docc

So, is this still considered a "small block?" Or is it the new "little-big-block?" Recall, our BigBlocks started as 700cc . . .

As an aside (I hope an interesting one), the change to this rear brake caliper mounting bolt (adding the inboard safety clip) is one of the early "observations" from comparing four V11 models, 2000-2003, at the inaugural South'n Spine Raid, 2004. Maybe the very first "TechSession!"

U-joints in hand! Two weeks from the break-down! So great. Thanks to Albert at Technomec in Montreal! (Complete with French language newspaper packing material ! ) The universal joints are impressively small, free from the prop shaft (wine cork added for scale):

Dear, me . . . "FOR OFF ROAD USE ONLY" exhaust placards! This is not a motorcycle for sale, but a complete, all-in-one collection!

"New style" has the extension for a safety clip, yes? Really good to correctly torque the First Type (no inboard clip), LocTite it. I do not remove and replace mine, but remove the brake caliper by sliding the carrier off the captured block. Otherwise, cross-thread it (Redneck lok-taht), or makes sure it rusts in place (Pirate lock-tight/aaaargh).

One thing I think we can state definitively is that Guzzi brake fluid is shaken, not stirred!

Truly!

These people totally get it . . . http://www.bikeexif.com/bmw-r1200-spitfire-vtr-customs-tw-steel

That-there is right-funny! Happy Birthday, noblewood!

I'm still struggling to find a supplier for this excellent product to replace the cement and get more of the "Qwik Plugs" http://www.maruni-ind.co.jp/en/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/STICK-QUIK-PLUG.pdf Anyone have a source?

So, my thinking that water sinks in brake fluid because it is "oil" is in error. Brake fluid is a mixture of glycol ethers with a specific gravity of ~1.04-1005 (they vary), while water is lighter (SG= 1.0 @4ºC). Motor oil has a specific gravity of ~0.80-0.90, so naturally water will "sink" in oil. Yet, glycol ethers are also water soluble (therefor hygroscopic/ "soaks up water") while oil is not. Water separates in oil, yet disperses in brake fluid. So, it will be interesting to compare caliper to reservoir values over three Guzzis with nearly identical brake systems and three different age/ condition fluids. There certainly may be little to no difference in water content between the two opposite ends of the system. [Testing scheduled for 1 September when we can assemble some SpineRaid Guzzis for final prep )

Fresh from a Rosso Corsa - magnets came loose:

Valeo starter/ exploded view!

Topic moved to open discussion. Maintaining good contact under the relays, making sure they aren't running very hot because they are under-rated (use the Best Relays), and using the best anti-corrosion products (like Caig Deoxit Gold) are all important things we have learned for the care and feeding of the V11 . . .

And true that the Daytona shaft had no means of lubricating? [edit: I found this post by Carl Allison: "Zerks showed up on the Sport 1100's/Daytona RS models in 1997 for sure, and maybe on the earlier carb sports as well."

I saw this alternative, but was put off by the way the pattern is skewed transitioning to the "tongue" thinking it might be water transfer print. Apparently not? (Looking closely, I see the first alternative I posted, from MotComposites, looks just like this.) https://www.ebay.com/itm/Moto-Guzzi-1100-Sport-CARBON-FIBER-Alternator-Cover/323161849233?hash=item4b3df27d91:g:faoAAOSwstNas0I6

I recall a member here who noted that the Daytona shaft has no provision for lubrication (?), and the language in the manual was simply carried over unchanged, even though the V11 shaft added three lubrication points. Is this valid?

Please see more current findings: Decent Tune-up

Re-engineering the Shift Spring

While the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) sub-forum contains locked threads, it is intended for some simple searching and learning without the burden of wading through discussion which is encouraged on the other sub-forums. Yet, if you have suggestions, corrections, contributions, or concerns about its content, please PM me on my profile and I will be happy to consider edits, changes, or additions. We are only as good as our collective understanding and willingness to pool our knowledge and experience!

Looks like I’ll have the U-joints next week. That’s just two weeks from when the driveshaft failed. Pretty great for fairly rare Italian parts coming from another country! Thanks again to Pressureangle for doing the sourcing. With two driveshafts at hand, I am hoping to do some deeper inspection of the existing U-joints and try to asses if the front cross can be flipped to face the Zerk forward and modify the scattershield collar for greasing access without drama or developing a New Zealander's (dangerous ) vocabulary.

Not this coming weekend, but the next (Sept-the-One'th), we'll collect some "data" from two V11, both reservoir and first bleed from the calipers. The longer these fluids sit in these hydraulic systems, the more I would expect the water to fall into the calipers (bottom). Will this hypothesis test out?

"Molex" connectors remind me very much of the most sketchy connectors in the V11 harness. The "Bullet" connectors for the Clutch Lever Start Lock-out on the left side of the frame by the headstock and the two Yellow-Wire bullet connectors from the stator that are un-sealed, and down there in the spray. Yet, I am not convinced that an un-sealed SAE flat connector has *much* better weather protection than these others.

I've set up a pre-SSR TechSession to compare caliper to reservoir fluid, but the front brake fluid on this bike is already shot (wet), so we might not learn much . . .

Curious. Thanks for the feedback, Gentlemen. I had suspected this connector because it's sealing is something that changed since the last time I got caught out in the rain. I have now resealed it and got caught on a fairly brief , but heavy downpour last weekend with no flickering. @K_Roy: That idiot light connector at the headstock is a sealed AMP connector? (Truth be told, though, the rain and wet roads that accompanied the flickering light was high on the Frog Strangler Scale, and we were in it like six hours.)