MartyNZ

I was going to suggest a cracked baffle inside the crossover, same as JBBenson. Cracked sheet metal parts can make a fierce noise under vibration with the tiniest movement, and often you can't see the cause. You can only detect it when you prod, squeeze, or deform the part. FootGoose's rattle is a similar example of a weird noise that you can find by poking and prodding. To relieve your concern about whether you should run the engine any more, you could remove the sump oil drain plug and look for metal on the magnet. Lots of fur on the magnet could tell you that something is breaking up inside. By the way, that's a nice looking bike.

Electrical switches need different treatment than plugs and connectors. Exposure to oxygen and moisture are still the problem, but any protection product needs to be thin enough to quickly squeeze out of the way of moving contacts. I believe that Vaseline & DC4 are both too thick for switches which have light contact tension. That Radio Shack Electrical Contact Cleaner and Lubricant is one of the many excellent products that do a good job of cleaning and lubricating switches & potentiometers. However, the lubricant left behind gives short term protection in the exposed environment of motorbike handlebars. For my handlebar switches, I'm looking for something in between thin "Contact Cleaner and Lubricant" and thick Vaseline or DC4. Lubriplate makes a product for automotive switches. https://www.lubriplate.com/CMSPages/GetProduct.aspx?productid=36 Unfortunately they don't ship internationally so I haven't used it, but someone in USA who has a problem with their ignition switch, or handlebar switches, could try it.

Warning? not really its not the plate its the flywheel that fails and can take out the crankcases with it. http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=16675 Ciao More on that topic, with an interesting picture here:http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19510&page=2&do=findComment&comment=211566Aluminium alloys do not have a fatigue limit like steel, so every power stroke leads the aluminum flywheel inexorably closer to eventually cracking. Then the cracks join hands. Then "pop". Or is it "grind grind clatter"? I don't know 'cause I have a two plate clutch.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/mu5cfxfbctxy7h6/AADVIsSC_9VyqI8tP92SmqYFa?dl=0 https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxnfKnNo4vVwb3lua1lHdjBjaE0 A couple of videos taken by my cellphone, so the sound is partly drowned out by wind noise, but you can compare my V11 Sport Naked with Titanium pipes to DD's underslung Shark Gill cool looking Supa Dupa thing. Thanks to DD for not changing the shape of my bike during the demos. If you can't view the two video snips by either of the two links above, and you want to see them, can you PM me and I'll try another method of posting.

I agree, toxic as it is, it is too good to strip off. I used it as a primer, so it is still there, just under another coat of paint. I fitted the shift extender today. It's better alright!That slot is a mystery to me too, it may allow that lever to fit different shift pedals on other models. I'm still going to fettle the gearbox shift mechanism as Lucky Phil suggested. I tried it out on a trip out past the black stump today. It was to visit Dangerous, give him some stuff, and look at his bike. Now that is an awesome looking and sounding exhaust system!

Did you read the post by sp838 about Marvic Piuma wheels? http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19372 http://www.marvic.it/en/moto/

My Girlfriend said I should think about getting down on one knee and not skimp on the expense. So I took her advice. She’s gonna love this…

That's such an interesting interview. What an active mind for 93 years old (Carcano, not Docc). And so many achievements.

Hey Chuck, my lever arrived today. It looks awesome! Good job on the machining. And Lucky Phil too. Good job on the prototyping. Now I just need to paint it so I can install it this weekend. Following Scud's idea, I'll paint it so it blends in with the gearbox & stuff in the background. Scud said once: "the driver for most of my cosmetic changes to the bikes is to cut down the visual clutter and focus on the large, elemental shapes that I like." Now I'm looking for a paint colour called "road grime splatter".

