al_roethlisberger

No worries I just wanted to be clear to all that might read the thread that moving the pump has not yet proven to be an effective fix, nor a long-term reliable modification. ....just a standard disclaimer However, I think it's a good idea, hence my attempt We'll see how it holds up over time, and if the VL issue rears it head again. al

....BTW, although I personally think relocating the pump is good idea, keep in mind that I haven't been able to verify that it's effective, and even if so how much additional benefit it provides over just shielding and grooming the hoses. Mine is an "experiment in progress" So if you are experiencing the VL problem consistently, unless you really want to relocate the pump, you might just want to try shielding the fuel-lines first and see what that gets you. It could save a lot of effort. Just a thought. al

....ah, well I guess I am wrong then I don't think I'll be adapting a 4v motor to my LeMans any time soon though BTW, I am not totally familiar with the 4v valve train, but I've heard that it still employs rockers instead of actuating the valves directly. If so, I wonder why they did this, as that loses some of the advantages of OHC... al

I hear ya, and don't disagree.... but a lot of it depends on the shop as well, not just MG. My shop just sent all their techs off to some MG school for a week just a month ago. So it does happen. I guess it just depends on the shop. There may or may not be any requirements from MG on basic certifications required though, I have no idea. That being said, caveat emptor.... and to my previous point, the reality is that some shops may not do many engine rebuilds(even if they are properly trained) so if that is your shop, maybe they can work something out with the nearest more experienced shop to do the work for them. Just a thought. al

..dunno, if you can put the bike up on a stand after the caliper/disk/pad is hot from a good ride, and you can still turn the rear wheel pretty much as freely as any other time(including brake removed)... then I'd say "no" it isn't affecting anything. My rear brake "groans" a bit when rolling the bike backwards, but the disk doesn't get very hot when not using the brake. So I guess that so far, I haven't had this gremlin. I am going to go get some brake cleaner and keep a tight maintenance window on it though. Time will tell though... al

Well since MG has apparently made a good-faith effort to offer two alternatives to address the issue, including something similar to the BMW solution, I don't think a court would even give this suit merit. I could be wrong, but as much as I agree with several complaints, legally I don't think you'd have a leg to stand on. But then again, IANAL In general, I think both options are reasonable, and yes I believe that option two is thinly disguised to entice owners to choose something much less costly for MG or the dealers, but we've got to keep in mind that MG is a business, and in this to make money and stay in business.... bottom line. So this doesn't really surprise me, and from that perspective I can deal with it as long as they provide other options, which they have(#1). And I personally agree that the most prudent option to choose(as far as making the bike "right") is option number 1(replacing the cases). Could MG do it better, per many suggestions here and on various lists, such as using a central engine rebuild facility, etc... sure. And who knows, maybe over the next year as this is actually implemented, they may modify their procedure. This is another reason, along with convenience, that I'm going to wait to act on this until mid-Winter... after they've "done a few" of them I surely empathize with those that do not have a local dealer that is proficient in the engine rebuild, or Guzzis at all, and indeed that seems to be a risky proposition. Perhaps you could convince your dealer to write a joint letter to MG asking them to ship your motor to the nearest experienced shop? I think that this is a reasonable request in the case where no local MG dealer, or one that has extensive engine rebuild experience, is available. I tell ya, even though my local dealer says "no problem, we rebuild an engine every couple months", I'm still nervous cracking a perfectly good running engine... and having them pull it from the frame But that's how it goes. At least I am relieved to hear that there is finally an official solution, and maybe I can "scratch this problem from my ever shortening list" of issues. Honestly, once this is addressed, the only things left for me to complain about(so far) are mostly of my own creation(mods) al

No offense intended toward those out there with Daytonas and Centauro's, but aesthetically I like the 2V square-fin on the V11 a lot better. I'm sure I could get used to it, and it would grow on me, but I just don't like those cam belt housings, and the classic 4v valve cover. Also, I guess one could bore/stroke the 4V to get it up to around 1200cc from what I understand, but other than that option... I don't think the standard 4V motor makes all much more power than the 2v that is well tuned, modded, etc?? Am I correct, or mistaken? al

...true true... but then again one would have to "find" a 6-speed, and it wasn't just a bolt-on affair. At that point one is definitely moving beyond just "bolting on the plastic V11 LeMans body bits" al

Excellent!! Thanks for the great photo. ... I know a lot of folks don't like the black engines, but I think the "fuzzy" black paint on my 2002 Champagne looks(well... LOOKED ) great when new. Here's hoping it lasts better Thanks again! al

