raz

It's like using a less aggresive cam. The valve overlap is reduced and duration is decreased a tad. This also results in higher compression. I suppose you loose some in the top end and gain some in midrange and idle.

I believe the K&N prechargers enhance filtering of small particles, I have no idea how much they decrease flow. I never tried the pods without them. IMO the prechargers also make the pods look better. http://www.knfilters.com/wraps.htm

Agreed! Nice bike Raz. How's it running after all the engine work? Thanks, well the pic is taken without exhaust mounted so it looks a bit cooler than it normally does. More pics are linked in my signature. Anyway I think the raised compression was a good thing. I haven't experienced any problems with pinging or such, even with piss poor octane gas from the continental Europe. I get the feeling my front wheel is much more prone to get airborne but we'll never get hard facts on that. I didn't modify my ignition map. The fuel map was a little modified (enrichened) with my closed loop correction until my sensor recently went tits up. I just finished a long distance ride in open loop and all in all, the bike was just fantastic. Fantastic. It's a pity it's not really a touring bike 'cause I'm a touring guy. Maybe I'll sell it now and buy meself a good old carburetted 1975 1000 Convert. Edit: Of course, I will bore it to 1100 cc and claim it to be a V11 so I don't have to switch forum

Awesome! I was worried about not speaking the language but that wasn't a problem. Every single person we met was nice and polite, and pragmatic. Camping sites were nice. Roads were truly wonderful, except when trying to pass Paris via the highway ring. I think something was lost in translation, we just got completely stuck for hours trying to find the right way out. Other than that we mostly avoided highways and I think that is a good advice in general. Toll roads and motorcycles just don't match.

I just finished a 4900 km ride around Europe with my 1997 bike (odo is now 78450 kms). Only problem was a crappy clutch wire from Stein-Dinse broke (just a couple of strands left) after just 1000 kms or so of service (it replaced a similar one that broke in the same way). I replaced it with a spare OEM one. I think it's the first time I had use of any spare parts carried (except for spark plug and spark plug cap - never leave home on a Guzzi without those!)

I too use the RU-1780, together with red prechargers, RU-0510PR. They have a perfect angle and are probably the maximum size that fits in the space. Edit: Actually I don't use them anymore, I refitted the air box. The pods helps at high revs but ruins the midrange. But it looks good with pods, not to mention the intake roar

I too agree it's probably too lean. Other than that, I have found using Raceco specs (0.20/0.25 mm) for valve lash will help idling and prevent low rev sneezes a lot too. My bike runs like an electric train and idle is rock steady. I can almost do without the fast idle lever when cold. BTW the fuel map I sent you has a much too lean idle cell, I've richened it a LOT since. The rest of my map is unchanged. My sensor gave up so I'm running open loop.

The Odyssey should last 5-10 years if treated well. A good regulator should last 30 years or more but many seem not to. My first regulator held up for 12 years afaik. Unfortunately a failing regulator can take the battery with it.

25 years ago I had a Yamaha FS-1 moped with first gear up, rest down. Then I had a Yamaha RD 125 (air cooled, the newer was just a wet dream) with normal shifting. Near redline in second gear on the latter, I managed to put first gear in... mweeeep I think it was 15000 rpm or something. But no bad things happened I rode a BMW once and I didn't get used to it. I just skipped indicating. But I reckon anything is good once you're used to it.

Come on Ben, you will never ever, ever, EVER part with your bike and you know it Other than that, I endorse it. You will love it, regret it, love it again, and so on. I have no idea if it's theoretically a good or bad deal but that doesn't matter much in the end. Just do it!

I'm curious, why do they short the alternator? Doesn't that mean the alternator will steal half a horsepower from the engine even though battery is fully charged, whereas the Guzzi one will just act like a flywheel?

I'll raise a hand for being jelous. Couldn't make it this year, perhaps next time! Meeting part of this forum's crowd would be awesome!

I must be daft. In what way would the mentioned fluid not be DOT 4? After all, it is specified as a DOT 4 fluid. How would buing just any other DOT 4 fluid be better? And where would you find a silicone based DOT 4 fluid?

You've got DOT 4, just use it! http://www.valvoline...-brake-fluid/28 (mid-air collision edit: GuzziMoto's answer is probably more specific but if you don't race it on track I doubt you'll need any better)

While I agree, I would not care much as long as it's net charging at idle - and it seems it is. If anything, I would do a diode test between red and yellow cables like Roy describe somewhere. Pretty easy to fit an external one and all will be fine.

Yes but that is a curious spec as I believe the spec for the OEM regulator itself is 14.2 volts. Very Guzzi-ish! I have an onboard volt meter and it's more or less pegged at 14.0 volts, idling or not. I have a high idle though, closer to 1500 rpm than 1000. They use the same one.

My speedo cable snapped last week, or so I thought. New one arrived yesterday but when I was going to replace it I saw the old one had just unthreaded from the speedo. It was just fine when I attached it again. So now that I have a spare one the old one will never ever break

That's odd. Probably the ECU's limp-home mode kicking in and substituting a sane value. Speaking of which, a dealer could read diagnose codes from the ECU. Sometimes that will tell you a lot, other times not. A Ducati dealer will do fine if that's more convenient.

No, not carbon cans, I mean the emission stuff, carbon cannisters located under the tank on (some?) US and Swiss bikes, supposed to reduce fuel vapors to the atmosphere. If you have that you also have vacuum tubes from intake manifolds to that system, and a leak there would be your intake leak. If you have it it's easy enough to plug the manifold nipples and see if things get better.

But does the bike have an O2 sensor? Maybe it's faulty? Anyone knows how far up in rpm/throttle it would affect running? Another thought, do you have carbon cannisters in use? I probably seem more focused on intake leaks than I really am...

That is exactly why you "set" the CO. It will compensate for whatever cans or filters you use. Try 3.5% and you'll likely be fine.

So, after 2000 kms or so (new stuff broken in, heads re-torqued, oil changed to synthetic) I tested the compression. Both sides give 12 kg or 170 psi. That's quite a bit better than what I had before as stated in this old thread. I remember from that time I could press the tester firm enough to not leak at all (it's very easy to hear). This time, I just couldn't make it absolutely tight - too much pressure!!

For the record, I had to cut a couple of mm off the two remaining studs located under the rockers, after re-torquing the heads. I'm amazed re-torquing compresses the gaskets that much, there was plenty of room between them after the initial torquing.

I was more concerned about the looks, but it's a matter of taste of course!

I don't have the faintest clue, I got the 2200 pF value from Cliff. But my first (Mk II) board didn't have any capacitor at all so it must be better than that! Cliff use to be very responsive to email questions but perhaps the time zone difference make up a 24h round-trip time to you. Oh, and I see you made it a member at his forum now.