Tom M

That's interesting Doc. I think I used to see more than 14 volts but I'm not positive. I'd love to know if the spec for the V11 is the same as Murray's 1100 Sport. Murray, do you know if your bike has the same alternator and regulator (Ducati) as the V11? I don't recall seeing any charging spec in the V11 manual. Anybody else out there ever take any charging measurements? Any more diagnosis on my bike will have to wait a few weeks. I'm heading for a cabin on a Maine lake in a few days so I hope it doesn't act up while I'm far from home. At least I'll have a trailer handy. Got to bring the bike along with the wife, kids, kids friends, and a couple kayaks. This is what my driveway will look like Saturday morning...

Yes. I installed a set of Ballabio tubular bars on my Lemans. I didn't use the stock Ballabio rubber mounts so they vibrated more than the clipons that they replaced when I used the stock clipon weights. I got a very hefty set of bar ends from Moto International and they really cut the vibes on my bike.

OK, here's what I got for voltage readings taken with a good meter vs the cheapo gauge on the bike. I put the on-bike gauge readings in [brackets]. Good call on the gauge inaccuracy GM. cold key off [12.6] 12.6 key on no run [11.9] 12.1 1100rpm [12.7] 13.0 2500rpm+ [13.8] 14.0 I never see more than 14.0 volts at the battery. Is this a problem or within spec? I also measured 11.5 mA draw on the battery with the key off. Anybody know if that is normal? The volt/clock/thermometer gauge probably pulls a little current above whatever normal is. Michael, I did disassemble and clean my starter solenoid over the winter after it was suggested here that might be why I was having some starting problems last year. I didn't check my regulator connections yet but I cleaned and lubed them when I replaced the regulator a few years back so they should be OK, but maybe I should take a look anyway. The replacement reg is the same unit as stock; Ducati. I'll try the test that Roy suggested when I do if my meter is capable. Both my old and new batteries are Odyssey PC545 Gene. I bought the new one on-line so I probably won't be returning it. Maybe I'll just keep an eye on the situation for now and dig in further if it gets worse. Thanks for the help guys.

Can anyone tell me if there's a spec for what voltage I should be seeing at the battery at various RPM? Would those readings be dependent on the condition of the battery? I installed a new battery a few months back because my 4 year old battery seemed to be struggling to spin the starter. Whenever I tried to start the bike after it sat for a week the solenoid would click but the engine wouldn't turn over. I had to hit the button 2 or more times before it would spin up. I thought maybe the battery just wasn't holding a charge since it was 4+ years old. My on board volt meter showed the charging circuit was working when I was riding with 13+ volts, and the resting battery voltage was about 12.5 volts. I decided to change the battery out after I had a hard time getting the engine to turn over in the middle of a day trip. I tried to have the old battery load tested but my local auto parts store said their tester would overload a motorcycle battery. Since I've installed the new battery it's been fine up until last night when the same old symptom returned. I have a voltmeter installed on my bike and I am not seeing anything greater than 13.9 volts max when riding so I'm wondering if I have a charging system problem, a starter problem, a battery problem, or something else. It seems to me that I used to see over 14 volts when riding but I can't be positive on that. Suggestions are welcome...

Glad to hear you got it running right again Rob. My bike wouldn't run right with the baseline TPS at 150mV either, and I know there are lots of others out there with the same problem. Regular readers here are probably sick of hearing this from me but once again ignoring the recommended setup procedure and using the "Micha Method" would have saved you a lot of grief. Here it is again for anyone who missed it in the past. Step one - Set your valves to world settings (.15mm/.006" intake, .2mm/.008" exhaust) Step two - Set your air bleed screws to open 1 full turn Step three - Synch throttle bodies at just off idle (around 1800 rpm) Step four - Set idle to 1100 using left idle screw adjuster only Step five - Set TPS to 3.6 degrees (530mV) Step six - Ensure idle trim is set to zero. This requires an AXEONE dealer tool or VDST software. Again glad to hear you're back on the road.

"My wife keeps asking me if I want to buy a bike on which she can comfortably ride pillion. I think she is thinkng Harley (gag!)" You mean when I click that bouncy pic in your sig I'm not seeing you and the wife on your Harley???

Sorry to hear that Okie. Hope you still pop in here every once in a while to remind us about that Donate button and to remind the electrical problem guys about THE RULES Good luck with the sale and best of luck with whatever you're moving on to

Auto part suppliers Jeg's and Summit sell all the parts you need to make your own lines. I bet you could find a local auto parts/speed shop type place that could replicate the line for a lot less than Guzzi is going to charge.

Congrat's on getting your bike back on the road Raz! I was surprised at how loose my head bolts were when I retorqued them 500 miles after installing fresh gaskets too. That's a step that should never be skipped. How's the bike running?

Clogged tank vent? Try running it with the gas cap open.

I don't know if your problem is the TPS but some here have replaced theirs with a Harley-Davidson part that is a lot less costly than the Guzzi part. A search here should turn up the details if you decide to go that route. Is your ECU mounted with the connector facing up or down? If it's facing up toward the seat pan like mine was when I bought my bike that can cause problems because the seat pan can flex and strike the wire harness and ECU connector. It took me a while to figure that one out. You might want to double check the relays and their connections, and maybe swap relays again to make sure that's not the problem.

