bikelee

I got the swing arm off with no problems. While i was greasing the ujoints, I moved them around and the joint that attaches to trans output shaft seemed smooth but kinda " tight" in one of the planes of movement. In the other plane it seemed ok. The other ujoint near the rear drive seems good. The bike only has 5800 miles. WTF ! Is it worn out already ? I am gonna talk to a mechanic I trust and see what he thinks. Are new ujoints expensive ? Thanks, Leon. ( This bike has been a real learning experience. I have ridden it 0 hours and wrenched on it 20 hours. Luckily I LIKE wrenching. )

Is there way to lube the front ujoint without taking the drive shaft out. I did take the rear wheel off along with the rear part of the drive shaft. The front won't come out unless you take the swing arm off. I can almost get to the front grease nipple but my grease gun can't get a hold of that front nipple. If i could get a grease gun tip that swivels I think i could get that nipple greased. It is just at the wrong angle. Any suggestions ? I REALLY do not want to take the swing arm off if i do not have to. I am not lazy but i do not have the Guzzi work stand. I guess I am just getting frustrated. I think I'll grab a beer just chill out for now. The thing that gets me pissed is I think the previous owner did do the front ujoint as the rear WAS lubed. What do you guys think ? I do not want to take the bike apart if I do not have to. I guess I'm just having a bad day. Thanks for listening.

Just bought this bike and I'm gonna do some maintenance such as change all the fluids (brakes, clutch, trans, engine oil, rear drive) as I do not know the history of this bike. I am gonna change the engine oil and filter on my 03 Lemans. Never done it before. I want to take the sump off and clean the mesh filter. I DO NOT want to start an oil thread but I found 4 bottles of 5W-40 Agip synthetic motor oil that are sealed that I bought 5 years ago but I have 2 questions: Should I use 5 year old oil (it was 13 dollars a bottle. Hate throw it out )and is 5W-40 ok to use far as weight goes ? I see many people use 20W-50 but the owners manual says 5W-40. Also should I put a hose clamp on the oil filter to keep it from loosening ? . I'm gonna use the oem UNI filter. I am thinking I should use a new pan gasket also. I am replacing the air filter also as it looks like a mouse made a little home in there. I checked very closely but it appears no wiring was touched. I plan to do more things later but want to start with this stuff first. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks !!

This is a great article, but how do you get the drive shaft off of the tranny output shaft? I'm kinda new with these Guzzis. i assume you loosen the 2 bolts at the end of the drive shaft to get the shaft off all in one unit ? Thanks for any help. I do not want to screw anything up.

I would like to do some preventive maintenance. Can anybody tell me where the battery grounds to the frame ? Also I want to put a strap from the rectifier to the frame. I assume i put it where the rectifier attaches with one of the two bolts and behind one of the front cover bolts ? Thanks for any help !

I am up for an April ride AND I could meet everybody on the May 17 weekend (Saturday and Sunday too) and ride too. I doesn't pay me stay up there because it is only about a little over an hour from my house. I would love to explore some roads and eat some fine food. Count me in. Leon (bikelee).

If you read the ad carefully, it says being sold by a private party. But then it said it was taken in trade ( by a dealer ? ) on another vehicle. Too cheap to be true. Let the buyer beware. Looks like a scam to me.

New to my Rossa Corsa. I opened the gas cap a heard a slight rush of air. The bike just been sitting in the garage. Can someone tell me where the tip-over valve is and what it looks like ? Will I have to take the tank off to fix it ? Thanks, Leon.

Here are a few pics of my new Rossa: What do you think ? Did I do good ?

I want to thank everyone for the good wishes and kudos. I really think I am gonna love this bike ! I have had a LeMans 1, a Ballabio and a Lemans IV and I am thrilled to have another Guzzi in the garage. Unfortunately it is freezing here in Upstate. The roads have a lot of salt on them so it makes riding my new bike just a tad worrisome. Salt eats bikes. I hope to take pictures soon. Leon

They delivered the bike yesterday. I will post pictures later today. ( My Birthday !) It is very cold here in Upstate NY with temps predicted later on it the week to be near zero and below so a ride report will be a little delayed I'm afraid. I cannot wait for Spring !! Leon

They could not help me !

