Dan M

My overall point is, it is all about the spring. If the spring reaches it's binding point by winding up tight on the boss it will be fatigued. They all seem to break in the same spot, yet over a widely varying length of time. How tight it is determines how long it will last. Obviously the tolerances vary greatly from bike to bike. Not only boss size but how tight the spring is wound. I'd gamble that the bikes that have more loosely wound springs in combination with 15mm bosses will be the ones to maybe never have a failure. Those who make the change to their bikes, be it turning down the boss or relaxing the spring or both are likely never to have another issue with the spring. So far as the eccentrics go, if your bike shifted positively when new, they are most likely adjusted properly and need not be messed with. Those adjustments make up for differences in machining tolerances from unit to unit. Once set, no further adjustment should be necessary. It seems those who have played with it have then had to do the trial & error thing to get it right, probably back close to where it was to begin with.

Yes, like I said in my first post. But, like the adjuster under the acorn nut, it must be adjusted to a position of balance so both up & down shifts are possible. I'm thinking if you try to limit the downshift throw to save the spring, you may have difficulty actually achieving the downshift or you will have too much throw on the upshift, possibly going past the gear you are attempting to select. Moving the adjuster under the acorn nut can effect how far the mechanism has to move on the downshift, but only in theory. If you position it to bias toward the downshift, you will have difficulty obtaining an upshift. If you have the acorn nut adjuster set properly to get balanced action on both up and down shift, and if your trans has one, adjust the limiting eccentric to get full throw in both directions. The pawl will still wind up the spring tight enough to fatigue it on the downshift. So, as I've said before, if you bend that springs arm some to lessen the tension against the pawl, the problem is solved.

It doesn't have anything to do with the eccentric. The angle of the arm to the lever at rest is roughly 90 degrees.(like an "L") On the downshift the angle tightens to maybe 50 or so degrees putting more tension on the spring. (like a "V") On the upshift the angle opens, relieving tension.

It's been more than a year since I had mine apart but in a photo it looks like there is just a post where your eccentric is. So at some point they decided no adjustment was necessary. You're right about the spring that breaks. It merely locates the arm against the pins and keeps it from falling away as it does when the spring breaks. There is no need for heavy tension against it. That's why I reshaped my spring slightly so it wouldn't bind when it winds up on the downshift. Before I removed my cover I was having trouble with the shifter not returning to center after an upshift. It turned out to be a lot of metal paste in the box and after a clean out and a fill with Redline Heavy the problem was solved. While I had the cover off, operating the mechanism by hand, I noticed really rough action as the pawl returned to the center position. The ramp surfaces that slide on the pins when you release the shifter were a rather poor machined finish. This, coupled with the heavy spring pressure contributed to the rough feel. I smoothed them with some emery cloth and polished the edges. It made the action much slicker.

docc, It doesn't look like adjusting that eccentric will change the spring's working range. The spring is most tensioned on the downshift when it is wound the tightest. If you bend the spring slightly to relieve some of the tension against the arm, the spring will not wind tight enough to grab the boss and cause the fatigue that snaps it. I've done this to mine and it also slightly reduces shift effort. On my '02 there is simply a post pressed into the cover at that spot offering no adjustment. It appears that stop comes onto play is when you have released your foot from the shifter, and the arm ramps over the cam on the return to center so the spring is no longer in it's tightest position. I wish I had the cover off so I could study the action. If you operate the lever, does it contact the adjuster in question on both the up and down shifting? Does it limit the throw to keep from shifting past the next gear? The only way I can see that it would help save the spring is if it could be adjusted to limit the throw of the arm on the downshift action. More info please!

Mine are home made. I was looking to raise the mufflers and eliminate the buddy pegs. Easy enough. http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11464

The wheelie through the is curve is impressive

The black & red LeMans on the farm road is a great image (6th one down). I can't believe the shot of the Dr John Daytona didn't make the short list. Another nice photo.

Just wanted to chime in here. Everything Nogbad said. Also, The mix burns completely at 14.7:1. Going lean increases HC emissions (unburned fuel) and going rich increases CO emissions. (partially burned fuel) either way, unless your combustion chamber is of good modern design (MG's is not), straying from Stoich will generally use more fuel for the given power output. Most often, lean misfires show up upon throttle changes with a pop indicating the fuel is being lit in the exhaust. Also, the popping people hear on deceleration is from fuel not burning in the combustion chamber and lighting off in the exhaust. Either way it's fuel wasted. Edit: as GuzziMoto said, aircraft engines run is a very narrow rev range, with a rather constant throttle opening. No where near the changes in RPM & throttle opening as our engines. Part of the need for proper mixture besides economy & emissions is driveability. Go extra lean and you will learn the meaning of lean misfire.

I agree with lavrgs. I think the likely hood of damaging the paint with a tarp is pretty good. Padding contact points like Jaap says is a good idea but once the tarp starts flapping you don't know where the contact points will be. Perhaps it is better to just to leave the bike in the open and wash it as soon as you get to your destination. Better to let it get dirty than have paint damage. I've moved bikes in the winter before, the only real threat is road salt. If washed off quickly, all is OK. A close fitting cover like you suggested may be good but may interfere with tie downs.

