big J

Fair play Rich, it's going to be a huge challenge all right. Should you manage to pull it off and race a classic Guzzi at the TT (and I'm sure you will) I reckon you'll make a lot of moderately strange, abstractly incurably romantic old guys very happy. I have no race experience but as Andrew said above, Maxton stuff is first class, I have it on my V11. There's a Guzzi breaker, Reboot Guzzi spares, it might be an idea to buy only what you need for the foundation of your race bike, rather than buy a road bike and throw half of it aside. Anyway, good luck with it, my hat is doffed in your general direction. That doesnt happen often Oh, a second thought. Try to contact Pete Roper, he's sound. He can be difficult to get hold of, between a Yak fat bottling enterprise and his midget porn empire, he doesnt have much free time, but he's fettled a Guzzi or 2

Jeez. you lads should get some nice Hondas or something These Italian bikes are no good

I still drop by from time to time. I dont get much time on the net nowadays. For me, it's a bittersweet experience, contrary to Pete's perspective, my experience has been the polar opposite of his. My V11, my favourite bike of all those I have owned, languishes in a shed somewhere in Dublin, I haven't seen her for 4 years now and really miss her. With the Mistral cans, PC111, Stucchi crossover and drilled airbox, she ran beautifully and I was happiest when out tooling around on her. Riding from Ireland to Scotland every fortnight to see the kids was never a chore. The Griso 8V I purchased this year has been a disappointing experience, between the low rpm surging, the banging transmission and the terrible vibration I dont go out much on it. Not impressed with it at all.

Sorry fellas, been mad busy recently. Docc, still got the V11, that bike will always be mine. Pete and Guzzimoto, I'll be honest, I'm not that enchanted with the bike. Vibration is considerable, I had hoped that when I synched the TB's it would improve and it has a little, however my ride to work is about 50km and by the time I'm there, my fingers and toes are tingling. It's as bad as my old Bonnie. I've now tried the synching procedure 3 times and I'm confident it's as good as it will get. I set it at 3500rpm and balance at idle with the appropriate bleed screw. Both screws are closed for the synch set up. Tappets have been checked again. Throttle cables checked for play. The bars still shake back and forth at idle. At around 4000 to 4200 the buzziness is worst. The surging at 3000-3500 ish hasn't gone away and the popping on decel is still there. It's almost impossible to ride at 5500rpm plus, the vibration is so bad.The bike just feels flat, it's hard to describe, but it just doesn't seem to pull like I'd expect. Unfortunately, the Centurion software has stopped working, I'm waiting on a reply from the Technoresearch helpline, though I dont think the tps is far out, the bike is idling at around 1300rpm. Solutions? I've tried to find the NGK plug caps, but no dice thus far, I'll bring some back when I visit the UK next month. I believe the injectors are ok as both pipes are the same colour. I'm also still unhappy with the transmission, the bang when first is engaged when the bike is hot is excruciating. My new screen is cool though, got the large Guzzi one, makes a nice difference above 140.

Hi Docc, hope you're well.I'll update this in a bit, meanwhile- http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=17979

So, finally got a bit of time to myself to set the throttle bodies and reset the tps. Synch was easy as pie, although I noticed one of the little rods jumps about much more than the other. Tried changing the tubes about but no difference. Ah well. Plugged in the Centurion wires and reset the tps, easy enough. Took her out for a spin, the bike is noticeably smoother though it still vibrates a bit more than I expected. When I come to junctions though, it stumbles and nearly cuts out before picking up to idle again. Very strange. I'll let her (and me!) cool off for a while, it's 40 degrees outside, then I'll check everything again. The lean surging and popping through the exhaust is a bit worse too, reckon one of Todds PC5's is in my future. And a loud pipe I think I'll investigate whether I can manually reset the tps a little higher. Before the reset it was 5.2 deg and the bike was running fine. I've checked- inlet rubbers nice and snug, tappets, header nuts.

