po18guy

The 90º V is in essence a two-cylinder slice off of a V8 and so has a similar sound. I/ suppose that one could think of a V8 as four V-twins firing 90º apart from each other. The 270º interval between firing impulses is the same: Guzzi, Ducati, Aprilia Shiver/Mana, Suzuki TL-R/SV, Honda RC51, and any paired cylinders of a 90º V8 which share a crankpin. Of note here is that Ferrari and other "flat-crank" V8s sound rather like a four cylinder, as they are essentially two four cylinder engines connected at the crank - i.e. on either bank, they have two up and two down pistons in the traditional inline 4 fashion. The Yamaha TRX850 and now the RE 650, Aprilia 660 and a few others have cross plane 270º cranks, so their exhausts sound just like Guzzi, Ducati, etc. An exception in the inline 4 world is the cross plane YZF-R1 which sounds more V8-like. An interesting development in the Guzzi V8 is that the early version had the normal V8 cross plane crank and at least one of the final versions had a flat crank. Some have opined that our love of the "V" sound comes from the "firing interval" of the two chambers of the human heart. Might be something very primal in that. I do know that one is experiencing a cardiac event if the heart goes potato potato potato...

Am wondering how a tank kept full or near full and with a closed cap would attract the massive amount of water to grow the entire tank. Must be an SAE paper on this somewhere. From the source below I read the following: Nylon 6, produced via the ring-opening reaction of the compound caprolactam is structurally similar to nylon 66 and has similar properties and uses. It is widely used in Europe in place of nylon 66, but not in the United States. (See Figure 5.) Nylon 6,10 and nylon 6,12 are also commercially available. Because of the presence of the additional methylene (–CH 2 –) groups that are hydrophobic (water-hating), these nylons are more resistant to moisture and more ductile than nylon 66. Read more: http://www.chemistryexplained.com/Ny-Pi/Nylon.html#ixzz6aHDZw61C This document shows that nylon (if that is the polymer used in the tanks) has high resistance to both water and ethanol. Other alcohols have a deleterious effect. So, is it a chemical used in the US refining process or additive package which causes the anomaly? https://www.foxxlifesciences.com/pages/nylon-chemical-compatibility

Plastic contains chemicals which, by class, are known as plasticizers. They lend the flexibility and resilience to the base material. With heat and time, these plasticizers migrate out, through oxidation, heat cycles, sunlight (UV) or exosure to other chemicals and solvents. Thus old plastic of virtually all types becomes brittle. It usually shrinks, as its component parts leech out. But Guzzi tanks expand. That is from the chemical content of the gasoline which they store. Ever clean rubber parts with alcohol? Some types will blow up like a balloon. Add that alcohol to gasoline and you get the same result.

At its genesis, the issue is government forcing the sale of gasoline that is detrimental to the entire fuel system of cars, truck, motorcycles, lawn mowers, weedeaters et al. Cleaner air is one thing. Add up the cost of the millions of cars, trucks etc. whose fuel systems have been damaged (thus emitting excess pollutants) then dismantled for repair, releasing gasoline fumes into the atmosphere. And the required chemicals necessary to clean the components and surrounding framework, etc. Those chemicals contribute to pollution. Then consider the mutiplicity of factories worldwide emitting smog into the air to make replacement parts and the chemicals to clean them. Intent versus impact should direct legislation. But it does not.

Good information and ery good news. I wondered, since all thermoplastic has a memory effect if deformed. Heat (thermal energy) will aid in the recovery of shape/size. On later tanks with pump in tank, a hair dryer or CPU fan could more easily be used to aid the process.

It sounds dangerous, but has anyone heated an empty tank to maybe 125º for some time (hours or days) to take advantage of the "plastic memory" effect? If there is a crash-damaged tank out there, it would be interesting to see if this had any effect.

The TRX850 Trixie was Yamaha's first stab at crossplane cranks in their own brand. IDK, but they may also have developed the idea for some other maker, as well. The 850s tended to use oil - dunno if that was ever fixed. In Yamaha tradition, it was probably fixed the year they cancelled it. The current 07 Yamaha is no relation, as it has 4 valves instead of 5, FI instead of carbs and 6 speeds rather than 5. As usual, no US sales.We got the (IMO) butt-ugly TDM850. OK., some liked her, but not here.

Just saw this version on YouTube. Appears to have mid-70s Duc 900SS bodywork.

So that's why stuff from Italy is so costly... From my life of asides: Johnny Carson, in hone of his opening monologues, quipped "Mathematicians have discovered a number higher than infinity. What is it? Infinity plus shipping and handling..."

All very cool stuff! Did you (or anyone else) ever buy the Caruso V11 timing gears? Wondering how co$tly they are....

