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Many forums and blogs usually devolve into name-calling and dribble by about the third user post. v11lemans.com: 51 pages -- just on re-engineering the shift spring -- of collective knowledge, experience, engineering, and comaraderie. Bravo! My "talisman spring" is not the re-engineered variety. Small chance, I thought, that PO had replaced the OEM spring with the re-engineered spring and thought to put the old, but unbroken, spring in the tail as a reserve. But, it seems that my talisman is unused, so likely that I have the under-wound, over-bent OEM spring inside. Looks like @Scud had a couple new ones left as of last year, so I'll PM him (better pick one up for the Tenni, too). Replacement of my spring seems like a good project for the 18th South'n Spine Raid... @docc ??? Cheers, Frey Edit: Guess I won't PM @Scud, as "it" tells me he can't be messaged... My just be that I don't know my way around this corner of the interweb.

Davey at MPH is a real national treasure...he does excellent work, so far has proven to be extremely thorough, and even has sent me pictures of the work he's doing at my request when he's deep into the job, so I could see before and after shots of some internal work. His work has been 100% perfect on everything I've brought him, but as a habit I also go thru my bikes after I get them back from the shop and make sure nuts and bolts are all tight, check torque settings on the wheels particularly if I've had tires replaced. I've had a few experiences over the years from prior mechanics where they failed to tighten up bolts which were glaringly obvious oversights. Luckily no accidents caused by such oversights. Mike used to work on the bikes when his brother Todd was around years earlier. I bought my Norge from him back in late 2009, and Mike was just as picky and meticulous as Davey, so I always felt very comfortable knowing he had his hands on my bike, and his guidance on how Guzzis behave when new and then at future intervals as they break in has always been spot on. The Griso was also purchased from Mike by a friend, and then I bought it from my friend when he could no longer ride, and so far has been flawless. My Scura was worked on at Mike's house up in Hempstead when for a period of time he could not use the workshop, and he did the Roper Plate, replacement of the single plate clutch, full lubrication of those bloody hard zerk fitted u-joints and several other "must do" items that Chuck had recommended at one of the Cedar Vale rallies. He did them all, and the bike has ridden like a dream since I got it back from him several years ago, no failures, no issues. Knowing that there are good Guzzi surgeons nearby is very comforting, I can do a lot of work on the bikes, but some items are beyond my knowledge, skill or toolset, and sometimes even time, and I'd rather ride another bike while having one of them on the lift with Mike or Davey, knowing they'll probably find a few other items to look at with the patient on the operating table that I wouldn't even know to look for. On the subject of tires, I'm on my 5th set of PR's, 1 PR3, 4 sets of PR4's...they have been impeccable in all kinds of weather, very very good in wet weather, and very sticky for twisties. I have them on the Norge and Scura, and a fresh set waiting to be put on the Griso when the original tires wear out. I am curious about the PR 6's, but will choose to skip the 5's based on feedback from other riders. Getting the GT version is excellent for longer wear here in the flats of Texas...my experience has been about 9-10K miles per set so far, with the rear wearing slightly faster than the front.

Here's my 2021 patch and rocker, and I have enrolled again for 2022; hopefully, I will be able to do the 50 stops this year. If you check the 2022 tour stops, you will find that the organizer used one of my photo submission to mark the location. Stop #4; If the fancy was to take you, the tour portal is here! there is collection of photos video made from the 2021 tour participants. If you watch until the end, there is a majority of touring bikes; I did not see any other Moto Guzzi. Anyway, I will bore you with my reports when the tour starts in March. See you then?

Hmm, I’m seeing @Scud’s messaging as available (?) [edit: @FreyZI, click on Scud's username to open his profile. In the banner at the top click on "Message" and see if it opens a messaging window for you . . . ] A spring swap at a SpineRaid…. ……best avert your eyes!

