Dr John LM 1000 Endurance Race Replica

[guzzijack]

Hi all,

 

I've posted a couple of requests for help on problems I've encountered with adapting a V11 Sport engine for the Tonti frame and have been very grateful for the help I've received from this forum. Some of you have asked for details of the build so here's an update.

 

Things are progressing with the bike as and when time and funds allow and I'm aiming for a completion by the end of June, (or it had better be finished with by that time on pain of death according to my project manager aka 'her indoors').

 

Although I'm waiting for some major items such as the frame, fork sliders and wheels to come back from the powder coaters before I can start reassembly, I am getting things in place and ready for when that time arrives.

 

The main differences between the LM1000 and V11Sport engines which I have had to address were; 1) timing cover replacement for an EFI Cali version as the upper mounting points for the V11 spine frame do not clear the Tonti frame down tubes; 2) adapting the twin oil return feeds to the LM heads from the Tonti frame to the single takeoff required for the V11S; 3) New ignition system required as I wished to retain carbs but with the V11S engine having no distributor had to find another method of firing the coils, (solved by Cliff Jeffries). Pics of some of this are in the photo album below.

 

I've got all the early LM IV bodywork I need, although the front mudguard is a bit ropey and I could do with a better example if anyone knows of where I can pick one up from?

 

I'm also on the scrounge for some of the '80s era stickers to complete the ensemble as per the original Dr John bike. I've started an album at www.kodakgallery.co.uk where you can view the Dr John bike in all it's glory and some additional snaps of the ongoing work.

 

Dr John Album

 

If you have any of the stickers which you can part with, (I'll pay or swap something if neccessary ), then mail me off list at

 

guzzijack@yahoo.co.uk

 

to discuss.

 

Cheers

 

Graham

[Mike Stewart]

Thanks for the update Graham

 

Looks like it will be a fun bike to ride.

 

How much did the exhaust cost to have made?

 

Thanks,

Mike

 

 

 

 

Hi all,

 

I've posted a couple of requests for help on problems I've encountered with adapting a V11 Sport engine for the Tonti frame and have been very grateful for the help I've received from this forum. Some of you have asked for details of the build so here's an update.

 

Things are progressing with the bike as and when time and funds allow and I'm aiming for a completion by the end of June, (or it had better be finished with by that time on pain of death according to my project manager aka 'her indoors').

 

Although I'm waiting for some major items such as the frame, fork sliders and wheels to come back from the powder coaters before I can start reassembly, I am getting things in place and ready for when that time arrives.

 

The main differences between the LM1000 and V11Sport engines which I have had to address were; 1) timing cover replacement for an EFI Cali version as the upper mounting points for the V11 spine frame do not clear the Tonti frame down tubes; 2) adapting the twin oil return feeds to the LM heads from the Tonti frame to the single takeoff required for the V11S; 3) New ignition system required as I wished to retain carbs but with the V11S engine having no distributor had to find another method of firing the coils, (solved by Cliff Jeffries). Pics of some of this are in the photo album below.

 

I've got all the early LM IV bodywork I need, although the front mudguard is a bit ropey and I could do with a better example if anyone knows of where I can pick one up from?

 

I'm also on the scrounge for some of the '80s era stickers to complete the ensemble as per the original Dr John bike. I've started an album at www.kodakgallery.co.uk where you can view the Dr John bike in all it's glory and some additional snaps of the ongoing work.

 

Dr John Album

 

If you have any of the stickers which you can part with, (I'll pay or swap something if neccessary ), then mail me off list at

 

guzzijack@yahoo.co.uk

 

to discuss.

 

Cheers

 

Graham

85557[/snapback]

[rocker59]

Great looking project!

 

Love that exhaust!

[Guest PAULSMART]

Graham,

 

Nice project, I've fancied doing a similar project - I've kept a magazine article from Motorcycle International from that period and have re-read it many times - the amazing thing is how un-radical it is from a std bike.

 

I'm not sure why you wish to use the V11 motor, but why not if you cando it.

 

Keep us posted

 

Paul

[guzzijack]

Graham,

 

Nice project, I've fancied doing a similar project - I've kept a magazine article from Motorcycle International from that period and have re-read it many times - the amazing thing is how un-radical it is from a std bike.

 

I'm not sure why you wish to use the V11 motor, but why not if you cando it.

 

Keep us posted

 

Paul

85598[/snapback]

Hi Paul,

 

Yes, I've got a photocopy of that article which has been very well thumbed - so much so that it's nearly falling to bits!

 

I agree that apart from the radical top end work that Dr John undertook with the LM1000 engine - lumpy cams, reshaped combustion chambers etc., pretty much applying the 'Muscle Car' philosophy - the rest of the bike seems pretty close to how it came out of the factory gates. He obviously went for reliability and the race results justified that approach with other teams falling by the wayside because of botched pit stops and mechanical breakages.

