wildbill

Hey folks, I did a search on the topic and is everyone in agreement that the oil buildup on my crossover is probably sourced from the the engine breather hose? I believe it's engine oil cuz it doesn't smell funky like gear oil. It's building up on the crossover and it stinks like burnt oil when I park the bike. Not enough to drip on the floor though, but it's building up a crud layer. '00 V11 Sport. Another question, I was thinking of picking up a carbed '96 Sport. What are the pros/cons of the '96 1100 vs a V11? I assume the V11 is more comfortable to ride. Ant thoughts on this? Thanks all! Bill.

Uh- oh... feels like my oil dipstick is frozen into the case... I don't want to snap it, does anyone have any ideas? I doused it with penetrating oil, tried getting it off when engine is warm and cold... I didn't buy it, but I think it's an MPH cycle aftermarket stick... with the inset hex impression for loosening it... any ideas are appreciated!

Got home from work today to find my new Rich Maund rebuilt seat... and a beauty it is! He does a wonderful job, very prompt and exactly as promised. Looks outstanding on my slime green '00 V11. Took it for an imaginary garage spin for a minute (weather sucked today) and my ass is very pleased with the results. The flatter profile and gel padding certainly makes a difference. And the materials seems much more durable than the stock cover. Rich, you're a true craftsman!! Can't wait til we get some riding weather.

Took advantage of the nice weather in the northeastern US to evaluate my new CRG mirrors, the hinged "Lane Splitter" type, purchased from the fine folks at MPH Cycles. First I'll say they're beautifully made, and simple to install on my Verlicchi clip-ons. On the road they are glass-smooth, far less buzz apparent in the image they provide compared to my Napoleans, and they do about the same as Napoleans to dampen the vibes felt through the grips. I'm very happy with them, real guy jewelry. The only downside is they give a tad less field of view than the Napoleans, but I can live with it. A nice addition to the Slime Green machine. Pricey but worth it.

> Haven't shopped around yet, what do you have in mind??

I made out like a bandit. New CRG Hind sight mirrors and the wife is paying for a Rich Maund seat rebuild. It's going in the mail this week. Sweet!!!! All I need now is my FBF slip-ons.... hmmm, good thing I have a birthday coming up! Gonna be one slime green classic for the ages!

I have a '00 V11 Sport, love the bike and when I bought it the original owner had removed the stock clip-ons and the installed the MPH risers. The riding position is OK, but the bike feels a little "squirrely" up front in long sweepers... now i know the early V11s have quicker steering than the later V11s/LeMans, but do you think some of what I perceive is due to the reduced weight up front because I'm sitting further back? In other words, was the V11 Sport designed to have more rider weight on the bars, and the risers are impacting the handling? I still have the stock clip-ons, but if I go back to the clip-ons do you think it's worth it to buy adjustables like the Two Brothers items that were discussed in another thread? Thanks for your input....

My '00 V11 Sport is in need of the tranny recall work, but is not affected by the con rod problem.... Question for you fine folks is should I bring it in for the work and leave it til it's fixed or do you think it's OK to ride it til the dealer is ready to do the work? I know the notice says not to ride it but it's smooth as glass now so I was wondering if you think the risk is realistic? I love the bike and hate to part with it just as spring has sprung ... Thanks... l

one observation, not sure how relevant, but I've noticed that on both my LeMans and now on my V11 Sport that when the front tire needs air I feel it more (or sooner) with a left-hand turn than with a right-hander... in other words, the mushy feel of a low front tire is first noticed in lefties...

