docc

Ian, I must say I just took Pilot Roads off my Sport after 2000 miles. After the bike laid down from traction loss I could never trust the hard compound again. I was running 37 psi which you could lower for a better footprint but I'd be nervous. I certainly wouldn't exceed the Guzzi recommended pressure ( 33.5-35.5 front on a sport). Yet, if you get the pressure low enough for a good bite the thing will probably cup like the rest of them. (Pilot Road aka Chosen tire of the Tarmac Rub-Club)

I'm guessing when you buy 25 pounds of shot you can get it in any size you want. Usually that means # (number)6, #8 or#9 (all bird shot, smaller than BBs). The last time I tried to get buckshot the gun shop didn't carry it. It's not used to hunt buck unless you call that rowdy low-down good fer nuthin guy up the holler "Buck."

I figured # = pound but then I couldn't correlate that with the numbers used for either bird or buckshot. I know just enough about it to prove I don't know everything about it. Oh, and hey, on the heated grip options don't forget heated gloves . They are wonderful, keep your whole hand warm and not as bulky.

Thang, I will send my complete set of three springs no later than Tuesday Nov. 25. If you wil please check with the supplier a price on the complete set.

00 buck is 0.34 inch. #9 shot is 0.080 " and would be more like handling grains of sand ( awkward). Tthe 1/4 " ball I used is the equivalent of no. 4 buck (0.24") or #3 buck ( 0.25"). Jason, I couldn't figure out , what is "25#" shot?

Carl, I asked this before ( I'm puzzled): I've a friend with an 1100Sport. The brake, line, lever, caliper all look the same. But the lever appears to spring away from the master cylinder. What gives? Is there a spring in the mechanism of the 1100S that is not on the V11S?

Well, I think there's a little more to it . . . Over on theGEARBOX SPRING thread there is a diagram of the 'preselector mechanism' from the shop manual. We've been refering to the springs as 'left, center and right.' The faulty 2002 spring is certainly the left spring which engages the pawl that pulls the selector into the next gear. When it's tab breaks, you are stuck in the gear you are in. The center spring is the 'return spring' which recenters the foot lever after each shift. Apparently if the pawl spring breaks this center spring will still not return the lever. There are no reports of the center (return) spring actually failing. The 'right ' spring indexes another pawl to firmly engage each gear. As any of you remove the side plate, please inspect carefully the engagement follower and the detents in the shift plate ( MG: toothed wheel) for excessive wear. There are numerous reports of the 6-speed developing 'false neutral' or 'missing gears' which could be attributed to the failure of the right spring or engagement of the index follower. 'There is the world's foremost expert on the guzzi 6-speed and it are us.'

Seems like if the circumferance grows, the tire covers more ground per revolution and the speedo discrepency would diminish with increased velocity. Of course, some calculus genius will tell us that the speedo is dead on at 476 mph.

I didn't know the LeMans were so bad as the early Sport for the vibration. I packed about 1 ounce ( 28 grams) of 1/4 inch lead ball into each clip on. They are held tightly by the bar weight ( although, aren't the leMans bar weights different?). Yet, I've heard the theory that if the balls are loose they dampen the vibration better. After adding CRG barends, Superbike grips and , of course, removing the stalk mirrors the vibration is a non-issue.

Do you think the rear brake components are susceptible to heat soaking from proximity to the exhaust contributing to fluid expansion and brake dragging ( leading to premature pad wear, rotor heat and left side bearing failure)??

Oh , I liked the e-Bay description:" london, for you yanks, that's England, near Russia"

The pan is really pretty thick. I did zip through it in one spot where I was removing the sharp edge that cuts the strap. Mine still touches the battery but hasn't ever sqizzed any juice out. I never thought of droping the box. Since I don't currently have a swingarm in place someone else will have to look at the clearance.

There's that word again . . .

I'm surprised the stock battery would spill acid. I thought they were gel affairs? Still, the 2000 sport's seats do contact the battery. In fact they will cut the retention strap in half. I used my Dremel rather liberally to relieve all the contact points. The seat snaps on with ease and there is no more pressure on vital parts below.

You might want to take a thousand dollars up to seattle. just be wary of the political ambience.

The first metal seems to have such a broad range in tensile strength. If we are going to the trouble i think we should build the best spring possible. Again, if I were taking my box apart again I would want to relace all three springs and the follower for the indexing pawl ( " MG: neutral indicator") While no one has reported any trouble with the 'middle' spring i still maintain the strength of the 'right' spring is suspect perhaps contributing to false neutrals and missed gears so often reported. What would it take to make a new set of springs? I will be happy to donate the stock parts as I have them in hand and can send them tomorrow.

I remember , back in the early 70s in Florida, a beautiful Maserati which sat at a local shop for months and months and months and months . . . My brother said it was waiting for a fuel pump. I always wondered why they didn't fit up a Stewart-Warner pulse pump and drive the piss out of the thing. Maybe they were 'slaves to authenticity.' No doubt the 6-speed is a teething exercise. Ten years from now there will be a chapter in Al's book about all the refinement developed by the faithful. Unless you have a biplane awaiting, your Guzzi calls to you. Be diligent, persevere.

"several weeks" : a phrase used by Guzzisti meaning " in the blink of an eye."

I'm still of the opinion if we make one spring we should make a set of three.

Apparently, the real suspicious character is the spring at far left. It became my theory that the spring at far right, if it were to weaken , would diminish the secure selection of gears.

Good question?

Is this really a bike shop's name? Actually "Atlanta Ducati Triumph" do sell Moto Guzzi and were selling MV Agusta. The Capuccino was really just wishful thinking on my part . They are very nice people, knowledgable and very busy.

If you're handy with spanners the spring swap shouldn't be all that bad. must remove the starter and side plate. The proper shop manual will be a help. There's always the worry that the replacement spring is no better than the munted one. I've e-mailed a guy in Oklahoma who , purportedly, has made an upgrade. No word back yet though. There is yet some mystery over the part numbers of the early, faulty and ( perhaps) replacement springs. Check with Paul at Atlanta Ducati-Triumph-Moto Guzzi -MV Agusta-and-Capuccino as they may be a good , but sllow, alternative to wrenching it yourself. You're not under warranty??

I hate to jump in on Al but he could probably spare a few posts to us lowlies: Carillo makes connecting rods as in connecting the crank to the pistons. There was an inference to a couple 'crank bolts' being recalled. Does that mean the rod cap bolts? Makes me wanna say O-m'gosh! What's my redline? 4800rpm?

Cycle World reported that the shift quality on their long term test bike degraded. I wasn't sure what this meant until, at 16,500 miles, my shift quality degraded. Lots more false neutrals and missed gears. This is likely the more common circumstance than the ' full grenade.' In my experience third gear was most affected. But , this means upshifting from 2 to 3 or , 3 to 4 as well as downshifting from 4 to 3 or 3 to 2. With the sliding sleeves, it is the gear change which is affected. And who was it who said their third did grenade?