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Kind of Black, silver, red, greenie ++. Cool bikes, and have l mentioned the engines before, YES l have [emoji16]. End of season up here. Cheers Tom. Sent fra min SM-S906B via Tapatalk

Nice Texas Spine Raid rendezvous and enjoyable lunch at one of our favorite local cafes and not coincidentally also a stop on the Tour of Texas. Great to have you here Eric and Pascal thanks for coming up as well!

Victory! The first row of bikes to show up were all Guzzis! Then later some other Italian brands showed up. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That housekeeping done (y'all carry on with that Texas bid'ness! ) . . . I have to tell this South'n Spine Raid story, lest it fade away . . . Late night in the Tellico Garage, the question of "Why a Guzzi?" came up. One revered SpineRaider spoke up ( I paraphrase, but not entirely!) . . . "I was always a Ducati guy and hated Guzzis ." >hated<. "One day I was at my dealer and walked by a SPOrT 1100 from behind. I squatted down and looked at it from behind. " "It was like your girlfriend bending over in some hot shorts. " Some quick-witted SpineRaider noted he said: YOUR girlfriend, not HIS girlfriend . . . Either way: he's been a Guzzi guy ever since.

@PJPR01, @p6x, @Pressureangle

I've always noticed that the RM's valve covers turn a little more orange over time. Is it the heat that affects the paint, UV rays or both? I don’t think that happens with powder coating, but the sheen might be different.

Just did this and the oil light fires up! There was a bit of corrosion in this connection, and I hit it with some Deoxit and wiped it down.

Absolutely ! SamP forgive our zeal but we want you to get this fixed and operating correctly. Moto Guzzi will make you an electrical tch whether you want it or not !

I think: cigars all around. I cannot imagine another online community with this much enthusiasm dedicated to helping another member solve a problem.

Well its in the back of the van so I guess well know more in the coming days. Will give it a good once over and get a few miles on it and see how it goes. Thanks

Just as a point of reference I had a customer I sold a new 8V Griso to way back when. It got its first service and its 10,000km service with me and he then moved away and there was nowhere nearby to service it. Now he really is a mechanical neophyte and didn’t to anything to it. He got in contact with me a few years later and asked if he could bring it in for a service, I said yes of course. Anyway when I was working on it I noticed the engine was absolutely filthy on the inside! What I drained out of it was absolutely gross! When he picked it up I asked him when he’d last changed the oil. He looked kind of sheepish and said “Never, I just topped it up when it dropped off the stick!” At that point it had done nearly 90,000 Km!!! Thing is, apart from being filthy everything else that I could check seemed fine! I got the chance to explore further about 30,000 Km later when it dropped a valve and destroyed a head, barrel and piston but whether the guide wear that promoted that was related I have no idea, the 8V’s do use valve guide oil seals after all. The whole engine as in remarkably good shape! The long and the short of it is Guzzis tend to be monstrously over-built and modern oils are very, very good at their job and last extraordinarily well. I have always used Penrite 10/60 in everything I’ve owned built this century and nothing has blown up yet. That seems like a good enough reason not to change. To my mind the 10,000km service interval is very conservative but draining the gribblies out is always good, it’s not particulates generally it’s the crap and byproducts of combustion that need to be got rid of.

For the fools, including myself, who follow the owner's manual, but occasionally check for updates out there, and I include looking at cars as well, not just motorcycles. So far at 60K miles of use, the Norge hasn't blown up yet due to improper oil usage! Based on official documentation and owner discussions, Moto Guzzi has not changed the oil recommendation for the 2008 Norge. The manufacturer's specification has remained a high-quality 10W-60 synthetic motor oil. The original recommendation At launch, the official factory recommendation for the Norge was Agip 4T full synthetic 10W-60 oil. The reasons for this specific viscosity include: Air/oil-cooled engine: The air-cooled V-twin engines run hotter than liquid-cooled counterparts, and the 10W-60 weight helps the oil maintain its viscosity under high thermal stress. Higher film strength: The engine has specific characteristics, such as a dry clutch, that necessitate a high film strength oil for longevity. Updated guidance While the fundamental recommendation has not changed, the brand of oil has. Since the original Agip oil is now more difficult to find, Moto Guzzi recommends the equivalent Castrol Edge 10W-60 synthetic for its modern big-block engines. Considerations for older models Some owners of older Norge models have noticed changes in oil API (American Petroleum Institute) ratings over time. Specifically, some older formulations of Agip oil had a more desirable SG rating. Because newer formulations may have different ratings, many owners prioritize finding a quality 10W-60 synthetic oil with a higher concentration of zinc and phosphorus to protect the valve train. However, the 10W-60 viscosity remains the most critical specification.

You're right! The greenies got a lot of attention, especially two side by side. That color in the sunlight is stunning.

