MartyNZ

It sounds like you did a thorough job of troubleshooting and fixing the electrics. And you are right about this forum being excellent. I just finished fitting a later model gearbox shifter plate with the banana link, and doing the Lucky Phil fettling of the shift hook, and finally installing the Scud/Chuck spring. I had already fitted the Phil/Chuck extended shifter lever. Shifting is a charm now. I owe so much to the wisdom of the forum members. Now what was I saying? Oh yes, as I took the starter off, I noticed the same loose spade connector on my bike, and I fixed it the same way you did. Clean, squeeze, grease, and go. I did the same to the starter faces that touch the bell housing, as that is the starter earth return. You may want to check the earth circuits for the regulator and coils too.

When the gearbox is in neutral, the switch plunger goes into a shallow dish in the lower cam wheel. I'd check that you don't have too thin a seal under the switch. If so, the plunger can't extend enough to ground the circuit. When in neutral, try unwinding the switch one flat at a time, and if the light comes on, then you need a thicker seal washer. Of course then you need to be sure that the light goes out when in all 6 gears.

Remember that there are two hollow dowels that locate the plate against the gearbox housing, so the plate cannot move sideways. The dowels are tight, which adds to the difficulty. The plate must pull straight away from the case by repeated jiggling after the bond line is released. Heat may help soften whatever is holding it. BTW, it is best if you can be certain that the bike is in either neutral or 1st before removing the plate. If you choose neutral, mark the cam wheel alignment at adjacent teeth. There's already marks for first gear.

Jason, I put a computer hard drive magnet on the oil filter of my Toyota Hilux pickup. It stayed in place till the next oil change, when I opened the filter can to look. I could see the outline of the magnet on the inside of the filter can. Just a dark outline that disappeared as soon as I touched it. So the magnet was collecting steel particles from the oil, but I don't know if it has any real world benefit. It certainly can't do any harm on an external filter, but I'd be reluctant to put one inside the sump of my bike.

It is difficult to measure resistance of LED lamps & incandescent bulbs. Incandescent bulb resistance depends on temperature, and will be very low if it is not glowing. LEDs generally have infinite resistance in reverse connection, and will only begin to allow you to measure forward resistance above a certain voltage. That's why some multimeters have a dedicated diode test function. The electrical difference between LED lamps & incandescent bulbs is mostly about current draw. LEDs have other advantages too, but lets stick to current. If you hook 12 volts to a 25 watt incandescent bulb then it draws about 2 amps. The actual current depends on filament temperature; hotter temp = higher resistance = lower current. If you hook 12 volts to a 6 watt LED Lamp, then it draws about 0.5 amps. This lower current makes the original flasher unit flash at the wrong speed, so a common work-around is to add a resistor in parallel with the LED so the combined resistor and LED draw 2 amps. Some aftermarket LEDs are marked "error free" and have the parallel resistor inside. This avoids an error from modern vehicles which detect the low current and interpret this as a blown bulb. The parallel resistor shouldn't be confused with a voltage dropping series resistor which is hooked in line with the LED and is hidden inside the lamp socket. LEDs usually run on 2 or 3 volts, and 12 v would destroy them, so the series resistor is hooked in line to drop 9 or 10 volts. So, if I found extra parallel resistors on my bike, I'd remove them after fitting an electronic flasher.

16mm is 5/8 inches, so you may find a local US brake shop or HD dealer who can help you. You would need to measure everything first, as there are suggestions that both 15.8 & 16mm diameters were in the Laverda Brembo range. I had a clutch master cylinder that had internal leakage. It was caused by a tiny rubber granule from the deteriorating reservoir hose getting into the MC. It got between the little brass washer and end of the piston bobbin that acts as a non-return valve. This allowed slight leakage so the lever could be pulled slowly to the bar without keeping the clutch released. Replacing the reservoir hose, and super cleaning the parts in the MC got it all working again. If you find this, also make sure the tiny hole for thermal expansion relief is also clear of debris. It is really hard to clean out the cavity in the MC housing under the grommet that retains the plastic reservoir hose barb fitting. And replace that hose.

A few years ago I bought a "Rebuild kit 12mm master cylinders $32" from Moto International. But they have now closed. It had a Brembo kit part number on it, but I can't look for it until next week. Not much help, am I? Oh wait, that was a clutch master cylinder I rebuilt. I suspect that the brake master cylinder is 11mm, but you should check. https://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=110_112&products_id=2649 https://www.stein-dinse.biz/product_info.php?products_id=296#prettyPhoto A great source of information on Brembo parts is here. http://www.cyclebrakes.com/html/brembo_cylinders.html The V11 front master cylinder PS16 is listed as Brembo PN 10.5053.27 on page 44, but I can't see a seal rebuild kit listed for this part. http://www.cyclebrakes.com/Brembo_catalog.pdf

Oh, yes, you're right. It needs an added ground to work. Here is a previous post about this: https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?/topic/20690-led-blinkers-lr-blinking-at-the-same-time/&do=findComment&comment=238063

LED lamps draw much less current than incandescent bulbs. This is mostly a good thing, but there are 2 downsides. The original flasher unit blinks according to current draw, so it needs to be replaced. The pilot light on the instrument panel is now a significant current draw, and so the unselected side lamps get a ground connection through the pilot light. To get you flashers working properly you need to: 1. Change the flasher unit from a current driven type to an electronic flasher. That way you get a steady flasher rate. 2. Either fit a diode on either side of the pilot lamp, or fit a pair of green LED pilot lamps back to back in place of the incandescent bulb.

