Moto Guzzi V11 Le Mans Review

[@MikesMachines]

If you want to support my channel please check out my motorcycle T-Shirt collection on Teespring. teespring.com/en-GB/stores/mikes-machines

[@vxn675]

I owned a gorgeous 2003 Moto Guzzi V11 Le Mans Rosso Corsa ten years ago and I still miss her to this day. Sexiest exhaust note with a titanium pipes. I rode her on a 10k mile trip around the US.

[@sprezzatura8755]

Were you able to fit panniers on the bike? I rode an 850 T3 cross country fantastic bike. I now have an 1100 california.

[@mattguzzim1744]

I own a V11 Sport and it pulls like a frieght train. While it does not have the hp and top end of a modern sports bike it has ample power on the road. In capable hands it will hang with most bikes in the twisties. I love mine!

[@NudaMan]

Got a buddy who use to own one and he said he smoked sport bikes in the corners no problems 🥲 these will become pricey like the Ducati sport classics I just know it!

[@richdubbya]

I own 2. A Red and Grey and a V11 Scura. I love them. Raw motorcycling in its purest form. No traction control, no ABS, nothing digital.

[@sprezzatura8755]

A Beautiful Beast of a bike with a ton of character.

[@Metalguitarpete]

I’ve owned my 2003 V11 since 2009 and love it! I have the Guzzi titanium exhausts and kit racing ecu, it transforms the bike! More power and flatter curve. Awesome- everywhere I go people talk to me about it.

[@splodge57]

Love Guzzi's but this one looks so big, long and heavy compared to the mk1 and mk3 I owned in the 80's. Nice review, thanks.

[@doctormojo]

I have exactly that model...so I'm happy to see it has 81,000 miles on it. I have yet to crack 30,000. I fitted the Ferracci mufflers and crossover, which sound great, with quite a deep note.

[@dungspreader]

Good review .The Le Mans is one of the most beautiful motorcycles in the world . I feel privileged to own one . Maybe one day Moto Guzzi will bring out another Le Mans .

[@kobhalt94]

i wish to own one but im afraid of reliability... how is your's?

[@Team-fabulous]

@@kobhalt94 unburstable, they are over engineered... Solid as a rock

[@dungspreader]

@@kobhalt94 . Buy one in excellent condition and maintain it well , change engine oil frequently and you shouldn't have any problems .

[@stewartellinson8846]

I live in hope of a Nuovo 850 le mans using the V85 powertrain and the v7 fast endurance styling. It's guzzi 100 this year, so it's a good time to do it guys......

[@lorenzonani141]

@@stewartellinson8846 here in italy there are a lot of rumors about a new naked bike and a new engine they are working on

[@jroberthadden]

Fastest I've ever been on a motorcycle was on a hot rodded Guzzi CX100. This was back in about '82 at the National Rally in Kansas. Long straight stretch of road and IF those Veglia gauges were correct i sneaked past 140 mph. Bike was solid as a train on rails.

[@davidchi8914]

I have the Y2K V11 Sport version. It's big, and heavy, but not more so than any other retro bike of its era. It certainly won't keep up with a proper modern bike in the twisties, but as far as our winding Tuscan roads go, it is a perfect blend of grunt and comfort, all wrapped up in an elegant package. I loved my ZRX1200 as well as my CB1300, and both are better bikes, but no other retro bruiser feels as special as the V11. Them's tastes, though.

[@PaulFrench13]

My favorite bike to ride. I have a 2005 V11 Nero Corso with factory fitted titanium exhausts and upgraded CDI and factory Ohlins suspension. I had the 8 valve Stelvio and I prefer this motor. Intoxicating to ride!

[@loteq101]

Have a 2003 v11 sport cafe. Have owned since new. Only 18k kms on it. Had been rock solid outside of a gear selector spring issue at 10k which was a 100 dollar fix. I specd the Guzzi titanium race exhaust on mine as new. Sounds amazing especially once they warm up. Mines Ferrari red I’ve only ever seen one other in Venice at a cafe bar parked on the side street. Did my heart good to her in her element. :). Have only used her for work commutes in our short riding season and she competes with a bmw adventure bike which gets all the miles. I’ll have her still in another 20 years. The last of the bikes made the old way but with some nice modern touches.

