judgefargo Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 Well guys, I have been keeping myself from posting anything on your great forum until my lady arrived, and finally she has!! I must say before anything, that I come from KTM monocylinder bikes (690 SM Prestige, Duke, etc.. and some KLX 650R down the line) so this is my first twin cylinder bike. And all because of my dad, you see I have grown up with a variety of Lemans 1, 1000, Ducati 750ss 900sp etc in the family, and just fell in love with his old Lemans I. And after searching for a long time for a decent priced one to restore with no luck, I started looking for alternatives, and one day I saw a guy that had transformed a V11 into a Lemans 1! Now how cool is that, technology from the future with a body (aesthetic at least) from the past.. And just couldn't help my self to give it a go. But I think I over did it and got something to nice to dismantle and turn into a "V11 Lemans I". Well, here is a picture of my bike, I hope you like it and please feel free to comment on my thoughts and ideas. Big hug from Mallorca to you all!
stewgnu Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 Looks beautiful! I am somewhat biased though... Lucky you living in Spain- I took my old W650 round Spain and Portugal a few years ago and enjoyed myself immensely- Great roads + scenery, I am most jealous of you!I do know the solution to your problem too: - Keep the V11 as is and ride the snot out of her. - And keep looking for an old Le Mans mk 1/mk 2! Stew. p.s. This forum's ace.
Scud Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 Fantastic bike - as is. Although there are probably plenty of small things you could do to make it your own if you still want to do something to it - some kind of pricey, some nearly free. If you want a project bike, maybe you should start with one that is not already in such good condition. It's a lot easier to put scratched, faded, or otherwise worn-out parts on the shelf than perfect ones. A conversion project like you're contemplating takes the bike off the road for a while - so you have to factor that in. I'm with stewgnu on at least 2 points - go riding, and "this forum is ace." Like the old Crosby, Stills, & Nash song says: "Love the one you're with." I'm new here too, I recently got got a Scura that I've been tinkering with (and riding as much as possible). If I had your bike (and based on my recent experience), I'd consider some of these mini-projects: Free - chop (and file... and sand) the outer fender behind the license plate Cheap - spray-tint the turn signal lenses Spendy - Ghezzi-Brian carbon fiber inner fender . There are other, easier to install, options, but I am quite happy with the look and function of this one. Of course - make sure all the maintenance is up to date - and if you are unsure about the maintenance history, just do everything and give yourself a fresh start with new fluids, filters, plugs, etc. You may as well introduce yourself to the clutch bleeder... it plays "hard to get." PS - Thumpers are great too!!! ... and so are four-cylinder bikes.... oh, and triples... even some sixes... BUT THERE IS NOTHING LIKE A BIG TWIN.
docc Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 Welcome, judgefargo! (Topic moved here from "Silly Banter" for best viewing and discussion.)
fotoguzzi Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 Cheap - spray-tint the turn signal lenses Or get some smoke signals off a Buell.
docc Posted January 11, 2015 Posted January 11, 2015 Cheap - spray-tint the turn signal lenses Or get some smoke signals off a Buell. Trouble with the Buell parts (even though they're pretty 'affordable') is that there is an inner amber lens to the outer smoked lens. Mine have suffered some failures of the single screw hold down. I think I'll go with the tinting next time. Looking forward to hearing back from judgefargo how his riding is going (not sure the weather in Spain this time of year when I am only charging batteries!)
