Murray

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=copOYXvEsRs&feature=fvst

Fords in the USA aren't made on the orginal model T line (although looking at some of the f250s we get here you have to wonder). HD's aren't made in the place they started and if you want to see a manufacturer milking the heritage line beyond what's it worth look no further. Piaggio have said for Guzzi to remain profitable then need to make 20 000 bikes a year. Its been a very long time since that was a reality out of Mandello, would I have liked them to stay yes but when I come to buying another Guzzi i won't look at it any differently providing its rolled out of Italy somewhere. People are happy to piont out Guzzi's inovation and marching to thier own beat with wind tunnels rear suspension and v8 race bikes, this was because the orginal owners were prepared to move with the time and not afraid of change come to think of it if the orginal owners were still running the show the factory would of probally moved 20-30 years ago. I dunno to me its not the end of the world if Piaggio really wanted to it could simply not bother close the doors at mandello and consign the name plate to history, that would be a big deal.

Providing the marque contiunes to survive does it really matter where they are made? Would of been nice to stay but if its between moving the factory so it can contiune to be profitable and confined to the history books! I'll take the move anyday.

Clearly something is shorted in the light circuit with the aid of a mutimeter on resitance check I'd start disconnecting globes in the lighting circuit till it goes this will give you an idea where it is. NB as globes are desiged to draw current the resitance for the circuit will be very low to begin with. Do you have the lights hard wired on or are they on a switch? If they are on a switch and the fuse blows with the switch off then the short is before the switch. Might be worthing going through the switch blocks as these do fill up with water and road grime over time and don't work well as they do clean. Just be carful as there a springs and ballbearings in the contacts which are quiet happy to jump out and disappear down the nearest drain never to be seen again (do it over a bucket if you are worried about it).

The only time that light ever came on on the 1100 sport was about five secounds before all the smoke came out of the regulator. Check that the regulator has a good metal to metal contact between the case and the frame as it uses the case as a ground referance if it doesn't have a ground all sorts of odd stuff starts happening. Also check that the main battery earth lead has a good metal to metal contact (free of corrosion) where it attaches to the frame. Consider running an extra earth lead from the case of the regulator directly to the earth lead of the battery if you are still having issues. For future referance a Accel 32amp regulator for late 80's to late 90's Harley davidson is a suitable substitute for the Ducati pile of poo. There are also a number of ATV regulators that will also do the job however withthe atv regulators some have a wired earth and a remote trigger wire (12 volt supply which activates the regulator). For the V11's you do not need the trigger wire, buy the one without this feature no cost difference, however if it has the wired earth lead ENSURE IT IS CONNECTED just because the OEM one doesn't have one means you can get away with not connecting it.

Part of the vaugue front end of the v11 even when compared to the older 1100 sport is the lower seat height and the switch to high rise bars I think there would be a significant gain to be had buy simply going back to clip ons under the top yoke. This would transfer more of the rider weight onto the front wheel in order to give it better direction. Depending on which V11 you had i would seriously consider going back to the 4.5 inch rim and the 160 size rear tyre. It will never feel like a modern fire blade but Guzzi trying to adapt a sports bike frame for touring didn't do it any favours. Oh and seriously consider getting rid of the stock steering damper even on its lowest setting it drags on the steering quiet a bit, on the 1100 sport I run none at all but some people aren't comfortable with that idea.

I remeber back int he dim dark days when the 1100 sport was a relativly current model in the Stien Dinse catalouge there was a kit avaliable to do a similar conversion to this to an 1100 sport, single or dual seat the tail section was similar to a Ducati superlight of the same era. It wasn't cheap around $2K AUD plus paint, might be worth looking into included subframe and associated hardware.

If they'll fit a carbed 1100 sport I'm keen, have they been twin plugged?

Quat D were advertising a full system (with twin mufflers) for the V11 which would go pretty close to fitting the 1100 sport it was reasnobly priced IMO too there will be a little stuffing around with brakects and mounting pionts as the motor is a little offset on the sport most V11 systems would come close except for maybe the Quat-D V11 under gearbox setup although I remeber that been advertised for the 1100 sport as well. If you have a local pipe shop they might be able to konck you up a basic H style cross over to suit whatever mufflers you choose. Fast buy Ferraci were doing crossovers and there were a few Raceco systems kicking around might be worth having a search for.

I've got a few bridges in stock can i intrest you in one?

Few fifth gear vids http://www.metacafe.com/watch/503906/bmw_x...ike_in_a_rally/

I think clarksons hatered of bikes is part of his public persona, he pokes various groups who he feels take themselves too seriously with outlandish borish comments and watches them tie themselves in knots over it and just when they start to settle again he pokes them again. It a bit like a shock jock stirring up people predejucies and fears. He himself probally considers it part of the show that is Jermry Clarkson well thats the way I look at it anyway so now I laugh at the funny stuff and don't care about the stupid crap stirring stuff and when the show ends i turn off the TV and don't worry about it any further. May has a Calli II I think and Hampster has eat breathed and crapped bikes most of his life probally for the same reasons most of us got into bikes, Porsche performance on a Hyaundi budget.

The 940 is a parts bin specail 850 crank with 1200 bores, !@#$ing works though a V9.4 Cafe sport would be the go pref with a 17inch front wheel so you have your choice of sporting or touring rubber. Don't see it comming in very cheap though some people have some hangups about anything under 1000cc from guzzi. And they should keep the twin stacked system from the bellagio too IMO.

