Beuphonium

Greetings! Seems the bike is in fact a Sport Naked with a windscreen installed Great color! Congratulations on your new ride!

Greetings! It is in my experience as well that the stalk-mounted fairing on the Ballabio / Cafe Sport / Coppa Italia tends to cause more problems than it solves. I have removed the entire assembly from my Cafe Sport, this required the purchase of a new dash panel and mounting hardware... this also leaves you without a headlight mount which at cheapest are over $120 each side from my last inquiries. My solution was to add a Magni fairing, which is not mounted at present because the bracket had broken. The original fairing (for me) worked better when it turned with the bars. If you are contemplating the purchase of a V11 with the intention of adding a fairing, (of any sort) I would recommend starting with a V11 Sport Naked off the bat just to avoid the hassles of sourcing and installing all of the required parts to make the gauges swing with the handlebars. The V11 Le Mans (all variants) and the Sport Naked come this way from the factory. For the record, my original intention was to have an Ohlins equipped V11, thus I went with the Cafe Sport.

Greetings All- Aloha from Oahu HI, my newest duty assignment Just wondering if there is any Guzzi community out here, and if anyone has any recommendations for good motorcycling roads. I'll see my V11 again (for the first time in 5 months) in just under a week... looking forward to any and all information I can get!

Greetings! Last February I was faced with the same decision- I ended up purchasing a Cafe Sport after what turned out to be the second-to-last new Nero Corsa got sold out from under me the day before i was supposed to pick it up. In the ensuing period of ownership, I have had the bike in 3 configurations, completely stock (with the fairing mounted to the stalk that comes off of the frame neck), with a Magni fairing on it, and lastly with no fairing at all, after the bracket for the Magni fairing broke. I did notice that the ride quality (for me) improved substantially after the full size fairing went on. Granted, this also involved moving to much lower clip ons for the controls, and it was with these controls that I rode the bike without a windscreen at all (while the repairs are being made to the Magni bracket) and this I liked more than stock. However... My plan from the outset (even before I came across the Magni kit for a really good price) was to remove the large cast stalk that is the headlight mount on the Cafe Sport and use the V11 Sport mounts instead. This involves removing the entire cluster, and obtaining the proper mounts and new dash panel to mount it such that it swings with the bars. Once this is done, one can then use the Sport headlight mounts, and re-mount the bikini fairing such as it was on the Scura (where the gauges, headlight, and fairing turn), which (as I am told) makes things much better. When I bought the bike there were a large number of constraints I had to deal with (being active military) which forced me to deal locally: I couldn't travel to pick up a bike, nor could I have a bike shipped to me where I was due to regulations... The local dealers wanted almost as much for a used bike as I could get a new one for, and there were simply no Lemans models to be had, especially since I wanted the Ohlins suspension that only comes on the Cafe, Coppa, and the Rosso and Nero Corsas. After all was said and done I purchased a new Cafe Sport, and admittedly the idea that I was about to take apart a brand new bike that I just spent a good bit of cash on wasn't the best feeling in the world. At this point, I'm still working on tweaking everything to get it exactly how I want it... but something tells me that had that Nero Corsa deal worked the way it should have, I'd be riding a completely stock bike (minus the Hepco Becker cases) without complaints. I continue on with tweaking the Cafe Sport at this point because.. well, This is my Guzzi- there are many like it but this one is mine... I figure at this point if I'm not going to go all the way, then why go in the first place. Besides, my Cafe Sport and I have already done thousands of happy miles, and I'm looking forward to thousands more. As an afterthought, and I suppose it's just psychological, but whenever I was riding my bike in stock form I always expected at least the gauges (if not the headlight and fairing as well) to turn with the bars.. all of the other bikes I've owned have had that setup. I also did not like the design where the ignition switch is on the stock Cafe Sport, as it creates a pinch point between the instrument cluster and the top clamp. Normally it's fine, but if a key or something were to fall in there (and behind the piece of wire there for the purpose of preventing this) and the bars needed to turn for some reason it could be rather scary. The setup on the Lemans and Sport prevents this completely (and in my opinion looks much nicer than the wire) Either way, welcome to the board and best of luck with your search- I hope you will enjoy the world of Guzzi as I have. PS... I just so happen to be at home today (in the north Chicago suburbs) - we got about 6". Happy April

