RichMaund

Forgot to log in. Sorry. That last guest posting was mine!

I have seen too many Formotion clocks and thermometers with moisture in them for me to think they are worth the relatively high price they fetch. I bought a cheap white faced waterproof sports watch at a Wal Mart for $7. I cut the band holders off, files them smooth and attached the watch to a knuckle on the left clip-on with a glob of black RTV. The watch has a seven year lithium battery. If it ever dies, I'll just take it off and buy another! No illumination for it. But after dark I pretty well know about what time it is, so it doesn't matter to me. Those Eagles are held on with double sided tape. Spray some WD40 around them and let sit a while. Spray again and wait. In a couple hours the adhesive has failed and you can lift them off. Scrape off the tape, clean them and you can glue them back on straight with black RTV. Just make sure you let it dry overnight before riding or you may lose it.

S 100 Cycle Cleaner is a super detergeant made in germany that I have used for over ten years. Neutral pH. Hasn't harmed anything yet. Melts brake dust way with a wipe from a wet sponge! I use a couple liters a year keeping my Guzzi and my wife's Chrysler Sebring shining with it! (That car's mag wheels really collect brake dust!)

I have to agree with these guys on this. I have 23 years street riding experience and two legs full of metal hardware to prove they're correct. Only God can make the blind see. Aggressive defensive riding is the best tactic. Always assume the cage will do the stupidist thing possible to try and kill you and have a escape route/plan ready to use at all times. This mental game can save your life.

Mine uses about 1/2 a quart between changes every 3000 miles. My old Guzzi's never used more than a pint between changes. I attribute it to the fact that I run the crap outta this Goose (Pun intended! ) like none other before it. It regularly see's yellow line as a shift point and I cruise it in the 5's where I cruised the older engines in the 4's. Run that hard, an engine is bound to use some oil. If your plugs are Ok and there's no leaks and you're riding as I do, that usage isn't unreasonable. I know a number of owners of new BMW's who report usage of a quart every 2-3K miles! But that is considered normal by the manufacturer!

Nonsense! The key is attached under the clock. Just turn it to the 3:00 position to start the bike!

For years now I have used a product called "Protect All" on rubber and plastic parts. Great stuff. Wal mart carries it in the RV section with a pump bottle and many cycle shops carry it in spray cans (My choice.) I started using it after a great review by Rider magazine back in the mid '80s. Best product of it's kind I have ever used.

I thought the longer filter was standard on all big block Guzzi's since 1994? It is not just the length that is different. The size of the fitting it screws to is different as well, so they cannot be interchanged. The larger filter has a fitting with approx. 2mm larger OD. Mine came with the large filter. Isn't that one reason they are supposed to go 6K miles between oil changes now too?

Geez Folks! We're all Guzzi riders and we all know that loud VALVES save lives! That should end the discussion!

I didn't do this conversion due to vibes in the pegs. That was never an issue. It was discomfort caused by the narrow and hard metal peg pressing into the arch of my foot that bothered me. After three hours into a ride, my feet hurt and actually tingled from the pressure on the nerves there! These rubber topped pegs solved it completely My son tells me the passenger pegs do vibrate at certain rpms. He thinks it more funny than uncomfortable though. But when I can spare t he money, I will be getting another set for the passenger pegs. I know my wife will appreciate it as her riding boots have thin soles. Thanks for comments in it! Those hours spent sweating in the loft of my local Jap bike salvage yard measuring different foot pegs didn't go to waste!

I don't think it'd be a good idea to use that as a cruise control. If you had to stop suddenly the throttle won't shut and the engine power will fight the brakes. I use a throttle rocker over my gel grip. I can ride all day with no strain at all. I've had two carpal tunnel operations, so I'm a good candidate for a cruise control. Placing a greased 1/8" O ring between the grip and throttle assembly makes a good cruise control too. Throttle is still smooth to twist, but the O ring applies just enough pressure to hold it still when you let go. I liked the throttle rocker so much though that I no longer use the O ring.

The factory set up on these IS a joke. A spring from a retractable ballpoint pen makes a good substitute. (I used a Parker pen!) Install one of those and properly adjust the engagement cam/cable and it's set for life!

Al No offense taken! I would never do that. Especially not in a forum as good as this one! I'm sorry to hear it's a problem for so many riders. Since in many of the cases it has come on after the bike has accrued some miles, I would say the fuel pump itself may be suspect! That, or the regulator. Time to rig in a pressure guage and ride the bike and try to recreate the hot conditions and monitor fuel pressure. If vapor bubbles are forming and the pump cavitates, the pressure irregularities will show up on the gauge. A PITA to be sure. But I won't hold my breath waiting on MGNA to ever do anything. I'm afraid I have little respect for the way they handle much of their business. It's up to the owners and Dealers to solve everything. Realistically, this is where the solutions will have to come from since MGNA leads a very rich "pretend" life. ie; they usually pretend problems don't exist.

