rktman1

You would have to admit that if EVERY Guzzi owner bought used (never new) and did all their own maintenance/repairs, which means only purchasing OE parts from a dealer, it would have a very bad effect. Now, of course, this is an exageration. I was just wondering if this is contributing to MG's financial problems. The 'buy new every few years' philosophy of most other brand owners (Big 4, HD, BMW, etc.) HAS to be good for those companies. I'm not advocating this (please read my intial post). Tim

Please don't misunderstand the intent of this thread. I was asking about the *EFFECT* of MG owners 'doing it themselves' and purchasing used bikes on the MG corporation. I don't do anything more than normal preventive maintenance: Oil/filter changes, radiator svc (non_MG bikes), wheel removal for tire replacement, etc. I can get away with this here in Tucson because we have a fine MG/Ducati/Aprilia/MV Augusta dealership: Renaissance M/C, owner Steve Spreter. Tim

Thanks. I'd love to see a T3 try to go the same places the 'poofterish' XR650L or the even more 'poofterish' DRZ400S will go offroad. That would be amusing.

I know it has the Rotex (sp?) engine. The newer models are 5-valve, with FI. It is heavier than a KLR650, and the KLR650 is heavier than the DR650 and XR650L, which are both heaver than the DRZ400S. There aren't many reviews out there for the Pegaso since it is not a real popular bike. It is supposed to be a better rode bike than the other thumpers, but this means it is probably a worse gravel-road bike. The XR650L and the DRZ400S are the best "dirt bikes" of the bunch. Dual-sports are always about compromise. Sort of like a decathlete - not world-class at any one event, but at 10 events - unbeatable.

I still can't believe it but a guy is flying from Honolulu, Hawaii to Tucson, AZ to buy my 2001 VFR800. He can't find a pre-2002 in Hawaii. The 2002+ VFR800 has Honda's VTEC technology (heavier bike, no performance gain) and it uses chain-drive for the OH cams instead of the gear-tower, pipes under the seat, plus a host of cosmetic changes. He's going to drive it to Costa Mesa, ship it to Hawaii from there, and fly back to Honolulu. I would think twice before driving to Phoenix for a used VFR. Tomorrow afternoon I'm looking at a 2000 Aprilia Pegaso with 2K miles and hard luggage. Anyone know much about the Pegaso, besides the fact that it is a poor excuse for a dual-sport compared to the DRZ400S, DR650, KLR650, and XR650L? I plan to use it to drive to work over a gravel road to cut down my commute time. I am still leaning toward the Honda XR650L or the Suzuki DRZ400S (about the same price new - $5600 OTD). The Pegaso is going for $4500. Tim

When I was younger I had a real bad habit of stripping bolts. This used to drive my father crazy. (He was a machinist.) I'm better now that I'm older but I still like to rely on my two torque wrenches (bar and click). Damn, almost every M/C owner's manual I've ever owned had the torque value for the oil drain plug. Why can't Guzzi do that?

OK. Another easy question... What is the torque value for the 17 mm drain plug? I just finished looking thru the owner's manual and searching this forum and could not find the value. I'm guessing its around 25-30 lb-ft but I really don't like to guess... Tim

Thanks. I would have guessed the center one (smaller 17 mm plug) only because it is slightly lower than the larger plug. I just don't want to loosen/re-tighten a plug if I don't have to - with my luck it will surely start leaking then... Tim

Just want to gather your thoughts on this subject... Compared to other groups of motorcycle owners, many MG owners do a LOT of their own maintenance (preventive and problem-fixing). Also many MG owners will scour the earth to find a used MG rather than purchase a new MG. I respect this but what effect does this have on the MG corporation, its sales, etc.? Or is this "DIY/buy used" philosophy of owners a direct result (backlash) of MG not being responsive to customers, pricing bikes too high, long waits for warranty service, poor quality control, etc.? Tim

I believe this has been discussed before but I can't locate the thread. My 2003 LeMans looks like it has two oil drain plugs and the owner's manual picture is ambiguous. The smaller one (17 mm) is slightly lower and closer to the center while the larger plug (?? mm) is slightly higher and to the outside but they are both very close togther. So, which one is the real drain plug? Tim

This is just my personal opinion... There is only one HD I would even consider buying and that is the Buell. Good looking bike (my opinion), light, good handling. The only down-side on a Buell is the motor. Too bad Eric Buell can't use a motor from another manufacturer. Tim

Thanks for the responses. I have enough info here to keep me busy for a while. I'm not too concerned about the LeMans' vibes. It's my Sunday ride and not my commuter bike. I know this will piss-off the more serious riders but I enjoy cleaning the LeMans and then just sitting and staring at it. It is one of the most beautiful bikes I've ever owned. Tim

Skeeve, I've tried a couple of times over the years to understand the primary/secondary balancing in an engine and from what I've read an L-twin (90 degree V) is supposed to have perfect primary balancing but not so good secondary balancing. I believe the primary balancing concerns the mass in the pistons, rods, and crank and the secondary balancing is the mass in remaining moving (engine) parts. I could be way off-base with this. It was many years ago whan I made my last attempt to understand it. The fact that the MG is a longitudinal mount (vs transverse) makes sense in the balance equation though, as far as it being more pronounced. Anyway, I like the LeMans - rode it to work today. I call it my "new old thing".