Good point Andy,probably with a stock bike but I reckon if you fitted an oil cooler the same size as the Griso it wouldn't be any different. She performed a new trick last night, stopped on the way home for smokes, when I restarted her about 20 minutes later, she would only run on one cylinder until she hit 2000rpm or so. This went on for maybe 6kms then cleared. Heat soak I expect. I'll look into the fuel line routing when I get a chance. John

Quick update- I've now got just shy of 1000 kms on the bike. I'll put her in for a service shortly, in the meantime I've been doing a little bit of tinkering myself. Clutch- there was no noticeable free play so I adjusted the plunger. It still bites very far out, next job will be to try bleeding it and see if it makes a difference. Tappets, checked and reset at 750 kms, the two inner inlets were slightly loose strangely, one exhaust had opened up a little, however nothing to worry about I believe. I also had a look at the axial play in the rocker arms, it varies between 0.3mm to 0.45mm. This is, I reckon, the source of the rattling from the top end, most noticeable between 2000- 3000 rpm. It rather reminds me of an old VW Beetle. I'm not concerned about it at present although sometime in the future I may machine the shafts a little and insert some shims to quieten it a bit. Throttle cable adjusted to remove free play. Played about with the fork and damper settings, turns in better now. Gearbox, still bangs away like I'm using a sledgehammer to shift. Change up- CLANG! Change down, CLANG clack. I've tried every variation of timing and technique I can think of but nothing seems to make any difference. Given that my V11's box was smoother than an Italian playboy at a college disco, it's a bit disappointing. I wonder if, with the clutch not engaging til the lever is quite far out, if the clutch itself isn't disengaging properly, dragging slightly. Between that and the CARC banging away as well, filtering through traffic is a bit of a chore. I've found some 10w-60 oil, Castrol Edge, so that'll be going in, also have some Heavy Shockproof coming for the trans and final drive. The Carbtune arrived, just waiting for the VDST tool and I'll synch the throttle bodies and reset the tps. I reckon I'll have maybe another month of the riding season before it becomes too hot. It's around 36-38C at the moment and when you're stuck in traffic, the motor gets pretty hot. Shortly it'll be around 50C during the day, too hot for this boy with winter in his blood, so I'll begin the planned improvements then- She runs lean and hot, so I'll invest in a PC5 and optimiser. And a loud pipe. If I can, I'll remove the clutch pushrod and see if I can get a longer one to change the engagement point. Otherwise, the bike is good. She's no V11, but bloody good all the same. John

Jaap, it's nice all right. For me, the V11 is a far more handsome machine, it's probably my all time favourite. The Griso isn't as good looking, but I'm sure the looks will grow on me. Foto, you're right there! You wouldnt want to break down out there in summer for sure. Pete, yes it has the 68s map in, thanks for that info, I checked it on the dealers computer. I've ordered a Centurion VDST thing from Guzzitech so I'll be able to reset the tps myself. It seems to be running ok,quite lumpy low down and a bit tingly through the bars at 5-6000rpm though it will, as you say, be better when properly tuned. My V11 was really smooth, silent gear changes, nice clutch pull, almost no vibration. This is very different, what with the jingly tinkling it does at 2500-3000 rpm and the clangy gearbox. Not bad, just different. No reply from Penrite yet. I have no idea how you ship oil myself- maybe a big box with polystyrene all around? God knows.

Got the bike out today and went for a ride around. Impressions; well the vibration is a bit annoying but I'll fix that when the Carbtune arrives. Pulls well with a little surging at low revs, up to about 3000 or so, after that it seems good, handling, braking all ok. Clutch bites quite far out, I'll check it later, but engages fine, box clonks but never misses a gear. Very happy indeed, only minor gripe is that the right mirror folds in even after tightening, I'll put a small washer or O ring or something in to pack the fitting. Oh, and it bloody rained. I couldnt believe it.We get rain maybe 5 or 6 times a year. Wtf, like???

That would be great if you could Pete. I've sent an email to Penrite customer service too. Thanks btw for all the help and tips. It would be spendy all right, but an engine rebuild would be a hell of a lot more expensive, I'd rather have the peace of mind. Temperatures here aren't too bad just now, high 20's to mid 30's during the day but in another month or so it'll be in the 40's climbing to the 50's by mid June. Too hot to ride during the day for me but even at night it stays in the high 30's minimum. A good test of any oil. Coupled with the dust, I'll be changing it fairly frequently I reckon. John

