"Ask the man who (rides) one..."

[Kane]

The V11 is a very real roadster! You’re gonna love it! There is mass and a bit of bulk, but she loves to be ridden like you mean it, and she will pay you back with a visceral, steady and comfortable ride. Push it and it handles pretty good for how heavy it is. Mine is an ‘01 red frame, and I find the bike to be very stable. Don’t lug her! Guzzis like to be revved. My V11 Sport starts to smile and lighten up once past 4K, and opens up and seems very happy around 5K. There are a lot of great bikes that are lighter with more power, but the V11 engine is great, and the bike will really grow on you. I love mine more and more as time goes on.

Congrats! 
 

 

[VtwinStorm]

38 minutes ago, Kane said:

The V11 is a very real roadster! You’re gonna love it! There is mass and a bit of bulk, but she loves to be ridden like you mean it, and she will pay you back with a visceral, steady and comfortable ride. Push it and it handles pretty good for how heavy it is. Mine is an ‘01 red frame, and I find the bike to be very stable. Don’t lug her! Guzzis like to be revved. My V11 Sport starts to smile and lighten up once past 4K, and opens up and seems very happy around 5K. There are a lot of great bikes that are lighter with more power, but the V11 engine is great, and the bike will really grow on you. I love mine more and more as time goes on.

Congrats! 
 

 

Outstanding testament, Kane! I know that I will love my new to me, V11 Sport. I'm just preparing myself before her arrival.

[po18guy]

At the risk of sounding politically incorrect, the V11 is a man's bike. It is big and heavy and 1st gear seems too high and low-speed maneuvering takes some practice. It must be commanded what to do. She's a big gal, but she can dance...and oh can she sing!

Aprilia must have worked on the trans between '02 and '04, as mine goes 1-2 and so on with zero drama. Caveat: The shift lever must be adjusted to fit your seating position and even the boots you wear, or it will 'reward' you with false neutrals. False neutrals going up are no big deal, but downshifting, you may get a rather horrendous crunch unless you match gear speeds precisely.

[VtwinStorm]

22 minutes ago, po18guy said:

At the risk of sounding politically incorrect, the V11 is a man's bike. It is big and heavy and 1st gear seems too high and low-speed maneuvering takes some practice. It must be commanded what to do. She's a big gal, but she can dance...and oh can she sing!

Aprilia must have worked on the trans between '02 and '04, as mine goes 1-2 and so on with zero drama. Caveat: The shift lever must be adjusted to fit your seating position and even the boots you wear, or it will 'reward' you with false neutrals. False neutrals going up are no big deal, but downshifting, you may get a rather horrendous crunch unless you match gear speeds precisely.

Thank you, po18guy.

I am pretty used to a bulky, heavy bike, like my Daytona 1200. I will adjust ergos to avoid the shifting issues.

[po18guy]

17 minutes ago, VtwinStorm said:

Thank you, po18guy.

I am pretty used to a bulky, heavy bike, like my Daytona 1200. I will adjust ergos to avoid the shifting issues.

And, there is a certain "lucky" guy here who invented a simple bolt-on device to make shift throws even shorter. Made and sold (when available) by other creative V11 forum members. 

As to false neutrals, those on my '04 went almost completely away when I thoroughly bled the clutch. I installed a bleeder bolt at the master, so there is nowhere for air to hide.

[gstallons]

7 hours ago, VtwinStorm said:

So, to mirror the old ad slogan for Packard Motor Cars. "Ask the man (or lady?) who rides a V11 Sport/LeMans."

I'm waiting impatiently for my '01 V11 Sport to get shipped to me from 1900 miles away.

I'm confident that our forum is for fans of this fine motorcycle, not Debbie Downers.

That said, what is your honest assessment of the V11? What does the gearbox act like? The engine? The delivery of power? The braking, suspension? Any quirky/eccentric qualities of the machine?

I want the good and the bad. Also, what compares to a V11, so I have a baseline?

I'd like as much feedback as possible to tide me over as I expectantly await the arrival of my new to me baby.

Thank you all! I love this forum.

-VTS

If you own a Rubik's Cube , you are halfway there , 

If you own a Rubik's Cube , tore off the stickers and moved them around , a little closer .

If you bought books , learned all the combinations , then finally "got it" , you are ready . 

If you are still able to work it , good for you  . 

Now go gas up n go !  

 p.s. this is not a Japanese bike and never will be , That is what the V-Strom is for .

[VtwinStorm]

55 minutes ago, gstallons said:

If you own a Rubik's Cube , you are halfway there , 

If you own a Rubik's Cube , tore off the stickers and moved them around , a little closer .

If you bought books , learned all the combinations , then finally "got it" , you are ready . 

If you are still able to work it , good for you  . 

Now go gas up n go !  

 p.s. this is not a Japanese bike and never will be , That is what the V-Strom is for .

I swore off Japanese motorcycles after I rode my first Ducati. I exclusively owned, and would only own Japanese bikes up to that point. After that experience, as good as they are, they come off as impersonal. 

