"New" 95 Sport 1100 Today

[Kristian]

Most exciting: On my way to buy a mint, stock, 4,200-mile Sport. Been missing my first one since I sold it in 1998. More to come as I go through it.

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[rdbandkab]

 

Interesting tank cover there.

[Devildog]

Love the red. Hope the tank is good under the cover. Good luck Kristian.

[drdwb]

So good looking. Lucky find. Have fun. If it were mine it would sit on the altar (harbor freight lift) for days as I just sat and admired it. But as soon as the snow is gone I’d be on it like a kid on the bucking bronco feeding it quarters. Nice.

[Kristian]

I just sold the nicest 2000 Honda VFR800 anywhere, fully done up in new suspension, mint, low miles, etc., one of the all-time greatest bikes ever. Excepting that it made everything too easy, no real soul, though it did everything so well it almost gets there. It's fine French dining, with many small plates of food-as-art, each tasting amazing, with small sips of $200/bottle wine.

And leaving you wanting a huge dish of your Italian grandma's beef lasagna with home-made, crusty bread, washed down with lots of table Lambrusco.

These first 35 miles of Sport re-ownership reminded me what motorcycling with a fully developed man-machine interface is all about. The grumpy cold-start, the sleepy idle until a few minutes have passed. The intergalactic close-ratio gearbox that makes bikes so equipped the worst drag racers ever, but which sweeten as the revs rise and they're used in anger. The vast array of weird engine noises, clanks, ticks, and clonks. And that they're miserable, terrible motorcycles to ride if ridden like a modern Japanese 650, timidly short-shifting around 3K RPM; no, they need revs, a firm hand, and copious twisting of the silly half-turn throttle.

And then the thing is suddenly flying, with shocking turn-in and mid-corner neutrality, far better than the VFR800, and amazing brakes. Grab it by the scruff, and do not ride it like the estimable Roper says, like a soft-cock. Ridden like that, once at speed they're actually damned fast bikes with excellent suspension. Remember they are, in the purest sense, real race-track refugees, and then they become the most fun on two wheels ever.

[Huzo]

Is the head gasket ok on the right side ?

[Kristian]

Is the head gasket ok on the right side ?

Good eye, nope, the bike's only fault--a porous head casting, pinhole somewheres, to be fixed as the heads are off shortly for other stuff.

[malik]

Bliss. A "proper" motorcycle again.

Porous rocker cover castings were oft a problem with some of the V11's - there should be threads on the V11 LeMans site. I came across a place in Melbourne (Australia) that routinely fixes fixes porous aluminium castings (dip them in a bath overnight) - you are bound to have the same sort of service over there - the trick is in finding the right place - I lucked out, it only took me a few hours of letting my fingers do the walking to find the right place.

Enjoy.

[Old Jock]

In the UK you can get casings Epoxy dipped, specifically to stop oil weep from porous castings.

I'm sure Oz and US are the same (I don't know where you reside)

John

[yogidozer]

If you want to help your wrists a bit, switch clampons left to right.
Also raise the fork tubes in the tripleclamps 3/4 to 1" to quicken the steering w/o sacrificing stability

[rjamesohio]

I just sold the nicest 2000 Honda VFR800 anywhere, fully done up in new suspension, mint, low miles, etc., one of the all-time greatest bikes ever. Excepting that it made everything too easy, no real soul, though it did everything so well it almost gets there. It's fine French dining, with many small plates of food-as-art, each tasting amazing, with small sips of $200/bottle wine.

And leaving you wanting a huge dish of your Italian grandmas's beef lasagna with home-made, crusty bread, washed down with lots of table Lambrusco.

These first 35 miles of Sport re-ownership reminded me what motorcycling with a fully developed man-machine interface is all about. The grumpy cold-start, the sleepy idle until a few minutes have passed. The intergalactic close-ratio gearbox that makes bikes so equipped the worst drag racers ever, but which sweeten as the revs rise and they're used in anger. The vast array of weird engine noises, clanks, ticks, and clonks. And that they're miserable, terrible motorcycles to ride if ridden like a modern Japanese 650, timidly short-shifting around under 3K RPM; no, they need revs, a firm hand, and copious twisting of the silly half-turn throttle.

And then the thing is suddenly flying, with shocking turn-in and mid-corner neutrality, far better than the VFR800, and amazing brakes. Grab it by the scruff, and do not ride it like the estimable Roper says, like a soft-cock. Ridden like that, once at speed they're actually damned fast bikes with excellent suspension. Remember it in the purest sense is a real race-track refugee, and it is the most fun on two wheels ever.

Congrats on an iconic Guzzi and well written description of why Guzzis seep into our souls. Table Lambrusco. Yep. [emoji106]. Enjoy the bike and the experience!


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[Kristian]

Bliss. A "proper" motorcycle again.

Porous rocker cover castings were oft a problem with some of the V11's - there should be threads on the V11 LeMans site. I came across a place in Melbourne (Australia) that routinely fixes fixes porous aluminium castings (dip them in a bath overnight) - you are bound to have the same sort of service over there - the trick is in finding the right place - I lucked out, it only took me a few hours of letting my fingers do the walking to find the right place.

Enjoy.

Good info, thanks. I have a very good vintage car/bike machine shop near; they'll likely know.

[kingoffleece]

I like your description of riding the bike.  They are SOOOOOOOOO much more than any spec sheet, no?

[Kristian]

I like your description of riding the bike.  They are SOOOOOOOOO much more than any spec sheet, no?

No kiddin'!

In late 1994 I sold a fully done-up Ducati 851--as charismatic a motorcycle as you can find--to buy a new Sport 1100, simply based on the outrageousness of its looks and a German magazine review. "Das ist not so bahrt for die 40mm karburettors!" (speaking of the throttlepull).

I nearly forgot all about the Duc after a couple of days of Guzzi ownership, and for years considered the Goose the one that I never should have sold. I'm over the moon to have a near-new one back in the fold.

They'll bury me with it.

[Devildog]

You could have been a motorcycle journalist. I have noticed the Sport is quite a different machine at high speeds, the engine response is smoother and the transmission goes click when shifting instead of clunk. I thought it was just me........

[Kristian]

Thanks for the kind words and good advice! Already found a local foundry/machineshop that does casting impregnating.