judgefargo Posted January 11, 2015 Author Posted January 11, 2015 Hello Guys! Just got of the bike now, fortunately the weather here in Mallorca at the moment is excellent at 20Cº, so is a treat to ride. I must say I am very impressed with the bike, I wasn't expecting so much umph from a twin but this has loads of it. As I say I come from a KTM 690 SM and KLX 650 SM, and after having tried a mates Dorsoduro and being rather disappointed (it is quite underpowered) I did not know what to expect. I had not told my father about the Guzzi and went round to see him yesterday.. He jumped up in the air when he saw it, gave me a hug and lifted me up in the air also!! And said: Welcome to the family boy. So I said to him: You want to try it dad? I hadn't finished saying the phrase and he was already halfway into his leather jacket and in search for his helmet! hehe. He really enjoyed it by the way, so coming from a Guzzi fan for "Centuries" (my dad is 64) I am quite happy with his verdict. The mods I was looking into for starters with the bike were changing the front fairing for one off a Laverda 750 SFC. I have added a photo of a guy that has done so from Brazil I think he is, I'm sure you have seen the pic before. And regarding the Lemans I conversion I think you guys are right, maybe I should wait until I find a Mk1, the thing is.. well just imagine a Mk1 with V11 engine (pic also attached)!! Speak to you soon, and thanks ever so much for such a warm welcoming. PD: Thinking of removing the DBkillers from the exhausts (I have read that changing the cans sometimes derives into a hiccup at around 3000rpm, and I can notice it I think. Opinions?? 2
docc Posted January 11, 2015 Posted January 11, 2015 I have not seen that red LeMans with the SFC faring - Sweet!! Regarding modifying your pipes - simply do the very thorough tune-up after and enjoy the ride!
judgefargo Posted January 11, 2015 Author Posted January 11, 2015 My pipes are already Moded docc. Have not seen anyone in the forum with them on, but are handmade in Italy by this brand: http://www.exan.it/exan/?p=199&lang=en They sound pretty good I must say, I'll probably remove the DB Killers this week see if they make any difference apart from the sound.. hehe In what way can I tune the bike for these cans (most probably hasn't been done) without changing ECU?? Here's a pic so you guys can see them a little better (this is from when I went to pick it up after being unloaded from boat!), I think I was quite lucky for they look rather nice don't you guys think.?
Zooter Posted January 11, 2015 Posted January 11, 2015 The original ECU is fully tunable with the "Guzzidiag" software and a couple of cables.
Zooter Posted January 11, 2015 Posted January 11, 2015 I agree that chopping up such a nice bike would be a waste. The Laverda fairing does look sweet all the same. I like red with the shiney wheels, forks and pipes combination very much. Stripping yours back might retain future classic value, or not.
judgefargo Posted January 12, 2015 Author Posted January 12, 2015 Right, removed the DB Killers from the cans this afternoon and went for a short ride to work on the bike, apart from the sound that has increased "slightly", the power curve has modified a little and now has a bit more power at higher revs, of course this could just be me being psychologically tricking myself into thinking so. But I do think the curve has changed a little. Also the hiccup at 3.000 rpm is more noticeable than before, up until the bike warms up a bit, and then it gets better. Is there any way of tuning the bike for now before I buy the cable? I do have an OBDII for my E46 BMW so I presume I would only need the conversion cable into "Italian" connection. Oh and by the way, the last owner told me he had put the tick-over up so the battery charged whilst at traffic lights.. And as you can imagine I would like to bring it down a bit to its normal guzzi popopop sound.. hehe Any DYI here in the forum for that?? Also I have noticed there is a small PVC white wheel that connects the two injectors together, I guess that has to do with throttle timing?? Sorry for all the questions guys, have had 0 experience with Twins so am a bit lost.. Once again thanks for your help, would love some pics of your MODS by the way! Regards, Jake
Zooter Posted January 12, 2015 Posted January 12, 2015 Yes. You need the 3pin Iti converter cable. Search Guzzidiag, in fact it's in one of the pinned topics in one if the FAQ sections. I beleive the map is customizeable around the actual operating temperature, so cold running gets more or less of something to cure the stumble. 1st order of business is balancing your throttle bodies with the balancing manometer you diy from a couple of meters of tube and a yardstick. I forget what the white knob does, haven't got my bike delivered yet!
Zooter Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 Hereyago, tuning steps pre fiddling with ECU: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12204 1
docc Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 Is it really so wrong to psychologically trick ourselves into being happier with our V11? Seriously, go to the link Zooter posted and work through that tune up procedure. This explains the white wheel. Do it every 4,000 miles - you and the bike will become one! 1
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