Suspension Update

[Kiwi Dave]

Based on the fact that my rear spring is white, Eric said I probably have a WP rear shock

 

Not so, Ian. My spring is white, and it's definitely a Sache. The name is written on the bottom of the unit, looking above the rear wheel and hugger. Yours could easily be the same.

[al_roethlisberger]

...yep, same here. White spring, blue alloy end cap. Sachs.

 

Didn't we do this dance with Nemo about a month ago?

 

 

al

[Guest captain nemo]

Yep. But I did note a few oddities that I still don't understand. Like my spring and its outboard unit has no logo stamped onto it anywhere. Just don't get it. I've moved on though.....I really don't care what it is. It seems to work. It would be sort of interesting to get a definitive statement about why some units don't have a company name on them.

[Guest captain nemo]

For the 2000 V11 Sport from what seems to be a company pamplet on a website called 'British/Italian Moto Guzzi Home Page:'

 

Chassis

 

 

 

 

The frame received special attention, making the V11 one of the best handling sports machines ever produced by Moto Guzzi. The way it responds to corners is rapid and natural and, like a true thoroughbred, it immediately establishes a relationship with the rider. This has been achieved through significant modifications to the entire frame, with ‘racier’ dimensions and exceptionally high performance suspension.

One example of change is the steering rake angle, which is one degree sharper than that of the preceding Sport Corsa model (26º to 25º), shortening the wheelbase by 4 mm from 1475 to 1471 mm.

The frame itself is the classic steel single rectangular box section with structural engine block.

 

The suspension system is of the highest quality: the front end is a 40mm Marzocchi upside-down fork with 120 mm travel and hydraulic compression/rebound adjustment, while the rear, with its new cantilever swinging arm, has a single White Power 64 mm stroke single shock absorber with an adjustable compression, rebound and pre-load spring.

 

Like the frame, the entire suspension system has been redesigned in relationship to its new geometry, dictated by the revised reaction rod and shaft drive dimensions (both longer), to further reduce the negative ‘lift’ typical of shaft drives.

The wheels are both Brembo alloy rims, 3.50x17” to the front and 4.50x17” to the rear, mounting the latest generation 120/70-17 and 170/60-17 Pirelli Dragon MTR tyres.

 

With these modifications to the chassis, Guzzi’s test riders confirmed a feeling never before given by a Moto Guzzi in terms of sports performance and easy handling.

[al_roethlisberger]

The "outboard unit" (nitrogen cannister) isn't marked Sachs/Boge anywhere as far as I know , although it may be as I've never removed it from it's mount

 

But, as mentioned before, the place that most units have marked as Sachs/Boge is the bottom blue spring retaining collar/disc. If one looks up under the bike, at the end of the shock, this blue aluminum disc is stamped/embossed(inverse bas relief) with the name.

 

But if the shock is a gold toned body, white spring, and blue aluminum end-cap/rebound&compression adjust/preload nuts.... you have a Sachs.

[al_roethlisberger]

Here is a photo of the White Power(courtesy of Paul ).... and it's worlds different. Lots of gray knobs

 

And here is the thread where we discussed this a bit longer in-depth:

 

White Power Guzzi

[docc]

The easiest feature to differentaite : the rebound damping adjuster on the WP is 'toothed' while the Sachs is 'knurled.'

[Guest captain nemo]

Maybe Guzzi INTENDED to use the WP, but never did. That would explain pamplets like the one I posted. I just never saw a name stamped on mine. But, I promise, next time I have the bike out I'm taking my million candle power light to it. I don't have a hugger or any of that plastic on the back anymore so it shouldn't be too hard to look right at it. I thought I had done this, but I GOTS TO KNOW! I'm sure it's as you say, but it only bothered me that I couldn't find the name, and I have looked at the back. Sorry to revisit the issue, but I do like mysteries. I mean, there doesn't seem to be any such thing as a V11 with WP shock. How did this get started?

[Guest IanJ]

Well, as I said, "based on the spring being white, Eric said..." I was just reporting what the guys at LE said. I'll know for sure when I take it off to put on the new spring.

[al_roethlisberger]

No worries ....but it is a misconception that upsets me with Guzzi, as I too was looking for a WP shock when I bought the bike based on the literature. It is possible that some early V11 Sports may have been delivered with left-over WP shocks from the inventory of previous 1100 Sport stock. But I've never seen one.

 

Previous Guzzis in the 90s, such as the 1100 Sports did indeed have WP suspensions, but as of 1999/2000 with the V11 Sports, they apparently discontinued their use in favor of the Sachs.

 

I think it's just a case of Guzzi cutting costs with the new bike in 2000, and neglecting to update their literature. Instead being a bit devious(and in my opinion a bit deceptive = bait&switch) by saying in all V11 Sport/LeMans literature that the bikes could be delivered with WP *or* Sachs. But as I said, AFAIK, I've never in practice actually seen a WP on any 2000+ bikes as delivered from the factory <_>

 

Here's another photo of a current WP shock. The real give-away(other than a huge orange WP sticker ) is that WP shocks have gray plastic(perhaps aluminum in some cases) adjustment knobs as opposed to the blue knobs/end-caps of the Sachs product.

 

al

[Lex]

I'm guessing a few of the very early (like pilot production) bikes may have had left over WPs. Just so we know a V11 Sport with a WP shock is not in mechanical Snipe, I think the bike Cycle World had pictures of the first ride article had a WP shock. It is hard to tell from the pictures but it doesn't look like my Sachs. This could be devious (make the pre-product bike the journalists ride better than production bikes) or it could be typical Italian lackadaisical approach to life.

 

Cheers,

 

Lex

[Guest captain nemo]

or it could be typical Italian lackadaisical approach to life.

 

I think there is a lot to this. Northern Europeans are much more precise and critical while the Italians are driven by fun and passion. A great generalization, but you get the idea. It is probably the case that they were just too lazy to change the literature or care about it after the choice was made. I can hear them say, "So what?"

 

But if this is true, it might mean that something else may be true - there may be 'good' Guzzis and 'better' Guzzis (not even considering the blatant lemons that are out there). Variation in product. I think I have a 'good' Guzzi so I am happy. In fact, I have personally been extremely lucky with Guzzi as I've owned three. I ran the hell out of all of them with NO PROBLEMS. That is just plain luck.

 

I guess we have all chosen a bike with soul and character (and some flaws and weirdness) over something highly precise like a German Guzzi with hanging tits :-). I am not unhappy about that choice - and taking chances.