Searching around the hard drive I've come across this picture that sort of illustrates what I mean... My bike was equipped with the high bars from the factory. It seems to me that if the support brace were re-engineered there'd be room to do almost anything control-wise. perhaps some ingenuity might even eliminate the need for the cross-brace altogether... once I am with the bike again I'll take another good look at it. In the meantime, here's the view from the saddle:

Greetings: It has been in my experience with the Magni kit that the (much) lower riding position does take some getting used to, but once done I've found it reasonably comfortable even for touring. Unfortunately the bracket that I have which attaches the fairing to the frame has broken, and I've done the past 2000 or so miles on the bike with the Magni clip-ons installed but with no fairing for wind protection. I find it much nicer with the windshield in place. What I am not quite impressed with, however, are the quality of the clip ons that ship with the kit, and as such I'm looking to replace them with something a little more robust. Leaving the factory controls in place with a Magni fairing would, if I recall correctly, require a re-working of the bracket which supports the rear portion of the top of the fairing. (much like the bracket on the Paul Smart 1000). Were this to be (modified / adjusted / reworked somehow) then you are left with only 2 constraints- the angle at which the controls leave the bars (to avoid your levers being pushed in by the fairing at full steering lock) and the ultimate height of the clip on itself (to avoid the controls hitting the top of the gap in the fairing itself). I've experimented with this, and having just machined a new mounting bracket for the fairing once I get the shield mounted back on the bike I can find out exactly how much clearance there will be. Currently I have the magni clip-ons installed under the top clamp, and to do this properly required the raising of the forks in the bottom clamp almost an inch. I haven't seen my V11 in a little over 3 months now, I should be reunited with it in a few weeks and I'll be able to get some hard dimensions

Greetings! I too have noticed the same thing. It saves me almost $500 per year in premiums to keep 4 motorcycles on my policy (two Guzzis, a honda, and a kawasaki) instead of just the two Guzzis. For me it definitely works out for the better, as now I'm afforded the ability to ride any of the 4 at any time, as opposed to having to call up the insurance co should I REALLY want to take the KZ or the CB for a jaunt around town. When I bought the V11 I was told by the insurance company that I could make a new policy for the V11 (at a cost of $1500/ year) or, I could add it to my existing policy for $200/year. That was one of the easiest decisions I've made. Oddly enough, having just paid my premium for the year, I'm currently stationed about 1000 miles from any of the 4..... no riding for me for a while

Greetings! I did notice that when I put mine on the fit was really quite tight. Having translated (and unfortunately since lost) the instructions out of the German, I do recall one of the steps saying that washers needed to be stacked 2 up in order to position a piece correctly. If my memory serves it was the bracket that bolts to the seat subframe, but I may be mistaken. The test fit is indeed a grand idea, as I experienced a cross-threading problem and ended up having to replace a couple of the fasteners. I have found that sealing up that inner fender is a really good idea after notching it, as the paperwork I carried in the rear "cargo" compartment was soaked through after a wet ride, even in the protective sleeve. The benefit of the bags, however, is definitely worth the frustration of installation.

