1500+ Mile Test Ride

[SMDL]

Greetings, all. As a new V11 Le Mans owner, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself.

 

Late last week, I flew from Toronto, ON, Canada to Fort Myers, FL to pick up my beautiful new (to me) red/black 2003 Le Mans from forum member "Mik". He was an absolute gentleman, putting me up at his home, and helping ferry me around to get everything sorted for my trip home. It is abundantly clear that Mik took fantastic care of the bike, as he seems to do with everything else, so I would encourage anyone looking for a Triumph Tiger (2005) to check out the one that he currently has for sale. You can be absolutely certain that it will have been very well treated!

 

Having confirmed that everything was in order with the Le Mans, I left Friday morning from South Florida, and made my first stop for the night at Macon, GA. On Saturday, I made a morning trip from Macon to Dahlonega, GA, to visit Rider's Hill/Black Mountain Cycles/European Motorsports/Tire Technicians/Six Gap Cafe. Lots of names (!) but great people, and they gave me a great deal on a new set of Pirelli Angel STs. I LOVE these tires!! Once that was done, I used the rest of the day (and a bit of the next) making my way to Daleville, VA (north of Roanoke) for a well-needed rest. Sunday was spent going from Daleville to the sprawling metropolis (not) of Lantz Corners, PA, where I found a good meal and clean room at the Lantz Corners Getaway. The last day, Monday, was spent geting to the border, satisfying customs for both countries, and then making my way home.

 

All in all, the trip was an unqualified success, and I absolutely fell in love with the Le Mans. There were only a couple of trouble spots, with the first occurring on Saturday night when I first had to ride after dark. As others have found with their V11s, I noticed that the oil pressure warning light was coming on under hard acceleration in first gear (very bright at night!), and I immediately cut the throttle to avoid damage. Being in a rural area, I had a really hard time finding 20w50, but when I did, I ended up using the whole quart. That put it just under the full line when the dipstick was in loosely, and just over when it was screwed in. Seems to be very happy there, and I haven't seen any more indications of low oil pressure. Note: we did check the oil before I left Florida, and added some, but it was about mid-way between the min and max lines, which is obviously not enough for this bike. I'll continue to watch this closely, and will plan to install a windage tray if the problem persists.

 

The other issue occurred on Monday morning when I went to leave Lantz Corners, and the battery was almost dead. I got the bike going, let it run for a while, and then took it over to the gas station to fill up (the tank was almost empty). I then realized, after shutting it off, that they didn't have premium, so I went to re-start it to go somewhere else. No dice. Lights, etc., were okay, but not quite enough oomph to crank it. Fortunately, I waited a couple of minutes and it cranked enough to start, and it was fine thereafter. I'm not sure if this is a sign of a failing battery, or if I screwed up and left the park lights on when I locked the steering the night before. I'm pretty sure I didn't, so will probably replace the battery to be safe (it is 7-8 years old!). I think people have suggested an Odyssey battery?

 

You're always taking a chance in attempting a long trip on an unfamliar, somewhat sporting bike, without having any idea of how comfortable it will be over the long haul. However, with the knowledge that I had gained here, and in consideration of my unusual body shape (short inseam and long arms), I was hopeful that it would be bearable. In truth, it was just that -- bearable -- but I will definitely plan to make a couple of charges to the ergonomics to make things perfect. My thought is to install the Motobits footpeg relocation kit, and a set of MPH risers. If anyone has any input on these, or feels that there is a better choice available, I would really appreciate hearing your thoughts.

 

Most importantly, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself, and to extend my thanks to the members of this forum for making available the excellent information that I have found here since joining. Thanks to you, I was able to begin to understand the unique nature of these bikes, amd prepare myself properly to find what suited me best. Hopfully, I will be able to do the same for others in years to come.

 

Cheers,

Shaun

[mznyc]

Awesome Shaun,

Whadda test ride.You went through what I think is the finest area east of the Mississippi to ride, the Southern Appalachian's,too bad you couldn't explore more.I find 10 days there and back from NYC gives you a nice sampler of beautiful roads and sights.

I would second the thoughts on the MPH risers ( I have em),want to replace the footpegs/controls,lotta good reviews from our members.

Also Rich Maud will re-do your seat and makes it much more comfortable.

I would post in the tech section with any mechanical issues as it will get our engineering capable members eyes on it.Hopefully just a battery.

Once you get her sorted hopefully you can come down to the Catskills,Adirondacks,or New England,for some rides!

Congrats,

Michael

[savagehenry]

You lucky dog! I only wish I could do that kind of ride, although I have put in a

 

Some guys here can't believe I get about 10,000 miles out of a set of tires (Pre-Angels, the Diablo Stradas) and brake pads. I can't believe ANYONE gets to the closer side of 10 years out of any motorcycle battery! I've found if your sitting charge isn't at least 13.5v, these bikes start acting funny. Do yourself a favor, buy that new battery and I bet you will not see that again. And I see you've already identified your next issue. You WILL need that windage plate, just not to control oil consumption. It is because the oil pick up is at the front of the sump, and hard take offs and such send all the oil back, letting you suck air for those moments. These bikes make hard take offs a VERY additive thing. My plate was the best mod I've done since I bought mine for the reasons stated above Ride it fast enough to scare yerself and still ride it home, Cheers S.H.

[sullvarni]

Just did 3.200 KLms on mine around British Columbia Canada also,(i live here),the funny thing is my riding partner was on a DR 650 duely talk about Mut and Jeff,the Guz ran like a Swiss clock almost,my rear wheel bearings went again,put new ones in last year,i know this is an issue with these bikes but only getting a year out of them is a bit much.