Is this the only time the charge light comes on? Sounds like its something to do with the way the reg triggers the light. Please not this is a super rough explination. But to trigger a charge warning light the obious electrical componet to use is a diode this requires a higher voltage at one end for it to switch on providing a earth to the light. The actual voltage it triggers at can be adjusted buy the use of resistor, Your problem might be simply you battery is in very good condition (and possibly you leave it on trickle charge a lot of the time) So with the minor load the "surface voltage" is high enough for the diode not to trigger. When you load the system with something like a headlight without the motor charging it drags the voltage to below the trigger and the light illuminates. If this is you only problem i really wouldn't worry about it ihave been running an 1100 sport with a Accel regulator for a harley davision it has no facility for a charge light I haven't missed it ethier. Bbennt I'd be a bit careful about your real time charging system as if its designed for cars which generally charge at idle or modern bikes ie not the V11, it will give you all sorts of odd readings unless you know the three trigger points of the LED's its possibly not particularly useful. We went through similar drama's at work with a dual battery switch on the work landcruisers, all good when they rolled out of the workshop but after 6-12 months when all the earths were at slightly different readings and the alt was on its way out (can't wait to get some indestructable Toyota's we only get the ones that fall apart and break down must be a option) the secound batt wasn't getting charged found out latter the switch only triggered at something 13.8volts which the toyo's would only produce if everything was working at its peak which was not very often.

The light gets it earth from the reg then logically the earth for the reg is a bit average. The regulators use the case and it mounting bolts for its earth ensure there is metal to metal contact and things are free of corrosion also check your main battery earths again clean and tight a good metal to metal contact. The other thing you can do is get the mutimeter on volts withnthe ectrical system on (engine doesn't have to be running) and see if there is a voltage drop between the two earths. ie they minght not be grounded to the same ground and over the years the bolts between the frames have corroded and don't quiet conduct as they once did. If there is a difference between them try running a earth lead between the reg case and the negative terminal of the battery.

Its the spanish built Barinias that can be adapted, on the flip side my OEM valeo starter on the 1100 sport is 14 years old and 115 000 kms so they aren't that bad. But yes geniune factory packaging is expensive.

Voltage doesn't neascarily mean current.

Other Have you tried shorting the small wire on the back of the starter to the large terminal? There will be sparks but it should go if it doesn't you have a soleniod/starter problem if it does most likely the OEM switch block which is the same as a 1992 CB1000F is full of road grime a clean works wonders.

So my carbed 1100 sport has done just over 112 000kms a lot of them not particularly gently. Timing chain was replaced about 20 000 kms ago serviced every 5 000 etc etc. Compression test shows it down a bit but what I'm really starting to notice is its drinking fuel like there is no tomorrow ie its matching my 4.2 V8 car :eek: admittedly I don't push the car along anywhere near as hard as the bike. I'm figuring its making less power so to push it along at the same speeds I'm using more throttle I havn't done an ultimate top end run latlely to see what it finally winds out too ie if it pulls up short its making less power than it used too. Winter is a couple of months away might be time for a rebuild was looking for some input from other high milage 1100 motors to see if this is one of the signs of the motor on the way out I'm thinking I should bite the bullet and do it sooner rather than putting up with it for a bit longer then do it when it starts drinking oil and fuel. Or is more likely to be a carb or two in need of a rebuild bike still starts and runs well BTW.

Remove and reseat the relays, if you have some contact cleaner hit them with that too. Usually fixes it 9 times out of ten if not do the same to the fueses.

Usually stronger and compnet replaceable ie if you break something you don't have to replace the whole wheel. Both pretty irrelevant for road riding.

What the hell have they done!! ok so its a photo chump but jebesus the only reason it looks half reasonable is because the orginal was so stunning in the first place. You couldn't use that swing arm with the newer motor tranny combination, why not fit the aplira lenardo headlight into the mesh grill like it was desinged too rather than bashing the headlights into the fairing. For that matter why does it have a RS4V tail rather than the MGS one why has the silver bit in the front garud carried over fron the grsio where it works to a bike it has no obious pourpose. Why aren't the front indicators integrated with the mirrors like on the RSV aprilia. Petal disks are out of place too IMO and the red belly pan can disappear without a trace with no great loss. But what would I know about design I'm only a potential customer .

I doubt its the relays these were a 2000 V11 issue. Although pulling them out and cleaning the contacts will do no harm the relays usually also cause a start/not start problem rather than rough running. It was this model that was a bit notorious for crap running from the factory (not as bad as the carbed bike though) to the point Cliff Jeffieries decided to build his own ECU which works well buy all accounts. You could also try and track down a different Eprom chip the Termi version "2" didn't seem to be too bad, it looks like the shop has probally gone through most of the potential culprits anyway TPS etc etc.

I have some reasonably big K&N pod filters fitted to my 1100 sport (they barely fit between the carbs and the frame) see if I can dig a part no up latter. Nice work too. try and organise a better pic latter as well.

Re the temps non of the days were spectaculary hot (unlike today 40 celcius) 25-33 celcius with the 100's of degree's involved in braking I wouldn't of though 10-20 degree's would make a significant difference. might try the pads first easier and cheaper change.