Smokes! I thought the Yammie YDS3/YM1 had a lot of crank protrusion! This on the clutch side. Generator on the stub side.

Being trained by dad the pilot, and having a few years' experience in tooling at one of the aircraft builders in Seattle (Ahem!), everything was cleaned beyond shop mechanic's level, visually compared (MG to aftermarket), OEM adjustment screws were swapped over, all fit was checked, and Mobil1 synthetic grease used in assembly. Oddly, it functioned perfectly for several months of local and interstate blasting. The only variable that comes immediately to mind is heat(?) I produced a few extra BTUs in teaching junior a lesson. Since cooling down, the lever feels as before. However, I recall that I am under a Gypsy curse, having failed to give money to some flamboyantly-dressed females along the Autostrada in 1985. Or do those curses have an expiration date? Anyway, after I use one of my surplus (new) syringes to suck some fluid out, I think I'll do the old trick of banding the lever to the bar and letting it sit, with the bars turned so that the M/C and reservoir are the high point.

No way I want to see that!!! It will go in a garage corner and I'll lose interest. Then, some younger dude will be able to fix this dead man's bike. Am thinking that Phil nailed it, as the reservoir is filled to the max.

Ooooh! Thanks for that. Gonna check, as the diaphragm on the clutch M/C cap was extended when I unscrewed it. Apparently a vacuum seal with the fluid, which was near the top. Will check the level in tomorrow's 75-80º sunshine. Am thinking that all of this is payback for teaching some punk in a VW Golf that he was not the fastest machine on the interstate. Had I been on my GPz500S, ah... I woulda' done the same thing! Coulda' hung with him to about 190 clicks. Crap! I'm 68 years old! What am I thinking???

I had changed out levers for shorty adjustable levers, but retained the OEM adjustment screw by swapping them over from the MG levers. Months ago, I had a front brake drag (to a stop) until I figured out the brake M/C plunder was not returning far enough to expose the relief port. Quick fix. Did the same with the shorty clutch lever and never the hint of a problem. Until... So, I have swapped the OEM clutch lever back in. We will see.

Well, day of the dead has returned. Not exactly, but the hint is there. Clutch worked without reproach until yesterday (7.300 total miles). 3/4 of the way through an 80 mile trip, the clutch lever did not return completely. Then it would, then it wouldn't. After that, it began dragging as if there was air in the system, but after a rest, seems back to normal. Conflicting signals in the symptoms. No signs of fluid leak and all up top is tight. Reservoir full of clear fluid. I realize that the solution is to dismantle the entire bike, but I rather hope to avoid at least most of that.

Have a couple of Kwackers. Liquid cooled DOHC and all the super cool stuff. Still has external lines feeding the head and two removable internal copper lines feeding the cams and rockers. To adjust the valves, one must remove those internal lines. Designed by a committee whose members were not speaking or, more likely, by bean counters who knew that copper lines are cheaper than intricate internal passages. All well amortised over a 25 year production run. Thinking back, the Ford Y-block surely could have used external lines to the top. The internal line jogged an inch or so over at the head-block junction and in that age of sludge, quickly clogged. On mine, pulled the left rocker shaft and ran it on the right bank, poking the feed with a clothes hanger until oil appeared. Did the same for the right bank and valves were suddenly quieter!

In general aviation, only two words describe what the gauges will subsequently tell you: "dead stick." Generally speaking, landings are then much more interesting.

Thanks, guys, you have saved me a lot of work. Too much aircraft thought, I guess. But even in a plane, what to do at 5,000 feet should the gauges zero out? The same thing as normally - look for a landing strip.

Well, I wanted a leak that I could not blame on Guzzi.

"If' I was to install an oil temp and oil pressure gauge on my V11, are there locations which would be preferable both mechanically and logistically?

From this fellow '04 Ballabio owner, you are only a pair of slipons away from motoring bliss - that is if you are not there already. Am going to have to break away and get a shot on Snoqualmie Pass before the road turns white.

Dad (who never had a Guzzi) bought his 1941 8C w/C-75 in 1950 for $500 and flew it home. Rebuilt it ground up, wind-drive generator w/spinner, Aeronca Chief wheelpants, Ford model A tank behind the cockpit, and a brick of then revolutionary NiCd batteries. You could do that stuff back then. Doped up the wings in our backyard - bro and I bucking rivets inside the fuselage at the tail, as no one else would fit. Still have the smell of Never-Dull in my olfactories. Dad enjoyed running away from his buddies who were in T-crafts, various airknockers etc. It's still registered and flying in the Portland area.

Decent enough, but the V11 Tonti café was more my cup of Java. And the (apparently) lightened flywheel allowed it to rev crazy quick.

Looks like you have a few problems to iron out! So it is with rag wings. Say, is there a Luscombe in your flying past?