POSSIBLE 2000 v11 PURCHASE

[bikelee]

Saw this on my local Craigslist site: https://albany.craigslist.org/mcy/d/2000-moto-guzzi-v11/6508373465.html. Maybe 20 miles from my house!
I'm seriously thinking of purchasing this bike. Seems to have some nice add-ons. The bags, exhaust, Convertibars and foot controls.
He noted that the tach did not work. Is this easy to fix ?
Is it a fair price ?

The guys at Wildguzzi sent me here:.

"As mentioned above, buy it.. join the V11 lemans forum. That's where the hopelessly addicted V11 sport guys hang out.. and.. truly know every little thing about them. You'll be glad you did" 

 

I love Guzzis and have had a Rossa Corsa, an LM1, an LM4 and a Ballabio ( this was a lemon). They all leaked oil from one place or another. I'm a pretty good wrench but if I do get in over my head the closest Guzzi dealer is 2.5 hours away.

I really like this bike but to be honest with with you guys i'm a little afraid of all the potential problems I could have. Am I worrying for nothing ??

 

As it has been awhile, what questions should I ask before purchasing ?

 

Any help and encouragement  would be greatly appreciated. Thanks ! Leon  

[Scud]

I saw that on WildGuzzi too, but hadn't responded yet. On the surface, that seems like a good bike at a reasonable price, especially if you like all the accesories. The painted-to-match LeMans fairing looks great and was not cheap to do.

 

The tach may or may not be fixable, but used ones are available sometimes - or you could replace both gauges with Speedhuts or other aftermarket gauges.

 

Is it truly pampered like the ad says? Have the throttle body boots been replaced? How about the fuel lines?

 

Has he added the supplemental transmission brace? And if no brace, is the transmission case cracked at the rear, upper mount?

 

Does it still have the original shock? And if so, is the lower mount cracked? I was surprised that the lower shock mount was cracked on my Greenie with only 5,000 miles on it.

 

The good news, per the ad, is that the current owner has put 3,000 miles on it. That's enough to allow any nasty issues to surface.

[luhbo]

A friend bought me a bad one, too, not the quality I expected. But they do react positively on tlc (as you say), so if the basics are ok, the things that you can see and hear, I see no reason why you shouldn't take her. You have to like the fairing, silver or not, but that's up to you.

[LowRyter]

The redframe bikes need a transmission bracket to attach the trans to the frame to prevent the transmission case from cracking.  I'd get it done before the transmission develops a crack.  You can look up my story about it here. 

 

http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19814&hl=transmission

 

Contact my mechanic in Okla City; he's fabricated a kit with the bracket & fasteners.  Or you might be able to find the original but difficult to find Guzzi part.

 

http://www.motivcycleworks.com

 

It's possible the tach has failed because the counterweight has detached. If you hear it rattle, that is likely the case.  You would have to remove the bezel and epoxy the weight back on.  If you want to get it repaired Joel Levine has serviced the speedo on my Greenie.  

 

https://joellevinecompany.com/Speedo-Tach-Repair

 

If you had Rosso Corsa, you're probably familiar with anything else about the bike.

[swooshdave]

 

The guys at Wildguzzi sent me here:.

"As mentioned above, buy it.. join the V11 lemans forum. That's where the hopelessly addicted V11 sport guys hang out.. and.. truly know every little thing about them. You'll be glad you did" 

 

Abut the first thing I've ever agree with that someone said on Wild Guzzi. 

 

It's also 100% correct.

 

That being said the only answer you'll get from one of the inmates here is.... BUY IT. 

[docc]

Perhaps submitting the VIN to Piaggio to confirm the gearbox recall has been performed?

[LowRyter]

I believe the transmission recall that Docc mentions is different than the need for the bracket. 

[docc]

I believe the transmission recall that Docc mentions is different than the need for the bracket. 

Absolutely. This recall should have been performed beginning late 2003. Yet, LeMaynes has a Sport that, apparently, did not get seen to and suffered a gearbox failure: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20313&p=230443

 

I completely agree with LowRyter that anyone with an early V11 install the frame support plate!

 

 

[edit: link to a link for the transmission recall: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=14680&p=158632]

[footgoose]

"pampered" could mean different things to dif people. Having other bikes And other Guzzis, and doing 3000 miles in 7 years, maybe means it just sat there un-abused. Being only 20 mi away would be worth $500 to me. You should go look at least. Feel the guy out for his character. A bit weird cutting out those who don't live in the northeast. I've traveled 300-1200 miles several times buying bikes. Price is about max, having not seen it.

[docc]

Yeah, "pampered" doesn't mean anything.

 

Let's be honest that buying a fifteen or twenty year old motorcycle is going to demand some "owner involvement" regardless of the seller's claims.

 

That doesn't make it a bad thing, if you love it. I've never seen this early silver Sport with a color matched LeMans fairing.  Nicely done!

 

As T.E. Lawrence once wrote (of his Brough Superior),

 

"It is better than all the riding animals on Earth. Because Boa loves me,

he gives me five more miles of speed than a stranger would get from him."

 

[Chuck]

 

Yeah, "pampered" doesn't mean anything.

 

Let's be honest that buying a fifteen or twenty year old motorcycle is going to demand some "owner involvement" regardless of the seller's claims.

 

That doesn't make it a bad thing, if you love it. I've never seen this early silver Sport with a color matched LeMans fairing.  Nicely done!

 

As T.E. Lawrence once wrote (of his Brough Superior),

 

"It is better than all the riding animals on Earth. Because Boa loves me,

he gives me five more miles of speed than a stranger would get from him."

 

 

You're right, of course.. but.. it is all straightforward. You cannot believe all that Austin is going through trying to marry some 08 and 09 KLR parts together. Guzzis aren't like that at all. Everything that needs to be done to an early V11S is well documented here. Parts is parts, and will interchange. Spend a little time and have a bike that will last longer than you will. Gimme a Guzzi.     

[docc]

  . . . Spend a little time and have a bike that will last . . .

[brubache]

From what I have seen... pampering Italian bikes means regular use.  Frankly?  The sitting around and lack of use tends to cause more damage than regular use.  Low mileage means almost nothing to me.  Did it get started regularly.  Did it get moved.  Did it have heat cycles... etc.   

[swooshdave]

Did you buy the bike yet? Poor Thruxton is going to be lonely in the garage by itself.

[amstaf]

No, he didn’t buy the bike yet! I’m the seller, and stumbled on this thread somehow. Lots of good background info provided by the longtime dedicated V11LeMans enthusiasts here that I am grateful for. Mine doesn’t have any issues. This thread caused some research for me last few days ferreting out the threads on the cracked gearbox cases,the Sachs shock eyelet failures and the Speedhut gauges. The transmission mounting plate monumental PITA to install. Reminds me of greasing the splines on a K bike. The bike only gets used less than half dozen times a year because most of my riding is either ADV or off-road. I just sold a nice Magni Fairing that was on the bike when I bought it to a guy in Korea for $500.

 

I don’t care too much if I sell this bike because it looks so cool, and the posts here kind of psyched me about it and made me ambivalent. Maybe the Griso will sell instead. What I’d really like is a Breva 1200 Sport to replace them both, and the Breva 1100 I sold last year.