daveco2

Still thinking of getting a LeMans. For the year 2004, did Guzzi work out the problems with pawl springs, vapor lock, exploding clutches, and dying odometers that previous years seemed to sometimes have? Thanks for any comments.

Oh no! Does that mean the LeMans is not really a touring bike? Dave

In California, it´s mostly straight and level through the desert and I´m real easy on the throttle. I noticed that the specs for this bike show a tank capacity of 5.8 gallons, so at 40 mpg that would mean an easy 200 mile range. Is that right? Dave

Can anyone with an 03 V11 tell me what the typical range is for a tank of gas? Or if the mapping and setup are similar for other model years, that information would be helpful also. Id like to be able to get ranges around 200 miles without going to any extensive mods, if possible. Thanks, D

Thanks for all the great information. I knew I could count on this forum. My problem is all the sport Guzzis look good to me. Which to get - big dilemma. Dave

Hello, I'm thinking of getting a 1985 LeMans. Any comments on whether this is a good idea - parts availability, breakdown frequency, general quirkiness? I've done all the maintenance on my bikes myself and look forward to the Guzzi. Any comments, ideas, or alternatives would be very much appreciated. Thanks, Dave

Looking for an 04 LeMans in the So Cal area. Please send messages via this forum. Dave

I've already been there many times and it's a great resource. Love the pictures. I was looking for more of "so what do you guys think about this dilemma" comments. In other words, will I be fighting bad electrics (and maybe other problems) with the 01 and could I avoid that by just going to an 04? Thanks, Dave

I'm trying to decide on an 01 or an 03 Sport. After reading the recent post on tachs, I'm thinking that it would be worth getting the later model to avoid the Veglia instruments. Actually, I think the 03 (with crinkle engine paint) is really a rebadged 02, so I guess it's worth checking to see exactly what instruments it does have. I wonder if it would be even better to get an 04 to make sure I'm well past these issues. Any comments on this plus any other issues I should be looking out for? Thanks, Dave

I have my eye on an 01 V11 Sport. Anything special I should be aware of or that I should check - recalls, pawl springs, etc? Thanks for any comments

Well, you guys certainly have my number. I do confess to all of the racing fantasies mentioned, but what has kept me upright so far is an innate chickeness. Of course, that could change with a Guzzi. Quite a dilemma, Naked or Lemans, and good points for each. I guess I'll take whichever comes along first. Anyway, thanks for all the great comments. Very much appreciated. Dave

You guys sure give me a lot to consider. I'm very glad I dropped in here before getting the bike. Well, I like to wrench almost as much as I like to ride. I do all my own work. It's just that I wouldn't want to get tangled up with some deep mechanical/electrical mysteries. Sounds like Guzzis don't have those. Interesting comment about the new Breva. Looks great. I tried that one at the dealer and almost couldn't get it off the side stand. Man it was heavy, or maybe I'm too light at 135 lbs. The little Breva looked good too, but it seemed kind of cramped. I guess I'm used to more of a bar reach. I'm riding a Triumph Speed Four now and had a Sprint ST before that. But that LeMans sure felt good. I guess it's because of the low center of mass. And those beautiful jugs hanging out there in the breeze-just sticks in my mind. Maybe I will look for an 00-01 naked as well. Thanks, Dave

You guys make a lot of good points that I didn't consider. Well, I confess I do love to look at Guzzis, but my main interest is in riding. As far as that's concerned, I figure I have maybe 5-7 years left, being 63 years old now. I guess I'd like the experience of riding a Guzzi. It would sure be neat if I could do that without a huge investment. If I could get the bike for $5K and sell it in a couple of years for $4K, then I would consider it a good deal for the riding pleasure. One other thing I've heard is that the 02 models had a problem with vapor lock. Is that very common or is it possible I could dodge that bullet with this bike; but if I had to fix the problem, is it hard to do? Any other common niggles, like maybe questionable relays, etc? Thanks again, Dave

Hi all, I just found an 02 LeMans for $6K and wondered if the deal made sense. It has 3,000 miles, but looks like it was left outside and has some corrosion and a little rust. It also has the flaking black crinkle paint on the crankcase. Does the paint flaking take place on all the similarly painted surfaces, for example on the drive shaft cover extension, or is the flaking limited to the engine itself? Would the flaking be a deal killer if I were to sell the bike later? To me it doesn't matter that much, but is it a big deal to the average Guzzi owner? This would be my first Guzzi. Thanks for any comments, Dave

Well, I'm back flirting again with getting a Guzzi. I'm looking for an 03 or later Sport or Lemans in So Cal. Dave

Any recommendations on bike friendly motels close by? Thanks, Dave

Looking for a LeMans, V11 Sport, Ballabio, etc in the Los Angeles area. Dave

harpermotoguzzi.com advertises bar risers that look the usual Genmar sets. But I don't know if they'll fit the Lemans. Dave

I'm looking for a late model LeMans and would like to know which years I should avoid. I've read about the engine case paint peeling on the 02s and maybe some 03s and I've also read that the Guzzi quality control is getting better after the Aprilia takeover. Taking all that into consideration, which model years would be recommended, pre-02 and 04, for example? Thanks for any comments, Dave

I'm thinking of buying and have a few questions. I'm sure much of this has been asked before here, but I can't find it and would like to make the rounds of the dealers as soon as possible. I'm a small rider (5'5", 135 lbs). I'm thinking of model years 2001-2003. Are there any important upgrades that would recommend one year over another? Are there any recurring electrical problems or is this area as reliable as the engine? Is shifting easy or is it somewhat of a struggle as some other posts have suggested? Is there a way to get 1 inch lower seat height without shaving the seat-some simple suspension tweak hopefully? Has anyone developed a simple way to get the bars higher, more rearward? Are soft bags available to throw over the rear for light touring? Thanks for any help on this one, Dave

Is it me or does anyone else have the pictures overlaying the text so most of it is unreadable? Unfortunately, this would be a very intereting post to me. Dave