Britbike forum Forums General discussion The Rod and Tappet New-to-me twin

2002 V11 LeMans with 51K miles and many extras and upgrades

My BB experience comes in handy

Sweet looking bike.

Very nice bikes, those modern Guzzis.

I have a friend that had one he liked so much, after he'd racked up over 100,000 miles, he bought another low-mileage one identical to it.

Thanks, Beach. The PO had the V11 for the past 14 years, kept pouring money into the extras and upgrades. It rides like nothing else, sounds like nothing else, is a total blast to ride. Has its quirks, of course. Like the open drive shaft with three grease fittings, reaching the forward one takes some ingenuity and gyrations.

GP, yep, supposed to go 100K before rebuilds. The PO of this one overhauled the top end at 30K miles so he could fit special pistons and Kibblewhite valves and such. I don't mind.

As to modern, the V11 is not as modern as the 2007 Griso 1100 I had for a few years -- had all the sharp edges rounded off, appearance, performance, handling, everything. Still, I liked it:



As you can see, going to an Italian bike meet is something like going to a British bike meet in that you can't hardly get pics of the bikes without also getting pics of old guys in saggy-ass jeans

You might need a bunch of those saggy ass guys to help you reinstall the tank. Why I don’t feed mine ethanol.

85610A04-2B92-4C8D-955A-F6B0792F76E9 by First Last, on Flickr

1 to hold the tank and 5 to rotate the bike?

lol as they say ...

Reading the V11 forum, someone uses a ratchet strap to "ease" the tank into place. Better suggestion which I will follow -- drain and remove and dry out the tank, let it sit over the winter, will shrink when dry. Don't put it in the dryer though ... .

Choose your poison.

4ABABB16-EBF7-4532-B712-B3B4ABE5424F by First Last, on Flickr

773C75FC-52EE-4FD0-8C0B-62775ACF7887 by First Last, on Flickr

My fork tubes contacted the front of the tank when I first bought it. I only feed it premium without ethanol, preferably from Chevron because their pumps have a dedicated hose for premium so you don’t get some of whatever the previous person was buying. Wouldn’t be much, but I dislike ethanol in plastic tanks.... actually I dislike ethanol in anything.

I refer to my V11 as a tractor in a cocktail dress. First time my lovely bride heard the clutch, she says “ what the hell is that?”

Ps... tubes no longer hit the tank.

0A67AD41-9226-4B47-BB88-D582892F8D90 by First Last, on Flickr

Actually your dryer comment reminds me of the sales manager at one of the local Honda dealerships. Ran into him one day and his face was as red as a beet. Looked like a really bad sunburn and turned out he was just released hospital. He had wiggled the upper portion of his rather rotund body into the dryer and started spraying WD40 to try and eliminate a squeak. I gather the element was still pretty warm. Suggested he get his wife to record any future appliance repairs.

Yikes! ... so it turns out that WD-40 doesn't work for everything, as some believe.

I'll look for the Chevron premium, thanks.

Another tip.... if for some reason you have to replace any relays, get 5 pin. Stock they are all 4 pin except the one that feeds the ignition, which is 5 pin. That way if the 5 pin craps out, you can just swap it with another relay to get home. There is/was a guy on that V11 forum that sells relays. From China, but have been just fine. I replaced all my relays with 5 pin. The original one on the bike (ignition) seemed to work just fine, but the tach bounced around, which apparently is an indicator of impending doom. The contacts in the relay are starting to fester.

Somewhere there is a website that shows where you can buy ethanol free fuel. It is still fairly easy to come by here. I suspect the brass at Chevron and Shell all drive a Ferrari of some sort. BTW, I don’t believe it is the ethanol itself, but the water it attracts. So if you are consuming the fuel at a reasonable rate, as on a road trip, it shouldn’t matter. Just my humble opinion though...

Cyborg -- thanks. I did follow that advice, have new 5-pin relays in all. They are OSRAM labelled made in USA, got 'em on eeBay. Also, have added DeoxIT to my array of spray cans.

Huge -- thanks, will check 'em out.

My favorite station here has separate hoses for the no-alcohol and the E10.
Many of the stations in the middle of nowhere only sell regular E10 and have a separate pump for premium no-alcohol. Not so much for bikes, there's a lot of nice old cars in use around these parts.

Very nice addition to your stable, Kurt!

