joe camarda
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Posts posted by joe camarda
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I posted two laments in the "Technical" forum regarding my trannie recall problems ("The 'Crunch' Heard 'Round the World" and "Second Opinion/Update") several weeks ago. These concerned how my trannie "grenaded" 200 miles after spending 6 months in the shop for the factory trannie recall.
Based upon previous experience with MGNA I had all but resigned myself to a protracted battle to get this resolved.
Anyway, within 48 hours of contacting Michele (she replaced Meredith) I recieved a telephone call from Brad Friedman at MGNA. Seems they are going to send out an entire trannie to replace mine.
So perhaps there is a new wind blowing
And to those who sent PMs to me offering their comfort and condolences....thanks
And to all on this forum who have "bouyed me spirits whilst the tempest raged 
", thanks also Joe
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Hi John (Guzzi323). Clever of you, reversing the "Wingracks" like that! I almost bought the 41s for my bike (honda) but instead settled for the 360s which will only hold one helmet (Arai, medium) w/ the "document holder" folded out of the way.
For info if anyone else is considering this approach, the 41s matte black finish nicely matches the Scura's finish.
The 360s come in gloss colors, including black (mine), red and silver, as well as matte black and matte grey.
BTW whatever happened to the forum member's (I forgot his name) attempt to mount up a set of BMW R1200C bags? That seemed like a very nice approach. Joe
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Uhhhh, maybe I was a tad hasty.
No need to rush into these important decisions. -
Staedtler. Thats why you replaced that Al (whatshisname) fella..youre a freakin jeaneus.
BTW, I dont wanna be a security
guard no more cause then I would have to work on Friday nights. So I'm resigning as Chief of Moto Guzzi Security Division effective immediately, or by this Friday night, whichever comes first :!: -
Carl, I think that you should keep the fairing.
Who knows? You might be able to mount it to one of the dozen or so future acquisitions that retirement in Oklahoma will surely bring. If not, heck...you could mount it on the front of your Toyota pick-up truck instead of the usual longhorns prevelant in Oklahoma. Show them backwoodsmen how things are done in California.
But do not sell it to JRT :!: . He might attempt to mount it on his V11 Sport, replacing that nice R90S fairing.
Joe
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Carl....put the crack pipe down. your mind is gone!
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OK guys.
We now have a window of opportunity :!: This forum should start a collection to buy the damn company.
Jaap
could be the new CEO, Al 
could be the technical advisor, Carl Allison 
the electrical engineer. I could be the security guard! Joe
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Mike, You just gotta rub it in dontcha Joe
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So Mike...whats the story on that piece. It looks like that IS the piece that fell into my trannie. How likely is it to cause extensive damage to the trannie? BTW. I saw your parts all over ebay...if I knew what will become of my Sport I would have bought some of them.
Joe -
Mike...going by memory here (?), but yes I believe it is...Carl, what say you?
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Jumpin Jeehopshua Carl...HOW do you know so many things? Anyway I seem to recall that the hole was a shouldered hole like shown in diagram in front of 20,17 and 21.
But to think that big ol' gear (12) dropped into the trannie...well that just makes me wanna smoke some more crack!
Joe -
Well the immutable
Mr. Allison took a look at my bike and it seems that I jumped to an erroneous conclusion (so what else is new?)....anyway I concluded that a bushing which had been machined into my side case dropped into the moving trannie.According to Carl, that was not the case. What dropped into my trannie came from a hole behind the starter on the left side of the trannie. This hole is about an inch above and just forward of the nuetral indicator switch plug. What ever WAS in that hole is now inside my trannie and is the source of my misery.
Any comments are welcome.
BTW, the dealer is anxious to get the bike back for repairs but is back-pedaling somewhat on the liability issue <_ . as i said shall see>
Joe -
I have to apologize for not posting photos of the Cyclecats. I actually had photos of both the stock bars (mounted below 3clamp) and Cyclcats mounted at same time (above 3clamps) and the difference was about 1.5 inches up and 1+ inch back. Plus they can be rotated for different angles. The e-pics were lost in my computer, erased when I had to have it de-virused I think.
Anyway, the Cyclecats worked out well for me, but I had to replace the clutch, fbrake and throttle cables/lines.
Unfortunately, the rest of the bike has not fared as well as the Cyclecats.
