wambiker

Hi all, I was out today with a few friends when my tacho stopped working and I recalled that this was usually a sign that one of the relays was playing up. Then the headlamp and indicators started to play up. We stopped for lunch and there was no life from the starter. It bump started easily enough, but I decided to head for home before it got dark. About 20 miles later in the middle of nowhere on the denbigh moors it started to misfire and then eventual died altogether . So was recovered home. On checking, the battery was down to 10 volts which would I asume explain the none operating relays but why it did not recharge with the lights and any other loads off is worrying. Once the battery has recharged on the bench I will test the alternator output. I have a query about the standard battery, which seems for 2000 V11 to be a Y60 N24AL-B which is rated at 28 amp hour. The battery fitted is a Spark 500 with MG badge on it but only claims to be a 13 amp hour battery. Is this the standard battery or has it been changed. The bike is 5 years old and till I bought it in July had only done 5000 miles so if this is the original battery may be the cause of my problem. Any opinions or advice would be appreciated. Cheers Gary.

Hi all, my 2000 V11 which I love has one really annoying feature, this is the first bike I have eveer owned with no centre stand. I bought a paddock stand but because of the shape it fowls on the number plate assembly and is a pain in the A**E to use. Before I cut the tapered bit in half and put them back on the opposite way round and weld a tube across the gap I have a question. Has anyone ever tried drilling the swinging arm to take bobbins and make the whole set up easier and more secure. I was looking at it this afternoon and thought I could drill through where the rear hugger bolt is at 8mm and use the bobbin to secure the end of the hugger. I would pass the mounting bolt for the bobbin right through the tube and secure with a nyloc nut on the inside of the arm. I am just a bit wary of taking a drill to the arm. Cheers Gary

Hi I will try to sort the time off, wanted to do this w/end this year but no chance. Just by coincidence my father in law was a commando in WW2 so have been to the memorial there a couple of times. Cheers Gary

I would happily bring my V11, let us know what is happening and will try to sort time off. Cheers Gary

But you try telling the young people todayand they wont belive you!! Gary

I would have to agree, my 2000 v11 has now done 16000 miles, 10500 between 2000 and july 2005 5500 since july when I bought it.. I do all my own maintenance-too tight to pay for work I can happily do myself, also knowledge it was done right and satisfaction in keeping things right- and have changed oil and filter(sump off), fitted risers and bars, new back tyre and wheel bearing. None of this was hard work, helped that the previous dealer Moto Strada, where very meticulous in there work with everything adjusted and greased correctly even down to recording mileage on the oil filter. Compared to the problems and costs I see friends with jap multi cylinders prepared to pay, the V11 is cheap to maintain. Finish is not too bad except for original silver case paint falling off engine, box and bevel housing. I tried a few bikes when looking early this year but decided on the V11, it has character, makes me smile whenever I look at it and above all is a hoot to ride. Lots of torque, fair handling, fast enough, has character and individuality in these days where if you took the decals of most Jap bikes you could not tell them apart. Dont get me wrong this is not jap bike bashing just my own preferences, I have owned both jap and italians over 30 years but keep coming back to Italians just because they suit me, I still have a morini 31/2 to go with the V11. So far the only problem was a failure to start after a fuel stop, traced to the side stand switch wiring(will be sorted this weekend) and it blew the right hand injector body off last sunday when it coughed as it started up, odd but will see what happens in the future-if it does it again I'll do something about it. Cheers Gary

Beware of the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, the number of the counting shall be three, not one or two except in passing to reach three, and four is right out! I also am not dead yet, but growing old disgracefully Cheers Gary

Hi all, at the guzzi gb autumn camp last weekend I saw a v11 with red anodised brake and clutch covers, I think they were by a company called protec or something similar. Does anyone know a supplier for these, had a look around the web but couldn't find them anywhere. Cheers Gary

Hi, count me in, shifts permiting. Mid-week would be better for me and avoids the worst excesses of the north wales constabulary Cheers Gary

Hi I've been running a pair of diablos, stunning grip, good feel. Back has just been replaced after 6000 front is still good for a while yet. I don't hang around and have found these tyres suit my riding style. Have just put a diablo strada on the back today as don't expect to need as soft a tyre for winter use and will see how this goes, a quick ride to scrub the tyre in seems to feel same as diablo did. Cheers Gary

Hi Martin glad you got home at a reasonable time, still an outstanding effort Good report and looking at the rain bouncing off my car this morning we where even luckier with the weather. See you all soon hopefuly and hopefuly meet up with Orson in the spring for Welsh Waltz 2. Cheers Gary

Thanks for a grand day, great roads, good weather. Saw Orson back to whitchurch in one piece (amazing how little rubber diablos have when they reach theirwear limit) so he should have made it home and hope Martin got home ok as well. He rode 300+ miles to come for a ride see you all again later. Cheers Gary

Hi 9am at the ponderosa tomorrow it is, green v11, how can you miss it? Cheers Gary

Hi, 9 AM at the ponderosa ok for me on wednesday, if weather is better thurs or fri also OK. I'll have a look here tonight see whats happening. Cheers Gary.

