al_roethlisberger

Another sure-fire cause, and one I've seen on several of the cracked side-covers.... is that the rubber bushing is wedged into the hole crooked, then when the bolt is tightened down, craaaaaaaack Taking the covers off, and making certain that these bushings are placed neatly in their holes has staved off any newly cracked covers in my case so far(knocking on wood). My originals were cracked, and the corresponding holes had deformed bushings wedged into the holes. al

...looks like the MG bag to me. If not, it's just like the MG bag I've got al

....eeeeeeeenteresting. I also had a ECUapparently die(so says the dealer ) last year, although the bike would run.... just very badly. al

Not sure about the context of this example.... but just as an aside, our ECUs aren't protected from spikes/surges, and as with any any EFI/ECU equipped bike... it is not recommended to jump or push-start them, as many people have fried their ECUs this way. There is a link on Guzzitech somewhere about adding a resistor to protect the ECU, but I couldn't find it via a quick glance. Although it seems like a real disadvantage, in reality the occasional push-start if you are stranded probably won't kill anything.... unless you have bad luck that is. But jumping from a car is a definite no-no. Although I'm sure other folks have other opinions, this is what I've always been told al

OMG... that's expensive Couldn't one just find a way to retrofit a 6-speed case more cheaply instead... modify the swingarm, et al... for less? Wow That's a lot of dough for the "neato" factor.... al

Which side is used as stock? Side "A" or side "B"? al

whoa theres a comparison that i never thought id have to make... and not quite the level of quality i wanna be held down to... sorry and i wish i couldnt say this but nothin' beats the quality of HONDA...paint/fit finish (many say they have no personality...but while others are fixing their personality....the honda guys out riding w/out much worry of break downs or...is the wife home to come and get me in the truck) That's true regarding Honda.... although they've hit a few "bumps in the road" this last couple years with the new VFR, ST1300, and VX-thingee.... cracking frames, bad heads, etc... al

If I had a "Sport", I'd put that fairing on it in a heartbeat

Are we talking about the same hose? This is a steel braided hose. I can't imagine somebody replacing it with brass fittings, radiator hose and pvc pipe. Ahh, you are talking about the "lower" hose, not the "upper" hose I have never heard of one of the lower hoses leaking.... so "no" this is not a "common" problem, although I'm sure it's happened before. This hose is not typically as susceptible to leaking due to it's protection with the SS braid, but who knows what happened This one is a bit harder to replace with a non-Guzzi item, but it could be built by going down to your local "hot rod/speed" or hydraulic hose shop. In fact, I bet the latter could build you a hose that would be infinitely more durable than the stock Guzzi hose, and never leak for the lifetime of the bike. Just take your leaking hose down to them, hand it over with a face... and let them work their magic al

Before I do, does anyone know the correct length of the spacer, so folks know what to look for in regard to a mis-sized unit?

I've found with the Stucchi crossover(if that's a helpful comparison) that the front pipes do not slide up onto the stock headers quite as far as the OEM crossover did. This is especially true of the right side, since that cylinder is farther forward. So, I have the infamous slight exhaust leak out of the "slots" on the cross-over's flange on that side that is a bugger to get to stop. One of these days I'll take it apart and get it really sealed, but everyone tells me that this is normal, and will probably always leak to some degree. In regard to the clamps.... unless you have a looong strongarm wrench or something, I assure you that you will run out of gas long before you will damage the pipes by cranking down on the clamp Just tighten it down about as hard as you can by hand, and it will be fine. al

All good points Steve, and each I've considered.... and would recommend anyone making the choice also consider. However, although Brian's cases are supposedly the "worst ever seen"... mine are pretty darned bad I've got bubbles so big that they completely obscure the ribbing below the cylinders. And of course, if you "pop" one, well... that's purty too Anyway, to each his own, and if I hadn't already planned to put in new pistons, cam, and conn rods, I may not have taken the new-cases choice. But it was coming apart anyway, and this is now just a freebie rebuild BTW, the photos of the new cases I've seen seem to match quite well... certainly better than the current leprous gray my engine now is up against the transmission (...which BTW, is also bubbling, just at a much slower/smaller rate) I also have thought about the serial number thing, but I don't think that number is referenced anywhere else on the bike. So I don't think it really matters. And given the known history of the 01/02 "fuzzy" bikes, I think any knowledgeable buyer/collector wouldn't think twice about this issue, as it would be expected. ....or you could just get the engine number engraved later Anyway, in the meantime, I'm just waiting for the call from Moto Italiano, then order my parts from Mike Rich, and drop it off. We'll see how it turns out. al

Seems like it would be easy to have someone machine

....ahhh, I get cha I'm sure you could open up the stock cross-over and fix it up at a good welder and exhaust shop... although I'm not sure how the ceramic would hold up to that, so you might have to get it recoated. al

...right, all good reasons I had considered, but I was just wondering if MG actually had any failures/issues with the "old" single cable system Dunno

I've had dual throttle cable setups on other bikes, but the single cable solution on my 02 seems to work fine. So I am wondering why MG went to a dual cable setup on the new bikes as I've heard, and other than the throttle itself, I wonder what other bits changed. al

