Scud

That was sarcasm, right? These V11s are all limited production bikes. My Scura is one of 700 with a special number plate. Ironically, it's probably the one they made the most of... but nobody really knows... The bikes with premium Ohlins suspension, such as the Coppa Italiia, will cost you more than a similar condition Greenie - as you said you wanted in an earlier thread.

Good work. I've heard a few problems with the UFI filters. Docc swears by the Wix filters and I've started using those too.

OEM Part Name: throwout bearing, or thrust bearing, or release bearing Moto Guzzi Part Number: 12087001 Replacement Part Brand or Source: MG Cycle Part number or other identifier: same as Moto Guzzi part number Differences from OEM (if any): this is a captured bearing that comes with one spacer. It is also a bit thinner than the OEM part, which means it affects freeplay in the clutch push-rod. Other Compatible Vehicles: same for many big twin Guzzis Website link for source: MG Cycle (probably other sources too) Link to Further Discussion or Tips: Same thread as for the plates. http://www.v11lemans...showtopic=19808

OEM Part Name: clutch spring for twin disc, 10-spring clutches Moto Guzzi Part Number: 04084100 Replacement Part Brand or Source: MG Cycle Part number or other identifier: 12082300 (heavy) and 04084100 (light) Differences from OEM (if any): The heavy springs are much stiffer than stock, the light ones feel about the same Other Compatible Vehicles: same for many big twin Guzzis Other Comments: When I put 10 heavy springs in, the clutch lever required a lot of effort and a full pull to the handlebar. I learned, through MG Cycle, that Moto Guzzi alternated light and heavy clutch springs. When I used 5 of each, I got a more reasonable lever effort and the clutch released mid-way through the pull. Website link for source: MG Cycle (probably other sources too) Link to Further Discussion or Tips: Same thread as for the plates: http://www.v11lemans...showtopic=19808 The brightest chrome springs are the heavy ones, the others are new light ones. It seems to me that using 5 new heavy springs and re-using 5 of the original springs would be fine, but I have not tried that.

OEM Part Name: clutch friction disc - or clutch plate for twin disc clutches Moto Guzzi Part Number: 03084400 Replacement Part Brand or Source: LGC Part number or other identifier: 03084400LGC - this is the part number that MG Cycle Uses, manufacturer have a different number Differences from OEM (if any): Solid plate, versus the OEM spoked plate. Friction material is described as "glass fiber copper fiber" Other Compatible Vehicles: same for many big twin Guzzis Other Comments: As I understand it, if an OEM clutch fails, one of the primary causes is a broken spoke on one of the friction plates. The solid plate should be more durable. Website link for source: MG Cycle (probably other sources too) Link to Further Discussion or Tips: I had a bit of a misadventure with my clutch installation. I suspected the plates were the problem, but they were not. The plates were fine. http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19808 This picture is of one of the plates after about 2,500 miles.

Nothing. Good plan.

Thanks Phil. My Scura has a smaller amount of play and the box on the Champagne project has no play - like my spare.

My LeMans was running for a long time with low oil pressure and both of those 3-hole tabs were missing. When I installed a plate and good gaskets, my pressure went back up to normal levels. So... even if there is damage to that portion of the gasket the engine will still hold some pressure if everything else is working. Moving on from the gasket... It seems most likely that the problem will be something that was touched during the installation - and least likely that an untouched component (like the oil pump) will fail coincidentally. Is there any effect if the two oil lines from the cooler get swapped? I know it's possible to get those lines crossed, but I don't know if it makes any difference. If the concern is that the oil pump has air in it, could the oil cooler be removed - then refilled with fresh oil, along with pre-filling both oil lines? That would certainly be easier than removing the oil pump. But if you're gonna remove the pump, have a timing cover gasket on-hand, and think about upgrading your timing chain tensioner "while you're in there."

