Enzo

Interesting. It must be that it is smoother and quiter - running on less throttle. I'll take your word for it that the rpms are the same, but it sure seems different. Obviously not working as hard to do it. Anyway, if I'm using less throttle, it must be putting out more power.

No no no. I'm saying that IN 6TH GEAR, my rpms have dropped at 70 mph. I have noticed with fooling around with my pipes and crossover that these changes do A LOT. Everytime I mess with it, something different happens with the power curve and engine characteristics. Now I've noticed that rpms have dropped significantly while everything else is the same. It seems easier for the engine to make power without so much huffing and puffing. So, I'm guessing the new open tail pipe set up is giving the engine just the right amount of escape and backpressure for good power.

New tail pipe

Back from my run and happy to report that 'Royal Purple' gear oil was WAY BETTER than heavy Redline Shockproof. At least with my gearbox. Very smooth action all day and no stuck gears. Weird. No doubt Redline protects your bits and pieces, but there must be some point where viscocity becomes like a lever working against you. I suppose if your gearbox did not have a funny glitch like mine, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Interesting. I just drained my Redline heavy shockproof. I think it was too much. My bike would get stuck in 2nd gear under very hard throttle. Wouldn't shift up to third. Moto International recommened going back to Valvolene. Instead, I'm going to try Napa's 'Royal Purple' synthetic 75-180. Even after draining a hot gearbox and leaving it open for an hour, all the parts are heavily coated with Redline. I will being able to tell tomorrow how it acts on my Twin Peaks Run.

Al, Buying a new tank IS the ultimate solution - but I have the y2k green color so I think I better stick with it. But, I'll tell you what: If you can give me a run down of what I need to do for this mod, I'll try doing it Sunday. Give me easy instructions like: 1. empty tank 2. flip over tank and remove the thingy hanging down on the right side (when it is right side up). 3. remove all the way from the tank and note hose.... etc. If you can give me a list like this, I'll do the mod and report on it. I'm game. I take it that if I do this the tank will continually fill back up on the left side? If so, that should give me the range I'm looking for.

Now that I'm getting out riding for a change, it is really bugging me that I have to pull over for gas every 100 miles. That's not much range. And to think there is at least a gallon in there I can't get to!! Plus, I know how much a gallon weighs and that's the last thing my top heavy bike needs. I would try Al's mod for the tank, but his work is over my head. Hummmm. What to do? I suppose you could get a small hand held bilge pump or siphon to stick down there on the right side and pump it over to the left instead of filling up (to get the last 40 miles or so). Would probably take just a minute or two to pump it over to the left side. Sloshing things around wouldn't do much good - maybe in a real emergency. I live by a lot of boat shops; maybe they have something.

OK, I'll bite. Maybe the 'marble' idea was a joke, but it seems to make sense. But I tend to think 'out of the box.' What do you think Al? If I placed marbles on the RIGHT side of the tank to take up all that wasted space....at least I wouldn't be carring around a very heavy gallon or two of gasoline for no reason. Perhaps something that would sink but be lighter than gas? But, wouldn't something that sinks in gas be HEAVIER than gas????? Honest, is this viable? Maybe even the tank could be drained and filled with some sort of putty or fiberglass on the right side to get the lightest alternative.

I have a Darien jacket for real cold and a Joe Rocket non-perforated jacket for normal - around 60 degree f. temperatures. My friend recently won a nice-lookingTeknic PERFORATED jacket which he sold to me at a good price. I was amazed at how chilly the thing is. I almost froze to death. I will now only wear it if the temps are over 70 f. So, my advice is to FORGET about using perforated anything if it is even a little cool. Just get a regular leather jacket or textile when it is not hot.

My '00 was manufactured in '99, so I guess I have the twitchy type. It certainly feels far 'sportier' than any other LeMans I've ridden. But I'm not sure I follow where to look or what I'm looking for to see what John means. I still have to say, though, that I've never noticed anything 'wrong' with the steering. Seems very precise and accurate to me.....light even.

Yes, the Dunlop 220s feel great on the '00 V11. I found out that the 160 is indeed much better on back then the 170s I had before. I resisted this, but I was encouraged by the forum here to get the more narrow tyre. Now I'm a big believer in thin is nice. I have since put on a softer tyre on the back - Dunlop 208. But I kept my 220 on the front. Is this dangerous? So far so good; I don't notice anything unusual with the handling. But maybe there is something I should know about mixing rubber. I figured that the two tyres were from the same family and wouldn't upset the apple cart. I think some of you would be maybe unsettled by how the bike 'falls over' on a dime. I like it that way though. I rode a LeMans with a big back tyre, and I couldn't get the bike to turn.