Hadn’t heard of that stuff.... I’ll check it out. There is a guy on that site that advocates jamming all the connectors full of Vaseline, but it has a pretty low melting temp IIRC. Prefer dielectric grease when necessary. Haven’t been on that site forever. Trying to limit web time and increase shop time.
One thing I find with the V11 is it feels a little weird in low speed cornering. Nothing I would consider a bad habit and haven’t bothered to pursue it. Maybe tires or maybe just a characteristic of the bike. It does seem to be getting heavier by the day, but like all the grunt it has.

Remember that "dielectric" means "insulating". It's not meant to be "packed" into connectors, and that's not how the pros use it!

Lannis

My PA6 nylon tank on my MZ Skorpion swelled as well, made all the paint crack and fall off. Due to the nylon absorbing any water in and dropped out of the petrol apparently. Emptied it out, dried it out for a fair while and it shrank back to normal size. I've lined the tank now to stop it happening. So far so good. Ethanol of course takes up more water and this really becomes a problem if you leave the bike standing for any time, like over winter especially if the bike is experiencing lots of temp changes. This wasn't made any better by the filler drain being blocked on my tank. This is the water I got out of the tank.The yellow stuff on top is petrol, white below is water. Only noticed it when it went onto reserve and died, splutter, splutter.



Tiny hole is to let any rain water out, it didn't of course till I unplugged it. It's a built in pipe that runs right through the tank.



Ah the joys of motorcycle fettling...

“ The yellow stuff on top is petrol”

Are you sure about that? Everyone I talk to back there says you can’t buy petrol anymore.... just some sort of shite, that barely burns.

I think one would have to be pretty creative to jam enough in there to force the pins apart.... not saying those folks aren’t out there though.
Also need to buy it from a reliable source.

A nice wide-ranging thread, pub-style, and I'm drinking only coffee ... so far ... .

Cyborg -- my V11 handled "funny" when I got it. The Michelin PR4s on it had about half their tread left but were wearing funny, cupping on the front. My new go-to tire is Dunlop RoadSmart III (version IV has been announced). Once I put the Dunlops on, the handling straightened out.

KarlB -- YIKES!

(For those who tuned in late, last year I re-patriated my four Brit Bikes, now I have four Italians, expressing the Tartaglione-Prestigiacomo side of my family.)

On the subject of tanks, my '96 Duc has steel, the 2005 Duc has OEM composite but hasn't swelled (might have been replaced warranty earlier in its life), and the 2012 Duc has a double-size (6.4 USG) tank from California Cycleworks.

Yep, I'm a convert to DeoxIT for cleaning electrical contacts. Michael Heth at MotoLectric.com recommends it and includes some wipes with all his products. (Tridentman referred me to Heth.)
https://caig.com/deoxit-d-series/

Question:

Do additives like StarTron or SeaFoam help prevent tank swelling? or provide any noticeable benefit?

The "new-to-me twin" doesn't appear to be "British-to-me."

Rod & Tappet stuff, you know...

True, but resembles British in many respects.

Well give him time... you never know what might happen when the cabin fever sets in.

Depending on your point of view on content, this... I believe qualifies as British now after 2+ years of stupidity.

GL by First Last, on Flickr


Mine definitely has the weird cupping and a new tire waiting for me. Not my favourite task, although I do get a sense of satisfaction when there is no blood and I have the same number of rim protectors that I started with. I tried to take a photo of the cupping, but no luck. Your tire swap give me hope, although I went with Bridgestones..

Whose stupidity?

I take my wheels to my favorite HD shop (not dealer) for mount & balance. I know it will be done right with no scratching or other damage, and the balance weights will match the color of the wheel. Unlike my former Ducati shop which stuck silver weights on my black wheels.

Anyway, it's cold and rainy, so here I am instead of riding or working in the unheated garage.

Great bike! I miss mine. I would carry extra relays with you. I had one of the upgraded ones fail out on the road. Did you see if ur bike falls into the trans and con bolt recall? Sounds like the po was pretty meticulous, so I'm sure they were if they were needed. Brian

Thanks, Brian. Will look at the recalls again. I think I saw that my VIN is out of the recall range. Some of the bike's history the PO (Tom M) told me, a lot more I can read in his forum posts -- he was meticulous and generous in posting his experience and knowledge.

I do have the working 10A relays that I took out, maybe I'll order up another set of the 5-pin items.

The stupidity was solely my own. Didn’t farm any of it out... best to keep these things to ones self I suppose. Before you know it someone will attempt an intervention.... which in hindsight may have been a good thing.

