PeteTW

Nicely put! The V11 is an enigma and I'm your archetypal power ranger sportsbike nut - I've become passionate about my V11 more than any other bike I've owned with the possible exception of my first proper bike, my white with blue stripes 250LC. Pete

It's just started again after a couple of dry days...enough now. It's getting warmer at least

Quick update... One month on, the repair with Hylomar blue is still perfectly leak free Hope this is of help to others. Pete

Now that is wrong on every level!

SO I go to the chemist (pharmacy for my overseas Guzzisti) to collect my drugs and start chatting to the chemist himself. A big Spanish guy... as I was wearing my leathers he started talking about bikes...'I've got a Suzuki Gladius' he said. This got me thinking...which bikes would you consider a little lacking in the butch factor (this is not a a sexist or homophobic thread just a bit of fun to trash bikes!!!!!) The Gladius certainly hits the list and IMO the V11 is probably as far from the list as you can get.

Cheers Darryl, I've Nitromores and AUtosol in my shed...I'll give it a go. Pete

Is it possible to remove the alt cover without removing the engine. I had a quick look, and the top two phillips screws seem partly obscured by the frame. ast they're soft steel I didn't want to go inat an angle just to sheer them. WHat's everybody else done? Pete

I had a the same Mille for 8 years from new before getting my V11. I loved my mille and will probably get another one...a nice 2000 era R with the blue wheels, as a polishing/ sunny days bike, when I've got a bigger garage. I ride hard and riding the mille like I do was starting to get very silly. I have a wife and two kids these days and decided to get something less radical. I eventually settled on the V11 for all the reasons you know about, but mainly because I'd learned to love having a less common bike, an italian V, I loved the grunt of the mille, the V11 seems to have more low end trousers and I really love the simplicity of the design and engineering after years of cutting edge complex sports bikes. I must admit though the 'heritage' aspect of owning a Guzzi has surprised me. When I had the mille I was endlessly arguing with Ducati, GSXR, R1, Blade riders, now people come and talk to me about the Guzzi over a cup of tea and I can scare the shit out of sportsbike riders who have no idea what it is...that's the best bit Pete

Thanks Stefano, Glad it made you smile Pete

OK all 'Bella' is back on the road and leak free. I'm pretty satisfied that fuel was leaking from the screw threads of the fuel tank level sensor. The old red/orange hard gunk had crack and crumbled so I cleaned it all off and used non-setting, fuel resistant Hylomar Blue on reccommendation for a local shop. A tube cost me £4.45. I also fitted a new O ring just to be sure . I smeared Blue on all ethe contact points on both sides of the joints and a tiny smear in the o ring channel. Most importantly i smeared some on the allen bolt threds and reassembled. I popped it on my workbench on top of some bone dry white tissue paper added 5 litres of fuel and... nothing! the last time i'd tried this with just a new O ring, fuel was leaking quickly within seconds. I left the tak like this for 8 hours...bone dry tissue paper. So after 2 months of faffing around I simply re-connected and replaced the tank and thought I'd charge the battery when it failed to start. I was wrong...lovelt 'bella' fired straight to life and settled to idle as if already warm. I let her run for about 20 mins with the odd revving... Life is good! and even the missus is happy! Thanks Pete

I wouldn't risk it unless you paln on riding at the speed limit everywhere. I've had it done in a car tyre before but rubber is life and death on a bike. Pete

I've been warned of silicone based sealant beacuse they're not good with petrol. I've got some Hylomar Universal Blue which is fuel resistant and the local old school motor factors bloke said it's just the stuff. I'll take some pics and let everyone know how I get on. It seems odd that I can't find other posts about this problem. Cheers Pete

WOuld Hylomar Blue do the trick?

Yes I closed the tap! OK I've now cleaned out both nipples and fitted new rubber washers. I put the tank on my workbench with rubber hoses from the nipples into clear bottles filled 5 litres of fuel and decided to time it and see what happened. What happened was...it had nothing to do with the nipples after all The fuel is infact leaking from the fuel level sensor. This has gunky horrible orange coloured sealant/gasket and an o ring. I scraped the gasket off cleaned the o ring and replaced it nice and tight. It still leaks but not as quickly. I assume (perhaps wrongly) that all I need to put some new sealant on, but what is it? Thanks for you patience. This is now a pain especially as its getting warm dry and sunny in these parts! Pete

Mines a 2003 registeres 2002 model no internal fuel pump. I've been crazy busy so all I've been able to do is remove the tank. I couldn't tell immediately if there was a leak, but the hose popped off from the nipple as I was removing the tank and petrol squited out. DOn't know if hose was attached or not couldn't see. There are 2 nipples but only one has a hose. Is this correct? Pete

If this is somewhere else in a thread...apols I couldn't find it. I just managed to get to a petrol station yesterday out in the country, had a cough and splutter. Filled up phew! Went ot my business meeting came out and there wasa steady drip that looked like it was coming fron the fuel level sensor on the LH underside of the tank. It was getting dark, I only had a few tools so I ended up calling breakdown beacuse I didn't want to go up in a fireball. I have not yet removed the tank. It there anything reall obvious that I should be aware of before I start. Thanks all and Happy 2012. By the way I got the usual 'It's a Guzzi, that's what your problem is' remarks from smart arsed breakdown truck driver who (like everybody) claimed he 'used to ride bikes' and then rattled of a long list of exotic superbikes that he'd only ever heard of in magazines LOL. Then when we got home and he saw that my car is an ALfa ROMeo GTV he rolled his eyes and said 'you're a glutton for punishment'. Perhaps, or I just love fine italian engineering and design. Regards Pete

It was quite chilly today and I got rained on near Ashford. Before you call me a southerner, I'm not but living in Kent is miles drier/warmer than my Lancashire homeland even if you can't get a steak pudding and gravy down the chippy and people seem to think it's acceptable to put milk in the tea BEFORE taking the bag out and brewing til it's like engine oil. Nice roads though and close to france for Euro trips.

I've decided to get it anodised red to match my pork chops of course . I'll remove it during my winter lay up, but as the weather is being very kind in SE England that might be a while yet Also the metal number plate back plate is starting to rust and bubble so I'm going to make one up in aluminium and get that anodised red too! I'll post pics when it's done Pete

Surely you mean a Harley

Good grief...they lock people up in prison for neglecting animals, doing this to a RC is heinous. Well done for rescuing her from a terrible fate. I'd LOVE a rosso or nero and to think someone owned this one and showed no love...SHAME ON YOU

Hey All, At a tea stop yesterday a triumph rider looked at my V11 then at me then at my V11...and so on and eventually said, 'what do you ride that for?' 'Fun' was my one word answer...what would yours be? His tone suggested he didn't think much of my beloved burgunday '03 naked sport Pete

Mine's not for sale...and it took me forever to find it as well. Just dig in and keep searching. Give Mark at Twiggers in Loughborough a call he sold an 07 only two weeks ago, they get them in from time to time, and I know they've got their own private collection including a Tenni although these aren't for sale! Pete

Has anyone triedc on of these? I'd like a 2-1 system this looks like a very simple solution, but is it any good? Pete

I think the paint stripper/ polish option sounds good. I know it'll need to be polished regulalry but I like cleaning my V11 and it will be better than my attemps at home spraying. Thanks for the opinions Pete