DC-4 is approved in Airbus Consumable Materials List as 03JAB1, and in Boeing Qualified Products List as D00254. See manual extracts in attachmentIt has been on the market for 70 years, so I expect that Dow's patent has expired. Motocraft electrical grease, and "bulb grease" could be the same stuff. The bad thing about this, and any silicon product, is that it makes painting difficult. It won't harm paint, but if it gets on something you want to paint in the future, then it will need special attention to cleaning. It repels paint spray just like it repels water. DC-4 Dielectric Grease.pdf

I agree that opening, cleaning and sealing electrical connections is a good way to improve reliability. Poor connections are most often caused by moisture and/or oxygen forming an electrically insulating layer (tarnish or corrosion) in the joint. Vaseline does a good job of excluding both water and oxygen from a plug or terminal.I used Dow Corning Compound 4, as it is specifically designed for this application, so I thought it would be even better than vaseline. Dow says this about DC4: "A moisture proof seal for aircraft, automotive and marine ignition systems and spark plug connections, disconnection junctions in electrical wiring systems also in electrical assemblies and terminals". I cleaned all the connectors on my bike, then filled them so full of DC4 that it oozed out as the connectors were plugged. Same with relay bases & lamp sockets. However, DC4 is a silicon based dielectic grease. It is also non-conductive, but squeezes out to allow metal to metal pin & socket contact. Have I made a mistake? If Gstallons, Wayne Orwig, and Kiwi_Roy think silicon is bad, should I clean it out of the connectors? https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/319850.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwjvgq3T1YXPAhXFKZQKHXU4DW4QFggfMAI&usg=AFQjCNHauFpF8tXzI_HDDEzfDusfYwoyug https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0195UWAHG/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1473581534&sr=8-3&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=dc4&dpPl=1&dpID=4197U0ONekL&ref=plSrch

There are some good pics posted by BelfastGuzzi here http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=16872&st=0While you have the side plate off, why not look at Lucky Phil's improvements http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19547 This spring seems to have a short life. I see that you posted a question about this in 2014. http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=18737&hl=spring Can I have your old broken spring? I'm going to try to make a different spring arrangement that will last longer. Maybe a pair of lighter springs, or an extra turn on a spring made of similar wire, or use better material. Marty

I didn't know that there is 7 Guzzis in NZ, let alone with one guy in the South Island.

Nice! A Sonerai with an air cooled VW engine. It's got something in common with the V11. And you have the aviation version of a personalized plate. Cool.

We know that you got the idea, trialed it, and then told everyone. Well done you too!It wouldn't have happened without your efforts.

I know what you mean. Some metals are hard work. I just finished making attachment brackets for the new bike rack I should have fitted 6 months ago. I had a brainwave and pulled some titanium out of a scrap bin, thinking that it would match the titanium cans. What a dumb idea! I couldn't cut it, so made up a .dxf file and went to the closest laser cutter. They said "nope, 4mm thick is the limit for that stuff without argon, and we use nitrogen". Then the water cutter said "8mm? Sure, come back tomorrow with $90". That's when the fun started. I wrecked 4 drill bits and 2 taps, but at least it didn't catch fire. Then I painted the brackets black, so the idea of matching the cans was wasted. Next time I think that Ti6Al4V is a good idea for something, I'll have a beer until I calm down. I believe that the Russians make a lot of titanium stuff, which helps explain why they drink a lot of vodka.

I can download the BIN file from my Ti ECU this evening and send it to you if you PM me with an email address. Note that my ECU has 02 written on it. There is more than one version of the Ti ECU. You should consider Docc's advice though.

On my bike, the bush protrudes from the foot pedal lever (item 1), and just fits into the hole in the pushrod drive lever (16). That lever (16), that Chuck is making, has the rear lower hole the same size as the bush (2) OD, not the pivot bolt (5) OD. At least that's what I'm expecting when the slow boat from California arrives, and that's what Chuck's CAD drawing seems to show. And Chuck's picture in post #18 of this topic.I made new bushes (2) for my Pedal Lever, and I expected to be able to drive them further in, as Docc suggested, and trim them off later, but no. The counterbore for the outboard bush was about 10mm for a 10mm long bush. At the inboard side, the counterbore was about 8mm for the 10mm bush. The bush on that side is designed to protrude, but not enough to touch the subframe tab.

I agree Tim. On my shift lever, the bush (item 2 in the picture) protruded out of the inner face, but is flush on the outer face.

The previous owner of my bike added a grease nipple to the shift lever. I thought that this was a good idea for others to do at the same time as fitting the extended lever, so posted this picture. Also, I had slop on the inner bush of my shift lever, where I found that the pivot bolt was threaded too much, so the inner bush sat on threads instead of plain shank. The bush had grooves worn in it, and the threads were worn flat. I got a new bolt with less thread on it, and made new bushes. This improved shift lever action a little.

