Dr Gil Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 After lusting for years and lurking here at V11 Le Mans for months I am finally about to purchase my first ever Guzzi My prey is a '03 black/gray Le Mans in the San Francisco Bay Area. It only has 3.5K on the odometer and is pristine. The present owner (I hope to make the purchase next weekend) has done almost no modifications to the bike other than put on a set of MG titanium exhasts. He has a BMC perfromance air filter that he has not installed for some reason. So my point in posting here (besides not being able to contain my joy) is to pick your collective brains about "MUST HAVE" modifications (or alteration/adjustments)that I will need to make to the bike. My style of riding is generally Sport-Touring. I have a set of Cortech sport saddle and tail bags that I quite like and have ordered a Tourmaster tank bag (my old one was magnetic). Beyond that I'm open to all suggestions and tips. Also I would appreciate advice on where I might find any websites that offer basic Guzzi parts (oil filters, etc.) or accessories that I might find useful...damn, I really am SO new to this! Thanks in advance...it's sure nice to be able to finally post here guilt free now that I'm "almost" a Guzzi owner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guzziownr Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 For spare parts, consumables and bling bling round up a few of the usual suspects: USA: www.mgcycle.com www.mphcycles.com www.motointernational.com Europe: www.agostiniduilio.com www.tlm.nl My experiences with international ordering have been all positive. DW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txrider Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Dr Gil, I've been keeping up with the progress and road blocks concerning your Guzzi acquisition and congratulations on the upcoming purchase. I purchased my 2004 Red in January, also used, and immediately put the bike up on the work stand for a general inspection, cleaning, fluids change (engine, trans, rear drive, forks and clutch/brake fluid), and lubrication check of shock attachments, final drive coupling and cush drive, speedometer drive cable as well as all control pivots. Generally, I found most of these needing lube. Also, pulled all connectors including relays and applied DeOxit. Of course my advantage was January was a good month to hibernate in the garage for this going over. The payback is that now the bike runs like a dream, is reliable and gets lots of favorable attention. It's easy to work on, uncomplicated as a motorcycles go but does have a maintenance regimen it likes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbdicker Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I'd do comfort mods first........Rich Maund seat is a must, IMO, if you're gonna tour. Get gelgrips too, maybe heavy throttlemeister to quell vibes. then, ride the p**s out of it. It's a guzzi, remember, it don't need much. Enjoy and welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big J Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Get yourself a proper helmet,the one in your picture looks about as much use as a chocolate teapot. And dont worry too much about all the nonsense on the forum, just ride the bollocks off it,and if it breaks, fix it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrt Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I agree- there are no 'must have' mods. I didn't see a picture of your helmet, but you should already know that protective gear is money well spent. Ride the heck out of it a bit and make modifications that suite your riding style. At 3K miles, it isn't broken in enough to worry about major mods yet. Congrats! I'm glad this is finally going to come through for you (knock wood). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gil Posted July 10, 2005 Author Share Posted July 10, 2005 Get yourself a proper helmet,the one in your picture looks about as much use as a chocolate teapot. And dont worry too much about all the nonsense on the forum, just ride the bollocks off it,and if it breaks, fix it. 55906[/snapback] Ahhh, I can feel the love! Now I feel as though I truly belong..."Guzzi-ness" BRING IT ON! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gil Posted July 10, 2005 Author Share Posted July 10, 2005 I agree- there are no 'must have' mods. I didn't see a picture of your helmet, but you should already know that protective gear is money well spent. Ride the heck out of it a bit and make modifications that suite your riding style. At 3K miles, it isn't broken in enough to worry about major mods yet.Congrats! I'm glad this is finally going to come through for you (knock wood). 55916[/snapback] No problem jrt...I think what he was referring to was my avatar...1/2 motorcyclist and 1/2 civilian. Joke (I think). I'm a long time Sport-Tourer and a strong believer in "all the gear, all the time." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gil Posted July 13, 2005 Author Share Posted July 13, 2005 sigh...the deal fell through. The owner was just too much of a paranoid, urban, VERY-proud-of-his-bike, jerk. I couldn't deal with him...hey, it happens even amongst Gussi-nistas. NO deviation from the asking price, NO test ride (had heard bad reports from friends), ONLY cashiers check acceptable (none refundable) and he doesn't have the pink slip (owed money to the bank). Just couldn't go there. The good news...an enlightened seller of an '02 in Seattle. VERY nice bike, willing to deliver 2 states away for FREE! He’s knowledgeable and with the perfect balance of business and whimsy. I bought his bike on eBay and expect it/he is perfect! I am jazzed...the bike and rider should appear here tomorrow about this time...time is going soooo slowly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orson Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 il dottore! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Jaap Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 The good news...an enlightened seller of an '02 in Seattle. 56105[/snapback] Is this by chance a champagne V11 Le Mans from the infamous Dave Gross? (dkgross on this board) You'll get a bike that is perfectly sorted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrt Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 Good I hope this works out great for you! The helmet avatar is showing up now- it's vaguely disturbing I have to agree with BigJ on his assessment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_roethlisberger Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 Is this by chance a champagne V11 Le Mans from the infamous Dave Gross? (dkgross on this board) You'll get a bike that is perfectly sorted! 56115[/snapback] Yeah, I'll be curious if this is Dave's old bike as well. We'll know for sure if it has Two Brothers bar risers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big J Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 Well done, just what the doctor ordered,eh?Lets hope this is the prescription to cure your itch and not just a panacea for your pains( and other crap medical links). jrt, dont be vaguely disturbed,my friend.Be obvious about it, it's easier to get a space at the bar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dave Pott Posted July 13, 2005 Share Posted July 13, 2005 Outstanding Dr.Gil Tonight will be like X-Mass eve when we were kids(for those that celebrated it)....difficult to sleep and seemed to last for everrrrrrr Oh, and sorry for letting the "cat out of the bag" and "outing" you over at ST.N Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now