BTW. If Cyclecat wont enlarge a set of their risers, a machinist certainly can. You are only enlarging the inner diameter 1 mm - reducing the clamp thickness by half as much.
I found Cyclecat very easy to deal with, very helpful and prompt. I will try to post some photos of the Cyclecats. In the meantime I would be glad to answer any q's about them.
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Al, will do.
Dave, yes I have a 96 Honda VFR, as reliable as a rock. And looks nice too!
And thanks all for your comments.
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Nogbad...Sorry, the correct title is "Neutral Light Malfunction After Trannie Recall". More on my sorrows can be found there. Joe
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About two weeks ago I picked up my 01 V11 Sport after having it in the shop for six months for a trannie recall. (see my previous posting: "Trannie Recall...Should I , Shouldnt I...)
Well today I was accelerating thru 4th and shifting into 5th when I heard a loud "CLANK", followed by a louder "CRUNCH", followed by the sound of marbles rolling around in my trannie...followed by the smell of hot oil!
I immediately pulled over and discovered trannie oil flowing (not dripping) out of the left side case. Closer inspection revealed a machined hole about the size of a dime.
Well, my guess is this hole is where the trannie sidecase was "repaired" with a machining process instead of replacing the entire sidecase (which was "unavailable").
So, I called my local Ducati dealer (Modesto Ducati - GREAT PEOPLE) and they sent a truck out to collect me. Then I called the dealer who performed the repair. They seemed eager to make things right..we shall see
. I've resigned myself to not having the bike for another six months.
Dissapointed, yes. Frustrated, damn straight. Pissed at MGNA for not resolving this under warranty, damn straight again.
Does anybody at MGNA care about their customer base?
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I wrote a reply to the letter written under previous post " Losers, Safer with Loud Mufflers" and surprisingly it was printed in the local paper (Modesto Bee, Modesto CA USA). See the previous post for the letter from a woman who said that loud pipes save lives. I replied thusly
"Loud Mufflers Are Just Annoying"
The letter "Losers, Safer with Loud Mufflers" stated: "The reason for the loud mufflers is safety. If you can hear me coming, hopefully you will see me."
Very few motorcycle journalists, safety experts or responsible riders would agree with that statement. The only thing that loud pipes do is alienate the vast majority of non-riders. To improve the liklihood that a motorcyclist will be seen by other motorists, he or she should use a headlight modulator during daylight hours and wear a brightly colored safety vest and a full-face DOT approved haelmet.
If a rider insists that loud pipes will improve her safety, she should point them forward so that those of us behind her (who pose no threat) do not have to suffer her desire to be seen hear and noticed.
I've ridden motorcycles for about 15 years and read virtually every mainstream motorcycle publication. The after market pipes on my Italian sportbike produce a low rumble, and yes, they are slightly louder than stock, but that is done for my pleasure-not my safety.
Joe Camarda, Modesto
Thus sayeth I
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Welcome motogp71. Check your PMs. Joe
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Hi John, My experience has been that the shape of the side of the tailpiece does not allow the soft luggage to hang over a flat surface. Instead it must either rest on the curved surface of the tailpiece, or hang below it.
On the curved surface means the bag will not hang well but instead will rest on the upper side of the curve.
Below the curve and the luggage is too close to the pipes.
The Techno bags with the brackets seem to be the best choice.
But having said that...my friend is selling a 4 piece Nelson Riggs luggage set for 125 plus shipping from Modesto CA USA 95350. PM me if they interest you. Joe
You might want to check out the new Givi "Arrow" bags though. They are featured on p 86 of June '05 Cycle World. While your there check out the Vespa ad
on p.99. Do women like that REALLY exist? Joe -
Todd,
BWOE...
(I'll give u the Readers Digest version): When shifting from any gear to any other gear my 01 V11 Sport developed a tendency (at about 4 K miles) to shift into N probably 10% of the time. I brought this problem to the attention of a dealer in Sacramento at just about the same time the factory recall was announced. This was while my warranty was still in effect.The Sacramento dealer jerked me around on the recall and in the meantime my warranty expired, but since it was a factory recall I wasnt too worried (BFM#1). Then the Sacramento dealer dropped Guzzi.