 

I to spooned on a fresh set of Pirelli Angel tires on mine before i left,what a difference from the Bridgestone 020s that were stock,can you say confidence inspiring,i looked for the twistiest roads i could find and with my Techno side bags Ventura top bag and tank bag loaded to the N*^s the Guz never missed a beat,God i love this bike if only i wasn't 65,it should be illegal to have that much fun at my age.

 

I was nearly home when my oil light came on also after some hard miles so my question is are the windage plate and the Roper sloppage plate the same thing and if not where can i get the windage plate and is Mr Roper still making his,as for your foot controls there was a chap on this site who machines a new setup which moves the controls forward for a more comfortable riding posi'tion which i purchased along with his oil pressure gauge kit in anodized Gold "Bling",i can't remember the name offhand it was Tech something,his post name was Ryland i think.

 

Stu.

[Baldini]

...

I was nearly home when my oil light came on also after some hard miles so my question is are the windage plate and the Roper sloppage plate the same thing and if not where can i get the windage plate and is Mr Roper still making his...

Yes, they are the same thing. I would pm Pete Roper & ask about availability. It maybe someone in the states still has some - you could try search? Meanwhile, it is important to keep oil level up to max. I keep it slightly over which has not given me any issues.

 

KB

[Skeeve]

...my rear wheel bearings went again,put new ones in last year,i know this is an issue with these bikes but only getting a year out of them is a bit much.

 

Isn't that the indication you've got one of the undersize axle spacers? Something about Guzzi putting in some that were .1" too short or somesuch. Or is that only front wheels? Whichever, you're darn right that lunching wheel bearings every year is too often: I've ridden bikes w/ substantial mileage that have bearings 20 years old that are still fine...

[Baldini]

...Isn't that the indication you've got one of the undersize axle spacers? Something about Guzzi putting in some that were .1" too short or somesuch...

I don't think that the spacers were fitted too short, but that they can be compressed by tightening (or, arguably, overtightening) the axle nut. The Guzzi manual gives an interesting torque setting for rear axle: Rear wheel spindle screw (housing side): 120Nm.. It's unclear to me why they spec housing side.

I measured distance between bearings, made a stronger spacer to fit & problem went away.

[belfastguzzi]

There were short spacers. You know how Guzzi likes to produce 'special batches' every now and again, of, er, 'lightened' parts. Particularly around 2002.

 

This is about the only part that I ever got on warranty from Guzzi – except that it took over a year to arrive. I kid you not.

Meantime, I made a little shim instead.

[sullvarni]

There were short spacers. You know how Guzzi likes to produce 'special batches' every now and again, of, er, 'lightened' parts. Particularly around 2002.

 

This is about the only part that I ever got on warranty from Guzzi – except that it took over a year to arrive. I kid you not.

Meantime, I made a little shim instead.

 

So can someone explain just how i go about finding out if it is the spacer "IE"what exactly I'm looking for,is it the width of the spacer,or how it's mounted,and what is the measurement between the bearings supposed to be,thanks in advance.

 

Stu.

[mikie]

Would someone please tell me how I can determine whether my bike has the Roper plate in it? I'd appreciate the info.

[savagehenry]

Would someone please tell me how I can determine whether my bike has the Roper plate in it? I'd appreciate the info.

Look at the seam between the engine case and the upper sump. If you see only a gasket, you don't have a windage/sloppage plate. If you see the case, a gasket, a "shim", another gasket, then the upper sump, you've got one. A windage tray/plate and a sloppage plate are basically the same thing. I don't know how thick Pete's plates are. I made mine myself, and it is .062" thick, or 1/16 of an inch. Hope that helps

[SMDL]

Thanks for the great advice, folks. I picked up an Odyssey battery today, and spoke to Greg at MI about the Motobits peg relocation. Still trying to decide about the MPH risers vs. Convertibars, so if anyone has compared them, I would really appreciate an opinion. Also, has anyone used the MPH risers on a 2003+ Le Mans?

 

Cheers,

Shaun

[orangeokie]

The Dahlonega, GA guzzi shop is a must see for anyone in the area. They are a great bunch of guzzi folks and the riding in the area is some of the best I have seen. These folks will "deal" if you are looking to buy.

[raz]

So can someone explain just how i go about finding out if it is the spacer "IE"what exactly I'm looking for,is it the width of the spacer,or how it's mounted,and what is the measurement between the bearings supposed to be,thanks in advance.

 

Stu.

I believe this is mr Roper's words:

"If you want a cure, once and for all, measure ACCURATELY the distance between the two bearing registers in the wheel and have a proper spacer machined from 2.5mm wall tube to that EXACT dimension +0.25mm. Get a pair of poxy 2RS/C3 bearings of the correct type, stick 'em in and forget about it for 100,000Km!!!!"

[Baldini]

There were short spacers...

 

I dunno. Maybe short spacers from factory (did they tell you that?)relate to odd torque spec in book.

Reason that, in my case, I figured it was deformation was that bearing was fine for 3k miles til I took the wheel out, torqued up the axle nut & it was ...gone in 60 seconds.

Maybe bearing was OK for a while cos it was torqued up by finely trained factory mechanics precisely to manual (at housing side)& that makes a difference.

But I can't see why it should ... & in Mr Hamfist's world he needs a fixing that responds well to brute force & ignorance, so he made his own.

Just another episode in the joys & mysteries of the marque.

KB