 

Even more amazing was the fact that the opposition were running some very trick machinery. There's an article in this month's edition of Performance Bikes about a guy who's built a Honda VF750F endurance replica from the same era and the amount of dedicated raceware that the original bikes used is pretty huge - they never even used the VF engine and put the race-bred RS750 & 850 units in there instead!

 

I've made some comments about the reason for using the V11 Sport engine instead of the LM1000 alongside the album pics - you probably won't spot them if you play the slideshow but click on the individual pis and you'll see them in the bottom left hand corner.

 

To recap, I would have had to have new valves, the guides K lined, seats cut and also some mild porting work done. I'd factored in doing that but then a low miles (3k) V11 engine and 6 speed box from a crashed bike came along for about the same price as the head work alone! So that was a bit of a no brainer once I'd ascertained that Cliff could sort the sparks. I'm mulling over whether to hang on to the 6 speed box for use with the LM engine in another project next winter.

 

Cheers

 

Graham

[cycles4fun]

Very cool project Graham! I'm about to join in on a very similar project as well. I'm not building a Dr John replica, however I am swapping a late model 2003 V11 lemans engine into my 87 Lemans SE Tonti. I was torn between carbs or running the EFI and have finally decided to toss the carbs and run the injection. It seems to be the general concensis on the thread I started in this forum. I have most of the EFI components and I wont have to come up with a stand alone ignition system. If I were to go with carbs though I would run kehin FCR's and toss the Delortos. Regarding the oil return line, would it not be easy to simply drill and tap the existing boss's on the cylinder heads for the return nipples. I have not even looked at the V11 engine yet to see how the return is configured. I need to find a home on the Tonti for all the EFI crap but I have it mapped out pretty well in my head. The V11 oil pan may not fit the Tonti frame rails but I wont know for sure until I test fit it. If it wont I'm pretty sure my lemans pan will bolt right up. The other thing I need to work out is fitting a fuel return nipple to the fuel tank which should not be to big a deal as others on this forum have illustrated. Do you have the MK4 Lemans handlebar mounted fairing and side ducts for your Dr John project? My bike is fitted with a frame mounted fairing and I have my original ones as well as the chin spoiler and I may be interested in parting with them. Keep us updated on the progress and thanks for sharing!

B/R...Mike

[guzzigray]

Very nice Graham.

 

I think we emailed a little last year. I built a Tonti racer with a Sport 1100 engine. I ended up having an ally tube made for the breather (see pix). Breather hose to a high point. Highest point goes to atmosphere, lowest point returns to the sump just like the Sport 1100 except I blocked off one fitting and use just one hose. I retained the oil cooler sump too Cycles4fun and it clears the frame rails no problem. I didn't want to use the frame breather set up (Lemans 3 frame) after seeing all the scale and hardened oil deposits that were in there.

 

I was lucky in that the Sport 1100 case still had a distributor boss and I was able to have it finish machined and use a distributor though if money was no object I would use a Silent Hektic crank fired ignition.

 

Graham have you seen Charley Coles website?? He has pictures of Dr John's bike being restored by the Dr himself.

 

http://www.zydecoracing.com/page/page/5079056.htm

 

Regards, Andrew. P.S I got 3rd nationally in Ahrma Vintage Superbike Heavyweight last year. (that's what happens when you show up)

[Greg Field]

ANdrew:

 

Congratulations!

 

If that breather doesn't work for any reason, the breather from the Bellagio looks to be a good solution. It tucks neatly right behind the steering head.

[dlaing]

Graham have you seen Charley Coles website?? He has pictures of Dr John's bike being restored by the Dr himself.

 

http://www.zydecoracing.com/page/page/5079056.htm

 

 

That is one complicated frame! (that looks much more rigid than our V11 frame)

[guzzigray]

ANdrew:

 

Congratulations!

 

If that breather doesn't work for any reason, the breather from the Bellagio looks to be a good solution. It tucks neatly right behind the steering head.

 

 

 

Hi Grag.

 

So far it's worked great. It doesn't look the most professional but it does have large volume which I think is important on a large capacity racer. I forgot to mention in the description that we put in perforated baffle plates about a third of the way down from the top of the tube. This was to diffuse the air coming in and and to separate oil (which could then return via gravity).

 

Thanks again for your help last year when I was building the bike.

 

Regards, Andrew. P.S, I'll be racing it at Willow Springs at the end of April.

 

P.P.S Just realized the bike Dr John is restoring is not his endurance racer but an interesting link anyway.....

[guzzigray]

Here's another interesting link:

 

http://www.guzzi47.citymax.com/backroom.html

[P3GA]

Graham, you may want to reach out to Paul Wright, owner of Highland Park Resort http://www.HighlandParkResort.com (just outside of Atlanta). Paul wrenched for John and Doug; somehow we got on the subject of Guzzi's at georgiaoffroad.com last month. He might be able to provide some insight & would probably be very interested in your project.

 

Phil