Help me find a green bike

[swooshdave]

That stupid green bike made me put the Triumph on Craigslist. Super nice guy came by 5 hours later and bought it.

 

I just texted the green bike, unless one of you %^%^& got it first. 

[Scud]

...unless one of you %^%^& got it first. 

 

I'm glad it was not closer to me... such a good deal. It won't last long.

 

Best wishes. I hope she goes home to you in Portland.

[swooshdave]

So then the question is do I go for the green one (and you know I like the green) or something like a 2004 Lemans? The fairing is tempting as I'm planning on riding to Barber next year. Help me spend the money!

 

Of course I could just be patient and see if a Rossa Corsa or a Tenni pops up...

[swooshdave]

To help you out:

 

 

 

 

[Scud]

Go get the Greenie. If you want to spend a little more, you could upgrade the suspension and put a nice carbon-fiber fly-screen on it. Maybe a few farkles, like bar-end mirrors... silver rizoma fluid tanks... maybe a carbon fiber belly pan... or a smaller inner fender...

 

How much more help do you want spending your money? I suppose you could put a new exhaust on... or an LED headlight...

 

My Scura is all-day comfortable with the fly-screen. You don't really need the bigger fairing for long-distance.

[swooshdave]

I'm just wondering if I should look at the later bikes as there were some improvements.

[Scud]

Well... the 2003 and 2004 bikes are probably the best sorted - but then you get the longer frame and the wider rear wheel along with it. From what I can see, the red-frame bikes are every bit as reliable. The Tenni is beautiful, but suffers from the same clutch/flywheel as the Scura - and the same bubbling engine paint as other 2002 models. It seems that the red-frame bikes are more prone to cracked transmission cases (like Low Ryter's recent problem) - and the later frames hold everything together a little more securely.

 

If you want Ohlins and a fairing, you'll be looking for a Rosso Corsa or Nero Corsa. 

 

Up to you... but you said "help me find a green bike."

[swooshdave]

Up to you... but you said "help me find a green bike."

 

I did say green, but if I start to have a modicum of sense I might want to look at the later bikes.

 

I'm getting nervous about the cracked transmission now. The green bike has 18k miles on it so it's not fresh. Nor has he done anything with the electricals, unless they were done in the first 7k miles with the first owner.

[Scud]

All the problems with various models seem pretty infrequent. The most notorious is the exploding flywheel from the Scura - while low-probability, the damage is catastrophic. A cracked tranny case can be dealt with - as can electrical stuff. What electrical stuff are you worried about?

 

18K miles is barely broken in. Pretty darn low miles for a 16 year-old bike.

 

If you had a modicum of sense, you would get a Honda ST1100. Sense is over-rated.

[BigBlock]

Like Scud said 18K miles is just broken in. My Greenie has 60,000 km(40,000 miles). The previous owner pretty much had all the electrical and mechanical problems sorted out.

 

As far as the cracked tranny problem, I've checked for leaks and cracks and everything looks good so I will continue to enjoy riding it.

 

Go ahead and get that Greenie!!

[czakky]

Electrical problems= ground strap to regulator and fresh relays, there I fixed it!

 

Isn't there a home brew gusset being made for the transmission issue? http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1797&page=7&do=findComment&comment=218485

 

Also remember that the later bikes also have the even less reliable (ITI?) gauges. Plus the quick to come apart front crossover that will need to be dealt with.

 

Pick your poison but imo the early red frames are just as easy if not easier to sort than later bikes....

[Chuck]

As Scud mentioned, the Lemans fairing is not a deal breaker. I had a Rosso and Scura at the same time, and was more comfortable with the fly screen on the Scura.

[swooshdave]

Let's put it this way, all things being roughly equal do you go for the bike in better condition? Or do you still go for the Greenie even if it has some wear and tear? I'll post some of the scrapes and bruises later.

 

Which models had gas tank problems?

[swooshdave]

Trip odo is broken.

 

 

 

 

[swooshdave]

To help you out:

 

 

 

 

 

Any idea what the thing at the back of the tank is? It doesn't look like knee wear.