Mike Stewart

The shakeproof (star washers) was a good way to make a good connection (for grounds), then a few years ago, General Motors (I was a GM tech for 30+ years) came out with a bulletin stating NOT to use the star washers and just to have a good clean surface. My guess is that moisture will creep into the connection and oxidation will occur causing a poor connection over time. So, I take their advice as they know and see alot more than I. Just a thought, Mike

There have been quite a few reports of the exhaust pipes cracking at the crossover location. I feel having the crossover rigid at that spot from having the crossover shims installed could put added stress to the joints, mainly due from expansion and contraction of the exhaust system and engine. I installed my own shim just on one side of the crossover and used the stock Guzzi graphite crossover seal on the other. At least this way, there is still alittle give on one side and hopefully it will prevent any cracks from forming. Mike

Follow this topic from WildGoose and I would go this route because of price and ease of installation. Close to the bottom of the topic is a link to what regulator Kev ended up using. http://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=49414.0 Good Luck, Mike

Very Nice Job! Question, since you own the Ghezzi Brian STW, how do you compare it to the Monza handling and power wise? I have an 02 GB Foglore and it seems like it has a ton of low end torque but the power band seems to fall off way sooner than the V11 Sport series bikes (which loves to be between 5 and 8 thou. rpm). I have a hunch the GB exhaust is causing this. Your thoughts would be welcomed, Mike

I received this on through the Ducati site I am on and am passing it along as I thought it was very good reading and the pictures are wonderful! Mike I have put some pics of my dad and his pals touring in 1953, see http://www.go-faster.com/SS100.html regards Paul. __._,_.___

Piston update! I spoke with Mike Rich and he has sent the pistons out for their coatings and should have them back mid next week. So, hopefully you all should have them in your hands shortly! Mike

The carbon cover is my first choice but even going with the old school plastic cover is way lighter than the aluminum version Mike

rebelpacket, Did you ever get your bike's handling straightened out? Yes, your bike is an 02, just look on the ID plate on the steering head for the date. The 02 and 03 bike frames are the same and are very stable in the turns. I have ridden many Ducs and other bikes as well and find the Guzzi's rock solid in the turns. Even the early V11 Sports were fine, just a hair more twitchy. What size tires did you put on the bike? The stock tires on my 03 Rosso were hard to turn in, infact the first time I rode this bike at speed, I almost overshot the first turn as I could not make the bike turn in quick enough. A set of Pirelli Corsa tires and she handles like a dream. I have put in over 40,000 miles on a V11 Sport and my Rosso, never had the front end push once, now if you asked me about my K75S, it would push it's front end in every fast turn. One thought is to check you engine mount bolts, I hear that if they are missing that they cause big handling problems. Just a thought, Mike

It was my understanding that the late bikes with the straight speedo cables also used the newer black faced speedos which are different than the white faced versions You need to check the angle adaptor to see if it is a one to one ratio, if it is, then you can go with a straight cable. Mike

I believe it is a 1.75 thread pitch, infact if you need a factory bolt with washer, I think I have one from when I parted my V11 Sport out years ago. Just send me your address and I will get it in the mail. Mike

Being that it only has happened twice, start with the valve adjustment and throttle sync. I was the first one years ago to come up with the fix with running larger valve clearences to rid of the stalling when coming to a stop at freeway speeds. My 2000 V11 sport would not run right with the stock valve clearence specs. I have also fixed other V11's by readjusting the valve lash after they had been to the dealer. Mike

I would at least pull the oil pump and check it for wear and scratches from the metal going through the engine. Also check the engine case where the oil pump gears ride against. The oil pump gets unfiltered oil from the sump, if you see damage here, pull the whole engine down. This is what part of the Guzzi hydro lifter recall did if the lifter wear was bad on the 03, 04 California's. Good luck, Mike

Yep they are 54 mm, with the Ohlins I think you will need the stock bar setup (factory)that mounts ontop of the triple clamp since there is not much of the 54 mm diameter under the triple clamp. Sounds expensive. Maybe checkout reboot spares, I think they moved a few years back? Thank you for the input. On the '04 the clip-ons were attached above the top triple clamp where the tubes measure 54 mm. The Ohlins fork tubes are also stepped down in diameter below the triple clamp. I think if they were mounted below the clamp, it would be uncomfortable. Mounted on top should be perfect for me. Very close to the riding position on my R1100S.

Both forks are interchangable, so the diameters are the same, I thought they were 53 mm also or was that the diameter of the Ducati forks , I guess I could go down in the garage to measure them I also had the vortex on my V11 Sport, but I was a bit younger then. Mike

I am alao thinking of buying an extra set to place into stock, as this might be the last batch of Mike Rich pistons. Reason being is I still love the Vll Sport look and am still not really into the new Guzzi's . Call me old fashion I guess , well the V7 Classic looks pretty cool but the lack of HP keeps me away. Mike Yeah, that... There's a thread back a few years that had photos of the MR, FBF & stock slugs side by side, along with other things [fairly long thread, punctuated by DLaing's & Ratchethack's usual bickering], but the net result was a clear indication that Mike Rich had done his homework to resolve the inadequacies of the stock equipment wrt the squish band and concentrating the fuel-air mixture to reduce ping; quite the opposite in fact of the FBF pistons [which were described as "ping-o-matics" from sources who had used them.] I'd be ordering a set if I hadn't already done so. Still tempted to order some, just in case I ever get another V11...

