GuzziMoto

Many people drop the forks on their later model V11s to get the steering back towards where the early model red frame ones are. They raked out the V11 a degree or so as people complained the bike steered too quickly. Everything is relative..... Anyway, people often drop the front end 10 - 15 mm, so I would say that should not be an issue, but it should make your bike steer faster. You may prefer that you may not. If it were me I would try it and see what you think. Something else that enters into it in a positive way is the trail. The GSXR forks have less offset than the Guzzi forks and as such the GSXR forks will have more trail than the Guzzi forks at the same angle. More trail, as long as it is not too much trail, is a good thing and helps with stability and feel. But knowing the extender caps are available if you should decide you need them is a good thing.

Okay, I think my 25mm/52mm bearing dimensions was wrong. I think the correct answer is 30mm/52mm.

Fair enough. Gotta do what you gotta do. But how bad is your Daytona motor? They are usually pretty stout.

Oh, they also make top triple clamps for some GSXR's that have handle bar mounts. That is what I went with for my Daytona (yes, I converted it to handle bars, I am older and need comfort). That would be a consideration as well. Not all of them have that option, it is mainly the stunt bike people that determine whether or not handle bar clamps are available for that model or not.

The outer diameter of the DRZ tapered bearings is the same as the outer diameter of the original Daytona bearings. I would bet a dollar the V11 bearings are the same outer diameter of the Daytona bearings. And as that law of physics goes, if they are both equal to the same thing they are equal to each other.I did not have to change out the outer bearing races, it would have worked with the original bearing outer races. But the original bearing races on my Daytona were old so I swapped them as well. The DRZ bearing races fit it the Guzzi steering head just like they should. The DRZ steering stem is the same diameter as the GSXR steering stem. As I recall the dimensions are 30mm(edited for correctness) inner and 52 mm outer. But I would/should recheck that. I'll see if I can find my notes. The steering stem for the GSXR was a little longer the the Guzzi stem. I used a spacer to fill in the difference. As I recall it was like a 1/4". I put the spacer at the top, in hind sight I wish I had put the spacer at the bottom, under the lower bearing on the steering stem. The big difference between the older Guzzi forks and newer sportbike forks is length. The newer forks are shorter. Putting the spacer under the lower bearing on the GSXR steering stem would have meant the GSXR forks would have been dropped slightly in relation to the Guzzi's frame, making them seem longer then they are. Measure and see what you need before you do it. Once I had the bearing on the stem it was too much trouble to get it back off without damaging it. If I replace the bearing I will move the spacer. Along the lines of fork length, you will see that the different versions are different lengths. You want the longer ones. Plus, they make extended caps for some versions. The '06-'07 750/600 forks I mentioned are both longer and they make an extended cap for them. There are other options as well, research the options before you buy. The one I went with did not offer an extended fork cap. The ones I am using for my Aprilia XV roadracer project do. I had the forks re-sprung and valved for a couple reasons. First, they were ebay forks and I did not know if they were even straight. Second, the springs were too light for a bike as heavy as the Guzzi. And third, if you make that big a change to the spring rate the odds are the valving is not going to be correct, unless it was way wrong before. Plus, it is not that expensive to have done. I don't know about a "sticky", but I am happy to share what I know.I don't think the stock Guzzi forks are that bad (not counting the ohlins bikes, there is a reason why they are so popular), but they do have some issues. You can live with them the way they are. You can pay someone to resolve the issues. Or you can upgrade the whole package. I like the upgrade route as you also get better brakes and a lighter wheel. A lighter wheel makes a massive difference to handling. Better brakes speak for themselves. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions about what I said or what I didn't say.

There is a difference in the offset side to side. There is also a difference in the overall length, the V11 motor and trans is shorter (I think most if not all of that is in the trans). And I would use the 6 speed box of the V11 if you can. But it can be done. My question is Why? The V11 motor is not a bad lump but the Daytona motor is so much more appealing. If anything, I would want to go the other way but Daytona motors are hard to come by. A V11 frame and gearbox with a Daytona motor, now THAT is the makings of a bad ass cafe racer.