Lard! Lard is good! Actually lard is a fantastic lubricant. All animal fats are. The problem is most of them aren’t liquid at room temperature and they get smelly real quick! One thing they keep very quiet is that sperm whale oil is still used as a lubricant in space vehicles because of its abilities to withstand extremes of circumstance. At least it was at the turn of the millennium. I have to admit I haven’t kept up…...

at least everyone is being so helpful...

That would be more to my liking. A wider difference between the two numbers means the oil relies more heavily on viscosity modifiers. Viscosity modifiers are complex molecules that coil up when cold and uncoil when they get hot. They are prone to shear, to being cut up, in use. As they get cut up they stop doing what they do. In essence, an oil with a larger gap between the two numbers will breakdown quicker. When you see an oil like 10w-60, it is a 10 weight oil with viscosity modifiers to give it the performance of a 60 weight oil when hot. But those viscosity modifiers that give it the 60 weight when hot aren't as stable and long lasting as the rest of the oil is. So as it gets older under use it gets thinner and thinner when hot. It takes more viscosity modifiers to make a 10w-60 oil then it does a 20w-50 oil. That said, you can't go wrong using the oil they recommend. I don't agree with their recommendation, but it is their recommendation.

Because it's bad for catalytic converters. Phil

I felt poor pulling the Krauser Kluge up next to those Sophia Lorens!

I also like the original anodized red on the Tenni, same as on the Scura and I think all the variations from 2002 onwards that had "red stillettos." I'm not sure if anyone has figured how to duplicate that finish.

That's the best looking Tenni deal I've seen in recent memory. $6k / 11k mi. and looks well kept. The clutch swap shouldn't matter. If the owner isn't sure then it likely has not been addressed. Buy it - fix it.

@Goofman speaks about this stickering business as if there is plausible deniability . . . Happily, the matter met the approval of the cheerful Sp'Honda-Raider . . .

Good news. Just got an email from batterystuff.com with a UPS tracking # and the charger is scheduled for delivery this Friday. Not to derail my own thread on my charging issue, but it sounds like going forward I should stop using the Battery Tender and use your protocol quoted here, amirite?

Tach, front and rear brake light switches are working

Just did this with key on/engine off, and the battery light did indeed light up. Are we making some progress here? I hope so!

Oh crap, Relay 2 was not installed, sorry about that. Will reinstall the relay first thing tomorrow, and redo the voltage tests on the blue wire, as well as the red/black wire from the harness. Stay tuned and thank you again.

It’s written there on the receipt and the service book is stamped. I can think of no reason why it would cause a problem and the vehicle has an unlimited Km, seven year warranty. By the time it expires I’ll be 76 or dead! Probably the latter, so really, at the end of the day I don’t give a shit.

Well just because the manufacturer tells you to run a certain grade and sometimes even a particular brand of oil doesn't mean it's the best solution. To start with manufacturers can "align" themselves with oil manufacturers for fiscal reasons and then make their recommendations fit what the oil manufacturers makes at that particular time. There also a whole host of other reasons manufacturers specify a particular oil. So in my BMW powered Supra BMW specify 0W-20 oil. Why? partly because of it's ability to meet emission requirements at the expense of long term engine health. Do I run 0W-20 oil in it? No. I run a 5W-30 oil. BMW also fit the car with a city start/stop system to meet emission specs at the expense of long term engine health. Do I switch that shite off every time I drive the car? You bet your life I do. My previous Focus RS specified a 10W-40 for Australia and a 10W-50 for the USA. Why would you do that for countries with basically the same maximum daily temps in summer and much the same driving conditions. For "other" reasons is why. So manufacturers specify oil for a whole raft of reasons, some of which make sense only to them and also to cover every possible scenario their product will encounter. That's where being educated in the technical stuff and your specific operating needs comes in. If you have some detailed knowledge of engines and oils you can eliminate the political and peripheral rubbish and make an informed choice based on sound knowledge for your application. Add to that the fact that oil specs are changing and evolving all the time and quite rapidly so some bulletin from Guzzi 10 or 12 years ago isn't necessarily worth squat today because oils have evolved a lot in that time. So as an example oils have recently gone from SN+ to SP rated. The SN+ was an interim spec oil to combat DI engines propensity for LSPI failures. It was then replaced by SP which then covered the LSPI issue and in addition gave extra cam chain wear protection so SN+ is now defunct. If you want to run the best oil in your engine then you need to keep up with the oil tech and not outdated requirements from manufacturers that were established for often spurious reason for their benefit not the owners. Remember the engine manufacturer has zero concern for the health of you engine once the warranty period has expired and even less(-0, lol) beyond that. In addition we now have bespoke oils for specific applications from boutique oil suppliers and that adds another dimension to the equation. So the owner has a choice of oil that narrows down to a specific engine configuration and type. These days even brand specific dealers often don't use the oil spec specified by the vehicle manufacturer. It's quite common to look at your billing and see an oil grade other than the vehicle manufacturers requirements. Why? because if the specified oil is something they can't or don't buy "bulk" then they just use whatever they have! I've seen this many times. I'll bet you won't get a 10W-60 in your Guzzi at every Guzzi dealer there is. So Mick I put the manufacturers recommendations on oil in the "for the guidance for the wise and the blind obedience of fools" category. Phil