Picked the bike up last night, registration finally completed. First impressions- jeez, it's a vibrator!!! Obviously a consequence of the dealer (or anyone else here as far as I can ascertain) not having a synch tool. I have ordered a Carbtune, hopefully be here next week. It clicketty clacks away to itself quite happily, like a gigantic knitting machine. Not at all annoying and quite musical really. Just noisier than my V11. Quite nippy and very easy to ride, draws plenty of attention, very comfy apart from the vibes and a good riding position for general use. I tried to listen for detonation given that gas quality here is terrible but couldnt detect any. I've tried just about everywhere I can think of to buy some 10w60 but there's none on the island so I'll have to import some. Given the temperatures here, I might try the Penrite 10w70 if I can find a dealer who'll send me a box. I'll spend the last of my dosh on a VDST scanning tool I think. All good though, I'll try to get some pics over the coming days. John

nothing to report today fellas. Everything is closed due to the stupid F1, so I got drunk instead.

ok, so, went down today. Checked the tappets, they were perfect from the factory. Set up the Navigator tool, checked the map, #68S, thanks Pete. Right, says I, lets synch the throttle bodies. Erm, says the tech, we dont have a synchronising tool. So the hunt is on for a synch tool of some kind. Anyway, started her up, runs fine, no bad noises or anything, ticks over smooth and steady. TPS readings were 4.5 to 4.6 with a little odd dip to 4.1 ish occassionally. Seemed fine to me. Too quiet though with that Scania truck silencer on it. Just waiting for the registration to be completed, hopefully tomorrow, and we're away!

Thanks guys, this is all good stuff. I didn't know the 8v had twin plugs? Did the deal today, met with the tech and he's put the battery on charge.Seems like a good sort and quite knowledgeable too. I've printed off Petes' instructions and should be going in at the weekend to set her up. Slightly in shock, never owned a brand new bike before. Woohoo!!

Thanks man, that's great to know. Back up is always a good thing. Much appreciated indeed.

Hokaly dokaly, latest update. Spoke with the manager, all seems ok though for a guy holding a bike for 2 years he seemed somewhat indifferent. He offered to verify with Piaggio if the tappets had been done. I replied that it was a known fact that the factory had fitted the original tappets by mistake in a number of cases and I'd like to see for myself. he went a bit quiet, but I'm not letting him off the hook. He also stated that checking the tappets wasn't normally part of the PDI. i said that I didn't care whether it was or not, it would be done. Also, 10w/60 is not available here. They use a 10w/50 fully synth instead. He reckons Guzzi agreed that for this market it would be ok. I have my doubts, but anyway, if it comes to it, I'll import some myself. Negotiations continue, but that;s just the way here.We haggled about the price for a while and he informed me that he'd have to consult with the accounts dept. I said the showroom is about the size of my living room, where are they, in a cupboard? As can be the case here, when you show an interest in something, it's almost as if they dont want to sell it to you. Strange. Think I'll go down on Wednesday with a bag of money and see what happens. If it comes to it, I'll import one from the States myself rather than play mind games. No duty on imports from the US

"Young players" hahaha. you silver tongued devil you It'll certainly get hot enough out here. I'll update you as soon as I can get some concrete info about the date of manufacture. Thanks again John

Thanks man, I knew what it was, just not the particular details assosciated with the Griso. Good to have it confirmed though. So, busy day today. One of my students works at the Triumph dealer here and has been badgering me to test ride the Speed Triple, which I duly did. Impressions......hmm. Nothing really. It went reasonably enough, seemed nice, but there was nothing about it which stood out. For me, it seemed quite bland compared to the V11. Not for me. Then I sold a Corvette for a friend of mine. Finally on to the Guzzi place and asking questions. The bike is an A5 model, the last numbers of the VIN are112500. I asked about the cams,etc, but the salesman wasn;t sure if they'd been changed. I then spoke at length about the PDI, I want to either do it myself in their workshop or I will supervise their technician. They have both the new Navigator and the synchronising tools. Absolutely no problem, they'll fit a new battery too. I will speak to the manager tomorrow morning; both he and the tech were off today, to discuss a final price, but She's a goer. I dropped a small deposit on it ( knowing my luck, after sitting for 2 years, it would be sold tomorrow ) The bullet has been bit. With luck, I wont be bit back. Time will tell

