tom3

And they've now been sold. Thanks, everyone!

Replied.

I got these as a back-up after I scratched up my Mistral round, but ended up picking up a set of Guzzi ti cans later on.

Another part that I bought off of eBay years ago, here's a stock seat I got as a backup, but never got around to using. The seat is overall in good shape. The surface of the cover has some discoloration and shallow marks. No rips, tears, or holes. I know for sure that the seat fits my 2001 (red frame) V11 Sport, and I believe it would fit earlier models as well. Asking S120 OBO plus actual cost of shipping, from 98006 in the USA. More pictures here

SOLD. For sale is a set of Mistral Oval Titanium cans I bought several years ago off of eBay. They are in perfect condition and appear to have minimal use. I never got around to installing them and they've just been sitting in the garage. Asking $400 OBO plus actual cost of shipping, from 98006 in the USA. More pictures here

Please put me down for one. Thanks!

Thanks. Will check this..

I've had good service from mine. Consider "conditioning" the battery before installation: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=18838 Thanks Docc! Your thread was how I got the idea to recondition the old battery in the first place, before I realized that it was almost 12 years old. I'd need to get a charger to condition the battery though. Would you still recommend the procedure if the new battery is measuring 13.02 volts? thanks!

Thanks so much everyone! I decided to play it safe and went with the PC545.

It looks like the battery in my 2001 Sport is no longer holding charge. It is an Odyssey PC545 (with metal jacket), and the labels on it indicate a manufacture date of July 2005 and installation in 2006. I've had the bike since 2008 and the battery has never given me problems until recently. I briefly considered reconditioning it, but I'm leaning toward just replacing it given how old it is. From the many battery threads that turned up in my search, it looks like PC545 still gets most of your votes. That is the default choice for me as well since I've had good experience with the one that came in my bike. (though I probably shortened its life by putting it on a Battery Tender Jr out of ignorance). Nevertheless, I'd like to make sure that it is still the way to go since many of the threads I found are from a few years ago. For instance, would this Yuasa YTX-15L with it's higher CCA be a better choice? http://www.ebay.com/itm/262433899795 What about LiPO4 batteries? Thanks!!

Thanks all for your response. It was indeed Micha from Moto International that referred me to Ducati of Seattle for a dyno tune, when I asked about how I can smooth out the problems I was experiencing. However I don't think I had asked to have all the other things done first. Thanks Tom M for the list. I will definitely check with Micha to get those done first. You guys are right, it makes little sense to do a custom map on the dyno without first making sure that the FI/motor settings are in line..

Hi there, I have a 2001 V11 sport and I've been thinking about getting it dyno tuned. I'm the second owner and the previous owner had installed the following mods on it: - Stucci crossover - Mistral titanium oval pipes - FBF high compression pistons - Power commander 3 (serial) Now the bike runs fine for the most part. The only problems (more like annoyances) that I experience and hope that the dyno tune would fix are: 1) very abrupt on-off throttle response; 2) sometimes around 2500-3000rpm, I experience a sudden and brief dip in engine output; 3) lastly, and this is really minor my bike seems to be consuming more fuel than usual. I get about 30-32 mpg (is this normal?), I wonder if it's running rich all the time Besides these, I don't recall having any other problems with the way the engine's running. I'm not interested in maximizing power at this point. Given all this, would you recommend that I do a dyno tune? I'm located in Seattle, I called Ducati of Seattle to ask about doing a dyno tune. They said I can either tune it one cylinder at a time (dual map), or both at the same time (single map). If I choose to do the dual map, they'd need to drill and weld bungs on the header pipe, and the total cost is about double. For doing the single map, they'd use the exhaust output to help them tune, so no bungs need to be installed. I checked the header pipes this morning and found that toward the bottom where it connects with the crossover, there is a bolted-up hole on each pipe. Would they be able to use that to do a dual map, and not have to install bungs? I'm very new to all this. Do you think I would gain any improvement with the dyno tune? If so, is it worth double the price to do a dual map? Finally, for those of you in Seattle, is there a shop that has more experience dyno-tuning Moto Guzzi engines? At least the guys I spoke with in the service department didn't seem to be very familiar with Guzzi's. thanks!

I understand that clutchless upshifts may be largely a personal preference. I've heard people say that they never use the clutch after the 1-2 shift, and I've also heard people say that the clutch is there for a reason, so you should always use it. I personally never do it on purpose, but have done it a couple of times on my Guzzi. Preferences aside, would upshifting without using the clutch cause damage to the V11 sport (whether due to model specific reasons, or to all bike in general)? thanks!

Hi, I have a set of "high-mount" peg/exhaust holders that I'd like to swap for a stock set. Please let me know if you're interested.

Thanks for all your responses. I decided to try a pair of Napoleans.. just ordered them. Now I read that the factory bar end weights are a bear to remove. Is the proper way to remove them to use an allen wrench to loosen the hex bolt at the bar end? I tried it without applying a lot of force, and the controls (where the turn signal and high beam controls are, on the left side) seem to want to turn as well. Do I need to hold them in place while trying to turn loose the hex bolt? Or perhaps I need to hold the factory bar end while turning the hex bolt? Please pardon my newbieness.. thanks.

