Dan M

I too recommend the Throttlemeister. Have the large ones on my RT and they made a noticable difference. Very nice machine work too.

Pete is absolutely right. There is so much nervousness about an ounce plus or minus. If level is anywhere in the sight glass you are plenty safe. Some say too high will push it out of the breather. That has never happened to me so I'm thinking it would have to be to the top of, or past the glass for that to happen. I use Redline shockproof heavy and it shifts like a dream. Major improvement over the stock stuff.

I have the MAP carbon cans and like the others, they sound great, somewhat louder than stock but not annoying. I'm considering a crossover. Can anyone tell me if that change will increase noise much more?

Absolutely right. Motorcycle specific oil has two main differences, Lack of friction reducing additives that could make a wet clutch slip and better shearing resistance to stand up to the mating gears in a transmission that shares motor oil. MG needs neither. Car oil is fine for us. I've always promoted the use of high quality lubricants and sell and use the Spectro line. But, if you change it regularly, (before it breaks down) most any oil that carries the rating that the factory calls for is OK. Synthetics last much longer before breaking down and will protect better at extreme temperatures. So the bottom line? Synthetic is cheap insurance. Get suck in traffic and the motor gets really hot, synthetic may make the difference. Once again:

Wow this has been cross-threaded! Back to the original question. Steve G has it right. It is more likely from blow-by than anything else. Air cooled engines have larger clearances and allow more blow-by so oil will get black faster. If your engine is running too rich you will have even more blow-by and more fuel contamination which will cause the carbon in the oil. If the oil is getting black excessively fast, and I'm not sure your's is, you may want to take a look at your plugs and see if they are also sooty black indicating a rich mixture. Also when you drain the old oil check if there is a strong fuel odor. If not, I wouldn't worry too much. Oh yea, one more thing, drain it down to the proper level.

Bruce, You will be sorry. While it is true that roughing the finish and using an appropriate primer will get the paint to stick, without a flex additive the finish will eventually crack. Secondly, as others have said, the color and finish will not even be close. It is likely that even a professional would have to paint both pieces to guarantee a perfect match.

Bruce, We did Edelweiss' Tour of Tuscany in May. Fantastic. Terrific roads, great food, fun people. You ride every other day to towns and have a rest day in the town you are staying in, with use of the bike (which means, if you are like most of us, you ride every day) Best roads I've been on. There is ample time for sight seeing so everybody stays happy. , , , repeat - the perfect vacation Dan

It is a select group who improve or repair their bikes rather than simply replacing them. What a great resource this board is. I went into this "off season" here in the north with the plan on improving my suspension. I've been searching & reading all of the terrific info here and have just ordered a Wilbers shock from Tod E. (another great resource). Fork springs are next, so keep your notes handy! I'm sure I'll be posting some questions when get that far.

Sounds like you've got it way rich. Black smoke, fumes that will make your eyes water, that's a very rich mixture. I'd bet if you pulled your plugs they would be black and sooty. The question is if it is rich at all throttle openings & loads. A really rich mixture will put gas in the oil too. Pull your dipstick and check for fuel odor and really black, thin oil. This condition will snow-ball (more fuel in the oil, more blow by, more rich running) In the long run you can damage things. Too lean is worse, high combustion temps of a very lean mixture can be dangerous to your motor as well. Try to get it dialed in so your plugs are light tan.

Ditto on MPH cycles, but you have to call them. Good service and I love the sound of the carbon fiber cans.

I've seen this several times although never on a Fiat, Thankfully they don't import them here any longer All cars have a sealed fuel system now to control evaporative emissions. There is a vent solenoid usually located on top of the fuel tank that fails. When bad it is hard to add fuel because back pressure keeps shutting off the nozzle. Sorry Big J, We'll get back to Guzzis now

Huh?

I'm right there with you on this one Windchill. If something is of poor design, the manufacturer should fix it. I don't think anybody is looking for a lifetime of trouble free service, but if a component that has low mileage failures as regularly as is illustrated here, it appears to be of poor design or made of poor materials. MG should step up and make it right. This type of break down is a little more annoying than typical "guzzi character" stuff. On a related note my, when riding my 02 LeMans (2100 miles), suddenly I'm missing many shifts. Ususlly 3rd gear but others as well. Anybody seen this symptom?

Mike, have you noticed any real difference with various brands of synthetic of the same viscosity? I've switched the factory stuff for Spectro 75/90 and shifting seems smoother, although I'm sure things are less clunky as the miles add up too. Just wondering if there is a noticable improvement from brand to brand. I agree that a heavier lube would create some additional drag as would an over filled box. I sell Spectro so I tend to use all for their products but would certainly try other brands. Dan

Thanks again for the tips guys. I installed the M4's yesterday. they literally went on in 10 minutes. They look great and sound even better. I agree though, the emblems are a little large.

Mike & Rocketman, Thanks for the info, I E-mailed MPH today and am waiting for a reply.

To the collective wisdom here: Anyone have any experience with M4 Carbonfiber mufflers sold by MPH cycles in Houston? They claim very good quality, and they certianly look good in the photo. I have concerns about noise level and fitment. I've been leaning toward Mistrals but these came up and are a couple of hundred dollars less expensive. Any clues out there?

Some questions from a rookie. Where is the best place to buy Mistrals in the US? Any dealers keep them in stock? Are round more or less restrictive than oval? The only non stock cans I've heard are MG titanium. Is the sound similar? While I'm asking, what about a source for a power commander? Thanks

Nice score on the Coppa! We must think alike That first paragraph sounds like me, 30 yrs of riding, Japanese bikes, BMW... Just bought a '02 LeMans last month. Loving every minute of it. So far as the oil cap tool goes, a cheap fix is buy a 3/4" nut & bolt. The nut should be a 1&1/16" hex size - fits the filter cover perfectly. Screw the nut onto the bolt tightly and saw off any threads protruding past the end of the nut. I actually made this tool for the fork caps on an old FJ1200 I had several years ago, just happens to fit the V11. Good luck with the Guzzi.

Hey Brian, What else have you done besides the Mistrals?

The others are right, check the bulb & fuse first. If you still have touble, it is a simple circuit. Get a cheap 12V test light from an auto parts or hardware store. Hook the clip to a good ground (battery - ) remove the bulb and probe the two terminals inside the socket. Be careful not to touch the sides of the socket with your probe because that is bulb ground and you will blow the fuse. One terminal should light the test light with the key on for your tail lamp and the other should light the light only with the brake applied. If they both work properly and your bulb is good, the trouble is on the ground side of the socket. You can check for a good ground by hooking your test light to battery + and touching the probe to the outside of the socket. It should light at all times. If not, make sure the socket is grounded. It the center contact does not light the test light with the brake applied, go to the switch with your test light. (rememver to go back to battery - with your test lamp clip) With the key on there should be power at one wire and the other should power up with the brake applied. It is unlikely that both brake switches are bad so your trouble probably is no power to the switches or a poor connection near the light unit. Hope this helps and is not too wordy.

My 02 has no signs of flaking yet. Anybody know of any way to prevent it?

Just bought (picking it up Saturday) a completely stock '02 LeMans with 950 miles for $6000. No extras but that's the fun part.

Ditto on the Autocom. Works great. -Dan

Ben, I shipped this guy my Norton tank & side covers and did a great job. Bob Meyers' Cycle Colors 7103 Sunrise Lane Black Hawk, SD 57718 605-716-3098 -Dan