Scud

Happy birthday. What a fabulous bike - a bit of a cult-classic. Those and the similar vintage Cagiva Gran Canyons always catch my eye. I think the Aprilia is probably the better bike, due to the Rotax motor. Go get it dirty!!!!

The parts will rust again if not coated in some way - and Victor, that's more ways of plating parts then I ever imagined. I've use electrolysis primarily to remove rust from things that I will paint - it's easier than grinding or scraping, removes all the rust, but none of the good material. It even removes rust from interior, or difficult to reach places, such as insides of springs or between teeth of gears. I probably did not need to remove the rust from the clutch parts, but rust is an abrasive and I feel good about assembling it without an abrasive between the gears and flywheel.

Yeah, busy... just trying to get the bikes in order so I can ride them for a while without further wrenching. For the belly pan, try Ghezzi-Brian. I got belly pans for the V11s from him - very good quality. http://www.ghezzi-brian.com/en/tuning-moto/tuning-moto-guzzi/griso/belly-pan/

[url=http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/timscudder/media/v11com%20misc%20photos%20posted/LeMans%20Project Got mine in today. Cheers to Pete!

Thanks. It's getting better and better - can't wait to try out the new clutch. It pulls way firmer than it did before. Someday I will get around to learning GuzziDiag... too busy with major mechanical issues lately. Last weekend front and rear brakes on the truck. Scura is up for a clutch next. I need a good, long ride. For suspension - go to the Reference Section of this site, then Fileshare, then Öhlins manuals, then download the pdf for the front fork or rear spring. You'll see a section in there about setting spring pre-load. It has excellent illustrations about how to measure sag - then you adjust preload to try to get sag to be within correct range.

I like my old, comfortable tools. But I also like it when a job requires the purchase of a new tool (so long as it's not crazy-expensive) and I get to use it for the first time. Today I enjoyed the Clutch Spring Compressor from MG Cycle - worked great and it was much less expensive than the Moto Guzzi tool. And I used all three stands/lifts at the same time - front wheel chock, swingarm lift, and the platform jack. I really like the platform jack. I got it recently and I wonder now how I managed without it. It made engine removal and installation about as easy as it can get. [url=http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/timscudder/media/v11com%20misc%20photos%20posted/LeMans%20Project

Yes, the shop manual warns not to leave the rotor and stator separated - or they can de-magnetize. I put them right back on after taking the photo. So... I just got the motor back in, and am moving on to the Roper Plate part of my long day of wrenching. Barring advice to the contrary, I think I will swap stators and clean them with some De-Oxit spray. Parts bike to the rescue!!!

Just pulled the 2 stators - dang, they are rusty. [url=http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/timscudder/media/v11com%20misc%20photos%20posted/LeMans%20Project Assuming I can swap them - does anyone know how or if they should be cleaned? Sorry for the basic questions - never had occasion to get into one of these before.

Washing soda is sodium carbonate. The guy in this video gives a good demonstration:

Today's plan was clutch, Roper plate and some other little stuff. Given that I was uncertain about the mileage, I was curious to see the condition of the flywheel. It looks about the same as the flywheel from my 12,000 mile parts bike - no visible signs of wear on the teeth. Clutch bits top to bottom: Parts removed from LeMans and not re-used Parts installed - pressure plate and back plate from parts bike, new discs and intermediate plate. Leftovers from parts bike The clutch plates I removed from the LeMans were thin, but not worn all the way down. However, the springs were MUCH softer than the new springs. I think the clutch might have gone a bit longer if the springs were still strong. Therefore - probably a good idea to replace the springs whenever one does a clutch. Engine is still out and I have a little problem: This tab broke off the stator while I was cleaning up (I left the generator connected when I dropped the motor, there is plenty of wire). But I still have the complete engine from the parts bike - all the fins broke off the rotor when it crashed (the alternator cover was dented in just enough to snap all the fins). The stator seems to be OK. I haven't worked on one of these before - does it seem like I might be able to get one good alternator from these two? Is it OK to swap stators without also changing rotors?

Thanks Pete, I could have covered it if it was a V11 plate, but it was a Tonti, and I don't have an extra. I sent you an e-mail with shipping address. Here is Kostarica's Tonti plate. The poor thing appears to have been run over in Crosstown Traffic, like Jimi Hendrix sung: "Tire tracks all across your back, I can see you had your fun." I really like the irony of what I assume to be a tire track and how it goes right over the "Tracked *** Insured" promise on the package. Kosta was going to try to get it pressed flat by a machinist - I'm not sure if that will work well enough.