I'm thinking about swapping the stock mirrors for a pair of bar end mirrors. I see the CRG and Napolean mentioned, and I began looking. I found these on MGCycle: Ken Sean and Napolean Which would you guys recommend? thanks!

This is obviously a hotly debated topic. I am completely ignorant in the subject of steering dampers. In fact, my V11 sport is the first bike I owned that has one. Setting aside whether the steering damper "should be" or "does not need to be" used, can someone kindly give a tutorial on how to properly use the steering damper? I'll greatly appreciate insights on how to set one up and make sure that it's currently in good working order, and how to actually properly operate the steering damper on the road/track. thank!

If you have a tank chinpad that you don't need, I'll be interested in buying it from you. thanks.

Hi again, I've been riding more after being out of town a while, and I'm learning to adapt to the Guzzi more now. I also had it serviced at Moto International last week, got the Pete Roper sloppage sheet installed, reverted back to stock airbox (I wanted to make the bike less loud, though to no avail), and got the broken neutral sensor replaced. The folks at MI are superb. They are knowledgeable and friendly. I am indeed fortunate to be with a Moto Guzzi in the Seattle area. Unfortunately, the replaced neutral sensor seemed to have failed before I left the lot. Previously, the problem was that the sensor always thought the bike was in gear, even in neutral. Now the sensor always thinks that the bike is in neutral. Over the past couple of days, this behavior kind of went back and forth. Sometimes it'd be "always in gear", sometimes it'd be "always neutral". I learned that neutral sensor failure is a fairly common with the V11. How do you guys deal with it? I'm thinking whether I should just leave it be (probably in "always in gear" mode) and just be more careful and aware. Another behavior that occured a couple of times these days is that when I coast to a stop in neutral, the engine dies. This really caught me by surprise, though both times I was able to start the engine right back up. Basically the rpm would drop normally from wherever it was when I pulled in the clutch, but it'd continue dropping to zero rather than staying at idle. I'm puzzled as to why this might happen. Any ideas? I doubt the neutral sensor has anything to do with it because the side stand is not down. Would replacing the velocity stacks + unifilter with the stock airbox have anything to do with it? I can't think of what might be causing it. thanks!! tom

So I've been riding the V11 on and off, putting about 150 miles on it. It's been really great! Several times I rode it back to back with the Speedfour, and it's hard to tell while riding that the Guzzi is almost 100lb heavier (according to specs). The V11 handles really well. The last time I rode, I rode the V11 for 45 minutes or so, then hopped on the Speedfour immediately after. It actually took me about 10 minutes to adjust to the way the Triumph rides. haha... One thing I do hope to change about the V11 is how buzzy the handlebars are. The previous owner mentioned that adding heavier bar-end weights would help. Another thing I'm still getting used to is that the throttle on-off feels very abrupt. It takes a lot more care in the right wrist, as well as some clutch play to keep things smooth for me. Am i doing something wrong? I keep wondering about the steering damper too. I wanted to know if it was active, and see if I could change the setting. Without a manual, I didn't want to mess things up (as the bike feels fine now). Can anyone enlighten me as to how to adjust the steering damper? Thanks!

Thanks for the welcome! The weather has been nice these few days (it's been unseasonably cold here in Seattle), and I've had a couple more short rides on the V11. My initial impression, as compared to the Speed Four, is that the V11 is more "rough", whereas the S4 is more "refined". This is in the way of vibration, rattling noises, and gear shift. Contrasting the two, the S4 feels more like a precise and modern machine; and the V11 feels strangely like a raw living animal. Maybe this is the "soul" you guys speak of? Thus far the S4 is still easier for me to ride, and easier for me to handle, probably because I'm so used to it. Both bikes are enormously fun, in different ways. There's no way for me to say which is "better". I do wish (hope!) that I can keep both.. we'll have to see how good my domestic diplomacy skills are.. hehe Oh and for full disclosure, the V11 has quite a few mods on it, including Stucchi crossover, Mistral Ti Oval, FBF high compression pistons, Power Commander, Velocity stacks with Unifilter.. The S4 is bone stock.

Hello! I'm a giddy new owner of a 2001 V11 Sport. I bought it from the original owner who's also registered on this site (robbiekb). First, a little self introduction... I've been riding for almost 6 years, first briefly on a 1986 Yamaha FZX700 Fazer, then on a 2002 Honda 919 Hornet. After my newbie crash on the 919, I got a 2001 Triumph Speed Four, which was accompanied for a short while by a 1995 Kawasaki Vulcan 750. I've since sold the Vulcan, and kept the Speed Four. I first learned about Moto Guzzi a couple of years ago, when I saw one parked somewhere. After some research, I stumbed on the V11 Sport, the most beautiful bike I had laid my eyes on. One thing led to another, and today I found myself to be a lucky owner of a 2001 green V11. Here are my two bikes side by side: The unfortunate reality for me is that I'm going to have to choose one from the two to keep, and sell the other one by the end of this year. I just began riding the V11, and it is such a different experience from riding the Speed Four.. It's too early for me to tell which I would choose since I can only have one. Anyway, I thought I'd post here and say hi!