Grant
-
Posts
21 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
1
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Gallery
Community Map
Posts posted by Grant
-
-
-
31 minutes ago, skibum69 said:
I had come to a realization a few years ago that I pretty much only liked bikes with fairings. Funny how quick this bike grew on me, I have to say I totally dig the look and the colour is sweet. And I was surprised just how comfortable it was long distance and even 90 mph on the Interstate was fine. My uncle put bar backs on so it's a little more upright than stock which is comfortable. I find it interesting that the OEM ergonomics are very close to my R1100 S.
I have close to the same bike. Mine has 4 inch risers on the handlebars and I picked up a Puig windshield which gives great protection. The bike handles speed very easily and the suspension handles dips etc. very well. Parts were scratched up so I did a spray can paint job on everything but the tank.
Mine shows the month of manufacture in the top left of the label on the neck of the frame. 2002 registered as 2003. Long frame with the gap at the front of the tank but it still gets the soft pad on the top of the gas tank. Speedo is in MPH so it was a U.S. bike originally I expect.
-
3
-
-
9 hours ago, docc said:
Best regards from the U.S.A. , my friends!
That's a lot of miles docc.
Very best wishes back from Canada.
-
3
-
1
-
-
5 hours ago, gstallons said:
WKF ?
A "Well Known Fact".
-
2
-
-
4 hours ago, Lucky Phil said:
A "Well Known Fact". Comes up in conversation with my wife regularly. There is no rebuttal to a WKF, it is gospel. Once the immortal WKF is pronounced no further arguments will be considered
Phil
Everyone SHOULD know about WKF's !!! After 46 years married I know them well. She's always right too ;-).
It seems like every ride on a Guzzi results in some bit vibrating off completely or loosening at least. This is not the ultimate feature for a bike to have ! I need to start using more LocTite (Keep Your Nuts On - KYNO).
Grant
-
2
-
-
That looks like it was a great trip ! The squiggly blue lines on the maps look fun.
Thanks for sharing.
-
1
-
-
7 hours ago, FreyZI said:
Took an old roto-ho to some farmer friends over the mountain. Got a few vaguelia looks along the way.
.jpg.076d13b0feee5ab74d51bbd38f6ce260.jpg)
Best I've ever carried was a full size rocking chair (many years ago) on the back of a Honda 550/4. Cheated a little bit though with the girlfriend holding on to the chair riding pillion :-).
That relationship didn't last long for some reason
.
-
3
-
-
11 hours ago, O2 V11 said:
Grant,
It looks like you have a similar bike to mine. A US spec 2002 model Sport Naked, not the Rosso Mandello variant. Your production number is reasonably close to mine, ZGUKRAKR53M114957. The Rosso Mandello was a short frame variant, yours is not. Our Sport Nakeds were available in Grey, a Citrus Green colour and Burgundy like yours. All had grey tailpieces and sidecovers. The insert in the sidecover looks like mine and not that of a Rosso Mandello. Yours looks like it has a tail tidy and different handle bars/ risers and mirrors fitted.
What I call a 2003 model is a different beast, fuel tank, headers, gauges, engine paint and colour schemes were among the changes made.
Rob
Thanks for your post Rob. Our bikes are closely related for sure.
I changed the mirrors hoping the rectangular, longer mirrors would let me see around me. They still aren't wide enough. The bars were set up with 4 inch risers when I bought the bike and give a sit up position when riding. Very comfortable. No regrets on the Puig windshield either. It covers wind buffeting well. I like the look of the tail tidy too.
I expect the 2003 model isn't that different to ride than what we have in spite of the list of changes.
Keep the rubber side down.
Grant.
-
2
-
-
I've got a U.S. model that reads in MPH, not kilometers.
Here's a pic of the plate on the head. It looks like mine was made in June 2002 although registered as a 2003 bike. I used the link to look up the serial number and it identified the bike as a Rosso Mandello which is consistent with the grey paint on the side panels and cowl when I got the bike.
Those twin 320mm brakes on the front sure slow the bike down in a hurry :-). I got some Mothers grease and bug remover which combined with Autosol liquid metal cleaner made the exhaust headers much easier to look at.
Grant.