Ahh yes.... well, I've been waiting since last Fall... sooooo My shop is Moto Italiano in San Mateo as well, and I just had another long conversation with Mike(Service Manager) last week on the topic. He's been very helpful, and genuinely seems to be concerned about this now 6 month-ish wait... but there's only so much they can do. But here's the current deal. They recieved their first "kit" about 2 months ago. The owner that had the first sceheduled service couldn't get his bike in for several weeks, so MI decided to not remove/inspect the "kit" from it's packaging so as not to risk any damage before it was time to do the rebuild. However, although they now realize they should have opened the kit upon receiving it, once the owner brought his bike in, they tore down his engine... then unpacked the "kit", only to find that either MGNA or MG Italia packed the kits very inappropriately, with only one layer of bubble wrap, all the engine pieces clanging around in one big box.... and hence, a couple of the cases had ribs/fins broken off. So now that owner's bike is sitting in pieces waiting for another kit to arrive Then, the second(would have been mine) arrived a week or so ago, and they were similarly packaged, and damaged... then a third kit, also damaged. All have been returned to MGNA, and we are all now awaiting new kits to arrive. So who knows how long that will take, and if the pieces are coming directly from Italy packed like this(versus MGNA repackaging them incorrectly)... there may be little anyone can do to gaurantee that the new pieces arrive undamaged from MGNA. In the meantime, my sump spacer has started to blister and peel as well, and I let Moto Italiano know to try to get that part also for the rebuild. *sigh* al

AMEN brother My "champagne" color is a gray/silver undercoat with a thin coat of the gold-tone, with clear topcoat. As mentioned, an experienced shop can figure out and match these colors darned close. This is especially true of shops specializing in MC painting. There was no "code" or "scanner" at the MC paint shop that I had paint the black 2003 tank I retrofitted to my 02 LeMans, but in the end, their experience let them match the color almost exactly. I can't tell the difference. But yes, if I ever repaint a significant portion of the bike, it will get repainted in my color of choice, but from well known and readily available batch/vendor, that also has touch up paint available. ...so probably something from GM, Ford, Diamler-Chrysler, Honda, etc..... al

...ahh, the old "I forgot to lock one down" syndrome eh? But seriously, sorry to hear about that, as I know it's expensive to replace one bag. Carl Allison lost one of his about a year ago for the same reason. Yep, this is a common issue. It seems that this breather hose deteriorates over time due to heat and vibration, and eventually cracks and leaks. Although I am surprised yours has failed so soon You can go get the MG part, but availability may be an issue, and I'm sure it's pricey for no good reason. Or you can do what others have done, and just go down to your local "speed shop" and get some quality hose, and some brass or alum angle fittings, and it'll never leak again I think Rich Maund made his from some radiator hose, and PVC fittings from Home Depot This also is a common problem, but one I haven't really heard much about since last year when we determined that in most cases it is caused by: 1) Grunge in the caliper. It seems that since the caliper is underslung, all the grime, brake dust, grease, etc... gets trapped in there, and the piston binds. This usually caused the infamous brake "groan", and in theory could cause brake wear. A good long wash with brake cleaner takes care of it. You'll be amazed at how much grunge washes out of the caliper. 2) Sometimes the rear brake line comes loose from its clip on the swingarm, and gets too close to the exhaust crossover. This could cause expansion and potential brake issues. 3) Check the adjustment of your brake pedal linkage/setup to make sure you aren't inadvertintly applying the rear brake even when "not". Yep, it's probably TB snch. Why? ... who knows, but they do get out of whack sometimes. Also check that you don't have a loose or cracked TB rubber boot. This has often made bikes run poorly and driven owners batty trying to figure out why. Hope that helps! ...sounds like all minor issues, except finding a spare Tekno bag. Good luck al

The rpm at which it all goes to glass is mostly (AIUI) a result of the balance factor used when balancing the engine. At that rpm everything is balanced and smooth. Rj I think what Dave meant is that at 5000 miles(not RPM) his engine apparently "broke in" and the vibes he had been experiencing just went away Here's an interesting quandry/question though. If one installs new pistons, conn rods, and a cam(which I plan to do when I get the engine cases swapped).... will this 5-10k mile "break in until smooth" start all over again? i.e. will the bike vibrate more again, then take a few thousand miles to smooth out? al

...that "buzzing" is the engine telling you that you are lugging it.... don't Anything much below 3k(and certainly 2k) is really lugging this engine, and is detrimental to it's long term health, plus there's not much power down there anyway al

And more info here: Forum Trans Spring FAQ - With Photos al

hrmmm, possibly I have found that as stock, at a constant 3-4k, some Sport/LeMans sometimes did cough and run rough... so perhaps yours is exhibiting this behavior as well? If so, yes a PCIII can cure this. My bike is smooth as glass at 4-5k highway cruising..... ~80mph So yours should be as well. Due to gearing, the Sport may seem a bit more "busy" than the Jackal at comparable speeds, by design, but it still should be a well sorted ride. al

.... not sure who's coating your system, but I had my entire system coated insode and out by Jet-Hot for about $140, and that included the lead-in tubes for the exhaust cans themselves. $300 seems a bit steep for just the crossover If you are willing to spend that kind of money, I'd just get a Stucchi and get it coated. I suspect that would be about $350-75 total, including coating. Good luck

....sounds like you need(needed) your air/fuel mixture reset after your intake and exhaust mods. A lot of us have had the intakes blow off with a cough back through the intakes when the mixture was off. WRT to "detonation" or commonly known as pinging, the MG combustion chamber is notoriously "bad", rife with hotspots, an inefficent placement of the plug, and a poor squish-band.... and often is susceptible to pinging under hard acceleration and hot conditions. If this is a recurring problem for you, and yes it can cause damage....you can address all of these through porting, dual-plugs, different pistons, etc... but simple fixes are to use high octane fuel, get the air/fuel mix tuned, and possibly use a cooler plug(as long as that doesn't cause other problems). This is often more pronounced after changing intake and exhausts to freer flowing units. Also, as mentioned, not "lugging" the engine below 4-5k under acceleration helps a lot. Keep it spinning al