Mike Stewart

On my 03 Rosso, I ended up cranking up the fork spring preload to full preload, I left the fork dampening set to factory specs., feels fine. On the rear, I had to add more spring preload also, the ride was really harsh. I ended up backing off on the compression dampening two clicks from the stock settings and increasing the rebound dampening by two clicks. Works great now and is only harsh over sharp edged bumps. Mike

Try, http://www.agostiniduilio.com/negozioflash-ingl.html , you will need to email them for the current prices and then email them on which ones you want along with your credit card numbers. Their prices have gone up over the last two years, but I have not seen any Mistrals cheaper. Mike

Well I thought it was a older issue. The past Guzzi's had problems with brake rotors warping. As a matter of fact, Aprilia and Ducati have problems too. Maybe it is a Brembo thing! I have heard of Moto Guzzi replacing only some rotors under warrantee. I would give your dealer a call to get the ball rolling. Mike

The Pirelli Diablo tires have the same construction as the Metzeler Sportec M1 tires with even a more sticky compound. I agree with you that they make a huge difference on how the bike handles (03 Rosso). Makes a 550 lb. bike feel like a feather weight. On the downside, when I tried these tires on my 00 V11Sport, it made the bike very nervous in the high speed corners. Not a good feeling! I had to keep changing my underwear... Mike

Docc, The deep V sump is V shaped and is slightly deeper than the stock pan. The V traps the oil in the center of the sump and channels it to the oil pickup located in the center of the sump. Everyone says that the deep V sump will add extra storage for oil, I found this to be not true on the V 11 Sport, it would increase volume on anyother Guzzi that do not have the stock deep sump. Mike

I had my eyes on those! Mike

Da Man, OoooKkkkk, I will take it slooooow.... I believe the difference in idle speed from different valve lash settings has to do with cam duration. More valve clearence lowers cam duration which will cause the valves to open later and close earlier. High duration cams need a higher idle speed to keep them idling. I have played around with my 00 V11Sport quite abit when I first bought it. With the Raceco valve specs, I could get a very strong idle at a lower RPM. Rock solid ! I think boats have more of a problem with corrosion, especially in salt water. Aluminum has always been a problem around salt and magnesium is far worst. Chevrolet has a magnesium transfer case in their 4wd. vehicles and they use epoxy covered bolts to prevent corrosion with magnesium. One scrape on the magnesium case and one winter back east with salt covered roads and the magnesium case will be gone! How did I get on this topic! Mike

Just the other day when braking hard for a stop sign, I noticed my oil light coming on. Not a good sign. My oil level was toward the lower mark on the dipstick at the time. This was on my 03 Rosso, I never had a problem on my 00 V11Sport which has the aftermarket sump. The Moto Especial sump is German made and has a center oil pickup the is pulled from the bottom of the sump (passages drilled through the sump). Raceco uses this sump and states no oil pressure loss when leaned way over or on hard acceleration or braking. The stock pickup is not centered and can cause oil pressure loss especially if a little low on oil. Moto Especial does not import to the US. I ordered it through MG cycles which went through Stein Dinse in Germany, so it ended up costing more since it had to go through two hands. You can also order it through Raceco. One thing that they don't tell you when you install the sump is, the sidestand looses the 6mm. bolt that bolts to the stock sump. With out that little 6mm bolt, your cast iron sidestand bracket will BEND! You can go with out it for a while, but you will notice your bike leaning farther and farther over. I ended up making a support bracket that bolts to the lower pan rail. Mike

I have used Raceco's specs. for valve adjustments on my 00 V11Sport with wonderful results. The 00 seems really pickey on valve lash adjustments. On the 03, I don't hardly find much difference on what lash I use. I guess Guzzi's are getting better! Mike

I adjusted my valves as well this weekend! With the new crossover on the 03, removal of the alternator cover is a pain. I gave up because I did not want to remove the header pipes. I removed both sparkplugs and put the trans in 5th gear to rotate the engine over with the rear wheel. What a pain! I retorqued the heads at the same time. I found one cylinder was just slightly loose and the other at .010 intake and .004 exhaust. I adjusted the valves to .006 intake and .008 exhaust which is just two thou. larger than spec. I resyncronizied the throttle bodys and the bike runs great. One problem I did see was the RED valvecovers that I thought were anodized turned out to be painted! Paint is already peeling off around every bolt hole! The clear coat on the fuel tank always seems soft on Guzzi's. On high wear spots, you would be better applying a clear plastic overlay to prevent wearthrough. I need to apply some where my knees rub the tank. Mike

I bought a new set of Dainese leather pants and now have a hard time riding due to sliding around on the saddle. Every time I brake or accelerate, I slide into the tank or slide back on the saddle. Just not like my old pair of Vansons. What can I do to get rid of the slipping woes? I have a track day in three weeks. Thanks, Mike

Gio, Your theory is correct, a leaner map will may cause a partially pluged injector to be leaner, and make the bike run worst. In my experence with fuel injection, the filter is there to prevent any particles to get through to the injectors. A plugged fuel filter will cause loss of top end performance first. It is quite normal to get the black carbon looking stuff that the fuel filter traps. I think alot of this stuff comes from the fuel pump. On the other hand, injectors do not like water and some do not do well with cleaners. If your bike runs better without the PCIII, I would think your problem is in the PCIII. Mike