[@Jodyrides]

I have owned a Guzzi continuously since 1979,4 of them.. I have a 2007 Norge right now since 2007. I like them very much. They are not Japanese perfect. Japanese bikes are perfect, but they have no personality, they have no SOUL..On the other hand, every GUZZI I have earned was a living breathing thing with a personality and a SOUL. They are alive. They are not Japanese perfect,But I’ve never been stranded because of a mechanical. I’ve never had to go to a dealer for parts.I have them sent to me through the mail..In fact the only parts other than tires filters brake pads that I’ve had to buy over the decades is, one throttle cable, 2 start relays,To oil pressure switches, a common problem on Guzzi’s, they really need to change their supplier,Valve cover gaskets which I keep in stock because I check the valves every 2000 miles..and finally, a sealed beam headlight for my SP 1000, it’s a weird size, and it didn’t actually burn out, the reflective material is mirror like inside the sealed beam was peeling.. I had one of this style bike the subject of this video. Mine was a 2004V 11 sport. I bought it with 3700 miles on it. I loved how strong the motor was with stump pulling torque immediately off idle.. I liked the slow rotation handling, I loved the brakes. But I did not like the riding position.. so I spent two years trying to convert the sport into a comfortable Touring machine. I failed. You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow‘s ear... I installed a 14 inch clear windshield. i removed the clip-ons,I drilled the upper triple clamp, installed 1986 Yamaha virago 700 handlebar purches, which enabled me to install an old pair of CB 400 F low bars on the machine. That helped a lot raising the handlebars about 5 inches. then I installed a Corbin seat. I have put Corbin seats on five of my motorcycles. Only one of them was a great improvement. This was not it. The seat Corbin makes for the V 11 sport that I bought put my balls to sleep within 10 minutes. They have a strange hump in front of the seat that rises to meet the gas tank.. I tried for about 2000 miles to break that seat in, but my balls couldn’t take it. I sold that seat.. The foot pegs are so high that my jeans would bunch of behind my knee because of the angle my knee was bent to, and it would shut my circulation off. I had to keep lifting my foot off of the foot pegs and dangling them down like Rossi does as he approaches a corner..so- I bought Buell ulysses foot pegs that are a direct fit as though they were designed for the Guzzi.. they were an improvement because they lowered the foot pegs about 2 inches, but, they did not have rubber on the pegs. It sounds like a little thing, but it is a must have on a bike that has a solid mounted engine that transmits the vibes into the foot pegs. The Olen shocks do not make any sense unless you’re traveling above 80 miles an hour all day. Below 80 miles an hour they are so stiff, that even on the softest settings, only a person that could distinguish between 18 inches of just concrete, and 18 inches of rebar reinforced concrete could tell the difference between soft and hard with the olens suspensions .. remember that I said that my machine only had 3700 miles on it when I bought it. When I sold mine it only had 5800 miles on it. The reason is, these V-11 machines, with their different named models, are the most uncomfortable motorcycles in the entire history of the universe. Let me repeat that. My V 11 sport was the most uncomfortable of my dozens of motorcycles that I’ve had over the decades. More uncomfortable than my TZ 250 road racer,More uncomfortable than my H1R factory Kawasaki road racer with sand cast cases and dry clutch ,which i traded that rolling chasis to eric buell for his big horn dirt machine.. that is the reason when you go to look at a used V 11 sport, it is not going to have high miles on it usually. Because you can’t ride them for more than an hour without needing an injection of morphine... I never had trouble in my life with my knees. Until I bought my V 11 sport. Something about a combination of the angle the knee is that when you’re in the saddle, and the rubber less foot pegs that transmit the engine pulses up through your leg.My knees bothered me for days after each ride on the sport, sometimes the pain in my right knee especially with linger for more than a week. That pain completely disappeared about two weeks after I sold the machine and never returned. I love the motor on the v 11.. I love the look. I can’t say I loved the black paint job on the engine. It looked like spray on Styrofoam that they painted black. You could actually put your finger into it and collapse the bubbles like a piece of Styrofoam. I take my helmet off to anyone they can ride one of these V 11 sport machines on a 10 hour Saturday ride with his buddies, and still be able to walk at the end of that day.. these V 11 sport machines would be a great track day bike., they sound fabulous , they are under stressed, they don’t blow up, they handle very well for a shaft drive machine, but they are not a touring machine.. I tried to convert mine into a do it all machine like my Norge is, but I failed. anyone considering buying a guzzi v11 sport.. tell the seller that you need to take it out for at least an hour test ride. Up and down the street is not a test ride. After an hour, if you don’t need to take an ambulance ride to the nearest trauma hospital, buy it.. they are marvelous machines, but they are not for everybody..