I'm looking to improve the rear shock on my bike. It has a well worn Sachs-Boge unit. I may be able to get an old 1100 Sport i White Power unit (pictured) that has never been used. It was removed from a new bike in 1998. It is the same length so it looks like it could fit. Is it any better than the Sachs-Boge unit? It looks good, but the rubber bump stop is cracked. Does this mean that the internal seals are also due for replacement? Are WP units rebuildable?

here are some previous posts on rear shock absorbers that you may find helpful. https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?/topic/19555-shocking-rear/&tab=comments#comment-212161 https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?/topic/17903-rear-shock-swap/&tab=comments#comment-190413 https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?/topic/17262-rear-shock-absorber-crack/&tab=comments#comment-184473 https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?/topic/8147-broken-shock-eye/ https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?/topic/4246-shock-horror/

Nice bike Chris! But tell me, how does it compare to the Thruxton R? That Triumph I rode seemed to be the most planted and sure-footed bike I've ever been on. It made me think I should upgrade my V11 Sachs/Boge & Marzocchi suspension. Well that, and the occasional nudge from Cash1000.

I believe that cracks in the intake rubbers are bad. The V11 is sensitive to air leaks, and you should renew those cracked parts soon, even if this is not the cause of your problem. You could test if the cracks are causing air leaks by spraying the rubbers with starting fluid (diethyl ether/propane) while the engine is running. If speed increases, then you have a leak. Be careful if you try this, I don't want to see a picture of your bike in flames. You could smear sealant over the cracks as a temporary repair.

It looks like a great system, I'm looking forward to pictures of it installed. A comment on pipe size: as exhaust gasses travel out, three changes happen. 1.The pulses smooth out slightly as they expand into a larger volume. 2. The gasses cool down due to both expansion and heat loss radiating out of the system. 3. In a constant diameter pipe, the gas flow speed slows due to effects 1 & 2. This explains why motorcycles with two headers leading into one muffler (eg Griso) do not suffer any power loss caused by exhaust system restriction. Bigger pipes are less restrictive to gas flow, however, with all other things being equal, gas flow in a big pipe is slower than in a small pipe, so the negative pressure pulses, or extractor effect, can be reduced. Your aim of 42mm dia pipe all through could be a great idea, or it may just add weight. It will be great to hear how it works out.

I see that you have already ordered the bearing set, but for anyone else thinking of checking their own RH side bearing, it is made up of standard parts that may be cheaper to buy from your local bearing shop. https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?/topic/19514-encyclopedia-of-compatible-parts/&do=findComment&comment=216691

There are pictures of a bevel box in bits here: https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?/topic/15908-rear-drive-seal/&do=findComment&comment=231729

A picture of the O-ring, so as Docc said, part of the "cush drive". This picture shows the standard V11 configuration, with all 12 undrilled rubber pucks

There are lots of little variations in the V11 family, and everyone has their favourite. Clip-ons vs handlebars, fairings vs naked, chin pad tank vs in-tank-fuel-pump, white face clocks vs black, silver engine vs matt black vs satin black, green vs silver vs red... You are going to have to make your own choice. They are all good.

Cash1000 & I with others about to set off on a cool Autumn morning.

Hi John, I noticed your comments on overheating. I don't want to second guess the expertise on WG, but I hope that you are aware that a common cause of overheating is timing. Retarded ignition, injection, or valve timing cause overheating faster than lean mixture. The engine will run smoothly but sluggishly, and the headers will glow red in short order.

Another oil thread...

TPS voltage affects more than just injection duration. Injection and ignition timing are also affected. See https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?/topic/17865-v11-ecu-diagnostics-and-reprogramming/&do=findComment&comment=207884 The engine is transformed from smooth & sweet to brutally rough if you set the TPS wrong. Try it, but be ready on the kill switch.

You could start with Docc's advice here: https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?/topic/19610-decent-tune-up/ There are other improvements, but this is step 1.

Hello Doug, My fuel cap has a rubber seal. See picture. The seal is 2.5mm thick, and when the cap is latched closed, it can be pushed down about 3mm and springs back when released. It is worth checking that the little vent seal beside the main seal is in place too. If the seal was removed to cure "tank suck", then you might want to make sure that drain hoses connected to two nipples under the tank are open, clear, and long enough to carry fuel and vapours away from the hot bits of the engine. Marty

A new one for €33. https://www.ebay.it/itm/MOTO-GUZZI-1100-Sport-cali-3-IE-Daytona-Contingente-V11-Benzina-Carburante/352055765103?hash=item51f828a86f:g:uscAAOSw241YbR67&redirect=mobile