Another word against the small black wire guzzi provide, Some owners have experienced a poor connection on the main battery ground, in this case when you try to start the starter current tries to get back to the battery through the regulator ground turning it red hot which causes it to melt the insulation off other wires in the loom, I used to have a picture of that mess. On my 2001 the regulator was fitted to the horn bracket, nothing had been done to remove the paint from where the bracket contacted the chassis, A short wire from the regulator case to a timing cover screw takes care of all that..The other problem with the Ducti Energia regulator is it takes it's Voltage reference from the headlight circuit downstream of the headlight relay, that point can be anywhere from 0,6 to 1 Volt lower than the actual battery Voltage. Battery charge current vs Charging Voltage is some sort of exponential relationship so if you drop too much at the reference point you wind up with too much charge current and cook the regulator. IMHO you are much better to have a modern direct connect regulator even with its tiny leakage current. The modern V7s use a Chinese Shindengen regulator, I would use one of those before I bought another Ducati Energia. Look at Carl Allisons schematics on Greg Benders site, you will see the difference there.

For some reason they never list the brand name, but I think these are the ones you're looking for. https://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=170_174&products_id=4634 Over the years with different bikes, parts and supply deals, I've accumulated, probably a couple dozen, of different valve cover gaskets; they'll collect dust forever, because I won't waste my time putting in anything but these good ones. Re the silicon gaskets mentioned elsewhere; my Griso came with a set of those and I thought I was set for life; wrong. At some point they had obviously been over tightened, and the cover had cut into the gasket, they were destined for failure as well. As ham fisted as I am, once I followed the gospel of Pete and converted to the metal cored gaskets, I've never had one of them fail. fwiw ymmv

I just read this: Deformed Motorcycle Fuel Tanks (deformedfueltanks.com)

This is my 2000 V11 Sport. I was asked to display it. I too was surprised it qualified as "Vintage". LOL Chip Seal

@laurent posted this info (and I moved it to):

I just sent you a PM. Hopefully, you will get that and be able to reply.

OEM Part Name: intake air temp sensor / Magneti marelli Moto Guzzi Part Number:GU 30729330 Replacement Part Part number or other identifier:GU 30729331 Differences from OEM (if any): none but 1/2 price.. Other Compatible Vehicles:Aprilia 1000 Tuono R Factory / Aprilia 1000 Tuono V4 R etc Other Comments: Website link for source:https://www.stein-dinse.biz/product_info.php?products_id=465661 Link to Further Discussion or Tips:

Thanks Kindoy2, I'm leaning towards the RAM clutch

Yes...unfortunately 6 weeks is the norm these days as you've also experienced. The price for backlog and expertise is patience, and perhaps a 2nd bike! Years earlier they were able to turn bikes around in just a couple of weeks when they had a couple of techs and Mike working on bikes as well, but as I understand it only Davey does the bikes and Mike dedicates himself to cars. I presume you are talking about getting your Guzzidiag to work? It can be a bit fiddly on recognizing the port, I usually pick COM3 on mine, but sometimes have to bounce it to Com5 and back to Com3 for it then to connect. Sometimes if your motorcycle battery is too low, it won't work, so to be sure, I also put it on a tender if it's not recognizing it right away to get the extra juice. I'm using an HP laptop, not a Mac...what device are you using? There is also as a reference a very good thread of how to use Guzzidiag on Wildguzzi that Beetle wrote up and maintained for a long time. It's a handy reference thread to keep with you when working on the bike. Were you also planning to balance your throttle bodies, or was that already done? Now Guzzidiag doesn't tell me if the injectors are spraying perfectly, it just triggers it so you can hear each one operate independently, but whether they are spraying a full pattern or not if embedded in the throttle bodies isn't visible, so you'd need to pull them out and visually inspect while triggering Guzzidiag to fire the injector. Others have suggested they are easy to clean if clogged...I've not done that service before, but if you suspect something, it would probably be worth getting them cleaned first before replacing. I am not 100% certain if Davey has a specific setup to check the injectors, but I'd guess yes since he seems to know everything else I've ever asked him to do. Worth a shot to ask him. Hope you get it back in time...let me know if you want to ride up to the Texas Sidecars open house in late March, perhaps we'd have a mini Spine raid up there!

