belfastguzzi

From what I remember, no effort is required. Seems that you just didn't disassemble it enough.The 'compression' (again, from poor memory) that you mention, isn't to do with forcing air out – it only sets the tube parts at the correct height, relative to each other. I.e. the outer tube should be slid right down, then the spring set in place (but preload not applied). Spring in or spring out doesn't change the 'effort' as it's just sitting there, not fixed, and so not compressed. The 'pumping' is on the cartridge piston to fill it with oil – doesn't apply to the spring / fork leg tubes.

ok, not better than the iron in that Italian thread but hardly worse. Honest and p.roper

from Martin's picture, do we take it that he got a job-lot of those motors? Could 'look the part' in one of those engine-inside-the-back-wheel applications.

I reckon that the engine stays where it is – and the bike spins around it. With that much motor, who needs a gearbox?

Well, I'm a Scottish-type, as in Ulster Scots... There was a wee programme on tv about the oak tree, a couple of days ago. It finished with illustration of the difference that oak (casks) makes over a period of 25 years. The whisky man had bottles that ranged from brand new whiskey that was just clear alcohol and tasted rotten; then through increments of age with increasing colour and flavours; finishing with 25 year brown stuff that was apparently most flavoursome. BTW, sorry about all the funny spellings here abouts – you Mericans (extra 'u's) and Scots Scots (extra 'e's). "Probably the most memorable bit has to have been looking at how whisky is made," [treeman] laughs. "I mean, I love whisky and going up to the Glenlivet distillery in the Highlands and seeing how whisky needs the oak tree to be called 'whisky' was quite an eye-opener. It has to remain in a cask for at least three years – but, obviously, the longer the better. With a nice, 20-year-old malt, you can really taste the oak!" Check here, if you are old enough: www.theglenlivet.com Thirsty? Back in Bushmills, there will soon be celebrations of 400 years. Want to come over? "The County Antrim village of Bushmills has a long and illustrious history of whiskey production. Stories tell us that the troops of King Henry II of England were more than happy to discover the unique taste of Irish whiskey. Unable to pronounce the Gaelic “Uisce Beatha” (Water of Life), they shortened it to “Uisce” and finally to whiskey. In 1608, the first licence to distil whiskey was granted by King James I for the region which is now County Antrim. The Irish spirit soon became a favourite among the revellers of British King James's court. In 1784, the Bushmills distillery became an officially registered company. From the 1740s to 1910 Irish emigrants to the USA spread their taste for Bushmills overseas. During these years the Bushmills whiskeys scored outstanding successes at international spirit and whiskey competitions." Want to come over in 2008 and tarnish your injectors? I can lend you a LM111 and a gutter to roll in. You and Guzzirider (or should that be Guzzlerider?). www.bushmills.com

Blind drunk for five years

...stick em out at all angles

I've wondered about this. Excuse my ignorance of the construction and parts – would it be possible and cheaper to change the flywheel only and keep the original Scura clutch? The clutch seems to be a very expensive replacement part. I suppose in Guzzi world a new flywheel could also be very expensive? I should check to see if the parts are integral: maybe they can't be got/fitted separately. Someone can elucidate please. I like the operation of the Scura's set-up.

I would refer you to this helpful item: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...st&p=101084 as de man say:

hehe, excellent. I think they're onto something.

No, not at all. The situation causes frustration, as people have reported, but you may be fortunate in having a good dealer nearby who can/will help whatever the state of play. Apart from that, you might just like the bike and decide it's worth some possible extra time and extra hassle on some issues being offset by the good things, such as...well...err...mmmmmmm............check some of the other threads.... Actually, one of the reasons that the small dealer I referred to took on Guzzis, (apart from the fact they were given out free, sort of) is that he was fed-up with the way that Yamaha were treating their dealers. You can buy Yams anywhere, even supermarkets. Yamahas too. Yamaha doesn't care if their bikes are sold in sweet shops, sweat shops or proper bike shops. Allegedly. This guy's experience was that Yamaha didn't care about their dealers – so he switched to Guzzi (chuckle). Anyway, the point is once again that it's not just Guzzis and the Guzzi set-up that doesn't work perfectly.

It's a different context here, but seems to be the same thing, in that the old dealer gave up, the new MG dealer has new bikes in the showroom but no experience of the bike or of Guzzi and the guys haven't even ridden them! I suggested that they make one of the bikes a 'demonstrator' and then the staff/sales/mechanic could get out on the road and see what they're like. (Of course they have no parts either.)

Ahh. This bike plus V.11lemans.com All you need. A combination to provide the perfect Moto guzzi experience.

Well, I've posted a few times before about not being able to get parts that were ordered under warranty from the UK dealer where I bought the bike. These are the most basic of parts and I've knocked-up an alternative, so it's not a life or death issue: I've just been persuing it as a matter of principle – a matter of warranty to which I am due. It is now a full year since these parts were ordered and I still don't have them. I've been chasing the dealer with no success. They say that one of the parts has never been sent from Italy blah blah blah and eventually I said to send the parts that they did have anyway – but there has been no further response at all. At the beginning I asked other UK MG dealers to get the parts and they could have claimed the warranty work payment (I would fit the parts myself). The other dealers wouldn't do it and said I would have to go through the original dealer. I gathered that they had tightened up, from general frustration. The message that keeps recurring in this Forum is: don't count on the MG warranty; reckon on having to source parts rather than automatically be able to get them through your original dealer; it's best if you can do your own maintenance; you may have to bodge, fiddle and 'make do'.

Can I just ask that more info might be added to this thread http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...c=6534&st=0 to try to keep it together? Mistakes can be pointed out and any suggestions for editing are welcome.

Hmmm... Your tank must be badly damaged :!:

Yep, I just didn't want to get into that. So much pain for so little gain. It would also be fairly easy to carry a small plastic pump, a big syringe or an eggcup. I haven't succumbed to the temptation - yet. How many miles on a hip flask fill?

Nah. I've just realised, he's used up all the petrol – and then some...

There isn't really a useable reserve, unless you lay the bike over and do some mighty jiggling to get the trapped fuel to the useable side. You'd need to be desperate. There are some lengthy threads on the board, probably in the Tech forum, about tank capacity and some lash-ups to access the 'reserve'.

I let Big Bill Hagan go for a ride on my new bike. Can't quite put my finger on it, but when he brought it back I thought that there was something missing. Has something dropped off or what? PS I'm pretty sure it's serious – since Bill brought the thing back, it won't start anymore. Any advice?

Sorry to hear. A cold winter in Wales won't help that.

A word of advice. If you've been half-way following this Forum at all, you'll know not to pay any attention to Ratchet's er, peculiar notions. You can see that he's way out on a limb on this one – as usual. Hopefully a Moderator will delet his post and you'll not have to worry about it. Some of those other boys seem to know a thing or two. Are you under warranty?

Hey Bill Thanks for all the fish!

My experience is that lube comes 'down and out'. I took measures to stop it working out the bottom end.

It's a common mistake in parts of the Americas to use special woodpecker beak oil in this application. The resulting corrosion can be terminal. 'Eau de JRT' hair gel keeps things slick. Insert the stuff into cable sleeve using a woodpecker's beak.