Steve G.

Ah, yes, Mitch Boehm, of Motorcyclist magazine. Seems pretty 'ballsy' to start up a mag at this time. Also, there's immediate competition established [classic bike magazines all over] . We'll see how it goes. Steve

The fuel filter seems like the next order of business. If left as is, you may HAVE to replace the pump as well. What's the change interval, 12,000 miles? Cheap insurance, it gets everything, god help you if shite gets into the injectors. Steve

I had exactly the same issue with my 2001 after installing the manual petcock, and installing firesleeve. As Dlang noted, check the main fuel line's integrity and straightness. The firesleeve makes things quite crowded up in there, as you may have discovered, and it must be cut the correct length, too long and it will bunch up, easily kinking the main fuel line off the petcock. I've been riding my V11 through some of the hottest days ever in my parts, over 100deg F, with absolutely no issues of vapour lock. I think the replacement of the electric petcock to manual is just as much a factor in this problem's elimination as the installation as the firesleeve, probably the main contributor. Whoever thought up the electric petcock should be removed from Guzzi's engineering team. Steve

The sound is similar isn't it? Actually the sound is normal, but it's origin is different. I should add that there are two sounds you will hear at idle. With the clutch lever pulled in, that's the clutch "tingling". With the clutch lever NOT pulled in, that's actually the gearbox gears rattling, a result of the very lite flywheel the V11 has, which allows for very quick accelerating, and decelerating of the engine at low revs, which in turn makes the teeth of the gearbox main shaft dance against each other. Rev the engine up to say, 2000rpm, and there's enough 'flywheel' effect happening to make things smooth out. I always leave my fast idle on [ the labelled 'choke lever'] , to prevent this a bit, and also allow for nicer downshifts when riding. Steve

I've always been told that Rossi batted for the other team, that's what Edwards used to say. I guess not. Good on him!!! Steve

The Japanese company Lilac predated Guzzi's current engine layout/shaft drive setup. Steve

Your perception is correct. The fact is the spine frame V11 series has it's limitations as far as handling sure footedness. You can get used to it, and you can improve it as described by Ratchet. But it still shows it's face in fast sweapers, and bumpy roads. More than one magazine tester has called it's high speed handling "willowy", directly blaming it's frame and weight biases. I'm used to these characteristics, as I've many thousands of miles on a Norton Commando, lovingly nick-named "bendy", or "bender", their isolastic engine/frame mounting system giving them a characteristic frame settling nature where the swing arm settles into a corner. When you get your head around it with these vintage machines, it works very well in smooth or rough conditions. Perhaps the vintage trim tt/100 Dunlop bias tires soften this situation, whereas the radials on a V11 mean the frame must deal with all the movement, and does so with fine V11 characteristic style! I would still choose the V11. Ridden the Griso, yes it's tighter, newer, follows direction better. But, again this is personal, I just don't think the Griso series is anywhere close to matching the V11 series in visual appearance. I like two pipes on either side just like the cylinders, I cannot deal with the visual aspect of that oil cooler on the Griso, I don't like the looks of the [yes superior] Griso frame, the V11 is just plain a better looking bike. This may not mean anything to anyone else, but it's very important to me. I'd much rather look at a V7 Sport than say, a Suzuki Madura. Rather look at an Eddie Lawson Replica than say a BMW 1100GS. There are exceptions to every majority common view, but I think in this case, I'm in the majority. And, I'm of strong opinion that motorcycle styling tugs at the string of every one of us here, anyone who says that styling means nothing, that they got their bike because they thought "it does the job best" well, I don't buy it. The Griso is a better bike, but it's not that much better that it would make me ignore it's "polarising" visual appearance. Heck, the 1100 Breva is a better bike than the V11, but it was wacked many times by an ugly stick, so much so, there's tons of them sitting around where I live unsold and at fire sale prices. Steve

Sorry, I should have said manual fuel petcock, in the second sentence above. The '03 models had the superior manual fuel petcock. Steve

Your '03 model will, as far as I know, have an internal fuel tank fuel pump. It will also have the factory installed manual fuel pump. I would say with this in mind, that your bike is not suffering from the vapour lock issue the early models had. You may indeed have a failing fuel pump. All the V11 series, indeed every fuel injection motorcycle made, will give off an audible sound as the pump brings the system up to operating pressure. If yours is not doing this EVERY TIME you turn the ignition key on, you have either an electric issue to the pump, or a mechanical issue with the pump itself. Steve

Well, in a way, your buddy is right. They are very close, not that there's anything wrong with that. I think he just doesn't realize that there's riders out there who are closely linked to one particular make or marque. I'd have at least 6 particular models of M.G. , if I had the room. Steve

