dbdicker

I'm running the whole BRP and back for a week in October. You're certainly welcome to join for any/all of the trip. Contact me. Dan

I might question reusing the circlips, fresh ones make more sense, but that one that slipped off might have been replaced last time with the wrong size.

OK, listen up, let's hope this is the LAST post on this issue. Todd Haven at MPH cycles in Houston has solved the arm problem at least for us in the US. He pulled the parts list from an 02 V11 and the pawl arm had the incorrect part number: 04 23 51 01 He also has pulled the parts list for an 04 Ballabio and confirms the new part number for the correct, updated, 15mm boss arm: 01 23 51 30. Both have the same parts number for the offending spring. IT IS NOT NECESSARILY TRUE THAT IF YOU ORDER THE OLD PART NUMBER THAT YOU WILL GET THE NEW 15MM BOSS. There are old arms floating around as well as new ones with the old part number. ORDER THE ARM USING THE NEW PART NUMBER: 01 23 51 30. Todd has done a few swaps of 02's using the new arm and it has solved the trans spring problem. OK, let's hope this closes the case, at least for replacements. Meanwhile, I have spent over $300 replacing my arm with another FAULTY arm and will have to do it again, at some point, for another couple of hundred. If I didn't love the bike...................... Dan

OK, new update. Called all around the US parts guys; MPH, Harper's, Motointernational. Apparently, the part number IS NOT sufficient to insure you get the arm with the 15mm boss. There are still old arms floating around with the wrong 16mm boss under both part numbers: 04235101 AND 04235201. I spoke to someone very knowledgable of the problem in Seattle at MotoI. He is now trying to find out how to deliver me a part that is sure to be the correct 15mm size. He measured the boss size of a part he had on the shelf, number 04 23 51 01, and found it to be the incorrect 16mm size. As you know, I ordered a replacement arm 04 23 52 01 from Harper's MotoGuzzi and received another fresh arm ALSO with the incorrect 16mm boss size. HOO BOY. Love them italian bikes, eh? They really SHOULD HAVE done a recall on this.......................

correct. The wrong part no. is quoted in the FAQ.

I got the 'wrong' part no. from a poster here in the forum, it's been forwarded to the FAQ page and put into this now wrong post on part numbers. Letter to Al: change the part number in the FAQ! I got it wrong!) I'll order the correct part number today. Feel like a dope.

OH my. You guys are GOOD. Apparently, I got a replacement arm with the same dimensions as the wrong stock arm. I think I ordered the part mentioned in one post for the replacement arm number: 04 23 52 01. There is another part number referenced in a different post: 04 23 51 01. Perhaps the number I used referenced the old, stock, wrong arm? I did not think to measure the boss of the new arm and my mechanic mentioned in passing that they were the same size. I NEVER thought that they were the same (wrong) size! But they are. Well, back to the drawing board. I'll order a new correct arm, wait for this spring to break and do it again. Or maybe, I'll just do it again...........why wait for it to break. Bugger.

Sorry for the late response, out of town for a few days. Yes, measured with a digital caliper, both bosses were the "correct" 15mm. I put the newer arm in anyway, hoping for better luck. Dan

latest update: Repairs finished. Apparently, the boss on the pawl arm in the machine WAS THE EXACT SAME SIZE as the replacement arm I bought to be swapped in. My mechanic filed down a burr on the spring end and could find nothing else to recommend to guarantee it wouldn't happen again. Boss size might not be the engineering fault that causes these springs to go. At least it wasn't in my case. Now what? dunno, except to order extra springs and keep 'em handy. At least I'm back on the road. Dan

Looked similar but not exact. And I don't mind being called Shirley

As additional info: Went into my favorite mechanic to have him swap out the spring and pawl arm. (Ducati dealer) He listened to my tale, and then wordlessly took me over to the parts bin, where 2 other spring/pawl arm replacements were waiting for Ducatis already in his shop!!! "Apparently, Italy is a small country and all these guys shop in the same parts stores!!", he says. Anyway, it's not a problem unique to MotoGuzzi. Dan

I'd do comfort mods first........Rich Maund seat is a must, IMO, if you're gonna tour. Get gelgrips too, maybe heavy throttlemeister to quell vibes. then, ride the p**s out of it. It's a guzzi, remember, it don't need much. Enjoy and welcome.

What big J said. You've got it sir, down pat.

Ditto -- Same noises , a little more mileage. Sleep tight.