I'm keen to buy one too. And if there is any other interest from NZ, I can act as your distributor if that suits you.

To add to Docc's wisdom, Penrite, my current favorite oil manufacturer, has this helpful writeup about zinc / ZDDP / dialkyldithiophosphate additive in oil. They begin by saying: "There is a lot of hysteria over zinc levels in oils, especially in the latest specification engine oils. Many of these myths and stories are unfounded. To understand more read the latest up to date information here:" http://www.penriteoil.com.au/tech_pdfs/0Zinc%20Myths%20&%20Legends%20Nov%202014.pdf I see that they talk about phosphorus at the same time as zinc. This comes from zinc-dialkyldithiophosphate burning when it gets past the rings or valves. Freed phosphorus can poison the catalytic converter if one is fitted.

The Lucas website does not say anything about their chemistry, which means to me that at best it is a group 3 oil. This is still a fine oil, but will suffer from additive degradation. Over extended time it will perform poorly compared to a group 4 oil. If you used it for long enough, you would observe a gradual hot engine oil pressure decrease as the viscosity index improver additives are destroyed. The normal oil change interval solves this problem. http://lucasoil.com/products/lucas-motor-oil I see that Guzziology version 8.3 page 3-14 has 5 pages of advice on oil, filters, and oil change intervals. My take on his advice is there are many options available, and your previous advice is good: "use good oil, and change it often".

I had a wee rant about oil earlier, but didn't answer your question. My 03 Owners Manual says use Agip 4t Super Racing SAE 20W50. But then the maintenance section says 20W-40, 20W-50, 15W-40, 10W-40, and 10W-30 can be used. Then experienced riders like Phil say that they use 0W-40. So does it matter what viscosity you use? The attached diagram shows that 5W-40 & 20W-50 have a big difference in viscosity when cold, when high viscosity is just a burden. But there is little difference between -40 and -50 oils when hot. We can see that the last two digits of 20W-50 are the target viscosity for the engine design clearances when it is hot. This is sometimes called the operating temperature viscosity. The first two digits are less important, except that lower is better. Hence Phil's 0W-40 is probably quite good. If you are uncertain about using thin oil, you could check the oil pressure when running with it (if you have access to a gauge). Your low pressure switch turns on below .35 kg/cm2 (5psi), and your pressure relief valve opens above 3.8 kg/cm2 (55psi). Pressure below .35 is dangerous, and pressure above 3.8 is ported back to the sump, so that pump power is wasted. As an aside, MG twins have a dry clutch & separate gearbox oil, so this means that you don't need to buy motorcycle oil without friction modifiers. You will not get clutch slip from slippery oil. Air cooled engines can get hot compared to water cooled, so I don't think you should use cheap high zoot snake oil fortified lemming squeezings in your engine. As Docc said: "...change your oil, be careful about the V11 oil filter..." His bike is passing 100,000 miles, so he shows us that using any good oil is ok.

Hi Phil, I agree that Mobil 1 is good oil, but is it a "group 4" these days? I see ExxonMobil make this claim on their website about Mobil 1: "A synthetic lubricant contains more highly refined base oils than conventional mineral oils". This is very different to their claims years ago, when they were very specific about their chemistry being man made, not made from crude oil. When Castrol reformulated (downgraded/cheapened) their group 4 Syntec to group 3 mineral oil in the mid 90s, and still called it synthetic, Mobil sued Castrol over misuse of the word synthetic, but lost. Now everyone sells synthetic oil which is actually Group 3 mineral oil, rather than Group 4 synthesised oil. The word synthetic now just means "premium" for lubricating oil. I'd be really interested to know what Mobil states on your drum of Mobil 1. Does it say Group 4? The only group 4 oil I can find in NZ is Penrite 10Tenths, a good Aussie product, which specifically says is made of 100% PAO (polyalphaolefin) & Ester chemicals. My next oil change for the upcoming summer here will be to Penrite, now that I know the temp of my oil, thanks to a dipstick thermometer Scud sent to me.