Scud

Well the Scura is the favorite for the Ohlins suspension, single-plate clutch, looks, and the fact that it was my first one. Between the two LeMans, I like the red 2003. But not a fair comparison, because we've got some memories and the 2002 champagne LeMans is not road-worthy yet. I'm not yet sure where the Greenie fits. I'm not going to get a good ride in till I take care of some stuff on the front end - and that could be a while yet. Got some more personal and business travel coming up. However, I got a little taste of how the red-frame handles today on a curvy little section by the lagoon near my house. It's got fresh sport rubber on (160 width on the read) and no steering damper... it tips in easier than the Scura. I liked that. The Titanium pipes sound great. Tell you what though... the Greenie gets attention. I combined a few errands with my shake-down rides today and I noticed a lot of people staring at it while parked.

I think it's just a piece of heat-shrink that goes over the cut end. There's nothing special about the line - it's not even pressurized.

...and bonus points for making the BMW GS park with the cars across the street.

A little post-mortem inspection on the fuel pump revealed that the space between the brass fitting and threaded plastic body of the pump was clogged with bits of black rubber. It seems the fuel line was disintegrating from the inside and had partially blocked the inlet. Thinking back to my original experience with the problem, that it seemed like fuel starvation... I now know that I should have asked myself - "What else could restrict fuel flow?" The braided hoses that go from the petcock to the external fuel pumps are no longer available. I think I might take one to a hose shop and see what it would cost to get a batch made.

It works! I gave it full throttle all the way up to 7500 RPM - and the cutting-out is gone. Such a relief - I was getting anxious that I wouldn't be able to find the problem. So, it seems the primary problem was the aftermarket fuel pump not delivering adequate flow or pressure. But there were a bunch of little problems too - such as exhaust leak, loose electrical connectors, etc. Anyway - now it needs the TBs balanced and some attention to the front end, where there is a leaky fork seal and some other stuff to clean up - and maybe stick on some chrome bar-end mirrors. But first... re-organize the garage and put everything away before starting another phase.

Time for a new thread in the "Older Models" area...

Well, if gentleman's bike is used as a compliment, it can mean that the bike is somewhat civilized and suitable to everyday, real-world use - as opposed to a hyper-sports machine that really belongs on the track. The "Distinguished Gentleman's Ride" has some fun with this concept. Sporting BMW airheads (S, CS, and RS versions) were often referred to as gentlemen's sports bikes. The old-style Krauser saddlebags looked like briefcases that a gentleman could remove from the bike and carry into work. I confess to having done that while I was practicing as a CPA. The little BMW roundel gave my motorcycling (R100CS) some legitimacy in that conservative 1990s culture. If gentleman's bike is used as a pejorative term, it can mean that it is somewhat underpowered, plain, and boring (criticisms also levied at BMW airheads). At worst it could have connotations of pretentiousness, or weakness. Think of characters Hugh Grant has played in movies. If that's the personality of a gentleman's bike, I want nothing to do with it. I think that whoever said "Last of the hairy-chested Guzzis" about the V11 series was more aligned with the blue-collar theme than with the gentleman theme.

My friend with the S1000RR also has some very fast cars. He's really into the cars and just dabbles with the bike on the track. He liked all the traction control and electronically modulated stuff because it helped him go faster and reduce the risk of operator error. I think he's also fascinated by the technology - and I must say, it is very interesting. I was just in awe of the BMW and the clutchless, rev-matching shifting. On the other hand, there are so many switches on the handlebars, and so much information on the dash that there's quite a learning curve. But hey, I'd love to have a "miles till empty" number on my Guzzi dashboard. I think the motorcycle manufacturers who add all this technology are also aware of people (like us) who want to control the bike. The BMW allows you to turn off most of the electronic assistance. Ironically, you could save your programmed "user mode" to use the least amount of tech features. It was a cool experience to ride that BMW, but to me, the V11 is still more satisfying as an all-day sport-touring mount.

What? Say more about the CX100? When did that follow you home? Whatcha gonna do with it? I ride a Husqvarna TE450. Pics and an adventure here if you are interested: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19705&hl=%2Bgrand+%2Bcanyon I'm also enjoying my BMW K75s as a commuter and errand runner. Here she is after loading up the saddlebags with frozen pies from a shop in the mountains - conveniently only about 50 miles from home...

I needed to do this again today. Here is how I got a little leverage from the battery tray, not the battery. Also, it is much easier to get the threads started if you partly or fully remove the metal sleeve from the rubber grommet. Once the threads are started, the big washer will force the metal sleeve back into the rubber.

