Touring on a V11 Sport

[Kane]

I have recently acquired a 2001 V11 Sport, a Greenie. I have had the bike for about a week and so far have only done local rides. But once I sort out the bike and get used to it I would like to do long day trips, L.A to S.F., 2-3 day trips up to the Sierras and beyond, further up the coast....who knows where!  

It would be great to hear and see how people use these bikes for touring and their experiences. I don’t know what options are available for bags or windscreens and fairings and what works best on these bikes. I guess I could try to find a LeMans fairing, but I’m not even sure if I would need anything that large. It seems that in the searches I have done for small fairings or screens not much comes up for the ‘01 V11.

I am also wondering about the ergonomics and comfort of the bike for long trips. My bike is a stock naked Sport with clip-on bars. I’m 6’2” and 180 lb. The bars and pegs feel great for the local riding I have done. How do people like this for long-distance riding?

I’m also wondering if there’s anything to do to the bike if going from sea level L.A. to 4,000 or 5,000 feet above sea level? This is my first fuel injected bike. Do I need to tweak anything? Does the ECU automatically compensate for changes in sea level? Perhaps it’s a non-issue for these bikes?

I’m looking forward to hearing how you guys do this!

Cheers!

[luhbo]

The ECU does a complete compensating of height and temperatures.

[stewgnu]

I guess it depends how limber you are? 

I’m 5’ 11’’ and 145lbs, the bike is naked with stock pegs (used various bar configurations over the years).

Never ridden a faired bike very far so perhaps don’t know what i’m missing, but she’s a joy to tour on.  Up to 300 miles per day is fine, 500 miles starts to hurt back + arse.

However, i do avoid long motorway cruising as much as possible, just hate it, you don’t see anything.  I suppose that’s much harder to avoid in the states and where a fairing would come into play?

[Kane]

3 hours ago, stewgnu said:

I guess it depends how limber you are? 

I’m 5’ 11’’ and 145lbs, the bike is naked with stock pegs (used various bar configurations over the years).

Never ridden a faired bike very far so perhaps don’t know what i’m missing, but she’s a joy to tour on.  Up to 300 miles per day is fine, 500 miles starts to hurt back + arse.

However, i do avoid long motorway cruising as much as possible, just hate it, you don’t see anything.  I suppose that’s much harder to avoid in the states and where a fairing would come into play?

Great to hear, thanks for your encouragement. I am getting back into biking after many years without one, got wrapped up with raising kids and working, but now I’m back in the saddle with a Guzzi, which is just how I started. Wheel go ‘round and ‘round. Back in my twenties the idea of a windscreen or fairing never crossed my mind, and I just rode, rain or shine. When I bought my 850T many years ago it had a huge Windjammer fairing on it and Dunstall pipes (loud as hell). I ditched the Windjammer first day but kept the Dunstalls.

I live only about 25 miles from the coast, but unfortunately to get anywhere in the L.A. area requires getting on a freeway. So if you’re hitting the canyons, cruising the coast, riding through the desert and mountains, all of which are spectacular, you’re going to have to do some miles on a freeway, which seem to be congested for more hours than before.

[Kane]

Mikko: thanks (again!) for showing your mods and add-ones. I assume this is the black beauty Scura that you’re building?

I love the CR-750 fairing on that bike....is it an old V7? 

Are you retrofitting an original Honda race fairing to your bike, or is a kit made to go on a Guzzi V11?   You’re in a whole other league from me when it comes to being able to do mods. I have a tool box with hand tools and an electric hand drill. So anything other than simple adjustments would put me at the mercy of a shop.

I have seen the page that you linked for the Magni fairing kit and sent them an email a few days ago, but I have yet to hear back. Does anyone know if these are available through any shops or dealers, or are only direct from Magni in Italy?

The factory bikini that you mention may be just fine. Are these available through dealers, or what’s the source for these?

Thanks!

Edited October 10, 2019 by Kane

[Kane]

5 hours ago, luhbo said:

The ECU does a complete compensating of height and temperatures.

Awesome.

Thank you

[docc]

I love my Tekno soft bags and Stucchi flyscreen that were original Moto Guzzi accessories for the Sport. The faring is still available from Stucchi, unpainted but with mounts.

