Scud

Fun chart, thanks. 364 days a year in San Diego, where I live. I wonder why one day got excluded while San Francisco and Hawaii both get 365 days? I guess SF doesn't get penalized for the fog being so thick that you can't see. I have parked near the world's tallest thermometer before. I don't know if I can find a picture.

Rubber fuel lines can rot - so that seems legit. But I think you can get into the tank. The fuel door can be removed, and so can the fuel pump. Both of those are large enough for small hands to get into the tank. I haven't had occasion to do this myself, but here's what I believe: if something can be installed in the tank, it can also be replaced. It's not like the tank was molded around the rubber hose - somebody installed it after the tank was formed. So no, this does not pass the sniff-test. Also - a little water in the fuel is not such a big problem with fuel injection (as it is with carburetors). The water will just mix with the fuel as it recirculates - as opposed to pooling up in the float bowls of carbs.

Looking forward to the project. I also found the bright rear brake master cylinder guard distracting (over the black drivetrain). I dealt with it by powdercoating it flat black. I like the small carbon fiber rear fender by Ghezz-Brian (they also sell belly pans if that interests you). Not everybody likes that fender, though. Here's a thread about it: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=18833

Just a screwdriver shaft - a round one that matched the diameter of the notches.

Because when you go on a "fun" ride you take the one with the freshest tires. When you zip around for errands or take a long, straight trip, you take the one with older tires. Or when you're working on one, you can take your time and ride the other.

Hmm, 183 MPH 183. Coincidence? What does it mean?

Free-fall is probably the only way my LeMans would ever see 183 MPH. I figure that top speed is so unbelievable that it could not be used as evidence against me - so I'm not gonna reset it. Plus it's fun to answer the "how fast will it go?" or "How fast have you gone on it?" questions. "Hmm... I dunno, but my speedo has a max speed setting... let's see what it says. Oh wow, 183. I thought I was only going 160. I guess the speedo pegs-out at 160." Step back and watch the eyes pop and jaws drop. Respect for the Guzzi. On a serious note - the Speedhut GPS speedo has a lot of information available including clock, 1/4 mile times, max speed, etc. When you cycle through the display options the needle moves to the exact peak speed (unless it pegs-out). My pic is of the same display function as Docc's. Obviously, my bike is faster than Docc's, mostly cuz it's red.

I'm not so sure that I like having the peak speed recorded. Obviously, this is the result of some sort of GPS calculation error...

+1 ...and you really threw me with the mention of going to Sierra Nevada. I was just in those mountains last weekend... in fact, I posted a selfie and somebody thought it was you. Good beer - and I do remember hearing about them setting up an brewery in the East. Sierra Nevada and Anchor Steam were my early micro-brew favorites - before the term was coined, I think.

That was coincidental. The K75 was overdue. With four drivers in my house these days, the maintenance needs can pile up - and two more years till the youngest can drive. Glad my wife's Subaru has all maintenance included for a while longer.

Three vehicles due for service at the same time. Two bikes and my daughter's car. Her Toyota Highlander has over 150,000 miles on it and the used oil still comes out clean. That thing is amazing. Now onto the bikes... I was struck by similarities and differences in the K75s and the V11 LeMans. Sort of funny thing - both have Ohlins shocks from other bikes that I bought to fix-and-sell after removing the Ohlins. Final drives - the Guzzi fills through the top and has a special plug to determine the oil level. The Beemer fills through a hole is at the correct level - so if you measure the oil it comes up to exactly the threads in the fill-point (in other words - nearly impossible to overfill). Transmissions - oil changes were basically the same, but the Beemer runs straight into the pan, whereas the Guzzi has an exhaust crossover in the way. Engine oil - they both use a man-hole cover on the bottom of the oil pan. But the Beemer's cover has three tabs with three normal bolts (vs the Guzzi's fine threads on the edge of the spin-on cover). This was actually the first time I ever changed the Guzzi filter through the manhole cover (without dropping the sump). I found it interesting that they both orient the filter vertically - but I have never heard of anyone dropping a sump or using a hose clamp to secure the oil filter on the BMWs. Special note re UFI filters. Last time I did the oil my LeMans I used my last remaining UFI filter. When I removed it, the gasket stayed with the engine, instead of coming out with the filter. I had to reach in and remove it to prevent doubling up on oil filter gaskets. I'm using the WIX filters now - 1 1/4 turns past first contact. Plugs - they sure are easy access on the Guzzi - and they are way deep in the K75s, behind a metal cover and between the overhead (side-head?) cams. And they both got much-needed washes. The Beemer's tires are worn down the center. She gets most of the commuting miles and the long freeway runs... saving the tires on the Guzzis for the fun rides.

There's a starter switch on the handlebars, a push-button. I assume that's what you replaced. Czakky is suggesting that you look at the ignition switch, which is operated by the key. I had some difficulty with starting my LeMans recently. Other symptoms included that the headlight would flicker and it even turned off a few times (just the headlight, not the whole bike). All symptoms were cured when I installed new relays and made sure they were making good contact in the relay bases. In my case, the most forward relay base was very loose - so it started when it made good contact and didn't start otherwise. You could just try wiggling the relays in their bases while you try the starter button to see if you can cause the problem.