A cautiously optimistic update after a long non-wrenching hiatus: Reflecting on the earlier crank but no-start, I pulled the fuel line off the pressure regulator and it was dry. So I replaced the electric petcock with a manual (but as I posted earlier, it ran poorly with the green tank and with the champagne tank which has a manual petcock). I put in the manual petcock "for good measure." I noticed that the fuel pump didn't look original, so I took it out and flow tested it, it pumped only a small volume of fuel. Then I took the original fuel pump off the champagne project and flow tested it - much more fuel. So I installed that one on the Greenie. She started up and I was able able to ride it in the neighborhood without any of the dramatic hesitation that I experienced before. I even gave it a good dose of throttle and she was strong all the way up to 7,000 RPM. The neighbors love me... Maybe this whole poor running problem was due to low fuel volume through the pump. If all works out, there will be a short shakedown ride tomorrow.

I think there are a few fork rebuild threads. Have you tried searching the how-to or technical topics (instead the whole site)? Also, you might try a Motion-Pro seal-mate or home-made equivalent before you take the forks apart. Sometimes that little device can clean out some debris and stop a leak.

Just shipped the last one to kid that that Chuck knows... Anybody else who wants one should contact Pete Roper directly to see if he has any more in stock.

Today I parked a 2016 BMW S1000RR next to my LeMans - after taking it on a 180 mile romp up a couple mountains. The bike belongs to a friend who only rides it on the track. When he offered that I take a ride on the street, I jumped on the chance. OMG... fast. 173 horsepower and 0-100mph in about 3 seconds. I think I did something for 4 seconds... but it's all a blur now... Surprisingly comfortable (although it was not so pleasant in slow-moving traffic on the way home and I was ready to get off after 4 hours). The handling is so precise. I gave the brakes a serious (but still non-ABS) test when a tractor pulled out into the road. But the most amazing thing about riding this bike is the shifting. It's a got a manual (not hydraulic) clutch, but you don't need it except from a start or to find neutral. The bike has sensors on the linkage; it rev-matches the engine for you - so you can just shift under full throttle and it blips in almost imperceptibly. A little roll-on before downshifts helps. The chassis is totally oblivious to the fact that the drivetrain is shifting. You can shift at will in corners... while braking... whatever... it doesn't care. I've never ridden a bike with so much electronic wizardry. I don't think I rode it hard enough to have activated the traction control - but it was kind of cool to know it was always there as a backup. And the launch control? I resisted the temptation to try that. Truly amazing to see where technology is taking the sport. But gosh... it's so stable that is feels like it's going much slower than the indicated speed. And while I didn't meet with any enforcement today, I think I'd get in trouble if I rode something like this on the street regularly. She just keeps asking "Do you want some more?"

Wow, that is showroom clean - and half the price of a new bike. To anyone considering this bike - I bought my Scura in a similar state - less than 200 miles and had been on display in a house for many years. I was anxious about oil leaks due to seals drying out - but I didn't have any problems.

Ha - I think learning that most "transmission" problems are really linkage problems is an authentic Moto Guzzi V11 experience. So is making all manner of minor adjustments and improvements to the bike.

That makes total sense to me, but I don't understand all the letter ratings and what they mean. I've already gone to cheap organic car oil in my BMW K75. Incidentally, I think the prototype K-bikes were powered by Peugeot car engines. The V11 engine is like one slice off a 4.4 liter 1960's small-block V-8 car engine.

Hey, $20 is $20, right? And I don't like paying more for anything than I have to, just as a matter of principle. But let's put this topic in perspective. Assume you could buy cheap oil for $20, and expensive oil for $40. So you pay a $20 premium for the "good" stuff. If you change the oil every 5,000 miles, that adds 4/10 of one cent ($0.004) to your per-mile cost of operating the vehicle. Meanwhile, you used 125 Gallons of fuel (assuming 40MPG over 5,000 miles). Assume $4.00 a gallon and that's $500 spent on gas compared to $40 in oil. Oh, and you burned up a set of tires in those 5,000 miles, so there's another $300 or so... by comparison to almost anything else, premium oil is still cheap oil. It does seem that a V11 pushrod motor is more like a car engine than other motorcycles with a single sump for engine and tranny.

The time and money I have spent on suspension tends to give the greatest return in terms of enjoyment and performance - and probably also increases safety.

I weigh 165lbs (75kg) barefoot in my jammies... and the stock springs work for me.

Thanks Dave. Yeah - I was aware that I was breaking all the "consistency" rules with that one. I like that swivel mount. I'm using the RAM ball on my handlebar (where I mount my GPS). I can turn it 360 on some planes, but it is limited on others.

Here's another short video, goofing around with various iMovie features to learn the program. Enjoy the scenery on a slow ride... and if you've never heard the distinctive noise of a single-plate clutch at idle, listen carefully at the end.

Looks like a great day. Thanks for sharing some about how you shoot and edit the video.