Leaderboard

Some explanation of what I did to install the Koso Thunderbolt LED Headlamp The bike had a Bosch H4 Unit installed as standard & looks better, don't think there wold be any argument there. The Unit is very large and the hole in the fairing to accomodate it is approximately 306mm diameter The Koso Thunderbolt lamp is 170mm diameter. This left a large gap and as the unit doesn't have a bucket would also be deeper in the fairing After looking to try to find a suitable bucket and failing I came across a trim ring on Ali Express https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002252489460.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.9.775d1802WuUIaq This would take up some of the gap, but wasn't wide enough, to protrude into the fairing from the mounts that the headlamp mates to. So I ordered 2 with the idea of joining them together, the outer diameter of the tirm ring was 190mm. That would reduce the gap from approx 18mm (36/2) to 8mm (16/2). I'd also have the issue of how to secure the headlamp and the trim ring to stop it freely rotating. The Bosch butted onto the mounting tabs and tightening the tabs to the bucket prevented it rotating. Eventually in desperation after running out of ideas I used Gorrila tape to join the 2 trim rings together. To my surprise this worked much better than expected and the trim rings were quite secure. I also needed to buy 2 thread reducers from E Bay as the trim rings were tapped for M10 and I needed M8 Using a 5mm sponge strip, usually used for draught excluders on doors, I placed that around the headlamp and squeezed the trim rings onto the headlamp. To stop the whole thing now freely rotating I got longer bolts that bottomed out inside the headlamp then using nuts between the lamp and the mounting tab I could screw them onto the mounting tabs on the inside, clamping the bolts onto the tabs. As the bolts also bottomed out in the headlamp and the trim rings were secured to the lamp with foam it was held captive. Sort of difficult to explain so this picture might help to make it clearer, you can see the nut on the inside clamping the tab Finally I need a rubber trim to take up the gap between the trim ring and the fairing, somewhere around 8-9mm. After a few fails I purchased a some D rubber strip, this is normally used to seal doors, hatches etc: The one I chose would usually be used for hatches on boats. As the inside is hollow it can be compressed down to squeeze through the 8mm gap and expands back out either side and worked a treat. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/112139428859 Not sure if that helps or not

Looks like he’s second in line. Just have to hope it falls through. I’ve also got a line on a Scura and Coppa Italia if this doesn’t work. Personally I’d want the Scura. But I don’t want another bike because a) a Greenie is actually the ultimate V11 Sport and b) I don’t have room for another bike.

There’s a RC for sale locally. Says it’s one of 50. I have a feeling that’s more Italian counting, like the horsepower rating. Doesn’t have red valve covers. My friend is interested in it. Should it have Lemans side panels? “A really beautiful Moto Guzzi Rosso in superb condition with no operational issues! Only 8,600 miles, recent battery and tires. Only defect is sligh bubbling of the right side decal, an unfortunate byproduct of ethanol gas and very sloppy fill ups! Generally not noticeable and no one has ever mentioned it to me at rallies and events. Only 50 were imported to the USA, and this one is owned by the former president of Moto Guzzi North America! Why spend $20K on a bike everyone will forget in two years and will halve it's value when you could own an are very rare and classic Guzzi!”

This is the same lamp I installed in my Aermacchi, and it's absolutely lovely. Far better than the Phillips sealed beam I had before, and far less load on the charging system.

H4s are about 3/4 down the page. Daniel Stern is one of the largest OEM lighting engineering firms in the world. He's also a classic Mopar guy which is how I came to know him. There's 6 metric tons of knowledge on his website. I haven't reviewed it lately for updated LED information but it doesn't seem that he sells any. I haven't replaced my headlamp bulb since owning the bike, but when I do I'll buy here rather than risk the attendant problems with unproven LEDs. http://www.danielsternlighting.com/products/products.html

Cobram ,that's not a bad spot either mate... You're right about Gippy being green. We find it stays green much longer than any other spot in Victoria. Ha ha due to the amount of rain as mentioned! After 30 years in Melbourne we couldn't wait to get outa the rat race and Gippy always had a pull.We're an hour from the snow an hour from the beach and an hour to the city.The only reason we go in there is to see the kids and grandkids and the odd time I have to go to the office in Dandenong Sth. Love it here. Cheers

Worthless opinion; Trademark protection should be invalid for commerce which *cannot be entered into by the trademark holder*. That is, Moto Guzzi obsoletes a part, they don't get to pursue protection from those who continue to provide it. This thread has reduced by half the possibility I'll buy a new V100. Or whatever their new watercooled aeroplane is called.

Here's another bit, specifically addressing HID 'upgrades' not LED but the points and questions remain. Personally, I believe that if an LED allows me to see better than the standard incandescent lamp, I'd use it. If, as on my Aermacchi with it's 140 watt charging system, an incandescent puts the battery charging at risk, an LED is preferred and installed. But my own experience is that I'd rather upgrade the wiring and plug to use a 55w/100w incandescent than an unknown quality LED which may not put the light where I want it. Education and judgement are always in the hands of the user. https://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html

What docc says, I am very pleased to. You get what you pay for. Cheers Tom.

