Scud

I have done several 500 mile days on V11s. Backpack and tank bag is all I need, but small panniers, tail bags, or passenger-seat-mounted bags are all good options. I have used a Giant Loop Great Basin bag a few times. That carries a LOT of stuff and simply straps on to passenger seat and passenger pegs without need for any ugly (IMO) brackets.

I had one of the original FJ1100s, it was a beast. Got me through college with my license (barely). Sold it to get an airhead BMW and have mostly been on twins and thumpers since then. But I feel tempted every time I see a clean, low mile FJ1100 for sale. As for your tranny - chances are good that it is just a bad seal. Here's something I wrote up about resealing the tranny: https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20021

Yup - all the V11s I've ridden have a certain raw, elemental presence that makes them great fun. But having had a Greenie with Ohlins/Marzocchi (red-frame) and a Scura with Ohlins forks and shock (black frame) side by side for a while, I'll stick to my assertion that there is an appreciable difference between the bikes. That aside, I feel confident that I am still faster on the Husqvarna 701 in tight corners, especially if the pavement is poor. And yeah, I think the cracked cases are pretty rare. It's just that when they happen it's a time-consuming repair. But if you're patient, you can pick a complete used tranny for $400-500.

High desert = easy access to Southern Sierra Nevadas and other fabulous mountain roads. I've ridden naked, bar-mounted flyscreen, and LeMans fairing versions. I like the flyscreen on my Scura the best. The Ohlins suspension is better than the Marzocchi/Sachs combo, but the Marzocchi forks with almost any upgraded shock is still a great suspension. The 2001 and earlier models (aka Red-Frames) are more likely to have a cracked transmission if they do not have the special bracket. But they also have a smaller rear tire and shorter wheelbase, which makes them turn quicker than the later models. By comparison, the 2002 and later models (black frames) could be called more stable. V11s like sharing garage space with Husqvarnas, but they kick BMWs out of the garage. At least that has been my experience.

The alternator nut has standard (clockwise) threads. But... do you have the Guzzi shop stand or some other swingarm stand? If so, I think it's easier to put the bike in gear and use the elevated rear wheel to rotate the engine.

What Dave said, plus... Awnings are nice for foot traffic and Americans don't walk nearly as much as people in other countries I've been to. The midwest has some pretty intense winds sometimes, which could be another factor - I see a few awnings in that photo, but they are all fairly small. Also depends on how posh the town is.

I loves me some dry-clutch noises.

Nice taco. No dings on the skid plate? What a weird idea. Although it's cool for that low-mile survivor. The skid plate on my Husky is bent, dented, scraped, and generally abused. I'm proud of how deformed the plate is and I cheer every impact.

Yes, the Titanium exhaust kit came with a set of shorter hangers. This puts the passenger pegs up higher and changes the angle of the pipes. Here they are on a Greenie... But they are on my Scura now. If you are going to bend the hanger, I think the actual bending will be at the weld between the tab and frame, not the hanger itself. That's why I asked about checking for a crack before you bend it back. It probably won't take more than a few degrees bend at the tab to move the bottom of the bracket enough for you.

FWIW mine is 3/8 further out on the right than the left. I just measured, but exact measurements won't help you, because I have the high hangers on mine. The right pipe definitely is supposed to be farther out. Is there any evidence of a crack at the weld on the frame tab where the hanger mounts? I'd hate to see you snap that off.

To get a better fit: 1) Remove the hanger bolts 2) Loosen every fastener in the exhaust system - headers (2 nuts each flange) - crossover (4x and the hanger to frame bolts) 3) Wrestle the whole system till you get the pipes where you want them in back 4) Reinstall hanger bolts 5) Half-tighten from the back to the front, paying attention to how everything lines up. 6) Final wrestling with semi-tight system 7) Final tightening of everything

More "adventuring" on the Husqvarna 701 Enduro in the Eastern Sierra Nevadas: I love this Hooskvarna. Everyone who I let ride it is amazed and wants to sell whatever they're currently riding. I got to ride it "in anger" in several places last weekend. I can ride it almost as hard as my Husky TE450, which is now for sale. The 701 has insane torque down low, and the top end is pretty damn fun too. It's about 95% of a full-on dirt bike for my riding style, and it is soooo much better on the road... and it handles two-up over rocky, moderately technical terrain with ease... I only fault it for being a tad heavy, but I can still pick it up by myself, so it's OK. (dropped once on a mud/snow downhill)

Only 25 miles from my house. If somebody is a serious buyer I might be able to go take a look and test ride for you.

