emry

Carb cleaner works real good.... Found that out by accident... Turns the paint real soft. Paint stripper is cheaper i'm sure though.....

I though I had read on this site about the synthetic causing the plastic cages on the trans-bearings to fail. Anyone recall where? Well I just did a search here and didn't find it. Maybe someone recalls seeing elsewhere in the great digital expanse....

Well this seems to boil down to this. All manufacters have had some serious build quility issues with almost all of the new models they release. But the important part is how well the company or dealer (remember, dealers are independantly owned) choose to deal with your selected problem. Guzzi may be hesisitant to issue a recall or even a warrenty authurization but a good dealer will get the problem resolved. A bad dealer may just compound the problem by simply not wishing to deal with you or MG. Most people consider the Japanese brands to be very reliable. This is because the dealers and the factory have worked together to create systems that provide a high level of service with good dealers or an alternate for consumers to deal with for bad dealers. i.e. another dealership. MG while being a OLD marque is just becoming the new kid on the block thanks to the capitol provide by the Aprilia financers (can't remember the guys name) Many dealers seemed to grab MG outlets thinking it was was going to be the next sliced bread, along with Aprilia and Triumph. Unfortunatly after a year or two the novelty wears off and the dealer is stuck dealing with a company that is very different in how it operates from the Japanese or American manufacters. This situation was the same for the Japanese coming in the 70's. Over time the good dealers worked with the factory and have created some very "sucessful" brands. Guzzi will hopefully do the same. I am sure that Guzzi's new management is willing. Unfortately it will not happen overnight. So support the good dealers, (can be hard due to distance )) and enjoy a unique brand. Since the bike itself is neither any better or worse than any off the others.

Well put John.

Check the "water manometer" thread in the how-to section.

My Scura is rock soild at speed. Even when my wife is hitting me in my kidneys because we have doubled and then some the speed limit....

My front suspension is very good until the last three forths of travel.And I also don't ever use all of the suspension travel, even under hard braking. by lowering the oil level, it increases hte compliance of the suspension during the end of the stroke.

Here is the setting on my 02 Scura. I am thinking about removing 5mm of oil from the front fork though. All adjustments are clicks from fully closed Front: 12 Comp, 13 Rebound, 13 full turn from 0 preload -5mm fork height. Two full lines showing above the triple clamp. This was the change I noticed the most. I ride very heavily on the front wheel and this give me a quicker turn in and helped the front stay planted during acceleration out of turns. It used to try to run wide. Rear: 22 Comp (soft as it gets), 6 Rebound, 5.5" or 140mm installed spring height. Think it is about 2 full turns tighter than stock. I ride two up, 165 and 140lbs each on moderate roads.

I remember reading a article in Performance Bikes I think that tested air pressure of the air box at speed and then simlated the pressure on a Dyno. If I recall below 120mph no effect. Above it began to make a little but never made more than 2 or 3. I was on one of the early zx-11's. So. Yes it works. But it really is hype since most of us would never get to use the beneifts...what little there is. As for fuel control. Most motorcycles that use ram air and are fuel injected just have a Manifold Pressure Sensor which would correct for any pressure gained from the ram effect. Older carb bikes just referenced the fuel bowl vent to the air box thus pressure was equalized and proper fueling was maintained.

I would imagine that the Ducati's that use the 1.5M computer function very similairly to the Guzzi's. I have trouble believing that much development time would be needed. The message sounded like a "stop bothering about obscure bikes" type response.

Water injection is very common with high boost turbo systems to prevent detonation. The system is very similar to a windshield washer set up that uses a nitrous nozzle for the mist. The mist can drop intake temps by as much as 50 degrees. While this may correct the problem it doesn't really fix it. I still think that a good custom fuel and spark map would solve the problems. Have they released the PCIII R yet for our bikes?

Even though MG does not want to do it there are a great deal of companies that not only do this but also balance the flow rates. Do a quick Google search for more info try "injector cleaning" Also about the fine particulate in the gas filter. Don't forget where the fuel come from in the first place. Those huge underground storage tanks.

I'm using NGK PFR6B-11 that I had left over from my 300zx. Perhaps a very slight reduction in "pinging." But that is rather hard to quantify.

I have just removed my airbox lid and made a bracket to keep the filter in place; ala FBF. The only seat of the pants differnce i noticed was more intake noise. A plus in my opinion. Most modern sportbikes loose significant average power when the air box is removed, due to the increase of turbulant air and the shortening of the intake tract. This often moves the tuned area of the intake out of the rpm range of the engine. Actually the shorter the intake tract the better top-end and the longer intake tract will produce better lowend power. Check this for more info. Intake tuning

