docc

And now, after the charge, how do your voltages look?

Try tightening the battery connections. How did that voltage look?

My Spark made it 5 1/2 years, amazing for a motorcycle battery! But the Hawker makes the Sport run much happier at 12.8 v than the Spark's later days at 12.5 v. Apparently the ECU, TPS and even the fuel level sensor are voltage sensitive.

So . . . I backtracked this route on Thursday looking in every dive bar, strip joint and greasy spoon from here to Suwanee. No Goozzees. Where'd these guys really go?

I seem to remember mine fitting better with the lower mount to the inside of the passenger peg/exhaust bracket.

This does have the sound of the clutch switch ( safety ignition switch). It is located at the clutch lever and will not allow starter engagement without the clutch lever squeezed. The likely culprit is actually two bullet connectors under the left side of the tank near the steering head. They could always use a good clean, lube, crimp. Some have found that rotating the steering fully side to side could trigger some connection. Certainly upgrading to the best available relays is good medicine. Try tapping on/wiggling the center relay for any effect. Also swapping the relays around is worth a try. Keep us posted.

While the cam chain, TPS and even the temperature sensor may all be suspect, remember that the tach may be optimistic. Mine reads 300 rpm high so that idling the bike at 1100 indicated means she's trying to stay alive at 800. Does not make for a happy twin at idle. Resetting the idle to an indicated 1300 sounds high but not if the true idle speed is actually 1000. Of course resetting the idle speed means going back through the entire TPS/ TB balance procedure. The crank sensor on the left top of the timing cover is known to loosen up. Usually they'll get weepy but also could affect the pick up clearance. Always looking for the easy way out . . .

Thanks for the feedback, guys! Funny how something like this affects what you feel and hear while you ride.

Cleaning the Sport up to go chase down Bill Hagan I found one of the pinch bolts on the shaft loose where they attach to the input for the bevel drive. After tightening them some play remains in the input to the bevel drive. I assume this is the pinion and thought maybe the carrier bearing is done. No leaks, no vibration. 47,000 miles and you'd think I had wiggled this before. If so I never noticed the play. How much play is normal?

Check the battery voltage with a good digital meter. Low voltage could do this.

You're riding right through my hometown. Let me know when you'll be here and I'll create a diversion south of town . . .

This is going to be a great rallye, great roads, great band and such. Wish I could make this one but am committed to a survival outing for Scouts. No shelter, no food. Ya'll have a good time up there on the Kentucky roads!

This is good news! I know Alain and Andy will have you back on the road soon. Looks like a chance they'll be an injected Sport along as well for those intense parking lot comparison sessions.

Yeah, that yellow sealant is intended to deter unauthorized personnel ( owners) from mucking with the tune. I found it very useful for finding all the points of adjustment to bring into balance. Check with the parts department at Moto International in Seattle, Washington. The manager is knowledgable and active on the forum. Who knows, he may even lend you his cracked up Eldorado if your parts aren't in.

With the sidestand up power flows to the 'run switch' directly. When the stand is down, power only makes it to the run switch through the middle relay ( called the 'sidestand relay') which is activated by the neutral switch. Not only are the neutral switches ( just behind the starter) prone to sticking ( Redline gearlube seems to help), but the connection is dubious. Pull off its little rubber boot, give it a clean and crimp and see if life gets better. Some of the things they do naked in North Carolina shouldn't be attempted in the old country lest ye end up in North Carolina before the dust settles . . .

That's pretty low rpm to expect the V11 to bebuttery smooth, yet a solid throttle body balance with TPS setting including a world spec valve adjustment may work magic. Thanks to Jeff in Ohio's tune up procedure it's all laid out for you. Give it a try!

The new intake boots should cure your sudden onset of ills. A good tune up is required to set the idle properly. Just moving the stop screws won't do it. And the white knob balances ( or unbalances) the throttle bodies. It definately will benefit from a jam nut when you get it set where it belongs. For a good tune up check out Jeff in Ohio's procedure on Guzzitech. You can skip the part about retorquing the heads.

Planning on leaving the Cracker Barrel on I65, Exit 46, about 0830 and head due east on backroads through Bell Buckle and Mcminnville to TN 30 where the fun begins. We'll stay on 30 probably into Athens or just beyond before turning north to Sweetwater. The Best Western is just west of I75 at the Sweetwater exit. I don't know if Josh has his heads back from Mike Rich yet.

How hard is it to access this part and change it?

OK, I registered. There's a Cracker Barrel next door for those trying to keep their waist size up to the American standard. In fact, those leaving middle Tennessee should plan on meeting at the Cracker Barrel ( There's a theme here) on I65, exit 46, on Friday morning at 7 a.m. central time. That's GMT minus five for those of you flying in from Belgium or de Nederlaands. We're a casual bunch, but wear full protective gear and expect the road to rise, fall and otherwise convolute as we make our way in and out of the Appalachian Mountains.

Yes, we are drawing near to the South'n Spine Raid of 2007. I'll call the Best Western in Sweetwater TN tommorrow for a reservation. Remember this is a dry county. There is beer and such at the local grocery but if you desire grappa, good scotch or other serious libations, be advised : BYO. And after year one, no drunken redneck foxes are guaranteed by the (non)rallye staff. What you find on the waterfalls is your own business. There is a good chance of seeing everything from a carbed sport to a Norr- Geyy. Even a V10.

Indeed the TPS is rotated to adjust it. Ever so slightly. And tightening it back down tends to change it. So, it takes a few tries to get it right on. The spec is 150 mV +/- 15. I find my Sport runs the best at 165 mV. True the procedures vary considerably and most are compilations of one another. With 47,000 miles on the Sport I've done this several ways totalling about eight or nine times. Best results from Jeff in Ohio's method. I've tried numerous times to turn my air bypass in where they 'belong.' I always end up back at a full turn to get the most stable idle especiallyin the hot, hot deep south summers.

My tach is 300 rpm optomistic so at an indicated 1000 it's idling at 700 rpm. Not happy! Setting the idle to an indicated 1300 settles lots of this stumbling and cough. My early Sport also smoothed out at idle and just off idle with the carbon cannisters removed. The experts disagree whether this could make any difference, but this was my experience. By 45,000 miles I would think a thorough tune with a careful TPS adjustment is in order. Check out Jeff in Ohio's tune up procedure. Your Guzzi will thank you!

I still wonder if I should add a ground strap to the regulator case. [ EDIT/ March 27, 2019: YES! Stop wondering and ground your regulator case! Ground everything!! ]

I'm sure pleased to see this discussion opening up. And not just the technical aspects ( mounting etc) but the aesthetic, the philosophy. And scariest of all, the potential effects on riding ability. I ride with a group of spirited and experienced sport-tourers every autumn for a three day intense weekend. ( rather, they let me come along.) This year the invitation is to lead a segment of the ride. So, I've been shopping GPS units and mounts ( the Garmin Zumo looks the stuff). Yet, every pilot knows "keep your eyes outside the cabin." It concerns me to be taxing my skill set on this ride, lead the group on top of that and be looking between the triple clamps. I've watched the ride leader develop his routing skill with the GPS and must say it's amazing to follow this guy around hundreds of miles of unknown, unmarked backroads in such seamless fashion. Even with half the group running GPS there have been times when we would huddle up beside the road and study the atlases to get us back on track. Just as a cell phone is not a tool box or first aid kit, the GPS is no substitute for a sense of place and direction. I think DrG's addition is the perfect tool for his needs. These things will take you to an address in the city like a New York cabbie that speaks little english.