I do not wish to incite an argument, but in my particular case I do not believe crass stupidity/naivety with regard to these things is the case, nor is blood lust. Referring to grenades as things of beauty is my engineering degree speaking. I refer only to the idea that such a small device can harness such power. I clearly remember during combat training walking away from the range with a newfound respect for them, and while seeing their effects on range targets is one thing (such as the dumpster I hit with the mk19) the effect on human lives is always devastating and tragic. Honestly, the mechanical precision is what brought me to like my firearm, and my motorcycle as well. The same way my rifle is able to fire, unlock, extract, eject, cock, feed, chamber, and lock to me is analogous to the way the crankshaft on my Guzzi can turn at more than 8000 times per minute, valves opening and closing and pistons pumping in such a manner that everything works together. I will say that 99% of the shooting I do is on a range, at a paper target. I will also say that it brings no pleasure to even think of using my weapon to harm an individual. The nature of my military service however, obligates me to be proficient using the weapons systems, and (worse) willing to pull the trigger when the time comes. The decision is not an easy one. Which brings us to the point of this entire thread. What happens when an individual is required by a situation to defend their life? The best way out of that situation is not to get into it, but when you're there, preparedness may be the difference between life and death, if not for yourself, then for someone you care about. On a lighter note, my .45 is a M1911A1, with a few tweaks. I have always liked the design, and find it to be comfortable to shoot.

Yes... military. US Marines, actually. Though there is internet connectivity "in country", it's not quite the front lines; thankfully I'm stateside (for now). I expect that to change in the next couple months, the way things are going. Exactly where I'll be sent though, I don't yet know. Such is life. And you're quite right... I would not like to be standing within about 75 feet of an M67 grenade when it goes off. It will kill just about anything inside of 15 feet, and inside of 75 will do some serious damage. Best thing to do is toss them into a room to clear it, but for that purpose, they work VERY well.

Grenades are things of beauty. Never before have I been so impressed with the sheer power of a baseball sized device. Have ear plugs... as the detonation is deafening. I've had the pleasure of using some pretty neat stuff but my favorite is still the MK19. Something about fully automatic and 40mm grenades in the same package just produces a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Especially if you've got an itch to destroy something. I'm almost more of a fan of the small arms though, I'm accurate enough (pie plate) at 50 feet with my .45 and 9mm but with the M4 being primary the pistols usually get used last ditch to fight one's way to a rifle.

For the record: only the standard sights for me, as we do not use optics when qualifying with the M16A2 service rifle. The target at the range was shot with my 9mm upper on my M4, unsupported standing, as there's no place to fire it near my house with the 5.56 upper. I get slightly larger groups than those, however at 30 feet with both my .45 and my .38. To fire at the 500 all one can do is make sure the sights are properly set at 36 yards (or 300) and then make the correct adjustment. Though I fire well at 300 the problem is that the wind at 500 is enough to make a huge difference with such a light round; as such the 10th shot usually comes when there's a wind gust during the trajectory. Windage at 300 plus a click or two usually provides a good enough base to hit at 500, though this changes depending on the round. The sad truth is that doing what I do there are times when my survival depends on my ability to fire, but such is the world we live in....

Well, now that someone mentioned it... time to have a little fun Me playing around at the range... those are 10 round groups, slow fire at 50 feet. Having said I go nowhere without my benchmade or my kershaw... rule #1 is not to allow an attacker close enough to have to use them. Given a rifle, I'm consistently 9/10 in the black at 500 yards. That 10th shot is always giving me problems... On a different note, the Lansky system is relatively easy to get a precision angle (+/- 1-2 degrees) but can easily be controlled based on how you mount the bars to the stones. I've had nothing but success with it. What would be nice, however is a way to gauge the angle of the edge that's already on there with a good degree of accuracy.

Greetings! In my line of work I never go anywhere without either my kershaw or my benchmade in my pocket. They have saved my rear many a time. As the saying goes, a sharp knife is safer than a dull one, with this in mind the best sharpening system I've come across is the Lansky diamond honing set, with a normal extra-fine stone which puts an incredible edge on anything. Depending on the degree of "sharp" you want you can adjust the angle from 17 to 30 degrees. I tend to run a 30 degree edge on my kershaw as the blade is S60V, and the edge retention is excellent. That is a rather nice collection. I've actually been looking into cold steel for a katana. I use them to.. um... chop vegetables It looks like they make some really good stuff. I also have a pair of kevlar gloves that work wonders for protection when handling these kinds of things, though I can't remember where I got them, but I use them all the time training and also in the garage.