I have swapped to GSXR front end on one of my Guzzi's, a Daytona (much related frame wise to a V11). A GSXR front end would be a better choice. They are more common, so easier to get and cheap. They are also better forks, that use radial brakes (at least most late model versions do), a lighter front wheel, and parts/upgrades for them are easy to come by. Most suspension guys can make a GSXR fork do whatever you need it to do. Also, the swap was not that hard, consisting of a complete GSXR front end (forks, wheel & discs, and brake calipers, I used a Brembo radial M/C), using tapered steering bearings from a Suzuki DRZ 400, and making a few assorted brackets and what not for things like the headlight and turn signals. I used a front end from a '04 GSXR 1000. I had a suspension guy spring and valve it for me. Further research and measuring says that an '06 -'07 GSXR 750 front end is actually a better choice. But either will work and I am sure some others will as well. There is a wealth of info on GSXR forks, there is info detailing the dimensional differences between the different years. Here is a site with some of that info. http://www.svrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=135430 I highly recommend the swap. It is awesome. I had about a grand in the swap, including the Brembo RCS master cylinder and having the forks re-valved/sprung. I think I paid $600 for all the GSXR front end parts.

Hows that, as in what was altered? He changed the steering head angle a while back.... Yea, maybe if he had left it stock he could have missed the deer..... Sorry to go there, but he mentioned it first.

First things first. Stainless is not the best material to make a brake disc out of unless your main criteria is looks. Even if they are made from real stainless.... it is not the best choice. My experience with Chinese metallurgy is they use what they want and call it what they want. I have a few stories about that. Second, brakes are kinda important. In my opinion that is not the best place to try to save a couple dollars, quality brake discs are not that expensive. Third, have you actually measured the "warped" discs on your Aprilia for runout? Real warped discs are rare. It can and does happen, but it is not common. More often it is something else, like pad buildup or stuck float bobbins.

I am not the expert others are on this, but I have some understanding of it. The oil pickup is near the front of the sump. Under hard acceleration the oil naturally sloshes to the back of the sump. If the oil level in the sump is low enough, the acceleration is hard enough, or some combination of the two, the oil pickup can be uncovered, i.e., it is not covered in oil any longer and it tries to pump air. Air does not pump well and it lubricates even worse, so that can result in loss of oil pressure. The big end bearings, being plain bearings, do not work well without oil pressure. I do not see this as a serious issue, as it will tell you if you have an issue and only failing to ignore the oil light will cause catastrophic failure. I do own one of Pete's plates and intend to install it soon, but as long as you keep the oil topped up, avoid wheelies, and otherwise pay attention to the idiot light you should be fine. YMMV

TTS has made tanks for people including people in the US. I doubt they sent their bikes over there at all, certainly not for a year. It might take him a while to get yours done but you should not have to give him your bike for an extended time.

I would think the wire wheels would be worth a fair bit. Not be be morbid, but.... I would like to hear more of the story, as while I have heard of and even experienced breaking a bone without laying it down I have not heard of totaling a bike without laying it down. That sounds like an interesting story. Glad you have minimal damage and sorry about the bike. I feel a connection as a local even though we have not met.

If you run an internal combustion engine, Guzzi or other, without oil pressure (when that oil light is on it means you do not have oil pressure) it can toast the bearings. The big end bearing are probably the most suspect-able to lack of oil, they are plain bearings on a Guzzi and without oil pressure a plain bearing is not a bearing.

Where did you have it towed to? As mentioned, it can almost always be repaired (just a question of how much $$$) and major issues can be an opportunity for improvements. Sorry to hear, good luck.

The two valve 1100 motors are twin plug as well. I reckon on the 8 valve motor they did not have room for the other plug.

I think, because of the grounding the plugs issue, it is easier to push the bike in gear. It spins the motor over a little faster and you do not have to worry about anything electrical. Plus, if you try to start the bike with one plug removed the injectors will still spray fuel into the cylinders so you also have to disable the fuel pump.

He has made at least a couple tanks for V11's that I have seen posted here and elsewhere.