As for heat... where is you garage? Mine is attached to the house underneath the master bedroom. The house was initially electric heat, but retrofitted to forced air natural gas... probably by a troupe of chimpanzees. They ran air ducts across the garage ceiling to the master bedroom etc. Didn’t think the bride would notice if there was only 2 functioning heat ducts instead of 3. Number 3 now heats the garage. Building codes you ask? I just don’t run anything in there. When welding, (mostly TIG so not much smoke) I close off the heat duct and have a range hood with two fans over the bench which exhausts directly outside. It’s a blessing having the heat. Whenever there is a minute to work on something, then no waiting.... plus all the bits and pieces aren’t sweating away. If I was in a colder climate, I’d figure out a way to retrofit radiant in floor. It’s the way to go. Bunch of tubing, small pump, thermostat. and a hot water tank.

Good plan

My garage is a detached cement block on a slab 20 feet x 20 feet. There is power 110v and good lighting. Every year I think I'll look into a ductless mini-split for heating & cooling. Guessing I'd have to run 220v underground for starters. Winters have been a lot milder lately. Last January I was working in there with the double door up on sunny days with temps around 65F. Did get colder after that, though. If it's at least 50F it's actually good working temperature as long as I'm actually working and not just hanging out. No bad weather, just bad clothing.

The BSA spent more time on the lift than on the road, I think

Two years ago:




Recently:

Put a mini-split in my son’s house last summer. Seems like the perfect thing for a shop. As for 220, the cable/ box etc. adds up, but you can sort of amortize that with the addition of all the other 220v toys that you’ll be able to rationalize.

Haven’t been to Arlington, but spent a bit of time in Boston. Went to the JFK Library.... surreal. Neat city, although couldn’t figure out why they didn’t develop the Boston waterfront more... same thing applies here though.

Hmmm ... I did just sell a bike (Suzuki DR650) ... maybe I'll look into the mini split. Yes, with 220v, then I can go up on the air compressor, f'rinstance.

A big dock and warehouse area has been re-developed just a few years back, part of South Boston, between the channel and the harbor. Pretty impressive. Access to the water is a big issue, some developers want to wall off the rest of the city from the waterfront.

My house has an integral double garage--originally unheated.
The guy I bought it off was a plumber.
He converted one of the garages into a playroom for his kids.
He drywalled off the garage door and put in a baseboard heater with its own thermostat and teed off the central AC with a duct through the ceiling.
He had left the actual garage door in place.
So basically all I had to do was take out the drywalling and I had a workshop with its own heating and AC.
I leave the thermostat set to 54F all year round and that is warm enough to work in all winter long.
But certainly wouldn't want to work there in the winter with no heat.
Kurt--you should take some of the millions you made by selling your Brit bikes and invest in a heating system---maybe an electrical radiant heater which is only on when you are there?
Oh--sorry---I forgot --you are keeping the money to buy back into Brit bikes when you are fed up with being on the dark side ! (Brit humor!).

Good setup you have there, Richard. This winter I'm planning to keep the garage for the bikes only, the car will stay outside, what with these mild winters lately and the fact that I really don't have to drive much, the car can get iced and snowed in for all I care. So the car may end up in a snow drift til April depending on how it goes.

I'll have to look into radiant heaters -- what with fuel and solvents in the garage. Wondering what I can do with the existing 110 line ... something to check out ... rather than digging a trench for a new 220 line. Although the 110 was installed in a new conduit about 10 years ago with the idea that a new bigger line could be pulled through, theoretically anyway. Guess if I'd thought I was gonna live this long, I might have put in the 220 in the first place.

Are there any bikes built in Britain these days? Any of the Triumphs?

I only take the K wheels to a shop for tire fitment, just can't find the strength to lever on those low-profile Metzelers. I still mount tires on the Brits, I can't subject another person to the joy of tubes and rim locks.
I'm still working in my carport, with a small shop behind. But, in a few weeks they'll deliver my new 8x12 shed. I might be able to run buried cable from the breaker box in the shop about 6' to get power there for lights and a space heater. Luxury

Our garage used to be a carport. It was closed in long before we came along, so not anticipating any objections. Could you close yours in or would the town hall folk get excited? Close it in and paint a mural of a carport on the front.

