Ryland3210

Do you have the facts on whether the volume specified in the manual is the actual total oil Guzzi believes the engine should hold, or do they intend the refill volume? Logically, it would make more sense for them to specify the latter, but I'm interested if you know whether or not that, in fact, is the case. I personally haven't seen any flickering oil light under hard acceleration, but others have. It may be because myself and others researched the proper oil level ad nauseum in other threads, so I'm confident in the oil level I am using. Refilled with the specified volume, with filter changed, the level in my bike falls comfortably below the sump gasket, so I have no fear of overfilling. My plastic dipstick has been remarked to correspond to that level. I also have no financial interest in Pete's sloppage plate. One issue is the oil level, the other is the fact that oil will move towards the rear under acceleration, whereas the pump pickup is towards the front. Pete's plate helps prevent that. I'm no fan of plastic dipsticks either. What do you use?

Hi Greg, Is that a bolt-on?

Hi Kevin H, In addition to Pete's sloppage plate, you might check the oil level marks on your dipstick. Considerable research into this disclosed that some dipstick full marks are about 11/16" low (as was the case on my '04 Cafe Sport), resulting in underfilling the sump. You might search that topic to see if your dipstick has a problem (no pun intended!). To Greg, Nice work, Greg. One comment: Once upon a time, I mounted some homespun electronic guages on my Harley handlebar riser. The aluminum I used was about 0.100" thick, and 5 inches wide. In spite of having some vibration isolation from the rubber mounted risers, the sheet aluminum failed from fatigue after maybe 1,000 miles.

I plan on using copper based anti-seize. Is that similar to what you mean?

Nothing is perfect, and Guzzi has had plenty of challenges recently to occupy them. This does not look like the same location my sensor is in. Would this apply to an '04 V11 Cafe Sport? Thanks,

I'm getting 41 MPG pretty consistently, and have found that I can squeeze in a little extra gas if I keep trickling it in. It's been taking on 4.1 to 4.15 gallons (U.S.) with a range of 160 miles when the reserve light starts warning me. However, so far, I've been quite gentle with the throttle. I am seriously thinking of aftermarket mufflers. I miss my old Norton's rumble and roar, with its stock reverse cone quite unrestricted mufflers. Either that, or surgery on the OEM "silencers", once my warrantee expires. Then, either Tune Boy or Power Commander to get the MPG back where it belongs. Meanwhile, I purchased a brass temp sensor holder from Greg Field, and have my copper based anti seize compound at the ready, and look forward to seeing what that does to mileage.

Hi Ratchethack, By trans lube, do you mean the same as used in the transmission, or ATF? My OEM cable failed after less than 100 miles. It failed near the bend just above the transmission. There was no sign of corrosion, nor any lubricant. Several subsequent NAPA cables, purchased on the advice of the dealer while we waited for a replacement under warrantee, all failed in short order in the same place, despite experimenting with various lubricants. Evidence suggests it was the sharp bend in the tubing causing fatigue failure. The bend angle has been reduced in the new part number housing, according to the Service Bulletin. I have put 2,000 miles on the new housing/cable assembly so far, without a problem, except just once this past Sunday, I noticed some needle vibration at 40 MPH while decelerating. I haven't checked whether the dealer lubed the cable, but will do so. I'm intrigued by the electronic speedo conversion. Back in the 60's, while at Hewlett Packard, I designed a photo electric set of distributor points for my Formula S Barracuda. I still have the distibutor. I believe it was the world's first, but it was only years later that I learned the value of patents. Later on, I got intrigued with Sprague's Hall Effect sensors. I designed them into some industrial controls, where the response time of the phototransistor was not needed. A Speedo driven by a hall effect sensor and suitable electronics should be straightforward to design, with so much off-the-shelf technology available today. I look forward to seeing progress on this. Meantime, just for fun, maybe I'll design a sensor, electronics driver and electric motor kit to drive the OEM speedo directly, eliminating the cable altogether. An advantage would be the ability to adjust the ratios so the darned thing reads accurately. Mine reads about 8% high. Cheers, John

Yes, it was me. I had my bike there, too. I hung around yours for a while, but had to leave. Sorry I didn't have a chance to meet you, but I do go there for bike night fairly often. I live about 20 miles north, and often ride around the Sussex county area and points north on weekends. As you probably know, there is some really beautiful country in Northwest Jersey and up towards the Catskills. I'll send you a personal message so you can connect via email if you like, Cheers, John

They can be found under Technical Topics, it is the forward foot position thread, with smiley face.