Hi Scott, as Ratchet mentions, cold water on a hot engine could cause metal warping or cracking in extreme cases. I've actually seen it happen with cast iron engines, never aluminium, but who knows. I must admit I did the same thing 3 yrs ago in the middle of nowhere [Midway, B.C.], totally pissed at the bike, didn't care if I cracked the engine, found a hose at a gas station, sprayed it up on the external pump & lines, fired right up. The term 'burping' I used when I first started poking around with the bike on the side of the road one hot August afternoon with my buddies watching. A slotted screwdriver is enough to loosen the hose clamp coming off the bottom of the petcock. You may have to pull the line right off to release, but I just kind of spun the hose on the petcock orfice, that was enough to start releasing pressure, mostly atomized fuel [air] but there may be some liquid gasoline spit out as well, so be carefull where it lands if the engine is hot, if you know what I mean. Check with Greg Field or Pete Roper on this forum, but I'm pretty sure that 1999, 2000. and 2001 V11's had the electric petcock, after that, manual petcocks were exclusively used. Why they went electric I'd like to know, it was stupid fucking idea. The manual petcock is quite inexpensive, I rode down from Vancouver to Moto International in Seattle one day to get one, Greg had them in stock. I'd get rid of the electric one for other reasons besides the vapour entrapement issue. The wires at the bottom of it are not very big, and vibration damage can cause the fuel delivery to stop, yet you'll never see the wire broken inside the isloator, exactly what happened to me, twice, both covered by warranty in the early 2000's. My local dealer, British Italian in Vancouver, would not upgrade [the manual one's actually cheaper] to the manual, so I had to play the game Moto Guzzi used to play during the Aprilia years. Steve

Any advice on doing the same thing on the Veglias? Steve

Shit pete, you make me laugh. You should write a book of quotes! "Beating seven shades of shit", "whollus-bollus", I love this shit. Steve

I have much experience with this issue, and had exactly the symptoms you have. Here's what's happening. Collective hot starts have built up the vapourized gas to a volume big enough that the fuel pump is now cavitating in 'air'. Short term but instant fix, you will have to "burp" the pressurized vapour [pressurized because the electric fuel pump your bike has shuts closed the moment you turn the ignition off] where the fuel line meets the bottom of the fuel petcock. It will hiss at you even when the thing is turned off. Once hissing and possible gurgling of fuel/vapour stops, your good to go for perhaps 10-20 hot starts where the problems will start again. As Greg mentioned about the manual petcock, what I'm sure happens is, installing a manual petcock eliminates the collection of vapourized gas, any super heated gas which chooses to vapourize inside the fuel line right near the inside left cylinder simply vapourizes and bubbles up through the still open manual petcock up into the fuel tank harmlessly. The electric one traps this. You could go a step further to eliminate this issue, by getting a product called 'Firesleeve', a fuel line insulator used primarily in aircraft, which will vastly reduce the heat issue inside that area behind the left cylinder. Steve

I'm SOOOO glad I went there last year to see the operation while it was still an entity. Special place guys, really!! Steve

I'm considering putting on a non LED light to the kit. Steve

Electrical is my weak subject, but I had no issues with the unit working when I installed mine. Once you get yours working, you may find issues with people not seeing the light. Unfortunately, the light unit, made by Schumacher in Germany, has it's LED's set in a parallel pattern making the light emitted very 'directional, as in, if you set to one side a few degrees from directly back, you cannot see the light. If they had set the LED's in a spread pattern it would have been no problem. I personally had more than one close call of fellow riders and a car or two not seeing the application of my brake. I took the kit off, it's sitting on my shelf. I'd consider putting the kit back on, but the actual light unit would have to be replaced with a better one that spreads the light in a wide pattern view. Even a non LED unit would work, can't seem to find one though that would fit. Steve

There's only one way to find out, get hold of a good dealer. In the U.S., it is a mandated safety recall with no expiry date, good info to have when approaching a Canadian dealer. I know both of the two dealers we have in Metro Vancouver would look after you, IF they were able to get hold of the parts package from M.G.. Greg Field at Moto International would have a solid understanding of the situation. Steve

I'm thinking it's time to go to the solidly engineered twin plate clutch. Read this: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=14876 Steve

You need an 8 flute filter wrench for the factory UFI filter. I bought mine from I think NAPA, or some place similar, it's made by Vector, part #17030, made in USA. While I don't use a hose clamp, I think there are two ways of thinking here, both routes, unfortunately the pan has to come off. 1] Use a hose clamp, therefore the pan comes off. 2] Tighten the filter enough so that it won't rattle loose, therefore the pan comes off because it's now too tight for any filter wrench, so you have to use a pipe wrench to get the dang filter off. Oil of course is a subjective matter, so I'm not going to offer any thoughts on this, except to say that synthetic oil gets just as dirty and full of burned and unburned fuel, so 10,000kms [6K miles] is stretching it I think. Remember, synthetic oils main advantage is it's ability to retain it's original rated viscosity regardless of how hot, or cold the oil is. It DOES NOT stay cleaner, although it may look like it stays cleaner as it does not 'cook' during extreme high temperature like regular oils due to it's temperature resistance. Oh, and Pete Roper's thoughts on using fermented Yak fat, well, I'll let you decide on the oil. Steve

I don't think I could agree more with what you said here. I agree totally. My strange collection of bikes takes me to different rallys, where I get to talk to people who are absolute fanatical about this make or that make. I feel sorry for the guys who think everything else is shite except what they have. And as far a HD and the type of people that seem to settle into that typecast, I've got no time for the attitude, the pirate-equestrian cookie cutter look, the astoundingly bad riding technics, the utter herded sheep mentality of it all. These types always seem to get in the way of me just as I'm about to carve a corner. They seem to be the only bikes out there that hold up 80 yr old green haired guys driving class A motorhomes as well. Go figure!!! Steve

I've owned Ducatis, and own Nortons. I'm sorry, the bikes capabilities are apples & oranges, but I'd definitely wrench a Norton than a Ducati, no question. Steve

My old buddy Pete's bike: Steve

No, it's definitely a radial engine, it's got pistons! Steve