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V11 Le Mans steals Bill's heart

Bill and the object of his affections
Bill is one of the more recent Squadra Guzzista members (ozstrider23).

When he told me about his V11 Le Mans, I just had to know more...

"My name is Bill, I live (near enough to) Toowoomba, Queensland Australia and I’ve been a Guzzi enthusiast ever since the S3 came out in the 70s.
Black tank, orange stripes - I remember first seeing it in Two Wheels magazine… bloody beautiful. Unfortunately I couldn’t afford it. I’d bought a BMW R60/5 new in 1973 and also had a couple of dirt bikes.

Bill's first Guzzi love affair...the 750S3I suppose I could have sold the lot but I got married instead. In the end, I sold the dirt bikes but kept the BMW - which I rode for the next 20 odd years. Three gearbox rebuilds, two sets of rings, re-engined to a 750 and it was still a - well how else would you describe it - a slug that didn’t handle! It’s in the shed.

I bought a K100RS BMW in 1995. I was pleased with it at the time ‘cos it had some grunt and handled a lot better than the R75. Lots of little (but expensive) things went wrong with it and I traded it on a Honda ST1100 in 1999.

The Honda is a ‘nice’ bike. It doesn’t do anything spectacularly but does most things well - but it has stuff all character....a ride on the one at the back..and Bill bought the one at the front!
I’m a member of the Ulysses Club. A social club for ‘older’ motorcyclists. You can join at 40 years as a junior member and you become a senior member when you turn 50. Membership is over 20,000. They have an Annual General Meeting in a different location every year.

I was travelling to the AGM in Geelong in March 2004 with a good mate, Gordon, who owns a Rosso Corsa. He offered me a ride on it and I accepted. I really shouldn’t have done it, because after only 150 km I was hooked.

My heart had been stolen... but my arse was as sore as hell! What do they use for padding? 4 x 2? I should explain: The ST’s seat was rebuilt by John Moorhouse Ergo Seats in Brisbane. It is the best bike seat I’ve ever sat on (yes, better than a Corbin) and after eight days averaging over 800 km per day, my backside was fine.

Anyway, a few days after I got home, I was checking the Ulysses club’s website. Just for fun I logged onto the ‘for sale’ section. I started to scroll through. It must have been fate. There it was - Moto Guzzi LeMans, 2001 model, 5,500 km, $14750 ono. I bought it in April 2004. I flew down to Sydney and rode it back to Toowoomba.

I’ve owned it now for three years. It had 5,800 km on the dial when I got it and it now has 49,860. By the time most people read this, it will have more! After letting the clubmates know, the Guzzi owners amongst them said: ‘You’ve done it now. There’s no turning back. You’ll have Guzzi in your blood.”

So how do they compare? The Le Mans has bugger all luggage capacity - especially with a pillion; the fuel tank is smaller; the pillion seat is tiny; it’s more of a sports oriented ride position; the seat is probably made from the same lump of 4 x 2 as Gordon’s! What else? Well, I’ve never had a bike before that felt ‘just right’... the LeMans does. And the suspension is adjustable, it’s stiffer, doesn’t wallow around corners, you can change your line easily in a corner, and it is excellent on a dirt road. Bill's playground. V11 Le Mans at Coff's Harbour
Engine braking is outstanding, the brakes are formidable, performance is better, it’s about 60 kgs lighter, and best of all – it has a soul. It’s not just another universal Japanese motorcycle.



It’s hard to pick a category for the Le Mans. It’s probably best described as a Sports Tourer with a lot more emphasis on sport, while the ST has a lot more emphasis on touring but is a tiny bit sporty.

On the ST I’ve ground off the ‘hero knobs’, part of the footpegs and bits of the engine protector bars. I’ve scraped the sidestand and the right muffler on the LeMans, but at the time I was on a much greater lean and ‘in the zone’. Everything was right and it just flowed. I’ve never felt that way on any bike before.

I was on a trip a few weeks ago and she got temperamental. One of the clamps securing the left hand throttle body came loose. I pulled into a service station and while tightening it up, a truckie started telling me about how that would never happen with his Gold Wing. I just smiled, turned to him and said “You just don’t get it, do you?”GIT THAT APEX!!! Bill at "The Dipper" Mt Panorama circuit!

So what do I think of current Guzzis? Well, I’ve ridden the Griso, Norge and 1200 Sport.

I would be pleased to own any or all. I don’t like the Griso or 1200 around town – too much clutch required. (I normally only use the clutch for stopping and starting.

I find clutchless changes are simple on the LeMans).Both have great power and handling. The Norge was not as ‘grunty’ but a lot more refined, and also easy with clutchless changes.

I would trade the ST1100 on one any day – but unfortunately I have other priorities. I wouldn’t sell the LeMans though.

I ride most days of the year. I commute on the ST1100 (60 km round trip) and I have fun on the Guzzi on weekends, including longer tours and track days. (I may be old but I’m not dead!)

I saw an S3 at a rally recently. I still want one. I think my blood has changed colour too.To address the last point on the article submission form, I found out about Squadra Guzzista on e-bay while searching for Moto Guzzi items. Cheers, Bill"

Thanks Bill! Great story...if you do get your hands on a 750 S3 make sure you let us know! If you want your Guzzi featured, drop me a line at joe@guzzista.com.

"After letting the clubmates know, the Guzzi owners amongst them said: ‘You’ve done it now. There’s no turning back. You’ll have Guzzi in your blood.”

Bill's stunning Le Mans


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Started By Thread Subject Replies Last Post
luvmyguzzi From another Bill 1 Oct 2 2007, 7:21 PM EDT by Guzzista
luvmyguzzi
Thread started: Oct 1 2007, 2:18 PM EDT  Watch
Hi Bill, great reading your story. I am new here but not new to motorcycles (41 years). I have three bikes, an EV California Touring, a V11 Sport (greenie) and A Ducati 900SS. I love my Guzzis (anything Italian) can't see myself not owning at least one. Welcome!
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