Not to pick nits here but I always thought that if the crankshaft was "in line" with the forward-backward axis of the bike then it was called "longitudinal" (like the Guzzi, BMW, Honda ST1100, etc.) and if the crank was perpendicular to the forward-backward axis it was termed "transverse" (Duc, vertical twins, V-twins, every UJM in-line 4, etc.). Someone chime in with correct definition. Tim

Before someone flames me, I do like most everything about my 03 LeMans: Handling is great, looks great, ergos are about perfect for me, lovely power band. But why does the V11 vibrate compared to other L-twins? I've owned two other L-twins: VTR1000, RC51, and I currently have an 04 ST4S. These bikes don't vibrate near as much as my V11. Now, these others are all water-cooled, transverse mounted, smaller displacement (1000 cc), and have over-head cams. The V11 vibration is not terrible but I could see where it might be fatiguing on a 400+ mile day. I only have 1700 miles on the bike and it does seem to be getting smoother but the other bikes I mentioned were smooth out of the crate. Once again, I'm not deriding the V11. Just curious. Tim

I was in Switzerland on a work assignment for one year in 1984-1985 and they had many static speed-trap cameras. This was 20 years ago! I was nabbed at night and there was no arguing; you just paid the fine. The amazing thing is that no one vandalized these boxes, which were on the side of the road. Over here in America these boxes wouldn't last a week. The roads there were great, the speed limits reasonable (130 km/hr on the highways - about 80 mph), the traffic moved smoothly, the cafes were wonderful, the scenery was beautiful.

This forum is great for me and I read it often. I don't contribute much because, generally, I don't know as much as the experts here. I don't like being "pounded" when I post a dumb question or suggestion. Even WildGuzzi has its share of folks who will pounce on you if something you write doesn't jive with their personal (M/C) philosphy. Thanks for hosting this site.

Yes. The 04 ST4S has a wet clutch, which has kind of pissed off the Ducatisti.

Thanks for the vote of confidence Al. If I hadn't been reading this forum before I bought the used 03 LeMans, I would have been shocked by the sound of the clutch when the previous owner started it. I probably would have walked away and I wouldn't have this beautiful red work-of-art sitting in my garage right now... Tim

I have a 2003 LeMans with only 1600 miles. The clutch makes a racket when pulled in and is perfectly quiet when released in neutral or any gear. It has made this noise since I bought it with 600 miles. I just figure it's normal (I hope!). Tim

I feel I must defend myself. My name has been mentioned here several times, and not very complimentary I might add. I just offered up a technique (to Kenr) that I use when shifting. I didn't say it was the only way. I didn't say that if you don't shift my way, you're wrong. If you take the time to read my FIRST append (in another thread) you'll see that I wasn't trying to convert anyone. BTW, my shifting technique is just as quick as a normal clutch shift. I don't hold the shift lever up for a long time, as was implied here. It may not be as "satisfying" as a clutchless shift but I almost never miss an upshift and the gears never grind. Tim

OK Janusz. I'll try it. Promise. Yes Kenr, it does sound like there is much more wrong with your bike than shifting technique. I've never experienced the shift lever stuck in the down position. This does not sound right at all. Good luck. Let us all know what the shop does and if it works. Tim

Janusz, I believe you. You're no doubt a better rider than I am. It took me several weeks to get used to "pre-loading" the shifter and maybe some day I'll experiment with "clutchless" shifting (on someone else's bike?). Sometimes I pre-load on downshifts but mostly I use a small blip of the throttle. Another thing that I had to re-teach myself to do was to "cover" the front brake while still manipulating the throttle. This also took several weeks to get used to. I still go back to using my entire right hand when I deem the ride is safer but I always go back to covering the brake when I'm in traffic or coming to a stop. Now if I could keep from looking in the rear view mirror too much... Sometimes I pay more attention to what's going on behind me than what's going on in front of me. Not good. Tim

Kenr, First off, I don't want to imply here that there is nothing wrong with your bike. There probably is. But let me tell you a story... To make the story shorter I'll just tell you that I've had 30 motorcycles over my 35 years of riding, most of them Japanese bikes. I've never had shifting problems until I bought a 2001 Hayabusa, which seemed to always have a false neutral between 5th and 6th. It was so discouraging that I sold it and bought a 2002 BMW R1150R. Same story, except I was finding false neutrals between several of the higher gears on upshifts. Sold it. Bought a 2003 Kawasak ZX12R. Started finding a false neutral between 5th and 6th. I went to the ZX12R forum and told my story and an old timer there (older than me even) told me how I shifted and I said "Yes. That's how I shift". He told me "You've been shifting wrong your entire life." Anyhow, this is how I used to upshift: 1) Pull in clutch 2) Lift up on shift lever 3) Release shift lever 4) Let out the clutch. This is how he told me to shift: 1) Pull in the clutch 2) Lift up on the shift lever 3) Let out the clutch 4) Release the shift lever You'll notice steps 3) and 4) are reversed. I've ignored the throttle manipulation here. Anyhow, I started shifting this way ( I was very clumsy for a while) and I almost never miss an upshift anymore. I still can't shift as fast as I used to but that's not as important as it used to be. This may help. Tim in Tucson (an old dog can sometimes learn a new trick) BTW: I currently have an 03 LeMans, an 04 ST4S-A, and an 01 CBR929RR.