What did you do to your V11 today?

[Antiquar]

I applied a small measure of Permatex Form-A-Gasket #2. 

[plexiform]

Added a factory rear rack and rear tail bag.  Should have been easy but ran in to a couple speed bumps:

1.  had to remove rear cowl to access top bolts on rear footpeg bracket but stripped the right sided bolt that connects front part of cowl to subframe near tank.  That took an entire day to fix.  Had to cut the head of the bolt with a dremel tool then cut the washer behind it and then manually turned it out with vise grip pliers.  

2.  Not sure if the rack is intentionally made to be slightly wide and require 'forcing' in to position to be mounted on or that was just a variation in mine.  But it required a lot of muscle to get the rack to be forced into position, but it looks perfectly symetrical and a very sturdy rack once mounted and tightened in place.  Essentially the open ends of the rack were further apart than the distance between the to rear footpeg brackets and this aluminum rack is not that maleable.  But worked out fine in the end so maybe it was engineered this way.  Anyone else have this issue?

3.  The tail bag is nice because it says moto guzzi on it but i think they could have done a better job with that piece.  The rack itself...amazing quality finish.  

 

 

[footgoose]

The bike looks gorgeous! My tail rack was a bit wider but sprung back easy when tightened. I'm glad it wasn't smaller!

 

If those side covers and front fender are carbon fiber, I can recommend a product called Flitz. It's a fine aluminum polish and it worked well for me on my CF dash panel. I used it on the sun faded tail body paint too. A little elbow grease and it shined up great.

[Lucky Phil]

Added a factory rear rack and rear tail bag.  Should have been easy but ran in to a couple speed bumps:

1.  had to remove rear cowl to access top bolts on rear footpeg bracket but stripped the right sided bolt that connects front part of cowl to subframe near tank.  That took an entire day to fix.  Had to cut the head of the bolt with a dremel tool then cut the washer behind it and then manually turned it out with vise grip pliers.  

2.  Not sure if the rack is intentionally made to be slightly wide and require 'forcing' in to position to be mounted on or that was just a variation in mine.  But it required a lot of muscle to get the rack to be forced into position, but it looks perfectly symetrical and a very sturdy rack once mounted and tightened in place.  Essentially the open ends of the rack were further apart than the distance between the to rear footpeg brackets and this aluminum rack is not that maleable.  But worked out fine in the end so maybe it was engineered this way.  Anyone else have this issue?

3.  The tail bag is nice because it says moto guzzi on it but i think they could have done a better job with that piece.  The rack itself...amazing quality finish.  

Yes they need to be pulled into place somewhat.

Ciao

[plexiform]

The bike looks gorgeous! My tail rack was a bit wider but sprung back easy when tightened. I'm glad it wasn't smaller!

 

If those side covers and front fender are carbon fiber, I can recommend a product called Flitz. It's a fine aluminum polish and it worked well for me on my CF dash panel. I used it on the sun faded tail body paint too. A little elbow grease and it shined up great.

Will that product Flitz put the shine back in the CF parts?  mine are definitely faded.

[footgoose]

 

The bike looks gorgeous! My tail rack was a bit wider but sprung back easy when tightened. I'm glad it wasn't smaller!

 

If those side covers and front fender are carbon fiber, I can recommend a product called Flitz. It's a fine aluminum polish and it worked well for me on my CF dash panel. I used it on the sun faded tail body paint too. A little elbow grease and it shined up great.

Will that product Flitz put the shine back in the CF parts?  mine are definitely faded.

 

 

 

I was afraid to use it on my CF mufflers only because they used less resin in construction, creating a more textured surface. Sun fading caused them to have a dry and rough surface. I thought the white creamy polishing compound would be a mess. I used Flitz on my CF dash panel and a BMW CF front fender like yours. It made them look new. They had a smooth resin surface to start with under that sun fade, and they polished up just like the aluminum that the product was made for. Works well on paint fade too. Just be careful to not polish right through the paint. It takes all that dry chalky crap right off. I have only used a moist rag and fingers, be veeerrry careful to use an electric tool. It will put a shine on the 'factory flat' dulled finishes, and will restore the faded pork chops too. Probably any high quality metal polish will do the same thing. I just always have a tube of Flitz around.

