Ouiji Veck

An 1100 anything for a first bike is just rediculous. Typical macho thinking with the little head. Motorcycling is the passion of my life and I hate to see it reduced to the whole "bigger is better" or "if you have the money you can get into the club" mentallity. One of my best ridding buddies has an EX 500 he bought new and rides the wheeles off it. None of us look down our nose at him or his venerable EX. Infact ...a very macho HD ridder barely escaped with his ego intact just last week when a parking lot disscusion came down to "put up or shut up" with the afore mentioned EX owner. It ain't what you got...it's how you use it is no truer anywhere than it is in motorcycling. Those that know it...know it. Those that don't arent worth trying to explain it to. Spend a season making all the dumb mistakes on something easy to handle and maintain. An EX ..a CBR 600 (my personal fav.) or the like. You'll turn it over for what you have into it...you'll have a blast...save a ton of money and be wiser and happier for it. Now get me down off this soap box and gimme a beer... Cheers and good luck...

Now I know what I'm going to do with my "Copper Tone" (Champagne) LeMans.!! Coppa LeMans ...I love it.

I ended up using a "needle" type adapter...bent it to my own desire. It CAN be done.....! I didn't have much faith but a couple of pumps and the grease wuz ozing out everywhere.

Guzzis, Ducatis, Laverdas, Aprillias...good ride...good fun Hamilton Rod and Gun Club Right off rt. 90 Mass Pike Sturbtidge Mass. Weather looks good.

Well Allllllright. My Home town! I go to 6 or 8 Rallys a year. Mostly Yankee Beemers ...that are great but this little rally is always my favorite. Great people, great food...nice time of year and on Saturday... in about an hour of fun on Ma. roads your on rt. 100 in Vermont..yea man! Up rt 30...mountains..valleys..perfect pavement..absent of motorist and constabulary. Pnoramic beer and lunch stops Over lake Chmplain into NY ..rt 22...Cogito Ergo Zoom!! Praise Jah!! Home in time for Chili and chicken and beers around the campfire. There'll be about 6 of us (Lonesome Wierdos).. mostly on Bmeers if you'd like to take the tour.. The rally itself is pretty small ...50 bikes? But the fun is huge. Also Skowhegan Me. MG rally this comming W/e and the IMOC ( Italian MC owners Club) in Sturbridge Ma. (hundreds of gorgeous bikes) on Sunday. Maybe take my Duc and try to sell it....

I've screamed @ the television for days....Where are the C-130s dropping pallets of supplies? Food, water, inflatables, medical supplies? Where's the amfibious landing crafts? The U.S. millitary take gun fire everyday to save Bagdad...but can't do the same to save N.O.? What the @#$#!!! Don't confuse Bush bashing with America bashing. Bush is not America. This country was great a long time before this NeoCon administration and will be long after. Every head of every federal dept. in this administration was a lobbyist a year or so ago.. Including FEMA..the EPA...Dept of the interior..etc. etc. etc. Look 'em up. Instead of engineers and scientist who devoted thier life to thier disiplines we have a bunch of people who devoted thier life to the science of FlimFlamming. Help had to wait until these people figured out how the cake was going to get cut. How long before we turn it all over to Haliburton with a no bid contract? Privitization will save us...Yea..right.. "Provide for the common good" What lefty liberal thought that up? These guys suck..America has always been a shining jewel of freedom and human rights...we don't need these NeoCons and thier Project for a New American Century to re-write the constitution. Read thier plan as set out by Rumsfeld,Cheyney, Rice, Wolfowitz and the New Vulcans (thats what they call themselves...vulcan...the God of War) http://www.newamericancentury.org/ Thier plan in thier words. Read between the lines here>> http://www.oldamericancentury.org/pnac.htm Awww...sorry..I needed to vent. I'll be good for now on...this is not the place.

