Long time V11 owners, help me out...rust?

[croaker2]

Respect to all of you.

 

I have been riding and buying bikes since I was 13. Triumphs, Suzukis, Honda, etc. Never owned a Guzzi. My wife and I live in Monterey, California within a mile of the Pacific Ocean. Great place to live and ride. We moved two years ago to a condo overlooking the ocean. My problem? No garage. I thought that if I could keep my '08 Triumph Bonneville and '01 Honda Valkyrie clean and covered in our carport (has a roof but no walls) I would be okay with rust and corrosion. Sadly, within six months the Triumph was showing rust on spokes and fasteners and got nothing but worse. I sold the Triumph last year. Now the Valkyrie is getting hammered. The chrome is flaking off the aftermarket exhaust, etc. I can't stand to see that great bike go to hell, so am selling the Valkyrie now. Hopefully to someone with a garage. There are two bikes that I have been interested in for a long time. My first choice would be a V11, but a close second would be a BMW 1100 Boxer Cup replica. But I would rather go without a bike than watch another one rust like an old wheel barrow. Have any of you been in a similar situation? Yes, moving to a place with a garage would be great but I'd have to divorce my wife of 25 years. There is a guy who lives in the building next to ours and he has had a BMW 1150R since before we moved in and his bike has only a half cover and looks nearly new. Do you think a V11 would hold up with reasonable care?

[Lucky Phil]

Respect to all of you.

 

I have been riding and buying bikes since I was 13. Triumphs, Suzukis, Honda, etc. Never owned a Guzzi. My wife and I live in Monterey, California within a mile of the Pacific Ocean. Great place to live and ride. We moved two years ago to a condo overlooking the ocean. My problem? No garage. I thought that if I could keep my '08 Triumph Bonneville and '01 Honda Valkyrie clean and covered in our carport (has a roof but no walls) I would be okay with rust and corrosion. Sadly, within six months the Triumph was showing rust on spokes and fasteners and got nothing but worse. I sold the Triumph last year. Now the Valkyrie is getting hammered. The chrome is flaking off the aftermarket exhaust, etc. I can't stand to see that great bike go to hell, so am selling the Valkyrie now. Hopefully to someone with a garage. There are two bikes that I have been interested in for a long time. My first choice would be a V11, but a close second would be a BMW 1100 Boxer Cup replica. But I would rather go without a bike than watch another one rust like an old wheel barrow. Have any of you been in a similar situation? Yes, moving to a place with a garage would be great but I'd have to divorce my wife of 25 years. There is a guy who lives in the building next to ours and he has had a BMW 1150R since before we moved in and his bike has only a half cover and looks nearly new. Do you think a V11 would hold up with reasonable care?

Great to live close to the ocean but the reality is its hard on everything, bikes,cars,homes,and electronic equipment. The more the breeze blows off the water the worse it is. If you get regular sea mists then forget trying to keep anything long term especially electronic stuff.

AS for the Guzzi it will suffer more than most bikes. The finish isn't that durable on them to start with but living near the sea will kill one unless you can hermetically seal the thing between rides.

Ciao

[GuzziMoto]

I would think a bike with a higher content of aluminum and stainless steel would be better, but any bike in that environment is going to have a hard time.

[croaker2]

LuckyPhil,

 

Yeah...the fog has rolled in again this morning. I guess I am fooling myself thinking I can have the bike I want and keep it in decent shape. Maybe I could get away with buying a cheap, used bike with full plastic fairing, enough that hides the rot from view and then just expect to junk it in four years. That's probably what I'll end up doing. Thanks for your replies, guys.

[mznyc]

I would go the "buy a bike that I wont have an emotional attachment to" route.At least until you move somewhere with a garage,

if that will ever happen.Can you rent a garage space somewhere farther inland?

The Kawasaki Versys won BOT a couple years ago,great all rounder and I see a lot of low miles,clean ones for cheap on Ebay.For something sportier the Ninja 650(same motor as Versys),or Suzuki SV1000,I owned a 650 and had a blast with it,had a similar space problem and sold to a friend.

Cant explain why your neighbors bike is not showing rust though,odd,maybe cleaning after every ride?

Hmm,divorce you say,...

[docc]

Yeah, the wife said it's her or the Guzzi . .

 

Gosh I'm gonna miss the old gal.

[grossohc]

Coat the bike in ACF50 or similar!!!

[GraeV11]

Don't you have a lift and a kitchen ???

[Cabernet]

Got a V11 2003 (in 2004)and had a BMW R850R 2001 new. I have an attitude that if I have the time and weather to give a bike a good clean then don't waste it and go for a good ride. The BMW went in 2009 as it was rotting underneath me. The V11 is staying. It is not perfect, but the not bad (by my standards).

[Skeeve]

... My wife and I live in Monterey, California within a mile of the Pacific Ocean. ... My problem? No garage. ... But I would rather go without a bike than watch another one rust like an old wheel barrow. Have any of you been in a similar situation? Yes, moving to a place with a garage would be great but I'd have to divorce my wife of 25 years. There is a guy who lives in the building next to ours and he has had a BMW 1150R since before we moved in and his bike has only a half cover and looks nearly new. Do you think a V11 would hold up with reasonable care?

 

Boeshield T-11. Won't stop environmental corrosion, but will help slow it down. It'll give your shiny bits a nice matte finish too.

 

Do you have an assigned space in the carport? There's a company that makes a little fabric motorcycle shed [think of a convertible top that folds manually from the ground in front of the bike over the whole thing, attached to it's own base that you roll the bike onto, & can lock closed.]

 

Does your carport have power access? If so, a small dehumidifier w/ the little portable garage mentioned above might be the best combo.

 

Otherwise, rent garage space further inland, or switch to scooters. Motorcycles want to sleep in a garage!

[fotoguzzi]

the good thing about a v11 Lemans is there is no chrome (accept the ring around tach and speedo) the other parts can rust.