I have had my '04 Sport since December '05, purchased new as a leftover. Problems and outcome so far: -Tank suck cured with tie wrapping the tipover valve upright. -Oil level indication on dipstick was incorrect and low. Filling with amount of oil specified by manual, showed the correct mark to be about .8" higher than the mark on the dipstick. Very detailed analysis by several authorities backed this up. Sloppage plate by Pete Roper a good investment as extra insurance, in my opinion, but be sure to get the level right. -I am almost finished with an oil pressure guage adaptation. -Speedo cable broke early (130 miles). Fixed by replacing with new cable developed to cure this manufacturing defect: 01760481 is the new cable for Cafe Sport, and Ballabio. 01760492 is the new cable for Lemans,Nero Corsa and Rosso Corsa. There is a Moto Guzzi service bulletin on this. -Low fuel reserve light failed early (100 miles). Thermistor sensor in fuel tank replaced under warrantee. -Plastic seat base contacted battery, transferring rider weight to battery, causing the original to leak acid. Battery replaced by dealer under warrantee, but I removed the interference with a Dremel tool and filled the hole with silicon rubber. I purchasing the Yuasa version, very important to get the factory prepared alternative. Available from Bombardier. -Found position of foot pegs too uncomfortable. Designed a forward foot position set for my bike, since then, about 10 others have purchased these from me. If interested, see the "forward foot position" thread. Now I can say I love this bike!

Here they are: 01760481 is the new cable for Cafe Sport, and Ballabio. 01760492 is the new cable for Lemans,Nero Corsa and Rosso Corsa. Good luck!

What's been your experience with greasing speedo cables? When I tried that, the viscous friction contributed to rapid failure at the transmission end. I found that either no lube, or graphite (as used on auto cables for the past 50 years) was the answer.

Hi Ryan, Before jumping in to compete in the custom controls market, consider the Motobits offering by Greg Field and the ones I developed (see the "forward foot controls" thread in the Technical section). Generating sales of 15 sets may be found difficult. I've been at this for three months, and haven't reached 15 yet, in spite of great reports, and pricing which I have learned is very competitive. For me, it was started for personal benefit because I developed it for my own riding comfort to begin with and there was nothing like it at the time. Producing them for others was more practicing my art form (engineering) rather than a profit making enterprise. If you decide to go into this for profit, my suggestion is to come up with something innovative, rather than a "me-too" product, and study the available alternatives beforehand. If you can do that, and are willing to invest in advertising and promotion, it might succeed. If not, try to identify a problem without a solution and solve it. I could be your first customer! Cheers,

Hi Tony, In discussing shipping cost to Australia, I learned that the size of the box was a big factor in cost, in addition to weight. At the time, I gave you the price given me by UPS, based on the box I have been using. Later on, I used my trusty box cutter to make a smaller box. The cost dropped by $49. It took an hour to hand make the box, starting with a USPS box turned inside out, but it was a fun project. It was a bit of tongue in cheek humor for me to have the USPS unknowingly assist in lowering UPS' income! I am currently making prototype parts for a bolt on pressure gauge kit for my bike. The gauge will mount on the speedo/tach mounting plate just below the warning lamps. I don't have my cost figured out on that just yet, but if you're interested, the $49 savings could be credited towards that. Otherwise, I'm happy to mail you a check immediately. Glad to hear you have a good relationship with the UPS driver. I'm flying home late tonight, and will forward the tracking number as soon as I get it first thing tomorrow morning. Cheers, John

Same thing happened to me and others as well. The original speedo cable housing has a tight bend just above the transmission connection, which causes early failure. Have it replaced with the updated design Moto Guzzi came up with. If delivery is too long from MG, a universal cable can be obtained at NAPA and probably other parts stores. Be sure you get the length right, and you will probably have to grind down the crimped on ferrule to prevent it interfering with the cable housing at the speedo end. Greg Field or myself can supply the part number for the updated cable if need be.

