felix42o

Same here, but I check the marks for sanity. Mostly though, I use a piece of (carefully calibrated of couse) welding rod to verify the piston's at the top of the stroke w/ both valves closed.

Man, sorry to hear that...hopefully insurance will cover most of it?

I, umm...huh. I think I missed something.

Doesn't stainless have a tendancy to work harden under load? That's what I have always (maybe incorrectly) thought.

Definitely a one-off opportunity...the worker's permit isn't hard to get. My ex had one while I was stationed there. Damn, if I didn't have so much time left in the service I'd be on this in a heartbeat. And a buddy of mine just moved to Bellaggio...

I did it w/ mine after a powdercoating experiment didn't work, and it looks great. And while I doubt it helps at all it can't hurt. I figured if it didn't last (exposure to the elements) I'd just remove it, but that was two years ago and it's no worse for the wear. No fraying or anything, other than where the kickstand was rubbing against it near the x-over. With that now dealt with, I have a new roll of wrap and am going to go the same route.

Agreed. $9500 is way too high, regardless of the model. The special models (Tenni, RM, Nero, etc...) are certainly worth more, but that's rediculous unless, as you said, it were NOS. Even then. Good luck; you'll find something good in time. Besides, if you get a less-than-limited model, you won't have to worry about it so much.

If I read that correctly, "more than 8k" seems high. KBB has it at $7855, and NADA has the Tenni at $6500 average, and 7k seems closer w/ the exhaust I'd think. There's probably better deals out there. OTOH, they only made 170 of them, and I will say this: I paid $7200 for mine in 2005. And it's still (book value) worth that. WRT to engine paint, were you aware of that problem being so common for the '02-03' models? You can search this forum for info and fixes. Certainly it's nothing that has any bearing on anything more than appearance, and it can be mitigated to a large degree w/ Harley case paint and a wire brush w/out any dissassembly. For sure, you wouldn't need to buy new cases if that's what you are thinking.

Well, you'll find solutions on the forum for the engine paint that aren't too painful or expensive. After that, the MG exhaust is worth a fair amount, and the Tenni holds it's value better than most in the line as far as book goes. After that, it sounds like six of one, half dozen of the other. That said, I know which one I'd pick, but...

While we're confessing Guzzi abuse... On a long (loooong), straight, sunny and wide open stretch of Nevada highway, I found the rev limiter and scared myself pretty good (it's definitely a 'hard' limiter). It never did that before, but that was prior to the pod filters, remap, and crossover. Anyway, though I won't be doing that again, I did note (for science and all) that the max speed on my GPS said 132. My old 748 would do that, but then it's supposed to so I'm still impressed by the Tenni.

The Tenni in San Diego w/ the new Chase-Harper soft luggage. After four years, the tekno bags have been relegated to dual-sport duty.

Most of the autos of the era were in pretty bad shape regardless of country of origin. Although not on the list, the Cadillac Cimmaron, Hyundai anything, Dodge Aries (although the 'K' car probably saved Chrysler, as far as it goes) and Mitsubishi Cordia seemed particularly awful. The Chevy 'X' Cars mentioned (Citation, Skylark, etc) that the auto mags tested wasn't the same car that made production lines IIRC. Bean counters and ill-fated budget cuts (along with dismal QA processes) apparently ruined what was an otherwise decent car at press time. Seems like we're only now in the last 3-4 years really coming out of the dark ages.

Great, more of that "personal responsibility" jibberish.

Yeah, but it looks really friggin cool. Sometimes, looking the part is enough. That monstrosity is probably just as effective as a Quota.

If it's cranking, that should rule out the neutral safety switch and kill switch, but I'd check both anyway. Have you checked the fuse for the fuel pump for continuity? Voltage at the pump itself? Also, have you removed the battery lately? A few of us have at one time or another missed one of the many leads that attach to the battery. Worst case, the fuel pump crapped out, but probably not. I'm sure more good suggestions will follow... Good luck, and check the easy stuff first. It's usually something simple with these things.

