Greg Field

Thanks!

The parts books list a separate part number for the lower triple clamp used on the Coppa and Cafe Sport, presumably 'cause they have Ohlins forks. I have measured and looked at both mounted on bikes, side-by-side, and can't spot any meaningful differences between the two. Do any of you know why the Ohlins forks from a Cafe Sport would not fit in Ballabio triple clamps?

I you are only taking if heads, you need 4 o-rings per side. If cylinders, too, you need 6 per side. I can't remember the part number, but whomever you roder from will know it. Get also the o-rings for the plugs that cover the holes for the short inboard studs.

I actually love those Cobra pipes. They sound awesome and seem to realy punch up the midrange of that bike. Now, he's in RC-51 lust, so his v11 just gathers dust.

Actually, I'm worthless without brainpower enough to make a digital camera useful on the web. Plus, I just opened a bottle of wine and made a kick-ass pasta after a long day of work, so I will soon be in a food coma . . . Life's hard some days . . . But you and I should hook up for a ride or a beer this summer. I love Portland but get down that way too seldom.

Even with the stock airbox, my Eldo easily topped 100 mph and would cruise at 90 all day.

The 141.7 is a bit of a joke on It started when Enzo and others in the Seattle area and elsewhere began fitting their motorcycles with Sigma bicycle speedometers so they could record their top speeds and then "prove" it to any non-believers. Well, I ride with a bunch of those Sigma-smack-talking bastards. I ride the Eldo, and they ride V11 Sports, or 1100 Sports, LeManses, ST 100, blah, blah, blah. In effort to "keep up with the Enzos," I installed a Sigma, and calibrated it. It always read significantly fewer mph than my Veglia speedo and gave me a better idea of my true speed. One of the routes we ride is called Green Valley Road, which is a mix of really twisty parts with some nice, long straights. I almost always lead on the way to this road because I know the way and ride faster on the freeways than they usually do, so they also use me for cop bait. When we get to the Green Valley Rd., I usually let the fastest of them lead because I would hate to think I was slowing someone else down. So, that's the way it went on the way to our destination; I just followed along behind the leaders. On the way back, I was going to do the same, but they all laughed and said, "No; you lead!" So I took off and wound it out and had a great ride to the end of the road. When I got there, stopped, and looked back, only one bike was in sight, a Sport 1100, way off on the horizon. I lit up a smoke and was halfway through it before the pack caught up. So, when we finished the ride at the Buckaroo Tavern, I got off the bike, looked at my own Sigma, and started laughing when I saw that my Sigma said, "Top Speed 141.7 mph." I thought, I'll show them how much their SIgmas are worth and took it inside and shoved it in every one of those bastard's faces. Of course, they all said, "No goddam way that old touring bike can go that fast." I could only smile in replying, "How would you know. You were too far behind to even be seen." Now you know how my Eldo came to be "Documented to have gone 141.7 mph." I never did erase that top-speed reading, either, but I did pass it around a few more times to rub salt in the wound. Unfortunately, the proof was destroyed about a month ago when the Eldo took a tumble off the lift, crushing the poor Sigma. Now, I'll have to buy another Sigma to see if I can break 150.

