Ryland3210

I tried that. Too many variables affect the reading: dipstick is even more inclined to the oil level, variations of suspension height, steering direction. It is a bit cumbersome to juggle the bike by hand to try to keep it level with one hand while screwing in the dipstick with the other. If the dipstick and sidestand were on opposite sides, the dipstick could be screwed whilst on the sidestand, and then tilt the bike up to level for a second, and back down. Then take the dipstick out with confidence the reading was right. But NO! That would be too logical! I've been using a chain hoist with a sling on the handlebars to hold the bike level. I haven't tried it, but a floor jack with a block of wood under the sump lifting it just enough to keep it level would probably be quick and easier. I'll probably do that next time.

The Tyco relays are made in Portugal. Dan and I have direct channels to the manufacturers, so we are able to offer our MG friends wholesale prices. GP has more mouths to feed. Can't blame them for that.

Thanks for the kind words, Dave. You're right that this kind of thing is a labor of love. Total sales have only been 26 sealed relays at $8, 5 unsealed at $5, and 5 donated to a generous friend. In my days at HP, where I was privy to the gross profits, these parts would have been marked up to $30 and $21 respectively. I'm not aware of a Tyco/Omron connection. Tyco is a U.S. Corporation, and Omron is Japanese. Omron operates a plant in the U.S., where these relays are made. I believe the Omrons are the best available. The specs they supply and my tests and inspection bear that out.

Agreed, Greg, but for those who may find it difficult to prevent the dipstick from drooping down into the oil and getting a false high reading before they get in threaded in one turn (like me), there is another approach. Carve a notch in the dipstick 0.69 inches above the original full mark and screw it in all the way for a reading.

If sent by UPS, I have found it reduces cost to include a certificate of origin. This can be an official looking packing list with the words: "Contents are 100% of U.S. Origin" for example. Sending things by the mail system gets from the U.S. to the U.K. in a couple days, but recently, the U.K. postal/custom procedures took another 10 days. Although the U.S. postal charges were lower than UPS, the UK chargers were higher, so I'm back to using UPS for lower overall cost. There should be no VAT in goods imported from the U.S., but there may be customs duty calculated on the declared value. Usually it's 2-6%, but it depends on the category the customs people decide it belongs in.

You might search the Hot Rod aftermarket parts sources.

I've been under the impression that the air cooled Harleys produce far less HP per cube than my Cafe Sport. I haven't looked into the performance of the water cooled variety. Care to comment?

Yes, using only the left idle screw will keep the connecting rod in tension at idle and above, to eliminate backlash, and there's less chance of it coming loose. In a pinch, if there's a risk of the rod falling away until you can get a replacement, a little epoxy could be used to "rebuild" it.

As has been said before, "anything is possible, all it takes is money" Help, anyone, is there a less expensive alternative in the U.S.?

What does the red warning light indicate is wrong?

Thanks for the summary and links, Martin. I've filed this away for future reference.

I have a fool proof solution for Moto Guzzi to this problem Assembly of these should be moved to the South Pole, where the humidity is low, then sealed to keep the dry air in.

Hi Frank, Was the ignition timing remapped as well? regards, John

I use Dow Corning's Molykote M in my transmission as well. I believe it is compatible with both synthetic and conventional oils. Belts and suspenders, perhaps, but I think, what the heck. With the price of gasoline and drop of the dollar these days, I can justify all kinds of neat enhancements as they become a smaller percentage of the cost per mile.

A DC voltage range that can measure 0.500 volts to three places will be essential for TPS calibration. It should have an accuracy of close to + - 0.005 volts or better. Measuring current with a voltmeter requires disconnecting the circuit to put the meter in series. A more convenient way to do this is with a clip on ammeter, which clips around the wire without disconnecting it. These are available to measure both AC and DC currents, with digital readouts. I find it very handy, both for vehicle troubleshooting, and household AC current measurements. Mine cost about $80 U.S.

Right on, docc. In the thousands of electrically controlled machines of various types I have built and serviced, it's even more than 90% of the time, that the problem is connectors and relays. V11's are no different. Although plug-in connectors save time in assembly and service diagnosis, screw terminals are far more relible. Ironically, the convenience of plug-in connectors is needed because many times they are the cause of the failure!

My Norton's valves sometimes stuck in the guides when it got really hot, but I'm curious about how you think the poor fit caused the valve problem. 35,000 miles is a lot of miles for valves to last if there is a problem with the guides.

Schnorr washers are cheap insurance as well.

You may know already, but in case you don't, there is a thread set up just for posting dyno's.

Another wild guess: intermittent connection to the TPS sensor or loose attaching screws, that somehow only occurs at a specific vibration frequency (e.g. at 3,000 RPM)

Since the filter is downstream of the pump, particles from a damaged pump may have been trapped there. If it's the pump shaft, it should be easy to spot. If somehow a large enough particle was trapped in the pressure relief valve to keep it open, that would reduce oil pressure. So would max acceleration in first gear as the pump can get starved, or wheelies. A roper plate AND filling with the manual's specified 3.5 liters (0.69 inches above the dipstick full mark when screwed in) eliminates the first gear max accel starvation. I haven't done the wheelie test yet. Greg and I have oil pressure gauges on our bikes so we can monitor oil pressure continuously.

That's suspicious. If several bulbs stopped working simultaneously, it suggests a common power source is the culprit, but in the sentence above, "pushing the bulb ... " in suggests it's only one bulb. If it actually was multiple bulbs the concern is that the cause is some intermittent connector, and just by luck, it cured itself before or during the process of twiddlng the bulbs. It may become a problem again without warning. It would be worthwhile to try finding the cause by turning on the lights and tweaking connectors to see if you can duplicate the problem. In the case of a bulb, best to take it out and remove any corrosion. Also, check any contacts to see they have been bent back. Some models, including my '04 Cafe Sport have the cable to the rear lamp routed such that it is pinched by the rear fender bracket. This has caused that to eventually get shorted out. If your bike has this problem, re route the cable. There is a thread on this topic elsewhere in the forum.

The "Moly" in the Redline data sheet is the oxide form. The Molykote type M from Dow Corning gear oil additive consists of solvent-refined heavy paraffinic petroleum distillate, petroleum, and molybdenum disulphide. The Dow Corning additive is opaque black. When mixed with conventional oil, it turns it grey, even in small percentages. A beard of filings on the magnetic drain plug is normal during break in. That's why my practice is to change oil within the first 25-50 miles, and again around 300-500. By the third oil change, there should be just a scum of fine particles, almost like carbon dust. If fairly large particles appear later on, it's probably a sign of a mechanical problem. If your bike has a lot of miles on it, perhpas the oil was never changed, or it's been many miles in the past, or the drain plug was not wiped clean, or there is a real problem.

Somewhere in the threads there is the part number on the sensor. It is made by Magnetti Marelli Try searching that name. It is possible the mating connector is an off the shelf item at the auto parts retail stores.

Cast Iron is more susceptable to thermal stress cracking than aluminum, especially decades ago. More ductile versions of cast iron are used these days in many applications.