Baldini

Rock Oil trm in motor, Redline Shockproof Heavy in both trans. KB

Bertie, Did we meet at a Mway services somewhere in Northern England - you'd just bought the bike in Yorkshire (?) & were riding it up to Orkney - I was in my car, came over to say hello (I'll talk to anyone on a Guzzi...well pretty much anyone at all...!) - did you make it without getting wet? Either way - welcome to the forum KB

Shame that the Griso frame is fundamentally ugly. Why do they need the top rails to run so high above the heads? KB

Yes, I thought that was obvious in my post, maybe not. To be clear: I mean bear on inner/outer simultaneously - eg: make up a flat plate that will act on both inner & outer faces simultaneously. I was not suggesting driving home on inner. I drifted brngs home using only outer face for years until someone here put me straight. KB

They will come out fairly easily but it's tricky to get a good purchase on the first brng. Once I've located the drift at an angle onto the brng inner edge thru the hub, I use a piece of wood to wedge it in place tight against the other brng inner. A piece of flat steel with end formed to a curve works for me. Work around brng, not at just one spot. Another trick someone here suggested was a piece of tube of diam to fit ID of brng with slots cut some way along it's length. Expand tube against brng & drift out. Another suggestion was using expanding bolts. Heat can help but probably isn't necessary. I used towels soaked in boiling water wrapped around hub successfully on something. When fitting new bearings it's important to act on both inner & outer races at same time. I made up an alu plate, OD slightly smaller than brng's. On rear wheel I left locating plates off spacer - this makes brng removal much easier, but axle location a bit trickier. This subject was covered before, it may be worth a search. Or perhaps an FAQ or How to? KB

I woke up this morning & took a look around at all that I got These days I been looking in the mirror & wondering if that's me looking back or not I'm still the apple of my mama's eye I'm my daddy's worst fears realized Here of late all this real estate don't seem all that real to me I'm back out on that road again Turn this beast into the wind There are those that break & bend I'm the other kind Now my old buddy, what's his name, says "Man, what the hell you thinking about Fool, you got two of everything, but you hang your head just like you was down & out," & I'm sure not suffering from a lack of love There's plenty more where that came from Ah - but leave it up to me to say something wrong & hurt someone before I'm done You see it used to be that I was really free I didn't need no gasolene to run Before you could say Jack Kerouac you'd turn your back & I'd be gone Yeah nowadays I got me two good wheels & I seek refuge in aluminum & steel Aw, it takes me out there for just a little while & the years fall away with every mile Steve Earle "the other kind"1990

Ben, just think of them as ground clearance/tyre grip testing venues, & you may see them in a better light. Find a nice big grippy one on a quiet time & you're laughing - or even better several of same connected by short stretches of dual carriageway. I love roundabouts. Martin, I once negotiated that roundabout complex in your photo - not without some effort, I'm sure it looked great on the signs but when you arrive it's mindboggling cos there's just all these lines painted on the road...with cars seemingly travelling randomly in all directions...

Raising forks in triple clamps will speed up steering. If you do this, check all clearances esp mudguard to casing & be aware of slightly decreased ground clearance. I brought em up about half an inch on Scura (dunno if Ohlins are same lengt as yours). What tyres are you using? There is a huge diffeence in steering characteristics between types. The fastest turning I have used are Mich Pilot Power 2CT's. KB

OuijiVeck - you're a poet! Riding thermals like a Falcon, Lopey the LLama & Sophia Loren: As usual it's so much better said in analogy & pictures crafted in words - you know Guzzis, you are Guzzi! 170 doesn't really speed up steering so much as make front/rear turn in much more balanced. It gets rid of the wait between front going in & back following. Course tyres are different. Have you tried Conti SportAttacks? Slowish steering but a beautifully neutral & consistent lean - sooo smoooth! Bet you'd love em. I agree w VA Sean - If you're fighting it there's something wrong, either in set up (as Ratchet says) or the way you're riding it. Guzzi likes to have it's head - let it show you how it likes to do it. It ain't like no other bike! Not happy in tight nadgery stuff, or when ridden vaguely or inconsistently - smoothness is everything. Gregg - sounds like you were born to Guzzi! KB

I've used HCP&G in the midlands a couple of times for grinding/plating forks & found them very good. As said it's not cheap, but finish is excellent. I'll dig out their details if you want. I did once use epoxy to repir a small pit in fork. I got it real clean & it worked fine as I remember. But it was only a small single chip, scores may be tricky to do successfully. KB

MG know the flywheels break cos they are weak from new. But breaks now are outside warranty period, being fixed at owners expense. MG are keeping their heads down & don't wanna know. IMV there's no question parts fitted as new were "unfit for purpose". I have collected a few of the pix posted here over the years of damage to flywheels & cases. If your gonna chase MG & if any use to you I can pm/email them you or post in this thread. I just haven't had the time or energy to chase MG on this & like you & others have sourced a RAM clutch to fit myself. Supplier (close to the factory) tells me MG sourced some Scura clutch parts from RAM but not all: the flywheel is not a RAM part. Let me know if you want the pix. KB

Did you try Carole Nash for a quote?

