Mike Stewart

Hello, It would be best if you could clean off the top of the engine and then run the bike in the garage so you can maybe see if it is the braided line or just the crush washers at the center fiting. Also check the large breather hoses coming off of the frame as the V11 uses the frame for collecting the crank case fumes in that area. I have heard of oil leaks in this area which turned out to be a damaged piston causing big time blow by, hopefully this is not the case. Good luck, Mike

Hello, When in doubt, replace the tps sensor! My 03 Rosso has a cough just when the tempertures get into the 90's at 3000 rpm, my 02 EV ran very bad above idle when the engine warmed up, replaced the tps and she runs excellent. I used the Harley Davidson tps, much cheaper that the Guzzi and is the same manufacture. They are different part numbers, but I doubt if you can feel the difference between the two when riding. Just a thought, Mike

Beautiful bike Roy, when stranded you have to pay what it takes to get home. Mike Yes, but my Italian girlfriend said "Buy me a new battery and I'll show you a good time" What else could I do?

I have tried many pads and am the most happy with the HH compound from many brake manufactures. This is the cheapest solution! Mike

If you haven't already, you should also add to your bike a Powercommander because replacing the stock exhaust cans with a more free flow cans will most likely cause more loss of low end power. Just a thought. Mike

I think you need to start with the valve adjustment as fotoguzzi states and then syncronize the throttle bodies and adjust the TPS. I used to adjust my tps to 450mv, but it seems the norm now is 550mv from what I picked up on the Guzzitech site. The vibration you feel might be the throttle bodies out of sync. which could cause the cough and also vibrations at lower engine rpm. An engine miss will also cause this issue, but do the sync. first to see if the problem goes away. I have also experenced the cough at 3 to 3500 rpm, usually only when the bike has been ridden in hot temps. Hmm, all of my bikes seem to have this issue and I just replaced the tps on one of the bikes and so far it seems to of cured it. Time to order 2 more tps for my other bikes. Mike

You will need a DB9, 9 pin cable, female end on one side and male on the other. I would download the manual from the Powercommander site so you will know what you need. The non-usb models in the U.S. do not have the 9 volt battery option, I have only seen this on the usb models. I have used about 8 of these the last few years on the many bikes I have owned so I have been around the block with them. Oh, and the Powercommander IS NOT Apple friendly! Mike

Yes, the PCIII uses the usb port, and I think there were 2 older models that use the 9 pin cable. The differences are that I can remember is the older models maps use 500 rpm incraments of fuel change for the mapping and the usb version is more refined with useing a 250 rpm. I couldn't notice any difference between the two. The usb version also has a function that inriches the fuel mixture like a carburator (accelerator pump). I never needed to use this function, but some have with dealing with ping issues. Also, the maps are hard to use between the different models, while some were able to change the file type and then download it, I was never able to figure it out, I usually just manually plugged in the numbers by printing up the map on paper I wanted and placing in the numbers on the Powercommander chart. Is it worth $100, I'm not really sure. Best bet is to ask for the numbers on the Powercommander and do a search for what it fits? Also, does it come with the download cable? The software can be still downloaded from the Powercommander site. Hope this helps, Mike

I did spend a few hours degreeing my cam when I had my engine apart for new Mike Rich pistons and repainted the 2002 dreaded peeling paint on the engine cases. First, I had the cam specs. from the workshop manual, BUT it was very vague on what the checking clearance was So, I went with 1mm. and while the opening and closing was off by a few degrees, they were centered. Meaning, I felt the cam was centered which could make up for the error of using the 1mm. spec. Now, having the V11 Sport engine apart, to adjust for timing error would be hard. The cam and crank key ways are some what narrow, so having an offset keyway made is possible but I can't see correcting anymore than perhaps 1 or two degrees. On that note, bigger valve lash to me does not advance the valve timing as the opening and closing of the valves are BOTH effected (still being neutral). Meaning, the duration is decreased but the timing is in fact the same as in opening and closing on a whole. I could be missing something, but then again, I just had a wonderful Gin Martini! Merry Christmas, Mike

Basicly you are decreasing the valve overlap (the time when both valves are open) and duration which is why the bike will idle stronger and at a lower rpm. It would be cool if someone had a dyno to see if there is any horsepower lost at top end with running looser valve clearence. By the seat of my pants, I have never felt any difference in performance, but it Does make a huge difference on idle quality and stalling when coming to a stop. Mike

If the hub looks ok (no wear on the splines) , there is no need to remove it. Yes, one less tool needed! Mike

Yep, EOS = Engine Oil Supplement. I'm a GM tech of 30 something years and we used the EOS with every engine build, coated the cams and lifters and also used it as assemble lube on the bearings. This stuff is pretty thick, kinda like the old STP oil treatment. Mike

I purchased my headgaskets from Mike Rich, hopefully they were the .045 thickness because I didn't know there were two different thicknesses He did say use factory (Guzzi) base gaskets because they were made better and didn't split over time, so I too went with Moto Internationl on the other parts I needed for the bike. They get the parts out fast and carry alot for a Guzzi Dealership! Also, how do they figure out the headgasket thickness sizing, is it the new gasket thickness or the calculated gasket thickness when installed Mike

The fuel injection system will hold pressure in the fuel lines after the bike is turned off. This injection system does not inject fuel when the ignition key is turned on, only when the engine is cranked. What it seems like is happening is when you key up the bike, the fuel pump builds pressure in the fuel system (normal operation) but then your injectors are leaking down through the nozzle tips. Are both sides doing this or just one side? The way to really check it is to pull either the throttle body loose so you can see the injector tip or perhaps pull the injector with the hoses and conector still hooked up, then turn the ign. key to the on position so the fuel pump builds pressure and watch the injector tip. If fuel dribbles from the tip, your injector needs help. I'm not sure there is enough room to do this on the bike as I have not had any problems with my bikes leaking fuel but it is worth a try. Hmm, I wonder if any injector cleaner added to the fuel would help? Mike

Chuck, they might be easy to get but they do have their own problems. Hmm, like the angle drive blowing apart or how about the needles fading or how about they also quit working at any time? I have had both sets of gauges over the years and the ITI have been better for me But, it is just my opion Mike Veglia parts are easy to get.