Suddenly with some new models out there is interest in the obscure brand. Soon we'll all own collector's items.

That's it Joe. If you don't act like an "ugly American" most will treat you well. In cities or resort areas they realize that you are spending there and they appreciate it. If you are in the country, the people are mostly just nice. Just think of a European traveling in the rural south where "y'all ain't from 'round here, are ya?" is what you get if you live in the next county. Imagine if you are from another continent. I'm sure they have some stories to tell when they get home. If I were to vacation here in Chicago eating in restaurants every day and shopping or sight seeing. The odds of getting a rude waiter or shopkeeper are at least as good as anywhere else. And I speak English - - - even if they don't! No matter where you travel to, large cities always get the bad reputation. Mostly from people who don't travel much and are somewhat intimidated.

Thanks Paul!

My wife had been bugging me about Paris for a while. After hearing other stories about rudeness and general dislike for Americans, I wasn't too eager. The complete opposite was true. The entire time I was there I think I had only one surly waiter. The rest of the people were great, and the food & wine were good away from the tourist traps. There were a couple of rather smelly cab drivers, but cabbie funk seems to be a world-wide thing. I prefer just about anywhere in Italy, and have had good times in England and Spain as well, but I'd still like to see more of France. With the weak dollar now, I'll probably stick to this side of the pond until things improve.

I tried to download Al R's maps from the link posted by Jaap. Couldn't hook up, old link maybe. Are they still available??

I wouldn't worry too much about reliability. The things you mentioned are easily remedied. If the fixes are done properly, I believe these bikes are very reliable. The LeMans is quite comfortable is stock form and can be enhanced to suit your size and riding style. The suspension needs tuning for best ride and handling but again, when done right it transforms the bike. There is a current thread about comparing the V11 to a BMW sport bike among others. The consensus of the faithful here is, while other bikes make more horsepower, are lighter and may handle better, the overall riding experience cannot comapre to the Guzzi.

I think about a change in my sporting bike and the R1200S is on the short list along with a KTM Super Duke or an Aprilla. Since my garage is near the critical mass stage, the V11 would have to go. Every time I ride it, I forget about wanting change. I've ridden two R1200 BMWs, an RT and a GS. It is a great motor even in that state of tune, but it has very little character. The Guzzi has a soul like few others. At least for now, I think I'll keep it.

I'm not sure which Bridgestones were fitted - they were the OE tires, maybe BT020. I did not look at the serial # to check the production date but I'd guess late 2001. I am by no means claiming the Bridgestones are inferior. I just think they were hard from age. That said, I've nearly always removed OE Bridgestones from bikes and opted for Metzelers, Avons or in this case Pirellis.

That's the thing about old tires, they work fine until they don't, and when they don't, it will be when you need them. When I got my LeMans it was 3 years old with only 900 miles. The Bridgestones looked like new. On two occasions they let go abruptly, once the front & once the rear. I didn't crash on either occasion but nearly left a permanent pinch mark on my seat and bruised my confidence. I quickly switched to Pirelli Stradas and they are terrific. Super grip, excellent feedback, wet, dry, hot or cold.

Lucky you Alex. I love Paris. I was there in the fall of 2006. Rented an apartment around the corner from Notre Dame. What a great city, not to mention all of the beautiful women strolling about.

Here we go. Bob, It would be less confusing and maybe more accurate if you rolled a pair of dice, multiplied the sum by .663, then multiply that number by 1000. This is the exact number of miles a V11's tires last. Seriously, the numbers will vary greatly with tire compound, how aggressive a rider you are and road surface.

That's a good point. I don't think there will ever be a competitive sport bike from Guzzi. Most of us old farts would be satisfied with a competent one though. The new 8V motor seems to be much improved. I don't see why they wouldn't put it in a partially faired, decent handling bike. 400lbs and 150+ HP is a dream but 450lbs and 110HP is not far fetched. There is something to be said for a bike that is a good handler, enough power to keep your attention yet comfortable enough for the 40+ year olds. I don't know about the rest of you but if I spent all day folded up on a full sport bike, I'd need a chiropractor. Not so with the V11.

I've been looking for awhile. PVM shows coverage on a few of their lines but when contacting EMA (the US distributor), I was told none are available. I was awaiting availability the Alpina's from Rossopuro but when they became available the price was substantially higher than their original quote and the weight seems to be up near the stock wheels although nobody seems to have hard numbers. Now they are selling to US without VAT but the weak dollar offsets the savings. I can't justify the cost just for bling. There has to be a weight advantage.

My light comes/goes/glows over about a 10 mile span before staying on and shining brightly. I've seen it come on at as low as 120 miles, but more often closer to 160 miles from full. Always takes a little over 4 gallons to fill. So, the average for me is high 30s but it certainly varies with my wrist action.

No problem Bill, The ball is part of the switch, it will not fall out. If you never removed the switch the trouble is likely external.