richard100t

I think you should have them take it back and let them make an effort to fix the problem. If they cannot fix the problem in a reasonable time period, take him up on the cash back offer. Pete, is of course right as usual. There was a recall on the bike and if that hasnt been addressed after 1500 miles you should just ask for your money back and get a different one.

Around town I like to keep it around 2800rpm. I think its just a nice relaxed feeling and I like the sound from the fbf's. On the open road anything between 80mph and 100mph is the best.

I decided to change my fork oil today and move from a 10w to a 5w oil. I weigh about 170lbs without riding gear and the ride has always been to harsh in the bumps so I thought I'd lighten up on the oil. Well after going for a 5 mile ride I'm really impressed with the difference that little change made. Before I was taking oil out of the forks to smooth the ride out. Not a lot mind you...I went from 400ml a side to about 385ml a side. This change I put the recomended 400ml in each side and the bike takes the potholes and manhole covers 100% better. If anyone has the same riding experience as I had and weighs less than 180lbs I would highly recomend trying the 5w fork oil. I'll be going for a much longer ride in the morning to a Guzzi breakfast and I'll post further details later.

Pete makes a good point about the new generation of motorcycle owners. Unfortunately they are also the type of people that can end up being employed in the maintenance area of your local motorcycle dealership. I remember reading BFG's thread recently about the piss poor work that was done to his beautiful new, very expensive Italian motorcycle that I'm sure he worked long and hard to be able to own. Frankly I think he would have been better off taking it to a pie maker and letting him have a go at it. This seems to be not limited to the motorcycling community. I have a feeling that its going to get much worse before the pendulum starts to swing back in the other direction. Wether you're going to the butcher, the baker, or the candlestick maker...these days it will be in your best interest to know with whom you're dealing.

Oh my! One time I was curious about the oil pressure so I loosened the oil filler cap/dipstick with the engine running. Needless to say I didnt have to even get the stick pulled out before I was screwing it back in. I wonder how much of a mess the new 8v engine would make? Doesnt it have two pumps?

Would heat shrink tubing work for this sort of problem? Slip it over the connection, fasten the electical connectors and then heat shrink the tubing? That (in theory) should completely solve the problem. After looking at my bike I would mske the shrink tubing at least 4 inches long snd that should put it up snd out of the way of any water that finds its way into the pressure switch area. I never get my bike wet...but if I start riding in the rain I'm going to try this fix myself.

Can you swim? Lets hope that thing doesnt erupt for two years like it did in the 1800's.

I thought those were made in Germany. Stein something or other.

Its surprising what you can make fit with a large enough arbor press. That sounds like a job that requires one to do it properly (or at least easily).

Well if the bike is a Scura with the oem flywheel I know where I would look first. I'm thinking that you're very lucky you didnt get on the freeway indeed. I recall seeing where it actually blew out the cases at speed. Keep us posted!

I dont Have a gasket in mine at all and they dont leak. I just used some high temp silicone and it works great. Now of course thats just a temporary thing as when I do the valves again I'll have to clean the old sealer off. But by then I'll have gotten some new gaskets.

Yeah I didnt think you were going to put your stack rims back on either. That was what jumped right out at me. I do like the exhaust though.

My Rosso Mandello has the cf panel as well. I'm sure glad it does too because I can really feel the weight reduction!

I have ridden both my rosso mandello and a fully faired lemans back to back. I can tell you that while the lemans offers a little more wind protection, its not worth the trouble and expense for what you'll get. That little fairing on the Scura deflects a lot more air than you would think from looking at it. I usually say that if you want a touring type of motorcycle its best to buy one that was designed for it, like the Norge for example. There are a lot of people that wont agree with me, and will give you lots of advice on how best to set up the Scura for long distance riding.

Its interesting how you go about the disassembly of your bike.I usually want to get the exhaust off & out of the way first, followed by the pod filters and gas tank. I've heard that you have to be really careful with those Ti pipes because the dent very easily. In any case this will be a very entertaining thread as I like to watch and learn. Please post lots of pics with regard to the placement of the battery and fusebox/relays. I really want to see how all that stuff gets tucked out of sight making the package look good.

Would it be easier to set up a poll with the shirt options? A.) Yes I want a shirt B.) No I dont want no steenking shirt C.) then an option for each type shirt and then the sizes

I would like a green tshirt in a size large if you do any green. I'm sure the Tennisti will let you hear about what shade of green too! lol

I've had my Rosso Mandello for 5 years and over 35,000 miles now so I'll throw my 2 cents in. Its not going to be the right one for what you want to do with it. The clip ons are mounted too low and its just plain terrible after 150 miles of riding. I would have to say its the worst possible Guzzi you could get for a longer trip and everyday commuting. Having said that, anything under 100 miles is a great fun ride. Its pretty reliable if you know how to keep it in tune and parts are out there. If you want a Guzzi the Quota is probably the best bike for what you describe in that price range.

If you already have a less restrictive filter in the box and have had the motor adjusted for it pods should be a perfect fit. Just bin the airbox and attach the pods and go for a ride. I've had pods on my bike for as long as I've owned it and although you do have to adjust the fuel mix they work great. I love not having that airbox taking up all that space under my tank. To me it looks better, breathes better, weighs less, and maintenance is simpler. People will argue about the performance aspects and whether they clean the incoming air well enough. All I can say is its not a racebike, and clean and oil your filters every year and you'll be just fine.

Black exhaust and the Rosso red valve covers. I would leave the stickers off too, but thats just me. as for the rest of the bike I would leave it Scura black just as it is. It should look very good with those fancy gold wheels you have.

What makes you so sure that he doesnt buy your gun control story? I mean he really could just think your beer glass story is bs! Btw that was a leap of Olympic proportions to go from plastic beer glasses to gun control. However.... you did manage to pull it off. If I were judging the competion I would give you a solid 10 for creativity

I like your idea to take the old time tested, reliable Guzzi and replacing the brakes and suspension with modern stuff. Now you have the best of the old Guzzi and the best of the new all in one bike. Will you be taking that one on your next trip to Alaska?

Speaking of the governmemt restricting behavior for the "good of society" you cant even smoke in a bar here in Ohio anymore. Not that I'm a smoker BUT... if they can prevent you from smoking it probably wont stop there, Do they still allow indoor smoking in Europe? I've been watching the news lately and it seems that several of the countries over there are near bankrupt, Greece being the one they talk about most. Its going to be interesting to see what these governments try to take from their citizens in order to avoid insolvency. Not that america is any better.... we're borrowing money to pay interest on our debt now and piling up more debt at record levels. Stay tuned... things are about to get very interesting in the next year or two.

My bike number is 74. The vin number is zgukrakr51m113952 maybe if a few other people listed their vin numbers with the corresponding bike number you'll know if you have a numbered bike.

There was a thread a few years ago that had a list of the vin numbers of the "numbered" rosso mandello's. I know that the list was accurate because my bikes vin and corresponding number was there and correct. If you do a search here you may come upon it, but like I say its been a few years now.