Oddly enough, I use only 2 tie-downs, and perhaps a couple pieces of 2x4, never had any problems. I pull the bike straight into the truck bed, and run the tire up against the end of the bed. then I loop a tie strap around the top clamp (to prevent scratching) and attach a tie down to each side, running to the front corners of the truck bed. Attach such that the straps tighten as they are pulled up. Then, I sit on the bike, and grab both tie downs, and pull like a madman. This pulls the front tire tight against the truck bed, and loads the suspension, keeping the tie downs nice and tight, then I tie a half hitch in the tie down to insure that they don't magically come undone. Moved bikes hundreds of miles this way without incident. In slippery situations, I'll put a piece of 2x4 in between each side of the back tire and the truck bed to prevent the back from moving. (For the record, I figured out this method the hard way after my V65SP fell over twice moving it back from CT to IL, once on each side giving it nice matching scars)

Greetings All- The time has come to finally spray some of the parts on my Cafe Sport, I am looking to replicate the color on the tail section / flyscreen which (depending on the light) looks anywhere from a pearlized dark green to a dark gray? My parts manual is from 2002 and does not contain any descriptions for Cafe Sport parts, only the appropriate LeMans and Sport colors. A paint code would be awesome, but even the proper name of the color (Bronze/gold I beleive is the tank / seat cowl color, I need the other color ) would be great. Thanks!

My frankenyamaha is actually a 1980 YZ50 (Ebay, $20, no motor), the tank is from a yz60 (ebay, $5), the motor is a 175cc CT-2 (spares for my 1971 Yam CT1). I ended up doing a fair bit of cutting and welding to shoehorn that one in there, but that's why I love my shop so much... I was bored over a weekend and, and I was able to go over there with a plan in my mind and make it happen. The garage is such a magical place......

I'm down in near Monterey Bay. Looking through my old photo archive I've come across a some pics of my dirt bike and the v65 getting a needed makeover in comfortable surroundings. I suppose I'll have to hang the tapestries back up at the garage.. be a shame for the sparks off the welder to light one up though... Enjoy!

What I find amazing is exactly how serious of a tinkerer's operation it is... I remember starting out with a simple set of hand tools, and now over there I've got access to everything from engine hoists to gas and wire feed welders to air grinders to a forklift. I've found over the past 10 years or so that I've started buying (little by little) industrial tools I never have to replace, and then, started into specialzed stuff: port-a-powers, pipe benders, 7" air grinders, etc. out of necessity for the latest scheme. The best part is that it's all operated on an extremely limited budget. My father and I would hang out there on the weekends and do all kinds of crazy things; I've got an old Yamaha YZ50 with a 175cc CT1 motor in it , I've cut out and replaced the floors and trunk in the car on it's side, (it's basically stripped to the last bolt) and it's ready for reassembly. That shop has seen the transmission swaps for a truck and a 1967 Camaro, and the resurrection of many a dead motorcycle, some of which are still on the racks or floor waiting for further tinkering. Fond memories, but I know the next time I head for home it will be there just as I left it, all the projects ready to be resumed, till then, I'm out here in NorCal without a garage of any kind; even the poor V11 has to sleep outside under a cover Such is life.....

