audiomick

Yes. Very pretty. I still want one. Some interesting photos here (sorry it is on facebook...): https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=590441511059419&set=gary-thomas-at-bathurst-1979

I was at "my" mechanic's workshop the other day with the V11 Le Mans. She obliged by showing her party trick with the starter button in his presence. He reckoned that it is most likely the starter motor itself, i.e. it is probably full of crud which prevents it from making the necessary contact in the starter motor solenoid. He started to talk about cleaning it out, but very quickly suggested simply buying a new one. I have also seen a few comments here that suggest just replacing the starter motor rather than buggerising around trying to fix an old one. I am fully aware that it is not hard to find a cheap replacement that possibly came off the same production line as the Valeo starter motor, but just doesn't have "Valeo" written on it, but rather some other manufacturer. Nevertheless, I'm curious about what the insides look like, and cleaning out the existing one would be cheaper if it can be saved. So... how hard is it to pull the starter motor apart? Is there anything in there that is likely to go "boing" and dissapear into the darkest corner of the garage? Is it easy to put back together? Is there any mystical black magic knowlege necessary to get it apart, cleaned and back together such that it still works afterwards?

Yes. As I mentioned further up, that is the plan of the moment. In fact I was in the garage today, and all set to try out the procedure with pumping the tank empty using Guzzidiag to activate the pump. I have the connectors and some fuel line to plug onto the fuel pump. For anyone who doesn't know: unplug the power to the fuel pump and start the bike. Let it run until it runs out fuel. There is then no more pressure in the fuel lines, and they are easy to disconnect. Pull the fuel lines off, and plug on a bit of fuel line with a connector, start Guzzidiag and activate the fuel pump to empty the tank. Catch the fuel in a fuel canister. It was expensive to buy, and makes a mess on the garage floor. Problem was, the laptop that I have prepared for Guzzidiag exploits froze up when I started it in the garage. I think it probably tried to run an update when I started it. Whatever, it didn't react to the touchpad, and I had to force a shutdown. When I started it later at home, everything worked. I hate Windows. Having failed to achieve that, I greased the sidestand to make myself feel better, and poked around and looked at few things. I'm even more convinced now that the oil leak is coming out of the breather hose. All very oily there.

Yeah, for me too. I still have my Kawasaki 1000 GTR. Great bike, actually, but very heavy. It's up for sale soon.

Yes, I think so too, without being 100% sure. One way to find out is to burn a shaving of the material. Doesn't need to be much. ABS burns with a yellow flame, and makes lots of black smoke. The other indicator is the noise it makes when it is dropped or hit. ABS makes a fairly clear clattering noise, almost bell-like. I don't know if there are any in english, but I have found a couple of videos in german on Youtube (from nerds, mostly...) about identifying the various plastics. ABS can be welded with a hot-air gun. I made a succesful attempt on a V35 Imola fairing. I got the ABS "welding rods" from a local hardware store. The hot-air gun needs a nozzle to concentrate the air stream. The one I have has about a 1/2" opening, and allows one to "focus" on the spot to be heated. One should open the crack to a Vee shape with a miniature grinding wheel before welding. My result looked fairly messy. Ideally, one would practice on something else before attempting the real thing. Nevertheless, I was able to smooth it off adequately on the outside to have it painted, and it held until the fairing was finally destroyed when the bike fell off the side stand. Again. The current fairing on that bike is the third one I've had...

Ok, got it. This one: https://www.stein-dinse.com/de/search.html?grp=&searchStr=30157400 As a matter of interest, would it be feasible to replace that with a piece of plain tubing, or are the pre-formed bends in the hose "absolutely necessary"?

Thanks, Tom. I'm planning to take the tank off again in the next week or so. I'll have a good look then.

not one of Guzzi's better moments, but it seems to not really be a huge issue. Just untidy.

Why have the cylinders on so many of those bikes sagged so much?

hey, docc, we just don't want things to get boring for you.

Sorry, no idea if those are available individually.

Good plan, I think. The German supplier I got the Caig products that I bought recently from is called "the Tube Amp Doctor". 'nuff said, I reckon.

Try searching "AMP Superseal".

I was in my garage briefly today, and had a look. I saw a hose, about half an inch thick, that goes in to the crankcase vertically just in front of the end of the crankcase before the clutch bell housing starts. Very, very oily. I think we're on the right track.

