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You're trying to set the clearances on the overlap. Turn it another 360 degrees. Phil

My dad traded a 96 Sporster custom for a 98 Buell S1 White Lightning ⚡️I think it was $10,599. It had a crude seat, vibrated all over the place when idling, but once moving it smoothed out, suspension was WP, the front brake was epic. You had to remember not to hit the rev limiter(which was really low), if so it kept a respectable pace through a curvy road. While racing me on my 98 Honda SuperHawk 996, we about blew the motor, the bike had many recalls and dad wrecked it once so it lived at the HD dealership. On a trip back from Deals Gap the oil light came on, we pulled over to check, it had almost no oil in it. Dad traded the bike for a 00 BMW RT and the Buell chapter was over. A lot of fond hooligan memories mixed with mechanical failures & some scars.

I have INNOV front and rear camera set on my 'Sport. I did not have time to install cameras on my BMW prior to last summer's trip, but I had a helmet cam facing forward and missed the integrated system every day. I intend to have at the very least a single 360* camera mounted before the next big ride, probably the GTT. I have cameras in all of my cars now, as well. Unfortunate lesson learned; 2 years ago I got hydroplaned into and wrecked my beautiful '94 Chevy pickup. I had F&R cameras in that one as well, but the system wasn't known to me- and was a complete Chinese POS even though wonderful and expensive, because it filed recordings to the card every 30 seconds, and the G-shock system couldn't lock the file until it was written; because I turned the key off before the file was written, the *ONLY FILE* i needed in 2 years of recording was not saved, and I had no evidence. So I went to YouTube, viewed hundreds of crash videos, and bought Rexing brand for all my cars since they seem to have the most videos that actually made it to YT so their system is proven. They also have a tiny supercapacitor to keep the system alive if your battery disconnects or fails. The innov system on the Guzzi, iirc, writes the files to the card as it records. Oh, and yes, the fine Haitian gentlemen who so kindly helped pick up the pieces lied to the Trooper, who wrote the report as if he never even spoke to me, and reported 'accident, no fault' so I couldn't get paid. My passenger was a WA State prosecuting attorney, member in good standing of the Bar, and the BS went deep enough because the Troop didn't want a racial incident that my insurance paid me what they could, chased the other side for recompense of their own accord but in the end the bastards got away with it. I trust NO part of the justice system... Kicking this soapbox away before somebody declares me Elon Musk

^^ this Full synthetic oils are less prone to this as well. I remember back in the 1970s, Pennzoil brand was particularly bad for this; Pennsylvania crude oil is high in paraffin, and the wax emulsified with the water easier than non-paraffin crude extracts. The advent of synthetic oils put most of it to rest. So if you're using dinosaur dookie, try synthetic at the next change.

Yup, it’s just mayonnaise. Especially in cooler, damper climates as the engine heat cycles between runnng and not as it cools the water in the gas inside the crankcase, of which there will be a fair bit as water is one of the main y-products of combustion and there is always some blow by past the rings, will condense out on the inside of the cases. As the rocker covers always tend to run cool and are at the top of the motor this is where a lot of the water ends up. It combines with the oil droplets as it condenses and voila! The disgusting looking but essentially harmless mayonnaise. The answer to preventing it is getting the oil hotter. Once the oil temperature and internal temperature of the engine gets above about 90*C the the water will sublime out of the oil and off the internals of the engine and will over time be expelled through the breather system and rebreathed through the combustion chambers and expelled in the exhaust. No big block Guzzi begins to get even remotely warm enough to do this in winter unless you are doing motorway speeds for over twenty miles at least. Something I’d think it would be unlikely you’d be doing on the IOM, especially in winter! At least the V11’s have the advantage of having a thermostat in the oil cooler circuit which will help bump up the oil temperature a bit in cool weather. The 8V engines have a separate cooling circuit independent of the lubrication circuit and it directs the oil through the cooler unregulated. This means that any time the ambient temperature is under about 20-23*C it is damn near impossible to get the oil temp above 100*C which is where you want it unless you thrash the bastard mercilessly everywhere in 4th gear @ 6,000+RPM! Some of us owners have fitted external thermostats to our bikes, others, like me, who can’t be arsed, just tape off the cooler in the cooler months! Finding that nasty crap in the rocker covers is disconcerting the first time you see it and it is preferable that it not be there but it is what it is. Some oils are more prone to forming mayonnaise as well. Castrol has always been worse than many others and it’s one of the reasons I try to avoid it, but a damn good thrashing from time to time is the best medicine! Also, if you are riding in the wet at all make sure you put some sort of ‘Spray flap’ in the triangle of the swingarm cantilever or you’ll find your gearbox full of water as the stupid breather is right in line with the rear tyre. Mornin Phil!

