure enough ......way sloppy.

Some of the V11s eat wheel bearings due to a short spacer that found it's way into

the parts bin while Guido was having lunch and a nice chianti..

There's volumes on this board about it.

Either way something is askew.

Guzzis are odd creatures and have some special charecteristics but "wobble" is

the last thing they're known for. Quite the opposite.

Good luck. Let us know...

[dlaing]

Checked pressures ... 37 front and 39 rear .. it seems not low enuff to cause mischief. Will tinker with the suspension, perhaps will bring it to a tech to help me with it. The feeling I had when cornering is strange, like the bike wants wobble when I'm in a lean (and not a low lean at that!)

 

My other ride is a beemer, even taking into account the anti-dive nature of a telelever, still takes a lot of getting used to cornering on the V11.

 

Cheers

 

Cat

Bringing it to a tech is an excellent idea.

Something could be wrong with what others suggested, or maybe the steering damper.

The bikes you are comparing it to are more stable, but the V11 should NOT be unstable.

You might want to set the ergonomics up more like the california, with higher, wider handlebars.

[Ouiji Veck]

The bikes you are comparing it to are more stable, but the V11 should NOT be unstable.

 

HUH?

I've switched with 3 of my Bmer buddies this season...1 RT and 2 R1150s

Everyone came away amazed at how sure footed the LeMans was in comparison.

Especially me who couldn't wait to get back on it after those wallowing buffalo's.

I'm a big fan of the R1150 too. Looks, power, utilitary simplicity but after riding 2 of them

they're scratched off my list directly because of the wishy washy handling.

Maybe it's the 25 yrs. of clipons. Anything else feels "wrong".

[helicopterjim R.I.P.]

I would take a long hard look at both your tires and your suspension set up.

 

 

Everyone has given great advice but I would also suggest checking your steering damper. If it has leaked any oil then it will work intermittently and make corenering very interesting.

 

Try removing it and see how it feels.

 

Cheers

Jim

[v11F]

Hi guys

 

I bought a 2001 V11 (red frame), replacing a Ducati st2 and after this, on the original BT57 tyres, it was definately nothing like as stable in sweepers, nor as neutral in slower bends, as the st2.

 

I now have Michelin Pilot Power on it with a 160 at the back. Since then, no feeling of unsteadiness in the sweepers and beautifully neutral everywhere. I also feel it's faster steering, due to the 160 rear.

 

Now definately a great bike to ride ...

 

Take it easy but take it, as they say !