al_roethlisberger

heh, you may be right.... we'll just have to see I guess. But to be honest, Denise has often been very supportive of my just taking off on a trip/ride, even right up late into her pregnancy.... but I didn't have the heart to take her up on the offer. I suspect if anything, this latter scenario will be the deciding factor in limiting any future flights of fancy .... I really hate to take off on a great trip, and leave everyone else behind. After all, I want to share it with them. Maybe some tandem, multi side car rig of some sort is in order

...each bike is different I guess, but both my "old school" 2002 external fuel circuit, and the new 2003 in-tank setup that I have on the bike now makes the same "whirrr, gurgle" sounds after cycling the kill switch a couple/three times. Once it "gurgles, whoomps", after that, it's only "whir"... and should then start in my case. Again.... YMMV It's as if fuel needs to make it all the way through the circuit, as sometimes there is vapor in the lines after sitting a while. I have no idea. BTW, I also noticed that it seems like some folks are using their starter for what I consider a fairly long duration to get the bike started.... even quoted as "5 seconds" in one post. Is this considered "normal"? I was always taught with autos, and any electric start engine, to just hit the starter long enough to turn the engine over once or thrice, and if it didn't catch then(maybe 2 seconds max)... back off and wait a moment so as not to overheat and place undue strain on the starter and it's electrical harness. 5 seconds(counting 1001, 1002, 1003.... ) seems like a loooooong time to run the starter to me Maybe this is one of many differences in the starting methods we all utilize, that makes our experiences vary?? al

...yeah, I was wondering about that, as none of the production Guzzis currently have radial brakes, and up to now, Paolo's supply has been from OEM Guzzi Ohlins bits I got my forks from him as well, and can give him a positive endorsement for anyone thinking about buying from him al

You are worse than I... just can't leave well enough alone for long can you BTW, Todd is supposed to be getting some high end Marz forks with radial mounts soon. So stay tuned to Guzzitech for details. al

....so sorta "on that note" (The Pirelli Diablo "note" that is ) Has anyone had a chance to compare the performance and wear characteristics of the "regular" Diablo, and Diablo Corsa? I've read the specs, trade literature, ads, and various reviews... so I understand how they are supposed to differ(which isn't much BTW, the regular Diablos are better in wet, and last longer, where the Corsas stick better dry)... but am interested in riders' personal experience with both models. For example, if in reality the Corsas still stick "like glue" in wet weather for non-superhuman riders, and wear reasonably well, then I'd be happy to go with them when I change. However, if the Corsas wear out in 4k miles, and don't stick so well in the rain.... al

I still prefer the Tankslapper products for "everyday" tank protection, but I "might" go for a 1/2 or 3/4 bra for longer rides just to protect the tank from abrasions. I can't say I would sign up for a pre-order, but if they made one, it's a good chance I might pick one up the next time I plan a long trip.... some day. ...but that's probably not going to be any time this year FYI: Bagster(sp??) already makes a complete bra with matching tank-bag, that is available now. There was a recent thread, so if one searches, you'll find photos and a link. al

Well here is my theory(and method)... sorta confirmed by a few others here on the forum. OK, well first the "method" I cycle my kill switch exactly three times, with a brief pause in between each cycle to let the fuel pump cycle, pressurize, and quit. That's it. And it will almost always fire up on the first try after that I think what is happening, especially with bikes that have sat for a day or more, is that the fuel system gets vapor/low-pressure, and for whatever reason takes a couple/three cycles of the fuel pump to run the fuel through and get to the correct pressure. After my "3 cycle" method, on that last cycle, I can usually actually hear a different sound from the fuel system... almost a "whoomp and gurgle" that I can only guess is air and fuel finally making it all the way through the circuit past the pressure regulator and into the tank return. At that point, the system should be fully purged of any vapor, and pressurized correctly. ... and then it starts. No enricher, no 1/2 throttle... just starts Oh, and yeah OK.... I lied Every so often it actually takes 4 cycles of the switch before I hear the tell-tale and reassuring "whoomp and gurgle" knowing it's a safe bet to spin the starter And every blue moon it might actually take two, instead of one, brief hits of the starter to get going. But generally, 3 leisurely cycles of the kill switch, then one short burst from the starter button... and she'll start right up One last note for those unaware. Do not sit on your starter button. If the engine doesn't catch after a brief hit of the starter button.... stop. Try again in a moment for sure, but don't burn up your starter or electrical system running the starter for constant revolutions. Bad idea. al

Those shims look so nice, I almost wish I had this problem so I could buy a pair All kidding aside, yep, once again... EXCELLENT WORK It's forum members like this that make it worthwhile! al