Unfortunately, you are right; the factory got it completely wrong. In their haste to make a 'race replica' for their V11 series in 02, they simply called ohlins for race equipment to slap on their bike with liitle thought of real world usage. This is what I intuit from my experience with my Scura. I've found you can twiddle the knobs as much as you'd like, but find little resultant improvement with the stock stuff as it is sprung/valved. BTW, this isn't true with every V11 fitted with Ohlins kit. Apparently, MG wised up after it's Scura experience and fitted later Rosso's, etc. with correct real-world kit from Ohlins. (Lucky us, Scura owners, eh?) The good news is that the Scura Ohlins kit is not one-off OEM stuff; it's real good expensive, race spec kit - and therefore easily reworked into shock absorbers that will actually --- ahem --- absorb shocks I went to Pro Pilot racing here in the States for the work. Jim is an authorized Ohlins dealer so had access to the Ohlins files and could call up the specific fork/shock combo on the Scura with stock spring rates, valving, part numbers etc. From there, it was easy to take my measurements, ask a few questions and refit both ends with 'proper for me' springs/valves/fork oil. BINGO. Brand new bike. Smooth, compliant, secure feeling, comfy. Best $600 I ever spent on ANY bike i've owned, although it shouldn't have been necessary. Find an authorized Ohlins dealer/racing genius, he should have access to these records as Jim did. OR...........YOU COULD BE REALLY SMART.............and box up the forks and shock and send them to Jim. His turnaround is really quick and he'll send you the kit for shipping in your suspension bits to him, just visit his website. PS You might as well keep the Scura and sort it. Besides being a killer bike, it's practically worthless on the used market - or haven't you noticed. Dan

I hope I don't have rosecolored glasses on.........however............you need to tend the beast and sort it before you will begin to enjoy it. At first rosy blush, it ain't much of a machine. It's only after a *little* TLC that it begins to shine. 1: Heavy barends and mileage solves this. If your bike has less than 5K miles, forget it........ 2: Discussed endlessly here; Ohlins race kit is wrong spec for bike, you need be 160 lbs and flying at race speeds over clean tarmac for the ohlins to feel smooth. Lack of progressive rear linkage is part of the issue, causing handling characteristics like an old Ducati 900SS. Respringing and revalving of the shock and forks will solve 90% of this, a worthwhile $600 expense, IMHO. 3: Some guys go for the PCIII, others just try new mapping. Mileage also smooths this out naturally too. Some people get bothered by this flat spot more than others; the more you're bothered by it, the more radical measures you take. In the end though, it's 100% solvable. 4: This one is personal taste. I think the bridgestone crap, others swear by 'em. I have Avons at 36/40 after much fiddling, but everyone's different. You can find the right tire/pressure combo that's right for you.........just search the forum and read others experiences. it's not a honda.......blah, blah, blah.........and you are not a carrot. Good luck. Dan

On that subject, was out today using one of my Brother-in-law's bikes -- waiting for parts for the V11. He gave me choice of Ducati S4 Monster and K1200 and we swapped off throughout the afternoon. Both bikes much more powerful than my Scura, the Monster like a razor blade that you felt like you were dancing on the edge of. The K12 like a barcolounger attached to a cruise missile. Meanwhile, all I could think about the whole day was how much more fun I would've had on my guzzi. So much more interesting a ride than either of the other two. Hard to be relaxed on the S4, while the K12 puts you to sleep.............. And - Surprise! - I wasn't really very comfortable on either. Got pains in my back and shoulders on both of them after 100 miles or so. And the BMW is supposed to be all day comfy. I'll stick with my Guzzi. It's got what I seem to like........whatever that is.

I would be surprised to see Guzzi 'give up' the Cali. A new model is needed, but the strength of their cruiser line is too powerful to just abandon. Wasn't Ducati looking to bid on the Guzzi line merely to get an entry to the cruiser market? I thought that was Piaggio's plan as well.

Eh, KB? Now what should I wait for next? The exploding clutch? Actually, I have a good feeling that this is the LAST thing needing sorting.........2 years after purchase. I think after this is done, I can ride worry-free for the next 50,000 miles Dan

Well, at least it wasn't a surprise. My tranny pawl return spring went at almost exactly 7,000 miles this morning. I got lucky: Although I was 60 miles from home, the tranny was left in 4th gear, so I had plenty of torque to get going from a start and still could do over 60mph on the highway at about 5K RPM. Thanks to this forum, I know exactly what to order and replace, the new pawl arm with the smaller diameter boss and a new spring. Another thing sorted. Hate to have joined this club, but at least I know precisely how to fix this. Dan

I did this. Not as ugly as J would have you believe. I'll take some pics with the sport rack and then the T-bag system in place to give an idea, if anyone's interested.

I only want to even try out a very small number of new bikes..........maybe one every few years. this one I wanna try.............. Seems right up my alley, but I don't think it even makes it to the states for another year

Ya got me. My bad. Hmmm, seems like we got a nice number of Scura owners who post to this board. I maybe in the *extreme* minority with no problems. No paint peel, no gearbox, no clutch, no trans pawl spring...............no NOTHING. Oh crap, I hope I haven't angered the cycle gods with that one. JINX! Dan

I didn't know Soren's bike had any problems. there's always the clutch bogeyman to keep you awake at night, despite the fact that it'll probably never fail. My '02 leftover I bought is 2 years old, 9K+ miles and not one headache; most V11 owners will claim that my bike is just about to pass its break-in period. go ride. Dan

Tried the barends and really couldn't judge distances; casrs would be on me without warning. Went to these Napoleon mirrors, which are endlessly adjustable and very substantial, resisting vibration problems. They don't look so bad, either.