The 1155 between the 290 and the 105 at Chappell Hill is an acceptable substitute. However you need to be very careful, there are many blind curves and people riding horses. Wth all the ranches and farms around, I never take any risk.

I did not try the PR4, so I am going straight on the R5; I agree that Michelin quick move from R5 to R6 is intriguing. I asked MPH to source R5 in Dec 21, I did not know about the R6 at the time, else I would have gone 6. We should maybe start a (long) discussion on why some of us seem to be wearing the front faster than the rear? on the same model though. I never go full acceleration personally, just for that reason, flattening the rear tire too quickly.

I feel the same about Davey, although I do not have as much data as you do to back up my assessment. I judged the "love" from the number of motorbikes waiting for his ministration each time I go there. I asked why they don't take an apprentice, so the knowledge can be passed on. Nobody is getting younger, and all the Motorcycle intervention is actually relying on a single man. Can you tell me if Davey does injection checks on V11? I did not ask if he had the equipment. I have purchased the interface from UK, but I am having a hard time getting my computer to communicate with the Lonelec KL-1. It is the port opening which I am not doing right. I have gone back to my UNIX manuals. The major draw back of MPH is the lay over time. I am hoping to get my bike in March to start the Grand Tour on time this time....

MG Cycle carry them I think. They will fit any squarefin head/rocker cover combination.

Indeed...and that's why I prefer the GT versions too in order to get maximum wear...I wish we had more real twisties here, but it takes a good days drive to get out of Texas to the fun stuff!

10k is a pretty good run for any rear tire. Better than any radial sport oriented rear tire. Now the bias Metzlers on my California go along ways....

Nicely done on completing the tour and a cool patch too! Several of us from Houston will ride up to the open house at Texas Sidecar on March 26th, looks like a good chance to have a nice ride and pick up a post for the tour. I've posted up the event on the Facebook page of GRIT (Guzzi Riders in Texas), so we may get some other Guzzisti from around the area to join in hopefully. One year we had a Guzzi lunch in Hearne, the equidistant location between Dallas, San Antonio and Houston...I think we had about 15 riders show up for lunch that day, including a Ducati Diavel who joined me from Houston. On the way back, we'll pass thru Milano. Some of these rides thru this part of Texas are quite fun...you can go thru Athens, Carthage, Palestine, Italy, Milano, Paris all in a days ride!

You can't gp by model year . You have to know internal/external fuel pump , large/small diameter forks and I am leaving out plenty . I ordered a bunch of seal , bushing mess for my bike to find out it was all wrong . 2002 forks on an 03 bike . These model year designations are "for entertainment purposes only" .

This is not the video , but this is the song . It was played at the end of a VH1 documentary about this band . IDK if other cultures appreciate the magnitude of southern Bands or not . I hope so . This is best played through headphones at the end of the day !

Well... I am certainly not going about this project in the optimal order. After getting a lot of stuff "finalized" on the bars I remembered to check the steering bearings. They had a spot where they settled. The bottom bearing was almost totally dry and felt crunchy rotating it by hand. And look at the wear pattern in the race. New bearings, along with a better steering damper, should be a big improvement for handling and safety.

One day I'm going to treat myself to one of those belly pans for my bike.

Ah, yes, an aware owner and a "talisman spring." The Real-Deal SuperSpring (accept no substitutes):

Visited the MEBC today (Moto Euro Breakfast Club). Check out the lovely new MV Augusta Turismo Veloce Lusso. Bodywork is the same color as my Scura's frame plate. And let's not ignore the Brutale 1090 hiding behind that...

Yes that's spring that breaks. that thread gives some early forum history of the problem and contains a link to the roadside repair as well FreyZ1 ... if the spring under the seat has only one coil then it's another one to not be trusted. 2 coils and it's the new improved spring. Owners who had not yet replaced theirs, often carried an extra to ward off bad ju ju and have one handy in case of emergency need.

