Buying a V11

[Guest motocat]

Hi Folks

You probably have this information somewhere on this forum and perhaps someone could point me in the right direction ( I've had a bit of a look but came up empty ). After owning several bikes over the years I'm contemplating a V11 now that finances permit. But can anyone tell me what to look for when buying ie faults / weak points etc that pertain to the V11 and if one years model is a better buy than another ? Thanks in advance for any info.

Cheers, Motocat

[al_roethlisberger]

hrmm, where to start

 

Yeah, there are a couple threads to this effect on the board:

 

Thinking of buying....

 

2002 Questions Thread

 

2001 vs 2002 vs 2003 Thread

 

..there are probably more, but that's all I could find with some quick searches.

 

Although I have a list of issues/differences in mind, I unfortunately have to run... but I'm sure others will chime-in.

 

One of our members(...maybe JRT?) has a list of issues on his homepage as well.

 

Hope that helps and provides a good starting point...

 

al

[RichMaund]

Buy one that is owned by a owner/mechanic enthusiast who knows the bike well and takes good care of it. That, or find an owner who took it for regular servicing at a well know Guzzi shop that knows their stuff.

Guzzi's are all about good care and maintenance during break-in. One treated right will out perform a poor example markedly!

It should run strong and not be rough, cough or stall at stops. Look deep in the crannies for corrosion on fasteners. Look at the condition of all bare alloy. Look at the wear pattern on the tires and find out how the bike has been used. Look for signs of abuse like cracks in the frame or a bike that pulls to one side out on the hiway. It may have been wrecked or dropped badly.

The first year bikes had poor relays and weak oil cooler brackets. Those should have been all fixed by now unless it's a REAL low mileage bike. Regardless, they're easy fixes. Cheap too.

Many '02's had bad return springs in the trannies. Make sure the tranny shifts smoothly and the shifter returns after each shift. If it hangs up for a bit after an upshift, beware. That's an early sign of failure.

Many '02's had poor paint on the engine. That'll stock out like a sore thumb if it applies. You can always wire bush and touch it up.

 

That said, mine is on EBay right now and has had good care and has all the "right" accessories. Please look it up if you care to! It's a silver 2000 V11S.

 

Good luck in your search!

[Guest IanJ]

I'm the one with the issues to look for: Things to check on a new 2002 Le Mans. Those are mostly issues that owners of new bikes would have to look out for, though, and they mostly don't apply to used bikes. Used bikes have already had most of these things fail, fall off , whatever, and get replaced or fixed. Looking at this list may prove enlightening, if you're interested.

[Guest carlomoto]

Even today, Moto Guzzi is still a somewhat hands-on bike. The bike will probably have quirks that will make you crazy.

 

A Moto Guzzi handles like no other bike. Be careful when you test drive it. You might fall in love.

[Guest Foxbat]

From experience I would say the most important thing to look for if you are considering buying new is the dealer.

 

There WILL be problems with the bike. Parts supply is nothing like as good as it should be. A good dealer will make the diference between whether you regard these as minor teething troubles or the kind of problems that will put you off the marque for life.

 

If you're looking at a used bike, then print what Rich said and take it with you when you go looking.

 

Andy

who's 2001 bike has spent 50% of 2003 in various workshops, and still isn't fixed.

[RichMaund]

Mine failed to sell on EBay. Please write to me if you'd be interested in it.

rmaund@pinn.net

It has been to a Dealer once since the break-in maintenance, and that was for a bad oil seal on the tranny input. The jerk took a month to do the work after he got all the parts in! Except for when I changed the tires and got the wheels powdercoated, that is the only time it has been down for maintenance.

I have done all the regular maintenance myself and nothing has ever taken more than a half day to complete. (That was the fork servicing. Probably the most time intensive service on the bike!)

[Guest Jeff Kelland]

Rich, perhaps I missed this somewhere, but why are you selling your v11? I'm just curious. thanx, Jeff

[RichMaund]

Jeff

The main reason is money. I am self employed and business will soon be slowing down with the coming cold weather. I still have bills to pay and a family to support. So something has to go.

There is still high demand for seats right now, but I am turning down many jobs for people who don't want to make an advance appointment because my thre days a week at college limit the hours I have to spend in the shop working.

So I am working less while I finish my degree. Lower income expected and business will soon slow even more by the end of Oct. Not enogh money in the bank, so the Guzzi will have to be sold.

Other more secondary reasons:

My bad disk in my neck has been painful and stiff all year now. Heavy full face helmets only aggravate it. And I won't ride a two wheeler w/o a full face helmet. Often, my neck hurts enough when I DO have a chance to ride that I say the heck with it and stay home. Not worth the pain. My crushed legs give me grief as well. After a couple hours of riding the swelling becomes bad. At the end of a day of riding I have to prop it up to relieve it.

I knew when I bought this bike that it'd be my last sport bike. So though the physical ailments are pushing me in the direction to sell it, money to get through the winter is my main concern. With two hungry teenagers to feed, a small business to run and quarterly taxes that keep coming due (Not to mention Virginia's damned annual vehicle taxes in January.) I have bills that need paid and I need the means to pay them.

 

Hope this covers my situaton. I plan ahead financially. This isn't the first time I have sold a toy to cover family and home expenses! Probably not the last time either.

[Guest Jeff Kelland]

Rich, I can relate! My oldest daughter18 just started college and the youngest 16 is 2 short years away. I'm just a working guy so this is a huge expense for us. In the background of my mind is always the possibility of having to sell the bike as it is not a necessity (well really I guess). I went through a time a few years ago when I couldn't ride for physical reasons, hurt my back, and I guess I just accepted it and didn't think too much about it for awhile. I always seem to come back to riding though, can't help it I guess . I sold my Ducati's because my back just coudn't do it anymore. Thats how I ended up with the Goose. Quite frankly, reading your posts on this sight and others had a lot to do with my going for the Guzzi, your insight and perspective always seemed to be realistic and honest, thankyou. I am going to raise the bars and change the pegs to ducati rubber ones. I am hoping to have the seat done this winter if I can afford to and when I can I hope to have you do it. Keep the faith, it always works out! Jeff

[Guest motocat]

Thanks every body for all the help. I've compiled a list of things to look for from all the info so far, it probably looks that waiting for a later model might be the better bet ie 2003 +. I looked at your bike on e-bay Rich, it certainly looks good but unfortunately I'm in Kiwiland (New Zealand) which is just a bit too far away.

Your reason for selling sounds pretty familiar cept my VFR 800 had to go in my case but I'm slowly crawling back with an old (but immaculate) CBX 750 and a old (not so immaculate) Bonneville to while away the the winter week-ends.

Cheers, Motocat