I seriously doubt that your GPS is learning anything. GPS total distance measurements can differ based on how frequently they read your position. For example, when I set my handheld GPS to 30 second or 1 minute intervals, then look at the track-log, it cuts off a lot of curves and corners and calculates that I have ridden in a straight line, which is less distance than I actually travelled. Was one measurement on a twisty ride and another on a straight ride? If so I would expect the difference between the two units to be greater in the twisties. I further *assume* that the Speedhut needs to take very frequent (nearly constant) measurements in order to calculate changes in speed. Therefore, my hypothesis is that your Speedhut reads a greater (and I think more accurate) distance than your Garmin navigation GPS. How are we doing, Dr. Venkman?

Hey Mike - It turns out that I have an extra one of those levers, which I would sell for way less than the dealer price. Send me PM if you're interested.

So does the carburetor on my Husqvarna. The '98 EV must have been in the carb-to-EFI transition zone for Moto Guzzi.

I wonder if that bolt extension hits the lower leading edge of the porkchop (stilletto) during downshifts - or if the arm contacts the subframe? That would break it off in a hurry.

Great explanation Marty, thanks. I knew there was an effect of thinner air, but I had not seen it quantified so clearly before. Thanks also for complimenting my butt; that's a real self-esteem enhancer. She's ready for her next routine service - so I started with the valves last night. The exhausts were at .010" and a tight .011" but the intakes were too loose at .009" - and I could force a .010" in there. So I set them to world spec (.006 and .008). Seems a little better already. I assume that the effects of too-loose valves would be more noticeable at altitude. Someday, I will try the Meinolf Maps. It's good to know that they won't cause me to violate the laws of physics. Laws of man, potentially different story...

That break is not too surprising. That's some kind of aftermarket shifter that I bet also lowers the pegs. The arm that goes on the transmission input shaft is rotated down to accommodate the out-board linkage. The long bolt seems to put an undue twisting stress on the arm. The original linkage makes a direct connection to the arm - and it's all in-board (inside the porkchops - aka stilettos).

That seems very scientific Dr. Docc. It would require a 130 mile ride to Onyx Summit to make a same-altitude test. I had forgotten how high that mountain is - thought I'd have to get into the Sierras again to get over 8,000 feet, which requires a weekend. But I could get to Onyx summit before breakfast. Hmm... scheming in progress.

Well, it's not really a big problem - just a puzzle about optimum tuning for big elevation changes. I missed doing the Sherman Pass (9,500 feet) last season and want to try it again this summer. The bike just didn't have the brutish punch on the high climbs, it felt like it would only go 3/4 throttle. However, it did manage to run sections of this long incline in 6th gear and 5-6k rpm. It idled a little rough when I stopped at the peak to soak in the view.

1: Good point, I hadn't considered that. 2: There are no sensors in the exhaust. I replaced the 2003 crossover headers with non-crossover headers from a 2002 bike. The original exhaust also did not have any sensors. So, I guess that means I am running an open loop system. FWIW - the bike also has FBF crossover, the factory Titanium exhaust and unmodified Titanium ECU installed. I have to do some scheming to figure out how to get over 7,000 feet again soon...

LowRyter - I saw the *short-lived* post over on Wild Guzzi. I guess some people thought at least one of the photos (Trump's face on the inflatable pig from the Animals album) was too political. So that whole thread got deleted? Looks like a great show. If you have more pics, I'd enjoy seeing them.

On my recent trip the Sierra Nevadas the LeMans felt a bit weak, especially at higher elevations. During the weekend, I never got below 5,000 feet, nor above 9,000 (blocked by snow). I've been running the valves kind of loose: .008" I and .010" E. My house is at 100 feet above sea level - so that's where I tune it. So... I'm wondering if a loose valve setting could cause a bit of an intake restriction in thinner air. I can't do any quick tests... so this is a "theoretical" topic. Edit - I am assuming that the looser the valve clearance, the shorter the duration of time the valve is open. So if the air is thinner, it might not get enough oxygen to burn the fuel. I also noticed some small pops on deceleration at the highest elevations - mini backfires - which made me think that unburned fuel was igniting in the exhaust. Am I thinking about this the right way?

Was that $150 for one cover? Here's a cool aftermarket pair on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Moto-Guzzi-Custom-VALVE-COVERS-Big-Blocks-Square-Fin-Heads-1100-/131655506299?hash=item1ea747997b:g:4S4AAOSwkZhWTMhH&vxp=mtr I have a pair of original covers that are painted grey, but have some scratches from the bike being down. I think a good shop could polish the scratches out.

I'm not sure. I just looked at the parts diagram again and still can't tell. My best guess is that the axle only rides on the inner bearing races, not the seals. So I think I may have asked an irrelevant question above. But since you have ordered seals, you will be able to test if the inner diameter of the seal is the same size as the axle.