You should be able to have the 3 good lifters refinished, that is only IF they have no pitting. Also, the lifters are NOT refinished flat, they have a very slight convex to them on their face. The way to check for worn lifters is to apply a light coat of engine oil to their face and put two lifters together. While holding one up, the lifters should not stick together, if they do, they are worn and should be replaced or refinished. Mike

Or, use a very small drill bit and drill the head off of the small screw, then slide the knob off. Hopefully you can grip it with a GOOD pair of vice grips to remove the remainder of the screw. Then measure it, buy two and send me one Mike

Oliver, There have been a few failures on other Guzzi's just like what you have. The cause could be in the hardening process that Guzzi uses or from lack of zink in the oil. It is very hard to find out just how much zink is added to the oil as many manufactures don't really list it. The zink level has been reduced in many oils the last few years so that the engine oil would not damage the cat converters on cars/motorcycles. The zink is what is needed for the high rub area's like the cam lifters and cam lobes, heck, even the rocker arm tips at the valves. Many say to use a true racing oil (for off road use) while others say to add an additive (ZDDP) with your favorite oil. Maybe touch base with Moto Internationl as they are a great dealership and may know more about this problem. Mike Mike, I use Motul 5100 ester 15w50, I buy the oil from Moto International in Seattle, and have changed oil and filter every 3k miles. I wonder if the abnormal wear on 1 tappet only could come from a deffective valve spring; if the effort on the tappet is more important than the others, it will wear faster. Olivier

So Chuckie, Did you get Rosie's knob off? And by chance did you notice what size screw it was (diameter and thread pitch), right or left hand threads? As my bike is missing the screw and the knob I made was a press fit onto the shaft which still could use a screw for added retainment. Thanks, Mike

And while doing all of the above, I would pull the oil pump out to inspect it as it gets unfiltered oil and could be worn/damaged from metal going through it. What type of oil were you using in your bike? Mike

Good questions, I would talk to Todd at Guzzi Tech, I think he has put the V11 Sport wheels on his Jackal. He may even know which Cali hubs to use, I think I remember him looking for the tubeless tire type hubs on his list a few years back. So he would be the man to talk to. Let us know what you find out Mike

The small screw if I remember correctly is a normal right hand screw (righty tighty). As for the internal fuel line, I never had a problem with it and I don't remember anyone else having any issues with it. But then again, I haven't been on any Guzzi sites for a few years. Mike

CHUCK , Rosie with the red cheeks needs her odometer knob removed by taking out the small screw that is way deep in the knob. Once the screw is removed, the knob will pull off. This uses the ITI gauges that are different than the white faced ones. The stock cheap plastic one was broken on my 03 Rosso when it was new so I had to make one on my lathe back in 2003. Mike Hi Chuck, Your know that trip odometer unscrews clockwise? Bob Right. It won't unscrew. I'm guessing that the DPO put some lock tite, JB weld, or something like that on it. He tended to bodge things.. So. Does the hose clamp and fuel line on the fuel pump need to be addressed like on the other internal fuel pump bikes like the Cal Vin, Norge, etc?

Yes, I always use premium fuel in my bikes, I even have a PCIII and have added alot of fuel at the problem spot of 3500 rpm without any luck of making it better. Mike

ScuRoo, Once you see the pistons, you will wonder why you will have to hide them inside the engine where no one will see them, they are a work of art! From the deep valve pockets, low dome height, oil forced lube holes from the oil ring to wrist pins,the pistons are very high tech. After checking for piston to valve clearence, I must say, Mike Rich did his homework as my clearence was at the close end of the scale (I have larger valves in this engine). Take your time when installing the pistons, follow the directions on checking the ring gaps and where to position the ring end gaps on installation. The only real pain was getting those tight fitting piston pin retainers in. The piston pin clearence to retainer is very tight which is a good thing for a running engine, but care must be taken to make sure the piston pin clip/retainer doesn't fly across the shop to be lost. I stuffed rags down under the piston so the clips would not fall into the crankcase Once the clips are in, MAKE sure the piston pin still can be rotated by putting your finger into it. If it doesnt rotate, then the retainers aren't seated in all the way. The end of the wrist pin has a slight chamfer on it to push the retainer outwards into the piston. On one of my pistons, I had to take a socket that fit against the piston pin to give it a loving tap to seat the piston pin retainers. Yes, the piston pin spun freely afterwards. So, my main problem with needing th MR pistons was mainly for the bad ping I was getting on hot, dry days. I had the FBF pistons which had a unfavorable squish area, could I have made these pistons work? Yes but it would be alot of machine work and with machine work, there is no turning back if something didn't work. So, the MR pistons were the cheapest way to go for me. Performance wise, it is hard for me to tell, mainly because I had the bike apart for soooo long, I can't really do any seat dyno testing here. The engine does rev smoother but some of this was because the FBF piston weight was way lighter than the stock pistons (about 100 grams lighter). I wont be able to see if the ping issue is gone till this summer when the dry heat comes. My other problem is that I am still healing from the dreaded broken shoulder so this bike is very uncomfortable for me at this time. Just 20 miles on the tight Oakland Hills roads were killing me So hopefully I will get somemore riding time in to give you more feedback. Mike