stormsedge

El G, I've had a bunch of starters apart, but not the MG unit. Looking at parts schematic H11 for the V11 Lemans (thoughtfully provided by MPH on this website), I recommend the following: 1) remove starter 2)remove all starter externals 3)remove starter nose housing (should be three bolts)...you will have to free the starter drive lever arm from the starter drive as you pull the nose free 4)remove the wire "C" ring under the protective cup on the end of the starter shaft and slide off the starter drive 5)you've already looked in the back end (motor) of the starter and know you need to remove the brushes to make the repairs... 6)it looks to me (using the drawing) that the rotor will slide out the rear of the housing after removing the brush kit/mounts AND after removing the remaining larger "C" clip on the starter shaft...that should be located against the forward bearing/bushing face aft of the guide/drive teeth on the shaft for the starter drive. Remove the large "C" clip and carefully slide the rotor out...avoid banging up the rotor or field internals if you can. Recommend you take a look at this drawing, but I think this will get you on your way. Starters are pretty durable and assuming there was not a total meltdown, your should be able to replace the brushes and get it going again...note that there is a brush kit listed on this schematic...I recommend you go with new brushes if you can lay hands on a set. Hope this helps. k

Brake/clutch lines are included from MPH. k

Anyone familiar with Tampa area? Best roads, meeting places, etc...looks like I may be down there in a couple of months. k

Bruce, if memory serves, the nut/threads are the same size as that on the master/handlebar end, but the tubing is flared to seat in the slave cylinder. I recvd hose with the MPH bar kit, which comes with everything needed. k

Mike, welcome. There was a fellow in HI a couple of years back with a highly modified Guzzi Lemans (early)...he was Navy. He had a few posts at Guzzitech.com. Do not know if he is still out there. Keep smiling. k

WMG, mine will occassionally pop and generally misbehave at or below 3K rpms in traffic...following the advice of many here, I try to stay more up and around 4K rpm which mitigates the problem. Clutch is noisy, valves are a little noisy, gearbox is a little noisy, air box (if you switch to open box) is really noisy...it's all good and all fun for both the owner and onlookers (small children, little old ladies and cranky dogs excluded). I once heard a story about an Italian Guzzist that commented to concerned onlookers "That's not noise, that's music!" but I forget all the details ((I skipped trying to do an Italian accent in deference to our overseas comrades and because my southernese does not permit the proper inflection)). wrt the air blast...check to see if any of your exhaust pipe joints are blackening from an exhaust leak, if you have one, that may be the source of the air blast when the bike backfires. ALso check the rubber boots between the throttle bodies and cylinder heads...if you have a one that is badly cracked, it may be causing a lean condition in the motor and the backfires. Enjoy. k

Big Fat Gulley Washing Rain Report------last Saturday took refuge at J&P Cycle north of Daytona during big thunderstorm...when worst had passed, waded out to the parking lot, to the glee of the wife-beater equipped Harley riders, knocked the water off my saddle blanket with my glove, hopped on and headed out. Was deluged again (worse) on ride back to JAX, and even had to hide out in a gas station during another storm that actually moved a soda machine off the sidewalk in front of the storm...luckily had parked bike with off-stand side against the wind. To the point, saddle blanket came through better than when the sheep was wearing it, and my butt stayed warm/dry as well. You can't beat wool. k

Docc, sometimes I put lines on bolts as an indicator of backoff. PS check the new bolts you recieved to be sure they have the correct size head for your new discs...the first set I got on the last go round would not go into the indentions on the disc face and had to be swapped for the smaller button head bolts. k

I've got my custom dlapierre saddle blanket (seat pad) and am very pleased with it. Did away with the heat transfer from the gel pad and fatigue/cramps of 250ish mile ride...and it gets alot of wishful looks from the Harley bubbas at Daytona...ha ha. Highly recommended. Thanks, Dennis!

I just hit 13K miles...finally got things sorted out and have been getting right at 42 and a half mpg...up from a consistent 38 before tinkering with PCIII to lean mixture a bit. k

Cat, I agree with G.F...check your tire pressures. My bike is very skittish with pressures at anything below the min recommended. I usually run them 2-3psi higher. Also, you might back off your steering damper...I've backed mine completely off. k

Ben, that's what I thought you were talking about...the "spout" shouldn't move. k

Lee, I finally got on my front zerk, with two or three different grease tips and my bench grinder sitting on the floor next to me (okay, technically that does not make it a bench grinder, but I move so much I've never mounted it). k

Ben, I'm having trouble visualizing the part you describe. Do you mean the diaphram on the right underside of the tank or something elsewhere in the fuel system? k

He thinks he's runnin' with the pack!

Does anyone have a good method of cleaning the eye-level on the transmission? I suspect it to be plastic and do not want to fog it, but it is filmed beyond use at the moment. Thanks. k

Personally, I've given up on the "manhole cover" and the growing array of filter wrenches that just plain don't work...cutting my oil change time significantly by just draining it and going straight for dropping the pan. This gives me a chance to lay on my back, inspect other things on the bike , and physically get my hands on the filter for the tightening sequence/event, which has been something of literary legend here. It also makes my neighbors who have "other" bike brands think that I know what I am doing. k

That looks like a great seat addition and may keep my gel insert from scalding my backside after sitting in the Florida sun too long. Gonna have to experiment with that. k

I apply threadlock to anything that looks like it will make me crash should it leave its appointed place of duty. I use antisieze on anything that I get into fairly often. I can't remember ever using either inside an engine, but have not had one apart in several years. I occasionally apply both to the garage floor in order to make tracks on the carpet...which allows my long suffering spouse a chance to become involved in my gearhead experiments. k

""Have you guys considered a California?"" Lived there a while...real estate too high. k

Get the Guzzi bag...fits great, tough...I think I've had a laptop in mine, but not sure. k

I'm not happy either, as Michelle told me she'd quit seeing you ...seriously, numerous times, I've encountered tubes on my bicycles that seem to either rot or stress the rubber around the valve stem...and the air only leaks out when you manipulate the valve stem at a certain angle...or when you are far from the garage...without pump...without patch kit...without cell phone...in the rain. I'd be very suspicious (as you probably already are) of that tube. k

Okay, my wife tells me I am 1) stubborn and 2) frugal (her way of saying "cheap")...since she's known me for +30 years, I am beginning to suspect she may be right. In any event, I FINALLY decided I'd had enough of aching elbows and wrists...and ordered the MPH bar riser kit for my RM. Spent Memorial Day Saturday on the install and ripped off 200 miles the next day without discomfort. GREAT KIT, MPH! Thanks for the assist on the phone too. Too bad for me that it took nearly four years of riding this thing to decide to make this mod...the single biggest positive thing I've done to this bike. k

My gearbox was doing this until lube of linkage and Redline lite...now I have an occasional occurence between 3-2 downshifts, which I attribute to lazy foot and not paying attention. I am going to revisit the through-bolt lube, however, to see if it will completely eradicate the problem. k