Dan M

Man,the spam is getting terrible. It's all over the board today.

Weather? Today? Ankle deep slush everywhere, turning colder tonight so it will all freeze solid. At least my garge is heated so I can sit on my bike and make varoom nosies.

This has been getting some play in the aftermarket. Primarily by the equipment manufacturers trying to sell the product. It is catching on with the tire shops and with the quick oil change places as a profit center that requires no technical knowledge. This is a good thing because they generally don't have any anyway. In northern climes where there are big temperature swings your pressures will not vary as much. Also with alloy wheels which tend to corrode at the bead seal and develop slow leaks, they theoretically will leak less due to the larger molecules. That said, I see it as a problem that didn't need fixing. If you service your car regularly and get the tires checked at the same time there is really no need for anything but air in there. If you do develop a rim leak it will likely worsen over time and the precious nitrogen will escape anyway.

Truly Sorry Bob. Sounds like he had a good, albeit short run. Here's to him

Wow! Gary is offering you a sweet deal. A true brother. You gotta fix it. If you really do part it out, I'll take the tail section & seat cowl. But think again - fix it!

Hey Mattress, It surely is undersprung front & rear if you are at 220lbs. I was bottoming mine regularly on these fine Illinois roads at 180lbs. I don't have Ohlins, but resprung the Marz fork with Wilburs springs and switched to a Wilburs shock in back. With everything dialed in the difference is remarkable.

That sucks. lesson learned I guess. Hard to go wrong with Sidi, I've had a pair for several years, very good boots. The soles are showing some wear now & I may replace them next year. Anyone here familiar with the Vendramini brand?

Sensibly centered, mostly.... http://politicalcompass.org/printablegraph...8&soc=-1.74

Again, we think alike. Most of my dislike for the name stems from the attitude. Then there is the years and years of pretty much the same bikes with slightly different paint jobs. (oops, kinda like the V11 on a much bigger, longer lasting scale) Now this offering of a Sportster with modern wheels and a big muffler. If they are going to do a flat tracker replica, they should just do it, if they are going to do a modern naked bike, then do that. This is just a parts bin, half-assed mix of both. I just don't get it.

The attraction for me initially is the reduced / repositioned weight. (which may play an important roll if I ever start making measurements using a bathroom scale) I have to say I like the clean look as well. I'm curious about tuning potential, am I to understand that the Ghezzi-Brian machines that use it have no top end performance? If the trade is a palpable loss of power above 4000rpm then it may not be worth it. This is all good information though, thanks. Didn't intend to trigger another Dave/Ratchet bickering session.

This has caught my eye. This box looks different than one I saw on a Ghezzi-Brian, is there more than one model? How's the sound? I'd hate it to be louder than the current crossover & carbon can set up I'm running.

That's interesting. I'd assume that the LeMans (long frame) is slightly less rear biased with the weight of the faring and it's ancillaries, however that is probably given up when laden due to the higher bars... I'm the same weight as you and tend to crowd the tank during "spirited" riding, getting my weight as forward as possible. Still, the thing is a bit of a lump. I have a feeling though, now that I'm armed with this knowledge, the next time I take the MG out it will handle exactly the same.

He clearly lost it on stage. He looks completely unglued in his apology.

Oh I'm not giving up my (our) theory about installer error / faulty filters. Just referring to the the title of Greg's original post "tighten up those filters boys" It would surely suck (air that is) if it was found to be loose.

This doesn't sound good. Noise, oil light, misfire all at once is trouble. The oil light coming on is signaling what might be a major bottom end problem. I don't see a connection between the oil light and the clutch slipping though Hope there is not too much damage. It would be bad if the filter came loose, not only because of what it will cost you, but the "I told you so's" from Greg may prove unbearable

Very nice stuff Steve!

That is how it comes from the factory. I've dropped mine so about 10mm of the fork tubes show above the bar clamps. As Dave said, setting sag is your 1st step.

Crooz, I'd be careful sand blasting. That stuff always gets where it shouldn't and usually causes trouble. I've read on this board of guys scraping loose stuff off and refinishing with Harley's wrinkle paint. Results are reportedly very good. I need to do mine this winter. I'm thinking a heat gun will aid removal of the factory crap. edit: Jim's original post is about engine cleaning. Just a tip for the rest of us, nothing technical.

perfect

You are correct Mick, another bit of insurance is to put a slight bend in the long end of the spring to relax the tension. The spring is there to locate the pawl against the pins but does not need to have heavy tension. If you carefully bend the long end back some so the spring is not wound as tight on the upshift, you will greatly reduce stress on the spring. Lessening the tension and polishing all of the contact points on the pawl improves the shift feel and quickens the return as well.

I don't see why any of this needs to be hostile. Greg is a knowledgeable guy with lots of Guzzi experience. He gave me some great advise on the install of the Motobits foot controls I bought from him (I got a couple of sump gaskets that day too!) He brought an issue to light, he suggested a bit of insurance. All of that is OK. Some of us however don't think it is necessary. From the sound of the replies, some of us have had spent some time around spin-on filters. It is all personal choice, if you loose sleep worrying about your filter creeping off while you are not looking, add a clamp. As far as I'm concerned, if I put my filter on properly I don't think it will come off until I take it off, and if the issue is faulty or poorly formed threads, then a clamp will not help anyway. I thought these "discussion" boards were about discussion. Doesn't that require more than one point of view? This is getting a little silly. I'm going to see if there are any new hooters now......

I'm with ya on all counts Gary

Hey Greg, I think your original post is of great value. Especially the title "tightenup those filters" We've just been discussing possible cause. That's what this forum is for, right?

Do you see? The idiot put the wrong filter on (a plane no less). I'll assume it was self service, I can't imagine a professional aero wrench skimping on something like this. Almost took himself out of the gene pool. That Darwin was on to something! If you don't remove the pan or don't have the proper tool it is impossible to tighten the filter properly by hand. I think some are doing it anyway and thinking it is "tight enough" Some may install the filter with the gasket dry and it feels tight when it is not. Wrong filter, faulty filter, loose filter, damaged threads on filter mount. That's pretty much it. Over the years I've seen engines with stuck oil pressure relief valves explode oil filters but never unscrew them. I don't think there is some mysterious counterclockwise vortex whirlpool of excessive oil pressure, teaming with the rocking vibration of a v-twin to unscrew these filters. JMHO

Greg, just curious, are the failures you've seen factory (UFI) filters or another brand?