chris a Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 Hi Guys, been keeping an eye on you lot for a while now and reckon it was time to " do the decent thing " and sign in ! Currently on the look out for a new ride as my only remaining machine is a venerable T3 which finally broke it's selector spring at 95,000 miles well over a year ago . Well , a full restauration had been mooted for a few years but she rode so well and I knew what an ordeal it would be .The spring braking convinced me that she had had enough and so I started to pull her to bits ...and I have regretted it ever since as I now only get around in a long wheelbase Transit which is not exactly the same hit , if any at all!! So the next stage was to find THE new bike and six months later I'm still at it ... I started off thinking a Centuro would be cool... then got into looking at cagiva raptors ... then rememberd the sport 1100's ( very nearly got one at a good price a few weeks ago in the uk and then it all went tits up!!!) ...and finally will probably finalise on a V 11 as i've allways thought they looked really nice and seem to have a lower seat and much better comfort than either the Centuro's or the 1100's. The raptor 1000 still haunts me but the ridiculously small petrol tank and their rarety put me off . Plus of course you guys have the best site by far ... used notes only in small denominations only thanks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antonio carroccio Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 Vive la France Chris are you enjoy us at Sibbe this September??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris a Posted April 1, 2007 Author Share Posted April 1, 2007 I guess Sibbe is the place near Maastricht... v 11 rally ? I,m located just 60 km north of Montpellier so a trip accros the border to italy is much more likely.But first I need to get some wheels on the road !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g.forrest Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 welcome chris. being slightly biased, you can't go wrong with the raptor, lovely machine i own a 2003 xtra raptor, yet i'm on this forum daily. never even owned a guzzi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris a Posted April 1, 2007 Author Share Posted April 1, 2007 welcome chris. being slightly biased, you can't go wrong with the raptor, lovely machine i own a 2003 xtra raptor, yet i'm on this forum daily. never even owned a guzzi. well that's also the strong impression I get form regularely checking in at thr raptor chaptor forum...I really like the idea of low seat hight as i'm a bit oif a shortie, I love the looks of the standad raptor ( and hate the v ...sorry !) but according to some french reviw you only get about 150km between tank fulls which to me is a bad joke: I'd allredy love to put a bigger capacity tank on the T3. I also have to admit being sadly biased against "jap " stuff . I cut my biking teath like many of may age on old brit iron due to financial reasons but also bullshit nationalistic pride. The BSA 's I had were fine at handling , looked nice but were pretty poorly engineered. The Panther slopers I then got into were a in a universe of their own...and far too far away from this one except for the hippy biker I was then ! I really regret having sold the slopers but I had debts and it was getting really hard keeping them on the road for daily use. A nice little v50 had allready taken on going to work duties and the T3 was looming.I was as hooked into guzzies as much as the panthers and the former are so much more fun to fiddle about with. Less adventure on the road but so much less hastle with spares (so far )...and amazing reliability hence my attration to the V11. How has the rap been for you . Lots of miles on it ?It seems that that is another bike that Shoud have sold heaps but didn't for some strange reason. A bit like the guzzi scenario really !!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g.forrest Posted April 2, 2007 Share Posted April 2, 2007 well that's also the strong impression I get form regularely checking in at thr raptor chaptor forum...I really like the idea of low seat hight as i'm a bit oif a shortie, I love the looks of the standad raptor ( and hate the v ...sorry !) but according to some french reviw you only get about 150km between tank fulls which to me is a bad joke: I'd allredy love to put a bigger capacity tank on the T3. I also have to admit being sadly biased against "jap " stuff . I cut my biking teath like many of may age on old brit iron due to financial reasons but also bullshit nationalistic pride. The BSA 's I had were fine at handling , looked nice but were pretty poorly engineered. The Panther slopers I then got into were a in a universe of their own...and far too far away from this one except for the hippy biker I was then ! I really regret having sold the slopers but I had debts and it was getting really hard keeping them on the road for daily use. A nice little v50 had allready taken on going to work duties and the T3 was looming.I was as hooked into guzzies as much as the panthers and the former are so much more fun to fiddle about with. Less adventure on the road but so much less hastle with spares (so far )...and amazing reliability hence my attration to the V11. How has the rap been for you . Lots of miles on it ?It seems that that is another bike that Shoud have sold heaps but didn't for some strange reason. A bit like the guzzi scenario really !!!!!! hi chris. my experience with fuel economy on the cagiva is vastly different. have had from 180km - 200km before light comes on [reserve] this figure from riding hard in steep country with lots of slow bends to 140kmh touring in flat country, have done as much as 260km at that pace using reserve [600ml left] as i'm often travelling with v11 owners, it regularly uses 1lt per 100 km less than the v11's use travelling at the same pace. well i love the xtra...all that lovely carbon. by the way i've done 31,000 km without one hitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex-Corsa Posted April 2, 2007 Share Posted April 2, 2007 Vive la France Chris are you enjoy us at Sibbe this September??? Forza Italia What's going on on September? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris a Posted April 2, 2007 Author Share Posted April 2, 2007 hi chris. my experience with fuel economy on the cagiva is vastly different. have had from 180km - 200km before light comes on [reserve] this figure from riding hard in steep country with lots of slow bends to 140kmh touring in flat country, have done as much as 260km at that pace using reserve [600ml left] as i'm often travelling with v11 owners, it regularly uses 1lt per 100 km less than the v11's use travelling at the same pace. well i love the xtra...all that lovely carbon. by the way i've done 31,000 km without one hitch. Hi forrest, now that's definatly a bit more sensible mileage than what I read !! The roads down here are really varied as I'm just at the foothills of the Cevennes range. Go south and you have the med plaine which is getting really overcrowded nowadays but anywhere else has some of the best under 90mph scratching Ive seen plus amazing scenery . Lots of hairpins and more often than not good surfaces. The only trouble is it takes ages to get any real distance covered and that is why they built the motorway !!!! What I really need to do is get a test ride on both bikes but the local dealers don't have any v11's left and the 1000 raptor has not been imported for a while...I guess you have ridden a V11 too ... what's the comparison like in your eyes ??? Cheers chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g.forrest Posted April 2, 2007 Share Posted April 2, 2007 Hi forrest, now that's definatly a bit more sensible mileage than what I read !! The roads down here are really varied as I'm just at the foothills of the Cevennes range. Go south and you have the med plaine which is getting really overcrowded nowadays but anywhere else has some of the best under 90mph scratching Ive seen plus amazing scenery . Lots of hairpins and more often than not good surfaces. The only trouble is it takes ages to get any real distance covered and that is why they built the motorway !!!! What I really need to do is get a test ride on both bikes but the local dealers don't have any v11's left and the 1000 raptor has not been imported for a while...I guess you have ridden a V11 too ... what's the comparison like in your eyes ??? Cheers chris well chris,not wanting to upset any comrades here on this forum. yes i've ridden quite a number of guzzis including rm and scura. so my opinion is based on short rides really,and not long term. ok similiar to yourself my first on road bike was a b33 bsa [hmmm] not a good first start, to triumph 650 thunderbird to new tr6r to ahhh cb750 k2x2 gl1000, xl's nsr 400r xlv 750. so i had a passion for hondas for some time so thought i would stick with hondas [one bmw in between there somewhere] but had a break from bikes for some time whilst building house,raising kids etc. but my return was with a muz 660 which along with the cagiva i bought new, i still own both and am more than happy with the two. i can understand the attraction to the v11, and i know the difference between a work horse and a thoroughbred, and as long as the later has good strong breeding, i know which i would sooner be riding. ps i did have a good lengthy ride on a breva 1100 and really enjoyed it, but a comrade who owns a v11 thought the breva just didn't have the soul of the v11. so have i really answered the question... it's all personal gary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antonio carroccio Posted April 2, 2007 Share Posted April 2, 2007 What about this, Alex??? http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=9617 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris a Posted April 5, 2007 Author Share Posted April 5, 2007 well chris,not wanting to upset any comrades here on this forum. yes i've ridden quite a number of guzzis including rm and scura. so my opinion is based on short rides really,and not long term. ok similiar to yourself my first on road bike was a b33 bsa [hmmm] not a good first start, to triumph 650 thunderbird to new tr6r to ahhh cb750 k2x2 gl1000, xl's nsr 400r xlv 750. so i had a passion for hondas for some time so thought i would stick with hondas [one bmw in between there somewhere] but had a break from bikes for some time whilst building house,raising kids etc. but my return was with a muz 660 which along with the cagiva i bought new, i still own both and am more than happy with the two. i can understand the attraction to the v11, and i know the difference between a work horse and a thoroughbred, and as long as the later has good strong breeding, i know which i would sooner be riding. ps i did have a good lengthy ride on a breva 1100 and really enjoyed it, but a comrade who owns a v11 thought the breva just didn't have the soul of the v11. so have i really answered the question... it's all personal gary. Nice one Gary ! still can neither make my mind up or find either that says "buy me , I'm cheap reliable and just next door to you "!!!!!!! However I am not giving up ... Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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