I started riding back in 1984, I was 12. It was a CR480. Yes it hurt. But even almost totally destroying myself couldn't keep me off. Needless to say my parents wouldn't have anthing to do with them, even though my father once traded a early 50's Cadillac chop top for a late 40's Harley. (Why oh why didn't he keep it??? Either one??) My first real street bike out side of scooters and other goofy things that belonged to the neighbors was a 1985 VFR500. I actully belonged to a friend and I conned my parents into letting him keep it in our garage so his parents wouldn't find out. (Imagine that...) So I had to get my license. About a year later I surprised my parents with my first bike, a very clean 1985 900 Ninja. Living in the SF bay area and working at a Summer Camp in Pescadero I put many miles on that beast. Boy do I ever miss Alices Restruant.... I was working as a manager for UPS when I decied to drop out college and become a motorcycle mechanic. I was doing some car engine work for SCCA racers at Sears Point, I was real big into Ford 2.3l turbos, so I wasn't too intimidated by techincial things. Off to Motorcycle Mechanics Institude in Phoneix, AZ I went. Got a job at a aftermarket shop while I was going to school. Began touring on weekends and on short school brakes. After a few years in Phoenix I took a job working with Yoshimura Suzuki in Chino, CA. I spent two years working there, one of which was on the ill fated TL1000 suberbike. While at Aaron Yates wedding in 1999 in Milledgeville, GA I met the most wonderful brides maid who is now my wonderful wife. So I quit Yoshimura to move to M'ville in BFE Georgia. Several motorcycle dealerships later I decied to become a teacher. So now I teach Automotive Service at a local highschool. MMmmm.... Bikes I've owned. Does possesion count??? Some of these I didn't keep for very long. 1985 Hon VFR500, 2 1985 Kaw 900 Ninja, 1988 Kaw 1000 Ninja, 2 1989 Kaw ZX-10, 1990 Kaw ZX-11, 1993 Suz GSX-R 750, 1979 Yam RD-400, 1972 Kaw 750 Mach IV, 1972 Suz GT-750, 1998 Suz GSX-R 750, 1998 Suz TL1000R(the street bike, not Yoshimura's, darn), 1994 Yam Seca II 600, 1986 Yam V-Max/supercharged, and now the only one in my garage is the 2002 Moto Guzzi Scura. I think I happier for it too. I do miss that first 900 though... Just a little bit.

I added two full turns to the rear preload. But I do ride two up normally. I will try and find where I wrote down my s. settings and let you know. The stock settings work great if you are riding on a very smooth surface at high speeds, i.e. test tracks; on the street they stink. I do know that I am set at the min compression on the rear though. The Cycle World article points you in the right direction. Have fun tinkering.

Sorry to read about your troubles Al, been there. Look at it this way, at least you have a good story to tell over a few beers!!!!

Looks like some cut-up dirt bike bars. I might try that.

Iwould imagine that our pipes are similar to these. Ducati muffler modify I saw a better web site once but I couldn't find the url.

Al, I think you have a problem. It must be just bad dumb luck that it choose to manifest itself during your modifications. If you still think that the problem is due to the mods, you could always revert back. Temporaily tape of the drilled holes and install the OEM cross-over. But to be honest I wouldn't bother. How do your plugs look? [- hard to start... seems to flood. I can smell gas. - catches for a second, stumbles once or twice, then quits. I keep doing this gently about 10 times - manipulating the fuel-enricher lever, it will eventually start, but runs very rough - eventually once it warms up, it idles ok, but stumbles ] These are all signs of flooding, but no carb!! Must be an ignition misfire then. Check to make sure one of your plug wires has not rubbed through the insulation and that it has a good connection into the coil, mine were zip-tied so tight that no only did it begin to chaff, but it almost pulled it self out of the coil. If the problem is fuel related then I would have to say that it is definately a failed sensor or extremely bad connection. Best of luck. Just a related story, I put a Yosh exhaust on a Suzuki Hayabusa and spent the next three weeks trying to get it to go faster than 80mph!!! Even the Suzuki field rep couldn't fix. Most of the FI system ended up being replaced under warrenty and the old parts sent to Japan for examination. Get this: clogged fuel injector. Up to 65% duty cycle it flowed normal, correct spray pattern, everything. Past that it would choke down to a max of a 15% flow rate. Just freak chance. Sure lost a lot on that exhaust install though.

In case you didn't get the manual for your suspension here is a link Scura Ohlins Manual Enjoy!!!! Love mine.

I lowered my Scura 10mm. That is all that I could due to the taper. My steering is noticably quicker.

When I used to winterize a wide variety of engined toys, cars, four wheelers, motorcycles etc. We would add fuel stabilizer to the tanks, run the vehicle for a short time to allow the stabilizer to enter al parts of the fuel system, (this does not take long on a FI vehicle due to fuel return lines) then while the engine is running spray a fogging oil into the intakes. It does not take very much. Stop the engine, spray a little more while just turning the bike over, disconnect the battery. The top off the gas tank. (This helps to prevent the condensation of water inside, this doesn't pose a big problem on the v11's though because of the plastic tank. Viola. Wouldn't hurt to put your battery on a battery maintainer. These can be found at Wal-mart for about $20. The fogging oil can normally be found in the boating section where winterizing is a little more common.

I normally clean my connectors with some electrical contact cleaner and then use some dielectric grease to keep the contacts from corroding. Most autotmotive manufacturers do this on "sensitive" circuits where a little extra resistance can greatly change the way and engine performs. When I began to check my bike I noticed a distinct lack of any corrosion resistive gel. Not even any on the battery terminals, (even though that is probably the dealers fault.)