My 2003 Rosso Corsa ran beautiful with the stock ecu and exhaust. When I changed the crossover and mufflers the bike ran terrible as I lost all of the low to mid range power. The only way at the time to correct this was with the Powercommander. Mike

I am thinking the best way to find the issue is to drain the engine oil into a clean pan, remove the oil filter cover to check the filter for tightness, you may also want to remove the oil filter to make sure it wasn't double gasketed (new filter installed over an old filter seal). If all of above is ok, reinstall the oil filter and cover, reuse the engine oil (that is why the clean oil drain pan). Remove the oil pressure switch, install a threaded flexible oil hose with an mechanical pressure gauge on the end. Fire the engine up to see where the oil pressure really is. This is what a shop would do. It only takes a second to do bad damage to the bottom end. Hopefully, the oil pressure was enough to turn on the light but had enough to keep everything else lubed. Just my thoughts, Mike

OK Guys, the time is now! If you are interested in purchasing a set of pistons, call or email Mike Rich at: http://www.mikerichmotorsports.com/contact_us.htm I placed my order this morning and gave him my infomation and credit card #, he has received calls on the pistons the last few weeks, so the more that give their information and also pay in full will get this party going. Once the order is placed, expect about 4 weeks for them to be made. Thanks, Mike

Spicer, I have seen other V11 cams with wear on the lobes like yours, but have only seen slightly worn and pitted cam followers. I think one cheaper way to go would be to use a Megacycles 620x9 cam (I might be wrong, but I think other Guzzi owners have used this cam in their sport bikes). Megacycles is in San Rafael which is very local to you. I did call them yesterday to see if they had it in stock. Yes, they did, the cost is $429.00. The cam followers can be resurfaced (not the badly worn one) and then coated with a special process (can't remember the name). They suggested using Precision Products in North Carolina, this is where most shops send their Guzzi followers to be redone. I am not sure of the cost. Their phone number is: 828-684-8569. Megacycles also mentioned Die Werkstatt in San Francisco, they are a motorcycle shop and have sent cam followers to Precision Products, you may want to talk to them since you are local, they might be able to send them out for you. 415-552-8115 If you need a cam follower to replace your bad one, I should have one laying around. Are you sure your pushrods are worn? I would also check your rocker arms where they meet the valve for pitting/ wear. One other thing Megacycle cams did bring up is that they are seeing alot more cam failure across the board, not just in Guzzi's. The main culprit is OIL, Oh no, here we go again with a Dino tread. The theory is the goverment made oil manufactures take out or lessen the amount of zinc in the oil to help preserve the cat converters. Zinc is what non roller cams lifters/followers need for lubrication. The only oil at this point they can recommend is Red Line. What needs to be done is having an oil company just produce an oil that states just for off road containing zinc. This way all the old school machinery can survive. Just a thought, Mike

Agreed, I can even see the prices of the pistons going up higher the way the economy is going (I need to stop watching the news) Hopefully others will be interested as I can't really justify buying a few sets to shelve. So far, I need a set and ScuRoo would like a set, anyone else? I will give it a week or two to see where this goes. Mike But that gives you an idea of how slow a mover these things are, if people are only now discovering that he's out of stock. So we should probably organize a big group buy so that he'll get a bunch of extras made, since this will probably be the last hurrah for V11 owners who are serious about keeping their Guzzis long term...

Hello Jason, Yes, it has been a few years! How are the wife and daughter doing? Are you teaching or doing research these days? I finally got the urge to get back to riding Guzzi's, problem number one is, I went mountain bike riding Sunday and crashed! Now I have a fracture in my arm and I am going crazy at home not to mention the road rash I have aquired. Can't do much with one good hand. I mean working around the house. Mike

ScuRoo, He states that they are drop in pistons, the compression ratio is about 3/4 of a point higher. For full benefits I think a remap would be best. Perhaps give Mike Rich a call for his input. Check out Mike Rich Motorsport web site: http://www.mikerichmotorsports.com/MGproducts.htm And here is his contact information: http://www.mikerichmotorsports.com/contact_us.htm Mike You know what Mike? If it is as you say that on the basis they are truly plug & play, I'm gunna help get the ball rolling & put my hand up for a set. Seems these items may prove to be a bit of a rare opportunity insomuch as not being available too often - not to mention price rises! One last question with this particular P&P - sure no fuelling or balance issues are incurred? Higher compression AND with less ping? Sounds like a great little win-win p&p pep-up in that case... Cheers!

ScuRoo, The demand for the MR pistons has been on the decline, mainly because of the V11 Sport is an older model and the newer Guzzi's use a different piston. I have been waiting for over a year for him to get some in, that's why I am trying this approach. Hum, maybe I should buy a few sets and put them on the shelf. Remember the supply and demand laws we learned at school, they should be very valuable as time goes by. Mike

Troy, The cylinders are aluminum that have a Nicasil coating. I believe no prep work is needed to the cylinder walls (best to ask Mike Rich) and good old hard acceleration is the best way to seat the rings. Mike

Yes, Mike Rich summed it up nicely. His pistons are a plug and play deal, the piston weights are the same as stock so no rebalance is required. There is also no machining needed as he has designed his pistons with a chamfer to match the one in the cylinder head. This will reduce the squish area and rid the engine of the ping issue. I alao like the lower dome height for a better burn/flame path. I have a set of FBF pistons in my Gheezi Brian and on hot dry days, it pings pretty bad. Best cost effective and easiest approach is to replace the pistons with a set from Mike Rich. If I can't find enough interest in anyone else wanting his pistons, I will have my cylinder heads, cylinders, pushrods and FBF pistons cut down to get the squish area and compression ratio where it needs to be. Mike