Molly

Thanks again chaps. Got the sump off. Oil filter removed (must've been fitted by an ape). Coincidentally, my service kit from Gutsibits arrived this morning. My son is karting this weekend so I'll park it there for now so we can get his stuff ready. Again, thanks for your help. Appreciated.

This answers the question I came to ask. 'Can I remove the sump with the filter still in situ?' My drain plug has been leaking and I suspected the threads has stripped. Sure enough, upon removing the drain plug some threads came with it. So, onto the bench it'll need to be whilst I figure it out. Only thing is, with all 14 bolts out the sump still won't budge. Hence me wondering if the filter needed to come out first.

Mine is a 2001 V11 Sport (a 'Greenie'). Does this problem affect my bike too? I'm approaching about 30,000 km. I also have no idea if the selector spring thing has been done. Am I riding a grenade ;-)

Back to stay so shouldn't be a problem.

I wish I could take credit for the tuning. We do get congestion at the usual peak hours. In the summer I like to get out about 5am and have the whole Island to myself. Nice sounding pipes are next on the list. I'd love to hear it reverberating around the mountains.

Thanks guys. I did see that they do a dedicated V11 stand. Pretty sure I can use a couple of 18mm sockets / longer bolts to make the 9T one work. A guy was clearing-out his garage and sold it to me for £20. I figured you can never have enough means of getting a bike off the ground ;-) Weather's been pretty good this Easter break. Done about a hundred miles on those Road 6s now. Such an improvement. My old tyres weren't a matched set and were more than ten years old. Truthfully, when buying the bike from a dealer over in Wales I forgot to ask for the date codes on the tyres (does anybody do that?). So I've been bimbling around on Bakelite for eighteen months. It seems to track so much better through the corners now. Turns much more easily. I keep a GoPro on the bike. Recorded this on one of my favourite Isle of Man roads yesterday. Bit sheepy but lots of twisty undulation in the second half.

Thanks guys. I have that list printed out actually. Appreciated. I have a large selection of lifts, supports, stands, lumps of wood... Recently got hold of a lovely, German made impromptu centre stand / tool made for the BMW R-NineT. I think it can be adapted for the V11. By the way, the Michelin Road 6 tyres have really improved the handling. Anything would've I guess as the old ones were ancient.

Thanks. I've already been ruminating on this actually. Weather is forecast heavy rain tomorrow too so that seals the deal. Out into the garage I go to take the wheels off. :-)

Thank you for all the replies. Very much appreciate you taking the time to write them. Job's done. Now for new tyres. :-) Going in tomorrow for a set. Been a long time since I rode a bike on nice, fresh rubber. Pilot 6 in this case.

Thank you, gentlemen. Appreciated, as always.

Sorry guys. After help again... Doing clearances. Right side. D marker showing. Piston crown visible. No play in rockers. Backed off completely. Still no play. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance. Do appreciate your help.

Thanks Marty. Heading back to Methven come August (all being well). Will shout you a beer.

Fortunately our fuel doesn't contain ethanol. Some fortunate quirk of Island life.

Thanks chaps. Appreciate you taking the time to compose those replies. I should investigate my bike's plumbing a bit more. When I drained the oil I noticed only one oil line next to the drain plug, whereas the illustration showed two (one either side of the drain plug). On my bike, one is blanked-off. Might be unrelated to oil temperature but I was curious about it. Thanks again.

Confess, no. It had an oil and filter change when I bought it just 2000 KM ago. I was changing the oil because it's been about eighteen months since then. I don't tend to do short journeys but living in the Isle of Man perhaps my journeys are in fact short.