New V11 Owner

[toknee]

Well,

 

I held off posting on my experiences on my just acquired V11 Sport, until I got really acquainted with it.

 

I remember seeing a V11 sport back in 2000, when I was riding into work in NYC on my GSXR750, and was just mesmerized at how the bike looked. I was familiar with Moto Guzzi, and had seen pictures of the V11 in magazines, but was not ready on how much the motorcycle would affect me. I was in love with it from the moment I set eyes on it. The big V engine sticking out both sides of the gas tank, the green color, the sound. I had no idea how it rode, nor any other information on the bike, just what I saw, and the way I really wanted one.

 

Through the years, I changed bikes, but always stayed with sport bikes, because I was a track junky. GSXR750, ZX7RR, DUCATI 748, DUCATI 996s, Ducati 998FE, RC51. Well, the years caught up, as well as the size of my gut, where riding a sport bike became a really uncomfortable thing to do. Last year, I high sided my RC51 in Beaver Run, which shook me up pretty bad. To top things off, on a nice easy run to meet up with friends, I saw my buddy get creamed by a soccer mom in a Denali. My buddy lived, buy was in really bad shape for a while. The leathers, the helmet, the MSF, the many track days all contributed to his survival, IMHO. After all this, I got cold feet. I sold my last bike, the 998FE, which I miss to this day, and regret ever selling it. I really felt that I did not want ride again.

 

Well after cooling off for a year and half, I got the itch to ride again. I figured I would get something a little less extreme than my previous bikes, something naked, definitely a twin. I considered Monsters, Tuono, a Superhawk, VFR, but I rememberd the V11, and the search began for one. The search did not take long. I found this site through google, perused the classifieds, where I found my next bike. I bought the bike from a forum member, the day I went to look at it.

 

I remember just staring at it in the bed of my pick up, then staring at it in the garage. What a gorgeous bike!

 

Finally I had the chance to take it for a spin. Idling it in front my house spooked me a little. How much it moved side to side while ideling, when I blipped the throttle how much it moved side to side. Once I got on the main road, I opened it up a bit, and the biggest SH*T eating grin I ever had appeared. I loved the torque, the way it rode. Another big surprise was the way it handled. I rode up to Bear Mountain, where I would go with my 998FE and carve up the roads. At first I went a little easy, but could not believe how the bike handled. Then after getting more used to it, I did the run over again, but really enjoying myself, this V11 handles pretty well, and also a lot easier to ride than any of my Ducs.

 

Performed a major service myself, after reading tips and how to's on this site. I believe in wrenching on my bikes. It let's me know the bike, and also saves me money.

 

Adjusted Valves

Changed Oil by dropping the pan

Changed oil in Trans

Changed oil in Bevel

Changed Plugs

Changed fuel filter

Changed fork oil

 

As it stands now, this bike for me is a keeper. One of the ones that I want to keep. I have started upgrading things to make it unique to my tastes.

 

Installed Staintune exhaust

Stucci Cross Over

FBF Airbox Mod

CRG Levers

Braking Wave Rotors

 

I almost bought a Ducati 848 this week, but decided against it. Instead, I plan on making upgrades to my V11. As some of you might have read my posts, I am looking at wheels, possibly the FBF hi-comp pistons, head work, etc..

 

Just wanted to say that this site is great, and a wealth of information, just sent in my donation!

[Steve G.]

Well,

 

I held off posting on my experiences on my just acquired V11 Sport, until I got really acquainted with it.

 

I remember seeing a V11 sport back in 2000, when I was riding into work in NYC on my GSXR750, and was just mesmerized at how the bike looked. I was familiar with Moto Guzzi, and had seen pictures of the V11 in magazines, but was not ready on how much the motorcycle would affect me. I was in love with it from the moment I set eyes on it. The big V engine sticking out both sides of the gas tank, the green color, the sound. I had no idea how it rode, nor any other information on the bike, just what I saw, and the way I really wanted one.