Did I say.. your bike is beautiful?

 

ps. I used it to clean my head pipes when they were off last winter. It cleaned off everything, and put a nice polish on as well.

[plexiform]

 

 

The bike looks gorgeous! My tail rack was a bit wider but sprung back easy when tightened. I'm glad it wasn't smaller!

 

If those side covers and front fender are carbon fiber, I can recommend a product called Flitz. It's a fine aluminum polish and it worked well for me on my CF dash panel. I used it on the sun faded tail body paint too. A little elbow grease and it shined up great.

 

Will that product Flitz put the shine back in the CF parts?  mine are definitely faded.

 

 

I was afraid to use it on my CF mufflers only because they used less resin in construction, creating a more textured surface. Sun fading caused them to have a dry and rough surface. I thought the white creamy polishing compound would be a mess. I used Flitz on my CF dash panel and a BMW CF front fender like yours. It made them look new. They had a smooth resin surface to start with under that sun fade, and they polished up just like the aluminum that the product was made for. Works well on paint fade too. Just be careful to not polish right through the paint. It takes all that dry chalky crap right off. I have only used a moist rag and fingers, be veeerrry careful to use an electric tool. It will put a shine on the 'factory flat' dulled finishes, and will restore the faded pork chops too. Probably any high quality metal polish will do the same thing. I just always have a tube of Flitz around.

Did I say.. your bike is beautiful?

 

ps. I used it to clean my head pipes when they were off last winter. It cleaned off everything, and put a nice polish on as well.

Thanks. I will order a tube of it and give it a try.

[Lucky Phil]

 

The bike looks gorgeous! My tail rack was a bit wider but sprung back easy when tightened. I'm glad it wasn't smaller!

 

If those side covers and front fender are carbon fiber, I can recommend a product called Flitz. It's a fine aluminum polish and it worked well for me on my CF dash panel. I used it on the sun faded tail body paint too. A little elbow grease and it shined up great.

Will that product Flitz put the shine back in the CF parts?  mine are definitely faded.

 

Yours aren't faded they are a matt finish. Nicer looking in my opinion

Ciao

[Scud]

Just pulled the gear selector box off the LeMans. The downshifts have been getting worse the last few days. No metal in oil, it all looks like gears and other mysterious stuff in there... this is my first time inside a transmission. Time to study the shift improvement threads. 

[czakky]

Transmissions are a bit of a mystery to me too. Seems like a solid if not imprecise piece of the v11.... Until Lucky Phil's thread/invention.

[Gino Rondelli]

I lent mine to my wife who after a short trip announced I may not get it back, I was on the T3, she came charging past me having fun. V11's are addictive.

[docc]

"Marked"  100,000 miles on the Sport following a couple good friends on a sweet little curvy road on the way to get another Guzzi ready for next weekend's South'n Spine Raid. Success on both counts!

 

Beautiful photo, Gino! And fabulous to be riding with Fiona!

[Scud]

The long-awaited milestone has arrived... and she starts her journey toward 200,000. Very nice moment to make the magic mileage - better then commuting.

[Scud]

Today, I took the Scura on a proper loop (took the long way to a family barbecue in Orange County) with over 24,000 feet of elevation changes* - lots of ups and downs from sea-level to over 8,000 feet on the way to Big Bear.  There is nothing like cranking up a loooong grade with the V11 howling. Tires are almost done, so now I'm thinking about another set of Angels or if I want to try the Michelin PR4s.

 

*according to my trusty GPS track.

[footgoose]

I watched as a large fan in my shop's ceiling, fell on both my Guzzi's. It put a deep gouge on my seat cowl on one bike, and a nice dent in my new Ti muffler on the other. I was close enough to see it come loose and I managed an attempt at swatting it away. Like when you knock over your beer and you move like lightning to catch it.... and to everyone's amazement, you do, but the beer still goes everywhere.

 

"Nothing's really helping I've been thinking
'bout drinking again"  - Avett Brothers