Hrmmm, yeah... you could be right on the terminology... "wasted spark", "lost spark", "single fire", "dual fire"... it gets confusing after a while But just to avoid confusion for now, let's just go with the "lost spark" term for now to describe the "serial fire" dual plug setup And yes, you are correct that one may have to squish the gap a bit, or "boost" the ignition. But the advantages are still there. I'm sure I'll have to play with it a bit at first, but then again the guys at TLM said that they kept the timing, gap, etc... all stock, and it ran like a clock. So who knows. They have apparently sold several of these conversions, so I'll defer to their expertise for now al

Indeed... good thinking.... if that's what one was looking for But I guess one drawback is that you'd get "stuck" with the old 5-speed, correct? al

Yes, that is true... however one could easily "clip" one of the wires to the head and all would be well, so you would still have your redundancy even if you broke one plug "clean off" Obviously, a "lost spark" system isn't the best choice in regards to efficiency, but it is the most economical for most coil makers to build, and other than your mishap ... how often does the scenario for most bikes occurr where this sort of physical redundancy is needed for a spark plug or coil? Probably pretty rare, except in our case. So most OEM solutions use this method. But again, I think that it still works... you would just have to clip/bolt/affix one of the cables with the broken plug to the head, and it would work fine. al

Sure, I understand the series and parallel issue, my question is whether or not just one resistor plug or one resistor wire(cap) is sufficient for the 2 plug and 2 wire "loop" to and from the coil In other words does the entire "loop" just need 5k Ohm resistance, regardless of where that resistor "sits" to keep EMI under control. With all due respect, I don't think this is quote correct... well, yes it's correct electrically ...but what I mean/meant is that the second plug will have two things working against it. 1) Some spark energy will be lost to ground and resistance through the engine head/block as it travels from the negative electrode on the first plug, to the negative(now actually "positive") electrode on the second plug. 2) The second plug is also firing "backwards" arcing from the "negative" electrode to the tip of the plug, which is was not designed to do. This will also be a barrier to an efficient spark, as the plug inherintly wasn't designed to do this. How much will this matter?? Good question. Probably not much, but just something to realize when using a "lost spark" system. So I believe, and based on speaking with a number of tuner guys, that the spark on the second plug will be a bit weaker, but it will work fine. To your point about using a different type of coil-pack that doesn't have this issue, yes that could be done. And in fact, this was what I was looking at doing, that is buying an aftermarket coil that actually has two coils in the pack and independently, but simultaneously fires that cylinder's two plugs. However, I would have had to fabricate a connector, or hack into the stock wiring harness to do this, and this is something I wanted to avoid, hence my earlier post in the "For Sale" section looking to buy some used coils to cannibalize the connectors Anyway, when I found the OEM dual-output coils from MM that would be "plug and play" I was willing to sacrifice some efficiency for the convenience and reliability these offered. ...oh, and BTW, keep in mind that I'm still not 100% sure that they MM dual-output coils indeed are "lost spark", but then again, I'm pretty sure they are just from my conversations. We'll know soon enough though And of course, I could just be wrong about everything I wrote above ...as it's all hear-say at this point! I'll let you know what I find out. al

Different.... Different... much different motor. The motor in the Centauro is the same motor as in the Daytona and the new MGS01(basically). Different displacement, dual belt drive to overhead cams, center plug, all sorts of things. For anyone considering this, it's unfortunately a completely different motor. If someone has done it, I'd be very surprised as it would be some major surgery and fabrication for questionable results/goals. If one wanted a 4V badly, it would make much more sense to get the whole motor... in fact, I really think that's the only option. Once the MGS01 comes out, I suppose one could buy a "crate motor" and try to retrofit it to the V11 frame, but it'd be a chore I would guess... but "doable" al P.S. I edited this a bit because after a quick re-read, it sounded a bit curt on my part An interesting question, but once you saw a 4V engine in the flesh, or even close photos, one would quickly realize how different these engines are.

I would be surprised if the timing were changed, as the only difference here is a freer flowing exhaust. But I guess it's possible. And yes, your inquiring "dual plug buddies" minds want to know al

Sounds like you have a bad relay, or more likely just a bad/dirty contact. Make sure you have the new Siemens relays(tall) or get the aftermarket Bosch units if you have any of the "short" old relays which were problematic. Take all the relays out and reinsert them several times to "scratch" any oxidation from the contacts. If that's not a fix... then the detective work begins al

I can't remember if I ended up with 1/2" initially(maybe it was 3/8" I forget), but after all my fiddling and converting to the high-performance(read: expensive) fittings from my local "speed shop" I believe I used an AN-8 special racing fuel hose. It's pricey by Aeroquip, but damn... it's indestructable stuff But just go get some 3/8" and 1/2" and see which fits best. I bet your local auto-parts shop will give you a few inches of each for free to check out. At this point all my fittings have been pretty much changed over to AN(Army Navy) spec stuff, except for the various "barbs"(nipples). al