Now looking into infrared heaters ... Web searches ... reading posts on The Garage Journal ... one heater I found is a combination of infrared and ceramic ... they seem relatively safe ... also looking at wall/ceiling mounted ... gonna focus on fire hazard now ... .

Thinking of asking my HVAC guy for recommendations.

Tire mounting: I used to be good at tire mounting, that is until some arthritis started creeping into my hands, so I take all such jobs to my HD shop, old friend Paul Morrissey is willing to mount the tube-types, even with rim locks, but I try not to wear out my welcome.

For DIY, these Motion Pro "RimSheilds" are a big help:
https://www.motionpro.com/product/08-0546

If I was smart, I would get my tires done by someone else. The hands don’t need any more wear. I wonder how those protectors work compared to these ones. I’d rate these as “ok”, but annoying at times. You can add a wire to help tether them against the rim, but they do clip over the edge. If you don’t use tethers, count them when you’re done. I highly recommend the lever, in fact I need another one. Just have to use caution and ease the tire on. Lots of leverage at 20”. No recollection of where I bought it.

You have a nice setup there in your garage.... definitely worth adding some heat. Even if it’s just so you can sit out there with a glass of scotch and stare at stuff.

I should break down and get a proper lift. Using an engine hoist to put stuff on the bench is going to bite me someday. I’m a little challenged for space though.

When talking to the HVAC guy.... maybe see if there is a way to control whatever you get remotely so you have the option of warming the place up before you head out.

8BA09B78-2041-4FF6-A6BC-56F3662334D7 by First Last, on Flickr

5A5D5134-4F72-4DEC-B658-F008D7CDF485 by First Last, on Flickr

When I first built my 24x24 garage I insulated it and ran 220v out from the house to a sub panel even though I had no need for 220, just wanted more than 1 circuit out there. Didn't take long before I had a Bridgeport and a MIG welder so I'm glad I had the extra voltage. Heat was initially a wall mounted propane unit but it did make me nervous about open flames. A few years later I installed an outdoor wood furnace that takes care of my house, garage and domestic hot water so no more open flames. I'm lucky enough to not have any close neighbors to bother with the wood smoke but I have to admit, it get a little harder each year to have to fill the wood shed with 7 to 8 chords. ..That's a nice tire spoon Cyborg..beats the two short ones I've been using.

That spoon gets a lot of use between tire changes. Perfect for popping axles out of FWD cars... although I gave that up for lent. Always levering something with it.. the thing stands up to all sorts of abuse.
Wish I had a Bridgeport. Guess I should consider myself lucky that I have a mill, but frustrating when you don’t have enough room to jam a set of cases in there. 220 is like a gateway drug... then again so are mills.

Cyborg -- The new MotionPro Rim Shields are MUCH better than the old skinny ones. Kurt-tested and Kurt approved! Rated *****

I always used three shorter tire levers, and locked them under a spoke as I worked around the rim when removing tire. That's just me.

That HF lift has more than paid for itself, at around $300. It started leaking after a few years, so I use this jack oil with "Stop Leak"
https://barsleaks.com/product/jack-oil-with-stop-leak-hj12/

Plus I get a lot of bang for the buck and usage out of a wheel chock lagged into the floor:

Front wheel in chock:


Rear wheel in chock:

(^^ bike I just sold.)

Gateway drug -- sounds about right.

Mike -- The outdoor boiler -- can you burn most any wood? Scrap lumber, crates, for example?

[quote=kurt fischer]Mike -- The outdoor boiler -- can you burn most any wood? Scrap lumber, crates, for example?



If it fits through the door it will burn it, but I don't like to do that. The only scrap I'll burn is non pressure treated, nails pulled out, and no plywood either. I've got friends that will put all their household garbage, cardboard and paper through theirs (even the occasional plastic bucket :eek) but it doesn't do the stove much good.

Mills are cheap....it's the tooling that kills you

Proper lock-ups have three phases

The 1976 Moto Guzzi Le Mans was visually pleasing.

or at least a phase converter

Heat in the garage would be nice today ... if only ...

(Today's snow: rain remnants of Hurricane Zeta moved up from the Gulf and met January-like cold air in New England... so, yes, climate change.)

Global warming

It could be done. I'm outside the city limits, but I would need approval from the property owners' association. I already went through that to get my shed.
The best improvement I could make to my carport is selling the BMW to create more space.

Kurt, Nice bike! MG has always been in my scope of awareness but way back in the back. Not having had any Italian bikes, I (so far) have just chosen to go with what I know. Maybe some day.
Hang in there and enjoy the "new" ride, man.