-
4
-
-
11 hours ago, LowRyter said:
to me the tell tale was riding the bike. If it had enough power to get started, you'd think there'd be enough electrical energy to run the ignition, despite a weak battery. If the thing dies while you riding, the first thing I'd guess is the charging system, of course the battery could have shorted out or lost a cell or two, but if the battery is recharging on the bench, then it's likely the ignition system. I think there's a place in Denver that sells Ducati regulators for $75.
Just my guess, since I don't claim to be a mechanic.
I just finished going through having my bike quit on me 3 times during a 15 mile ride. Symptoms were the high beam indicator was stuck on and the headlight died.
Opening the headlight shell showed the connector for the headlight melted a bit. A new headlight bulb and universal connector and things were fixed (less than $30 fix). The internals on the universal connector were different than stock Guzzi and my low beam switch setup is now a high beam but it works. I have a pretty blue light turned on for regular riding.
-
2
-
-
4 hours ago, motortouring said:
Denying and not knowing are two different things.
Did you know that most black frame riders also think the world is flat
🙈🙈🤪🤪🤪🥳🥳🥳🤣
Edit: I might need to delete this message as it is against forum rules. But please don't take me more serious than I take myself.
In places the world IS flat.
Just another black frame rider :-).
-
3
-
-
9 hours ago, audiomick said:
Not zero, but not much. A bit over 200 km. . Tyre pressure was ok; I checked it before I started. Don't know the production date, but I bought the tyre new last December, so I am assuming it is new enough. Date stamp is the same here, i.e. week and year.
The sprues (didn't know that word till now. Collins dictionary has some interesting alternative meanings for it.... https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/sprue)
will go away in time, I know. As I wrote, I find them aesthically unpleasing, and am inclined to get rid of them with the side-cutters for that reason alone. If they might be affecting the handling, even temporarily, all the more reason to take the time.
We used to get warned by the shop we got tires from they had a coating on them. It's more than just the sprues. For the first couple hundred miles we "scrubbed tires in". Take it easy for the first couple hundred, then the bike gets back to normal.
My favorite loop always has gravel on it. People just wander off the road onto the gravel which throws it on the pavement which is like riding on marbles which make what kind of tires you're riding on largely irrelevant. I still want good tires on my bike.
-
2
-
-
-
1 hour ago, docc said:
Having owned a Pacific Coast, I would venture that rode and handled well, made decent power, and hid its V-twin like a drug habit.
The trunk made it a great grocery-getter. One of the biggest differences with the V11 Sport is getting groceries on it takes me four hours.
Not many PC800 riders around. It is a very different bikenality (not personality) than the V11. That's for sure.
-
57 minutes ago, Pressureangle said:
"It never needed any work and had things like self cancelling turn signals, hydraulically adjusted valves, and a big trunk to carry things.
If the Guzzi is even close to as enjoyable I'll like it a lot."
Ruht Roh, RhaggyI had to look that one up ;-).
There was this one time at Americade I went into the demo lot for Harley. With a muffler on it it was a quiet bike. As I was rolling through I could hear on the the people I passed say "It's one of them f***ing electric ones."
-
1
-
3
-
-
On 4/3/2025 at 2:31 PM, Skip said:
Say Grant, isn't that the coolest thing about motorcycles, that they all have their own personalities no matter what it might be.
Bikes I've owned so far:
'66 Suzuki 250 Hustler 2 stroke
'71 Ducati 450 Desmo single - Dunstall exhaust
'74 Honda 550 4 cylinder with Kerker exhaust, TT100's
'77 Yamaha 750 triple
'84 Kawi 1100
'89 Honda Pacific Coast
'98 Triumph Trophy 900
2005 Yami FZ1
2009 Yami FZ6
2003 Guzzi V11 Sport.
There is a very big difference between bikes for sure. Favorite would be the Honda Pacific Coast. 47 h.p., 630 lbs. It never needed any work and had things like self cancelling turn signals, hydraulically adjusted valves, and a big trunk to carry things.
If the Guzzi is even close to as enjoyable I'll like it a lot.
Grant
-
4
-
-
2 hours ago, Lucky Phil said:
Unless you ignore Ducati V twins.