While awaiting a few parts to get my Billy Bob on the road, I've kept after the quest for more power from my trusty old Eldo. This planned upgrade was to be centered around a B-10 cam (thanks again for the cam, Mr. Roper) from a LeMans 1000. This week, I finally got that sucker in the old Eldo. Between working at MI and working on other people's bikes in my off hours, my Eldo power upgrade has been done in small spurts. First, 36-mm carbs onto 100,000-mile-since-valve-job heads. This worked surprisingly well, especially after several rounds of jetting that resulted in very similar specs to those recommended by Ed Milich of GuzziTech fame. Even with the accel pumps disconnected, it pulled much harder than ever before, and got better gas mileage, too. Then, I had an extra set of heads freshened up with new valves and guides, LeMans 1000 springs, mild port job, 5-angle valve-job, and ports matched to the 36-mm DOs and put them on early one morning. This made a huge difference. It ran great without the cam, so great that I thought about just sticking with the stock cam. It would punch right through 120 (veglia) mph and keep on charging, even with the big Guzzi police fairing. But I can never leave well enough alone. So, I got up a 4:00 a.m. Monday and made time to do it. Even at that early hour, the fitting of the cam itself was easy. Then I had to fit and time a dual-point timer, put timing marks for both cylinders onto the belt pulley, find a space for dual coils, and wire it all up. All that took way longer than the cam swap itself. It fired right up afterwards, but the idle jetting was now so lean it coughed and sputtered and died all the time. I had to go all the way up to a 65 idle jet to get decent running. A 68 would have been even better, I think, but I didn't have jets in that size. Oddly, the main jets proved too fat with the new cam, so I dropped down to 125s, and it pulls really hard. I tuned it on the EGA at work and was able to get perfect CO and carbon readings, so then I hooked up the accel pumps for the ride home. Wow! Now, it pulls even harder, hopefully to far past its former documented top speed of 141.7 mph. That testing will have to wait for this summer, where she'll go head-to-head with the Billy Bob . . .

If you really want your cush drive to work well, ya gotta grease it and cut big holes in the rubber pie wedges, so they actually compress and do their job. To do so, take a section of the largest-diameter pipe that will chuck up in your drill press, turn on the motor, and use a file to sharpen the edge of the pipe. Then, use this "apple corer" to cut chunks of rubber out of each wedge.

I'd like to know, too.

A former owner of MI has a custom machine shop (Motobits) and has made for one of our customers a set of billet foot controls loosely modeled after the Centauro controls. These move the pegs and pedals forward slightly and down a bit. The customer reports that they provide exactly the addd comfort he was after. Toepiece position of both pedals is adjustable up/down and fore/aft. All pieces are available separately for reasonable cost, should you break one. Also, I have three sets of the Centuro peg hangers, shift levers, and pivot stud for the brake. Brake levers are unavailable but relatively easily made. If anyone has any interest in these, email me at parts@motointernational.com for prices. ( No SPAM if you put it in the Commercial Ads section! - Jaap)

Yeah, that green was just war-surplus zinc-chromate airplane primer.

Consider also that bigger valves may not be the way to go. Dr. John told me the best combo is the larger injection system of the Sport motors with the smaller valves of the Calis. Much better port velocities for more torque and power.

MI has them in stock. In the past I offered to give you a set to use now, if you replace them when your warranty ones come in. The offer stands. Parts have been shipping. I say "have" because they won't be for the next two weeks while they change systems yet again. Parts are scheduled to resume shipping March 13.

We changed out our first Breva bearing the other day. It was totally wrecked in every way after less than 200 miles. It was made in China. We are now pre-emptively changing them all with SKF bearings, to prevent further PR and CARC damage.

Jizzus, QV; that's the most beautiful thing I've seen in ages. Even Thy Lard, Enzo, would be envious. Shit, the mofo would even be jealous. God loves the resourseful . . .

Just one data point: When I see those flashing headlights, I do notice, but I find myself staring at them. I get target fixation. I don't want car drivers getting target fixation on my bike . . .

Word is, the Breva rear drive problem has already been fixed, via a quality bearing used on all bikes built after December 2005. Word also is, you get tons of warning that it is failing, as the seal starts misting gear lube on the bike's rim for quite a while before the bearing actually fails.

Just to distract you all even further, Dr. John told me the most satisfying motor he had built was a combo of the mid-valve cruiser engine with the larger fuel-injection throttle bodies of the Sport engines . . .

Thanks! GF

Thanks! GF

Yes, the Dr. Kervorkian of Guzzi engine builders. He killed one of mine

We'll just have to agree to disagree, I guess. I'm OK with that.

Thanks for the offers. The early forks won't work with the rest of my parts.

Not even a hint of a joke. If a racer wants to be considered with the Hailwoods of the sport, he must prove at the IOM that he belongs in such company. There is no other way . . .