belfastguzzi

Another possible fix is to tighten the timing case bolts. They might be loose. Now that would be an easy one!

What year is it? 2002 by any chance? A bad year for V.11s Part of the benefit of cleaning it back to shiny metal is that you'll see where it is leaking. If it is not obvious once you've cleaned it, start the engine... and observe. If there is no crack and it's just the gasket/joint leak, you might even see some torn gasket sticking out. The best answer is to put a new gasket in, but in my view there is nothing to lose by trying the sealant fix and if you find that it works – great! You're back on the road immediately. If it doesn't, you've done no harm and you can go ahead and order the gasket etc. I don't know what the commonly available brands are in USA. Hylomar? Loctite does black. Permatex? It'll say stuff like, stays flexible, oil resistant/oil contact, high temperature: but it doesn't need to be anything really specialist. Here's a Loctite one: Loctite 5910 Premium Silicone Black Gasket Maker/Sealer 80ml forms a flexible silicon seal and is suitable for use on valve covers, oil pans, intake manifold end seals, timing covers, transmission pans. FEATURES & BENEFITS For flanges with permanent oil contact Can be used for metal, plastic and painted parts Low odour Non-corrosive Meets performance specs of OE silicone gaskets Temperature resistance: -55°C to 250°C intermittent Rub it well into the area and build up a bit of thickness. Don't leave it too thin. You could put a thin-ish layer on, let it dry/firm up a bit; then put some more on. You can get a smooth finish by wetting your finger. If it's not good, just take it off and do it again. Let it cure before running the engine.

It still looks like poorly applied epoxy to me – partly from the look of it and partly from the way that it has split along the joint line. Silicone sealant DOES work. It's quick and easy. Which is a good thing.

Another thread for reference: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...ealant&st=0 Also http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...ealant&st=0 There will be more around the place. Here's the external repair that does work. It's in blue Hylomar instant gasket type stuff, to show where it is. I then covered it in black silicone and once it is rubbed in and a bit of dust and dirt covers it, you wouldn't see it if you didn't know it was there. Best just to use black sealant from the start.

On cleaning: use a knife, paint scraper etc to lift the stuff off. Clean up with small grinder, 'sand paper', wet & dry paper etc – whatever you have. Disperse and clean away the oil with a spray solvent such as carb cleaner, brake cleaner...

Can't tell for sure, from photos, but to me it looks like 'plastic steel' epoxy. Some makes are a bit rubbery, especially if not mixed correctly. It needs to come off. The oil will creep around the area, but the danger is that your case is actually cracked, so it is leaking from the forward area of the case as well as the joint. The broken case will pull the joint open as well as leaking from the crack. That is possible, but the blown gasket scenario is much more common and more likely.

There should be pics on the forum here somewhere of the sealant repair to the joint – the one that works. This is the one that doesn't work: the cracked case. Your leak is around this area? Timing chest cover is cracked in the weak spot by the support bracket: Oil seeping from the crack: The crack, through from the bolt hole to joint. This is a REALLY bad design point and this area is so stressed that glue is no good to keep a seal.

It's the classic spot that the cover leaks from. Looks like the repair has been done with plastic metal. That stuff doesn't work in this situation. I'd scrape /prise it all off. The gasket could be changed, but I sealed the leaking joint on mine externally and the repair worked perfectly. Thoroughly clean the area and then try sealing it with silicone type sealer, preferably black. It worked for me. I'll put in a new gasket... sometime. It does depend exactly where your leak is though. If it is just a blown gasket, the silicone sealer should work. This a a bad, weak area of the case though. If it is actually cracked, close to the support bracket, unfortunately the solution will require a new timing cover. Hopefully it's just the gasket though. Take that plastic steel off so that you can determine where the leak is.

Ah, that's where I went wrong! It's only the dipstick! I shoulda read the manual. I screwed up the whole bike.

Good idea. It makes sense to have the 2010 event the same as the 2010 event. Otherwise it could be very confusing.

Hey Guy what's the best ferry route? When will you be booking travel?

It is interesting, not just because it's one topic, but because there are a lot of this type of topic posted around the place. I really noticed them because of the lack of service/interest/delivery that I have had from the UK Piaggio system. It's hard to put together the huge investment that Piaggio seems to be putting into motorcycle development for the future, with the very backwards approach that they have to their crumbling dealership and aftercare situation. I hope that they wake up and shake up.

