v50man

Will do. Again -- thanks. v50

Martin -- Been following your saga. Hope you're up and running soon. I'll check the headers (hope they're not cracked) and re-set the tappets once broken in. Will let everyone know when diagnosed. Thanks.

jrt -- Didn't turn up much with a search of the site. On the Centauro, it's quite simple (the turn of a small screw). I'll have to sort it out. Thanks

Thanks. I've actually been working with the guys at Atlanta Truiumph-Ducati for over 10 years, and I'm confident that Michael is among the smartest mechanics alive. For some reason, the bike was only ridden to get gas prior to my picking it up. Disappointing, but not the end of the world.

Hey everybody -- I've been lurking about this forum for a few months to gather all the information I can before making a purchase -- and I just took delivery on a black 2003 V11 naked yesterday afternoon. It's the "new" 2003 (no wrinkle black paint and the front balance pipe). Anyway, as I've been slammed with work, I had time only to toss it around town and get it home before getting back to work (about 25 miles). During my initial run I experienced some backfiring -- very unusual for a new bike. Additionally, I noticed a bit of premature "bluing" of the left header (nothing too severe, but more than the right header). As a longtime Guzzisti and multiple-Guzzi owner, I decided to park it until I can run it back to the dealer (Atlanta Triumph-Ducati) and get an idea what's going on. Any ideas? This is a NOS, brand-new bike, BTW. Thanks P.S. LOVE the bike. Light, balanced, (relatively) flickable, with a much smoother power delivery than the 4-valver.

check out this thread... http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3989

Real RIDERS on REAL bikes. i like it -----------but they COULD push it a bit more.

Never thought I'd say it ------- but (on the Griso) ---- beige sure is sexy!

Why don't you start by eliminating those ugly mirrors and replacing them with these: http://www.motostrano-store.com/rirmi.html They "lower" the look of the bike -- quite nice.

Fast -- yes. Beautiful? I still think it's the best looking motorcycle ever made. But, damn, is it porky.

Al -- The Bub build quality is, indeed, questionable at best. Had mine ceramic-coated -- improved the look AND quieted them down a bit. Running Bubs on the V50III (loud, but NICE loud) and a Conti 2 into 1 on the Paso (still the best sounding setup ever). What I'm looking for is something for the V11 that is quieter at idle than the Bubs yet still gives me a massive "bark" when I get on it. The Quat-D's -- while putting the mass where it should be -- just don't "do it" for me. The Bubs don't look right on the V11 -- plus, I've already been down that road. BTW, the Bubs do have metal baffles, and the sound is -- while loud -- not even near as loud as the ubiquitous Harley straight pipes. Thanks

Al - Your comments about the Bub system are true. It's LOUD -- and it does sound like a NASCAR exhaust -- bit I gotta admit, the "Bad Dog" system on my Centauro is fantastic. Massive power gains, aggressive sound -- a LOT of attitude. Per the Quat-D, I listened to the sound clip and was decidedly underwhelmed -- WAY too tame for my tastes. At the risk of being labeled a cretin, may I ask the group what the loudest "standard" set of pipes for the bike is? Also, are you SURE that the Bub Bad Dogs will work on the V11? I thought they only worked with the 4-valve motor. Thanks.

Sound bytes, please!!! Without actually hearing the Quat-D's, there is no way to decide. Where the hell is Bub when we need them?