 

Through the years, I changed bikes, but always stayed with sport bikes, because I was a track junky. GSXR750, ZX7RR, DUCATI 748, DUCATI 996s, Ducati 998FE, RC51. Well, the years caught up, as well as the size of my gut, where riding a sport bike became a really uncomfortable thing to do. Last year, I high sided my RC51 in Beaver Run, which shook me up pretty bad. To top things off, on a nice easy run to meet up with friends, I saw my buddy get creamed by a soccer mom in a Denali. My buddy lived, buy was in really bad shape for a while. The leathers, the helmet, the MSF, the many track days all contributed to his survival, IMHO. After all this, I got cold feet. I sold my last bike, the 998FE, which I miss to this day, and regret ever selling it. I really felt that I did not want ride again.

 

Well after cooling off for a year and half, I got the itch to ride again. I figured I would get something a little less extreme than my previous bikes, something naked, definitely a twin. I considered Monsters, Tuono, a Superhawk, VFR, but I rememberd the V11, and the search began for one. The search did not take long. I found this site through google, perused the classifieds, where I found my next bike. I bought the bike from a forum member, the day I went to look at it.

 

I remember just staring at it in the bed of my pick up, then staring at it in the garage. What a gorgeous bike!

 

Finally I had the chance to take it for a spin. Idling it in front my house spooked me a little. How much it moved side to side while ideling, when I blipped the throttle how much it moved side to side. Once I got on the main road, I opened it up a bit, and the biggest SH*T eating grin I ever had appeared. I loved the torque, the way it rode. Another big surprise was the way it handled. I rode up to Bear Mountain, where I would go with my 998FE and carve up the roads. At first I went a little easy, but could not believe how the bike handled. Then after getting more used to it, I did the run over again, but really enjoying myself, this V11 handles pretty well, and also a lot easier to ride than any of my Ducs.

 

Performed a major service myself, after reading tips and how to's on this site. I believe in wrenching on my bikes. It let's me know the bike, and also saves me money.

 

Adjusted Valves

Changed Oil by dropping the pan

Changed oil in Trans

Changed oil in Bevel

Changed Plugs

Changed fuel filter

Changed fork oil

 

As it stands now, this bike for me is a keeper. One of the ones that I want to keep. I have started upgrading things to make it unique to my tastes.

 

Installed Staintune exhaust

Stucci Cross Over

FBF Airbox Mod

CRG Levers

Braking Wave Rotors

 

I almost bought a Ducati 848 this week, but decided against it. Instead, I plan on making upgrades to my V11. As some of you might have read my posts, I am looking at wheels, possibly the FBF hi-comp pistons, head work, etc..

 

Just wanted to say that this site is great, and a wealth of information, just sent in my donation!

 

Great story. I know about this grin you talk about, it's true, they are funky 'ol things arn't they?

Be carefull how you tune this engine. It is a push rod 2 valve aircooled twin, it may not respond to high performance upgrades with the same hp-per-$ as your previous bikes. Many people on this site have gone the high performance mod route, and while they ended up getting another 10-15 hp, the power was at the top end of the revs, and in some cases the mid range suffered, the main atribute of this engine.

Steve

[gstallons]

You now own your own personal "Rubic's cube"! It's not a problem to figure out but a challenge to consume you. You will spend every waking moment taking things off, putting things on.......By the time you will spend( I'm prophesying) the cost of the bike on accessories no one else will notice the changes made to this 2 wheel paramour. I read someone stating "the only reason these things come assembled is to make sure you get all the parts". You will get envious compliments , turned up noses or someone making you aware that one day they want a HD

I sometimes wonder if all Guzzis are bikes made for the left handed

[Guest frankdugo]

welcome to the club,your hooked.you like it now-youll love it latter.robbie robertson{some where down the crazy river}

[savagehenry]

Hey, Well rounded intro, cool story. Today is the one year anniversary of buying mine. Saw the green/red frame, and knew I would have one, someday. Loved it's looks, never rode a Gootz. Funny how that is a common thread with MANY of the owners of this model Welcome aboard! Ride On!!! S.H.

