Almost an owner

[dabore84]

Bang Bang baby! My penance on the vespa is over and the bike has arrived.

 

Let me ramble a wee bit about this whole thing a little *its nice to humor the elderly*.

1) I bought this bike sight unseen!

2) I have never ridden a guzzi before!

3) Its all your fault!

 

1) I bought this bike from a mg service centre/dealer in Qld, Don Newall's. I can only give him two thumbs up for his frankness, honesty and willingness to chat and not fob me off as a *virtual tyre kicker* including touchs like mailing *bubble wrapped* a pannier frame that the transporter had left behind and it arrived the same day the bike did.

 

2) First impressions were mixed for me (im going to be brutally honest) the overall style & lines gets a fat 10/10 but the paint combo looks like it needs a serious tweak. The handling feels a little heavy but none the less balanced, I wonder if I came to this conclusion because I planned on finding some ohliin suspension and lighter wheels from the start and this oppinion would justify my descision? On the other hand Ive just spent the last 2 years on a friggen vespa.. I bench press 115kg`s *about the weight of a vespa so maybe thats it.

 

3) I was down to two bikes *triumph thruxton or ducati sportclassic 1000s* and researching them heavily. Having turned my old 69 triumph tiger into a cafe racer years ago I came across youtube vids of MG cafe racers... add hours of researching models pro's / con's and I came across the V11 and this web site. The sense of community on this web site gave me that extra tweak of confidence that I could learn a modern motor bikes ins and outs well enough to allow me to customise it and care for it.

So id just like to say

 

Thank you.

 

 

 

*now if anyone in aus knows where i can lay my hands on some Ohliins feel free to pm me. *keeping in mind it will take a while to generate the purchasing power needed to buy them *

 

I've done almost the same when I bought my bike. Well, I didn't owe one before and went myself to pick it up. Almost a year later, I still enjoy.

 

Welcome and lots of safe miles!!!

[mdude]

I hated my bike the first times I rode it, but then I fixed it with some easytodo tweaks. Bought it unseen just like you. the V11 IS a special kind of bike to ride, and needs learning. no mistake about that, I am still learning. you have to be a bit loose in the wrists, grab her with your knees and let her live a little beneath you. it helps to lean in a bit before corners too. this is no steelfisted and lifeless Beemer. it does not like quick inputs and can bite back if you hustle it, plan ahead and plot your curves and youll be carving up the countryside at silly speeds just fine.

 

but dial in the suspension properly before you fork out loadsamoney on expensive components. If youre a big guy you will need to tighten the spring on the rear shock nearly 2/3 to the max, if its not done already. That will lift the rear 2-3cms and make turn in much quicker. Then back off the settings on rebound and compression; many bikes are much to firmly set and feels very nervous. do a search in here, there was an australian who had some brilliant advice on shock settings.

 

Then before you bleed your wallet with a Ohlins fork (that is unless youve got a weely fat wallet) buy uprated springs from Wilbers (or others), for about no cost at all. Get them properly put in and set up, change fork oil.

 

Check tires: if theyre old change them. The V11 is a bit sensitive to old tyres (my left wrist is stiff to prove it). AND: a slightly slimmer rear tyre ( I went from 170 to 160) will improve handling and your confidence in the bike A LOT! Its an old chassis, its not designed for modern superbike rubber. Its like putting 20' rims on a 1988 VW Polo.

 

These are inexpensive AND QUICK fixes compared to full Ohlins, and will really transform your bike. Badly set up Ohlins will feel just as shitty as a badly set up standard bike.

 

Of course, if youre a real workshop superman you will already know this, but its nice to sit here and write instead of work....

[Tom M]

Congrat's on the new bike miki. Did you get the gray Ballabio that Mark909 posted back on page 1? If so...nice bike! If not...