I hope this new 90 degree 1200cc V twin engine ends up in some interesting new bikes from Aprilia. Dare I dream maybe even a shaft or belt driven version in a future Guzzi? http://www.cycleworld.com/article.asp?section_id=41&article_id=2186

Your TPS at idle should be around 530mV. If it isn't that's at least part of your problem. If you can't get everything adjusted right per the pinned method here's an easier alternative that has helped a lot of us get our Guzzis running right. Step one - Set your valves to world settings (.15mm/.006" intake, .2mm/.008" exhaust) Step two - Set your air bleed screws to open 1 full turn Step three - Synch throttle bodies at just off idle (around 1800 rpm) Step four - Set idle to 1100 using left idle screw adjuster only Step five - Set TPS to 3.6 degrees (530mV) Step six - Ensure idle trim is set to zero. This requires an AXEONE dealer tool or VDST software. With the mods you have you will run lean without a PCIII or MyECU. Do you know what map your PCIII is running? If not consider saving it to your PC then loading the gh67 map from the fileshare section of this site. Many of us have run that map with good results. I don't know what the head temp thresholds are but they have been posted here in the past.

What is your TPS reading at idle and how are the air screws set? Have any modifications have been done to the engine, intake or exhaust? Do you have a PCIII? Obviously something is seriously off if you're getting 20mpg. If you could find a local Guzzisti or dealer with VDST software or the factory AXEONE diagnostic tool you can check to see what temp the ECU is seeing from the head temp sensor, what angle you throttle is at idle and wide open, and what the idle trim is set at. A trip to Moto International in Seattle would surely fix your problems but it looks like a bit of a haul for you.

The stainless steel cap on my '02 steerer tube is screwed on and it definitely won't pry off. I wrapped some plier jaws with tape so I wouldn't scratch things up and unscrewed it when I was removed my top triple clamp. Once I had it off I realized that the raised center section of the cap is a plastic cover with an allen key type socket underneath. Maybe that little center cap can be pryed off or pushed through?

You can download the parts catalog and service manual from here: http://thisoldtractor.com/gtbender/moto_guzzi_misc.htm#gtb_spare_parts_catalogs Vice grips should work better than pliers for grabbing stripped screw heads. Another thing you could try is dremel a slot into the screw heads and use a straight blade screwdriver on them. If that doesn't work I guess you'll have to drill the heads off unless there's a screw extractor out there that will work on a buggered allen head. Some say a left handed drill bit will often remove the screw when you're drilling it out but I've never tried it. Good luck.

Check your intake rubbers between the throttle body and cylinder for tears and make sure the throttle bodies are fully seated and the clamps are snug. If the bike was running fine before that fillup I think your resetting of the TPS by 200mV may have done more harm than good and your running lean. In my experience getting the TPS reading at idle to about 525mV is much more important than getting the 150mV reading with everything disconnected. If you check or reset the TPS again slowly turn the throttle and check to see that the voltage increases smoothly with no dead spots. That's all I got right now

Oops you got me Raz. I have the Ohlins 1091-34 spring which according to this is 100N/mm = 10.19KG/mm = 571 inch lbs. I'll edit the post above!

My : At 16 stone you are close to me in weight. I found the stock 2002 Marzocchi fork springs were too weak for me at about .83kg/mm. I suggest that you might be better off with a set of 1.0kg/mm springs (I went with 1.05). I used 18 - 24mm unladen or free sag and 30 - 42mm laden or race sag as my targets. I have an Ohlins rear shock with a 100N/mm spring on the rear and it works well for me. I don't know what the stock rear spring is but I'm pretty sure it's softer than mine. I think you should be looking for 5 - 10mm free sag and 30 - 40mm race sag at the rear if my old notes are correct. Assuming the stock spring is soft you probably want to be on the low side of those numbers. If you have 35mm sag with your full weight on the bike that should be a good starting point. The preload adjuster for the stock rear shock is at the top and the rebound damping adjuster is at the bottom. If your preload adjuster is at the bottom by the swingarm either your shock is upside down or you have an aftermarket shock.

Maybe it's the fuel tank? I find it amazing that he survived a 150mph fall on a public road. Thankfully Guy's injuries aren't too bad, and no spectators or course workers were hurt. I hope they show this years TT on TV here in the US soon. Four or five hour long shows from last years race are still being rerun on HDT cable TV channel. Guy Martin cracks me up even though I only understand about 1/3 of what he's saying. McGuiness's leathers still make me smile whenever I see the reruns too.

From http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2010/06/photos-guy-martins-fiery-tt-cr.html#more "The crash occurred at Glen Vine on Guy's third lap, a fast left/right section of the course. According to eyewitness reports, guy lost the front end at about 150mph, causing his bike to slide down the road at high speed. The racer reportedly separated from the bike early in the crash, before it caught on fire, meaning he was on the fringes of this deadly fireball."

I don't know about that Raz. I could be mistaken but it seems like getting a really good open loop MyECU map might be a little more difficult than getting a really good PCIII map on this side of the pond. There are lots of PCIII maps floating around, I'm not sure about MyECU map availability. There are also lots of dyno tuning centers over here that can create custom maps for PCIII's. I have no idea if they can modify MyECU maps as easily as they can for the PCIII. On the other hand, the ability to pull a little timing out and prevent pinging with the MyECU may be just what some Guzzis need. I think the closed loop MyECU is a great option except for the cost of all the extra stuff.

I'm sure this info is out there but my bike had a PCIII when I bought it so I haven't paid much attention to the MyECU threads here in the past. How do people who choose the open loop option tune their maps? Seat-of-the-pants? Lots of dyno time? Are there different maps available depending on what modifications the user has?

I use the rear tank bolt to attach the bag, never tried it without. I've had a hard time getting the bolt back in there too. Since it screws into a cage nut which floats a little in the frame I found that I can put a phillips screwdriver through the hole in the back of the tank and through the cage nut then lever the nut so it lines up better with the hole in the tank.

That's odd. My Lemans is the same year and even the same colors as yours was and mine has the spine mounted pump. I guess mine was built before the change?