Yes, this is exactly what I did. Two clicks off compression front and back and the bike is SPOT ON. Man, I went blazing up the usual bumpy road like I was on a hovercraft. Pure Guzziness! Thanks y'all.

Yea, I set up sag a while ago and used to remember what it was. I can't remember my sag numbers, but they are good. 30 mm max or something on back. Again, I'm light weight (160 lbs.) so I find the stock set up fine for me. In fact, I watch other bikes take turns, stop and accelerate, and most of them look too soft to me. Even though I have a shaft drive, you wouldn't know it. So, on the rear mono shock, the compression is the 'outboard' unit and the rebound is the knob attached to the spring itself - right???

OK, thanks everyone. I'll report back with my findings. I take it 20 clicks is for the forks. Is it 20 clicks out on the back too? I can't remember, but it didn't seem to have that many clicks available. I thought I had everything set about in the middle. We'll see. Look ma, font mods.....

Well, as my riding skills improve after many years laying fallow...I see that I am still the speed demon I used to be as a mere child. Also (as an aside) my recent new and improved exhaust mod - with the hole in the middle of the crossover - is producing a fast-reving and impressive top end killer. A new Dyno will be coming in. Anyhoo, I'm noticing quite a bit of hopping off the ground on bumpy straits and corners. I don't lose control and the bike stays straight though. On a smooth road, it corners like a dream and tracks perfectly at high speed. So, what do I need? More rebound? Less rebound? More compression? Less? It is all still a mystery to me, but would appreciate your comments to get me pointed in the right direction. Gracie.

I have the 2000 Sport which was subject to the gearbox recall. My gearbox would sometimes 'freeze.' I took the bike in two weeks ago to Moto International and STILL don't have it back because my return spring needed replaced. It had lost its 'spring.' It was 'sprung.' I sure hope to hear from them today. I asked them to order this part over a month ago. That is some mighty slow delivery process. Man.

I should have shopped around. $6500 is a very good price for this bike. Those pipes would be quite LOUD. About the same as running straight pipes. It is an interesting set up, and I am a believer in the length of pipe being INVERSELY proportional to top end. So, this bike would have a strong top end. I would love to ride it and see.

John, This is an excellent report. I like the idea of a strong clutch, and I suppose I could get used to the snappy single plate. But, since I live in a big city with lots of stop lights, it seems like the dual plate is a better solution, even though I really thrash the Guzz in the country. But you bring out another matter that just kills me about Guzzi - their inability to make up their minds about anything. I own the 2000 with the shorter wheel base. I love it. I can't imagine anyone complaining about stability on this bike. I also even like the stock suspension (but I only weigh 160 pounds). By race standards this bike is long, so I don't know what people are talking about. I've never been on a better cornering bike. It is almost weird to me how confident you feel in a sweeper on a Guzzi. So, if the Serie or production MGS-O1 is a real sport bike (and its asking price represents reality), I'll trade up. And that is only if I see new positive developments at the factory. If not, this is my last Moto Guzzi.

I was reminded of this with Al's post about a Mandello. I rode a Mandello and hated the clutch. It was either ON or OFF. Scary. I take it this is a single plate clutch and mine is a double plate. Is this single plate on the Mandello also called the 'Ram' clutch? Also, what is the purposed of this touchy clutch? Is it also used on the 1100 Sport and Daytona? Why? What other V11s does it appear on?

I was going to ask this over on Wildguzzi, but everything over there is turning into a comedy routine and, apparently, they believe that your bike is running great is it 'don't backfire.' I happen to believe spark plugs can tell you a lot. I have a new torque wrench and I am torque crazy now. I noticed last time I put in some plugs that there is LOTS of variation in how one might tighten them down - which could really make some difference inside the chamber. SO - what IS the correct torque setting on a plug???????

Biesel, I didn't know you had a Corsa. I just saw one down at MI and it was really beautiful. Wow. That paint job is pure Italian. How do you like it? It has the Ohlins I see. Same compression with the pistons? Same ECU?

I went in for the recall last week. Two or three weeks before I had asked that the springs be ordered as I wanted them replaced. Well, I got a call that the bike won't be ready for a week or more - it needs a return spring and there is none in stock. Now I wait for MGNA for a part that should be readily available and on hand. The interesting thing about this is that the spring is not 'cracked' but 'sprung' - it has literally lost its elasticity. Have you ever heard of this? They tell me that they have only seen one other bad return spring. I thought the problem was more common than that.