I agree that the NGK cables look like a good cable, and I was looking at them as a possibility. Yes, as far as I know, the dual-output Magnetti-Marelli coils I have are "lost spark" as many dual-output coils are. I am not 100% certain, and I'll test the theory when I get them... i.e. If they are "lost spark" if I unplug one wire, that cylinder will die. Definition of "lost spark": Although the coil has two output towers, the electricity travels down one plug wire, firing the first plug normally, then continues THROUGH THE HEAD, and fires the secong plug BACKWARDS and then the charge continues BACK UP the second wire back to the coil. This is less than ideal, but is how most OEM dual-plug coils work. The obvious drawback is that the second plug is firing less efficiently(weaker spark), but it seems to work fine in the real world. So when I was referring to the "loop" earlier, this is why I was thinking that if the 5k Ohm resistor was specified for a one wire/plug combo, then I'm speculating that I shouldn't need another resistor plug and wire/cap for the last leg of the "loop" back to the coil?? And in fact, ultimately I should be able to simply either use ONE RESISTOR PLUG or ONE RESISTOR WIRE, instead of a combination of 2 or more in the whole "loop". Does this sound reasonable? Does anyone see any problems with using a non resistor plug and wire in the second location for my dual-plug setup? Hope that helps to clarify my prior muddy description al

Update: Todd at Guzzitech.com just told me that Dynojet is now making the PCIII USB instead of the "old" serial PCIII available for the V11 Sport/LeMans. I don't think the "old" version will be made anymore. The advantages are a 9v battery connector so you can easily program the PC off of the bike, and I believe that the PCIII USB allows for even finer(more cells) adjustment of throttle position/fuel. So that's a good thing. Just an FYI... No news on an "r" model though... al

That's true, and honestly very odd if you ask me. I don't know why MG included both resistor cap wires AND resistor plugs, both of which are 5k. It seems to me that one would want one or the other, not both?? Thoughts? Not requiring both would make things much easier. Further, here's a question: Since I have the dual-plug thing about to be going... do I need 2 resistor plugs and 2 resistor wires for all in one loop(it is a "lost spark" system")? Or do I just need the 5k resistance at one point "in the loop" say one plug, or just one wire cap? al

Although I haven't personally seen the following memo, I heard from a dealer in Houston that MG has issued a memo to dealers in the last month detailing what will be done with the 2002 bubbling/peeling paint issue. There are two options: 1) The dealer will replace the engine cases with new "fuzzy" black paint to match the transmission, etc, that supposedly will not deteriorate again. This warrantee work by default will only cover the engine cases, and not the oil-pan nor front cover. However, it is apparently worded that the dealer has the discretion to change these as well, as needed. One downside(other than the obvious disassembling of a perfectly good running engine) is that the shop is only allotted 12 hours labor. While the factory may be able to reassemble an engine well within this time-frame, a shop that rebuilds whole engines infrequently may find this a losing proposition. So expect some dealers to push option 2.. 2) Option two consists of allowing the customer to choose one of the following accessory packages, and sign a waiver releasing MG from any further warrantee claims on the engine paint. As MG probably makes quite a bit of margin on these accessories, and along with the aforementioned small shop-time budget, many dealers will undoubtedly steer some customers to this option. Per the bulletin, 6 accessories options, (no substitutions please) 1. Granraid pants and jacket 2, Matching mens & womens Race leather jackets 3. Hard saddlebag kit(EV and Stone) 4. Leather saddlebag kit(EV, Stone, Spec sport) 5. Carbon fiber access. kit(V11 Sport/Le Mans) 6. Soft luggage kit(tank bag/tail pack and parcel rack-V11 Sport and Le Mans) So, if you are suffering from the engine paint problem, you might want to get the process rolling now. I have no idea about these new cases' availability, but personally I'd like to get this done over the Winter. So I'm inquiring now. al

Intel's new CPU?

...as Mike pointed out, it's generally to correct for an inaccurate stock pressure as apparently the OEM unit can vary quite a bit. Mine is also sitting "on a shelf" as I bought it on something of a lark some months back when I knew I'd be fiddling with the fuel system al

Oh wow... they have a new USB PCIII for the V11?! That's great. I hear that with the USB model, you can map each cylinder/injector and that it has more cells, for finer tuning. Hrmmm, may have to check into that. Again, now if we can just get them to make an "r" version al

Yeah, I think I'm going to pass on the Nology cables for now, as they are super pricey, and after talking to a few folks, they don't seem to offer a lot of benefit to our 2-cylinder, relatively low RPM, bikes. And if Nology's claim that they effectively advance timing a bit is correct, this is exactly the opposite of what I want with my dual-plug setup. The Magnecores don't list the V11, but they do list the California/Bassa which should be the exact same cable, no? al