What did you do to your V11 today?

[fotoguzzi]

Better than original👍

[kalev11]

On 4/5/2023 at 11:52 AM, fotoguzzi said:

Better than original👍

Thanks, I was trying to mimic the titanium color scheme.  My engine is a transplant from a California EV Titanium so in a sense it is the original  valve cover color that came on that engine.
They were looking a bit second hand so I had to refinish them. 

[audiomick]

Ran the battery flat.

I rode it "the long way around" to work today. "Work" is in the Leipzig Opera House. As I was taking off my helmet, the Opera Director came past on his way to work. He greeted me, and commented on the bike and so on. As a result, I wasn't concentrating when I turned the key to engage the parking lock. I reckon I turned it all the way to "parking lights".

When I tried to start it to go home after work, nothing.

Fortunately:

There are some tools under the seat. This occurred to me in time to stop me from just going home in a huff, and I took the battery out.

I was all set to take the battery home on the tram, carrying the helmet and far too warmly dressed. Then it occurred to me that we (the sound and video department of the Opera House), by lucky coincidence related to a production that is running at the moment, have a CTEK battery charger set up ready to go in our storeroom. And I could leave the helmet and the excess clothing in my locker at work. So I went back in, plugged the battery onto the charger, and left the excess baggage in my locker.

Hopefully, when I go back in tomorrow around midday after the forecast rain has stopped, I'll be able to put the battery back in and ride the bike home. And hopefully, the battery is not defunct.

Also, I noticed when taking the battery out that the - terminal wasn't done up particularly tightly. The bonus would be that that is the cause of the starting problems it has been having. We'll see.

More likely, I'll have to get a new battery, I reckon.

[guzzler]

G'day mate

As someone who's also had a battery episode recently, hope it works out for you...

 

[gstallons]

Here is a good trick. When trying to revive a dead battery , connect a good battery in parallel w/the dead battery as you were going to jump start .  These two batteries need to be the same . Lead acid , AGM , etc. Now hook your charger to the good known battery and put your charger on high and let charge for about an hour , then set on low and leave for a day or two. When you are finished , load test the battery and see if your battery passes muster. Remember , all connections have to be perfect.

[audiomick]

Turns out the battery may not have been flat. I can't say for sure.

 

I went in today, got the battery out and re-installed it. As I was about to try and start it, I noticed the contact plate of the ignition switch hanging out of the left side of the fairing. I don't know if the bike was tampered with before I tried to start it last night, or during the night after I took the battery out and put it on the charger in the store room.

Anyway, I found the bit with the spring loaded copper contacts on it lying inside the fairing. With the help of a copious amount of electricians tape, I was able to make a contact, start the bike, and ride it to my garage. It is in there now, and I hope to be able to get it fixed fairly soon. First thing is to have a good look at the damage, then do some research into what parts and if they are available. As far as I could tell by squinting in under the instruments, the plastic cylinder that the whole business lives in is broken. I was too dispirited to have a closer look after I got it into the garage. Needless to say, I am not amused.

 

Edit: the first results of an internet search are not very encouraging....

https://motorize.de/de/368980-moto-guzzi-v11-sport-2003-schlosssatz-tankdeckel-schlsser-zndschloss.html

[LowRyter]

test 

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2orZXHc][img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52802762633_a540e8c773_h.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/2orZXHc]4259751[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/20458869@N08/]lowryterok[/url], on Flickr

 

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2orZXHc][img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52802762633_ee213b85c2_k.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/2orZXHc]4259751[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/20458869@N08/]lowryterok[/url], on Flickr

 

 

 

flicker sux

[Tinus89]

15 hours ago, audiomick said:

Turns out the battery may not have been flat. I can't say for sure.

 

I went in today, got the battery out and re-installed it. As I was about to try and start it, I noticed the contact plate of the ignition switch hanging out of the left side of the fairing. I don't know if the bike was tampered with before I tried to start it last night, or during the night after I took the battery out and put it on the charger in the store room.

Anyway, I found the bit with the spring loaded copper contacts on it lying inside the fairing. With the help of a copious amount of electricians tape, I was able to make a contact, start the bike, and ride it to my garage. It is in there now, and I hope to be able to get it fixed fairly soon. First thing is to have a good look at the damage, then do some research into what parts and if they are available. As far as I could tell by squinting in under the instruments, the plastic cylinder that the whole business lives in is broken. I was too dispirited to have a closer look after I got it into the garage. Needless to say, I am not amused.

 

Edit: the first results of an internet search are not very encouraging....

https://motorize.de/de/368980-moto-guzzi-v11-sport-2003-schlosssatz-tankdeckel-schlsser-zndschloss.html

This very much sounds like it has been tampered with...

[audiomick]

Yes, it was definitely tampered with. As I wrote, I just don't know whether the damage was already done when I took the battery out on the assumtion that it was flat, or whether the damage was done after that. The bike stood on the on-street parking bay all night.

There were other signs that someone had messed around with it. The left mirror was pointing off at an odd angle, the lights were on high-beam (definitely not switched by me...). Someone had a good fiddle with it.

I'm going around to the garage now to have a closer look at the damage...

[Chuck]

I hate that.. fortunately they were too stupid to hot wire it.

[Scud]

Some of us hoarders probably have a spare ignition switch. If a local hoarder is not willing to part with one, I'm pretty sure that I have one I could ship from the US.

[Guzzimax]

Annual roadworthyness MOT test for the Rosso Corsa on Saturday 

[audiomick]

Thanks for the offer, Scud. Someone in the German forum has already indicated that he might have a switch lying around. If I can't find anything here, I'll get back to you.

 

Here are some pictures of the damage:

 

The back of the switch was broken off. I think the internals are all still there and intact. If I were to re-use the contact plate, I would re-solder the yellow wire. There is too much copper showing there for my taste, probably from being pulled out by force. It seems to me, the only thing that is really broken is the cup that it all sits in.

 

Getting it all out was  a bit of a fiddle. I had to dismantle to this extent

Fairing screen off, and unbolt the instruments. I could get on to the screws to get the back of the switch off with a stubby #2 Phillips screwdriver. A bloody useless tool generally, but every workshop should have one for just such occasions.

The plug is under the tank. I was able to raise the tank without unplugging anything just enough to get a piece of 2x1 under the front of it to hold it up whilst I unplugged the cable. Positive point: there doesn't seem to be any "tank swelling" going on. The bolt at the back of the tank came out and went back in very easily.

[Guzzimax]

Fantastic ride out of around 150 miles today to a Buell & Guzzi meet at Sywell Aerodrome. I rode down with a group of 4 bikes; my V11, 1100 Sport Corsa, Cali 950 & a Triumph Tiger 800. My V11 and the 1100 Sport were the only spine frames there amongst the masses of V85’s & V7’s, even 2 new V100’s. The ride pace was “brisk” with many miles of winding B roads covered with surprisingly high velocities for old school air cooled Guzzi’s 

[Joe]

Guzzimax, my dad owned that exact model Buell, 1997 White Lightning I think. Looks like my kind of group, thanks for sharing.