raz

I do not think the battery is your problem yet I wouldn't start checking wires before checking battery voltage mainly because it's a very easy thing to do. The neutral light is likely a clear indication of something, I'm just not sure what. I second holding that area (neutral switch and sidestand switch) suspect when tracing wiring. I don't have a sidestand switch (nor anything that would prevent me from cranking myself around town), would it prevent the fuel pump from running the initial 2 secs?

It's a pipe connecting the left and right exhausts. Each cylinder needs a certain volume of exhast chamber to perform well. Since they are not igniting at the same time, this pipe makes each cylinder use both exhausts.

Bumping this old thread with a little different perspective: My guards steal more than 3 mm from the effectively used length of threads of the bolts down the heads. Some unfortunate day when said guards will "come to real-life use", the stress on everything involved will be pretty high (there are many horrible pictures spread across the 'net) and that lost length multiplied by 4 may just make the difference. I'm thinking of buying some TCEI M6x30 to replace the bolts. Original is M6x25 and from what I've measured the couple mm extra length will fit fine. Actually I got the idea after ruining one of the threads by over-tightening. The head is sent away for a Helicoil. As I looked down the disaster with some good light I saw lots of undamaged threads below where the bolt reached. I did use a torque wrench but that didn't help much as I was thinking M8 and probably some PO had been overtightening in the past as well (the M12's in the timing chest was completely trashed, and that wasn't me ). But of course, this is all most because it's 16*C below zero and I've got to hug my Guzzi...

Sorry, I should have written some reply. Lots of thanks for your help. I could be the European Connection but I want to think all details through before we do anything. Anyone know if an ordinary PayPal account (I'm normally just sending money) is good for receiving money as well? I guess PayPal will collect their gain somewhere in the chain...

Yup, I just realized that. Even if 90 degrees is more or less as good as 0 degrees, my misalignment must be 72 or 108 degrees and that's in the range of Greggs. Well well. Thanks a lot Alex and Ratch. By the way Alex, of course you're right it should not be called luck, but it seems even Guzzi dealers miss on this. Anyway I had bad luck. Either it was this way when I bought it, or the jap-bike-mechanic that changed my wheel removed a little too much before sorting out how it should be done. He seemed to be an experienced guy. I was a Guzzi newbie at the time so I had no idea. One positive outcome though... could my Guzzi be an even better ride now? That must be a dream!!

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/Driveline-101.shtml seems to be a good page for understanding this, even with animations. Not that I have digested it all yet (this means I'm leaning towards you're right but I haven't mentally accepted it yet ) One thing's for sure anyway: my bike does not handle bad. At all. If this is worst case, it should.

I was actually hoping for a raging battle between the two of you Well, no... that would be 45 degrees unless my brains stopped working altogether. Not? I tried googling some but I found no definite answer. 45 degrees would be very bad, that's for sure. But I'm not too sure about 90. I will line it up anyway just because I'll take any excuse for getting oil under my nails.

Consider yourself lucky... I'm sad to say I didn't have that luck. 90 degrees out. Why settle for less than worst case? Sh*t. At the very best it may have happened at the tire change 6000 km ago. With less luck, who knows for how long. Where do I rattle and rock to check for damage? What would be considered too much play? Thanks Pete! As the thread said: probably not for the last time! EDIT: Wait a minute, re-reading the whole thread makes me hoping that 45 degrees would be worst case... is that right Pete?

Nope, just the overflow there. My tank is off for other maintenance so I've had a good look. If there is a vent, it's built-in to the lid (and clogged). There are small holes in the lid facing down into the tank, I'll have a closer look when I find the time.

Having read a lot about V11 tank-suck problems, and since I always get that swoosh sound when opening the tank of my Sport 1100, I decided to check it out. I knew I don't have a tip-valve but I also knew (or thought) that the tank was vented. So I connected a can of compressed air to it to see if it was clogged up with something. Not so. The "vent" just drains the area surrounding the inner opening. Any gas or water that happens to get there will have a chance to drain, which is good (except for its aim at my rear tire but that seems to be a common idea among motorcycle designers). But any vacuum inside the tank will be trapped until I open it up. The gasket is spring-loaded so any over-pressure will probably get out though. Any suggestion on how to fix this? Should I even care? This is a steel tank, I don't think it will shrink... Maybe this is not a big problem on an injected bike, but the carb Sports would suffer from this I guess.