The proper size O-Ring will not fill the entire groove space, but will be squeezed to about 75%-80% of its cross sectional diameter. Installation should be done with a lubricant to allow it to go in without cutting off part of it on a sharp edge, and to allow it to move to seat itself against the low pressure side of the groove wall. Rubber compound is important. The wrong compound in gasoline will soften and eventually leak.

While waiting for replacement signal lamp assemblies, I learned from this forum that Buell's are almost bolt-on's. The mounting holes had to be driiled out for the slightly larger diameter Buell's They were only 7 bucks each, and had a flexible stalk. The originals had no flex feature built into the stalk, so both stalks had been deformed when someone at the dealer tried to push the bike by the signals.

As Ratchethack says, auto parts stores should have it. However, be sure to get the correct compound for gasoline. It's different from that used on oil. Also, hydraulic distributors for Parker Hydraulics can be found worldwide.

Hi Tony, I'm happy to report your Forward Foot Position kit was shipped yesterday, August 2nd, on my way to the airport. I'm told you can expect it to arrive on the 7th. I was able to pack it in a box smaller than standard, and saved you $49 in shipping cost. I also researched customs duties in Australia. This kit falls under the Aluminum/Other catagory, which attracts a 5% duty. (On the Australian tariff schedule, it appears all aluminum imports are either at 0 or 5%). However, the U.S. and Australia have a free trade agreement, so perhaps there is no duty for goods of 100% US origin. I have supplied a commercial invoice with the required certification that these goods are of 100% US origin. You may also be exempt because it is well under 1,000$Aus., but that may only apply to travelers. If the address you gave is a residence, UPS will attempt to deliver three times, then will hold the shipment at their depot for 5-7 days. After that, they return it to me, so do keep your eyes open. I did not have your telephone number to give them, so do keep your eyes open. Better yet, contact them. I will be able to supply you the tracking number on Monday morning (EST), August 6th. That's everything I can think of to ensure the kit arrives to your satisfaction. Cheers, John

Thanks for the clarification. Seems to me the crankshaft orientation is unambiguous regarding driveline configuration and is a better definition, as used by Skeeve, than my previous understanding. Of course others may argue the way the cylinders are oriented is more apparent to the eye. Perhaps we need another subforum on discussions like this. As you say, back to the topic.....

At the Carlisle Bike expo, I discussed this with a guy that builds trailers specifically for bikes. According to him, the key points are: Fasten the front tire to something rigid. Tie downs through the spokes around the bottom of the rim for example. Chock the front wheel such that it can't move forward or backward. Loosely tie the front forks to prevent side sway. He said to compress the front forks only slightly if at all, because too much compression somehow damages the seals. Tie the rear of the bike down tightly so it can't bounce, and to control side sway. Hope this helps.

I'm missing something in your theory. First, my understanding is that an "in-line" engine has its driveshaft along the longitudinal axis of the bike, and a transverse would by like the Guzzi's. I figured out what you meant when compared to H-D/Ducati. Second, Guzzi's have a 90 degree in the final drive anyway, so moving the 90 degree change to the transmission in order to use a chain or belt might be almost as efficient, given the relative efficient of belts and chains as compared to gears and elimination of U-joints and drive shaft. What would the performance advantage be? I've been told, although only by one "expert" to date, that there is an interaction between the u-joints and suspension which does not exist with belts/chains. It's clear to me, since MG does not use constant velocity joints, that there could be some interaction, but it seems to me the deflection angle of the drive shaft would have to be pretty extreme. I'm interested in comments on this.

Nigel, I'm not denying any facts. The record speaks for itself. It's the intentions you ascribe to me I dispute. Here is how it happened from where I sat. I hope it helps you understand how events unfolded. The pattern had been that you had responded promptly to my earlier messages. For example, you responded to my message that your checque had been received on the night of April 16th with the cancellation the very next morning. The request for you to reconsider went to you the next day. I only deposited the check when you had not responded to my request to reconsider for a much longer time with a yes or no reply. Meanwhile, the bank had told me it would not likely clear for weeks because it was in foreign currency drawn on a foreign bank. At that point, not hearing anything from you, I assumed you were either undecided or had agreed to go ahead with our deal. If you were going ahead, it would be quite some time before the check cleared, but at least no unnecessary shipment delay would occur. If all else failed, I was going to contact you just before shipping to either send you your money back or the controls, whichever you decided. Given the tough tactics you chose without communicating with me, my guess is that you have been burned before. I can't help that. You don't know me very well, but I know that I deal in good faith. I can't deny I was disappointed in the cancellation only 12 hours after your checque arrived, but if I really wanted to take your money by force, I would have run off to the bank to deposit your checque as soon as you told me to cancel. The fact I waited for your response (which never came) as long as I did should prove to you that was not my intention. Nigel, as you know, I haven't pursued you for reimbursement of my costs. I'm writng off that and the time I have spent defending my integrity to tuition in the school of hard knocks. You apparently are no longer a Moto Guzzi owner, and I believe you simply misjudged my character and intentions in the absence of good communications. Let's move on. John