Phil
Back in the day I had a '71 Duke 450 Desmo single (297 lbs. dry weight - glitter silver). My buddy had a '72 Duke Sport. On the 750 the suspension was overly hard for the bumps to the point that a fiberglass fender split in half after hitting a pot hole. The Conti exhausts could have a rake handle shoved down them and hit nothing. The 900ss's(Desmo) that were glitter silver around that era were pieces of art to look at (from a distance). The sound was deep BOOMPH, BOOMPH,BOOMPH. Where I worked in the '80's there was a 900 I listened to most mornings. I have to say it was impressive. The main guy to get Duke parts from was in Grimsby, Ontario but he also had MV Augusta which was his personal favorite. Keith Hart used to talk about doing the ton by the end of the short street he lived on with his MV.
I don't ignore Dukes. I don't want to own and support one though.
Grant.
-
5
-
-
The exhaust sounds good. The dry clutch sound not so much.
The transmission is a beauty so far. How solid the bike is on the road is impressive too. Even without the Ohlins. The Ohlins equipped bikes must be a fun ride.
We had a bunch of snow and freezing rain where I live over the last week. I'm really looking forward to spring !!!
-
5
-
-
On 12/1/2024 at 1:09 PM, LaGrasta said:
I have this same bike, same color, slightly more mileage. $3k USD is more than fair. For less than another $1000, you could have new injectors, battery, tires, fluid/filters, etc. And that's if it even needs those items. Get it! Throw some soap on it, a little wax and you'll be riding with a grin for a long, long time!
I bought the bike that started this thread.
It was REALLY heavy to move around when I got it but adding a little air to the 6 psi tires fixed that up. Oil change got done right away. A new battery was installed with purchase.
There are oil drips (not up to leaks yet) from the bottom pan and the front pan (I'm not sure what's behind it yet) gaskets. I started with cleaning the old oil off just to see what was there. I added a Puig universal wind screen for good wind protection. I'm part way through painting covers red to match the tank. New paint is red with silver sparkle underneath. By the time it's done I expect it will look great (to me any ways).
There is no stuttering or anything suggesting air getting into the fuel delivery system. Noises are typical for a tractor ;-). The speedo works well. I haven't owned a bike with a Veglia since the '71 Ducati Desmo 450 single I had. The glitter silver was tempting for the Guzzi paint. I thought glitter purple would be too much. In the end I stayed with the deep red.
I rode a Yami 600 last year which redlines at 14k. It was always spinning at high revs. The Goose doesn't need to rev at all but likes 5 grand better than 4. 90 miles an hour isn't work for this bike. Suspension is stiff but the bike settles down right away after bumps and feels glued to the road. Tires are from '21 but only have a couple hundred miles on them. They aren't sliding at the speeds I ride at.
Plans this year include finishing paint more, checking valves, and changing most oils. A gasket or 2 might get replaced as well.
Within 10 minutes I get to some of the nicest riding roads in my area. There is a 60 mile loop that has almost no straight road in it. Bush all around. Gravel on the road at times because of people that go off the pavement so isn't for knee draggers but always entertaining. A ride earlier in the year had deer making me slow down in 2 places.
Keep the rubber side down.
Grant.
-
14
-
Posting pictures on the forum.
in Motha of all V11 forums...
Posted · Edited by Grant
remove extra lines
There are 2 things involved in image size that make a big difference.
The first one is the size of the picture in pixels (dots making up the picture). A 16 pixel picture can have file size cut in half if the picture size is cut in half. If you have a Resize option in photo editing software changing the size by 50 percent cuts the filesize a lot. I usually use a 50 percent size to make files smaller if the pic is intended for the net.
The second big thing is done when you save a picture. The Quality setting is usually the thing to look for. Depending on the software used to work with pictures it is often found on a Other Settings or something like that. When the quality is set to 50 it doesn't mean the picture turns to crap. I usually use a 50 percent setting for this too. ( 4.4. Compressing Images for Gimp software users ).
Adding a link means someone goes outside of this site. If the image provider disappears or turns into a pay site the pics will be lost. That's the down side of just providing a link. There are many sites I visit that have lost a lot of their pics that way.
Grant.