Introduction Thread

[Gottagetone]

Then I guess I have an external pump.  Took the bike into AF1 here in Austin and had them change all the fluids, adjust the valves, sync up the injectors and set the idle.  I was having a problem with it idling too low and they found a stuck intake valve and fixed it all up.  She runs like a top now and all is right with the world!

[docc]

As Steinbeck had said, "The world was, once again, spinning on greased grooves." (Cannery Row, 1945)

[Kostarika]

Hello Everyone 

 

I have been lurking around for a while and absorbing the info in here. 

For that i am very thankful 

I have loved the V11's since their introduction and I am finally glad to say I OWN one now.

I have loved motorcycles since a teenager but I would not have trusted myself with them in my younger years.

2 years ago and in my early 30's (31) I bought a project and after a winter in Maine I fully restored a '72 Honda CB450

Tore it apart to the frame and went through every nut and bolt, replaced old technology with new and still keeping the soul of the bike intact.

Rode that for the summer and put about 5000 mile on it.

 

Enough about the CB450 

 

I was looking for my dream bike you guys know it the V11 Lemans I wanted to find something that was taken care of and I was not in a hurry.

After a few months of looking I believe I found the right one

2003 V11 Lemans with roughly 12000 miles 

2 owners and well kept by it previous owners (thank you)

Met the 2nd owner to look at the bike and could not have met a better person, it made my decision to purchase the bike that more easy.

 

as you guys can tell it has a few goodies

 

Fast by Ferracci Carbon mufflers and also an X pipe also by Ferracci

Power Comander

Plus it came with all the take off parts 

 

Looking forward to the time with my new V11 Lemans

 

The ITT milage and trip odometer have stop working need to fix that will do some research to find out about that soon.

 

A very happy person at the moment

 

Kosta

 

mashalla

[oz_johnno]

Greetings fellow Guzzisti,

 

I sit here looking at my 2 day old (to me) 2004 Cafe Sport (with a custom Coppa Italia paintjob) with it's seat off having it's Odyssey PC545 battery charged after not starting twice on it's maiden voyage yesterday, I am wondering what I have got myself in for.

 

Getting to this point has taken me a greater percentage of my 55 year existence on Planet Earth. It is the culmination of a journey involving 30 odd motorcycles and many many thousands of kilometres. Mostly all of them enjoyable and very many memorable.

 

The V11 is the one I chose as THE motorcycle. My old man rode a Vincent and as much as I love them, I'm never going to be able to afford one. 'Specially the one I would like to build.

 

And even though it runs in a different direction, has shaft drive and is Italian. A V11, to me, encapsulates that spirit of big twin glory that is motorcycling. So that's why I bought one.

 

And when I rode it home from the shop last Saturday I was the happiest man in the world. 

 

And then it broke down on it's first ride.

 

Twice. With 5 other mates on their hotted up harleys (please not lower case "h").

 

After bump starting when the battery appeared to be a dud, it ran perfectly, magnificently even. When we came out out of one sweeper at about 120kmh into a long straight and I hit the next gear on full throttle at about 5k the way it rounded up and spat out those harleys was priceless.

 

And an affirmation of why I did this.

 

Which brings right here, right now as I write this and I have to say to all the posters on this forum that you guys are awesome.

 

The stuff you guys know !

 

And the way it gets discussed and evaluated shows that you're all humans as well. This is also very good.

 

Long may it last and I am very proud to finally be a part of it.

 

John Egan

Warrandyte, Australia

 

[oz_johnno]

sorry about the gloves.

 

my IT skills are a bit retarded sometimes.

[Tom M]

Welcome to the site guys and congratulations on your V11s. 

[Twin AH]

 

Good stuff OZ........... welcome

[danders]

Looking at a 2000 V11 in town. Always wanted a Guzzi more along the retro lines of a V7 or stone but this is a lot of bike for the $ and there is always the possibility to change things...........

 

Short description "Has heated grips, super bike bars for upright riding position, staintune exhaust for a very nice deep sound, ~25,000 miles, recent valve adjustment & throttle body synced."

 

Last spring after not having a bike for 15 years I got my MC licence. Bought a Honda NT650 Hawk

followed by a Yamaha SR500. Sold the Hawk this spring and am looking for a replacement. I like my

bikes air cooled. The SR500 is a sentimental bike, I had one in the 80's.

 

Any words of wisdom/advise..............

[AndyH]

These ar the things I encountered when I bought my early V11.

