Is it a bitser?

[audiomick]

Coming out of the discussion that arose here (that I don't want to continue there to avoid de-railing the thread completely...)

I've been thinking once again about the originality of my V11 Le Mans.

As mentioned in the other link, it was built in 2002, has the crinkly engine paint, long frame and tank without the chin pad. The forks are the 43 mm Marzoccis with pre-load and rebound damping on both legs. Rear shock is Sachs with a white spring and blue adjustment ring.

The ECU is one of those with a paper sticker on it, a 15M. I've been reliably informed that those ECUs were not uncommen for a while. They were originally installed in a California model, were wrongly programmed and recalled, and used after re-programming in the factory in V11s.

All of the above seems to fit, going by what I have read here, for a 2002 "transition" build.

The combination that I haven't seen on any photos anywhere yet, and haven't heard mention of, is the dark grey colour with the slightly purple coloured mufflers and grey stilettos.

So I'm wondering if it was really built like that, or if it is a bitser. Does anyone have an opinion?

[Lucky Phil]

5 hours ago, audiomick said:

Coming out of the discussion that arose here (that I don't want to continue there to avoid de-railing the thread completely...)

I've been thinking once again about the originality of my V11 Le Mans.

As mentioned in the other link, it was built in 2002, has the crinkly engine paint, long frame and tank without the chin pad. The forks are the 43 mm Marzoccis with pre-load and rebound damping on both legs. Rear shock is Sachs with a white spring and blue adjustment ring.

The ECU is one of those with a paper sticker on it, a 15M. I've been reliably informed that those ECUs were not uncommen for a while. They were originally installed in a California model, were wrongly programmed and recalled, and used after re-programming in the factory in V11s.

All of the above seems to fit, going by what I have read here, for a 2002 "transition" build.

The combination that I haven't seen on any photos anywhere yet, and haven't heard mention of, is the dark grey colour with the slightly purple coloured mufflers and grey stilettos.

So I'm wondering if it was really built like that, or if it is a bitser. Does anyone have an opinion?

I've not seen a 2002 Le Mans with the later 43mm forks, the non chin pad tank, the later ITI instruments and the handlebar holes in the top triple clamp Mick. Maybe it's had the whole front end changed at some point and the PO has had a handlebar kit on it or it's a transition thing. Not sure. All the different models for the V11 series I find a bit confusing to be honest. Change the colour and call it a different name!

Phil

[audiomick]

1 hour ago, Lucky Phil said:

 call it a different name!

"Youbastard" springs to mind...

[guzzler]

I call mine the Tart....

[docc]

During one particularly rocky stretch with mySport, I started calling her Butterball, but one of the kindly members here talked me off that ledge.

On North American V11 the metal headstock tag is inscribed with the month/year of actual manufacture. Does your V11 have this, @audiomick?

[audiomick]

4 hours ago, docc said:

On North American V11 the metal headstock tag is inscribed with the month/year of actual manufacture. Does your V11 have this

Now that you mention it, it might have. But I'm not sure.

I wont be able to have a look until the end of the week, either. Away from home for work from tomorrow until Thursday.

 

EDIT: I had already uploaded a photo. Not that good, but enough to see that the manufacture date is apparently not on there.

Incidently, date of first registration was May 2003.

[audiomick]

On 2/16/2024 at 11:12 PM, Lucky Phil said:

... the handlebar holes in the top triple clamp...

I found an explanation for that: a forum acquaintance from a couple of german forums turns out to have fotos of my Le Mans from the time it was owned by the owner previous to the bloke I bought it off. According to the papers, he had it from some time in 2017 until the middle of 2022. The bloke before me bought it then, and sold it on to me at the end of 2022.

Anway, in the one photo there is a conventional handle bar on it. Also, the mufflers in the photo are light gray coloured, not the purplish ones that are on it now.

So the old girl is obviously a way off being "original". Unless, of course, one means "original" in the sense of "one of a kind"...

[Lucky Phil]

5 hours ago, audiomick said:

I found an explanation for that: a forum acquaintance from a couple of german forums turns out to have fotos of my Le Mans from the time it was owned by the owner previous to the bloke I bought it off. According to the papers, he had it from some time in 2017 until the middle of 2022. The bloke before me bought it then, and sold it on to me at the end of 2022.

Anyway, in the one photo there is a conventional handle bar on it. Also, the mufflers in the photo are light gray coloured, not the purplish ones that are on it now.

So the old girl is obviously a way off being "original". Unless, of course, one means "original" in the sense of "one of a kind"...

It think Mick if your mufflers are the std factory aluminium skinned units they started out black and then have faded through grey to violet.

Phil

[audiomick]

Ah, ok. As far as I know, they are the standard mufflers, so that could well be the case.

 

PS, I actually quite like the colour they have now.