Hi Wednesday would be best for me as well, but thursday or friday also ok. Cheers Gary

Hi all, sorted it this afternoon . Ended up with the calipers suspended from the handlebars and both calipers beihg bled at the same time via a pair of bleed tubes, one from each nipple. They look OK but when I get over todays trauma I'm going to fit a t-piece behind the headlamp and have just one line from the bars with an angled banjo to align everything just as I want it. The car needs fresh fluid so will invest in a vacumn bleeder to use on bike and car in the future. Cheers Gary

Hi, I've just replaced the original Teed front brake line on my 2000 v11 with a pair of single lines from master cylinder to calipers and a double banjo bolt. Fitting was fine but I can not get the buggers to bleed. I am getting fluid through the system but there is obviously air trapped somewhere in the system. Is this a normal problem with V11s or is it likely to be my altered hoses. Any pointers gratefully recieved, I've had to give up as I'm on duty tonight, will have another go tomorrow. Cheers Gary

Hi I live in Liverpool and as I'm a firefighter I work shifts, so would be happy to come along for the ride. I know north wales well, including some really good quieter (more fun roads) and would be happy to guide or give some pointers. I am off on the 14th,15th and 16th, thats wednesday, thursday and friday. If any of these are suitable to you both the ponderosa sounds fine to me. Let me know and will hopefully see you in September. Cheers Gary

Thanks for all those options and views I'll go for synthetic and have just discovered that the bike had a speedo change at 4800 miles so has now done 13000 rather than the 8500 I thought it had I will consider myself rule 303'd and go and find out what it is. Cheers Gary.

Its good to here someone who uses a V11 all weathers with no problems-finish excepted. Mine has only done 13000, thought it was 8500 but just discovered in the paper work that came with the bike that it had a speedo change under warranty at 4800, so the bike I bought with 5500 on the clock 8 weeks ago has actualy done near double that, but what the hell 10000 in 5 years is still pretty low. The rocker boxes and alternator cover had been painted red-fairly badly and the front of the sump and engine cases top of gearbox and bevel boxes are looking rough for their age. I've repainted the rocker covers red as I quite liked them that way but put the alternator cover back to silver. I'll get round to the others in due course. As I said in the last post all the lines and cables and wiring is safe, so you shouild have no problems in the short term, I'm just a born fiddler and like things to look right as well as work. I have been a bit surprised at my V11s thirst, but then it also has mistrals and the fueling set up to match I will just have to live with it and enjoy the noise they make. Cheers Gary

Hi all, dlaing sorry its taken a few days to get back to you. The risers were given to me so I don't know what they are off, but I will try to find out. They are rubber mounted but I never really noticed that much vibration in the clip-ons just the discomfort in my shoulders. there is little vibration through the alloy bars that are fitted, now with small bar ends fitted since the photos. I have drilled the top yoke as per the ballabino so could try those risers. I also ordered a V10 yoke as this was recommended and comes ready drilled for the risers but on offering it up to the V11 yoke dicovered that although they look the same there is about 6mm difference in the offset between steering stem and the fork legs. I sent it back and drilled my own yoke instead. The current bars are possibly a little to high and wide, I'll try sliding the controls further towards the centre of the bars and see if I like that better. Failing that I intend to try a set off ducati monster bars. I'm prepared to persist till I'm completely happy as I intend to hang on to this bike. Rolling thunder I found with a bit of rerouting the cluthch line is long enough, just take dirrectly around the fork leg rather than inside the headlamp bracket, and all the wires and fast idle cables fit the same way. On the brake side the hose is to short to route normaly to anything higher than flat bars, I rerouted it behind the fork leg which fits but does not look well and requires the hose to be cable tied too the fork leg to stop it rubbing on the tank, the throttle cable routing is also not great. I now have two seperate brake lines and a double banjo bolt and a universal throttle cable kit to fit to rectify these problems. Sorry if this is a bit long winded just trying to help. Cheers Gary

Hi all, just finished converting My V11 to use handlebars instead of clip-ons. I love the bike but the standard riding position gives me very sore shoulders. So I drilled out the top yoke as per the ballabino that I rode a while back and fitted risers and bars. I tried a set of norton straights (flat but with a slight bend either end) which where an improvement but have now fitted some low rise alloy bars. This has given me the position I like, I know some will think this is heresy, but it's my bike and I cover a fair few miles each year. There were no major problems, the wiring had to be re-routed around the forks and the throttle cable re routed under the tank. Clutch hose was no problem and as the picture shows the brake hose was routed up the rear of the fork leg. This is not ideal but is safe. During the week I will make up two new hoses and use a double banjo bolt, which I think is better than the current layout, no strange tee joint and hoses to rub on the mudguard. Also noticed a couple of strands split on the throttle cable so will get a new made by venhill and get them to add 6" to length to smooth things out even more. Cheers Gary

Thanks for that I'll have alook at those and see if they are what I want. Cheers Gary

Hi Griff, Just noticed your in Liverpool as well, nice to know there is more than one V11 in the city. I live in Crosby if your out and about we'll have to meet for a beer if you fancy it. Cheers Gary.

Hi I've done about 2500 miles in the last 6-7 weeks on my new 2000 V11 and enjoy riding it every time I go out . I have been riding 31/2 morins for the last 12 years so the biggest factor for me was the size & weight. But I'm getting used to it. No major problems and the injection has been spot on after sorting to run with Mistrals by Jason at Moto Strada. The only real problem has been the clip ons, I only have short arms and the stretch and weight on my arms was causing major shoulder pain. But I've now drilled the top yoke and fitted risers and a set of norton straight bars, after 220 miles this afternoon, a lot more comfortable, but still not quite right. Will try a set of bars during the week with another couple of inches rise and width to see if this is better still, also may allow me to see more than my elbows in the mirrors! No major problems and all the hoses/cables/wiring fitted without much work. Cheers Gary