big J

So is the cam ok after all or is the big end toast too? Is the oil pump ok?If both are gone it sounds like a lubrication problem. I looked at that web site.I like the cut of that fella's jib.Nice gear.

I dont blame you.They're good bikes let down by a totally apathetic after "care" policy. And seemingly haphazard quality control. Hopefully this'll be the last of your woes. Just to maybe lift your mood.A guy I work with last year bought a new ZX6R Kawa from that big shop on the Long Mile Rd in Dublin.You'll probably know where I mean.It's restricted cos he's not long passed his test.The box locked solid recently,so as it's under warranty,he took it in. Apparently it's his fault,they say he's not changing gear properly. At the moment,the bill's at 4 grand and climbing.He's disputing their claims and they're charging him storage by the day. IMHO, I've heard too many stories,from riders of all types of machinery,to trust any manufacturer/dealer unless i've personally had good business with them.They're all c*nts,except a very select few.

Well,it was about a year ago,but from memory....... Follow the wires from where they leave the switch to where they go under the tank.Take off the tank,cut the wires and join them.Take out the screws holding the switch together,find the wires at the kill switch,cut them off and put the switch back together.Dont tighten the screws too tight cos it can distort the switch housing and your starter button can stick in.Remove the old wire and keep for posterity.You should always have a piece of wire in your toolbox.Even if you never use it.

Fark!! Two grand for a pair of wheels?? You could buy another Guzzi for that.

Aha,so the legends of Martins big throbber have a grain of truth I dont know if I can get you in on the deal,send us a couple of credit cards as proof of your sincerity and I'll see what I can do.

Bad news,Jaap.These shiny exhaust systems may look good,but they actually decrease the power of your engine by 50% Best idea is to send the lot over here and I'll send you by return a barely used stock set up.I'm not looking for much for it,and you can send your credit card details to my cousin who is a Nigerian prince who is having a bit of trouble clearing customs with $1,000,000 of diamonds which we can cut you in on,just send us $25,000 plus your old exhaust and you're in.

Bugger. His your mechanic noticed anything which may have contributed to the cam failure?Or is it maybe just a case of poor hardening.(sorry) If you get a secondhand one,it would be worthwhile having it nitrided to give it a good hard skin to stop this happening again.I dunno if Guzzi cam followers are radiused,but it might be an idea to have that done too. May I respectfully suggest that the best method of recycling your old cam would,on your next trip to Italy,take the camshaft with you,go on the factory tour,and ram it as far up the arse of the heat treatment area foreman as hard as you can.Scant consolation,but he might think twice about switching off the ovens and going for tea next time.

I wonder if adding a strategic brace across the subframe would help those with vibration problems? Might be worth a try instead of bar weights.

Brake shoe return springs from a dirt bike?

Arse.Feck.Drink.

Any news John?

fortunatlely,I have nothing to worry about

Yep,I'm stupid all right.I used to always wear an old open face I bought at a market stall for £8.Loved it,had it for 20 years,primer grey with a saltire sticker on the back.I was truly dismayed when it eventually fell to bits. I now have an arai,but I preferred the piss pot any day. Btw,modern helmets are all pretty good.I f you header something hard enough,it wont matter if you conform to snell,eu or uk standards,you're toast.

John,to save time an easy check would be to measure cam lift with a dial gauge.That'll tell you right away.

Antonio and BFG. I'm eating my dinner.Youse owe me a keyboard.

Dont get UTV here.Give us the nod if it's on BBC NI,I'm working mad hours just now and I'll get it taped. I heard Robert Dunlop won the 125's,his two sons were second and third!!!

Yeah,me too.I couldn't understand why it wasn't sorted already.Maybe he'd take a couple of weeks to get it done,but no improvement in YEARS?????? We must just have different definitions of "pals."

But why not fix it?How hard can it be?Christ,pull the heads off and take a mill file to the piston crowns if you cant afford machining time.If it's just pinking cos of high compression get some acetone and mix it with the petrol.Nail varnish remover worked for me in the past,you dont need much.(and nowadays,I dont varnish my nails )

I havent had either a kill switch or a sidestand switch for over a year now.Both started playing up,so I disconnected them and joined the wires of each together at the frame.No problem. If I'm stupid enough to ride off with the stand down,that's my affair,and no-one elses.If it'll keep you awake at night worrying,get a new kill switch.It should be easy enough to fit something reliable off a jap bike.

I still dont get this.If your mate has trouble with hi-comp pistons,why not fix it? Should be easy enough to either reset the timing or machine the pistons to achieve what he wants.A side benefit of reducing the dome of the piston slightly would be a better flame path,but you could still have the advantages of tighter squish(assuming that's one reason they were fitted) to promote mixture burn. If he wants to keep the hi-comp pistons,dual plugs and knock back the timing a bit.Or what about a cam with a bit more overlap?It's a motorbike engine,not quantum physics,they all work on easily understood principles. Is your mate just a geezette then? Not yet attained the inner peace and full universal equilibrium that only the enlightened "road geez" can enjoy?)

Try old John Williams.Does a good job,but being a one man band,can take a while to get to you. http/::/www.thetankshop.com or something. Nice bike by the way.

I always hated those bastards.Like robots,no emotion at all.And everywhere you went they'd be on,or somebody whistling or singing along.Makes my blood boil so it does. Thanks for bringing it all back,thanks a bunch

Isn't it time to stop repeating yourself?

Isn't it time to stop repeating yourself?

Drink.Any kind