It was the "loosen all before torquing any" I didn't get. Now you say lubricate the threads, and some say loosening just one nut could warp the head so OK, I get it. It would be hard to lubricate the threads after just backing off the nut 1/4 of a turn... Not that I think loosening one nut would warp these heads but I surely don't want to be the one telling you from first-hand experience it actually happens... Thank you all

When and why would I want to re-torque my heads? Some seem to have the opinion it should be done whenever checking the valve clearance and possibly when topping up fuel . I can understand it could be needed some time after replacing the foot and/or head gasket, but otherwise I don't get why it would be needed at all. Another thing I've read is that you don't just re-torque, but first you loosen all the nuts. That's where you lose me completeIy. Why would I want to do that? Is this something everybody agrees on or is it disputable black magic that will make this a long thread of healthy arguing? EDIT: Ouch, I forgot to search the forums. It's all in there already, it seems.

I could do both, just to be sure I would too! Are we gonna make Uncommon make custom t-shirts too? This is getting complicated

Thanks John! Naturally he just don't get much ROI for the effort of sending stuff overseas. Actually I had the idea of sending him cash by mail and include a stamped and addressed envelope for sending the patch back to me. That way it wouldn't be any trouble for him. Thing is, once I manage to get hold of one, I will like the fact no-one else got it in Europe

Now I get it. I totally misunderstood what you were saying (normally a couple of beers improves my English but yesterday it didn't). Of course we could trade! I'll send you a PM.

Actually it could be a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday Grappa-related thing as well

I didn't notice that until your post. That oughta be a fake image, either that or I will HAVE to buy the bike

I'm not sure I follow. There is no way one could translate it to swedish (without loosing the fun), if that's what you meant. Actually I'm not at all a fan of most streamers (or what you call a "honk if you're horny" sticker at the back of a car) and stuff but this exact wording is so perfect and... guzzi-ish?

Disconnect the ECU completely and check that the rest of the electrical system is OK. My guess is you blew something inside the ECU. Let's hope I'm wrong! Also, personally I wouldn't be afraid of trying the alternate ECU, but that don't mean you can sue me if you fry it...

This was first posted in 'wanted' but jihem notified me no-one can answer in classifieds so it may be better here: The hilariuous (IMHO) patch I have pictured in my avatar is selled by some company in Pennsylvania. I love it but I can't buy it because they wont ship outside North America. Does anyone know any other place where I could buy one and have it delivered to Sweden? Or could someone help me buying a couple? The only place I've found is http://store.uncommonmotorcycles.com/mgpatch1.html

OK thanks. This may be it. But I've only owned this bike one season. If the oil level was far too high during some period in the bike's previous life, that could also be the reason for those symptoms, right? When I got it, the oil level was at least 5 mm above max. on the stick. I didn't suck it out because I figured it wouldn't be fatal. The oil level may or may not have been even higher and much higher at some time. So either I re-hone and replace rings now, or I'll just remove the deposits and check again next winter. I think I'll have to contemplate. And is there anything telling me it's not the valve guides? Is the fact that the barrels look like they were just honed a bad thing, that backs up the blow-by/glazing theory? Or would it look that way anyway if all is good? I bet it's controversial. Just listening to my guts, I'm a believer

Sorry for hi-jacking an already hi-jacked thread, but this caught my attention. My heads happen to be off right now and there are serious accumulations in them and on the pistons. Like half a milimeter thick all over. I haven't lifted the barrels yet but a look down them with the piston down show a good looking finish with hone marks. I have been puzzled with this since the heads went off a couple of weeks ago. Putting things together right now as I write this, I have also seen some blue exhaust smoke and lots of oil through the air filter from the breather. Though I didn't have to add any oil between changes (might have been a tad too much to begin with, wasn't me...) Now I just want to confirm I get this right. Are you saying the rings are not holding back the pressure above them, so the pressure builds up in the sump and eventually pushes oil through the breather, resulting in automagic oiling of the K&N filter ? And what I should do is check them rings to start with? BTW, what is Motoman's break-in procedure?

Even if my cheap wrenches would be 10% off, I can at least torque all 14 bolts of the oil pan equally. Or the head. I think that ought to be way better than guessing. When WHB give a range I pick a value in the middle. One or several of my bike's POs seem to have seriously overtightened most bolts. Right now one of the heads and the timing chest (M12 engine mount) are sent away for helicoils. I don't think it would have happened even with a seriously farked up and "too cheap" torque wrench.

I know this was a couple of months ago, but did you sort this out? The spacer should be on the nut side (which is on your left when riding, I don't know what definition of left you used above) and there should be no gap. I recently realized I had mine assembled the wrong way, see http://morini.com.au/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2563

http://www.hmb-guzzi.de/html/teileangebot.htm