AndyH

Congratulations, neat looking bike and to my mind just as good looking as the V11, just different. My V11's improved noticeably in the last 10000 miles since I got it ( with about 20k on the clock): much smoother, so i can imagine a bike like that'll be bit lumpy out of the box. So you know what you've got to do... I'm envious Andy

Welcome to, very probably, the best bike forum there is! It's saved me a fortune in just over a year that I've been a member. I'll be following the responses to this, cos I've been trying to work out how to set that eccentric bolt before I have to dive into the 'box myself. Andy

Not thought of that one, Pete, will give it a go next time I change the oil and filter Thanks Andy

Neat tale, tough call: Brake? Speed up? Takes some cojones to do the latter with a 12 point stag in your sights...!

Thanks, the upper? That's my problem... I got the bike nearly two years ago and on close inspection, the lower sump and timing covers were in atrocious condition. Road salt and corrosion had got into the exposed end of several of the screws for the upper sump locking them solid. Got most of the screws out eventually but three at the front had clearly suffered previous unsuccessful attempts. Two rounded off already and one so marginal I completed the job. So that's how it happened. Going to have to wait until the engine's out to get at them properly. I've cleaned up the cases somewhat to stop the rot but I'm going to have to get the engine out sooner or later to do it properly. Maybe get a Roper plate in then...

Oh, and where does the roper plate go, upper or lower sump position? Andy

I got the sarcasm, dangerous, don't worry. Thought it quite funny actually. If the Big End goes at 70 mph as the man said it sounds like an interrupted cruise not a curtailed wheelie-fest, so yes it would be interesting to find out what can mash a fairly bomb proof engine: lots of non-embolism type things spring to mind... Andy

Sorry to hear about the bike Dave, after all that time and effort on a unique ride, but your'e in better shape than might have been. The big red deer we get in Scotland can total cars so think 'brick wall' for bikes: a friend wrote off his car on a stag (wrote off the stag too, mind) and spent 3 months in hospital so you may not feel it at the moment but as a biker you're lucky it didn't mess you up worse. Condolences anyway, sad loss Andy

Can you tell me where that plate goes, just above the lower sump plate, or just above the upper sump spacer thingy. Problem is that getting the upper off is going to be a b#$74rd of a job because several allen screws are seized in and rounded off. No way I can see that they're coming out with the engine in the frame and I've had no particular reason to pull the upper off so far

Thanks Trev, Roy, All makes eminent sense, and doable even for an amateur like me Andy

From what you describe Trev, I may also have an RR51. Better check, because I recall now that when I wired up I was confused by the lack of the sensor connection and took me a while to figure out what to do. A relay on the ignition may be the elegant fix, because I have no complaints about the reg otherwise. Something for next weekend I think. It'll take me abit more than a morning to sort I think. Out of curiosity I must ask what relay did you use and how did you mount it? Andy

We feel your pain, but as GuzziMoto just said, see it as an opportunity not a disaster

Thanks Trevini, very helpful. Confirms my experiences with this device and a warning to others perhaps. Fortunately, as I said before, I have an easily accessible 30A giant blade fuse protecting the main Red wire from the Reg so I can lift the seat and pull it for longer layups. However I do slot it in between the ignition switch and the clock holder plate while it's out so I don't forget to pop it back in - could be a problem if I drove off without any charging whatsoever.... Andy