I wonder if this is related to the adj. screw under the mysterious acorn nut deal on the tranny cover....After going into my tranny and tampering with that deal-ie I had to go back and frack with it because the downshifting was a mess.. I had to sacrafice a 17mm (?) wrench (cut it short enough to get at it) but it was worth it. A couple of test drives and a few quarter turns and 3000mi later it's still 100% Did I mention lately how much I love my LeMans? The cosmic forces aligned the other night and I cranked it hard through the twisties and straights and tacked it out for the first time. 6 or 7 miles of full out RR on a well paved un inhabited back road. EXTREAMLY stable @ top end and downshifting hard to set up ass hanging corners with throttle to the stops exits. So stable..so contollable.. It was just plain pleasnt...just calmly scorching that road...a differnt and wonderful sensation from anything I've ever rode in attack mode. I never plan to ride like that again...but I never do..it just hapens on rare occasions... the old racer blood...But I'm so pleased that this old LaMa can really carve up the pavement as well as.. and with even a better feel than my Duc or big bore Hondas. WHO WOULDA THUNK IT! Good for Guzzi! Good for us! Good for me!

I've just recently come to the conclusion that my Duc is too SPORTY. Tonight I elected to go fishing instead of playing Mad Max on my Duc while the LeMans is pearched on it's stand waiting for new sneakers. The V11 almost seems to know the cosmic balance. The Duc is always lookin' for a fight. It gets to be too much. It's for sale cheap if anyone's interested...

I've got the same scenario... If you pull the 3 little allen screws on the mount you'll see they thred into a rubber cylender that should be secured into a metal cup...My top rubber cylender was free of it's cup allowing it to let the cluster bounce around. I tried glueing it but it didn't hold. Next step is 2 part epoxy...zip ties got me back from Nova Scotia. Can't wait to get this thing completely sorted out. I'm getting close!!! Shure is fun to ride. The Ducati now seems....too stupid..fun but stupid.

Wellll........ The RC 51 is one of the best bikes in the world...it's proven every week end. I love 'em. I loved my big CBR's too. And everything Honda. Especially the dust on the wrenches feature. They we're much faster than my Duc 900 but I shure love that alot more. Then again I love dark mediterainian women more than Sweedish blondes...go figure. Comparing an RC 51 to a V11 though is truly apples and oranges. It's such a personal thing. My new LeMans had been in a big fight for my affection with the Duc but after the 2700mi trip around Cape Bretton (our honneymoon) it finally won out. I'm 54 now and I appreciate thumping through quaint little towns @ 2500rpms as well as hanging off on big 90mph sweepers....I rarely get frustrated with traffic and never try to prove to anyone else how fast my bike is....it's plenty fast..as are all of 'em nowadays. A part of me longs for an RC or a 999 or a Hyabusa...at times. And when I see one I stop and sigh and Ooo and ahhh...But out under the stars looking at the Highlites of the old BeemerDuc LeMans I get a pretty big grin on my face remembering those 90mph sweepers or the big grunt up those impossibly verticle switcbacks.. as the Owls hoot me a lull-a-by. It's different for everyone...ain't it.

Sachs Update I got the Sachs back from my friend. He said he couldn't replace the seal and couldn't gaurentee it so he wouldn't charge me. I sent him $50 anyway..he cleaned it and put in fresh oil and nitrogen. (messy messy job) I got it back...took the spring off and worked the shaft (!?) and could see it weeping around the seal. Didn't have much faith but threw it on and headed for Nova Scotia. 2600 miles later it's still working fine.!? Willys theory that the seal had dried and rolled and lost it's juice while the guy I bought the LeMans from was out ridding his new ST3 must have been correct... So in conclusion...if you have a blown Sachs try a freshen up before spending big bucks.....yipeeee.!!

