po18guy

Having weathered a non-start issue an hour away from home, I did a few things. First was to check, clean and DeoxIt the wire at the solenoid. Pulled the number 1 relay and popped the cover off. Tiny little thing for high current. With magnification, I could see corrosion on the contacts. So, a little dexterity (a rare moment) and some 800, then 1200 then 2000 wet-or-dry, we got them spruced up. Then a blow dry, a spritz of contact cleaner and then DeoxIt on the prongs and in the receptacle. I used pipe cleaners dipped in DeoxIt to clean them. Slipped it all back in and the starter activated immediately, without pondering, as it often does. If the relay covers were transparent, we would see the arcing. Also tried one of my stash of Omron double-throwdown Diesel caliber relays. Worked at least as well and probably better. With the original relay (part of a "decent tune-up"?) back among the living, I found a "relay-sized" tire patch kit plastic box in my bicycles spares. It seems that the Taiwanese bicyclists also had Omron relays in mind, as it is a perfect fit and reasonably water-tight. I applied some WD-40 dry lube to the contacts to slow corrosion. Back it goes into the monkey's paw. It requires almost micro-photography to capture the daintiness of the relay internals. And Tyco thoughtfully tucked the contact points into their own romantic alcove, just to avoid any boredom. What's done is done and a spare tagging along for those "special occasions."

Apparently, Guzzis come from dust and return to dust.

S-100 is German strength. It will matte some of the finishes on the bike, like the rear footpeg hangers. "A friend told me." I now use the Chuck-Docc approved SuperClean on nearly everything. A small electric (low) pressure washer does good in rinsing it off.

Electrolysis. It seems that half the wire connections maintain metal-metal contact via constant engine and road vibration. At the micro level, this would cause the fretting of tiny amounts of oxidation. But the longer it sits and the closer to water/humidity, the process accelerates. But, all of the safety switches are a marvel to behold. They insist on providing complete safety, often when one desires to be dangerous.

That connection looked fine on my '04. Nevertheless, I cleaned both, applied Caig DeoxIt and gave the female terminal a bit of a squeeze. I don;t think it matters, but the stud which secures the sidestand switch and return spring was loose. With my trusty M11 spanner, it is now snug.

Relay 1 and YOU are #1!

Please remind me: on the later ('04 etc.) which relay is start?

Well, you have given me something to check, as I had a no-crank session with my '04 Ballabio. I can tell you that it is no fun bump-starting a V11.

Wife's new-fangled toothbrush was operating intermittently, then not at all. Opened it and saw that water had leeched in past the seal and there was corrosion on the circuit board. Fixed it with a.......toothbrush. After cleaning the board, the spousal smile was restored. Given this, I would suspect the ignition switch internals. And grounds all around, as non-use is not kind to electro-mechanical devices.

Understood. Sometimes it costs heavily to lead the way - especially when few follow.

I smell H-D.

Liked "Murdered by Love" from the first time I heard it years back on an FM blues show. Looked for the original by the Blue Monday band. Found this version with Roguie Ray and some smoking geetar. No CDs available, so I bought VINYL.

Credit to Kevin Cameron for accumulated tech knowledge.

Lubrication, heat dispersal and detergent action of combustion by-products?

Studebaker, of all companies, had good luck with alloy cam driven gears in their Avanti R-2,3,4 etc. We installed one on dad's '63 Lark Wagonaire. Mind you, they were helical cut. They replaced the FIBRE OEM cam gears, which were also not known for failure. However, a V8 has considerably less fluctuation in crank/cam rotational velocity than a 270º V.

Although.....the hand crank starter protruding through the "radiator" is certainly based on experience.

Well, as grandad used to say, "To each his groan..."

An operating slogan in China: 可以的话作弊 (Cheat if you can).

I still follow the British (Triumph?) owner's manual advice from the 60s: every 30 minutes of cruising, accelerate a bit and then allow the bike to slow on the overrun in top, or a lower gear. Pulls a bit of lube down the intake guides and up the cylinder walls.

I think crappy coils might be part of it, ancient aircraft style combustion chambers are part of it and a cranky F.I. system is probably part of it. As to plugs, I replaced my OEMs with Iridium plugs. I had to know: Iridium is in the platinum spectrum, and is the most erosion resistant of all known metals. Curiously, it is deposited around the earth's crust in two distinct layers. Meteor strikes are suspected. Yet, it's here for a reason, so on my spark plugs it is.

Ah, Ballabio, the red-headed step-child! Guzzi has more of a family trunk than a family tree. Whole lotta inbreedin' going on among V11s.

Did they come with the LeMans upper?

Is that a Rosso LeMansDello?

Guy on a Kawi forum is lamenting the high temps in Cali. I suggested a Marsee jacket, But, what about a hydration pack with ice water which feeds hoses that can drip on chest or back, or across the shoulders? Or a frozen back-sized gel pack in the back armor pocket? Chiropractors and physical therapists sell them. Short term, but that may be all you need. A plus is that ice for a hydration pack you can get along the road. How about an A/C helmet? https://feherhelmets.com/ C'mon! someone in Oz must know! It's bleeding hot in summer there!

Poor imitation can be the sincerest form of flatulence. The noise is Ducati snobbery.