Jeez, thanks for all the replies. I'll try to answer them in order. myznc, life here is good. I'm only a teacher, not making the big bucks the petrochem guys make, but I'm not complaining.Bahrain is probably the least well off of the Gulf states, there isn't the conspicuous consumption of somewhere like Dubai. The locals are great, I\ve made many really good friends here, people here are generally open and friendly, very easy going and tolerant and like to show off their hospitality. You bear in mind that it's a Muslim country and have a bit of respect for local culture, but as long as you arent a complete arsehole, you'll get along fine. Crime levels are, generally very low, the last place you want to end up is in a local jail, I dont think I've locked my car in years for example.The only thing is that there's very little to do and nowhere really to go. Plenty of restaurants and bars, but the island is tiny and only about a quarter is inhabited, there isn't a single decent twisty road at all. Hence, Hardly's sell by the boatload , by far the most popular bikes here. The heat is savage in summer, usually 50 deg or above for 4 months during the day and 40 ish at night. No fun. It only rains for about 5 or 6 days a year though. All in all, I really like it here, not bad at all. Skeeve, see above. Women and booze freely available. Plenty of bars, restaurants and hotels around. Tom, thanks man, will do! Andy, tbh, if it was financially viable, I'd have my V11 out here. But it would mean a trip to Ireland to collect and crate up, import duties and shipping, remedial work to fix her up, blah blah. The asking price for the Griso is about the same, plus I get to ride it right away.I dont think the Griso is as good looking as the V11 but hey ho. Fotoguzzi / Guzzimoto, I know I'm on my own here.Whereas you guys can go to your local parts store, there is virtually nothing available here unless you drive a Japanese car or similar. Nothing. Even getting bulbs, fuses, etc for my old Chevy can be a mission. Many Western companies wont export here, Amazon for example. It just adds a layer of hassle, something you have to work around. For example, I've been looking for a battery charger for about 3 months now, no luck yet. Felix, the Piaggio dealer is a couple of doors up from the Hardly place on Budaiya Highway. Tiny little shop, one Guz, 2 Aprilias and loads of Vespas. Pete, many thanks and much appreciation for that. I didn't make it down to the shop last week, going today. I'll certainly put everything into motion that you've advised. I called them during the week and ascertained that they have a Navigator tool and confirmed that the motor is outside the recall period. I will check to see if it's the A5 or A 8. I'll do some reading to ensure that I can identify the air bleeds from the sacred screw, I've been checking but haven't seen any clear pics of it. I dont know if they have a synchronising tool and mine is in Ireland, there's no chance of finding something like that here in a shop, but I can work something out even if it means making one. Interestingly, the tech is away doing a course on the new Cali which arrives soon. Maybe he might just have a clue. Anyway, if it comes to it, I'll use their tools in the shop and do it all myself. I'll also check which oil they have, getting 10/60 synth out here will be a mission if they dont have it. Thanks again guys, it's great to be back. I hadn't logged on for ages, it was a bit painful cos I miss my old bike so much. Going to the shop now, back tonight!!!!!!

Lol, will do. Thanks Pete

Thanks Guzzimoto. The bike is a 2010 model year. I checked the VIN against the recall list, but it falls outside that. I'll ask the dealer if the tappets have been changed for the latest type. I think I'll head down there tonight and drop a deposit on it. Have a chat with the "technician" (probably some poor little Indian fella with some chocolate tools in a carrier bag ) I'll have the only Guzzi on the island

Hiya fellas, long time since I posted. I'm still in Bahrain, havent even seen my V11 for years now, miss the old girl terribly. Anyhow, recently I had occassion to drop a friend over to the Hardly agency here. I couldnt stomach the place, so wandered up a couple of doors to the Piaggio dealers, therein to find a Griso 8v. It's a 2010 model, been sitting in the showroom since and never ridden. As you do, I had a sit on it, though I didnt make any engine noises this time. The very nice sales guy and I had a very nice chat. Then he told me the price, it was very nice too. I find myself in a quandary. The dealer is a box shifter, I dont believe that I will have any support should the worst happen. I'm easy with that. I dont know if the bike has even been started in months, therefore I will assume that it hasnt. Pete has posted that as long as a proper PDI is done, the bike should be ok, but I cant find any mention of what a PDI would include, does anyone know? I'd like to pressurise the oil system before initial startup, is this possible? Maybe hook up a garden sprayer full of oil to one of the oil cooler pipes and pump it up to ensure adequate lubrication? I have read of the seemingly random nature of cam lifter failure, I realise full well that I may end up with an ornament, but I miss my old Guz and want another. All comments welcome John

Thanks Keith,looks like it all right. It's a bit strange,the ad says it's CRMC registered,but it doesnt look very "classic" to me.Have to assume they're now working to a later cutoff date,I think it used to be 72 or thereabouts.