That looks the real deal Swoosh. The orig valve covers were that "other" red, the Rosso Mandello red, and it tended to fade. PO probably didn't like it. I have a 'parted' RC and it had LM labeled side covers. The bubbles under the decal are from the inside and are common. good luck to friend!

Well after all the very positive feedback in this and the other thread... dangit, looks like I may have to budget another $1k toward the rehab list Maybe a phase 2 after the basics are covered and issues sorted...

50 is the correct number....That is a steal on that bike with that milage imo. If he wants it he better make a deal NOW, like fast as I see it being talked about and the ad reposted on 3 other forums..including AF1 It won't last long.

Well, if you will insist on living in Gippsland...

I got to mix that once, i.e. Concert, PA, me on the mixing desk (with another bloke, not alone). The local "Schiessverein" = something like "gun club" were there with canons*. Fairly small canons, but fair dinkum canons that really went "boom" when they set them off. That was really, really good fun. And there was fireworks to go with it. * for the "uninitiated", the 1812 has canon shots written in to the score. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1812_Overture

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When I needed a replacement rear drive, I got one from Italy. It was in good order, except for freeplay that I thought was too high, been that way from new. The workshop manual did not help me, it is sparse and seems to apply to earlier models. I made pinion and crown wheel shims, then made tools (a bit crude) to allow measurements. After 14 tries, I eventually got both preload and freeplay low enough to be happy with. A slow and tedious process. Contact impression interpretation is a black art, with vague contact marks that need a strong light and a good imagination. You will never get it perfect on a worn C&W set. The bevel box is now quiet and runs cool. However, if your box is ok, then the only maintenance needed is oil change and spline grease.

That's what she wants. Doesn't have to be an SPG, but that era.

ok, now that I understand what is at hand, No, don't touch it. Hypoid gears are carefully set when new and wear in together. If you change anything at all, they will have to wear in again- at best- and you run the risk of point loading them and overheating or seriously wearing them. When re-assembling a hypoid gear set that's worn in, you don't even check the pattern on the drive face; you check the pattern on the coasting face because it's more accurate as it's smaller and doesn't have 'flex' built into it from heavy loading.

1989 Saab 900Turbo SPG ..In the mountain twisties it was one of the Fastest and best handling and most fun to drive production cars I ever owned..a real ticket getter...

The cheap, Chinee LED H4 I tried burnt out at 10,000 miles, not unlike the immensely hot hi-wattage H4s I tried from Sylvania. 3 1/2 years/ 15,000 miles and still very pleased with this plug&play solution: https://vintagecarleds.com/shop/bulbs-only/vcm3-bulbs-only/

https://www.bowtex.store/product/elite-shirt-ce-level-aaa/ Some of us have to ride in high temperatures and high humidity for a greater part of the year. BOWTEX specializes in motorcycle riding gear, using technical innovation. They presented a few interesting products at the Intermot exhibition in Germany last year. This "ELITE Shirt" can be worn as a layer or topside, replacing a jacket. Read their narrative. If you consider they ship to the US for free, and that 400 EUR includes VAT which you are exempt from if ordering from outside of Europe, this maybe something to consider. I attached the description, technical details, shipping details. Follow the link to get more specifications.

you might try hydraulics. Use your grease gun on the zero fitting and see if you can get it to move. If so , just remember to clean out some of the grease so you put it back together

You can verify that the marks are correct by seeing that the trunions of the front and rear shaft yokes are aligned. [image courtesy of @Baldini]: And, yes, the rear should slide off. It makes me wonder of grease having hardened in there. How about some judicious heat from a heat gun or hair dryer (just remember to put it back before the wife reaches for it in the morning!) . . .

For the time being the Ghetto can still be accessed here: https://grisoghetto.forumotion.com

Which hub does the new gearbox have? If it's a twin plate hub it may be fouling on the pressure plate of the clutch.

Sold to someone else. Maybe they’ll show up here sooner or later.

Okay, then, the original single plate clutch and aluminum flywheel of the Rosso Mandello . . .

Not in my bedroom, its the basement, I can wheel the bikes in from the back of the house, makes Winter maintenance a little more bearable. Thank you for the compliment, I'm still unsure about the look, but it was the best I could manage, not that's saying very much. I'll post up what I did, but it was all a bit "Bodge it yourself" there was no grand plan. More WTF have I gotten myself into and WTF will I do now trying to get an install that looked even halfway decent.

That looks Great! Is that in your bedroom? can't blame ya mate. Any explanation you're up for re installation I'll be watching.

He hasn’t gotten a response yet. Hopefully being local will be an advantage.

this was the nicest

Great to see you Tim @nobleswood Today. Great show, as all moto shows in winter are not many gootsie but here they are Cadre was there with one for sale, below. The one above was Enzo's too I think I know this guy's bike, from Indy

I see now that that it's a Lemans Rossa Corsa so that explains the side covers.

Well that's a good start.

“rusty picket…” Heh.