As usual, good info all around. I went back, pulled a valve cover to verify the valvetrain work, and checked for the 'marble-laden masturbating sounds' wrt to the clutch. All seemed well, so I picked it up last weekend. Long story short, the dealer felt the same way about this bike as the one I bought the Tenni from: 'Just get it out of here, I don't know anything about it and it's scaring the other bikes.' My initial impressions are good. The 5-speed box is very smooth; the only fly in the ointment being the weird spacing between 2nd and 3rd that Gregg mentioned. Handling is great, with easy turn-in, and holds a line surprisingly well. That said, the fork is waaay heavy on the compression and the shocks are ridiculously undersprung. That will be the first and, for now at least, only major modification. Even though somewhat expected, It's interesting to note that though the motor is the same, it's only vaguely familiar compared to the Tenni. Totally different animal. I have to mount the sissy bar before the girlfriend will ride, but I think it should be a nice addition to the stable. All that said, it's nowhere near as fun as the V11, so I'm not jumping ship by any means. Thanks (or no thanks;) again to all who didn't talk me out of the purchase. Pics to follow soon.

Yeah, I was thinking between $3000 and $3500 with a phone number, pending the dealers knowledge of its history. Don't really need it, so we'll see how it goes. Good points all around, as usual. I had sort of planned on tearing into it a bit anyway, and it sounds like that may be the only safe way to check on the trouble spots.

I'll be sure to ask. Is there any obvious way to tell wrt these updates, or is word of mouth and service records as good as it gets? I'm not sold on this thing yet, but something about an unwanted Guzzi stuffed in the corner always grabs my attention.

Yeah, I've been to the shop...great guys for sure. It was there that I saw one "in the flesh" for the first time. Much better looking than in the pictures. Thanks for the tip. I might give 'em a call just to see about any issues but I imagine that, short of the hydraulic lifters and a 5-speed box, not much is mechanically different than our beloved V11's.

There's one that just arrived on a trade at the shop near my g/f's house. A little rough, 9000 miles, but with lots of accessories. (Bags, windshield, pipes, etc). Seems like a good buy at around $4,000. Anyone here have one of these? I need another bike like I need another mother in law. But will I be able to resist? Must...fight...the...urge... Plus, the girlfriend says it looks like something she'd like to ride on, so there's some practicality involved.

It really seems to depend on the coverage in your area. I liked Cingular, but the coverage wasn't great. I now have Sprint, which works everywhere really well (driven cross-country twice this year), but the customer service and billing leave lots to be desired. I've also heard Verizon is good, but two guys in my office have it and I usually have signal where they do not (in the office, that is).

Welcome. Lots of good info here to steer you onto the right bike. Is your screen name a nod to MST3K per chance?

Should just swap right over. Glad you're back on a Guzzi;)

Yeah, the Volt is cool. I saw one at the LA auto show this past weekend. They wouldn't say who, but said that "yes, we do have a supplier for the LiIon batteries now, thank you" so I guess it's a go. The big deal about it, besides it being a 'true' hybrid, is the battery setup. Lots (140 or something) of little packs arranged in a T shape that allows for better weight distribution and interior room. Apparently, the square shape of the LiIon packs also allows for better cooling and more precise, even temperatures throughout the cells themselves, which (according to Chevy) is a critical part in the range and life expectancy of the packs. Neat stuff. Plus, the whole chassis is kind of flat and modular looking, so maybe they designed it to support different bodies on the same platform in the future? The Chevy spokesman wouldn't say, but said it wasn't out of the question.

My bike had the same setup installed when I bought it, and has the same issues as well. It's just not enough all the way around. There's alot of people making aftermarket led panels that fit into original sockets, mostly for the classic car scene. I bought them for my '64 Chevy truck. I wonder if they couldn't custom make one for the stock housing?