What did you do to your V11 today?

[audiomick]

27 minutes ago, Tomchri said:

... the german hot rod Greenie.

I had a second look at those test reports. I assumed that it was two different bikes, but it seems it was two tests of the same bike. That makes it very interesting, because the numbers are different. So what had changed? The wheel diameters (Durchmesser) are different. Going by the dates on the report, I could imagine that the bike had got a new front tyre, but was still on the same rear. That would explain the front being a couple of mm bigger, but the rear a few smaller.

The trail in the second report is marginally shorter, the wheelbase about 5 mm shorter. Maybe the forks got pushed a bit higher through the triple-clamps?

I can't really imagine what might have caused the changes in the numbers in the last section, unless through pushing the forks up a bit they got a little out of line (one slightly higher than the other...), causing a bit of a twist between the front and rear wheel.

And an interesting question is why the bike was tested twice within less than a year? That sort of test generally is not for free, and would not normally be made without a reason.

[Lucky Phil]

On 4/3/2025 at 10:13 AM, PJPR01 said:

Exactly why do they put springs on those exhaust headers.  I mean, how likely is it that both exhaust nuts or bolts are going to come undone, and the spring is the only thing holding it on.  Surely there must be a good explanation, other than aesthetics.

Any ideas?

It's a race exhaust header setup Scudd. Fast removal and install fitment and some latitude in fitment. Looks cool on a road bike.

Phil

[Lucky Phil]

An often overlooked defect with regards to steering issues is wheel bearing condition. To check the front wheel bearings you need to get the weight off the front wheel and remove both brake callipers so you can check for movement at the rim without any incumbrancers. I had a Ducati ST2 that steered really badly and attributed it to a worn front tyre but it was shot front wheel bearings.

Phil 

[gstallons]

13 hours ago, Lucky Phil said:

It's a race exhaust header setup Scudd. Fast removal and install fitment and some latitude in fitment. Looks cool on a road bike.

Phil

No , it doesn't look cool. It looks righteous !

[Gmc28]

helluva setup there Tom!

Just arrived in Minnesota tonight, tomorrow making the drive to Houston, Minnesota, to see where the norwegian ancestors came over to establish the "bridgehead to america" around 1850.  Probably be more fun to be in norway in your garage.

[audiomick]

Still nothing to the V11, but I got the V35 Imola out of the garage today. 

@docc mentioned the concept of a gumption trap here

which pretty much covers why it has been sitting in the shed since December.

It had been sitting for several months with an oil leak inside the clutch housing. I finally got around to fixing that, got new tyres for it, put fresh oil in everywhere, and had the bi-annual roadworthiness test done. Two days later I noticed a bit of oil on the ground under the front oil drain plug. I hadn't changed the seal, and obviously should have.

Coincidently, I got hold of a Valeo starter motor about the same time. The Lucas starter motor in the bike still works, but weighs about 7 tons, so I would like to replace it with the lighter and more efficient Valeo starter motor. Unfortunately, although in really good condition, the Valeo turned out to be the earlier version without the clips on the magnets. So I bought a replacement housing with the clips.

On the day I went into the garage to do the seal and change the starter motor, I started with the starter motor, and discovered that the new-version with-the-clips housing didn't just bolt on. Something is different around the hole where the shaft sits in its bearing, I think, and I couldn't get the clip that holds the shaft in back on.

That stopped work for that day, and I didn't immediately have a plan for changing the seal on the drain plug without losing all of the practically brand new oil. So nothing happened for several months.

Today I got the seal changed, didn't fumble it, and only lost about a shot glass full of oil. I put a bit of carboard under the bike when I parked it, and if that is still clean tomorrow, the bike will be proclaimed "good to go" for the time being. The Valeo starter is on the back burner for now. The key realisation was that the starter motor is not really important and can be done in the course of time, and changing the seal just has to be done, so just get on with it.

Edited Sunday at 09:00 PM by audiomick

[Guzzijens]

On 4/11/2025 at 6:37 AM, Gmc28 said:

helluva setup there Tom!