It's actually quite simple The MG Ti "kit" simply consists of: 1) Two "unrestricted" titanium exhaust cans(basically identical to any aftermarket units, except badged Moto Guzzi ) 2) A new 15M ECU remapped for the freer flowing exhaust 3) Hardware to hang the pipes ...that's it There are no additional modifications to the airbox or crossover that come with the MG Ti kit. And IMHO, it's not a "bad" deal for $1000(although perhaps barely a "bit" pricey ), especially if you never plan to do anything else with the induction/exhaust of the bike. Basically, you get a nice looking, complete kit, that will run well with your bike in one package... easy So, you spend $1000(maybe less, I've seen them for around $700 on sale), and you're done But, if you plan to add airbox modifications, crossovers, or anything even more severe like cams, pistons, etc... you'll need a PCIII anyway. So at that point, I would say the more you do, the more the finances drive you toward just buying some nice aftermarket mufflers, crossover, PCIII ,etc... That's really the break-point... if you plan to add more "stuff". Unless $$ is no object of course, and you simply want the MG Ti kit for it's looks, then do whatever pleases you aesthetically the most al

Well, two things(actually three ) 1) Any ECU from a recent V11 Sport, Naked, LeMans... will work. They are all the same. So if he has any of the V11 Sport "models" on the floor, he can swap out the ECU in about 15 minutes. 2) WRT valve lash "clearances look good" ... what does that mean? I ask because if he is simply saying that they are set to the "correct" US/North-American spec, then they are probably too tight for your local heat/weather. This is a common problem with many US bikes, as the valve lash for the US is a good bit tighter to meet EPA sound regulations, but is often too tight once the engine is heated up in hot climates to idle. This is the exact problem I went round-and-round with my dealer for MONTHS to get my bike to stop coughing, knocking the intakes off, and dying at idle once run up good and hot. It was extremely frustrating, with several trips to the dealer..... with them finally saying "oh, just go ride it and let it loosen up" Well, I gave up... and took it home to fix it myself, and once Mike Stewart and I loosened the valve lash up to Raceco specs, it's never coughed or died again. Never. I would suggest asking if he measured/meant US, Euro, or ??? specs. And if he said US, ask him to loosen them up to Euro specs at the very least to see what happens. Raceco specs are even "looser". Now, this may or may not be your problem of course, but be sure to ask the dealer exactly what "the clearances look good" really means, as it does matter. 3) And WRT remapping the stock ECU, as Gthyni points out... his answer that "it can't be done" is hogwash. Even my dealer, who I have some minor nits with(see #2 above ) is/was able to remap the air/fuel portion of the 15M with the supplied software from Guzzi with no problem. They have to be able to do this, in combination with a gas analyzer, to properly tune the bikes when servicing them. If you dealer can't, then he needs to have his service guys go to "Guzzi school" The only portion of the 15M that almost all capable dealers won't mess with is the ignition map, which is apparently harder to tinker with.... either for technical reasons, or perhaps due to lack of experience And even though most can do the fuel/air map, they don't have a dyno or the experience to tune it to produce the best power... just a good burn/idle to spec. Anyway, hope it all works out for you. It's got to be something simple, as these engines just aren't that complicated. And once you do find the little nit giving you these problems, you'll just shake your head that it took so long Good luck, and let us know how it works out al

Seems like the turnout for the monthly dinner has been getting slowly but consistently more and more sparse as the months have worn on.... ...to the point that last month, only one rider showed up... waited around, and finally left But of course, it coincided with the newly christened "Bay Area Ducati Night"... so there ya go. Read the thread below: http://www.wildguzzi.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6461 So, if the Guzzi Night is on it's last legs, maybe we can just do what I suggested in the thread, and have an "Italian" Bay Area Motorcycle night instead? Dare I say it might be more "interesting" anyway with a mix of bikes? I guess if everyone thought this was a good idea, we could just ask Doc Wong what he thinks, since he was the original organizer I mean, heck there was even a Laverda there al

Cliff only has a ~couple of his 15M versions of the My16M available for testing, and one of the "beta testers" here in the USA is Carl Allison. Both Carl and Cliff are members of the forum, and Carl is very active here, so will probably see your post and respond. We have had some very lengthy discussions here on the My16M and what it would take to fit it to a 15M equipped bike, hence Cliff's interest in making it work. Interestingly, one of the biggest hurdles was finding a source for the ECU plug ...that's one reason why Carl was asking for someone's dead PCIII the other day Anyway, I don't know where Carl's tesing is at right now, as he's still rebuilding his crashed Sport. But ping him, or start a new thread with a title something like "Status on the My16M ECU" ... and I'll bet Carl and Cliff will notice it and let us all know how things are going. We haven't heard an update in months. Here's an interesting sidenote though.... one of the benefits we've noted for Cliff's ECU is it's ability to run closed loop, unlike how our bikes are currently delivered. Yet, Dynojet sells an adapter that negates the O2 sensor on closed-loop bikes to "improve performance" Interesting... I don't know what to think on this one.... al