Ducati, Triumph, at least (Guzzi I'm sure, haven't rode my V11 yet), have a bit of sense of occasion when you start them. It feels an event. 

"Wow! Noise! Vibration! Rattling clutch plates! That exhaust note! Popping on overrun! We are working together to have fun while going to our destination!"

Tried riding Honda, Kawasaki after, came off as "Yeah, here's your motorcycle."

I can't go back now, even with the hassles of not taking/buying/riding the more obvious choices to be just like everyone else who bought a fast 2 wheeled Corolla.

Like I said, problems and all, I can't ever go back. Nor do I want to. I love my European thoroughbreds.

The problems are worth what I receive in return.

 

 

[p6x]

You of course realize a lot of the answers are going to be subjective to their respective riders?

How it will "fit" is entirely up to you, if you have the specific chromosome, you will not notice anything odd.

I would like to start by reminding you of some differences; there is no ABS on the S/LM. If you have ABS on any of your other bikes, you will have to keep that in mind if you have to do an emergency stop and the asphalt is slippery. This is the inconvenience of having multiple rides at a different level of technological evolution.

I have not made any serious "all day long" riding trips, I am 6' tall too, but the body position on the bike is bearable. Of course, you will eventually get the flat bum syndrome. Fortunately, you can easily walk it off during the numerous stops you will have to make to refill the tank.

It is surprisingly stable in long radii curves at speed.

It takes some efforts to throw in short bends. The bike goes better with smooth. I keep the steering dampener completely off clutch. I keep the suspensions on the hard side of the settings. I sacrifice the comfort but I like to feel on "rails".

I am old school rider. I keep the body on the bike. I don't know if modern riding, e.g. leaning out of the bike in curves help with the V11. I have not tried yet.

The Gear Box is fine, and follows your impulses either slow or fast changing. On slow changes, you may found a false neutral between 3rd and 4th?

I am yet to find anything that I don't like, but I have limited experience with it. I am yet to make it face some real challenges.

It always starts easy. Steaming hot or dead cold.

On mine, at least here in Texas weather, hot and humid, the engine is known to cough if I keep at a steady rpm. Also starting from a traffic light, in 1st gear, I have had the engine coughing when I open the throttle. Idle is super steady once warm and sizzling hot.

Mine came with a non working odometer. A disease that affects a lot of the V11 from that era. either ITI/hur gauges, or Veglia Borletti. There are several solutions available in the forum.

I found an o'ring resting on the left hand side of the bike, and I lost the right clip on bar end weight. That is the limit of my casualties so far.

[Chuck]

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I have not made any serious "all day long" riding trips

I have. For *me* the Mighty Scura is very comfortable. I bought a Rosso Corsa to have in Indiana because I liked the Scura so much, and prefer the Scura except in the rain. I sold Rosie.

Quote

It is surprisingly stable in long radii curves at speed.

Properly set up.. it is also surprisingly capable in twisties.

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I am old school rider. I keep the body on the bike. I don't know if modern riding, e.g. leaning out of the bike in curves help with the V11. I have not tried yet.

I practiced it a lot on The Snake on deserted days. Yeah, it helps, but is that stuff really needed on the street? It's not a race.. we're just having fun.

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The Gear Box is fine,

Yep. It's one of Guzzi's best.

Quote

Mine came with a non working odometer. A disease that affects a lot of the V11 from that era. either ITI/hur gauges, or Veglia Borletti. There are several solutions available in the forum.

I have two spare speedos and one spare tach that I've picked up over the years..just in case. So far, in 38000 miles, it hasn't needed either.

[Rox Lemans]

Owning a Guzzi is more like a marriage. The honeymoon will be awesome. You'll love it. Then some quirks will come out which will begin your "sorting out " phase. Some days she'll piss you off. Some days you'll want to get rid of her. But then the quirk will be repaired and when you ride her it'll be more satisfying and even thrilling. Then dudes will look at her and wanna ride her. You'll either be nice and blow it off or tell them to "Get bent." 

You'll take the time to perfect her and she'll age like wine.. Won't be the fastest in town. Some days will let you down. But you won't get rid of her. Cuz she's YOUR b!tch.. 

 

True story.. I own two. Straight polygamist. Don't judge me. 😅👍

[Scud]

It's an engaging, and just plain fun motorcycle. From my past bikes, I'd say the V11 takes the best features of my ex BMW R100CS and my ex Ducati Sport Classic Monoposto.

From the BMW - ease of maintenance, reliability, comfort.

From the Ducati - styling, sound (Guzzi actually sounds better, IMO), broad torque curve (like the DS1000 motor), and sporty orientation.

My Sport Classic was painful in town, perfect on long uphill grades, and tolerable everywhere else. The V11 is more comfortable in more places without giving up the level of performance that I can realistically use on the street. The R100CS was a better two-up tourer than the V11. (But my Stelvio has that job now).

