New member, new to me guzzi

[guzzi jon]

Hi,

This is my first post to this forum, I've lurked here before to gain info, but did not have a guzzi that fit the bill. Today, I picked up a gorgeous 02 Lemans from a kind gent who I suspect is a regular here. It has 11,000 miles on it and is quite pristeen. He's done a great job at maintenance, but is there anything I should look after. I'm a long time guzzi rider, but always on loops and california's, this is my first spiney. I took it through the canyons today and was very pleased, what a wonderful bike. Any advice or input is truly appreciated!

Best regards,

Jon

[orangeokie]

Hi,

This is my first post to this forum, I've lurked here before to gain info, but did not have a guzzi that fit the bill.  Today, I picked up a gorgeous 02 Lemans from a kind gent who I suspect is a regular here.  It has 11,000 miles on it and is quite pristeen.  He's done a great job at maintenance, but is there anything I should look after.  I'm a long time guzzi rider, but always on loops and california's, this is my first spiney.  I took it through the canyons today and was very pleased, what a wonderful bike.  Any advice or input is truly appreciated!

Best regards,

Jon

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Welcome and congrats on your new V11. Sounds like yours is just broken in and probably has had all the minor niggles taken care of. If the previous owner was/is a regular on here, you could ask him what he has corrected, ie like engine case paint, pawl springs, etc. If it is pristine, that's a good sign it is well taken care of.

 

Post some pics soon, so we can see her!

[guzzi jon]

He did have the engine cases swapped for the bubbling paint, but did not have the pawl spring addressed. I've heard this is a relatively simple fix, as a spiney rookie, is there info on this that I could digest. I do most guzzi work myself, but have zero experience with the Lemans. Anything in common with the California's is easy, valves, etc. Rather than impose on you folks right away, I will digest what you have historically, as well as lean heavily on Pete Roper... I have a picture of him in a compromising picture with a "little person" and his ubiquitous rubber chicken, that should get me some consultation gratis... Thanks again for any info.

Cheers,

Jon

[orangeokie]

He did have the engine cases swapped for the bubbling paint, but did not have the pawl spring addressed.  I've heard this is a relatively simple fix, as a spiney rookie, is there info on this that I could digest.  . . .

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Here's a good place to start on the pawl spring.

[guzzi jon]

Here's a good place to start on the pawl spring.

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Thanks, looks quite straight forward. I'll just do it.

cheers,

Jon

[Guest ratchethack]

what a wonderful bike.  Any advice or input is truly appreciated!

Best regards,

Jon

Welcome, Jon! I think we may've met at one of the rallys in the last couple years? In any case, I've seen y'er posts on the "other" Forum!

 

I know where you live -- within easy striking distance of arguably the best riding terrain on the planet , combined with arguably the finest year-round riding weather in North Anerica.

 

I don't mean to presume that you don't know how to set up suspension. But in my experience, the vast majority don't give it as much as a passing thought. You may in fact be way beyond me here. But with the above in mind, and since you liked y'er little jaunt in the mountains so much today, I have only one suggestion for you. May I most highly recommend something that (unless it's already done) will enhance that kind of experience manyfold:

 

You know how Guzzi's handle. Give y'er LeMans at least an even shot at handling the way she was designed to handle, and you WILL NOT be disappointed. Not that you haven't set up y'er others the way you like 'em, but very possibly THIS BIKE oughta be the one you dial-in properly for mountain riding! Match the fork and shock spring rates to y'er riding weight and set your laden and unlden sags. If you do searches on suspension set-up, y'er sure to find a wealth of info - including occasional long, painful whingeing from the likes o' myeself. Y'see, it took me awhile to get it figured out, which I did here, step by step - with invaluable advice from a few generous and patient, long-time Forum Guzzisti. Now that I've got 'er dialed-in, My Guzzi's graduated from the minors up to "the show" relative to the prior mediocre handling with the pathetically WEAK stock springs.

 

Many's the naysayer who will sing the vast virtues and phantasmagorical improvements achieved by binning y'er stock gear altogether and bolting on "racing" suspension -- along with, of course, properly matched springs and sag settings. It's been my experience that more often than not, most who've done this will bash the gear they replaced unmercifully, without ever having given it a fair shake with proper springs to begin with!!!