Thought I'd share some observations on the Givi XS305 tail bag that I recently bought. I like these all-in-one tail pack-cum-pannier solutions. Not being fond of the inflexibility of hard luggage solutions and ugly pannier frames when you're not carrying, I've struggled for years with throw-over panniers flopping onto exhausts and just when I thought I had the right soft pannier solution last year, it seems the strap under the seat interfered majorly with my relays and fuses causing significant electrical grief and cancellation of a Scottish tour last year. So this kind of capacious sling on/sling off solution rings my bell. It has carying handle (just visible in the Givi ad photo below), although carrying a full pack that way might be a bit ambitious. My wife has a similar, slightly smaller (50L) Bags Connection Cargo Tail Bag that she uses on her Triumph Thruxton, but I wanted just a bit more capacity to carry my laptop/mobile office bag (a Bagster Tech-City 10L tank bag) when I go to the office or customer sites, and this pack fits the bill. Why put a bag in a bag? You might ask... In short the tank looks rubbish with a big leather cover on it, and although the tank bag clips on and off really easily and reduces high speed wind buffeting to boot, vanity wins out. The main zip in the lid is a waterproof type and Inside the lid is a rather large soft waterproof cover with a drawstring, but water will get into motorcycle luggage eventually so for heavy weather, there is a waterproof cover included in a compartment just behind the riders backside and If you're expecting a downpour at any moment the cover can be shoved ready for use under zigzag elasticated bungee on the main lid. There are also netting 'bottle carriers' at the front of each pannier section that can be tightened with a drawstring. The pannier bits at the side are not particularly big but can be expanded a couple of inches downwards by a zipped gusset between them and the main compartment. They are easily big enough though for a couple of pairs of shoes/sneakers each side when expanded. This size limitation though is potentially advantageous for riders with high exhaust cans looking for extra side storage but that keeps out of the way of the hot bits. Look at the pics and make up your own mind. The pack comes with four nylon straps each with a loop. Front fitting was easy: feed the end through its loop around the rear peg hangers and up to the fittings on the pack: easy. However, because of the limited attachment points at the back on the V11, I had to branch out from the instructions and use a single strap round the back light and up to the other attachment point - at least it gives me a spare strap. Drawbacks: The pack comes with two crescent shaped stiffener cards that are not fitted into two velcro-sealed pockets front and back, when the pack was delivered. Not surprising really because, try as I might, I couldn't get them in and in truth the pockets are just too damn small. So I've vacillated between having floating stiffener cards and dispensing with them altogether. Still can't decide. The other issue is that I have a Ventura rack and that stops the pack from being placed quite as far back as I'd like, pushing it just a smidgin too much forward for me for perfect comfort, and since I'm on the slight side, I'd imagine way too far forward for the larger rider. Having bought the pack on line, even with dimensions you can't discover this until it's actually on the bike. If I'd been able to test it on the bike beforehand at a shop, I might have thought twice about getting it, although I have to stress that personally, I can live with this, for many miles in fact, and the problem is not going to consign the pack to the shed or see it sold again on ebay. I'm happy with my purchase, it works not just for weekends away, but will probably do for rather longer spells. The issue with the stiffener cards is minor, I'll probably chuck 'em eventually. The issue with seat space, less so, but my wife's Bags Connection Cargo Tail Bag is no different. A different rack (H&B?) might solve it but I'll live with it for now. Hope this helps anyone considering getting one. AndyH

Out of interest, did you wire yours into the standard red wire or use a direct line back to the battery as the manufacturers recommended in their fitting instructions? (What I did).Might make a difference. The Electrex seems to work fine otherwise, except that the red charge light comes on at tickover (as reported by other users) but only when the headlight is on. BTW, it was that in part that led (sorry, unintended pun) me to fit LED pilot light, stop/tail and bikevis LED bullet* daytime running lights to help reduce load in heavy stop start traffic. I subsequently found the charging isn't that marginal but I quite like them now as they're unobtrusive but do seem to keep dozy muppets from veering into my path when filtering through stationary traffic on the M25 *http://www.bikevis.com/motorcycle-led-running-lights.html

Hi Roy, Thanks for your help on this. I don't quite get as high as 50 mA but I will check out the Electrosport anyway, see if I can get it here: it seems like it might be a rather more sound option if the Electrex continues to drain: IMHO an automotive rectifier shouldn't leak otherwise what's the point? Andy

Thanks Roy, That was the bit that had me stumped - I couldn't figure out how such a tiny current could spark like that, and I got all paranoid about draining the battery and what the sparking might do to the ECU. No need I guess. Over an extended period I imagine the battery would drain, so I could pull the big blade fuse to stop the leak. Otherwise I feel I can rest easy. Andy

I haven't been able to find a suitable FendaExtenda for the V11 - one for the Griso yes but V11 no otherwise would have got one already AndyH

