LangleyMalc

Not comparing! Observing the differences as I have both And they do different things. Why does a Multistrada vibrate at highway speeds?

Well the Stelvio is finally in BC. In the end I had to give up on riding it across from PEI as the people of the Atlantic Canada Bubble do not want the rest of Canada visiting them except for essentially services and apparently collecting the Stelvio did not qualify. Anyway the dealer crated it up and shipped it over at a not inconsiderable cost and it arrived yesterday in good order and with a full tank of Gas! The previous owner had fitted additional guards, and a hugger and I fitted new tyres so I did not have too much to do straight away apart from check the fluids, (oil too full - the dealer had overfilled it) and check the tyre pressures which were a bit low. I will now ride it for a couple of weeks before taking Pete Roper's suggestion of checking the swing arm and shock mount etc for grease and checking the valve clearances. First impressions after a couple of short local rides is that it is significantly lighter and more nimble than the California 1400, but it vibrates through the handlebars a bit at around 4000 rpm and the mirrors are moderately useless above about 110kph. (Despite its weight, or maybe because of it and the elastomer engine mounts, the 1400 is more deliberate in the corners and is generally smoother, but not as quick. It is also a pig in a car park or on gravel - hence the desire for the Stelvio). Also the Stelvio crackles and pops on deceleration, which the 1400 did not do and it has a bit of a choppy throttle, but I am getting used to that. I understand that you can flash it and cure some of this along with other mods, which will likely be coming over the winter. Otherwise it is a comfortable bike and I am looking forward to using it. Covid permitting I will try to get across Canada next year and also down into the States, but right now travel is limited to the West of Canada, which still leaves me with some spectacular opportunity. So if you are in BC and see a grey Stelvio heading in your direction it will possibly be me! Happy miles.

I think so thanks. I bought some of it at Harpers, some at MG cycle and some off one of the breakers on eBay. Now got to get the chin spoiler painted etc and wait for the border to open so I can collect the bits from the US side. Free shipping in the US and a silly price to Canada!

Now sorted thanks Guys

I need a left hand foot peg and a gearshift lever, plus a black Brembo adjustable clutch lever. any Suggestions gratefully received. I have sourced them from Harpers and MG combined but not cheap and international postage is slow and expensive.

Well I got down to the Gearbox and no cracks! Also picked up some replacement cans and a head guard from Gary Saks in Mission. So now I need a left hand foot peg and a gearshift lever, plus a black Brembo adjustable clutch lever. Between Harpers and MG I can find both but with the border being closed it may be a trip to International Motorsports and wait for Piaggio to deliver- eventually. I will also post in items wanted to see if anyone has them “lying around” but otherwise may have to bend over and pay the postage etc.

The bike came from Gord in the first place and I always got good service from them. Sorry to see Gord retire. I will talk to Matt once I have a clear picture of where I am going on this. thanks

I am going to pull it apart this week and will check for cracks and report back. I do know that the handlebars are slightly out of line. It does not seem to have bent the bar itself but one of the mounts to the triple tree looks to have bent about 1 cm or 1/2 an inch for you lot! Also the exhaust muffler rear mount has been pushed in about the same amount. I won’t know if it has bent the frame mounting points or just the hanger until I get it off. we shall see. Needless to say it started first time post the drop.

First off many thanks for all the replies. My daughter is a Sargeant on the road with Delta police here in B.C. (cars not bikes!). she should have known better, but at least she had all the gear on. A bit of first ride of the season excitement, but now a valuable lesson for all of us. I will start pulling it apart (again) later this week and should be able to start following up on the offers of parts to buy once I get into it. This CV19 is stopping me playing with anything else right now so I should have plenty of time. I will start with Guzzigary as he is just up the road from me. 60km is just up the road around here. thanks again and if I can return the favour or you are passing through etc let me know.

My daughter dropped her (previously mine!) 2004 Balabio yesterday. She had only taxed it the day before! 3K,s from home at 04:30 in the morning on cold tyres and a damp road. She grabbed a handful of front brake and lost the front end at about 70 kph. Lack of practice and a failure to recognize the conditions and situation as a car pulled out in front. But she was wearing all her gear and after a slide down the road, got up minus a small patch of skin and walked away. Her jacket now has battle scars and the bike will need a few bits and some clean up, but nothing major. the parts list includes: clutch lever in black gear shift lever left foot peg a new set of cans as the old one did not do too well at 70kph a head protector as the old one did its job, some rocker box cover bolts That will incorporate a new head protector a plug cap in red and some new bar end mirrors After that it will need a bit of paint. anyone got surplus parts or suggestions on where to go for the parts and which mufflers as one is toast and the other has a couple of scratches from an earlier learning experience in the garage! I am in Canada but have a US postbox in WA which I can’t get to until th current excitement goes away so have the time to do the paint job and at least get all the parts even if they are the wrong side of the border. Thanks in advance for the advice. LangleyMalc

These are now sold and shipped. Thanks to all who enquired and Newell who bought them.