 

IMHO, it's the best bang-f'er-the-buck you can achieve with a V11.

 

You've got a beautifully-handling motorcycle that may still remain hidden behind weak springs. But let's face it -- she's fundamentally hamstrung with a boat-anchor bevel drive, aft weight bias, short swingarm, and porky gravitational endowment. As you well know, it's what we're given to work with, and there's no way around this. But on the bright side, what a PEACH to ride in the mountains if you set her up properly -- oh, and BTW, with y'er LM properly set-up, you may well be able to out-ride many of 'em, but don't be chasin' the local squids on their HyperBike 600's over the armco!

 

Hope to catch up with y'all on the road sometime!

 

Cdr. Hatchracket, Road Geez Patrol

[guzzi jon]

Thanks for the input, I'll certainly by setting up the suspension. I'm, er, big boned, so the front springs seem a bit soft from my first ride. I'll be spending a bit of time with Todd Egan to get his input on dialing in the suspension. On my Cali SS, I've got nicely sorted Wilburs and a dialed front end, so I can really appreciate the benefits of a sorted and balanced suspension. I'll be setting the sag tomorrow, then playing a bit with the damping, but I suspect a bit of time with Todd will yield good results.

Thanks again!

Cheers,

Jon

[Guest ratchethack]

Ah, then! I got my Wilbers springs from Todd, (as have a few So Ca Guzzisti on this Forum) and his recommendation on spring rates for my purposes was SPOT-ON. Y'er in good hands, then. If I may emphasize one thing -- Don't neglect getting BOTH laden and unladen sag settings in your target range! This'll be the key to unlocking y'er LM! (see many posts on this.)

 

BTW - what a superlative Eldo!

[DeBenGuzzi]

Ah, then!  I got my Wilbers springs from Todd, (as have a few So Ca Guzzisti on this Forum) and his recommendation on spring rates for my purposes was SPOT-ON.  Y'er in good hands, then.  If I may emphasize one thing -- Don't neglect getting BOTH laden and unladen sag settings in your target range!  This'll be the key to unlocking y'er LM!  (see many posts on this.)

 

BTW - what a superlative Eldo!

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My roads are so flat and for the most part well maintained that I can't even find a road within 100mi thats even worth riding on. There are some nice roads down south wynona(who wynona ryder is named after) or up north to duluth, I think nirvana sings about them. BUT both options are 2 hours away. I can only ride an hour on the goose at a time then I need an hour break. Call me a wuss but my legs and ass fall asleep.

[v50man]

wuss.

 

My roads are so flat and for the most part well maintained that I can't even find a road within 100mi thats even worth riding on. There are some nice roads down south wynona(who wynona ryder is named after) or up north to duluth, I think nirvana sings about them.  BUT both options are 2 hours away. I can only ride an hour on the goose at a time then I need an hour break. Call me a wuss but my legs and ass fall asleep. 

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[waspp]

Hey Jon, welcome to the spine world! Sounds like you found a real nice Lemans and I'm sure you will enjoy it. By the way thats a real fine loop frame you have, just nicely broken in as well.

 

waspp

[guzzi jon]

I took my new Lemans out to the Santa Monica mountains for a sound thrashing today. I must admit, by the time I returned home I was quite impressed. Initially, I was underwhelmed by the style of handling, I'm more used to my Cal SS and Kawasaki ZX-9R, both of which are set up to turn in easily, but once I loosened up and really pushed the countersteering, I was really jazzed. Over Encinal canyon and Mullholland highway as well as stunt road and Piuma, it blazed. The more aggressive the inputs, the better the handling. I am very pleased so far and look forward to pulling even better handling out of it!

Great bike....

[DeBenGuzzi]

wuss.

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I know

[Ouiji Veck]

Congrats!!

I love the way my LeMans handles...and thats comming from a history of inlines and Ducs.

When I ride aggresively I use my body (ass) and the LeMans loves it.

Everything is so much more fun on the LeMans. I set up way early but I'm on the gas

again earlier too. No zing zang zoom but big delicious archs...gas on and hangin'

under the tank... I'm grinning just thinking about it...

It never feels frantic...it takes everything in stride.

Nope...you won't regret it. It just keeps gettin better.

Some have said "it's just broken in"

"not half broken in" is more like it.

Have fun!