Funny how in a field of exotica the V11 stands out....especially the greenies! Cheers

Nice to finally meet you fellows, lots of cool machines and interesting people-watching. Thx for posting about the whole affair, maybe GMC will make the next one.

Waiting for line to move.

It is sad to see what these bikes sell for. you try to sell and no one wants them even though you poured plenty into them. Not unlike a Mary Kay Cadillac.

SamP , please understand we do want you and your bike HAPPY. Giving opinions is easy and giving the correct advice is difficult. After this is finished , you will be able to give a clinic on charging systems and have a great understanding or misunderstanding of electrical components.

Geez I reckon I'd go nuts if I couldn't get out for a ride for months. I'm bad enough after 2 or 3 weeks.... Yep, I'd definitely need some sort of distraction for those winter months if I lived in those areas.

I have no response to that. But I have had the pleasure of attending SSR on two different Hondas (GB 500, ST1100) and a Triumph Tiger 900. Never got the sticker 'till I got MySport 1200.

Mate, wine o clock would be brilliant in your garage! I'd grab a glass, a comfy chair and just enjoy looking at them! Cheers Ps sorry to hear the riding season is over but commiserate with an IPA mate.

We're just all working together, my friend. You are doing a great job reporting back what you find. If we cannot find a bad connection somewhere, the new regulator will, indeed, be suspect as faulty.

Yeas ago my Mom bought this one...how many times did I look at that album cover and imagine?

@fastaussieMy Griso valve covers have been powder coated black by the previous owner. They still look great. I assume red would be the same.

Here's what AI says about M1 oil docc. I always known it as a Group 4 full synth motor oil. It may have changed in the last decade, not sure. Yes, Mobil 1 is a synthetic motor oil that uses Group IV PAO (polyalphaolefin) base stocks, often combined with Group V (ester) base stocks for its tri-synthetic formula, providing high performance and engine protection. While the specific formulation can vary, Mobil 1 is recognized for using these higher-grade base oils to achieve its "fully synthetic" claim. Phil

After somewhere around six drift posts, they find their way to a better home . . .

Incidendtally, @Sam P, with all this dicking around on a bike that is apparently not charging, don't forget to keep an eye on the charge state of the battery, and put it on a tender as necessary. If it is half flat, the fault finding wont get any easier.

without asking, it's 100% guaranteed to not get what you're looking for...

Oil breaks down in two directions as it gets used. As the viscosity modifiers breakdown the oil gets thinner when hot. This generally doesn't affect the oil when cold, the cold viscosity doesn't really change as the viscosity modifiers breakdown. The second is as by-products of combustion collect in the oil it tends to get thicker when cold. This has less impact on the oil when hot, mainly affecting cold flow. A third aspect of oil as it is used is that the additives get used up, reducing the protection the additives bring to the party. Things like zinc do what they do in oil by being used up. So whatever amount of zinc an oil starts with, as it is used there will be, over time and use, less zinc. I do agree that the Guzzi V twin is not overly sensitive to oil, especially the 2 valve per cylinder engines. Some of us no doubt put more miles on their motorcycles then I do nowadays, sadly for me. I usually change my motorcycle oil due to age before mileage. Presently I only have one motorcycle that I change the oil based on mileage and not age, and even that one is likely to be changed based on age this time as I just haven't had time to ride enough this year. As always, an oil thread can be a slippery slope. But I am bored.

Answers in above quote in BOLD

It occurs to me that addressing the charging problem would be primary. Once it is charging, the light behavior may take care of itself.

No, just planning the route...I'll probably leave here this weekend and begin the tour early next week. First stop is the alt at 3 corners. Other side of State, but Q in case you know; Can I ride the border from 67 at Ojinaga all the way to El Paso? Do I need to carry more than one spare magazine? OBTW I've never ridden a Tour Glide further than a test ride after repairs. Really not my style.

Mighty fine day to have a retired fellow's schedule.

The best methodology for putting Titanio canisters, grey Ballabio frame sideplates, and Rosso Mandello valve covers on your LeMans is to buy all those V11, rearrange the parts to your liking and keep them all. Seriously, let's ask the other inmates on the ward if that sounds crazy.