15% is not out yet, at least not anywhere that I know of. And when it IS out it is supposed to be an option, like E85, since not all vehicles are approved to use it. No one got upset about E85.... I am not trying to argue in favor or ethanol, it has its pros and cons and they are well known and often mis-represented. But I do question seemingly all of life's ill's being blamed on ethanol, every time someone has an issue even remotely connected to the fuel system they blame ethanol. But not everybody using ethanol has those issues which makes me question their logic. And I believe MTBE was banned in the USA as a hole, not just CA. And it was required here in MD as well until it was banned at which point ethanol became the standard oxygenate in the fuel. We had ethanol before then but it was only some stations and some brands. After MTBE was banned it was in all the gasoline for road use.

my thoughts too, plus that Griso dash thing where it goes bad and the bike no run.. I have had some issues with my Griso dash, but never where the bike would not run and typically all you need to do is cycle power to the dash to reboot it. I do not think there is anything about the Griso, or any other current Guzzi, dash that is inherently bad. It is typical of modern computerized stuff. My Griso is not my favorite bike, but it IS the one I can always count on to run. Although the wifes V11 is much the same.

Well, I don't see the V11 on that list one way or the other. Which is not surprising since the V11 predates Piaggio. That list doesn't just say which ARE approved. It list which are AND which aren't approved. But I do not see anything about the V11 one way or the other. As mentioned, to be sold in the USA it was supposed to meet federal standards which required it to be compatible with ethanol. And in some areas of the US (like where I live) it is not allowed to sell non-ethanol gas for road use. The ethanol has taken the place of MTBE as a required additive to oxygenate the fuel or some such.

My wife has a 2001 V11. I live in an area that has been using ethanol longer then most. We have had it for the entire time we have owned the V11 (from new), along with several other bikes with plastic tanks. It was standard here before they built our V11. As I recall federal law required the V11 to be built to be compatible with ethanol. For a long time I never had any issues with my fuel tanks. Recently the paint on the V11 tank blistered under where the harness for the tank bag covers. Nothing horrible, but there. I do not know if the ethanol in the fuel caused that. Certainly SOMETHING caused it, but since we have had ethanol for years and this happened relatively recently I am doubtful of the connection. Other bikes I own with plastic tanks have no issues. Is ethanol good for gasoline? Well, that is a debate with many sides, most of them full of mis-information. What I do know is we have been using it for a long time with minimal issues.

I have meet Kevin several times (I'm sure he, on the other hand, has no idea who I am). I was a fan of his before I ever met him, but after meeting him I respect him even more. They certainly spent plenty of money on COTA. But the guy who designed the track could seemingly screw up a wet dream. I have not been to the track and have only seen it from the F1 race on TV. But from that race the track layout was pretty crappy and while it is probably massive fun to ride/drive it was not particularly good as far as watching went. The was not enough room to race, too many corners strung together. I will stick to Indy, the track there is not great either but Kevin is welcome there. And Indy knows how to put an event on. What a party. Besides, I have great seats for not a lot of $$$. I have no idea what bike I will be riding but I will be out at Indy. Hope to see you, or any one on a Guzzi, there.

We will be going out to Indy for the MotoGP races there. We have been going there since the F1 races at Indy. Good times. After the way COTA has treated the people that brought the F1 and MOTOGP races to their track (and treating Kevin Schwantz that way is F'd up) I will refrain from giving them my money. Have fun.

First off, why is there a SCOOTER in a list of the "Hottest Bikes"? WTF? Half the bikes on that list I truly do not get. But then, that is the nature of subjective lists like that. It is nice they included a Moto Guzzi on the list, but I am not likely to buy a new California. In fact, unless something happened to my Griso and I needed to replace it (with another Griso) I could not see buying another Guzzi with their current line up. I hope they come out with something fresh soon. I have heard stories, but I have not seen anything concrete.

As long as it has the new style tappets and you use quality oil of the recommended spec it should be fine. There does seem to be some failures still of the cams/tappets, and they seem restricted to certain areas of the world. Not sure why. Proper PDI setup to me would be to fill the battery and let it sit before putting into service so the acid can be properly absorbed (or something like that), as well as checking the valves, making sure the map is current (almost sure it would have an old map in it from the factory), syncing the throttle bodies, setting TPS, filling with 10w60 oil as spec'd, along with all the other fluids and what-not. I would not be concerned about it sitting, or worrying about pressurizing the oil system. But if you wanted to you could pull the two outer spark plugs and push the bike in gear to spin the motor over, which would pump oil through the system, before starting. We used to do that after re-building our Ducati race motors, only we used rollers instead of pushing. Pulling the plugs makes it easier to spin the motor. Either way, good luck.