2000 V11 Sport with cracked tranny case--buy?

[Guest tomoconn]

I'm thinking about buying a 2000 v11 Sport with 12,000 miles for $3,500. The tranny case is cracked and leaks a little oil. The owner has a complete tranny from an '04 Le Mans that i'd have to drop in at my own expense (i'm figuring about a grand). Bike seems to be in top condition otherwise. Is this a wise purchase for someone who's not terribly mechanically inclined and who can't afford to routinely take the bike to the shop?

[Guest ratchethack]

Tomoconn, as an owner of a 2000 Sport who has had the trans out and back in myself in my own workshop (for the trans recall), and having restored and/or entirely rebuilt a list of both moto's and cars, I cannot advise you to do this, despite the relative ease of working on a Guzzi vs. many other marques.

 

If you had said that you're an experienced wrench with many bike rebuilds under y'er belt, it might well be a good fit for you as well as an outstanding value. But IMHO, lacking both mechanical inclination and money is a recipe for nearly certain disaster here, unless you happen to be long on 3 more commodities that would have to come into play in abundance: 1. an extraordinary motivation to learn and accept many kinds of all-new mechanical challenges accompanied by an exceptionally strong will to overcome them, 2. unlimited time, and 3. a very comfortable place to work on the bike with all that extraordinary motivation, exceptional will, and unlimited time.

 

Sorry, but buying into this bike at a low threshold price only makes sense to some, and for you, it'd be a high risk built on a false economy.......

 

Far better to scrape up just a little more cash (shouldn't be much more) and buy a complete working bike.

 

BAA, TJM & YMMV

[KiloSjon]

 

With the same reasoning I bought a GL1000 some time ago. (600 guilders, approx 300$) Spent more money on it than a similar bike in concourse condition and in the end sold it with a BIG loss... I did not have time, and missed a proper workshop....

 

this is what I ended up with, 5000 $ and 8 years later...

 

I learned a lot, and probably would do a much better job if I'd do it again (in the meanwhile I practised on my VF1000) but economics?....

 

If you run into this kind of bikes, the "business case" should be clear up front:

time (hrs) + necessary tools ($) + parts ($) + advice/rescue from mechanic ($) = less than price of a similar bike ($)

This equation could be changed if you plan on doing serious modification / personalisation...

[Guest tomoconn]

Ah, i remember the guilder. It was so much cheaper to visit Holland before the Euro was adopted.

[richard100t]

I'm not sure if thats a bad deal. If its $3500 including the good transmission, check around for a quote from a reputable mechanic first. If you can get the "good" tranny installed for under a grand I'd call that a fairly good deal. I'd make damn sure thats all thats wrong with it before I bought it too. Its like Dirty Harry said in the movies...Do you feel lucky punk? Well...do ya? lol It could be a great deal or a horrrible money draining experience.

[callison]

To reiterate this same posting on the GuzziTech.com forum

 

A caution here:

 

Almost always, when the tranny case on a V11 Sport is cracked, it's 'cause the frame took a hard hit in a crash.

 

Caveat emptor . . .

 

What Greg said.

 

Having gone the through the agony of rebuilding one of these after an accident I can tell you that it simply is not worth the trouble. The transmission cases alone run about $618. If the transmission case has cracks, there is a high probability that the front engine mounts on the timing chest are cracked. If you see any cracks up front, run - don't walk - away from that bike. If you're still interested in the bike after that, yank the tank and look very, very carefully at the spine. Any bends, wrinkles or twists in the metal at all, and it's toast. I wouldn't give a plugged nickel for having it straightened either although it has been done.

[dlaing]

3500 is a steal!

but probably better for someone who can wrench it themselves.

You could probably pay an unemployed or retired mechanic $200 and a case of beer and some chinese food.

EDIT but then again, you probably don't need a second bike, you probably don't have a garage, and there are cheaper bikes to own and operate.

A Guzzi is a cheap bike to own if you are mechanically inclined, but otherwise, I think they must be kind of expensive to own...but any bike is a gamble.

[Guest ratchethack]

You could probably pay an unemployed or retired mechanic $200 and a case of beer and some chinese food.

Hmmmmmmmm.............a Szechuan "Hot and Numbing Fish" or "Kung Pao" trans with a little bak-toi between 5th and 6th - yeah, that could be interesting...........

[dlaing]

Hmmmmmmmm.............a Szechuan "Hot and Numbing Fish" or "Kung Pao" trans with a little bak-toi between 5th and 6th - yeah, that could be interesting...........

91028[/snapback]

They don't call the Kung Pao in NYC Chinatown "Redline" for nothing! (or was that the 3 train?)

Roundtrip airfare and room and board(pizza, beer, and chinese food) for a week and I am there!