Yeh....but can't plan anything more'n 5mins ahead. Ty Croes is handy for me. I like Cadwell but it's a bit of a trek... KB

EH? Choose a track with no long straights & fairing is irrelevant. Motor works great - enough power but not enough to worry about overdoing it out of corners & much less gearchanges than the Japs. What's the problem? KB

...& good luck to you ! I haven't been much interested in this stuff (UFI always worked fine for me) but I just don't understand why people get so het up about you doing a bit of honest research in your own time - I mean how does it affect them in any negative way? They/we can't lose anything by your efforts but may gain. As I say - good luck to you Ryland3210 KB

Yeh. I heard they're spending £4m on it & getting it up to FIA(?) stds or something. I loved the old track, very well thought out & technical, the corners all worked with each other ...& of course the short straights....sounds like it's a hike upmarket & going for cars & the big bike meetings? Guy - you ever been to Three Sisters? (& ta for the CD ). KB

At times like this I wish I'd been born the other side of the ocean... Good luck with getting it sorted KB

only ever seen Laguna Seca on TV, looks scary: I remember in WSB, years back, Kocinski (I think) all crossed up flying past Fogarty on the outside into that long first turn...I did a couple of trackdays on the Scura & loved it. They do go well for "an old tractor"! KB

Long, long time since I been there but the Van Gogh museum was great, if he can get hold of a pushbike it's good fun cos they have their own little roads & junctions, traffic signals & everything ..& the trams...The red light district is interesting (the Neumarket?) to see, but home to some very unsavoury characters too. KB

You would see evidence of same: a mist around bellhousing/crankcases joint, at inspection cap & at small hole at base of cases joint. If it's oil you'll have to split the cases anyhow. By your location & their behaviour I suspect your dealer is OYB? No? OYB supplied my Scura. OYB are aware of the flywheel problem. I was in contact with them at least a year ago & sent them written & photographic evidence. Their attitude then was as the one you describe. I recently emailed them again, which they ignored. I've been too busy to follow it up. MG are also head in the sand on this. It's time & energy I don't have so I bought a RAM to replace the stock one (which works fine but I don't trust to be/remain intact after all I've seen here). Which dealer? It may be that we'd get more action if we tackled it as a group. KB

I've had a LM11 for 20yrs & a V11 Scura for 4. The Tonti has Marzocchi forks, Konis & RAM single plate clutch, 950 (flat top SP) pistons, open pipes. Wasn't interested in modern Guzzis til the Ohlins kitted Scura came available at low price. It just looked real nice, & I was tired of the harsh suspension on the Tonti. First time I sat on a V11 made me smile cos it was just like the old Guzzi, more than anything else. I'm happy with the Scura, it's a lovely bike to ride. First off it's far more comfortable than the Tonti, it's bigger & softer. It has more power which makes it more relaxing to ride tho imv with 6 speeds they could have given it a higher top gear. It's a fair stretch 2nd to 3rd too. But the gearbox works sweeter & faster than a 5 speed. Up changes w/o the clutch are v quick. It is quicker turning than the Tonti but that doesn't mean a lot: it's still a big bike to get thru tight stuff with any grace. Also the fat rear tyre (180) means front turns in & then you wait for back to follow where 100f110r Tonti turns without that imbalance - both wheels going over at the same rate. You can ameliorate this by tyre choice. V11 frame is not as strong as Tonti. Tho it is pretty stable, it does not feel as planted or secure as a Tonti frame. Some of this is down to not being able to get your weight up over the front like you can on a Tonti cos the V11 tank comes back too far, therefore increasing the already rearward weight bias. But mostly IMV it just doesn't have the inherent stiffness of the Tonti. Nor is the spineframe the thing of beauty that the Tonti frame is. Torque reaction is less noticeable on the V11 but that never bothered me anyhow. Floating rear hub is better than Tonti cos there's no jacking up or down on the back. It uses tyres faster than a Tonti & the fat tyres are more fashion than function, tho it does give you access to the latest tyre designs & compounds (try a Michelin Pilot Power 2CT - Heh! heh!) where you're a bit stuck for choice on the Tonti. Tho I was biased against it for fear of not knowing what to do with it the FI has been good for me - I got a shop to set it up & it's run great - I haven't a clue how it works tho. I do the Tonti carbs & can get it sweet by sound & feel which is nice but there's no question it's more farting around. Same w/ points ignition. But the thing with the Tonti fuel/ignition is it's simple, I can fix it with a spanner & a screwdriver. Not sure that build quality or materials of basic parts (frame/motor) are as good on the V11 compared with a Tonti. Alloy used is apparently not up to exposure to the elements which is why they paint em whereas 30yr old bare alu Tonti motor will still brush up tidy. Brakes on V11 are better, w/ much better feel but then Tonti brakes are pretty damn good. Depends what you want. I love my old Tontis but I wouldn't sell the Scura now! The newer bikes are closly related to the old in looks, sound & feel - more so than you might expect. I'd pick the Scura to ride most times cos it's simply easier; roomier, comfier & more power & I'm getting on a bit now - the Tonti is harder work but it's more compact & predictable, feels lighter, tighter & more manageable when pushing on & easier to move around on. Dunno which would be faster down a twisty road tho. KB

It may not be flywheel failure but it sounds likely to me. Otherwise - worn plate? sticking pushrod? hydraulics? Did you buy locally - new from OYB?

You racing Jim?

For sure the Scura came with too soft springs. Impossible to set up for my weight (200lbs). Stiffer springs made everything different - the bike became usable & the adjustments meaningful (tho the rear has far too much high speed comp damping). It's said the 03 & later bikes have Ohlins much better set up from stock. KB

That's about right on my 02 Scura (kept clean, little winter or rain use). My understanding is that the Ohlins are designed primarily for low mileage sports use with all that implies. They run relaxed seals for lower stiction (try the action on these forks to see for yourself, there is very little stiction). Seal replacement is straightforward, the forks are well made & easy to work on. ...AND...the adjustability. Once you're in the ballpark with correct springs Ohlins forks can be tuned very accurately. Both forks carry rebound/compression adjusters with a wide range of adjustment. They work extremely well & each clik effects a small but precise & noticeable change. You have to decide for yourself if this is something you want. Now I've had it, I do. KB