Greetings all- Here's a glimpse into my humble workshop... Shame it's now 2000+ miles from me. Note the two 2004 Guzzi lineup posters, and the 1973 MGB convertible turned on its side to save floor space! Unfortunately it's not attached to my house, but at 6 miles drive it's convienent enough to be able to head over there for storage / fixing, plus it gets me out of the house. These two images show the full width and about half the length. I will say that it's advantageous to have that kind of space for tinkering, as there I attempt stuff I never would have dreamed to think of at home... (And yes, I do have a lot of cleaning to do! )

Greetings all: Figured I'd chime in my 2 cents here.. but my old v65 came equipped with one of the nice self-retracting side stands... if there is no pressure on it (i.e. the weight of the bike) it automatically retracts leaving you read to drive off. After parking the bike, in what I will admit was probably not the best of places, an extremely srong gust of wind must have hit the bike in exactly the right spot, as I watched the bike stand up, side stand retract, and promptly fall to the ground. Three weeks later, family member bumps into bike, "clink".... "crunch." Same story. Lesson learned. Since that day, if I put the side stand down, it is only just long enough to dismount, situate myself, and put the bike on the centerstand, and this goes for my cafe sport as well... Speaking of which, can anyone tell me why both tires are still on the ground when parked on the centerstand? that seemed to me to almost defeat the purpose of it...

That would explain it..... though admittely over the past 1000 miles or so my bike still has 3500 miles on it. I would, however, like to know how fast I'm going, even to the point where I'm considering either a GPS, or, if I can find one, a Sigma bicycle computer. That 90 degree adapter makes sense though now that I look at it.

Greetings All: Anybody with a Magni kit out there that can fully tell me exactly what is supposed to come in the kit? I received the following: 2 - Brackets on which to mount the gauge cluster mounts. 1 - Headlight mount / Faring Bracket 1 - Faring 1 - Windscreen 2 - Valve cover faring mounts 1 - modified cap for the steering stem, into which bolts... 1 - ...faring cross-brace 1 - Set of Clip-ons. I fabriacted a set of brackets to attach the lower portion of the faring mount to the frame. Now, upon closer inspection, I installed the new speedo cable, and it promptly got smashed on the faring bracket the instant I turned right. 80 miles later, my new cable snapped. Is this kit supposed to come with an adapter of some sort for the speedo cable to prevent this from happening? If so, where can one obtain one?

Ladies and Gentlemen, There's a lot I can't say here, for reasons I also can't say... but here are a few of my observations: 1) Requiring someone with a bright colored jacket with reflective stripes included in the design to wear a orange or yellow vest over the top of it, is a touch much. 2) When I was in need of a MSF Card, I was given an oppurtunity to attend a class on a military installation. I reserved my spot in the class, and had a conversation with the safety official that resembled the following: - So, I need to provide the motorcycle to take this class, correct? - Yes - And the class is located (on the base)? - Yes - And I need a safety card to drive on the base? - Yes - So, I assume you can give me a temporary proof of enrollment or something so I can get the bike on the base to take the class? - No, we can't issue any temporary passes until you have a safety card.... This went on for 15 minutes; even the safety official couldn't give me a method of getting onto the base without that safety card. It eventually ending with me formulating some plans about coming up with a truck, and some tiedowns, and then risking driving the bike during the course without a card. Worked out all my details, and sure enough, the evening before the class begins, I get a phone call saying "the class for which you have been enrolled (after a month of waiting for it) has been cancelled for an unknown reason, (probably because nobody with bikes could get on base) and the next available class at a different location was in 4 weeks. During my wait it was a 2 mile walk from my place of residence, to where I had to park. This is the ultimate picture of convienience, as my Guzzi is my only means of transportation. Fast forward a few months, all paperwork issues taken care of, my precious safety card MSF key to the installation properly stored at home with other important documents. Get to the installation gate, only to hear "I need to see your MSF card sir...", followed by threats to call the cops to come and impound my bike if I don't have one. Same old routine.. park off post.. walk.. retrieve card.. walk back, try again. Mention to the guard "I wonder how I got my vehicle sticker, which matches my plates, if I didn't have one of these cards...." Sorry for the ranting... but each time I drive off base and see a large row of motorcycles parked just outside the gate, I figure each bike owner forced to park out there has the same frustration as I did, especially when I see police officers with ear-to-ear $mile$ ticketing / towing them........