[zoltan c]

3500 is a steal!

but probably better for someone who can wrench it themselves.

You could probably pay an unemployed or retired mechanic $200 and a case of beer and some chinese food.

EDIT but then again, you probably don't need a second bike, you probably don't have a garage, and there are cheaper bikes to own and operate.

A Guzzi is a cheap bike to own if you are mechanically inclined, but otherwise, I think they must be kind of expensive to own...but any bike is a gamble.

91027[/snapback]

Hey! Not all of us mechanics will work for beer and Chinese food , Oh wait we will!!!

[Willyz]

What Greg said.

 

Having gone the through the agony of rebuilding one of these after an accident I can tell you that it simply is not worth the trouble. The transmission cases alone run about $618. If the transmission case has cracks, there is a high probability that the front engine mounts on the timing chest are cracked. If you see any cracks up front, run - don't walk - away from that bike. If you're still interested in the bike after that,  yank the tank and look very, very carefully at the spine. Any bends, wrinkles or twists in the metal at all, and it's toast. I wouldn't give a plugged nickel for having it straightened either although it has been done.

91016[/snapback]

 

 

Uh oh! So apparently I just paid $999.95 too much for a wrecked V11 with a cracked tranny AND broken front engine mounts......

 

It looks to have taken a HARD hit on the right cylinder which broke the cast front mounts which let the engine drop which broke the tranny case. Trashed the headlight and ignition switch but left pretty much everything else looking pretty good.

 

I've already got the front timing plate so I figured I would lift the motor and get it back in straight THEN pull the tranny and weld the case up. I've got a friend who finished second in the "Welding Olympics" as we call it. I figure it might be an interesting project. If the engine/tranny repair goes awry or gets too $$$ I will just part it.....

 

Having a nice, uncrashed one to ride gives one a different perspective I suppose. It can sit on the lift and I'll get to it when I get to it. In the meantime I'm still riding. I can also just look at my uncrashed one if I want to see what things are SUPPOSED to look like and to remind me how to put it back together.

 

Anybody that may know of any V11 parts bikes please let me know. Also, I would really like to get a hold of the service manual pdf that is floating around. The Yahho group that purports to supply it doesn't work for me. If anyone wants to forward that to me I would be most appreciative also.

 

BK

Kansas

[guzzijack]

Also, I would really like to get a hold of the service manual pdf that is floating around. The Yahho group that purports to supply it doesn't work for me. If anyone wants to forward that to me I would be most appreciative also.

 

BK

Kansas

91409[/snapback]

 

Go here Manuals and pick up the Service/Workshop Manual (Officina), Parts book (Ricambi) and even the Handbook (Uso e Manutenzione) for many different models including a few V11 Sport variations.

 

Happy downloading

 

Graham

[jrt]

I've already got the front timing plate so I figured I would lift the motor and get it back in straight THEN pull the tranny and weld the case up. I've got a friend who finished second in the "Welding Olympics" as we call it. I figure it might be an interesting project. If the engine/tranny repair goes awry or gets too $$$ I will just part it.....

91409[/snapback]

 

Good luck with that- the castings Guzzi uses are absolute crap as far as welding goes. If you're in Kansas, it's likely you are in the aircraft mechanics crowd, and if anyone can do it, those guys can.

 

BTW, If Graham's download doesn't work, send me a PM. I'll burn you a copy on a CD and snail mail it to you.

[Guest ratchethack]

Good luck with that- the castings Guzzi uses are absolute crap as far as welding goes. 

Roger that.

 

Speaking from what I believe may be closely related experience, having done significant welding on an equally dubious-quality aluminum case (Spanish - Bultaco - yeah, it was back in the Pleistocene Era ), let me just say that the heat required to get adequate penetration in semi-porous castings of "variable" consistency can warp the casting so far out of true that it will have to be seriously re-faced to mate up with everything, and that's just for openers, where the "fun" of re-alignment begins............

[docc]

Certainly if the gearbox case and the front engine mounts are broken then the bike has been tranked. But my gearbox case cracked at the left upper mount without a crash. The dealer thought it was from wheel standing but when I suggested his wrench was the only rider to do that with my Sport he recanted.

 

Certainly repairing a mounting boss is unlikely to be effective. Replacing the case cover will require complete disassembly of the box ( and the new case ).

 

There is a front top mounting plate on the 1100 Sport and Spot1100 which was left off the '99-'01 RedFrames. I've fitted one in the hope that it will reduce stresses on the rearward mounts. Wheelies or no.

http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...pe=post&id=1133

 

BTW:Thanks for link on the manuals. Er, but there are no 1999 or 2000 V11 listed . And no ricambi for the '01. As far as I know the '01 and '00 were the same but what gives?