po18guy

All bets are off regarding future models. If any road-going Guzzi has sporting potential, this is certainly at the top of the list. The name Le Mans is so historic, has such marketing power, and is so tied in with Guzzi that it could be the brand name almost by itself.

Claimed power and claims in general. There is a formula to estimate power output. I do not have that, but imagine 95-100HP at about 8-8.5K with a redline about 9K or so. Seasoned Americans will remember the hyperbolic J.C. Whitney auto parts/accessories catalogs of the 1960s. They were chock full of gizmos and doodads that were "claimed" to add HP, increase mileage, or usually both. Back in the day, some friends and I used the example of an air-cooled VW bug. By adding on everything that would fit, we managed to pump that theoretical bug up to around 600HP. And, fuel mileage was so exceptional that one would have to stop at service stations regularly to drain excess fuel from the tank. Claims are like smoke rings - intriguing to behold, but gone as soon as they appear.

In this case, I cast a jaundiced eye toward manufacturer or dealer recommendations. They want your money - everyone does, as it is human nature. I trust the techs, mechanics and pilot-mechanics, as they have hands-on knowledge and experience. I have yet to hear of a fastener failure or thread damage caused by anti-seize compound. Compounds with metallic content must not be gotten on the porcelain at the spark plug tip, but that is the only caveat I am aware of.

What is not often used is anti-seize compound. On spark plug threads, certainly. However, it can act as a microscopic barrier, or insulator between dissimilar metals. Some anti-seize formulations are claimed to eliminate electrolysis. On principle, they are not going to cause electrolysis or facilitate the action. But, as in life, one must choose wisely. Dad had an olive drab painted military surplus mica based antiseize compound. He would not leave the runway without it, so to speak.

Briggs and Kohler V-twins in everything. But now this????

Any port in a storm: Synthetic Harley oil. The world will always have that. Air-cooled, flat tappets and rockers. Separate transmission. The same lubrication needs. Harley's maybe even more critical than Guzzi, as they have that hot rear cylinder to keep cool.

Dad flew with Valvoline in a single engine aircraft. That was long ago, but they have recently introduced a synthetic, flat tappet engineered oil in collaboration with Cummins, called Extreme Blue. The V11 is running on it and I note no consumption problems, even though I ride at 4500 RPM or so. Zinc is good - well above the 1000 ppm threshold.

A tidy package of things of beauty arrived today. Will they work? We will soon see. Substantial little things at 20.25 grams, or 311 grains, which is a pretty good bullet. The question remains: is it live, or is it Memorex?

Thank you. Sounds like a plan. Yet another use for the centerstand. I have developed a technique for hoisting the lump up there without sending my back into spasms.

Leave the lower triple tight then?

That mid-sump with the filter hanging off the back is intriguing.

OK, here's one for the Guzzilluminati: Bike came with forks slightly askew. Dinged bar end tells me a garage tip over. Some say to loosen everything beneath the upper triple and rock the forks back into alignment, check for square and tighten. But, this was for curb impacts, where the force came form the wheel. What if the twisting came from the bars?

Seems we just can't get enough of a great Guzzi. This one is done much more nicely than so many hatchet jobs out there. Would love to see it cross the scales.

Looked like that to me too. Then I had cataract surgery.

Hey! What are you talking about?

To my eyes, the Scura R (Scura Rossa?) is the most fantastic color combination. The Coppa a close second. Somewhere here, I read that the lowly Ballabio was made in about 223 copies. But, in the Aprilia days they had so many flavors of the same ice cream that can any one actually be called 'mass production'?

Makes me want to feed my V11 SlimFast instead of premium.

Reasonably nice V7 cafe custom, being prepped for a new owner and some track time.

As to access, yes. I cut easily. I bleed easily. I like neither, so off the wheel came.

Rather than LeMans, the bikes could have been named the LeMarquis de Sade. Rear wheel off, you can almost reach it without pain. Wiggling the petrified cap off and actually connecting a bleeder hose - then undoing and replacing the whole mess - was my exercise for the month. But, the clutch has worked faultlessly ever since.

I think you might have nailed the reasoning down here.

No doubt that there is a fair amount of Piaggio puffery involved in this new model. It almost seems that they spent as much on the promo video as they did on the bike itself. As to the aero (trim tabs actually), one needs only ensure that both are either out or in when the Tyco relay goes.

Any aero improvement on bikes is huge (Euro 6,7,8 etc.) as bikes are pushing a barn door as compared even with the blockiest of cars. A couple of cylinders jutting out into the airstream, liquid-cooled or not, is no help as far as aero goes. Since many members here will run out and purchase the first bikes on sale, we will soon know. Right...???

Boat tail bullets. Much more aerodynamic. Greatly reduced drag coefficient. Sometimes the gains are behind rather than ahead.

Have been told to soak my head often enough. If one was doing a rotisserie restoration, simply inverting the bike and dunking the fins would do it. Has anyone tried Stoddard solvent?