windyducat

Great point and you actually said better what I was thinking. I figured I be working on a V11 Le mans if I got one, and for me that is one of the reasons I have motorcycles. Not only maintain it but to set it up the way I like to ride. It sounds like some of the failure points like the relays can be upgraded to improve reliability. Cheers

You guys (and maybe gals) have given some great input and confirmed my thinking. This is once I get any niggles worked out and rework things like the relays the V11 is basically reliable. The biggest concern with long distance trips across the southwest especially out of the way places is lack of dealer support. I suppose a good road side assistance plan is a good back up. About the ST4 versus a V11 Le Mans. IMO the V11 Le mans with it extra weight and "beefer" engine would be better for day after day miles. My ST4 is setup more for corner scratching and after a 200 mile jaunt it goes away for a few day. I bought the BMW R1200ST to fill the gap between the ST4 and my BMW K1200RS and on paper it fits, but is booooooooooooring....thus the V11 Le mans. Another question...when I am looking for a V11 Le mans are there specific things to look/ask for and things to steer away from? Anyway I can try and eliminate a bike the was built on "a bad day?" My inclination is buy one, I know I will love the ride, ride it for a while locally and from there should gain confidence to take it on the road. Cheers! and again thanks for the opinions! great forum, glad I found it!

I have a broad question for many of the experienced V11 owners. Are the V11s' highly reliable and require normal amount of maintenance. The reason for my question- I currently have a Ducati ST4 and a BMW R1200ST. I am getting rid of the BMW R1200ST (great bike but not inspiring to ride) and really want to get a V11 Le Mans. Having owned Moto Guzzi's in the past I love the handling and styling, and my 1976 was mechanically indestructible but the electronics were problematic. I would use the V11 Le mans for long distance sport touring mostly out west...Colorado, Utah, etc and want a bike that I can totally count on and not breaking down. I also noticed that there is not as big of a dealer network for Moto Guzzi, like there is with BMW or Ducati. I read the FAQs and found that V11's have their share of niggles, like any other bike, but not sure if that translates to on the road reliability. Also it seems a 2003-4 would be better than a 2002 in terms of reliability. Any input is truly appreciated. Cheers!