That didn't take long - I've identified the culprit: the Electrex RR451 regulator rectifier I used to replace the Ducati type regulator last year. It seems that the reg is not rectifying as it should and there's a definite spark on the fuse blades when putting the 30 amp fuse back in with the ignition off. When I installed the unit I followed the Electrex instructions and put in a big fat 27 amp rated red wire direct back to the Battery +ve via a giant 30 amp blade fuse and good strong earth to the engine and frame. I still need to check the wiring to make sure there isn't any compromised insulation anywhere but because of the 12V and the low current indicated flowing back through the fuse I suspect this is either how the Reg is or that the rectification is breaking down. I don't have any measurements from a new unit out of the box to compare it to. Anyone have experience of the same thing with the Electrex RR451 or suggest whether the rectification might be amiss with the unit? AndyH

That was certainly one of my first thoughts, however it still sparks without the relay in place at all... Never been stored outside while I've had the bike but we have a damp climate here and the salt gets pretty much everywhere in winter no matter what you do so storing under cover doesn't mean as much as it might elsewhere... Looks like 'drains up' time to hunt the snark... I'll keep posting updates, thanks AndyH

The weekend before last, I re-commissioned the V11 after the long long winter layup. I've been looking after the battery indoors and keeping it topped up for several months with a Gel Battery maintenance gizmo (Oxford Maximiser). On reconnection to the negative terminal I thought I saw a bit of a spark so I tested and it happened again. Maybe I should have looked further but I carried on and the bike ran fine and kept charge, although as a matter of routine I keep it plugged into the Maximiser. Today I noticed that Relay 3 was a bit warm fter standing for some time, and tested across the terminals getting a small voltage when the ignition was off and the run switch off. With the run switch on the voltage dropped to 0. I decided to follow up and poring over Kiwi_Roy's worthy diagram I ran through the tests and the tests all seemed to give the right readings. When I disconnected the battery measuring current running into the battery with the ignition off... 12-13 mA. Looking at other posts on the forum there have been some about the current drain from post 17 on the ECU e.g. Battery draining through ECU. These suggest 0.076A is normal so maybe 0.013A is not so bad. I get this arcing even with all the fuses pulled so I kind of suspect something else is awry, insulation breaking down somewhere or something and don't want to push it further. I'm most concerned about wrecking the ECU. So does sparking when connecting the battery bode ill or not? My battery maintenance regime seems to have kept the battery in good fettle but I have a sneaking feeling that if I go away on a long trip I'll find it flat one day. Advice gratefully received. AndyH

I'm envious, for me the Griso is 'the one to have'... if it wasn't the case that I was so attached to the V11 and no room for another bike until I sort the V50 and sell it on. Life choices eh? Just don't stay in one of those Gulf bankroll countries too long - I've known too many people who stayed 'just one more year' there, stayed five or more and lost their soul in the process. The Griso might be a powerful talisman against the bad magic. So go for it if you can.

Hmmm! that's interesting info but... Piaggio simply saying "Non compatible" could embrace all kinds of sin from rotting fuel pipes to blistering tanks, from crumbing O-rings to cracking inlet hoses, from poisoned cats to destructive levels of pinking. Do we assume all or any of the above? AndyH

I've been assured EtOH is being added by fuel companies already in spite of the better use the land could be put to, not to mention the substance itself. I have however been using Super Unleaded on the whole which, depending on vendor has little or no EtOH in it, and this is why I've got off lightly so far. Also it would seem from posts above that different years suffer differently. On the whole 2000s were not known for build quality, so I understand, but it wouldn't surprise me to find that this is one area that was got right that year. I'll keep a watchful eye out though and take nothing on trust! AndyH

I haven't seen any problems with the plastic tank on my 2000 V11 as yet. Didn't think we had problems with ethanol content yet in the UK, but it sounds ominous so will keep an eye open. If it looks like being a problem, I'll try epoxy sealer to keep the original look - it's worked well on other tanks for me although it's a pain sloshing it around to get complete and even coverage. Mind you, those alloy tanks do look rather nice... AndyH