Just got back from a trip around Cape Breton Nova Scotia from Westerly RI on my new/used 02 LeMans Put 2700 mi on and had very little go wrong. I got around 43 mpg averaging 80 mph on the highways. Snapped something loose on the instrument cluster and had to employ zip ties to hold it togeather. (We were hitting some pretty ruff roads at and around 70 mph ...and did a bit of motocrossing down to Meat Cove and Cape d'Ore) Just as a civilian was going on about how my LeMans was much nicer than my mates BMWs the LeMans backfired as I started it and blew the right throttle body off it's morrings....lots of fun around the campfire at my expence. Also destroyed my backMetzler ..it was extremly hot the whole trip... Looks like a belt had seperated...it ate itself from Advocte NS to Lincoln Maine.. I thought I would need to bend over and spred 'em for some MC shop on the way home yesterday but it held togeather unbeliveably well for the 400mi ride home yesterday...had to be 120 deg. on rt 95...75-85mph all the way... Had to keep my leathers on with the tire in less than optimal shape...the jammed toll boths about broiled me alive. Not a drop of rain...unbeliveable!! 80s and 90s every day.. Thanks to this board I had headed off all the Guzzi glitches and snafus ahead of time and had a great trip...My biggest complaint is that stupid dipstick...what a moronic piece of crap....and no center stand too boot... "Hey....one of you guys with that crappy BMW come over and balance my bike so I can check my oil"..I guess I shoulda brought my shop stand....maybe would have thrown on a tire too... Any way.. it was big adventure....saw 2 big bull moose and whales off shore up around Chettacamp..(spent 3 nights up there...awesome nowhereland) and was encircled by 3 diffrent packs of coyotes in Advocate and between they're howling and yapping we could here the whales... The roads are great fun...especially the upper Cabot Trail and the Glooscap Trail down into and out of Cape D' Or where the prehistoric 9ft bever used to live... Rugged country...eye poping scenery...twisty unpopulated roads...good destination from the eastern US...though I think I like the Gaspe Pininsula better...I'll have to go back and check...next year? I hope to do a web site for the trip with pics and all....meanwhile you could just Google Cape D'or images or Cabot Trail images if ya want to get an idea.of what it's like...The LeMans love 80mph for a tank at a time....yipeeeee (now for a tire....a high milage tire...my name ain't Valentino or Nicky)

What a bord!! Thanks so much everyone. I did a few laps around the neighbor hood jumping on and off the bike and adjusting Mr #9 (A 19mm wrench was sacrificed to the Guzzi Gods) When I got the tranny happy..1/4 turn from orig...I nailed it down. Shifting real nice now. I imagine this is the cure for everyones shifting woes. Someone should meltdown a synopsis of this disscusion and post it where those with poor shifting can sus it out. Great work dlang and ratcet..mikeC...I'm feeling exponentially more confident in getting this beast sorted out. Silver V11 ..dlang...I love those..wish they left that black crap off that beautiful motor on mine. ratchethack...I wear a helmet like that when I ride my 80 SP around. Luftwaffer....it's a kick and really sends the HD guys...there so into the Theater of it all. ..and that little tractor with those BUBs barks right back at them...Yea man...9 days of ride camp drink repeat in Nova Scotia with 5 of my best friends...The Lonesome Wierdos...circling the drain.. 35+ years riding togeather... Life IS good

After taking my tranny cover off to inspect my selector spring my LeMans wouldn't down shift well...worse then ever. I remembered fooling with the acorn nut/adjuster in the process of taking off the cover. I cut the end off a 19mm wrench to get on to the back nut and got the acorn off. After a bit of fooling (riding around.. shifting up and down ..changing the adj. slightly..try again) I ended up with the slot in the screw head rotated clock wise about 20 Deg. Ahhh...thats better.

Yea...I cranked both of 'em out togeather because I couldn't get on the inner one alone...about to go out and invent a wrench right now... I realize I've got to break the 2 nuts apart...take off the acorn...adjust the bolt ...lock the inner nut..replace the acorn... just 2 things stopping me...a wrench to hold that inner nut...and which way/how much to adj....guess thats trial and error...oh yea...third thing...not creating a leak. 3 1/2 days away from a nine day trip....GACK! (I'm taking more tools than clothes)

I beleive I'm going to be playing with this #9 eccentric pin too. In the process of inspecting my gear selector spring (looks fine and was shifting fine and I have a spare) I cranked this accorn nut way out thinking it was part of pulling the side cover off.,..after reassembly(and cranking this nut back to approx, where it was) she's not down shifting too well. It would down shift fine if I gave the shifter a little flick with my toe.(I've ruled out the spring thing) I realize I just need to adjust the pin a little. My quandry is doing it without creating a leak. Any suggestions? Thank the Makers for this board!

I managed to get mine with a "needle" type addapter. 35.00$ @ Hapco....7.49$ @ Auto Zone. Put my own gentile little bend in it. Finally a little luck...