The panniers come up from time to time here or ebay. The 2nd generation have better braced mounts and the bags look more reinforced.

The backroads I like make a mounted GPS very helpful for sport-touring. I will probably replace my 12 year old (!) Garmin Zumo 550 with their latest motorcycle unit before my next trip.

I'm good for 250-300 mile days of good twisties, still . What a sweetheart of a bike!

[Kane]

14 minutes ago, docc said:

I love my Tekno soft bags and Stucchi flyscreen that were original Moto Guzzi accessories for the Sport. The faring is still available from Stucchi, unpainted but with mounts.

This is it?:

https://officinestucchi.it/en/home-page/9424-fairing-v11-sport.html

From the diagram on the page it looks like it just attaches to the two headlight housing bolts? If this is the case, how stable is this? That might be good enough, perhaps with the added Laminar lip that Mikko mentioned.

I guess painting it is just a can of paint, a can of clear coat, and some sandpaper and steel wool.......I painted a guitar body with some nitrocellulose lacquer spray paint I got from https://www.reranch.com/  and it turned out great. I don’t know if I can match the green, though.

 

 

[luhbo]

17 minutes ago, Kane said:

.... I don’t know if I can match the green, though.

 

 

...paint it black. I think black looks better.

(who's bike is that?) This is the factory version. Nicer then Stucchi and often in carbon anyway

[Chuck]

I have done LA to SF on the Mighty Scura, including twisties now and then. A long day, but satisfying. After that, I thought a V11 LeMans would be perfect for the plains and interstates of Indiana, so looked for one for quite a while. Finally found Rosie, a Rosso Corsa, and was disappointed that I preferred the fly screen of the Scura.

The only place the LeMans fairing was "better" was in the rain. There was turbulence around my helmet, and cross winds were more bothersome. Of course, all this is subjective, and rider size and position, aerodynamics, etc. say YMMV.

Per your first question. Yes, the V11S with flyscreen is an all day tourer. For me.

[LowRyter]

I've ridden my Greenie from Okla City to the Spineframe Raid in North Carolina.  I've ridden it to Austin Texas to MotoGP on several occasions, twice to Springfield Ill to the Flat Track races and ridden it several times to the Ozarks in Arkansas and Missouri.  That doesn't count day trips of 300 miles.  I have 45k miles on the machine.  I find the airflow and seat to be fine.  The only downside is leg room, I do recommend frequent stretch stops.  I usually can't make it more a full 140+ miles for a full gas stop.  I already mentioned how to set up the suspension with big bags on the back.  I've also trailered the bike in my Toy Hauler to Daytona Bikeweek, Colorado, Indy, etc.

This one also has a carbon factory flyscreen like the Scura.

[Kane]

Sweeeeet!

It looks like you’ve got a bit of a rise on the bars?

I think I could ride that outfit to Alaska!

It’s all Guzzi gear? Are these pieces, the flyscreen, rack, and bags, still available from Moto Guzzi? 

Btw, I went to the Guzzi site to look at accessories, and they don’t have a page for accessories on their site. Instead you request a link by email to download a file of their accessory catalog. I got the link, but the download freezes. Bummer. I would love to see what the factory has to offer for outfitting a V11. I guess I need to go to a local dealer.

[docc]

I doubt any V11 accessories remain available through Moto Guzzi. Maybe from a dealer with NOS  . . .

 

[Bbennett]

I am same size as you Kane and also have a Sport (orig. owner).  I have taken several 1000 mile trips and would say it has been very nice though I did upgrade the padding on my seat (added small gel layer) after one of the trips.  I only go about 300 miles per day.   I use small removable soft bags and the factory rack plus factory tailbag.  Now I have an Africa Twin and tend to use that for additional route flexibility on long multi-overnight trips.

[Chuck]

Quote

I got the link, but the download freezes.

Well, it *is* Guzzi we're talking about here.. My kid originally set it up. The bars and screen are aftermarket. The bags and rack are available from the importer.

https://www.motomachines.com/hepco-becker?gclid=Cj0KCQjwrfvsBRD7ARIsAKuDvMN3evgDp8SJAqZqmC2Mn4P-A-mGE60SyJ9FLG6z2IUGH8Ihyjk3v4IaAjx2EALw_wcB