I think the main problem was using 10 heavy springs, compounded by a pretty small amount of free-play in all the parts of the pushrod. I had also assembled the clutch with 10 heavy springs in my Champagne project - and that also took a lot of effort. It's also possible that one of the springs didn't seat correctly - as I explained above. But I had the engine vertical when I loosened the pressure plate and all the springs fell out, so and I didn't check that on disassembly. I think that alternating light and heavy springs is a good solution. In fact, that means I have new heavy springs available if anybody wants them. I had bought 20 for two clutches, but will only use 10 (5 in each). And Chuck - if "the kid" feels like pulling his bike apart, I bet he can get easier clutch effort by going 50/50 on light/heavy springs. And consider this a "bump" for my next question regarding the play in the output shaft. Video at link in my last post.

Haha... you are a total nut case. Takes one to know one. There were a couple clean, low-mile greenies for sale a few months ago. Just keep watching craigslist - do you know the search all of craigslist site: http://www.searchcraigslist.org/ If you don't care about originality, you could repaint a black or silver red-frame model.

And the 2002 and later subframes distribute some of the stress to the engine block. The later subframes have "arms" that reach around the transmission to the back of the block.

About 200 miles today and I'm happy to report that the clutch is now excellent. I included some long-hauls on slab, since that's where I lost lever free-play before. I did a lot more clutchless upshifts, which work very well - and so do clutchless downshifts in the upper gears with just a bit of throttle blip. In fact, my 3-4 clutchless upshifts were great, but when I used the clutch for 3-4 I still missed it sometimes. This made me think the problem is not in the pre-selector, but elsewhere. On further transmission inspection, I noticed that the transmission output shaft has some play. I can grab the driveshaft and push it back and forth and see the shaft sliding in out of the rear seal. My spare transmission has no similar play. http://vid1128.photobucket.com/albums/m492/timscudder/v11com%20misc%20photos%20posted/LeMans%20Project/IMG_5940.mp4 Could this play in the shaft be causing the 3-4 upshift difficulties? How alarmed should I be about this? Can I run it like that for a set of tires?

I recently solved an intermittent electrical problem that was caused by loose connections in the relay base. If any relay is loose or wobbly, you could pinch the relay pins a bit - or get access to the base itself to try to tighten it up. My LeMans has been starting really well since that simple fix.

As Docc mentioned, you can run the vent line(s) between starter and transmission. The oil return line fits nicely inside the channel of that starter cover. I've removed the vent lines completely from my bikes. As I understand it, the Euro-spec bikes came new without those hoses - so they evaporated along with the evaporation canisters... My LeMans' sidestand was badly worn when I got it. The bike leaned so badly that I ended up buying a new stand. I like your repair though - much more affordable. I think some people worry that the sidestand switch contributes to reliability problems or non-starts. My LeMans had both the sidestand and clutch switch disabled. I've also restored those functions. FWIW, my K75s has auto-retract: the cable-operated clutch pulls a lever that releases the sidestand if it's down - and the springs pull it up.

This is the internet, we argue about everything. No, we don't.

I think this is part of the problem. Here, I alternated the heavy and light springs, per Gordon's advice. I can compress a light spring all the way (coils touching) with both hands. I can barely get the heavy springs to compress at all by hand. The brightest chrome ones are the heavy springs. This is how the pressure plate should look when all the springs are in the wells in both the flywheel and the pressure plate. It should sit evenly and into the flywheel a bit. If even one spring is not in one well the pressure plate will be up flush with the surface of the teeth. And given the wear on this new intermediate plate, I think part of my problem could have been that one spring was not properly seated. That would put uneven pressure on the plate and potentially account for this uneven wear pattern. And finally, the push-cup on the left shows signs of friction. I think this is from when I noticed something that felt like the clutch slipping on the freeway - and when I lost all freeplay in the lever. This is potentially what GStallons described in an earlier post - that the shim would cause the pushrod to lose freeplay and bottom-out the clutch slave. That centermost hole is 1mm shallower than the hole in the push-cup on the right. Since I had already shimmed the release bearing, I decided to try the deeper push-cup to compensate. So... slipped the engine back in to test the clutch and I am again cautiously optimistic. The lever effort is much reduced (but still not as easy at the RAM on my Scura). With the bike in gear, I can do a two-finger pull halfway to the bar and rotate the rear wheel freely. Me and some are gonna go put everything else back together. I decided not to pull the transmission - partly because I want to (in the name of research) isolate the variables. Besides that, I took a closer look at my spare transmission and it may have a leak that I don't feel like dealing with. I further speculate that the springs are so heavy, and the clutch line is so long, that the line may have been expanding a little, thus requiring more fluid to release the clutch - hence the gorilla-full-pull to the bars with 10 heavy springs and the normal-man-two-finger-half-pull with 5 heavy and 5 light springs.