Here's the fix. I hope that it's permanent. At a machine shop, the broken elbow was filed down to a smooth face and reamed to accept a steel tube. The tube was turned down to press fit with the outlet turned to accept an 8mm hose. It was glued in with Loctite. I will clamp a new section of 8mm 10 bar petroleum hose to this and to the T piece from the injector hoses. I don't intend using a quick disconnect fitting.

Oh yes... that's right. That should have been very straightforward: can't think where the plan fell down

Hi Antonio the answer should be, yes. I think that Guy or perhaps Jaap can tell you exactly how long it takes. (I'm not sure if Jaap went home that way.)

I know that in the grand scheme, this is an insignificantly minor matter: but just for documentary interest, here are a few more pics relating to problems with hoses and routing. Taking the battery out, it is clear that it didn't really matter that the drain/vent lines were not connected to the tank – because the drain hose was squashed completely flat anyway. It was between the battery and airbox. So even if there was some free length to help in getting the short hoses connected to the under-tank unions, there would be no free-play to pull them through. (And there wasn't.) The lesson must be: after purchasing a bike, take the tank off and check the routing of all hoses and cables. Re-route or even replace as necessary. This could save you, or a mechanic, having unexpected problems in the future. It could save a broken fuel outlet elbow! Flat drain hose Below, you can see the horrible, thin and brittle plastic fuel line used on the 1200. Again, it is very short and tight. You can see that the lengths of both the drain and the fuel lines as fitted are nothing like the lengths shown in the parts diagrams. Route of fuel line from throttle bodies at either side, to fuel tank. Compare actual tank drain hoses > with much longer lengths here > and fuel line

Whoops, I looked back and the dates are marked in ink. Two differences the next time would be that I'd do more open road rather than (what I consider the beautiful) smaller roads and I won't make meeting places along the way. Arrangements to meet others at particular places and times are too difficult to manage, creating delay and frustration. It could be good to do the Antrim Coast road again, with an early morning start to miss the traffic. That would also give more time to visit some places on the route that people were interested to see last time, such as the Giant's Causeway and the Carrick a Rede rope bridge. See .

Hi Trev, Yes, though there are no detailed plans yet. The more I hear from people who might want to come, the easier it will be to decide what to do. If it was only a few local people then it could be very casual, but if people are travelling, then it needs to be more organised. For example: Jaap has expressed interest and has penciled the date in his calendar. The place we stayed last time worked well and would still allow a trip to Donegal, for example. It's open to suggestions and I'll meet with one or two people here soon to start making some definite plan. If you've any thoughts, let me know. D

That's all thought through with a great deal of detail. It's almost as if you're speaking from real life experience...

Obviousy made up, but excellent. Funny stuff

How interesting that I posted a lusty UGP race video a short while ago – and then received a work related email to do with the biggest road racing event here. We were going to provide carnival/samba drumming for the opening of this year's North West 200 launch event on 12th Jan. That's just been cancelled because the new sponsor thinks that classical music is more appropriate. What?! Is the sponsor really in touch with the product, the market, the sport?

I had a peek at Wild G this morning and saw this video in one of those threads about 'how much horsepower do you need?'. It had been posted to illustrate a smaller bike winning over a bigger, due to rider. Joey, at 47, did it again. It's just a great race video – and I always love those shots from the Ulster where the bends sweep over the top of the hill, into space, with the view to the lowland below. As ever, the enjoyment is tempered by the fact of death: about half the names recited by the race commentator are now gone. See here >> 1999 UGP

Profession – unfortunately not. Scura – the epoxy couldn't hold a seal at that awkward point, with so much stress at the engine block–engine support bracket–timing cover joint. It seems a terribly weak design at such a crucial point. I tried lots of times, but a hairline would always open. I also tried to source a new timing cover, but wasn't able to get one. However the killer was that the fork seals went again, only 2,500 after they had been renewed. I could but up with some oil escaping from the timing chest, but the fork oil was pretty dramatic, on both sides, and soaked the brake pads so it had to come off the road. Time and circumstances didn't allow me to work at it, especially because I didn't have indoor space and the weather outside was bad. To fix it properly I need to open the timing chest and the sump, as I have a Roper plate to instal. I have now trailered it to work, under a roof, so here's hoping that I'll get it fixed and back on the road this year. I got a replacement timing cover from John O'Sullivan, which is brilliant.

Yes, I enjoyed. Difference is, my 'work of art' drives perfectly. (Unlike my Moto Guzzi works of......)

NO, ThAnK YOU!!