Which Supertrapp were you thinking of using? I was looking also and I liked the 4 inch. megaphone with a 2 inch inlet. Mike

Frank, I just happened to take a look at the 03 fuel tank hose fittings. To remove the hoses, gently push the hose toward the fuel pump fitting, while pressure is still applied, push the gray cover toward the hose. This will release the tabs holding the hose on the fuel pump fitting. Please Note, Place a rag around the fitting to prevent fuel spray! and wear goggles! Take care, Mike

Docc, My bike was made in early 2000, it had about 16,000 miles on it when the trans. let go. Mike

John T, Did you have to change the front wheel or just the wheel bearings when going to the Monster Ohlins front fork? I believe the front axle is quite abit larger in diameter and is hollow. Thanks, Mike

Pizza Man, Start with checking the battery, check for voltage and check the battery cables for being tight. I am on my way to work at the moment but will look at the wiring diagram tonight. Good luck, Mike

Jaap, I was the one that asked for the WP fork pricing. Thanks for trying. Well I guess that narrows it down on which forks we can use! On the Ghezzi an Brian site, they offer the Paoli forks but state with slight modifications. What in $#@$# does that mean? Mike

Well Docc, my heart is out to you. I hope you find a solution to the Guzzi 6 spd. I know with mileage, my 6 spd. was a hit or miss for getting the right gear. I found that I could find a neutral in every gear. The only gear that never gave me problems was the 1st to 2nd shift. The dealer told me it cost Guzzi $2200. dollars to rebuild my transmission after 3rd. gear came apart and wiped out the rest of the transmission. Guzzi wanted the dealer to repair mine instead of dropping in a new unit. The $2200. was for parts alone and with out labor. They also had the trans apart a few times because there were some updated parts that did not work with the older ones. The 03 Rosso trans has the same shifter throw and feels alot like the 00 trans. So far I have only missed one shift and that was when I was leaned over so far, I just could not hit the shifter right. I am still sold on my extended shifter linkage on my 00 Sport. I have only missed one shift in 2500 miles. Not bad considering! Mike

Al, You will have to wait till I get my 00 bike back from the shop so I can install the Penske shock. It is hard to tell how the front forks work when the rear shock isn't working up to snuff. I would still prefer a fork that has adjustable preload, compression and rebound dampening for fine tuning. I just hope I can get my 00 V11Sport to handle like my Rosso (Yes, I am very pleased on how it handles). I now feel good about writing a shootout between the Aprilia Falco and the Rosso! Stay tuned.... Mike

Al, I hope the gas can was full! Mike

I agree with Carl, 1st gear is really low! Work on the engine if you want more go off the line (and maybe the clutch). I think the 11 to 1 compression ratio will be in order along with some head porting and don't forget the Stucchi crossover and powercommander. (how about a Nox system?). Mike

Ok, I have 1001 easy breakin miles on my Rosso now and I wondered what other 03 Lemans or Rosso's are getting for mileage. I have been getting between 31 and 33 miles per gallon and a whopping 110 to 120 miles before my fuel light comes on steady. What does your bike get? And one other question, how many miles can one safely ride per tank on the 03 models? My touring mind needs to know! Thanks, Mike

Jim, I had the same problem after I have my first service done where I purchased my 00 V11Sport (was not at Moto Italiano). The bike died on me three times on the way home. I had the bike running perfect before bringing it in. What I found was the valves were adjusted backwards, meaning the intake valves were looser than spec. and the exhaust were tighter than spec. I readjusted the valves to Raceco specs. and everything was fine. So on the V11Sport, open up the valve lash, you do not have to open them up as much as the Raceco specs. but even at .006 intake and .008 exhaust, you will find the stalling problem will disappear. Also make sure the throttle bodys are in sync. and your idle speed is between 1000 to 1100 rpm. Good luck, Mike

After having the Sach shock revalved/ resprung and fitted with a replaceable shaft seal at LE, I was still not happy with the performance of the Sach unit. Save yourself the headache and go with the Ohlins or Penske. You will be money ahead of the game! Put the Sach unit on ebay or use it as a boat anchor.... Now after making adjustments to the Ohlins suspension on the Rosso, I can say that the suspension is better than what LE could do for my V11Sport. The Rosso rear suspension is still a little harsh but seems great at speed. I never had to worry that the rear end was going to come out from under me when the road surfaces got rough. The bike never went wide. Such a difference from my 00 V11Sport. Now I need to figure out how to make my V11 Sport handle as well. The first step is to replace the rear shock with the Penske I have on order. Next would be to lengthen the Penske shock (it is adjustable) to raise the rear of the V11 in order to quicken the steering head angle. I would like to have the head angle at 25 degrees. Offset head bearings may also be needed to reach the 25 degree goal. Just as a note, the rear end of my Rosso is about 1 inch. taller than my 00 V11 Sport. The pro and cons of the Ohlin's and Penske are: Pro Ohlins has easier spring preload adjustment with the remote unit. Con Ohlins may need to be revalved and sprung for your weight. Pro Penske is sprung and valved to your weight. Pro Penske weights less Pro Penske cost less Pro Made in the USA! Con A pain to adjust the spring preload. If I have left anything out just add to the list! Mike