I think the sidestand wears when the bike is idling on the sidestand.

But did you expect this: Is it grey as in aluminum - or as in aluminium?

Looking good Chuck. I like the black alternator cover. I think there's room for those rubber hoses behind the starter cover (in the molded channels). The red suspenders (straps) seem appropriate... And keep pointing out shop tips like the file card as you think of them.

Here's a post with some more info about the relays. http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19514&p=216995 I ended up with a set of 5 new ones that I no longer need and was going to return. Will send you a PM about it.

For your entertainment value, here is the mess I have made by pulling two engines at the same time. To my surprise, the clutch plates said LGC on them, not SD-TEC. So I checked my invoice from MG Cycle - and it also says LGC. Not only that, the plates are a touch thinner than the lightly used plates I had installed in the Champagne project. I had not ridden the champagne bike, but I did connect everything so I could test the clutch - it seemed to be working, with plenty of free play - and very easy to turn the wheel with clutch in and bike in gear. Here are comparative measurements from the two clutches: 2002 Champagne 2003 Red Friction Plates OEM LGC Miles Used 12,000 2,500 Thicknesses (mm) Friction Plate 1 7.73 7.68 Intermediate plate 2.92 3.21 Friction Plate 2 7.89 7.64 Pressure Plate 8.07 7.99 Starter Ring Plate 6.51 6.44 Pushbutton Depth 5.10 4.09 Pushrod Stick-out 11.02 11.75 Interestingly, the biggest differences are the pushbutton depth and the amount the pushrod was sticking out when I removed the engines. The pushrod sticking farther out was not a surprise, because I put a shim in there. But there is a full millimeter difference between the depths of the buttons. I assumed the problem was too-thick plates, but that is not true. I am not sure what to do next.

Plexi - do you have original relays or have you upgraded to the Omrons or similar? My LeMans had some weak starts and occasionally had to hold the button in for a bit before the starter engaged. New relays - and ensuring snug fit in the relay bases - has cured the problem.

Don't hold your breath... You might have to rely on some moto-journalists for that rain-ride report.

True, and thats why I tap the last bearing in the last 1/2mm with a hammer and small drift carefully until the spacer clearance is nil. It doesnt matter if the bearing outer race is a few thou off the shoulder in the bore as there is very little actual pure side thrust on the bearings. Ciao Thanks for this, guys. It explains a problem I had recently on my BMW's front wheel. There must have been too much pressure on the inner races and the wheel wouldn't spin freely. I used a socket for that. Since then I bought some bearing drivers that apply pressure across the whole bearing - inner and outer races.

Thanks Chuck. The Trail Bead Buddy (less than $10) is basically a tiny clamp - but it has a soft screw so you don't need to wrap it in leather. It worked a treat on my knobbies recently so I gave it a try on the street tires and it worked - although it did break through a section of the rim tape (sticker) on the front wheel. (BTW, I like Ru-Glyde for lubing the bead and the Mojo Lever.) And yeah, the Dunlop is sturdy. I think it took even more effort to install than the Pirelli Angel GT. And it made the crispest "two-pop" I've ever heard when the air pressure forced the bead up onto the rim. By contrast, I can fold the sidewall of the Metzeler M3 in one hand. All the Italian bikes have fresh tires now, and the German one can wait. There's some sort of political joke in there somewhere...