Still nothing to the V11, but I got the V35 Imola out of the garage today. @docc mentioned the concept of a gumption trap here which pretty much covers why it has been sitting in the shed since December. It had been sitting for several months with an oil leak inside the clutch housing. I finally got around to fixing that, got new tyres for it, put fresh oil in everywhere, and had the bi-annual roadworthiness test done. Two days later I noticed a bit of oil on the ground under the front oil drain plug. I hadn't changed the seal, and obviously should have. Coincidently, I got hold of a Valeo starter motor about the same time. The Lucas starter motor in the bike still works, but weighs about 7 tons, so I would like to replace it with the lighter and more efficient Valeo starter motor. Unfortunately, although in really good condition, the Valeo turned out to be the earlier version without the clips on the magnets. So I bought a replacement housing with the clips. On the day I went into the garage to do the seal and change the starter motor, I started with the starter motor, and discovered that the new-version with-the-clips housing didn't just bolt on. Something is different around the hole where the shaft sits in its bearing, I think, and I couldn't get the clip that holds the shaft in back on. That stopped work for that day, and I didn't immediately have a plan for changing the seal on the drain plug without losing all of the practically brand new oil. So nothing happened for several months. Today I got the seal changed, didn't fumble it, and only lost about a shot glass full of oil. I put a bit of carboard under the bike when I parked it, and if that is still clean tomorrow, the bike will be proclaimed "good to go" for the time being. The Valeo starter is on the back burner for now. The key realisation was that the starter motor is not really important and can be done in the course of time, and changing the seal just has to be done, so just get on with it.

There is a certain portion of society that is automatically WRONG or responsible . You & I are in that group.

. "In the Moto Grappa 'as we speak' ..."

@cash1000 and I put a remote breather on our gearboxes for just that reason. See pictures: A spray flap is a good idea too. https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/topic/31139-transmission-problem-shift-bendix-any-ideas/page/2/#findComment-299737

Mine's apart but with the trans and swingarm out; it appears that the subframe is symmetrical along the frame spine axis.

Sorry guys. After help again... Doing clearances. Right side. D marker showing. Piston crown visible. No play in rockers. Backed off completely. Still no play. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance. Do appreciate your help.

IF the leak(s) are at the connections you need a 01154230 gasket and a 90706010 o-ring . The gasket will go between the fitting & pan and the o-ring will go between the fitting and the breather hose that goes up to the frame. If it is the hose , you will need a 01154631 pipe.

Oh it rains. Generally though the Canberra region is one of the driest areas on the driest inhabited continent on earth! Most of our rain comes in spring and autumn, although this autumn has so far been very dry. Both summer and winter tend to get dominated by large high pressure systems that sit over the continent and winter especially is characterised by incredibly clear, still, days with bright sunshine and few clouds. As soon as the sun drops below the horizon temperatures plummet and overnight temps of -5*C are common, we can get down to -8 occasionally! As soon as the sun comes up again though temperatures climb rapidly and by 10.00AM it will be well above freezing and by early afternoon it can be in the mid to high teens. Sure, when we do get winter storms from the south west it can be utterly miserable but really it’s quite a pleasant climate and we have year round riding and no salt on the roads. What’s not to like? Some of the best riding roads in the country are also only an hour or two away.

Haven't taken the time to do anything yet, have to make the rounds up north starting this week so won't be home for a month.

How old are you ?