[@seano3997]

Just sold my 2010 1250 Bandit and purchased a 2003 Ballabio for that exact reason. Bandit was a great bike, never missed a beat, huge amount of torque but had no soul.

[@micksterboone4517]

Guzzi's are wonderful bikes. I love my SP1000.

[@jamesroseby3823]

An excellent, no bs review. A lovely bike. Under-appreciated by many, unfortunately. Thanks for posting.

[@jshanni2066]

great review, Mike. And lovely to see some familiar roads out near St Andrews. When I was much younger, one of my "dream" bikes was the Sport 1100, and as a successor to that bike the V11 also appeals. I never managed to own a Sport 1100, but maybe, one day, I'll do so.

[@p6x2]

I bought one in December last year. I still need to pick it up from Florida to bring it back to Houston.... I can't wait! thanks for the review!

[@garmit61]

Amazing. I have a cousin in Miami and another in Houston and I have an 85 Le Mans in UK.

[@cota2472000]

If it has a Sachs rear shock,keep an eye on it.They tend to crack.

[@p6x2]

After several delays, I finally have it down in the garage. Interestingly, it is equipped with two "STAINTUNE" exhausts, which are made in Australia. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXuyhKScodJnaLc

[@EliteRock]

1:25 - It's actually a _longitudinally_ mounted engine.

[@MrKillBill72]

Great bike, for sure. Had one for 4 years. The only downside was the rear shock adjustment. It is near impossible to get to the spring load adjuster.

[@keithkeller6509]

I have one and enjoy it very much. Thanks for doing the review.

[@749corsa]

Nicely done! Love my '03 Le Mans.

[@elendshuraglump3620]

A very good review. Thanks!

[@williamrobarge3111]

excellent review Mike; now to locate one for sale in the US

[@umakantgajjewar8898]

would love to own this motorcycle someday in future.

[@trueblueulster]

Good review but the Le-Man's is definitely a sports bike....

[@Team-fabulous]

Agreed

[@benjaminterblanche4860]

Baie mooi goed gedoen

[@ericgoodrich593]

Well done review. I appreciate it. Kind regards.

[@albertopadovani4237]

Nicely review, thanks 🇮🇪🦅🐞🤟

[@henryhawk978]

Great bike, I have 3 MG'S need 4

[@maruthigs1026]

Good job sir love from india

[@Team-fabulous]

Why are my comments being removed?!?!?

[@MikesMachines]

I removed a duplicate comment on this vid yesterday. Apologies if I deleted yours by mistake.

[@adlinnes]

Hi Mike. I have a V7-3 Cafe Racer & 1982 Le Mans Mk3; is there any reason why I shouldn't purchase the very bike that you've reviewed here? I heard you were considering buying it yourself...

[@MikesMachines]

I was sorely tempted but I couldn't justify another bike in the shed. Get a test ride if you are interested. It's quite a different riding experience to a Mk3.

[@adlinnes]

@@MikesMachines Thanks Mike; I will do. You found the machine mechanically sound? Not to hold you responsible for my purchase, but you are a far more mechanically-minded & experienced person than me, so hoping you would say if there was anything hugely wrong with it, (i.e. walk away) or needs immediate attention. I'm also not that guy that would walk into the shop & say "Mike said...". On a side note, thanks for posting all of the videos, especially on the Le Mans. It takes a lot of mystery out of working on the bike, & inspires me with confidence to at least be able to do at least some of it myself. Where do you source your sump gaskets & oil filters from? I'm in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. Cheers.

[@MikesMachines]

Everything seemed ok when I rode it and there were no obvious issues that I could see from my brief ride. But it is nearly twenty years old so it won't be perfect.

[@MikesMachines]

I get parts from Guzzi Spares in Vic (Steven) www.guzzispares.com.au Thunderbikes in WA (Mario) www.thunderbikes.com.au

[@adlinnes]

@@MikesMachines Mucho gracias. I went & picked up some fluids from AMX & Repco(!) this morning, so am about to tackle all bar the forks - might wait until I get a syringe from work for that. Cheers for the help.

[@watanabetakemasa3909]

maybe 2002 was the last NON-CATALYZED GUZZI.

[@cota2472000]

My 2004 doesn't have a Cat.

[@robertlee8042]

Sounds like it’s swallowing a valve.