It occurred to me that I should perhaps expand a little on the quoted post. The text came in conjunction with some diagrammes of measurements of a cam that the quoted person had made himself. The text should not be understood as a recommendation to always set more clearance than the manufacturer specifies. The recommendation for greater clearance on the old guzzis is based on measurements and empirical trials on that particular motor. It seems that the manufacturer struck a compromise very much in favour of low wear and tear on the valve train and quiet running (i.e. very long ramps on the cam to save stress on the pushrods and rockers...). The recommendation for more valve clearance shifts the compromise towards a bit more valve train noise, less thermic stress for the valve seats, somewhat better performance (at least theoretically), and perhaps a little more stress for the valve train.

Thanks docc. I've had that recommended to me as a "must do". From the same person came the recommendation, while one is messing around in the general area, to put a thickish washer under the tab at the back of the tank. The purpose of this is to provide a little more clearance between the tank and the sidecovers. Apparently there can be contact there, with associated wear and tear on the expensive plastic bits. I haven't done either of those things yet, but a closer look at the bike confirmed that both would seem to be a good idea.

Same as the faders and pots on audio equipment. Sooner or later a point is reached where they are just worn out, and must be replaced. For those wishing to have a go at rejuvenating a tiring TPS, this would be the appropriate Caig product, I believe: https://caig.com/fader-f-series/ That is, according to the blurb, specifically formulated for exactly that application, i.e. cleaning the contacts in a pot or fader. I would be very reluctant to put the D-series oder G-series contact cleaner in a pot. I'd be afraid it might just eat away the contact strip. Caig also offers a grease that looks like it should be suitable for the application https://caig.com/deoxit-grease-landing/

Yes, that has just jumped to the top of the list. Thanks again.

Thanks, Tom. I didn't know that the breather system might be a potential culprit here. I'll have a closer look at that. Also @docc thanks for the link to that thread on the subject.

I found a post in the german forum on the subject. Here is (slightly edited) what DeepL made of it: The translation is a bit rough, but one can get the gist of it I think. The "old cam" is the one that was used for many years in the big block Guzzis. I don't know if the V11 still used it, but the basic principles of the text still apply. The text is a quote in a post from someone else than me, i.e. third hand or so. Nevertheless, I know who was being quoted. As far as I know, he studied motor engineering, so he probably knows what he is talking about.

Getting back to what I wrote here: I had another look today with my endoscope camera (bought cheap on a whim in an Aldi supermarket, it is amazing how often I use the thing...) through the hole for checking the timing marks on the flywheel. It looks a lot like there is oil in there. I reckon the gearbox needs to come off to have a closer look at things. I'm trying to see the good side of that: it means I will also be able to have a good look at the bottom end of the shock, grease the shaft drive uni joints, lots of good things. It really is a bit of luck that I have to get in there. At least that is what I keep telling myself...

That's one of these: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trabant_601 25 hp. on a good day, if it hasn't been fiddled. But they go forever....

Yes. Me too.

Look at this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_iron_phosphate_battery#Safety The batteries that are sold for automotive use, i.e. also the ones as replacement for lead-acid motorcycle batteries, are all LiFePO4 They can be considered safe. The ones that have made it in to the various media reports because of fires in laptops and aeroplanes and so on were, as far as I know, other types of lithium battery. I have heard of a couple of instances of a LiFePO4 battery overheating. One in particular was in an SP 1000 Cafe Racer. I've seen the bike; it is a nice custom, but I reckon the bloke was counting the bucks when he did it. I assume the charging system was original, and not renovated. The battery was, I reckon, too small. I believe it was around 4 Ah. . Probably chosen more for price than anything else. Note that the battery overheated and started letting out the magic gray smoke, but did not catch fire. My theory is, the battery was undersized. It could start the bike, but was fairly discharged as a result. When the bike got running, the battery was pulling heaps of current out of the charging system, and getting warm as a result. Maybe the voltage was a bit high, too. The conclusions I drew from the story were, first, make sure you know what your charging system is delivering, and that it is ok for the lithium battery, and secondly, don't choose a battery that is too small, i.e. not the one that can just manage to turn the starter with no reserves. That way, the battery won't be sucked flat by the start process, and wont be trying to draw as much power to get charged back up. The theory is based in part on what is written here: https://www.silent-hektik.de/SH_LiMa.htm I've got one of those alternators in the V35 Imola (it makes a lovely whirring noise like the blower on the black Ford coupe in the first Mad Max movie...). The battery is still a Gel lead-acid one, but I reckon I'll be putting a lithium battery in there the next time it needs a battery. This is the first bit of the text under the banner "Technische Details" etc. . So, once again, I'm convinced the LiFePO4 batteries are safe to use, but a little more attention to the charging system is neccesary, and one shouldn't pinch the pennies when choosing the battery. Buy one that is big enough to have a bit of reserve.

Any idea what the basis was?