Thanks, rr. As mentioned, the MG experience has many similarities to the BB experience.

The 5" snowfall of Oct 30 has melted, now in a warming trend, 60F on the way! So, more miles to go on the Guzzi this year.

I scan the ads on FB and CL for Guzzis, This 1986 V 50 LeMans, listed at $1800 just an hour away, sold in 6 days -- you snooze, you lose!

"Runs and drives great, clean title, great bike for beginner or guzzi enthusiasts. Parts are surprisingly easy to find online if that is a concern. Front visor and windshield are available and I have a box with a few other parts. Runs mint, only selling because I have a child and never have time to ride it. Small tear in seat and paint bubbles in tank are the only defects, as shown in pictures."



* Fly-in-the-ointment: the paint bubbles on the tank mean that the tank has softened, so that would need attention.

In Texas, our climate changes ALL THE TIME. Yes, the summers are generally hot for longer than other places "up north", but we can even get multiple climate changes in the same day.

Thus it has always been, and thus it ever shall be...

Unfortunately there are probably enough tires in my future to justify a set of those rim shields. Will likely wait until the border reopens... shipping is putting a dent in my toy fund. It would also add a stupid amount to a HF lift. As much as I’d like to have one, it would end up being a PITA with limited floor space. I could make space I suppose, but need it for a larger lathe with more grunt. I have discovered that life is too short to just sit and watch a lathe produce dainty little shavings.

What I really need is an old cylinder buried in the floor. That way, it would come in handy as a roundhouse for the Guzzi. Backing it out of the garage is awkward and getting more so every day. Might have to rearrange a bench.... that thing has a long wheelbase, at least compared to what I’m used to.

Your garage looks very picturesque with the snow. Believe it or not, we don’t always get snow and when it does arrive, it’s usually short lived. Some brave folks ride year round.

For those with smaller spaces and bigger budgets, there's the Kendon folding stand-up lift
https://www.kendonusa.com/collections/stand-up-folding-motorcycle-lifts

Back to the HF lift, the front wheel clamp that comes with it is awkward, so cough up another $170 for a Condor trailer chock.
https://www.condor-lift.com/condor-chocks

Cyborg wrote:
"What I really need is an old cylinder buried in the floor."

Yes, just what I've always wanted. Must be flush with the floor, bearing-mounted, so you can rotate it effortlessly. Guess it would need a brake, too.

I keep one bike on the road year 'round, not that I ride in all winter weather, needs to be 40F+ and dry roads.

You can lower the HF stand and stack it against the wall on its side.
I was thinking of doing that when I bought mine.
However it soon became so useful and indispensable that it has never been against the wall--always in use--either for working on a bike or temporarily storing one there.
HTH

I don’t have a wall to stack it against. A local training centre was closing down and I bought 5 steel workbenches. At $20 apiece, how could you say no. Then I inherited 4 heavy wood benches from my brother. It’s actually a curse because it allows you to make a bigger mess.
The in-floor would be best for me, especially if it rotates. Already drilled a few holes through the floor for various fasteners, so know it’s not that thick. Also on reasonably high and dry ground. The novelty of pushing that MG around wore off a while ago. Although not much different in weight (maybe sum of the fluids + a few lbs), the 71 Triumph seems tiny in comparison. Now if I could just incorporate a roller starter in there somewhere and a davit for getting completed lumps off the bench.

The only bike I have which needs a turn around is the K. At 600lbs, It's a bear to back out of the carport.
I'm sensing a trend, once the K is gone I'll have plenty of space. I would be amenable to replacing it with a K75s though.
Or a nice Guzzi. Had the chance to buy a V50 which had caught fire about the time I bought the Bonnie instead.
Can't wait to get my new shed, I already bought a 3-Stooges Knuckleheads' Garage sign for it.

Richard, I took one hundred-something dollars and bought a Heat Smart Tradesman IR heater 1500W, with h-d tripod. It was sold out just about everywhere, then found one on Wayfair. So far, so good. I can move it around easily and adjust the height. You have to be within five feet or so of the single element to feel the heat, but that's OK.

You can also buy just the heating unit and bolt to the wall or ceiling, or you can get a sturdy "roll cage" with handle for moving it around on the floor. I seem to recall something about fuel and solvent vapors being heavier than air and creeping along the floor, though ... .