.....right, but as mentioned, this will not work with a Spine framed bike. The alternator(and it's drive shaft) in the photo above would be occupying the same space as the frame I'm not sure this would even fit a modern Tonti... who knows though al

Yep, I've been running Dan's new GEI relay for many months now with no problems, and it seems to run quite a bit cooler than the Bosch units.... for whatever that is worth al

Yep, several of us have One relevant thread: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...1136&hl=exhaust I have their "sterling" finish, which is somewhere between a "frosty" chrome and aluminum color. It's holding up fine, hasn't discolored, and seems durable. They also have colors like black, and a "titanium" flat gray that isn't listed, which looks quite good. al

Also check the valve lash. Ultimately this was found to be the primary issue with my bike. From the factory, the valve lash was set too tight(but to US spec), and once hot, the bike just wouldn't idle. al

Since I've seen it come up a couple times in the last month in other threads, I just thought I'd ask if anyone has really looked into it's function, and possibly given it a try? http://www.powercommander.com/accelpump.shtml From the few comments people have made about it's possibly combating "pinging" under hard acceleration, it might be an interesting experiment for someone with a PCIII and the detonation problem. Maybe Todd Eagan will see this post, and can comment as well? My bike is actually running pretty well in this respect, so if only really addresses the pinging issue, it's probably not something I need. But I am still curious how it works, and how well. al

So, has anyone tried the "accelerator pump" function with the PCIIIusb? From what I can tell, it's just a software switch to flip.... al

Since it is at the shop anyway, I would suggest swapping the ECU from another bike to eliminate that possibility. I had a bad ECU early on, and had similar mysterious running problems. al

Yeah, exhausts are pretty persnickety in regards alignment... just like any plumbing. I had to tinker, twist, adjust, loosen, tighten... repeat... several times to get them correctly aligned this time around. I think the MG Ti cans may be shorter(and have slightly different mounting brackets) than the Leo Vinces I have, so that may also be why they are angled up more severely in your case?? Also keep in mind that the actual hangars can be installed a number of different ways with the adapter plates, and depending on how mounted will alter the height and angle of the pipes. The adapters do not seem to be side specific, as I installed them on both sides to see which fit my pipes better in combination with the hangars. As noted earlier in the thread, I have my adapter plates mounted in reverse of how I've seen them mounted on official MG ads like the photo of the Copa on homepage. You can see this clearly by the positioning of my hangars versus the MG photos. But, reversed or not, it seemed to work for me Zeb, I wonder why it's so hard to find affordable exhaust coaters in your area?? ...and yep, the edges of the wheels are stripped/polished I did that last year when I accidentally buggered up the finish on the front rim when changing out the front forks al

Closeup:

Finished product: - Higher mounted exhaust with Sport1100/MG-Ti exhaust hangars - Also have installed my newly candy red powder coated sideplates and valve covers - And the new 2003 tank with metal badges

hrmmm, I order extensively via the Internet(mail, phone, etc) and find it to be far more convenient and ultimately effective than wasting hours physically running from store to store looking for that "one evasive part" I need YMMV, but my perspective is that many of these shops that have developed an online presence now have increased their customer base, exposure, and sales by many fold over their physical walk-in customers alone. That being said, if possible, I will opt for a local brick-and-mortar shop if I know they have the parts, and I can get them in an hour versus a week, especially if the savings by Internet ordering is only a couple bucks. Perhaps I am missing the "angle" of your peeve Brian, and to each their own, but I don't blame the Internet/Telephone sales for putting small fry brick-and-mortar shops out of business... that's evolution(in general), and they simply failed to adapt if so ...no one stopped them from setting up an Internet presence to augment and go along with thier physical store. And I do almost all of my research on the Internet prior to buying anything... al

....yeah, but AFAIK, naw... the issue is the alternator output isn't up to a lot of electrical load. Maybe there is a more powerful version out there, but I haven't heard of one. Keep in mind that these bikes were originally meant to be sport(ing) bikes with the original spine framed Sport1100's, and not meant to need anymore electrical output than the basics. The old Tonti bikes had room for a top mounted proper generator, but not the spine frames. Things you can do though is to keep your electrical connections clean and sealed/greased. Further, for those high draw systems like the headlight, horns, etc... you can rewire them directly to the battery with a relay. With the system already taxed, any little bit you can do to improve the efficiency will help. al

....or just saw off the top of the airbox lid. I've seen several people do that. "free" is good al