THANKS !! Just sent them an email with my needs. Leon

I need an ITI tach or SPEEDO glass and bezel for my 2003 Lemans Rossa Corsa. I talked to Mark at Moto Guzzi Classics and he said EITHER would work. I called Paloalto Speedo and they said they could not help me. If it was a Veglia tach, no problem. But since it is an ITI tach no soap. I think I really need a bad tach with a good glass and bezel. If anybody has one, or knows where I can find one, please let me know. I talked to MPH and they said a new one is $310 !! ( they are on backorder). Harpers is gonna let me know if they have one tomorrow. Thanks for any help or suggestions. Help, I am running out of options. Leon

http://www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com/machine/details.aspx?ID=4993 I CLOSED THE DEAL TODAY !! The bike will be delivered on Monday 1/7. I am pumped !! This bike is amazing. Even my wife is excited. I want to thank everybody who encouraged me to do this. I love this site ! Again thanks to everyone. Leon

http://maxbmwmotorcycles.com/machine/details.aspx?ID=4993 This bike is 30 minutes from me. I talked to the salesman and he said it leaks from the cam sensor. Is this a big deal ? No other leaks however. What other questions should I ask ? I read here about the clutch. Does this year have the 'bad' clutch. How do these tanks handle ethanol gas ? Do they distort ? They have ALL the stock parts, manuals and such. I really like this machine !! But I want to go into this with my eyes wide open. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I do not have a decent dealer near me and you guys would be my guidance to repairs and maintenance. I have a lift and lots of tools and time ( I am retired ) and would love to own a Guzzi like this. Thanks, Leon.

I have a chance to buy a 2004 Ballabio for $4000. It has 10,000 miles. It is a 1 owner bike. He said he bought it new but it had a lot of issues such as poor fueling, bad idle and a valve cover leak. ALL issues have been addressed he said. Cosmetically it is very clean but there is a 5 inch long crack in the paint on the gas tank. Tires look good. It has a peg lowering kit on it. An M4 cf slip on exhaust also. His price does NOT include the Staintunes. I will be able to ride this bike and see how it runs and looks. What do you think ? Good deal ? I tried to post a picture but no luck. Thanks, Lee.

2004 Ballabio for sale. Great condition. 6200 miles. No time to ride it. This bike has many upgrades. M4 carbon fiber mufflers, Moto International center stand and foot peg lowering kit. 6000 mile sevice done. New front tire. No problems. Starts and runs well. Bike needs nothing but a new owner to ride it. $US6750 but this is negotiable. I'm in Upstate NY: Albany. For more details call Leon Mirsky 518 438 3015. Thanks.

Thanks for all the help. Lee

I seemed to have fixed the chuffing. I had to tighten the acorn nuts on the exhaust flange a little tighter. How much Seafoam should I use to clear the injector ?

I have a 2004 Ballabio with 6100 miles that has a couple of problems. I started the bike up and it was idling and I noticed a chuffing noise. It sounds like the exhaust gasket on the left hand cylinder is leaking. I replaced it with a new one when I put the steel shims in the crossover after the original crossover gaskets blew out. Should I replace the new exhaust gasket I just put in ? Could the valves be too loose on the left hand side of the motor ? I checked the valves(cold) at the 6000 mile service and they appear to be right on. It seems as the motor warms up the noise gets quieter but does not go away completely. Also after I shut the motor off, I noticed that there was gasoline dripping from the left hand throttle body. It was dripping from around the spring. What's going on here ? I've had this bike since the late fall and have not been able to ride the thing as I am having one problem after another. Help ! Thanks, a frustrated new Guzzi owner. I love this bike and want to keep it. Am I worrying too much ? I don't think the local dealer who just got the Guzzi franchise is that good. I really want to learn how to wrench this machine myself. ( Got Guzziology) It seems like a pretty simple bike but there appears to be a certain complexity to its simplicity.

I have a set on my zx-14 and C-14 Kaws and they work great.They do get real hot if you need it on those extra cold days. I highly recommend them. Lee

This applies to a 2004 Ballabio. The bike has 6100 miles. The gas lines I am referring to are the ones hooked to the fuel pump. The bike has 6100 miles. I took off the gas tank to access the rear shock mounts. I lost track of which gas line goes to which attachment point under the fuel tank. Does it make any difference ? I noticed that one attachment point is red and the other white. What is replacement interval for the fuel filter ? Also if I take off the fuel pump assembly off from the bottom of the tank, is there a gasket that has to be replaced and if I do not replace it, will it leak. I figure as long as I have the tank off the bike I would replace the fuel filter. Thanks, Leon Mirsky.

I need a replacement shock for my 2004 Ballabio. The Sachs shock is leaking and I believe they cannot be repaired. Any suggestions for a reasonably priced replacement ? Thanks, Leon Mirsky.