Having been burned before in dealing with people I do not know, my policy is to require payment prior to shipment. It is regrettable that Nigel has taken his issue public. There has been no communication since May 15th. I thought that it was a dead issue, and wrote off my losses. Why he sees fit to now attempt impune my integrity, I have no idea. Here is the timeline of email correspondence: April 4th, I thank him for the order. April 12th, Nigel notifies me he is sending his check. April 16h, I tell Nigel the check has arrived. April 17th, Nigel requests order cancellation and for me to tear up the check. April 18th (the next morning), I ask Nigel to reconsider and not back out of our deal (text below) I receive no response from Nigel. Until this point, he has responded to my messages promptly. After some time, I believe he has probagbly decided to go through with our deal. I decide that if so, I want to keep his delivery on schedule. Bank of America tells me it could take as much as 3 weeks to clear. If decide that if he later decides to back out, I'll refund his money. I decide to deposit his check, knowing it will take quite a while to clear. May 15th, Still having heard nothing from Nigel, the bank tells me his check bounced. I send Nigel a request for $31.02 to cover the bank charges. Standard practice in industry on cancellation of orders for parts made to order, not normally stocked is a 20% cancellation charge. I thought the least Nigel could do was pay what it cost me, feeling it wouldn't break his bank. There have been no further communications between us until this. I have made no attempt, nor will I, to collect the miserable $31, even though Nigel had earlier offered to reimburse me. I have no idea what distructive objective motivates Nigel to take this public, or whether he has a conflict of interest of some form I am not aware of. He hasn't lost anything, except respect in my eyes. Below is the sequence of messages: ------------------------------------------------------- Sent: May 15, 2007 Nigel, Since you did not respond to my message below, after waiting for quite some time, I deposited your check on the assumption I had persuaded you to carry through with our deal. You could have saved us both trouble and expense if you had simply let me know you had not changed your mind, instead of taking the hardball step of stopping your check. I can only assume you have been burned before, but I don't do business that way. Kindly remit $31.02 to cover my bank charges so we can put this matter behind us. John --------------------------------------------------------- Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 6:11 AM Subject: Re: Forward Foot Controls Nigel, That really hurts. I've invested thousands and released production on your controls on the basis that these first five customers would provide good references so I could try to recover my costs. I have to sell at least thirty sets, and I'm far from that. I'm requesting that as a forum member and fellow motorcyclist, you not back out of our deal. Also, I think it is in your interest to go through with it. Clearly these controls will enhance your resale value, and should add at least your cost, plus then some, to what you can sell the bike for. It should also make it appealing to more potential buyers looking for comfort on a sport bike. Since pricing these, I have learned that sets of brackets and levers typically cost 50% more. I spent over $450 just for new Centauro brackets and the shift lever to see how they went together, and to make sure my brackets weren't any lower. The new owner will be able to choose original or foot forward, whichever he wants for a particular ride. It takes only about 30 minutes to make the change, since everything (including the Stainless hardware) is included. I still have not yet deposited your check. Let me know what you want me to do. Sincerely, John ------------------------------------------ ----- Original Message ----- From: Nigel Stephens Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 3:15 PM Subject: RE: Forward Foot Controls Im really sorry that I am going to be selling the Guzzi. Please would you cancel the order and tear the check up. If you have already deposited it and you have charges I will gladly recompense you. I'm sorry for the hastle but only deceided to move on to something else. Been having rather too many problems lately and its my only transport. Time to have someting more reliable. Regards Nigel -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sent: 16 April 2007 20:38 To: Nigel Stephens Subject: Re: Forward Foot Controls Hello Nigel, Received your cheque for 231 BSP today. Thanks, John