V11 Triple Tree / Geometry Changes

[rebelpacket]

Edited

[Trevini]

I can't really help too much (lack of knowledge etc), But have a few personal observations/experiences to share. Mainly tyre related, I'm afraid.

 

On my other bike, a TDM 900, the handling changed considerably after I fitted PR2s and not for the better. The front end never felt planted like before when I had Conti Road Attacks fitted. One thing I noticed is that a 160 section rear PR2 is actually the same width as a 180 section Pirelli Diablo Strada (as fitted to my V11) and much wider than the previously fitted road attack. Like yours before changing the bars, before fitment I could deck the bike out easily and now for the first time in my life I have chicken strips!

 

Maybe the weight distribution changes have made the bike more sensitive to steering inputs due to the more upright position and /or (possibly) wider bars. Have you tried any different settings on the steering damper?

 

Geometry changes seem a bit drastic on what is a sweet handling bike to start with, so something else could have changed to cause it.

[orangeokie]

How did it handle before the change? Exactly what parts did you change out? Can you post some before and after pics?

[jrt]

What was 'highly debated' was the 2000/2001 models with the steeper steering angle. In '02 (or 03?), MG went to a more relaxed or more trail steering setup since some folks had complained about the early one.

Yours should be a very stable bike. I would start to think about some of the front end adjustments; are the fork legs the same length without a wheel between them? same angle (in case the triple trees weren't manufactured properly)? I can't really address tires, as I am not much (at all) an expert.

I have an earlier, short-frame, model that handles great. The long-frame models should be very pleasant to ride.

Good luck

Jason

[Tom M]

When you added the higher bars it shifted your weight rearward. Try sliding the fork tubes up through the triple clamps 1/2" or so and crank up the rear preload a bit to compensate for the weight shift and see if that helps.

 

Do you have stock springs front & rear?

 

I agree that that's an '02 based on the forks and the tank in that picture. I believe the '03/04 bikes had in-tank fuel pumps without the chin pad and different forks and caps.

[Baldini]

V11 carries a lot of it's considerable weight at the back, & can feel a bit vague/prone to understeer into corners. High bars/moving weight back exacerbate that. It's harder to get your bodyweight over front wheel with sit-up handlebars: you need to load the front if you're going to push a V11 in turns, sat right up to tank. As said above, dropping triple clamps on forks & increasing rear ride ht will put some extra wt on front, quicken turn-in, & it will feel more planted. Is suspension set up set up right for your weight - if rear's sagging or it's bouncing around it won't help? Is it worse on bumpy going? I guess if you done racing set-up you know this stuff, but it seems a bit radical to go for new triple clamps before suggesting the obvious.

 

Riding style? Guzzis work best ridden v smooth - but I see you have an old Tonti so you already know that...

Fast-idle lever home? What's idle speed - not affected by turning bars? Nothing snagging?

 

Was problem there before you fitted bars?

 

If you're really going to push on, you might try stickier/faster-steering tyres. I have Pilot Sport 2CT's: good grip, good feedback & quick turn-in.

 

KB

[savagehenry]

How many miles, do you know the servicing and the intervals of that service that was done by the previous owner, have you checked the feel of the steering head bearing with the front end off the ground, have you felt the swing arm pivot bearings while the rear wheel was off, have those bearings seen grease in a while? I'd start there. Good luck, S.H.

[luhbo]

 

... I know it moves me further back in a "normal" riding position. When I'm "hauling acorns" as they would say, I lean over the front. ..

 

You might try Enzo's solution posted in another thread. He lifted the whole back of his V11, at least 2 cm I think, and claimed a big improvement in the direction you're searching something.

 

Hubert

[Mike Stewart]

rebelpacket, Did you ever get your bike's handling straightened out?

 

Yes, your bike is an 02, just look on the ID plate on the steering head for the date. The 02 and 03 bike frames are the same and are very stable in the turns. I have ridden many Ducs and other bikes as well and find the Guzzi's rock solid in the turns. Even the early V11 Sports were fine, just a hair more twitchy.

 

What size tires did you put on the bike? The stock tires on my 03 Rosso were hard to turn in, infact the first time I rode this bike at speed, I almost overshot the first turn as I could not make the bike turn in quick enough. A set of Pirelli Corsa tires and she handles like a dream. I have put in over 40,000 miles on a V11 Sport and my Rosso, never had the front end push once, now if you asked me about my K75S, it would push it's front end in every fast turn.

 

One thought is to check you engine mount bolts, I hear that if they are missing that they cause big handling problems.

 

Just a thought,

Mike

 

 

 

 

I believe my 2003 is actually a re-badged 2002. As I recall 2003 got the "Satin" engine paint, while I still have the fuzzy stuff. I'm unsure if this means only the engine is similar, or if the whole bike is the same.

 

I put on a LSL bar kit in place of the stock clip-ons. I retained the same fork tube height in the triples as well. Below is a picture:

 

 

I know it moves me further back in a "normal" riding position. When I'm "hauling acorns" as they would say, I lean over the front. There is usually some hanging off as well.

 

Its hard to describe a "feel", which is often why handling threads like this one get so long. The best way I can describe the feedback I get from the bike is, understeer. At neutral or +1 throttle while cranked over, it feels like the front is ready to push. I've confirmed (several scary times now) that if pushed over further, the front end will indeed start to push out. Mind you, I'm not decking the bike out on anything currently. The movement from the front wheel starts well before pegs, exhaust or anything else will scrape the ground.

 

I read a thread in which Greg Fields was speaking about "canted" triple-trees, though I couldn't dechiper if it was a good thing, or a bad thing.