 

I understand there we're recalls on early ones including big end bolts (can anyone else confirm?). I didn't get any recall paperwork with mine but ask the vendor about recall work. There should be stuff on this forum about the recalls. That said, I've thrashed mine for the last three years and it hasn't gone bang.... Yet.

 

It may well have a Sachs Boge shock at the rear end. Check the eye at the swing arm end: it is prone to cracking and opening up from an O to a C. Hard to spot if you don't know what to look for as the issue will probably be hidden by the hugger. You may have to feel around to detect it. If so, needless to say, you'll need to replace the shock.

 

Check the speedo is working properly. Low mileage may just mean the clock wasn't working for a while. Possibly the angle drive at the gearbox end was o/s for an indeterminate amount of time and got fixed in time for sale. If the cable isn't routed straight and free running it'll keep trashing angle drives and they're quite expensive.

 

Check the brackets on the oil cooler: originally made of alloy, they tended to fracture and Guzzi issued steel items instead. If still alloy they may well indicate true low mileage, but be prepared to replace them.

 

I think the shock eye was the number one shocker for me as I only found it once I'd taken the swing arm off after a few hundred miles: that hard to spot. Could have been catastrophic and demanded immediate outlay.

[Tom M]

I understand there we're recalls on early ones including big end bolts (can anyone else confirm?). I didn't get any recall paperwork with mine but ask the vendor about recall work. There should be stuff on this forum about the recalls.

 

The recall notices for the early V11 Sports are here: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=14680 .  Check the VIN on the bike that you're interested in and if it falls within the recall range ask if the owner has documentation that proves the recall work was done.

 

Danders, AndyH had some good suggestions.  You might get some more ideas here:  http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5692

 

Good luck with your potential purchase!

[Denis]

Hi,

 

Another new V11 member here - from sunny South Wales.

 

I will get delivery of a 2004 V11 Ballabio tomorrow.

 

Bike is in excellent condition and has hardly been used with only 8,000 miles.

 

I had a Norge a few years ago, but just didn't get a feel good factor and had a few niggles in terms of the previous owner not having looked after it that well.

 

I did like the motor though, and I'm sure that the gel with the V11 will develop. Quite looking forward to being able to maintain my own bike - had a Monster 1100 before this, and it just didn't suit my character really.

 

I'll post some images in the next few days.

[docc]

Welcome Denis! You've come to the right place to work through the tuning and possible issues with the Ballabio.

 

Enjoy the ride!

[AndyH]

Hi,

  Quite looking forward to being able to maintain my own bike - had a Monster 1100 before this, and it just didn't suit my character really.

 

Welcome to V11 world. I came to V11 from a Monster. Impossible to get at stuff round all that scaffolding: needed some funny shaped tools and double jointed fingers so didn't do as much on it myself as I shoulda.

Do nearly everything myself now on the Guzzi. Mind you I need to... :-D

Hard to find a workshop I can trust TBH.

[jwh20]

 

Hi,

  Quite looking forward to being able to maintain my own bike - had a Monster 1100 before this, and it just didn't suit my character really.

Welcome to V11 world. I came to V11 from a Monster. Impossible to get at stuff round all that scaffolding: needed some funny shaped tools and double jointed fingers so didn't do as much on it myself as I shoulda.

Do nearly everything myself now on the Guzzi. Mind you I need to... :-D

Hard to find a workshop I can trust TBH.

 

My LeMans is the only non-Japanese bike that I've ever owned but I do all my own work regardless.  Most dealers don't have good mechanics because to have a good mechanic and keep them costs money.  Most good mechanics are either in business for themselves or work at a specialty shop where you pay what it costs and you wait as long as it takes for them to get to it.

 

The biggest roadblock for most people is the tools but if you apply the money you would have spent at a shop on the tools you need to do the job right, before long you'll have built-up both a lot of expertise and a well-stocked tool collection and be able to tackle almost anything.  Factory service manuals are a great asset but they do leave a lot out.  But there are forums for just about anything you might be working on somewhere with expertise readily available.

 

Between this site and Wild Guzzi you can find documentation, usually with pictures, of just about any service or repair procedure you might be faced with.

[docc]

 

Between this site and Wild Guzzi you can find documentation, usually with pictures, of just about any service or repair procedure you might be faced with.

 

And maybe four or five ways of doing a procedure so you can work out your own favorite and post back on that important, overlooked sixth option.

 

We're counting on you for that!