As for the V11 tranny, it is a good one. But with the Red-Frame bike, you should plan on getting yourself a frame brace and installing it ASAP (to avoid an expensive case-cracking experience). Next up, a few tweaks will make the tranny shift even better. Get Lucky Phil's shift extender lever. Also do the whole shift-improvement thing to the pre-selector, including the Chuck-designed "unbreakable" shift return spring, which you can get from me. The stock spring is a known achilles heel, and if (when) it breaks, it will leave you hobbled. 

[Scud]

31 minutes ago, Rox Lemans said:

You'll take the time to perfect her and she'll age like wine.. Won't be the fastest in town. Some days will let you down. 

True story.. I own two. Straight polygamist. Don't judge me. 😅👍

At a point when I had three V11s, a friend asked me.

"How do you decide which one to ride?"

"Easy," I said. "Whichever one is giving me the least shit."

[Kane]

The gearbox is great. I was told that Guzzi had a formula race car designer come up with the design…..anyone know about this? Apply the slightest pre-load pressure to the shifter and your shifts will be clean and easy. This is an analog real motorcycle, and 20 years old.  Very charming machine. The vibes are great, nice low frequency stuff, not like the buzzy crap that makes your hands go numb on other bikes. The shaft torque is a comforting sensation to tell you she’s got it. The only real problems that I have had have been grounding issues with the headlight, but nothing that has kept the bike off the road. My trip meter stopped working soon after I got the bike, but I can remember OD numbers and my low fuel light works so that’s ok. So long as you keep up with basic maintenance, keep the oil clean, remain connected with her, like a good pony owner should, Guzzis will just keep going. Heck, my other Guzzi is a ‘78 that just turned 180,000 miles, and that bike has been my daily rider for the past few weeks while my V11 is off-line getting some upgrades. The ‘78 runs every day, back-and-forth 38 miles each way to work. No problemo. That bike is a testament to the build of the Moto Guzzi, and certainly to the care and upkeep it received from its previous (and original) owner, Bobby D.
One other thing that you may notice, on hot days after hard rides, when you come to a stop at idle, these engines will give an occasional hiccup. Apparently this is how they shrug off the heat. Kind of like how a fast horse will give a shiver when resting after a ride.  If you are riding in cooler weather this may never occur.

[VtwinStorm]

23 minutes ago, Scud said:

It's an engaging, and just plain fun motorcycle. From my past bikes, I'd say the V11 takes the best features of my ex BMW R100CS and my ex Ducati Sport Classic Monoposto.

From the BMW - ease of maintenance, reliability, comfort.

From the Ducati - styling, sound (Guzzi actually sounds better, IMO), broad torque curve (like the DS1000 motor), and sporty orientation.

My Sport Classic was painful in town, perfect on long uphill grades, and tolerable everywhere else. The V11 is more comfortable in more places without giving up the level of performance that I can realistically use on the street. The R100CS was a better two-up tourer than the V11. (But my Stelvio has that job now).

As for the V11 tranny, it is a good one. But with the Red-Frame bike, you should plan on getting yourself a frame brace and installing it ASAP (to avoid an expensive case-cracking experience). Next up, a few tweaks will make the tranny shift even better. Get Lucky Phil's shift extender lever. Also do the whole shift-improvement thing to the pre-selector, including the Chuck-designed "unbreakable" shift return spring, which you can get from me. The stock spring is a known achilles heel, and if (when) it breaks, it will leave you hobbled. 

Awesome, Scud. Links to buy the return spring and frame brace please?

[VtwinStorm]

9 minutes ago, Kane said:

The gearbox is great. I was told that Guzzi had a formula race car designer come up with the design…..anyone know about this? Apply the slightest pre-load pressure to the shifter and your shifts will be clean and easy. This is an analog real motorcycle, and 20 years old.  Very charming machine. The vibes are great, nice low frequency stuff, not like the buzzy crap that makes your hands go numb on other bikes. The shaft torque is a comforting sensation to tell you she’s got it. The only real problems that I have had have been grounding issues with the headlight, but nothing that has kept the bike off the road. My trip meter stopped working soon after I got the bike, but I can remember OD numbers and my low fuel light works so that’s ok. So long as you keep up with basic maintenance, keep the oil clean, remain connected with her, like a good pony owner should, Guzzis will just keep going. Heck, my other Guzzi is a ‘78 that just turned 180,000 miles, and that bike has been my daily rider for the past few weeks while my V11 is off-line getting some upgrades. The ‘78 runs every day, back-and-forth 38 miles each way to work. No problemo. That bike is a testament to the build of the Moto Guzzi, and certainly to the care and upkeep it received from its previous (and original) owner, Bobby D.
One other thing that you may notice, on hot days after hard rides, when you come to a stop at idle, these engines will give an occasional hiccup. Apparently this is how they shrug off the heat. Kind of like how a fast horse will give a shiver when resting after a ride.  If you are riding in cooler weather this may never occur.

Thank you, Kane. I can't wait to get started!