You can put anything down in the spark plug hole that will come out in the same amount that was installed. You will be barring this crank over so you will be able to pull the rod out while you are barring the engine over finding TDC. I used a 18" 1/4" extension to find TDC on a Nissan Titan yesterday using a LONG handle 1/2" drive ratchet on the c/shaft to bar it over . Take it slow n take it easy . We have professionals and novices on here , for the ones that know a lot feel free to add input or corrections . For the beginners don't be afraid to as if you're not sure. Everyone here is glad to assist. HTH.

Thank you, gentlemen. Appreciated, as always.

Wot he sed

Thanks Marty. Heading back to Methven come August (all being well). Will shout you a beer.

Looks just like the valve covers of an air-cooled VW used for short drives. Allow time to make the full Isle circuit and you should be fine.

You are not the first person to ask that question. See: https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/topic/22336-what-is-the-extra-sump-plug-for/#comment-256978

Fortunately our fuel doesn't contain ethanol. Some fortunate quirk of Island life.

A major additional factor is Ethanol fuels. Ethanol is hydroscopic and any fuel dilution of the oil which happens with short ride/multi cold start cycle engines attracts additional water in the oil. People that run their engines on E85 have a major issue with this even with ultra short interval oil changes.

Thanks chaps. Appreciate you taking the time to compose those replies. I should investigate my bike's plumbing a bit more. When I drained the oil I noticed only one oil line next to the drain plug, whereas the illustration showed two (one either side of the drain plug). On my bike, one is blanked-off. Might be unrelated to oil temperature but I was curious about it. Thanks again.

Cool climate and short trips with a high ratio of cold starts to miles ridden is your issue. Buy an oil dipstick temp gauge and monitor what your oil temps are during your normal riding regime. You may need to cover the oil cooler to get the oil temp up and burn off the water the oil accumulates in your riding situation. You do need to get this under control or it will wreck your engine eventually. In your climate i'd imagine anything less than a spirited 50klm ride and you'll be getting this issue. Phil

The frame dimensions are shown in dimensional drawings in the workshop manual. Unfortunately, I'm not near mine right now. Welcome, @Paul57! [Watch for this topic to move to Technical Topics (just housekeeping).]

I still have a Buell race project sitting in the corner, though the class intended is 30 years gone. An 888cc single-cylinder layout. Still may make Bonneville some day. I roadraced a Buell for a season, good fun but nobody really knew how to sort them out in the '90s. An early S3 tourer is on my short list of acquisitions if I win the Irish Sweepstakes.

Ok ! If it looks bent , it probably is bent . take your tape measure and measure and start looking. Verify 1

What REALLY let me down w/the Harley Davidson congregation was their reception of the Buell motorcycle . My co-worker's best friend rode his by one day and we stopped work to go outside and look at it . Jimmy had owned it for about a year and had three other H-Ds . a typical HOG owner , long hair smoked up all the time etc. Wheelie riding 100' at a time , 12 rear tires the first year , he did not ride when snow was on the ground. He offered me a spin . It was like NO Harley I had ever straddled . Smooth , no vibration , instant power , all 6 gears. I had to stop three times and get off and blip the throttle to make sure the engine I was looking at was the engine powering the bike. EVERY component on this bike was from outer space and outer space quality too. That bike was my 15 minutes w/Blondie . Come to think of it the bike was white just like her white dress . Unforgettable Now , back to Earth . Jimmy told me the dealership pushed them off into the corner because no one wanted to look at progress. think of 2 million Henry Ford customers and that is what they have.

APRIL, 2025 - MPH Cycles is accepting bikes " BY APPOINTMENT ONLY " for service and repair at our new location in Hempstead Tx. Email: mike@mphcycles.com

Gearboxes don't really suffer the condensation issue like an engine. An engine produces a LOT of water vapour starting from cold and that's what contaminates the oil and needs to evaporate off. Short runs just kills engines as does short start stop stuff like shuffling cars around in driveways and workshops. Doesn't matter what oil you use either it just kills them. Gearboxes not so much, foaming is an issue with gearboxes esp if they are overfilled a bit. Phil

@cash1000 had foaming in his gearbox oil. He drained and refilled a few times before it stayed clear. We thought that it may be because of water getting into the oil, and the only path for water seemed to be the vent, which is in line with spray from the rear wheel. We both fitted a remote vent hose to avoid this. The vent plug thread is M6 x 1 mm.