dave

Hi Andy! That is really shitty news. Did it start working again after it dried out at all? If I come across one I will send it your way. Cheers, Dave

Thanks for the help. It is nice to hear that others have had the same mysterious problem. It does happen on hot days in the summer only, but with no relation to how the bike has been used. If i come up with anything I will chime out. ~Dave

I have been debating whether to make one for a while now. If they are still available at the right price I might be tempted to just buy one. If I end up making one it would be worth making more if there is a real need and enough folks want them.

I bought and returned the standard manual petcock offered for the V11 because the through hole was less than 1/8 inch (why have 3/8 hose to a car sized fuel pump, eh?) and the castings were crap resulting in terrible action. I found Pingle made a high flow unit that just needed an adaptor to the tank. Works brilliant.

Firstly, clean the whole caliper, especialy around the pistons with brake cleaner and a toothbrush. Debris could cause a piston to stick later when the retract. If you have the space to get a credit card in, find a thin piece of cold finish steel the same size. I will mail you one if you need. The pistons not want to go in evenly when they are near the end of their travel so a screwdriver is likely to cause binding. Slide the shim stock in place and alternately compress each piston in turn until a larger gap in made. Let me know how it goes, Dave

Thanks for the info. My plugs did show a little carbon build-up this last change and I do get soot at the exhaust exit. It is sad when the girlfriends car that seats 4 gets better mpg. Thankfully she rides too so no grief is ever given, just a smirk at the pump when I fill up twice as often.

I ride assertively, but certainly like no racer hooligan (though that can be fun too), mostly on secondary roads and get about 32 mpg. I would love to get more. My 2003 monster 800ie would come in at 48 mpg. 32 seems low in my opinion for a midrange tuned V-twin. I do run my tires at 31-front 35-rear because I like the way it turns that way, but I think that would only account for a couple more mpg. Everything is fresh on the bike. One big caveat, I haven't remapped the PC3 yet to go with the new pipes and crossover. The old ones were race pipes and it runs well enough that I can't bring myself to leave it in a shop for a week and lay down the cash. I am a cheap bastard sometimes.

Thanks for help. The pivot bolt is lubed stainless and fastened with a nyloc nut with free movement, so no problem there. Is it normal for when the spring fails for it to be an intermittent issue? or is this possibly something else. Thanks Again, ~Dave

I looked through the posts but couldn't fine my particular dilemma. Has anyone had the shifter stick in the down select position in first gear only? This is intermittent and I can force it back up (thus far). It seems to be happening more frequently. The warranty work was done (right I hope). The lever and linkage are moving freely and it has fresh Lucas gear oil. Is this a simple issue of putting in the exact amount of Redline Goo, rubbling its tummy and using coxing words? Or does experience show that surgery is likely required? Thanks again to all who have tread this path before! ~Dave

Hey Bob, I just want to add to the voices that say "Don't get discouraged". I bought my bike in 2007 and it sat in boxes for 4 years. Then it took 6 months to get it back together and it still delivers hours of attention whoring. I love it though! It feels good every time I go for a ride... and I am notorious for moving on to the next shiny project bike. Whatever you do, don't give up. Set it aside for a time if you need, but see it through, it will be worth it. Best regards, ~Dave

I was just reading a review on the Michelin 2CT that explains something that was bothering me. When exiting corners on the gas I feel the back end act like the wheel is shifting on the axle just a bit. Not a good feeling... No sir. Nothing is wrong back there as I can tell. I thought "Maybe just another Guzzi thing?". It turns out that this phenomena has been enjoyed by others without Guzziness. It is the transition from the yummy sticky edge compound to the harder center ( the opposite of a Tootsie Roll Pop.) Everything else about the tire I like. Mr. Baldini might be right about me not having 5K on the tires... my memory is not so good.

I am running EBC organics. They require more lever effort than on bikes past, but I really like the feel with the guzzi... very deliberate and progressive. I had a stuck caliper piston as well. I was worried about scored pistons ect. but finally solved it by dumping all the pistons and flushing the caliper with fluid. I believe I may have forced debris into the seal during a pad change by retracting the pistons without thoroughly cleaning the thing. I won't cut that corner again. Just got off my friends SpeedTriple for a comparison. It is an effective weapon for sure, with brakes that are well matched to it's aggressive nature. But I think it is all what you're used to. Some bikes want a handful of lever to stop and others require just a finger. I like two fingers with deliberate force required. It is part of why I like the Guzzi. Modern bikes keep getting more and more sensitive to input, I just want to enjoy my ride knowing that when I want to do some carving, the bike is capable.

Sounds like we have similar riding styles. Take it easy then maybe some mad moments well within limits set by many years of riding. Andy H Indeed! The same invisible force that allows us to effortlessly float around hairpin turns and pass wraithlike through traffic just as easily can spank us to the deck and grind down the ecstatic grin. It won't keep me from falling in love again, I just won't choose the sexy sociopath with the facial tick this time... well maybe

The most recent post got me thinking (no laughter please). Some time has past since the last rambling thread on tire choice descended into chaos. I have read them through and what was popular in year X becomes the whipping boy later on. I would be grateful if folks chimed in with their current opinion as to tires for assertive road use...not balls out track days... nor transglobal migrations. I know I am throwing chum in the water and peeps are likely to have totally different opinions of the same tire, but maybe there are some tires that are more universally liked/disliked than others. I currently am running Michelin 2CT Pilots. This is my 1st pair and have run them 5k miles maybe. They are wearing evenly with no cupping and show plenty of life left. I am not a knee dragger so I can't say how they behave when overheated to goo, but to me they seem average or above in stickiness and are progressive about it. It is hard for me to say how they effect the overall handling of the bike as I have only one other tire set to compare it to. Thanks all!

I second that. Thanks Roy!

No matter what you use it will need touched up down the road. How soon and how often is the choice. Powder coat is super tough until is fails catastrophically. It has exceptionally few pores because it does not off-gas as with a solvent based paint. When is is time to touch it up, it is very hard to remove the compromised areas to prep for paint, causing more and more frequent blemishes. Off the shelf enamels do a decent job. They offer some water protection and are easily retouched. They have a soft finish though and have limited choices for a hard top coat. Automotive paint is well... good for what it's intended. The good news is that auto paint can be applied with a brush, or bought in spray bombs ($30-$40) through the inter web without the need for an expensive set up. The catalyzed clear is a different story. To achieve a satin finish you can reapply a layer of base coat over the clear (the clear needs scuffed and the dry time must be right) to get the satin finish without any loss of protection. Here's the shitty thing. Metal wants to rust. Cutting corners with paint usually buys very little time. I would strongly recommend an effortless cosmetic touch up, or a proper acid-etch primer to catalyzed clear coat job. In between is fruitless work in mho. I do metal work for a living and have cut all the corners only to have to redo the work sooner than was worth it. Sadly, I can't say I have ever found an easy answer waiting to be discovered to the paint problem.

Oberon Streetfighter mated to a stainless bar end of my own making.