I have a tool like that. Took out the gaskets in 5 seconds each. DONE.

My thought was that since I am switching headers it might be a good idea to replace the gaskets. And for some reason, I already had a pair of gaskets on hand.

I use a tool my Dad made for the job ages ago. An ice pick, which he heated and bent the tip in a small 90deg bend, about 1/4". Proving once again... Dad's are great!, and manage to help out long after they're gone.

If they don't leak, why mess with them? Pretty sure mine are an integral part of the head by now . . .

Experts like this really make our forum amazing. You kick ass, Lucky Phil.

Thats sleeve Scud will be an interference/shrink fit in the wheel. Just leave it and mask it off or get the PC to mask it off with his high temp masking tape. Ciao

I can also vouch for BevelHeaven. I ordered some fasteners from them (very impossible to source), and they make new ones. Not pricey, when you NEED the parts to stay on the road. Love them.

BREMBO PARTS This place has good prices on some Brembo parts like master cylinders and calipers..ships fast and seems like a nice guy on the phone Many of the earlier Ducati's like the 748/996/Monsters use the same stuff as the V-11's https://store.bevelheaven.com/index.php?p=home

Well, I thought it was going to be good but it was more than good. It was gooder! I have never seen so many V11 Sports in one place. I think I counted six. Here's a taste. There will be a video released in the next week with more goodness. I don't recall what he was asking for the silver bike. The LeMans was $4k. More pictures in the next post.

The last time I was out at the step Kid's place in California, we were helping him clean out the garage/workshop/serious junk storage area. He was rolling a big chuck of something on his dolly, and said, "Hey, Chuck.. do you have any idea of what this is? It's *really* heavy." I took one look at it and thought, "Horry Carp. It's a granite surface plate. A *nice* one, too." The previous owner of the house used to restore Indians, and must have been a pretty serious mechanic to have that. I told Jim what it was, and *somebody* wants it and will pay good money for it. Don't throw it in the dumpster..

This might be instructive.. https://www.acxesspring.com/torsion-spring-calculator-instructions.html

When I mentioned the possibility of using a thicker wire, he said that would reduce how far the spring could bend (and therefore would break easier). I just ASS-u-med thicker would be better, but maybe thinner would be more durable. He also said that a weak spot is created anytime a tool holds the wire and a bend is applied. That's why we are seeing breaks most frequently at 2 specific locations. But maybe just using the highest quality raw material (piano wire) will solve it. It's easy to imagine a strapped-for-cash Moto Guzzi production manager choosing to downgrade the spring material to save a Euro a unit. "Hey we can save €10,000 this year by using material X instead of piano wire..." While I am getting a free "Spring 101" class, he's pretty clear that he doesn't give advice or make recommendations... the company makes springs to specifications, not to applications. The customer does their own engineering.

Scud, if that doesn't pan out, I'd be willing to take this problem on.. with everyone's help. I think you may be right, though. A "better" spring might just cure the problem. It would be interesting to make a simulation with the correct diameter spring boss and rig up an electric motor that cycles the spring the same as the shift lever. Any reputable manufacturer would have already done this test, but I'll bet a dollar to a doughnut that Guzzi doesn't have a Reliability lab. I have an "Experimental department.." 2016-02-20_03-20-56 by Charles Stottlemyer, on Flickr

Thanks for the encouraging comments. Re roller bearing: Yes, it seems that it would be an upgrade over the solid disc (mine was clearly worn); shifting does seem smoother while on the bench. The durability test has just commenced. I think this thread might work best if conversation is kept to a minimum and if lots of us post about proven compatible parts - things we have actually done (no speculation). If we want to discuss a part, we could always start a new thread and link to it from here. I suppose we could also link to existing threads where a compatible part is well documented (that's how I found the swingarm bearings - so I went back and edited my post to put the link in).