What did you do to your V11 today?

[orangem2]

2004 v11 cafe sport:

valve adjustment

throttle body synch

oil change

new tires

lubed the drive shaft...

rides like a new bike!

[Scud]

Another successful visit to North County Powdercoating.

 

 

Also got a bunch stuff done for my K75s project.

[Chuck]

I know it's a little late to ask, but have you considered a Craig's list oven and your own gun?   

[czakky]

Wow you've got the swing arm off? How'd that go? Lemans or Scura?

[Scud]

I've thought a little about trying to do it myself, but the garage is already pretty crowded and the shop I use is very reasonable - and lots of color to choose from... If I had a few airplane hangers on my property it would be a different story.

 

Both V11 are currently functional. The swingarm in the picture was originally on the LeMans (it currently is using the swingarm from the parts bike). The lower subframe was on the parts bike. I'll probably put them on the Scura, cuz she'll be apart soon for the clutch.

 

The little brick's wheels came out nice in a glossy dark metallic grey (Pirellis they're sitting on are for the Scura): 

 

[JRD]

 

First successful (I hope) attempt at photo post.  Took this last week on a ride from north east corner of Georgia over to South Carolina via War Woman Road.  Met this great group of guys from Columbia, S.C. that come over just to ride on these wonderful roads. 

[czakky]

Nice fall day. Awesome ride. Probably not many left this year, it's gonna be a long winter....

[JBBenson]

Ran a second ground from one tach mounting bolt to the other. Seems to have fixed my intermittently bouncing (original Veglia) tachometer.

 

Then I did a 330 mile rounder from L.A. to the desert and back.

[Scud]

Then I did a 330 mile rounder from L.A. to the desert and back.

 

I hope it involved highway 243. 

[Rox Lemans]

Did a pipe swap on the V11s. Much much better in my opinion...

 

 

[plexiform]

When I bought my 02 Scura one of the allen bolts holding the decorative dash plate (#26) in place was loose so I tried to tighten it.  It just kept turning but never tightened.  So I dug deeper and found that the last housing that it screws in to (#31) was broken.  I ordered the parts from MotoInternational and finally got the chance to fix it today.  Turns out I had to take the gauge cluster housing off to get the job done.  Learned that in order to get that housing off, I had to reverse unscrew (meaning clockwise to unscrew) the trip meter knob (#3).  Once in there I found that all three bolts (#27) keeping this piece in place were hanging on by a thread.  This tells me the previous owner either overtightened all of these bolts and broke the plastic housing or who knows what else would have caused that.  I know the bike was tipped over once but I can't imagine causing this internal piece to break at the bolts but all the other outer pieces are fine other than minor scratches.  As I dug deeper I also found that the rubber piece (#19) that the carbon dash screws into had become dislodged.  I just superglued it back in place and clamped it down for a while and it is pretty solid now.  I replaced parts 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, since I was in there anyway.  Looks nice!  Everything works!  Someone once told me not to get a Guzzi unless I liked tinkering....they weren't kidding.  I thought this was going to be a 5 minute job.....not even close.

 

[MartyNZ]

Went to a motorcycle training course today.

It was the Ride Forever silver course for returning riders, for sharpening urban & open-road riding skills. http://www.rideforever.co.nz/

It was a full day of lecures, practical demonstrations, and a ride to Hilltop, with Dan Ornsby offering critical advice over radio on the way there & back. I thought that I was a competent rider who didn't need much advice, turns out I was wrong.

Ride Forever has a link to an article about why we may not see some things on the road, or from a motorcyclist point of view, why sometimes we are not seen. http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/raf-pilot-teach-cyclists/

It is an awesome course, so next I'm signing up for cornering techniques training on Ruapuna Track.

All Kiwis would find this both intesting and helpful. And it only cost $50 (subsidised by ACC).

 

My bike was the only Guzzi there. The instructors came over to look at it, and they just stared. I couldn't tell if they were thinking "WTF is that?" or "what a great looking bike!"

[Scud]

I keep thinking I should take a course like that - and do a track day. There's always room to improve. Thanks for the report.

 

The instructors were thinking: "Finally, somebody shows up on a proper motorbike."

[plexiform]

replaced grips today.  old ones were all ripped up.  

[Scud]

I cleared a few things out of the way so it would be easy to replace the crankcase breather hose and speedometer cable.