I have the shop stand, which is good as documented above. Before that, I used a standard swingarm stand from Cycle Gear. It needed to be widened just a bit to fit. A platform jack works well to support the engine, in conjunction with a swingarm, or factory shop, stand. It can lift the front enough to remove the front wheel - or you can drop the whole engine onto the platform jack and slide it out. The front wheel chock, like Docc's is also good. If you have a sturdy beam overhead, you can chock the front wheel and raise the back end of the bike with straps on the upper subframe.

I leave the manual petcock open all the time - only close it to remove the tank. FWIW - I also have to use pliers to completely close it. If you don't install a petcock on a model with an external fuel pump, then you will have to drain the tank before removing it. So I do think there is some value in reinstalling a petcock. Obviously, the tanks with internal fuel pumps have no petcock.

If that wasn't such a beautiful bike I'm sure you would have kicked her out of bed by now. Other than the known "Scura Issues" which I have addressed, she's been quite reliable. And I think this electrical problem could be my fault (related to battery charger) - I'll try to summarize the problem in a different thread. I'm done with my temper-tantrum now, but it was annoying to have two electrical failures on two different Italian bikes on two consecutive days. At least the Ducati had the courtesy to fail in the dealer parking lot, where they had the sensor in stock, causing only a minor expense and a 20 minute delay.

I went for a short ride into San Pasqual Valley, the site of a battle in the Mexican-American War, which nobody seems to know who won... but a somewhat arbitrary line got drawn on a map only 150 years ago, which makes where I live San Diego, California, USA, instead of San Diego, Baja California, Mexico. Today, the valley is the site of the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park. The white sphere at top right in the photo is a balloon-ride attraction at the Safari Park. Battle of San Pasqual https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_San_Pasqual Safari Park http://sdzsafaripark.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwuYTYBRDsARIsAJnrUXC6DmbIfkS0pMDFEMjZiIq11j7Nvc9OyELLU1OsW4WoT5KNgPoZxDUaAm-zEALw_wcB Then I went up what turned out to be a very long dirt road to a winery I had never stopped at before and had a complimentary drop of a lovely big red. Must go back with my wife and have lunch. Then on the way home, I lost all my electricity, checked 30 amp fuse, swapped relays around, pushed 1/4 mile to a safe spot, called AAA, got a ride-of-shame trip back home, took out the battery, cursed, threatened to buy a Honda, etc. Yesterday, a sensor went bad on my Ducati. I effin' swear if my Husqvarna has an electrical failure this weekend I am going Big Red for wines and motorcycles.

I'm still amazed at how great your bike looks with 100,000 miles. Those fresh panniers must be a real treat for you. Yesterday I decided not to ride my Scura to the Ducati/Husqvarna dealer, because I wanted to strap a large part on the bike to bring back home (so I took the ST3). When I started the ST3 in thr dealer parking lot to head home, the oil light came on and stayed on. Long story short, Ducati oil pressure switch failed (right in the parking lot of the Ducati dealer). And they had one in stock and only charged me $20 labor to install it. I rode home with no issues - with the Husky's new plate strapped on and new fuel-level sender on order. So... while this is not a Guzzi story... perhaps we can take consolation in the fact Ducatis suffer the exact same bothersome sensor failures as V11s. The dealer is Moto Forza - and they have a nice V7 there right now. Plus I got to see the three new Husqvarnas: 401 Vitpilen and Svartpilen, and the 701 Vitpilen. they look like a lot of fun and are super lightweight. Need to get a short romp in on the Scura later today. Riding during the upcoming Memorial Day weekend will be limited to the 701 Enduro - but it will be in the Eastern Sierras (with new skid plate to guard against volcanic rock abrasions). Hopefully I can plow it through some snowbanks.

Sounds like you had fun. I bought a super-deep socket and was able to use the impact wrench for removal. I used the tensioner from MG Cycle too. It makes a cool sound, which is a bonus.

Glad to see you on the forum, Kevin. Looking forward to a ride together at some point soon. I just got some Halford's Tool Box Red touch up paint from a friend in the UK. I'll give you one to cover those couple spots where there are paint chips on the frame.

You might prefer the specs on the Ohlins shock, which causes the bike to sit a bit higher in the back. I think the spec sheets are somewhere in the fileshare section of this site. Manufacturers, such as Wilbers, Penske, and Hyperpro, can make a shock to the original or Ohlins specs.

Walter - maybe first try cleaning the oil seals with a seal-saver or home-made version cut from thin plastic. Sometimes the fork seals leak when some dirt gets past the dust seals.

Fine by me. I should probably post the spring in the "En-cycle-pedia of Compatible Parts" too. I just got an order for 4 springs to the UK and still have a bunch.

That's a great way to waste a Saturday. Was it only vintage trials bikes on the trails? Were any of those rocky sections the ones the "beginners" were asked to avoid?

A clean bike is a happy bike. I kind of miss the Greenie. But the cans are on the Scura now - and I have the same fender on the Scura.