G'day folk's I've had a Shendengan reg/rec on mine since 2010 and not had an issue ever since. Ha ha the only downside... It does away with the charge (battery) light on the dash. Went through the old receipts to see if Brad (Brad the Bike Boy) mentioned a part # but all I have is... Shendengan1 ( Duc 3 phase non gen ) $181.81 back in 2010 here in the land of Oz. I remember Brad telling me at the time that these were the best and coming from him I'd take it as gospel! Cheers Guzzler

There are many forums with trade names as their titles...Duramax, Ducati ms, etc. All these forums would seem to benefit the manufacturers but what do I know, I am just a simple carpenter. Could we see this happening all across the world?

Heh, the Saab is actually my wife's. She's the "Saab nut" This one has just become too much trouble to keep going, so we're going to let it go. She likes the older ones better anyway, so maybe we'll get another one from the 70s/80s for her at some point. No surprise to this group, that vintage is much easier to maintain

Love your 02 burgundy Sport Can’t wait to get mine out in a few weeks time when spring is here. Mines been hibernating in the garage since November

Performing the valve adjustment on my 2-valve BigBlock is something I actually look forward to. Not only is it approachable to an involved owner, physically and mechanically, it reminds me of tuning my string instruments . . . There is a certain irreplaceable "connection" , and the instrument always, then, dances with a delight and appreciation. Like a Golden Retriever let out of the truck by the lake shore. Friends for life. These feelings just never happen picking my Toyota up from a dealer service.

I've got one of those H4 LED replacements on both Guzzis (headlight buckets). They were cited here a few years ago. They're no brighter than OEM. All in all a disappointment. If someone has a better solution that will fit my Sport and EV, great to know. thanks

Just to add if anybody was wanting to install an LED unit that is smaller than the OEM, with a fairing and is foolish enough to want to know how I ended up with the headlamp looking halfway decent, I'm open to explaining it all. Just didn't want to bore the lot of you when it's a V11 forum and that clearly is nothing like a V11

I decided that I had a loose timing chain after a timing light showed erratic movement on the flywheel as rpm increased. I tried to get video of this, but it was beyond the combined abilities of borescope, old workshop laptop, & me. The obvious fix was a new chain & tensioner. I chose the more expensive gear replacement because, um... Now I find that the oil pump is worn. The needle roller inner race is grooved, and the shaft has 1.5mm slop. As the direction of side loads on the pump shaft are opposite when changing from chain to gear, a new one is on order. A Valpolini gasket is waiting to go on after the timing chest cover is powder coated. I tried to remind myself of a lesson from my father: "If it's not broken, don't try to fix it", but I'm a slow learner.

Gears are better than chains in every way but one- noise. Gears are noisy, chains are quiet. So any bike that has to pass any sort of noise test (EPA here) benefits from using a cam chain instead of gears. Even HD went to chains in their big twins, because they trade the cam noise for exhaust/intake noise. Functionally? Probably not noticeable, if the chain is good and the tensioner is adequate. Still, I'll have a set in mine eventually, because riding an Italian motorcycle and asking why something makes sense is a silly thing.

Just some feedback on the timing gears. Rode into the city yesterday for lunch with my wife which entailed about 60klms of freeway riding at 100 klm/h in 26 degC heat at around 2900-30000 rpm indicated. It still coughs and stumbles at around 3000 rpm occasionally. So the gears aren't the answer to that it seems. looks like mapping. Ciao

Group buy ??? Cheers Bruce

Do not see how changing to timing gears can help smooth running, unless of course the timing was way off before. These occasional coughs seem to affect fuel injection more than carb bikes. I feel it is likely to be due to running at the edge of a fuel map cell. A light change in rpm, throttle etc may make it jump one way or the other, rich or lean, and so be momentarily wrong at that instance. Our ECU's don't have many cells so the 'jump' is more noticeable than on modern bikes. A carburetter is an analogue device so the fuel metering has an infinite solution to supply fuel at the correct mixture. Fuel injection is digital of course and so moves in a series of steps, the cheaper the system the larger the steps. Just my opinion of course.

I've mentioned before Joe is still doing his timing gears but he is also going to produce replacement oil pumps as well Ther have been some pumps available for a while and while some were excellent some were suspect quality wise. A mate of mine building a short stroke Guzzi race engine with roller rear mains and roller supported cams with a set of Joes gears in it showed me one of these pumps and 1 out of the 4 mount holes doesnt line up. HMB has also suspended selling a version due to quality problems. Joes pumps will obviously be of high quality but will also use the Ducati type design for the secondary gear where the gear will run on a steel pin pressed into the pump housing rather than the inferior Guzzi version where the secondary gear and its integeral shaft run in the pump housing. Joe is also making some very nice Dayton/Centauro alloy front alternator covers. Just for the record I have no financial interest here just an interest in supporting a quality engineer that makes great stuff for Guzzi's and making you guys aware. Drop him a line if you need anything, he's always helpful. joe.caruso@ntworld.com Ciao

As the supply of original pumps dries up the gap has been filled with aftermarket pumps some are fine and others of poor quality. I have a German made DAS pump which is very nice quality but availability is poor. Joes pumps will use the Ducati design for the secondary gear mentioned previously which is superior as well as a better drive gear bushin/bearing and higher quality with hopefully better availability. Ciao