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Easy to lift the front tire now. I guess I need to go do some reading....

Thanks. I could not think of a good reason to take it off, so I won't. I have a holding tool too, it's a broken bit of plywood with a nice taper to it. Wedges in nicely against the ring gear and a stud. Not recommended, but if you want to get it done it works. Ease the bolts out, don't crank like a gorilla or you may be looking up the part number for a new stud.

Does anyone know why the MG suggested procedure is to take the alternator off before removing the clutch? I am assuming that it relates to a complete motor tear-down and you need to block the starter ring gear in order to get the alternator off and once you remove that ring gear, then its not happening. As I have no plans to remove the alternator, then I am going to skip that step. I would be interested to know if I am missing something.

Eeee.... I was stuck for 2 days in a car with only FM radio when this song was on heavy rotation...still cringe a bit.

Why don't I hear this good stuff on XM radio? I'll be doing the Grand Tour of Texas, probably September, ending here;

I was reading on Adv Rider, that 82 is the new 27. two geniuses that fell off the axis of the earth. Came back for a time or two. John L

This got me thinking about how much our Texas members > RIDE >> Maybe trying to " . . . lose those Lone Star Blues . . . " (How many celebrity "stars" do you see in this video?)

Update. I did not hear anything back from HMB after I advised them that the cam chain tensioner does not fit my 2004 Ballabio. Wanting to take advantage of the riding season I went ahead with using the HMB tensioner wear pad and spring on my original tensioner base. The pad is near identical and the spring as well The HMB spring had a little more resistance than the original, likely because it is new. They look identical. I reassembled the bike, using new metal gasket on timing case, hoping to again have an oil tight bike. Ran the bike, checked spark scatter at idle and the 1750 to 2000 rpm range. Very slightly less scatter but maybe 20% less. Took bike for a test ride. Same issue of popping back into air box at that rpm range whether riding or in my stand. I am now convinced this is not the issue causing misfire / popping into air box. I set everything back to Decent tuneup setting 157mv, balanced TBs, CO =0, air screws 1 turn out, idle 1250. Extensive test in stand ( use my Hartzel dyno cooling fan) and riding showed missing and popping back into air box in the 1500 to 2800 rpm range (larger range than previous), plugs showing white / very lean indication. Also ran test in stand on left cylinder only and right cylinder only. Same problem both sides. There are no leaks on intake or exhaust. All sensors are new, plugs, etc. In desperation I decided to see if increase TPS setting would help. i did it initially in large increments to see if changed. Without going through all the steps which was spread out over 2 days I found as I increased the TPS setting the range of rpm where missing and popping got tighter until it was only at 1950 RPM. One more increase and it was gone. I then worked back down until it started and went up in small increments until it stopped. Took numerous rides attempting to get it to pop or miss. It doesn’t now, no matter what I try. The end setting that makes it run so nice with as low as I can set it with out inducing popping is TPS 285 mv, balanced TBs, air screws 1/2 out, idle 1250 RPM. Plugs show medium tan at various rpm runs. It doesn’t make sense to me that this works. Could it be fuel pump pressure? Or injector condition? I am very pleased to have it running so fine, and not worrying it may pop and stall when making a left turn across traffic at low rpm, but would really like to understand if something is not correct I have put on about 300 km now and it continues to run perfectly. Will be checking fuel consumption to compare to previous levels. I would really appreciate input from others that may have any ideas.

. I sent the email, below, to some enthusiasts who would might not delete it out of hand. Docc replied, and made me think I should post it here, too, tho no spines played. Given my cavalier -- unintentionally, most of the time -- practice of breaking rules here generally, here goes: ============== Good afternoon from the Moto Grappa. As I did not get a request from you to be “unsubscribed” from my previous pre-trip messages, you get the pictorial trip report, too. For those of the “too many pix” sort, know that I culled the K-plus down to just over 200. Still lots, but, hey, it’s my slideshow; you don’t have to look at it. 😉 As usual, the link opens in "landscape collage," thus allowing you to see pix at all at once rather than slogging through those individually via “slideshow." In that format, you can simply hover your cursor over each pic to see captions. The system truncates some of the longer ones in collage mode. You can also view the pix in slideshow form so the pix are larger, and let it roll every 10 seconds or move them along manually more or less frequently. You may have to have your cursor stay or “revisit” the lower-left corner of pix when captions stop appearing in slideshow mode. It can be maddening … well, only when you care. 😂 You may note that there are few pix of scenery and the like along the way. As most getting this know, it’s easy to stop and “smell the roses” when riding solo. But, group rides are like driving the family in a minivan … stomachs, bladders, interests, hunger, etc., after etc., vary, so we tended stop only for refueling, "bladder maintenance,” and azimuth checks. That tends to reduce the time we had to stop for the things we individuals mights have chosen when alone. But, as I trust the pix show, we nonetheless had a very fine time even we didn't stop — as I wished — for every historical marker along the way! 😄 OK, yes, the link at last … Muttoneers in Kentucky & the Ozarks Bill

I want to get myself a luggage rack for the bike so I can really get some touring done. I know I can get a hepco & becker rack (pictured) but I would be happier with a more sleek design!

