Scud

So you think these are even better than the Omrons you've previously recommended? 25 relays at $2.84 is $71 - that's enough for 5 bikes. I'll send a PM.

Can you say more about that? I mean, would you basically spray the whole inside of the flywheel and the transmission input gear? And do you mean anti-seize paste - like the silver (or copper) stuff you put on bolt threads? My BMW specifies a Staburags (NBU 30 PTM) grease for the splines, which is so thick and sticky you have to brush it on. But the splines on the BMW are tiny in comparison to the Guzzi splines. I have some of that. I just put a clutch back together yesterday, but didn't lube it. It's easy-access now... any extra advice appreciated.

Docc - I appreciate your persistence here. Although I am getting a little overwhelmed by all the specifications and part numbers... So... the link you just posted from onlinecomponents... these are the best 5-pin relays we can currently buy?

I know some stuff, but have to speculate a bit, because I have never laid eyes on the 5-speed bits. Short answer, I believe, just as Footgoose said, that the RAM kit for 5-speed will bolt up to your crankshaft - and mate perfectly to the Scura's original transmission input gear. The guys at MG Cycle think so too. I am certain that you can install a dual-plate clutch and a new input gear and it will work. Let me try to sort out the input gear issue: 5 vs 6 speed input gears differ only in how they attach to the main shaft of the transmission. Single plate vs dual plate input gears differ only in how they interface with the clutch parts. Deep ones mate to the gears in two clutch friction plates (with a steel intermediate plate between). Shallow ones mate to teeth of only one clutch plate. Therefore, there are 4 types of input gear to be aware of: 5 speed deep (for dual plate) 5 speed shallow (for single plate) 6 speed deep (for dual plate) 6 speed shallow (for single plate) Flywheels and clutch parts for 5 speed and 6 speed are the same (per MG Cycle and Lucky Phil's earlier posts). The only difference in the "kits" is which transmission input gear is supplied. Therefore, you should be able to install a RAM 5-speed clutch kit in your Scura. But then there is the possibility that the push-buttons on the pressure plate are different - and might require some modification to the push-rod - I think somebody was working on that recently. ...and is it worth it to try fit the 5-speed RAM kit? I don't know. The difference between the clutches is obvious if you are switching between two bikes - but both work well. In the long run, having a dual plate clutch will probably be easier to maintain as they've been standard on Guzzis for decades. I was going to put a dual plate in my Scura if I couldn't get the RAM parts in time.

Docc - I await your decision/advice. It looks like that OMRON unit has a 4-pin and 5-pin version. The Amazon link you posted earlier shows both 4s and 5s and I couldn't figure out how to specify the 5s. From the spec sheet, it appears the 5-pin is part number: G8HE-1C7T-R (the number for the 4-pin has an A instead of a C). When you're satisfied, will you re-post the "final solution" and link(s) to purchase? I just want the doctor to tell me what to do...

Thanks, I've read about that being helpful to get the springs to stay in the flywheel when installing the pressure plate with the engine vertical. But I laid the engine down on an old tire so I could drop everything in from above. The problem was with getting the springs to seat into the spring wells of the pressure plate - you have to get 10 springs to go into 10 wells that you cannot see. I used the aftermarket springs that MG Cycle sells. I think they are little thicker than the OEM springs. Anyway... it just took one beer and one bloody knuckle - so not too bad of a job. I was really puzzled at first about why I couldn't get all the clutch parts into the flywheel.

New fuel lines, filter, and stainless clamps. That stuff adds up... almost $60 for that little task. Also cleaned the throttle bodies and injectors, which gave me another chance to play with the injector cleaner that MartyNZ made. It lights up... Cleaned up the front calipers and got all four pistons to retract just with hand pressure. New pads on the ready... Flywheel and clutch is in (using new bolts and springs). Joe's clutch discs were 7.69mm and 7.66mm and the intermediate plate was 2.88mm. He said it was working fine and he was just going to reinstall as-is. But I installed the clutch and flywheel from the 12,000 mile parts bike - the discs and plate were a combined .43mm thicker. Had a heck of a time getting all the springs to seat correctly in the pressure plate - then figured out a trick. The springs don't stand perfectly straight, so if you let them all lean into the center, it's easy to reach in and push them back into the recesses in the pressure plate. If you don't seat them correctly, you cannot compress the pressure plate enough to install the rest of the clutch (ask me how I know...) Also dug through my parts stash. Anything that was better is now staged for assembly time... which will be after powdercoating is done.

I did the above test on a 2002 (external fuel pump) and 2003 (internal fuel pump). Both showed no continuity. The way I see it - run the best relays in every position. So it's the new Omron now? or the Panasonic?

It must be winter... and batteries sure die quickly in the cold... Looks like fun.

The carbon fiber top panel is easy to remove from tank. There is room under it to mount magnets, but I'm not sure how much weight it could take. I think that CF bit is unique to Scuras - and that all the other external-pump tanks had a rubber pad there. You might be better off to fabricate something that you can attach to the four threaded sleeves on top of the tank - some sort of a plate that you could then attach the tank-ring to. Then when you use the tank bag, you remove the CF bit - and put it back on when you're done.

Well, I posted that same picture on Wild Guzzi in response the question: "What's coolest thing you have found on the road while riding?" I think somebody actually wants to go get that truck.