Thanks Guys... Yup...as soon as I saw the Arch I did a Homer....DOH! "Negative first you supid head!" And I was a little tentative taking off the cover..."What was falling off the other side?) .... Now I've been there and could do it road side no sweat. Spring looked happy and loose...9000mi...should be one of the good ones. I got a spare in the tank bag... Rear wheel shim/berring inspection ...torque the heads..adj. valves ..balance TBs insulate fule line..I should be good to go... Still waiting on Sachs rebuild...already got relays replaced... Oh yea...grease U joints..while the shock and wheel is off..check Valve stems... What am I forgetting? ( Don't want to find out in Nova Scotia)

Thanks... Ahhh...... When I slap it back togeather I guess I'll find out... Now to look up the diagram showing the tranny panel.. almost there... I wonder if I can tell the condition of that selector spring by looking.. I guess if it's loose on the pawl I'm all right...

What have I fryed? I was just disconnecting my battery to take my starter off to check my shift return spring and hit the Magnetti Marelli (reg/ rec?) and drew an arch... Have I toasted anything....everything???

Up Date Took the Sachs over to my old racing buddys. Bill Pemberton ( C Cycle http://www.ccycle.com/) Turns out he has a thriving MX shock bussines. 3 trucks and a shop full of Objecs de Suspension. He made fairly confident blatherations about shocks is shocks as we stood knee deep in Ohlins Showas and WPs and thier associated innerds.Even a Sachs or two off some Huskys Said it'd be ready Fri. and don't fret. This would be great..he's only 40mi away...I can go back and wring his neck if it dosen't work out. He also assured me it was a quality built unit.( Figures ..he used to ride Husky) Said most fail from the seal getting dry/ Advised WD40 and a massage if it sits long. Interesting...this bike did sit for months before I got it. I like that theory better than my 750$ shock is just a piece of junk. I wont have it slapped back in till mid next week...Let y'all know how it works out. (Have to ride the Duc till then....darn!)

Thats what I wanted to hear. Thanks Lex.. With all these shock problems I'm surprised there isn't a general go-to guy... I just don't have the $$$ to go to Nova Scotia in 3 weeks for 9 days and put on a new shock. Great forum...thanks all. Weeping shock? Sorry but you ain't got long. I'll get back about how things transpire. I have a loacal old racing buddy I haven't seen since the '80s thats into rebuilding MX shocks. He's going to look into getting the details on the Sachs and get back to me tomorrow. I'd rather not go the California route but I love the idea of someone thats done 'em before. I'll keep ya posted. (Wasn't too bad taking it out.)

Has anyone had success getting a Sachs rebuilt? Could I get a name and address for service? Quoted replacement $750...!! Every 9000mi? just stick ice pics in my eyes. Guzzi needs to get back to the basics. If you Make it bullet proof they will come. 02 LeMans...blown shock...thats just sad.

Man this forum is scarry. I just got an 02 LeMans after 5 yrs. of shopping because I love my old relible '80 SP. Everything I read on this forum is depressing. "Did Yellow line it once" ? When don't I yellow line my bike? (Duc 900ss) I'm hoping I get the handful of bugs worked out then have 10yrs of reliable service. Blue smoke out of pipes on a Scura? Please tell me you had way to much oil in the sump...went neg Gs for a while or something.. not the company has completly dropped the ball on quality. Was going to sell the Duc but it looks like I better hold on to it. I've put 1000 mi on the Guzzi so far and it keeps getting better. 7.5K total now. Got the coughing FI cleared out by liberal use of the throttle as far as I can tell. (PC 3, Stucci,Mistrals) and got rid of the woogies (uncomfortable, light, wandering,wallowing feeling in the front end) by softening comp. and stiffning rebound fore and aft and cranking the crap out of the steering dampner. Feels right and tight now. Still have to:Change out relays..addres vapor lock..rear wheel shim.. gear selector spring/paul..headlight stupidity... Then will I have an old world Guzzi? Then it would be WELL worth it. Thank the makers for this site. Victim R.I. 80 SP 94 Duc 900ss 02 LeMans