Lucky Phil

Not sure I took a guestimate but you also need to clean up the dia and hold the stock for machining as well. Phil

Well It might sound like an idea but I think in reality it would cost just as much as the 1588 NZD for a complete RAM clutch package + shipping to NZ. To start with you need a piece of chrome moly about 4 inches thick and 15 inches in dia even before you get to the paying for a 1 off machining job. Check the cost of a piece of Chrmo these days? As an example a 100mm long peice of bright mild at 100mm dia is $58aud so I'd imagine at a guess a piece of Chmo at the size you need is going to be 3-400 dollars aud maybe more just for the raw material IF you can buy a small piece cut to size. Then you need to find a machine shop to machine it at a one off rate at probably 400 bucks an hour IF they will even be bothered doing it. Then you need to balance the assembly. I know and appreciat the traditional NZ "can do" attitude but as it is with most things it's the details that bring ideas undone. Much easier and realistic to just bite the bullit and stump up the cash for a RAM unit I think. Phil

The cam is half speed remember Phil

What I was thinking Pete. A 25 year old bike the flywheel could have been off and on again once with the flywheel in the wrong location. Phil

Yes 25 years ago a lot deppended on what was "on hand" at any given time I think. They wouldn't hold up production for a lack of one type of decal. It was even more pronounced in the 70's and 80's with Ducati. Look at a new Ducati now, it's like a swiss watch. How times have changed from the house fly caught in the fibreglass fuel tank during lay up on a Supersport from the early 70's.. Phil

One would hope not. Phil

The injected tank still needs two fittings. One for the pump feed and one for the regulator/fuel return. Phil

I guess we'll never know definitively Pete but during my research during covid I read a race engine builder either NASCAR or a circle track guy reflect on the fact that with DLC coating lifters any failure which does accur from time to time resulted in a junked engine where with the traditional flat tappets if you wipe a lifter then it's just a cam and lifter change. In addition to that Dynotec has used gas Nitrided valves and lifters for years and have had no issues. DLC is the wrong application for lifters I think. Good for other stuff like fork legs but not lifters. Phil

Gas Nitriding. Phil

DLC coating is not only a waste of time but risky to the rest of the engine. Guzzi tried this on the 8 valve engines and it didn't work and when it failed it sent bits of the coating all through the engine including the bigends and mains. This is why pro engine builders don't DLC flat tappet engines. The daytona and centy engines sre renowned for lifter damage but DLC coating isn't the answer.There are better options. Phil

Yea Pete warranty work rates are a crime to the dealer and why they run a mile or try their best to handball the issue someway, somehow out of their shop. Cars are the same. I can't really blame them. Also one of the reasons I don't buy "new" models. I want to give the design and manufacture some time to mature and lessen the chance of warranty work. I've done quite a bit of my own warranty work over the years as I want to know it's done right even if it costs me money. I've sometimes struck deals with dealers where they provide the parts and I do the work and they can claim the warranty labour. Phil

The latest V7 looks quite nice but then again I ride a RE 650 Interceptor so what would I know Phil

I can't believe with the V100 Pete they require the cam drive system to be removed to adjust the valve clearances when designing removable rocker arm shafts would have made the job easy. Wouldn't have been a big design/manufacturing/assembly issue but they went the penny pinching ignore the practical maintenance route the home mechanic can deal with. Phil

Every market is different but the low resolution answer is Guzzi make bikes for older guys that like something a bit different/quirky. A small market esp in the USA. Young people either want scooters (in europe) or sports bikes (most markets) and older riders in the US want Cruisers/Harleys. Motorcycle these days are a luxury/recreation purchase so a sensible, practical, somewhat quirky real world useable bike for isn't going to get the "lust after toy" factor set alight for any demographic but a very narrow one. Add to that for the US is the traditionally appauling sales and after sales support and thats probably the main reason for you guys. Here's not much better or different BTW. Guzzis have and probably always will be a niche motorcycle. Phil

Like this one? https://www.v11lemans.com/forums/topic/30570-2002-v11-lemans-redsilver/ It's made in Italy, anything is possible during manufacture or maybe the tank has been repainted. Phil