I probably should not have said that about the noise - that was speculation on my part. But I am assuming the noise is new - and therefore most likely due to something that was changed.

Tough times makes us think about what really matters. Thanks for the reminder. I'm also due for a colonoscopy. And plan to participate in next year's Distinguished Gentlemen's Ride, which raises money for prostate cancer research.

The throwout bearing is really small. It sits between the slave cylinder's piston and the pushrod. It could not make that much noise. I'm assuming you have not ridden the bike yet - and that you noticed the sound on your first start-up after the repair. I'm also going to assume that you did not remove the flywheel. Are you certain that all the springs are in correctly and that everything is properly tightened? If you put your ear to a wood dowel, you can touch the dowel to different parts of the case to try to isolate the noise. Did you replace or re-use the springs? When I did my twin-plate clutch recently (due to slippage), it seemed that the plates still had some life in them, but the springs were much weaker than the new springs. I wonder if weak springs could allow things to rattle around more than they should. At some point you'll have to decide whether to take it out for inspection or to ride it. I hate those decisions... wish I had an easy answer for you. If you do take it out, it might be a good idea to replace the throwout bearing and springs - just for good measure.

Breakdown the route for us, if you could........... JB - I think you know many of these roads. I've seen pics of your bike out there. Here's a google map. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/33.9901601,-116.0222028/Carlsbad,+CA/@33.5285999,-116.9180858,9.22z/data=!4m39!4m38!1m30!3m4!1m2!1d-115.9331916!2d33.5872469!3s0x80da65eddb039441:0x75605764f50435d9!3m4!1m2!1d-116.166733!2d33.5691673!3s0x80da5b09fabe0acb:0x10a27e27a4e0d4c7!3m4!1m2!1d-116.2448481!2d33.7073774!3s0x80daf83a91b48f31:0xedf2e3774c38808a!3m4!1m2!1d-116.6380739!2d33.5579545!3s0x80dba7b8e6bfeaf3:0x4504813c29dcd4c8!3m4!1m2!1d-117.141365!2d33.3896764!3s0x80db80cc2f1f6c0b:0x9cd03dd7b24568b3!3m4!1m2!1d-117.1845609!2d33.2927845!3s0x80dc78029cd0033d:0x1e86552575cc9435!1m5!1m1!1s0x80dc73453f3bee59:0xa4cb5592fcf65d2f!2m2!1d-117.3505939!2d33.1580933!3e0

As much as I enjoy the work, it's all about the riding. Yesterday was just magic. One of those perfect days between rains. The snow is down to about 6,000 feet and the mountain views were stunning. I had breakfast within view of 11,000 foot San Jacinto - all the puddles in the parking lot were still frozen solid and that cup of coffee was for my fingers first. 20 miles later I was in Palm Desert, where people were walking their toy-dogs while wearing shorts and sandals. I made my "pilgrimage" to Mecca (the actual name of a town at 200 feet below sea level) so I could ride Box Canyon on the way to... The Joshua Tree. ImageBullet the Blue Sky.

I'll tell you a story... There was a "neighborhood garage sale" - when everyone's supposed to get coordinated and sell stuff on the same day. My wife and I threw some crap in the driveway to try to participate and I was tinkering in the garage with the door open. A guy walks past all the driveway crap... comes right up to me and asks: "Do you have any tools for sale?" I said: "The tools will be at the estate sale when I'm dead."

Almost posted in the "What do you listen to" thread. U2's "The Joshua Tree" was the soundtrack to my life for about a year when it came out (1987). Still love it.

OK boys, this would all be very funny if it weren't so dangerously close to the truth... I told my riding buddy: "We can get drag it out of here - we can just put in a crate motor, tranny, suspension, electric, and glass. Done. Cruise it around as-is." Next time up there, I might really take a door. I think a truck door that's been shot-to hell developed a patina would look good in my office.

Rode into Joshua Tree National Park today. Some music seems appropriate:

Glad you're following the project. A while back, somebody said something like: "You never really own a V11. You just take care of it until it chooses a new owner."

Which engine to use? That's pretty easy - the complete one. However, I thought some of you might be interested to see two 2002 cases side by side. On the left, we have a case that was replaced under warranty and has done about 50,000 miles. On the right, we have a case that was not replaced - and you can see how the paint is starting to bubble and peel. This engine only had 12,000 miles on it - and it's likely to get much worse. I think I'm going to put the engine in as-is. The thought of stripping and repainting another engine is just more than I can bear. The transmission cleaned up well, but the paint also starting to bubble. I am going to repaint all the crinkle-painted parts behind the transmission (driveshaft collars, final drive case, and reaction rod). Joe had already repainted the final drive in Harley crinkle, but I'm going to put in the lower-milage one, which was already peeling badly. Here's a how a spine-frame would look as an inline V-twin. And if this is discovered, I think I will get penalized for "illegal use of corner." At least it's all freshly degreased... And if I may add... 50,000 miles can make quite a disgusting and stubborn mess inside an airbox.

And Docc - where did you get the badge you recently put on your alternator cover? Are chrome ones available?

The one on the alternator cover is curved, the others are flat. I think I have an extra one... I'll go dig around and see.