My '02 LeMans had the same pesky leak - neither I nor my dealer had any luck locating it - but I solved the whole mess by trading it for a lovely V11 Sport which I love and is bone dry - now all i have to deal with is the tranny recall!!

the spring broke right at the almost 90 degree elbow bend in the spring, same spot as the stock pieces seem to like to break, perhaps that is the point pf maximum stress on the spring, maybe the action itself causes the spring to twist slightly there, slowly weakening it...

al, i have no idea who "bonnie" is, i ordered the spring from someone named hank in oklahoma, seemed like a nice enough guy, all i know is when my 2nd stock shifter spring went i had my dealer install the aftermarket spring, i made it about 1500 miles and it snapped again... luckily i was near home every time it happened... i finally "fixed" the problem by trading my '02 lemans for a '00 sport, a gorgeous green beauty... that puppy has a power commander 3 installed, let me tell you it runs twice as well as my lemans did... i always had a jones on for the red frame sports, i couldn't pass up the trade, i loved my lemans but REALLY love the green sport... and i'm none too sorry to see the last of that friggin' black engine paint...

my previous post here was intended for the shifter spring thread, sorry about that mates...

whoops, see my post in the "tyres yet again" thread, i accidentally posted a comment about the oklahoma shift spring there, note that i tried one of these and it snapped after 1500 miles...

just an FYI, i purchased one of the "oklahoma spings" and it broke after about 1500 miles

Rich, thanks for your thoughtful reply - sorry AOl was kicking you back, not a problem that this was a public reply - as I said I love my LeMans but that green Sport really tugs at my emotions, it's just so damn perfectly Italian! I think I may go ahead with the trade, I suspect that if i don't that in 5 - 10 years I'll be kicking myself for not doing it! One more test ride will probably force my choice, I guess you could say this is a really enviable dilemma as I like both outcomes! Thanks again for taking time to reply... PS, does anyone make touchup paint in that electric lime green? There's a few spots that need touching up!

Thanks guys, but do you feel the bike is OK to ride like that (I'll be doing 500+ miles this weekend, and if necessary could ride my bmw), and do you think this is the cause of what seem to be low-speed handling woes?

Lately I've noticed a slow-speed handling quirk on my 02 Le Mans, like the bike wants to stand back up to the high side in a slow turn. Checked air pressure etc, then felt the rear rotor and it was scorching hot - sound like a warped disk to you? I do get a slight groaning when the bike is rolled backwards. If you think it's warped, is there any problem riding the bike prior to replacing the rotor, or bring it right in? Supposed to go to VT this weekend and was looking forward to a nice fast jaunt on the Le Mans... thanks all, great info here...

Slow oil drip from my shifter has appeared, could it be the tranny seal? the bike is still under warranty, is it an involved fix? thanks all...

just FYI, my lemans suffered two broken shifter springs in 2000 miles - i then ordered a replacement from hank blackstock (i think i have that spelled correctly, he lives in OK i believe). anyway, since the new spring went in there have been no failures, and it may be just my perception but the bike seems to shift more crisply - no missed shifts or (sometimes) mushy feel anymore. the spring was about $10 if memory serves. was money well spent as i don't worry about it anymore, and my dealer was nice enough to pop it in there for free...

so a couple of questions - has anyone run the stucchi x-over on their lemans without a power commander and with the stock map? if so, how did the bike run, better? did you lose that flat spot at about 3500 - 4k rpm? also, if i go with the stucchi is the installation straight forward or is there any hitches? do you disconnect the charcoal cannister? thanks all...

Hank Blackstock has produced some aftermarket tranny springs that run around $12, it's done the trick for me after I went thru 2 springs myself... I think Hank may still post here from time to time...

Hey folks, I'm thinking of the installing the Stucchi crossover on my '02 LeMans with no other exhaust mods... I'll stick with stock cans and airbox... is it worth doing? Will I need to mess with the stock mapping or go with a Power Commander? I'll probably add new cans later (maybe the Leo Vinces)... Was just wondering the pros/cons of this crossover-only modification... Thanks... WB.

So now that MG apparently has a new/improved engine paint, does anyone know if they're gonna do a warranty fix of the old bubbling black? I love my LM but that bubbling paint is a constant annoyance... and I know, I know, just ignore it and ride the bugger but it would be nice to know if they were making a solution available...

Hank, my check is in the mail for one of your tranny springs... a small price to pay for a little piece of mind on my next trip... wildbill...