My bike had this problem when new. I'd be cruising along at 4k rpm and it would "cough!" and then go back to normal. Just happed once a week or so. I had balanced the TB's with mercury sticks. My Dealer then set them up with a Twin Max and proved to me that my mercury sticks weren't as accurate! After he balanced them with the Twin Max the problem went away completely and has never returned. These bikes are very sensitive to throttle Body (TB) balance. It has to be nailed! I hope your problem is as simple as mine was!

Being an Italian bike, it IS a fashion accessory! But I see them as good to have also. If you are leaned way over and smack a set of railroad tracks in the middle of the curve, you will be glad to have it. (If it has been set properly.) We have a road like that locally. I use that corner to test suspension setups. With the damper set lowest on my V11S, it'll wobble once before recovering. I have found that the case on many of my bikes. With the damper adjusted so that some light resistance is felt side to side when the front wheel is off the ground, the same corner/tracks doesn't upset it at all. Mine did weep fluid shortly after it was new. Guzzi refused to warranty it since most of them leak, it is considered normal. I took the end cap off of mine, drained the fuild (I measured it! But right now can't remember what it held. ), and refilled it with Power Steering Fluid with seal swell in it. The stuff is made to stop weeps in hydraulic steering systems. It took some time to take effect, but it worked. Now it weeps just a tiny bit. Just enough to gather some dirt over time. But I no longer find droplets running back along the tank after a hard freeway run! I'd say they are necessary. It was worth my time to repair mine and keep using it.

Janusz I'd say that the needs of your engine were very well fulfilled by the stock map. Other bikes less so to other degrees. You hit the Guzzi lottery Man! Mine ran very well when new. Some tweaking by the Dealer's Tech after break-in improved driveability greatly. That eliminated a slight flat spot in the 4k range of rpm. The pinging on my bike is only momentary. Never really an issue for me. The temptation though to see what is possible through the talents of a knowledgable tuner though is very strong! Thank you all for your great inputs!

I have seen that FBF is marketing higher compression pistons for the bike. Much of what I see going on with tuners of these bikes makes me want to make a road trip this Spring to see todd Egan for a PCIII and some dyno tuning work personalized for my bike. Man! What a excuse for a road trip!

Folks I have read much about this topic both here and in the MGCL. My bike has occassionally pinged under acceleration. I have done much to reproduce it to see under what cirumstances it occurs. Here's my theory: At lower rpms the engine is out of the best part of the power band and airflow is only moving slowly in the intake system. When you wack the throttle wide open this is what I believe is happening to the dynamics of the system. The airflow crashes dramatically. You have leaned the mixture due to admitting so much air to the tract when the engine isn't ready to accept it. You have reduced the flow velocity and the ram air effect the higher (Though still slow.) flow rate gave itself before you whacked the throttle. I have tried this at progressively higher rpms and the problem becomes reduced and eventually eliminated as I try it at higher rpms. Reason? Because the engine is progressively into the better part of the powerband, intake flow rates are becoming higher and the difference in flow rates between WFO at 4k rpm and at 6k rpm means that "crashing" the airflow is much less of a problem at higher rpms. And what of the people who ask "Why didn't this ever happen on my Kawazukida?"? Those bikes probably had CV Carbs. Next best thing to fly by wire for the intake airflow. You can whack the throttle open all you want, but the slide will only rise and allow more flow as the engine is ready for it. That rate gets set by the engineer who designed the system! My Cali1100i could be made to ping under load and so could my 1989 carbed Mille' GT. Hell, my Ural can do it. But thinking back on it, none of my CV equipped bikes have had the problem. I suggest the cure is more careful throttle management. "Roll" the throttle on vice whacking it open. Make for smoother transitions vice sudden ones. I purposely rode my bike this way, smooth control inputs, and it loved it. If I wanted to pass a car, drop down a gear and roll it on! Whereas whacking it in gear just resulted in a unhappy engine. It's not so much a problem with the bikes as us needing to learn its characteristics to better use it's capabilities. Moly: This bike was already the smoothest shifting Goose I have ever run. A thousand miles ago I used a moly additive with my gear oil change. Same as I use in the rear drive. I had wondered about doing this as it improved every 5 speed Guzzi gear box I have ever owned. I can honestly say that it improved my 6 speed in this bike too. I was laughing in my helmet today realizing what a light touch I am using on the shifter. Light and smooth as silk! Will it violate my warranty? Hell if I know. I'll be damned if I ever let a Dealer take my bike in for major repairs ever again. I lost the bike for almost 6 weeks for a transmission oil leak a year ago. The job kept getting pushed aside to get customers in whose problems were more minor. His employees ratted his behavior out to me about it. I finally had to heart to heart talk with him to get action on my bike. He is still my favorite Guzzi shop within a day's ride. But he sometimes spreads himself thin and can't seem to say "no" when customers need help NOW! In that shop, the squeaky bearing gets the grease vice "first come, first served". I could have done it myself in one long day's work. Since I promised myself that I'd never ask for anything but parts under warranty anymore, I went ahead and used it. Sweet! So, what do you think? Does my theory have merit?

