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The unique Gambalunga badge is so right for our V11, from Marabese's inspiration - I hope your procedure came out well @Tomchri!

Guys... don’t bother with the Angel GT’s - not because they aren’t good. They were actually what I was running previously but tyre technology just keeps improving...! Do yourself a favour and get yourself a set of Metzeler M9RR’s. They are the bomb! Awesome dry grip lean angles beautiful feel... 👍😎

Order that seal kit and those pistons, they should be able to rebuild yours. That piston kit is upgraded to prevent seizure, total parts cost about $65 plus labor. You'd still be money ahead vs buying a new one and waiting 2 months. plus, you keep your original caliper which would make @docc pleased.....

That’s hardcore, bro!

I am having the v11 plates drawn up in 2D/3D CAD files. I wanted to incorporate the “Daytona” style pockets and the hole. Also, these new plates will be made from a high tensile magnesium alloy. I just paid for the plates to be scanned and they will be sent off tomorrow. Zverse is the company that will do the scanning. I am designing this bike with several very neat features and keeping a overall theme. Blowing $600 to get some drawings of frame plates isn’t what I would consider a “value” proposition. The Daytona plate does not have the tang at the top like the v11. It’s also a little different in dimension to account for the wider tire. The back of a v11 plate: The recess around the bolt holes are there anyway. Depending on the type of material used, I don’t think opening up some of these areas, even slightly should be cause for concern as you’ll be starting out with a much stronger metal. We as Guzzi people don’t have much of aftermarket. NCR etc you can melt your credit card into goo. Aside from a scant few pieces here and there, it’s a ghost town. So if you want something exotic, you’ll need to do it yourself. My design theme has exotic in the front and the back. That seem like sound thinking?

Now I know why they are often missing. I bought a replacement a while ago but never got around to actually putting it on. I just did and it’s like a Rolex piece. And reverse thread. Turn it the wrong way and it’s loose and from there it’s not going to stay long in this world. I did use locktite but I’m more tempted to use superglue.

Michelin Pilot Road 3s came with big red. I get the feeling that the tire profile is not that well suited to the bike. It definitely corners better on the gas than neutral or overrun. Might be the tires, the Guzzi or the 180>170 thing. I see folks raving about the Conti Road Attack 3. Certainly not an inexpensive tire, but what price confidence?

I'm fond of the Dunlop Road Smarts. I have them on my Greenie and my Ducati. I've had Pirellis and Michelins on my Greenie. The Dunlops last as long or longer, handle just as well and cost less <Guzzi content>. I wore out the rear the Michelin really quickly, too expensive for that. I liked them so well, I replaced the Pirellis (Rosso III) on my Ducati after too many worn tires in a short amount of miles.

Cool. Pretty sure we're saying the same thing. while I have seen no evidence of licensing (as if the Italians ever make these agreements public), I share your observation about the similarity (" . . damn near identical.") To take the observation a bit further, the very first PC545 I sourced to replace my original Spark 500 was absolutely identical in every way (2006). The PC545 changed a little by the next one I bought (2010): [Note: these batteries have all lasted about twice as long as those date intervals, but the older battery has swapped into service in my Odyssey-test-bed and faithful 750cc Kohler-twin garden tractor, swampee.]

Right? Pretty sure you can't go wrong with tires from modern manufacturers. Distributors or shops? Well, I have mistakenly bought rather old (like three year old) tires "off the shelf." I've no experience with the Michelin Road 5, but agree that tire threads need to keep pace with newly offered tires. Recently, I switched to Bridgesone Battlax T31, at the advice of a trusted friend, after Pirelli took manufacturing to China while their prices went up. As for tire size, my 'feel' from members posting over this considerable time is that the 60 aspect ratio is kept, along with the 120 front, while the rear is often (not always!) taken down a width (early ShortFrame 4.5" rim: 170 -> 160, and later LongFrame 5.5" rim: 180 -> 170. IMO, the 170 (slightly pinched onto the 4.5" rim) of the early RedFrame contributed to complaints about the high speed squirm (along with a handful of other factors that all conspired to make for some skeery pucker-time coming by the bow wave of a semi-truck passing at 80-90 mph/ 130-150 kph ). "YMMV" surely can't apply to anything more than tires!! I eat mine up so fast, if I don't like one - no worries, it'll be gone soon.

Thank you Doc for again helping me find my way, I feel I am no longer lost and back on track in the conversation. LOL. My heart was in the right place, maybe not my brain? I have found your information and tips to be absolutely spot on, a great help.

If it was me, I'd still order those parts and have them rebuild the caliper they get. The pistons get rusty from seal failure and the anodized one's from MG Cycle prevents that. Or you might end up in the same boat down the road. You are already paying them to pull all that off and bleed the system etc. it's not that much more in labor/parts to insure a perfectly operating caliper for years to come.

If you intent to remove the recesses on the back of the plate and move them to the front for cosmetical reasons, please also consider the fairly large radiusses used on this fairly stressed part. If you design the recess on the front side just to be milled out with an e.g. 10mm mill on a CNC lathe, the very small internal radius in the recess may still cause cracking, even though the design is strong enough for the general loads. Short version: when reproducing a casted part by CNC process, seriously consider the radiusses.

I semi-resemble that remark!

Whole new Gold brembo caliper for my Rosso Corsa from Guzzi via Af1 Racing only cost me $95 from AF1 a few months ago.. new. Just Sayin

https://www.ebay.com/itm/162694437725?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

Moto Guzzi V11 Le Mans 1999-2005 rear brake caliper seal repair rebuild kit

Just a heads up on those earlier 'Pork Chops'/side plates. They changed the design for more than just cosmetic reasons. The early ones are much, much more prone to cracking, even a bad drop at a standstill can do damage that may not be immediately visible but severely weakens them. It's worth doing a penetrant die test before fitting to check their integrity. Remember, it's those plates that hold the swingarm on. If one breaks the other one will too and the back of the bike falls off!

Rowdy Canadians, the worse!!!!

Here ya go: @Randy posted this just three weeks ago:

No comment, it's a statement, and it's washable, 3hours before 3rd hernia. IPA time. Cheers Tom Sent fra min SM-A505FN via Tapatalk

Enjoyed turning 99,000 miles (almost 160.000 km) today. Although it was on a commute to work, I've had worse commutes! Angling toward the (US) magical 100,000 miles. Perhaps by (or on!) the Spine Raid. I feel certain Andy York has the highest mileage V11 in the world and I'll never catch him (in more ways than one! ), but it's pretty great to be enjoying this V11 after all these years and miles.