You'd be better off just adjusting the CO as a quick and dirty way to control the popping rather than the Tps sensor. The CO setting affects the whole range but is most effective at the bottom. Phil

DHL freight isn't bad to EU...but whatcha got?

I've got the real deal. PM me.

I sent the injectors from my '97 out to be cleaned, turned out they were *very* dirty, so much so that I had to remap the entire fuel curve because it went rich. iirc the left injector was down 6% and the right down 10%. So yes, the injectors can, and over time certainly will, lean the mixture. On modern auto, the system accomodates injector change by increasing the pulse width to keep the O2 sensor happy. On ours, well, I don't know when or if the factory started running the fuel from the O2 sensor. My first V11 is still on the bench with the stock ECU so I'm sure I'll be revisiting some of these questions in the coming months.

Well, it's the worst possible outcome. I can't see anything wrong. Nothing. There is clutch material dust, a tiny bit of oil that seems to be weeping from a seal in behind the breather tube and that's about it. There seems to be plenty of material on the clutch disk, both sides of the metal plate seem to have about the same amount of material 3/32 maybe an 1/8. My problem was not slippage, the opposite. I need to think about this. For what it is worth, the aluminium flywheel looks fine. I still need to clean one side but I don't see any points of concern. I am the original owner. It has 10,000 miles, totally stock. Very little city traffic, virtually zero. I don't baby it, but I don't drive it like I stole it either. That's not meant to imply that those who have had problems with the flywheel beat their bikes, just information intended as a point of reference.

I'll guess that you're correct, since removing the clutch and flywheel doesn't input meaningful impacts to the alternator and the alternator can be plenty tight enough to turn the engine. In the one time I had to work with the alternator with engine benched ('85 LeMans) I just stuffed some synthetic rope down the spark plug hole to prevent rotation. Now I have the flywheel holding tool, so...

https://www.wmot.org/playlist#stream/0

MPH cycles is a real business, but not a retail bike shop. What you saw at Park Row was remnants of my days as dealership. Thats not coming back, we are 2 old guys doing what we do best. The "shed" mentioned is an air conditioned 1500 SF steel building, with a 750sf carport with lifts for working on running bikes out of the AC.Not a dirt floor donkey barn. While at Park Row, I was engulfed by cars, as quality MB/BMW techs are as rare as quality Guzzi BMW techs. Davy is here 5 days a week, while he prefers analog repairs, we both know when his talent is best utilized elsewhere and then I take over the electronics and computer work if needed. . I sold the name of the business at the time I sold the building. (12 31 2024) I have no involvement in the operation of the car shop. And yes we have chosen to do what we like ,on bikes we like for people we like. One of the luxuries of having a successful career is an enjoyable semi retirement. Mike Haven

This could be our forum's unofficial mantra . . .

Wow, you move fast. 4 years was just a guess. You can factor in your own bravery/timidity/risk tolerance to work out your personal "relay life expiry". History shows that I have overrun my relay life expiry date 3 times. It's interesting talking to the people who stop to help.

Do not miss this talent . . .

https://www.wildwestmotoplex.com/ Today I learned from MPH Cycles that we have a new Moto Guzzi / Aprilia dealership in Houston; I went there to check them out; I could actually sit on the Stelvio and the Mandello! They also have a bunch of V7, and the V85TT in two livrées. The Blu White Red looks really nice. They told me they only sold two Guzzi since they started. They have one part of the floor dedicated to BMW, and they have many GS1300 (of course!). According to the sales assistant I spoke to, the Yamaha Tenere and the Honda Africa Twin are the most sought after. In fact, he said they never have any on the floor because they get sold as soon as they come. There is less than 1000 USD difference between the Stelvio and the Mandello. They are both around 15,000 USD. You can basically purchase both and still spend less than for a BMW GS1300... unreal! Although I can keep my feet flat on the floor seating on the Stelvio, you really have to make an effort to bring it upright from being on the sidestand. Much more than my Quota, and that is with an empty tank.

I went to WWM this morning, to check if they had a 2025 V7 Sport in the showroom! Unfortunately, I got disappointing news; @PJPR01 the Moto Guzzi test ride did take place that cold day, and they had a lot of people that came to test the MG's; however, not a single sale that day, and nothing more than polite interest. Anyway, I had come today, to inquire about the 2025 V7 Sport, and the sales manager told me they are not making any new orders for MGs bikes as they only sold one since my last visit in October last year: the Blue/White/Red V85TT in the photo above. He said Aprilia are flying off the showroom, sadly, the MG's aren't and he has a warehouse full of them, on top of all those in the showroom. The V100, V100 Stelvio and that Travel V85TT are still there, gathering dust. He would only order the V7 Sport 2025 if I was to make a deposit to purchase it;