The tyres on the bike now are the Shinko 804/805's which are a 50/50 tyre. I short listed it to Conti TKC70's, (70/30) Conti Trail Attack II's (85/15) and Shinko 705's (80/20). At the end of it I then got the dealer to quote me all of them fitted in Prince Edward Island in Canada where the bike is now. The reply was as follows: "Ok, so the tkc70’s would be $722.29 Installed, the trail attack 3’s would be $731.59 and the 705’s would be $424.44. All installed prices and discounted 40%" Not sure what the difference is between the Trail Attack II and Trail III but in the end it would not have affected the result. On that basis, and as the 705's have excellent reviews and would at least not look too effeminate on the bike; plus would allow me to do solid gravel and very limited serious off road riding, I went with the 705's. It did not hurt that they were also significantly cheaper! I had looked at the Mitas 07's, but they were solidly (60/40) and described as a bit more noisy on the road, which I will be doing a lot of! I will ship the 804/805's home and save them for when I do some "more rugged" riding as they still have at least 50% left in them. I will of course report in as hte trip gets going in early May and asI progress and will also recored the tyre wear and type of riding for the general enjoyment of the assembled masses - all ten of you!!

Having trawled the Internet I have come to the conclusion that opinions on tyres are best described as many and varied! ( the polite version!). I have come to value the opinions of the people on this site - I think that is age related but a too polite to say so openly. Something about the people attracted to Guzzi’s of this particular era. so. Right now Conti TKC 70s at the top of the wish list. one thought was to run the Shinko Big Blocks for say 1,000ks as they are part worn and then decide how much I dislike them before changing over tyres for the rest of the trip. This would likely reinforce my appreciation for smoother tyres for my type of riding 🤯

Right now it has Shinko 804/805’s on it. They look too aggressive for me for what I am going to be doing particularly as most of it will be road. Based on the comments to date it looks like TKC 70’s. One alternative might be Shinko 705’s. They are supposed to be TKC 70 knock offs with better wear so presumably less grip on the road. One review suggested that the 705’s were harder and nearer 80/20 while the TKC70’s were 70/30. Also somewhere I read that the TKC70’s can get a front wheel wobble?? Unless anyone tells me differently I think it will be the Contis for now but I still have a couple of weeks to make up my mind! Thanks M.

As I am new to ADV bikes I had not seen either Mitas E07 or Heidenau K60,s. I will take a look at both. Thanks.

Hi Guys, How about another tyre thread? What is the perceived wisdom for Stelvio tyres? I will be doing around 80-90% tar and the rest gravel. Not likely to be doing any real dirt on it. The Internet suggests Continental TKC 70s (60/40) or Continental Trail Attack (90/10) in the Premium tyres range or Shinzo 705's (80/20 and cheap) but I have never heard of them! All suggestions gratefully received. Thanks in advance.M.

Mine was blowing the main 30A fuse if you held the start button in. I then tried bypassing the wiring with a jumper direct to the solenoid but still no joy. Then with it off checked the solenoid and the motor separately. Motor was fine but solenoid u/s but got hot and the plunger was sticky. This was a Chinese replacement from about 8 yrs ago. Looks to me like the solenoid dries out and sticks when stood for a while and then eventually cooks the coil in the solenoid. so off to Amazon for a $74 replacement. Cheaper than going to a starter rebuild guy.

Thanks Pete. all duly noted and will do.

Gord senior is now retired and Gord junior went before him and the shop no longer carries Guzzi. I also bought my Balabio from him in 2004 and had my old Cal II serviced and repaired there. A pity he retired as he was good - now we have International Motorsport, who have no inventory of parts (“Got to come fromPiaggio Bud”) and no in depth knowledge of the marque! Also while willing to tackle anything, not cheap and therefore at your cost. They are however a bit closer. Now I am retired I have the time to do the bulk of the work myself and with three bikes available, one should be running! Right now the Balabio (the one my daughter has stolen) is waiting for a starter but otherwise is sorted and the Cal 1400 goes fine. On that one, it developed a problem with the ignition switch and anti theft system (dongle) last year at about 18k km, which by the time International had finished cost $2,500 including a new dash. The previous owner had put in a personal security code and no one knew what it was! Apparently you can’t put in a master override code to pair the new lock set with the original dash so I then ended up with a new lock set and a new dash! Lovely idea this dongle to prevent theft, but not much use if it can’t be overridden.

Apart from a trip to Mile 0 on NL and a visit with a mate there I have as yet no plan and no time pressure as now retired. So as I have never been through NS apart from Halifax airport I will ensure I visit and look for Nippers. Hopefully the bike will perform flawlessly, but otherwise you might be getting a call!

The bike comes with the tall screen extension and new tyres. My concern is the weather that time of year. The fish and chips are likely to be frozen and so might I.

I have to admit to knowing a bit about fish and chips being English and also having been to St John’s before and they are up there, but no mushy peas. The trip starts in April and I will make it part of the mission to eat and photograph a# much fish and chips as possible on the way .

Buying a 2013 Stelvio with 20k kilometres on it to add to the collection. The bike is in PEI (Anne of Green Gables etc on the Atlantic side of Gods own Country) and I live in BC. So I will be flying over in April and weather permitting, will then head over to St John’s NL and mile Zero and then ride home. Wife thinks I am mad, but I am less concerned with the distance -about 6;000ks than the weather in early spring up here. Two questions: do the Stelvio riders have a specific blog site like here? and Anyone got suggestions on route planning? Right now I plan to head along the Trans CANADA from PEI to NL and then Trans CANADA all the way home but if freezing or snowing could detour south through the States.

,Balabio will not start. Lots of volts to solenoid when you push the starter button, so pulled the starter and the solenoid is toast about 80% of the time on the bench. Pulled the solenoid off the starter and cleaned and silicones the plunger but no better. The starter motor itself works ok but can be reluctant to get going. seems tome that I need a new solenoid or a new starter or probably most safely both. Any suggestions and where do I get a new starter or solenoid?

Here is the photos of the bags and the bags on the frame. Newell, let me know that you are happy and where you want them to go to and I will figure out what the mailing cost will be.