Got a method of doing something that saves time, money, effort - or improves quality - or is just more fun? Post it up here. I'll start with something I did yesterday in anticipation of getting into my LeMans clutch. The pressure plate, intermediate plate, and starter ring (from my parts bike) all had some mild surface rust - and there was some heavy rust on the exhaust flanges and whatever those semi-circle parts are called that go between the flanges and the pipes. Given that it is morally wrong to re-install rusty parts on motorcycles, the rust had to be removed. I used electrolysis - which only took about 20 minutes of my time (but required overnight work for the battery charger). Here are the parts last evening: And the overnight soak with battery charger Solution: 1 tablespoon washing soda per gallon of water. Negative terminal of battery charger to wires that suspend parts in solution. Positive terminal of battery charger to anode (scrap steel) Here are the parts this morning. No more rust on the parts; it's all clinging to the anode or still in the solution.

Well, I wish there was an interesting story - like my grandfather was a shipbuilder in Helsinki and he had it with him when he was captured by Russian soldiers... used it in his daring escape through Europe, where he briefly worked at the Moto Guzzi factory to earn enough money to buy a boat ticket to America... then gave it to me at his death along with instructions to pass it to my heirs... But, the truth is that I either I bought it at a garage sale, or it was in the clutter of a garage/shed of a house I rented in college days (can't recall which). Either way, it's been with me for about 30 years now. It has "influenced" a lot of movement on various cars and motorcycles. On rare occasions it still gets to make contact with wood chisels. Some tools have histories... some are just tools.

5 drifts in various diameters for about $8.00 at Harbor Freight. That's a rawhide mallet. Typically used with wood chisels, but I like the feel of it for lots of other things. It's a good axle-tapper.

OK, I'll play. Here are the hammers that would be allowed to make Guzzi contact. Along with some hammer accoutrements: a very useful Pit Posse wheel bearing removal tool (bought on recommendation of GStallons) and a set of long drifts that I bought recently to get the races out of the steering head of my BMW.

Gasket/shipping update: Gaskets are due to arrive at MG Cycle on Monday next week - then they ship to me. I will probably be able to ship the remaining kits by the end of next week, or early the following - all depending on actual delivery date.

That hole is not intended to be an oil overflow - it is meant to hold parts of the transmission together. If it vibrated out, then everything else becomes suspect. I would replace it immediately, inspect all other similar bolts, and re-torque every single one.

I'm glad to know the plates are finding their way to their destinations - and getting installed. So far, only one shipping problem: the USPS actually bent one of the plates. Not sure how that gets done in the course of mail-handling, but we'll get it sorted out. Still waiting for the back-order of gaskets before I can ship the balance.

I went back and read the section in Total Control about braking. Summary: the faster you go, the less you should use the rear brake. The slower you go, the more you should use the rear brake. He cites the fact that most police use only the rear brake for low-speed precision maneuvers - and many road-racers do not use the rear brake at all.

Nobody pulled anything. Read it again... it's about what JB said, an honest exchange between fellow enthusiasts. Want a fuel sensor? I still have it - but my beer sensor reads nearly empty.

Palomar Mountain South Grade today. @LowRyter - inspired? Come visit.

I'm looking for a set of non-crossover headers to install on my LeMans. I previously had the crossovers welded closed, but I'm not thrilled with the appearance. What I have to sell or trade: one 2002 RH header in good shape - this has the smooth, one-piece clamp. A pair of early sport headers in good shape (but some surface rust) - these have the finned clamps that require two inner bits. What I want to buy (or receive in trade): LH header to match the 2002 RH OR a pair of headers like the 2002 example I estimate the value of one header at $50. Buy/sell/trade - can anyone help? Edit - I found a pair of used headers, so the ones in the picture are now for sale only.

You relocated the voltage regulator? That seems like it would be quite an involved project. What's the problem with the current location - or the benefit of the new location?

Let's have another Scura rally, then we can compare and see what's going on. This time we can actually ride Scuras instead of our LeManseseses (what is the correct plural form of LeMans?) You need to get it over 6,000 RPM in all the other gears - in the name of "research."

Yes - that's exactly right. LOL