Just arrived in Minnesota tonight, tomorrow making the drive to Houston, Minnesota, to see where the norwegian ancestors came over to establish the "bridgehead to america" around 1850.  Probably be more fun to be in norway in your garage.

I have actually some relatives in Minnesota,  as my grandfather and his brother emigrated to USA around 1900, but my grandfather travelled back to Norway after a few years (my father was born there).

 

[Gmc28]

17 hours ago, audiomick said:

Still nothing to the V11, but I got the V35 Imola out of the garage today. 

@docc mentioned the concept of a gumption trap here

which pretty much covers why it has been sitting in the shed since December.

It had been sitting for several months with an oil leak inside the clutch housing. I finally got around to fixing that, got new tyres for it, put fresh oil in everywhere, and had the bi-annual roadworthiness test done. Two days later I noticed a bit of oil on the ground under the front oil drain plug. I hadn't changed the seal, and obviously should have.

Coincidently, I got hold of a Valeo starter motor about the same time. The Lucas starter motor in the bike still works, but weighs about 7 tons, so I would like to replace it with the lighter and more efficient Valeo starter motor. Unfortunately, although in really good condition, the Valeo turned out to be the earlier version without the clips on the magnets. So I bought a replacement housing with the clips.

On the day I went into the garage to do the seal and change the starter motor, I started with the starter motor, and discovered that the new-version with-the-clips housing didn't just bolt on. Something is different around the hole where the shaft sits in its bearing, I think, and I couldn't get the clip that holds the shaft in back on.

That stopped work for that day, and I didn't immediately have a plan for changing the seal on the drain plug without losing all of the practically brand new oil. So nothing happened for several months.

Today I got the seal changed, didn't fumble it, and only lost about a shot glass full of oil. I put a bit of carboard under the bike when I parked it, and if that is still clean tomorrow, the bike will be proclaimed "good to go" for the time being. The Valeo starter is on the back burner for now. The key realisation was that the starter motor is not really important and can be done in the course of time, and changing the seal just has to be done, so just get on with it.

only a shot glass… sounds like a fast-fingers trick was involved? 

[Gmc28]

4 hours ago, Guzzijens said:

I have actually some relatives in Minnesota,  as my grandfather and his brother emigrated to USA around 1900, but my grandfather travelled back to Norway after a few years (my father was born there).

 

I’ll move this to another thread, but it would be interesting to hear where in MN that your grandfather came to.  Plenty of scandinavians in Minnesota, hence the name of the NFL team and all that, but on the other hand its amazing how often and quickly I find a shared history and/or ancestry thread with the Norwegians I run into all over.   That little town of Houston MN apparently was first really settled by a couple norwegians, the Omodt/Birkeland’s (a couple years after a civil war fellow started there), who my cousin in Oslo says were the “bridgehead to america” for a string of Norwegians that followed.  We’re a bunch of immigrants, like most americans (or, arguably, all people)…. hope I don’t get deported! 😎

Aside from the lack of mountains, its some nice country, and a pleasant place to explore on a motorcycle. maybe some day. 

[audiomick]

3 hours ago, Gmc28 said:

only a shot glass… sounds like a fast-fingers trick was involved? 

Just thought very carefully about what I had to do before I started. The replacement seal in my right hand, the loosened plug taken out with the left, swap, bung it back in. The potential for a fumble is high, but I got lucky.

[audiomick]

Forgot to mention: I rode it today for a couple of hours, about 120 km I think. The bike really is lots of fun.

[Tomchri]

On 4/11/2025 at 6:37 AM, Gmc28 said:

helluva setup there Tom!

Just arrived in Minnesota tonight, tomorrow making the drive to Houston, Minnesota, to see where the norwegian ancestors came over to establish the "bridgehead to america" around 1850.  Probably be more fun to be in norway in your garage.

Family from my fathers side in Jupiter FL and Chicago and Green Bay W.  My garage door is open  .

Cheers Tom