al_roethlisberger

Sheesh... I tell ya, the factory "QA guy" was clearly on vacation a lot in late 2001 and into 2002

Keeping in mind all the various electrical "gremlins" we've run into at various times with the Guzzi system, I'd personally be a bit concerned about splicing "any ole ignition amplifier" or "super coils" into the V11 harness But if you are really interested in checking out an ignition amplifier(although not necessarily MSD), as previously mentioned, Ken Zeller at Evoluzione had a specific ignition amplifier made specially to install into the Guzzi harness, etc... but it was pricey. Even though Evoluzione(evoluzione.net) doesn't sell Guzzi accessories anymore, you might give Ken a call and see if he's still got some lying around, or can get one ordered for you. He also may have some thoughts on how well they worked in the cases his shop installed the system. al

Most seem happy with the Odyssey 545. It's what I replaced mine with, and the bike immediately started better than it ever did. al

Just to be clear, these "unused bullet connectors" to which I am referring are *not* the ECU test connectors up under the ECU. There is an AMP weatherseal connector and two unused bullets under the ECU that are for diagnostics, but these two connectors to which I referred are up in the tail. And yes, you could definitely use the electric petcock hookup as your trigger if you don't have the electric petcock anymore, or in the case of my 2002, the connector for the petcock is still in the loom, unused. In fact, the heated grips draw very little power, so you might be able to use that connector "direct", although to get the most of the heated grips, I'd still recommend going straight to the battery and use a switched source like the electric petcock to trigger a relay. al

.... BTW, in case it wasn't clear, the black knob on the end of the "piston" of the steering damper can be turned to increase/decrease damping. Maximun damping will be quite obvious, as steering effort will be greatly increased. You probably can get away with the damper set to its minimum, or close, as the 02+ V11s are generally quite stable. al

There really isn't a "spare" power hookup anywhere on the bike, especially one that is switched, although on my LeMans there is a mysterious pair of unused bullet connectors up behind the relays, lashed under/to the seat subframe Maybe you could put a meter on those to see if they are working/switched, but I don't know where they draw from so that would be a concern. But, I'd just recommend a clean run from the battery, positive and ground. That's what I did. I simply used one of my old spare micro-relays, and tapped into one of the switched power leads under the fuse block(the last one, which is aux lighting I think) so that the grips(and horn) would have direct power from the battery, but would be "off" with the key. al P.S. If anyone(Carl?) does know where those two mystery bullets draw from/through, if they are hot, and if they are switched... that would be good to know, in general. They were lashed up under the seat subframe, by the tool tray, behind the relays.

...and apparently not a very good one at that

Sorry to hear about your initial dealer woes, but it sounds like the alternative is quality shop too, so hopefully they'll support you as well as the first did before dropping the brand. And BTW, I think you did the "right thing" trying to support your local dealer. It's just that there are too many things working against US Guzzi dealers right now, that your gesture apparently just wasn't quite enough to save that one. So, on the note of "local dealers".... anyone have a good recommendation for a dealer close to the Raleigh, NC area? al

Happy Birthday Carl.... now don't go getting yourself killed ...but the more I think about this, I am thinking the TPS as well. I just can't imagine anything else that is "linked" to throttle, and this behavior this consistently as described. Let us know what you find. al

So, after returning from my trip to NC, I think we'll be heading there. It was really nice, the weather was mild, and it was very GREEN Austin is great, and yes, I've been to the Magnolia, Kerbey Lane, etc.... My best friend lives there, and after spending a few months there are not sure it's the best choice from a "family" point of view, and yes.... I did note the traffic/sprawl issues. But Austin is a nice place for sure, hence our quandry up to this point. ..... but except for an obvious lack of the majestic mountains, Raleigh actually looks a whole like driving around the Gig Harbor area of Washington State That's a real plus in our book. It's not as cosmopolitan(or maybe "hip" is more accurate) as Austin, but Raleigh certainly didn't seem to be "backwoods" either, just more rural/suburban. Although I am still interested in opinions. So, with the Raleigh area in mind, I was searching for a PCIII Tuning Link Centers: It seems that the closest center that will map sportbikes is: http://www.ronayersmotorcycles.com in Greenville, NC Does anyone know anything about this shop? And does anyone have a recommended Guzzi shop near the Raleigh, NC area? al

You're kidding me right? ....will the "wonders" never cease

Based on what I have seen from some other "employee/customer owned troubled businesses" like United, etc.... I find that prospect rather scary

See this thread: Wildguzzi Thread on Piaggio CEO Interview

...yep, with the "Vague-lias" .... you got whatcha got I suppose you could tear it apart and try to fix it, but that would probably make things worse. If it otherwise works fine, be happy. Or, you can watch for a used one on eBay every so often. As pointed out, other than the needles fading, and the occasional bulb socket disintegrating, if they survive the first year, they'll probably last forever if left unmolested. It's when one starts fiddling with them that the bulb sockets fall apart, studs come loose, etc... al

There's a thread in the "How To" section on fitting tubular bars, although it isn't specific to use with a LeMans fairing. I don't know of anyone that has fitted tubular bars and a riser in combination with the LeMans fairing, for fear of clearance issues. So yours might be a first. Photos and additional descriptions would be much appreciated for those interested. al

I'll lay money is it one of two issues: 1) Valve lash too tight 2) Vapor Lock The former is easy to check/test/fix, the latter not so much so.... I'd check your valve lash first, and set it to Raceco or Euro specs, and see if that cures your problem. If it doesn't, check out the "vapor lock" FAQ. al

I've heard this mentioned many times that the "lidless" airbox modification is so loud I find that interesting, as the pod solution isn't really loud at all... although there are some cool sound-effects al

Well, at least our frames aren't breaking in half! 2005 Suzuki GSXR 1000 Frame Failure

Both mine and Carl Allison's have also "fallen off" mid-ride, leaving you stuck in the gear "du jour" It's a good idea to check the linkage every so often as part of your "pre-flight" checklist, although as long as a NEW nylock nut has been used any time the nut was removed, along with loctite, it shouldn't normally fall off. al

heh, I guess the V11 is starting to catch on here in the USA.... just in time for it to be cancelled

Heh, mine CAME NEW like that, touched-up from the factory in those places Yeah, we've seen several of the bevel boxes on ~2002 "fuzzy paint" models flake off as well, some worse than yours. So far though, most of the paint failures are on the engine block itself. What's interesting is that the failures of the paint on the engine(heat related, bubbling) and other locations like the bevel(contamination intrusion, flaking) seem to be from different causes, and slightly different results. I can only assume that in general, Guzzi got a bad batch of paint with the "fuzzy" finish al

Williamville - do a search on "Williamsville" and you'll see them. The set that cracked were the Two Brothers risers. al

Welcome to the club. If we move to Raleigh this Summer, maybe I'll see you around! I am in Raleigh right now looking around. Is there even a Guzzi dealer around these parts? al

Which bags are you using from RKA? al