Garsdad

The guy I bought my bike from had put on footpegs from a Buell. I'm 6'2" and my legs didn't feel cramped at all, even after a few hundred miles. Ass got sore, though... Because the bike is new to me, and I don't heal as fast as I used to, I can't say I pushed it really hard or approached the limits, but through some fairly good lean angles (knees up) I didn't touch anything down. My feet splay outward a bit, so the first thing I usually touch is the side of my boot, but I didn't feel close to that, either. It might be a cheap solution to the problem. I have the stock pegs to put back on, but unless I start grounding the others on a regular basis, I don't think I will bother.

I bought my first Guzzi, a beatiful little Tenni with only 768 miles on her when I picked her up on Thursday evening. As of today, we are a little over 1500 and adding up quickly. I love her, but like most Guzzis there are a couple of things I need to address. One of which is the shift spring/boss thing, which I have already received much help on and will be checking this weekend. I don't want to wait and see if it breaks, as breaking anywhere but my driveway is most inconvenient... The other issue is she pings. A lot. On premium. Is the timing adjustable by humans, or is it handled by the ECU on this bike? Is this a symptom of the fuel injection being out of balance? It has what I think are stock Lafranconis on it, and the only modification I am aware of from her first owner was a set of Buell footpegs (highly recommend for the long-legged- very comfortable, and don't look out-of-place). She is a little hard starting when cold, and the previous owner said the tip-over valve was sticking and she had tank suck, but when I would stop after 80-100 miles and open the cap, there was very little air getting sucked in. I suspect the hard start and pinging are related, but I'm not sure. any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Garsdad

I speak no Italian, but I'm guessing "no, Giovanni, the unlimited speed no longer applies in Montana. The pavement sucks, and the other drivers are morons." Am I close? Ryan

No need to start drinking wine... I am already a known entity in the wine aisle at Trader Joe's! Might have to try a Chianti or two, though. I took my VIN to Jan at Cascade Moto Classic in Beaverton, and she pulled a folder that had all the notices that affected Guzzis. We just compared my VIN against the ranges published in the notices. Sorry, I don't have them; once I determined mine was out of the range, I didn't think to write them down. If I have a chance after I get back, I'll see if she will let me jot them down and I'll post them. I would almost feel better about making it home if it had a few more miles on it. I know these bikes are virtually bullet-proof once you work the bugs out, but I don't think this was has seen enough miles to work the bugs out. Of course, the current owner strikes me more as a "pay to get it done" than a "do it yourself" kind of guy, so he probably wouldn't know what to do about the glitches anyway. Once I get her home, I will go through the whole bike and make sure splines are lubed, wheel bearings aren't pinched, and the shift spring/boss are correct. Why wait for failure when you can prevent it so easily? Incedently, there is a diecast model of the Guzzi V-8 with the green/silver/brown paint scheme on it posted on eBay. I may have to get it to keep in my tank bag so when people ask "Why is the fairing green, and what are the white spots for?" I can pull it out and talk about tradition, heritage, and class. Ryan

Thanks for the sizes, Pete. With only 900 miles, I think I am safe, but I have had some very interesting trips when I assumed "I was safe" so I am a bit of a boy scout now. Anyone know if they will confiscate my tools at the security gate? I’m not worried about the wrenches, but can you take a screwdriver on-board a plane these days? I wouldn't dream of checking my tank bag, so it's all carry-on.

Very cool. I had read bits of this on another old thread, but this is rather clear. I assume a metric set of allen keys, the standard 10-15mm wrenches and a quart of oil and I would be good to go? Ryan

OK, I have been wanting a Guuzi for a long, long time. To my eye, the new V11 LeMans was the one to have, especially in the Nero trim. Unfortunately, Nero's are hard to find. Second favorite, the Tenni. Found one. Price agreed on, deal made, flight booked... all that remains is to climb on and ride her home. After looking up the VIN, she is outside of the recalls. I bought a spare pawl spring. What I don't have is the "how to change this on the side of the road" instructions, or a list of the tools required. The bike has no tool kit (not that any factory supplied tool it is worth a crap anyway) so I will be putting together my usual list of suspects for tools. My question is, what special tools do I need? What size are the bolts that hold the cover on? Is there a gasket in there, or should I include a tube of form-a-gasket? The miles are super-low, and I don't think I will have a problem coming home, but just in case I want to be prepared. Thanks for any advice you can offer, Ryan

Police aim lasers at either the front license plate or headlight, because they are the most reflective parts of a vehicle. Without a front plate, they can only aim at the headlight. A test a couple of years ago showed that by driving with your high-beams on during the day, you buy yourself almost 2 seconds. The infra-red light put out by your headlight is enough to confuse the laser device for just a bit. If your detector goes off, and you grab a handful of brake, you may just slow enough to keep your record clean. A strong driving light with a infa-red filter worked even better, and could be used all the time (no visable light). It was in Car and Driver in the last 5 years or so, I think. Ryan

The Breva leaves me cold- no passion for that one. The Griso is growing on me... I will have to withhold judgement until I see it at the CW show in Seattle. Maybe there will be a Lemans-like fairing for it. The hell with hard-bags-bungees and a duffle are fine- but give it a stylish front-end! I would like something more than a headlight to break the wind 250 miles into a 600-mile day. No, the classic style of the LeMans is it. Now, if they could get that new drive and tranny in there, great, but the style is unique and stirs the soul.

Did you change the routing/length/adjustment of the throttle cable? Since shifting smoothly involves coordinating both motions, you could be having issues with throttle engagement as well??? Ryan

It seemed like a shitload of money for a headlight. Googled Bosch headlights, seems they use a 7" one on Porsches, too. Don't know if they will work, but at $38 for the light, and $8 for the bulb, I think it would be worth looking into. Anyone have a friend with a 911 or 944 that would be willing to let you remove and compare a headlight? Here is the site: http://www.gprparts.com/brands/bosch/index.asp Sorry, I have neither the LeMans or the Porsche to check, but I can't imagine Guzzi asking Bosch to make a new light for them... this would seem a logical choice from the existing products side of things. Ryan

Is that Lake Berryesa (sp?) in the background? One of my favorite roads, with my favorite winery (Nicholini).

Made my wife watch it with me on Friday. "Why, exactly, are we watching this old flick?" "Why? There's a Guzzi in it..." Not to mention a pretty funny film. Also like the El Camino.