So after my warranty expired I brought it to another dealer still thinking that the shifting problem was a result of the defect which prompted the recall (BFM#2). This dealer opened up the trannie (for the recall) and determined that my shifting problem was due to a sloppy hole in the trannie side plate which had deformed and was allowing a lever to travel too far and thus caused the false Nuetrals ( a design that Guzzi has since re-designed). But my warranty had since expired.
So the service manager at the second dealership talked back and forth with somebody at MGOA (Meredith, I think) who determined that (and this is the really heartbreaking part of this overly long and sad saga) - I was out of luck because there was no documentation of the sideplate problem that predated the expiration of the warranty. So all that took awhile. Then the service manager ordered the part and we waited and we waited and...waited some more. Finally I just told them to bring the defective part to a machine shop and have it fixed. Then the service manager got fired or quit at just about the same time the shop moved to another city (San Jose) about 50 miles FURTHER away from me. My bike was moved dissassembled to the new location. Then the throttle bodies couldnt be synched and after about 3 weeks they discovered that their special machine/instrument used for synchronizing had been damaged in the move.
So the recall (which was done) cost me six months and about $350 (USD). And yeah, I'm pissed off at MGNA (but oddly enough I believe the second dealer did his best given the move and all) and will probably not buy another Guzzi beacuse of the shoddy treatment I suffered at the hand of MGNA.
So thats that...(arent you glad you asked) but two quick postscripts: (1) I am glad to get the V11 Sport back and thoroughly enjoy it! and (2) I bought a 96 Honda VFR during the six month absence of the V11 Sport and set it up nicely with Givi bags and other "stuff". Thanks for letting me ramble and rant.
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This appeared in the Modesto (Central Valley area, CA, USA) letters to the editor on Sat. 30 April 2005. It was apparently a response to another letter written by someone complaining of the loud mufflers on a lot of motorcycles...believe me this is Harley country here.
Letter:
"Losers" safer with loud mufflers.
In regard to the woman who complains about motorcycle noise ("Bring an end to noise pollution", April 10): The reason for the loud mufflers is safety. If you can hear me coming, hopefully you will see me.
But being labelled a "pathetic loser" is an outrage. I would like to see your expression when I and a few thousand other pathetic losers join on June 4th for the 11th Annual Sierra Hope Run. Perhaps you would like to stop by and meet and greet some of the nicest and most generous losers in the valley!
signed: Debbie Dalton, Modesto
I knew it was just a matter of time before this pathetic dribble bled over from the (mostly) Harley crowd into the mainstream media....Joe (Modesto CA USA)
PS I wrote a non-abrasive response to the editor suggesting other ways (headlite modulator, safety-vest and full face DOT approved helmet) for Debbie to enhance her safety. Doubt that it'll print though. -
Well after my 01 V11 Sport spent 6 (SIX) months in the shop for a trannie recall I finally got it back about two weeks ago
The good news is that the trannie now works smoothly...no missed shifts or false neutrals after about 300 miles.
But, my neutral indicator lite is malfunctioning. Initially it worked fine. Then (almost immediately) it came on, and stayed on in 4th gear only. Now it is on constantly.
Then my hi-beam indicator lite went out!
Is this a simple fix? Wherein Brutus lies the poison?
In the trannie (Gawd help me!) or elswhere? Should I return the bike to the shop (which is two hours away) that did the recall work for a (hopefully) free repair . Or is it a job that any competent (local) shop can handle?
TIA, Joe
Well, the bike is gone as of this afternoon....
in 24/7 V11
Posted
Al, Sorry to hear that youre w/o a bike now. BTW, did "that shop" ever figure out what was wrong w/ your LM?
My Sport is STILL
there. MGNA sent out a new trannie to them about 10 days ago, so I guess that it should be there any time now...but as of our last conversation, they were still trying to figure out who bore the responsibility (cost) for what. Anyway, I've made my position as clear as daylight to them, so I will just wait to see what their response will be.
If you get really lonely and want to visit my bike (since its only 2 - 3 blocks from your house), please feel free to do so, and to gaze upon it affectionately
for me.
Joe
PS Good that you didnt let that Callison fella ride your bike as far as anywhere...he a freakin lunatic. Already the State of Oklahoma is trying to prohibit him from establishing domicile. See www.keepcallisonoutofoklahoma.gov for details.