GuzziHutch

Mike, Sorry to hear about your accident. I have a get off on my Lemans III 4 years ago that resulted in similar injuries, a pelvis cracked in 5 places and a severely out of whack back. Of crutches for 4-5 weeks, no cast of any kind, just orders to keep the hip as immobilized as possible, realizing that some motion and weight will be required just to negotiate getting around on crutches. The pain wasn't so bad when not trying to move around, but pretty bad when mobile. Most of the Pain subsided after 3-4 weeks. The good news is healing was 100% with absolutely no long term effects. Good as new in 6-8 weeks. I'm in my 50's so if you are younger you should heal even quicker. All in all I've had a number of other injuries that were more painful. Good luck my friend. I wish you all the best. My wife says "so that's how you cracked that thing!" Ha-ha. Joe

A recent trip the the Harley dealer in Charlotte revealed that they have dropped the Buell line completely. Is this happening across the country?? Joe

I Married Joan. There's your winner.

I don't know which was worse, the digital speedo which is a MAJOR DISTRACTION, or the glare on the instrument panel. As usual Guzzi has a few teething pains to work through.

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I'm about to prove that axiom. The Guzzis that appeal to me are the ones that my eye says have that timeless classic beauty that will remain attractive 10, 20, 40 years from now. Over the course of it history Guzzi has built a number of machines that fit this description. The company has also manufactured a number of mostly forgettable dogs that don't stir the imagination. To me the V11Sport and Lemans series exhibit that timeless beauty that never fails to stir the soul. The Breva does not. It looks utilitarian and somewhat German in form. Personal top choice would be the V11Lemans in red and black or all black. It is an instant classic. For me the fancy paint jobs detract from the classic lines. There are also lots of historic Guzzis that fit the classic mold. Joe

Yep. My '03 Lemans came with all the '03 goodies including upgraded forks, ITI instruments w/ black faces, front crossover pipe, fuel pump in tank w/ no pad, and the number 3 in the VIN where it should be. But also has CRINKLE PAINT on the engine, etc. CAUTION: Guido at work! Joe

RC 51? Who needs it. Of all the motorcycles I've ever ridden, including the hypersport Ducks, the RC 51 takes the phrase "TORTURE CHAMBER" to new heights of human cruelty. It is absolutely the most uncomfortable machine man has ever or could ever create. It's the Japs revenge for Hiroshima. After 30 min I felt like pulling over to call an ambulance to take me to the chiropractor. Fast? Who cares! Joe

READERS BEWARE! This thread contains absolutely NOTHING OF VALUE. Stop reading now.

I have a set of footpeg relocators that were purchased from MPH in Houston. Basically they relocate the pegs down and back to another existing lower hole on the bracket, plus there is a plug to fill the hole created by relocating the pegs. The look is professional as the kit uses the original pegs. I tried this approach out for about a month. After lowering the brake and gear shift levers it worked out OK, but the reach to the controls was a little too much for my 10.5 foot. If you wear a size 12 or better this is probably a good solution. Kit was purchased from MPH for $40-45. I'll sell it for $25, including shipping in the US. Message me at HutchJ1997@aol.com if you are interested. I evenually went with the Buell Firebolt foot pegs. Joe

http://tinypic.com/aabucy.jpg

Insanely irresponsible and worthy of some serious jail time.

I also find the Buell footpeg solution to work very well, especially after adjusting the brake and clutch levers to lower settings. The extra 1+ inches of legroom was just what I needed (along with MPH risers and Rich Maund seat)! I also would not go back to stock. It's the 50+ body thing! Joe

Thanks for the education on pictures, guys. Joe

So what's the deal? Everytime I attempt to upload a photo the response is it is too large. What do I do? Thanks!!

About the only thing that costs more in NC compared to CA is food. I'm sure you can find adequate housing in Raleigh area for under $636,000.00!!!

"ride down" from where?

Oh yeah, the Daytona is quite a bit faster than the Lemans. It is also much more of a pure racing machine, not nearly as well finished off as the Lemans. The first time I road a Daytona I cut my hand on the fiberglass fairing! You will also notice that the seat, foot peg, handgrip relationship is track oriented. I found the Daytona to have a distinct lack of leg room, so it probably isn't an everyday ride. But man-oh-man, WHAT A BIKE! Beautiful, distinctive and highly collectable. Joe

A Transmission leak thread. I'll jump on that! My '03 Lemans developed a leak from the rear of the transmission at around 3,000 miles. The dealer (Myers in Asheville, a very good dealer) says it is a seal problem that they have seen before, especially on bikes with the textured black paint. Apparently the crinkle paint causes the seal to lose integrity. The tranny must be dropped out of the bike in order to fix the seal. The dealer said they will fix the problem UNDER WARRANTY at the 6,000 mile check up, which is very soon. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Had the fix done? Joe

I’m having difficulty locating a PC III Tuning Center that I would trust with my ’03 Lemans. All of the North Carolina Tuning Link Centers listed on the Power Commander web site concentrated on either Jap bikes or Harleys. I want someone who speaks 2 cylinder Italian! I live in the Charlotte area and realize I may have to travel out of the region. Does anyone know of a Tuning Link Center in say Atlanta that is familiar with the Guzzi? Or any other location that is relatively close to Charlotte? Experience with Italian iron is more important than distance traveled. I have made all the mods I plan to make. My plan is to have the dyno run done immediately after the 6,000 mile tune up, which is eminent. Anything else I should do to prepare? Thanks. Joe

Thanks. Joe

Are the GEI relays the ones to go with? Where on the net can I purchase them?

The Buell Firebolt mirrors are the ticket. Put them on and never even think about the mirrors again. I went down various bar end dead ends before latching on the Edge's solution. It works great, looks great and cost aound $40-45. 'Nuff said.

Mike, Funny. I sold a '96 Ducati SS SP in order to purchase a new Lemans. The V11 has been completely trouble free for 5,000 miles and a great joy to own. The Duck was a lot of fun for many years but poor ergos (read 55 year old body) and high cost of maintenance led me to the V11. Sorry you are not having a similar experience. Stick with it and hopefully you will get your V11 completely sorted. Joe

Rocketman, The OEM tires on my '03 Lemans have EXACTLY the same wear pattern you described after 4900 miles. The front is entirely cooked, bald on the left side. I'm glad I'm not the only one! Rear still has mileage left in it. I find this a little unusual for a bike with rear weight bias. Joe

Noise? What noise? The '03 Lemans has open air box, Power Commander, Stucchi X-over and Guzzi Ti pipes. I ride without earplugs. There is intake noise but overall the V11 Lemans is significantly more quiet than my Lemans III with Bub headers and Lafranconi Wizzer mufflers and also more quiet than the Ducati Supersport with D&D mufflers. The '03 Lemans is also more quiet than the dearly departed Norton Commando and makes a lot of a lot less noise than your typical Harley. So noise? What noise? Make the beautiful music! Joe