[DeBenGuzzi]

You now own your own personal "Rubic's cube"! It's not a problem to figure out but a challenge to consume you. You will spend every waking moment taking things off, putting things on.......By the time you will spend( I'm prophesying) the cost of the bike on accessories no one else will notice the changes made to this 2 wheel paramour. I read someone stating "the only reason these things come assembled is to make sure you get all the parts". You will get envious compliments , turned up noses or someone making you aware that one day they want a HD

I sometimes wonder if all Guzzis are bikes made for the left handed

how did you know I was left handed?

I throw righty tho, strange that everything else is lefty

[savagehenry]

how did you know I was left handed?

I throw righty tho, strange that everything else is lefty

Hey, me too!!! Self taught=Lefty, Taught by the righty elitest dominent culture=Righty! I smell a conspiracy!!! "FREE THINKER!!,SWARM, SWARM, SWARM!!!"

[gstallons]

That's me =free thinker,self taught,hedonist and "independent as a hog in ice". I never owned anything I didn't take apart to see how it worked, with some things remaining apart ! After 45 days THE Rubic's cube was fixed. It is hard living in a right handed world. you have to understand how they do it and flip it over to your logic...........

[Ouiji Veck]

Lefty here too. Was known as Southpaw in certain circles. Play guitar

upside down and backwards and fiddle backwards. Play tennis lefty, hockey righty,

bat right, throw left. I got a different way of looking @ everything.

Comes in handy but I haven't made it made a million ....yet.

Of course I own a Guzzi

[Steve G.]

Lefty here too. Was known as Southpaw in certain circles. Play guitar

upside down and backwards and fiddle backwards. Play tennis lefty, hockey righty,

bat right, throw left. I got a different way of looking @ everything.

Comes in handy but I haven't made it made a million ....yet.

Of course I own a Guzzi

 

 

Lefty + 4 !

Steve

[DeBenGuzzi]

Lefty + 4 !

Steve

god damn, we're onto sumptin

[sullvarni]

I to have just purchased a 2002 V11 Le Mans which i finaly got to ride yesterday,it's been a long winter up here in Northern British Columbia,coldest April i've ever seen up here,where's this globle warming crap it's not up here.

 

What a wonderfull bike!i fell in love with it as soon as i saw it on Craiges list,now i've ridden it even more so,always wanted to own an Italian exot'ic from the moment i saw my first Ducati in England in the early 60s,all i could afford back then was a Honda Passport 50cc,i pretended i was Hailwood,Redman,Phil Read,Ago."Blah Blah"Christ i could barly keep up with the double decker buses on it,but what fun,my introduction to the two wheeled u'niverse.

 

Owned a lot of bikes since and until i bought the Guzzi my ride for the last 5 years has been a 92 Suzuki GSX1100 G Shafty,an absolute tourqe monster,scary fast comfortable fully loaded naked tourer,still have it,cant' bring myself to parting with it yet,but one can only ride one bike at a time so we will have to see what transpiers.

 

Well dont' want to bore you to death with what is more or less my first post,i did do an introduction post but i put it in the

Pollforum section under Sullvarni,apol'agys,one last thing,i need some bar weights as i'm not used to the vibe's after my oh so smooth 1100cc Suzuki,someone preposed Throttlemeister,anyone use these?And i need to get a higher windshield for the standard fairing,Gusstafson plastics in Florida make a higher one for this bike,anybody have any info on this product.

 

Thanks Stu.

[Guest britbiker]

This lefty stuff is really interesting! I'm left-handed, left-eyed, left-footed at football - and yes, I've got a V11

[Admin Jaap]

Sorry to burst your bubble guys, but I'm a "righty" all the way. Only time I use my left hand is on the clutch lever...

[Guzzirider]

If you use your left if feels like someone else is doing it for you!