 

 

As mdude said, good tires and properly adjusted/resprung stock suspension will make a huge difference in the way the bike handles. Dropping the rear tire size will quicken the steering up, and you can drop the forks 10mm through the clamps to quicken it up even more. I think most guys here with '02 and later bikes who have tried a 170 rear tire never go back to the stock 180. Ohlins forks and shocks to fit this bike are rare and expensive. Ditto for lightweight wheels. Springs and fork oil are cheap and there's plenty of suspension tuning info on this site. Your choice. Now let's see some

[Mark909]

Great to hear you are now a bona fide Guzzi owner miki. Congratulations, I'm sure you will love the bike the more you ride it. I can only agree with all the wisdom posted above regarding setting up the bike etc. It is spot on advice, give it a go before paying out the big dollars for Ohlins gear (if you can find it). A well set up and ridden Ballabio is a very competent machine in the twisty stuff (a lady in the Queensland Guzzi club takes great delight in demonstrating this on club rides). Take your time and learn to ride the bike the way it wants to be ridden, as mentioned by mdude. Forget all the late braking stuff the boy racers do on their hyper-sports, this is a classic motorcycle and is best ridden in a classic sporting style. Brake smoothly, pick your line, wind in the power coming off the apex, riding that surge of torque and listening to the sweet song of the engine.......oh yeah baby! When it all comes together on a sunny day on a windy road it makes you glad to be alive.

[mark.gilmore]

Just saying Hi, as I lurk hear often enough to learn about my future passion I thought it rude if I didnt at least introduce myself.

Im looking to buy a Moto Guzzi V11 in Australia, probably a Ballabio or Scur or heck anything with low K's but kept in good shape by an enthusiast.

 

Im currenty stuck on a Vespa *please dont say anything, its punishment enough *

I use to own a classic triumph Tiger/bonny and pulled it apart more times than I could remember.

Funny thing is i started looking at modern Thruxtons, then Ducati sport classics, and Moto Guzzi's. And the bike that kept drawing me back with the most

charachter and possibility for tinkering was the MG V11!

So now I wait and save my pennys *hopeing to pick one up around the 10k aus mark* and contiue to lurk these forums and gather tech site/parts favorites

Anyway cheers and hope you travel well,

Miki.

Wish I had of seen this post a couple of weeks ago,cause I selling my Scura,It would of been more money but it already has Ohlins and $4500 worth of extra's.

[Orson]

Wish I had of seen this post a couple of weeks ago,cause I selling my Scura,It would of been more money but it already has Ohlins and $4500 worth of extra's.

Are you unhappy with your Scura?

[mark.gilmore]

Are you unhappy with your Scura?

No Orson,I'm very happy with it,I've put 62000km on the bike trouble free thanks to this forum.I think I need a duel purpose bike @ this stage so I can do some dirt with the buds.

The bike sold the other day to a mate on this forum,He already has a Greeny and a Caly,so I know the bike is going to a good home, and one I 'm sure I can go and see any time I want. I will buy a Guzzi again one day but for now I will have to do without.My loss Cheers Mark

[Bugs]

Howdy - I wanna thank Tom M for the heads up on the V11 in Bellows Falls (or Fellows Balls) VT. I met the owner yesterday (what a friggin beautiful day!) He rode my Duc while I followed on his 02 V11. I got a deposit on my bike, so there should be a V11 in my garage soon... Bugs.

[miki]

So I took Isabella out yesterday and 15mins from home I got some serious rain.. followed by some omfg is that Hail! She winked at me and split through it like a *sexy* bullet.

 

Next day however she reprimanded me for getting her wet *mm going to have to try hard to keep this mechanical and not romantic* with a non functional Neutral light!

And of course a failure to start unless the side stand was up. So I figured mmm I bet she has some greater electrical impedence after yesterdays session. Did a quick search of this

site and found the list of posts. Working from easiest fix to hardest I slipped my hand up her.. erm I mean I cleaned the connection on the neutral switch and TA DA! She winked at me

and let me know of her approval by starting and flashing her neutral light at me. I expect at some point I will have to take a small dremel to her connections and some silica grease, but

untill then.

yay for making this so easy!

 

cheers miki.

[muddy1100]

Gday Miki,

 

Welcome to what may prove to be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life!

 

These gorgeous things really get to you - have lent / swapped my Sport 1100 with several mates - they now all own Guzzi's...

 

Am envious - you have some fantastic roads near you - my fave is the Otway Nat Park run west of Apollo Bay - used to blast that one regularly...

 

There are some ripper roads between Bendigo and Hamilton as well - with almost zero police presence Ho Ho!

 

Rubber down, tin up - that's all you have to remember!!

 

Cheers,

 

mud

 

PS - stick a pin on the homepage - we need more Aussies waving the flag!