Some of us have never experienced this problem. It would be unfair to MG to call it an across the board problem. Simple solutions like wrapped insulative tape are a legitimate solution if it is caused by heating of the suction line. I like that idea myself and will probably do it as a preventive measure next time I have the tank off. My bike had the usual bugs for a 2000 V11S when new. It has done nothing but get better as I have racked up the miles. Pushing 10k now and I will soon be tire shopping and getting my wheels done in red powdercoat to "finish" the bike. I ran up 60 miles on it today just joy riding and running errands. Runs like a dream. The suction tubing for my fuel pump is just bare rubber tubing. I had to change it when the original electric petcock weeped. Fuel got down into the reinforcement threads and the line swelled up. After I changed it, I didn't bother putting the SS braided cover back on. Seemed like a useless decoration at the time. I have ridden it on 100 degree days when it was over 115 in the sun. No problems. I have run it through frog drowning rain storms. No problem except I blasted the paint off the fronts of my valve covers. When a bike is new and tight, and many MG's come VERY "tight" from the factory, it generates more heat than a well broken in engine. I would suggest that perhaps riding the snot out of it for short bursts and gradually working your way up to full blown nose riding is what most MG's need! I'm only half kidding here. When my last MG, a 1997 Cali 1100, was new it was tight as a shrunken hatband. It was 7k miles before it would find neutral on the first try. It would shudder and bog below 4k rpm. tightest damn Guzzi I had ever owned. By 10k miles it was really good. By 20k, it was marvelous. My 2000 V11S didn't have as pronouced a tightness as that bike did. But it has again proven to me that Guzzi's simply need more break-in than any other bike I know of. The bikes DO reward a patient owner in time!

Al Here's how I do it: Stand beside the left side of the bike and face aft. Have the stand ready in your right hand and with the left hand hold the tank and with the bike between your hip and left hand, bring it up level and hold it there. Use your right hand to position the stand under the frame nuts. Once you have the stand engaged on the frame nuts put the toe of your right boot behind the little red roller wheel to "chock" it in place. Let go with your left hand and put downward pressure on the lever with both hands. The bike can't fall as the stand is holding it and your tow keeps it from rolling away from you. Shove the lever down to the ground. Now it's on the stand! To get it off the stand: Put the kick stand down. Put your toe behind the red wheel again. Lift the lever carfully upward until it is all the way up, but still well engaged on the nuts to steady the bike. Use your left hand and hip to steday the bike again as you finish disengaging the stand your your right hand. Once the stand is free, allow the bike to lean over onto the side stand. Simpler to do than say, actually! Once you have done it this way a few times, it is easy to do. Hope it helps!

Here's what I do: Put the bike on the work stand. I use the factory one. Remove the rear wheel. Pull the bolt above the rear drive and pull out the rear drive and shaft. Next, remove the locknuts on the stub axles for the swingarm pivot. Remove the stub axles. Remove the lower bolt retaining the shock to the swingarm. Now you can pull the swing arm assembly out of the bike. Weighs only half what the Tonti swingarm weighs. Easy enough now to pivot the forward half of the driveshaft upward and put a standard grease gun fitting right into the zerk. Use regular #2 Lithium grease. Give it a couple pumps and look to see the grease is coming back out of all 4 seals on the universal. (Not a damn thing you can do it it doesn't flow from all four as you have a clogged internal channel. You can try a couple more pumps to clear it. Failing that, you at least know to expect that particular joint to wear first and you'll keep an eye on it.) Reassembly is in reverse order. I use antiseize on the stub axles and lock nuts. Also, you must "center" the swingarm during reassembly. You can count exposed threads on the stub axles to even them up or use a depth gage of some sort. The stub axles need only be snug. Do not tighten them up hard! I use blue Loctite reassembling everything but the stub axles and their lock nuts. That, since nyloc nuts get worn with use. Same with lockwashers. The blue Loctite holds well but you can still get it apart next time! Don't forget to grease the splines and rear uni too. NOTE! With the swing arm out, it is an excellent time to bleed & flush the clutch slave cylinder! I have done it with the swingarm in place, but it is very tight. But easy to do with the swingarm removed. Best not to ignore this maintenance as the uni's are very expensive. This was the first Guzzi made with zerk fittings on the unis. Take advantage of that and use them. Doing this takes about an hour. I have done it twice on my bike now. On a older style Tonti frame bike taking all this apart to grease the driveshaft splines was a complete PITA and usually took me 4 hours to complete! The V11S series bikes are much easier to work on.

I'm with John on this one. I have the factory stand too. It's great, easy to use, sturdy.......... you get the picture. It was made for the job. I got it on sale from MG Cycles last year for $125. Not cheap, but it's not a cheap stand! Perfect for the job!

Sorry Russ! No Lemans's around here for me to experiment on! Besides, I am busy in my spare evenings chopping up and customizing my Ural. We're adapting a a one-in-the-country 6.2 gallon Chaing Yaing tank (Copy of a '70's BMW S tank) making a shortened custom touring seat, doing body work and eventually paint and custom canvas on the cargo hack. My winter calendar of customizing is about full!

I have the alloy Mistrals and I agree with all the comments above. They sound really great without being obnoxious or too loud. "Just right"!

Wow! Very nice adaptation! This is the first time I have seen those mirrors used that way. Looks like they were made for the job!