Marty

Has anyone out there upgraded their V-11 to a higher performance ECU? Or some how has an extra V-11 Sport ECU from around the year 2001 or so (or equivalent). If so I am interested to buy your V-11 Sport ECU (computer). I need this because I just recently discovered that my 07 California Vintage runs much much better if I swap it's ECU with the one from my 2001 V-11 sport. This simple swap does a tremendous amount to eliminate serious performance issues that the stock Cal Vintage (at least here in California USA) has from new. So I need another ECU so I can run both bikes... Please help!! Marty Ray Santa Cruz CA USA 831-475-6204 marty.ray@apple.com

Thankyou Velf, that really really sounds a lot like my exact problem, except for me it took less time to return to functioning condition. But I'll try that, in fact, it was recommended to me to just get rid of the electric petcock and put in a manual one. In any case I really enjoyed your post, you cracked me up talking about how Holy Water from Lourdes didn't do nothing!!!! Thanks for putting your note in the other thread to direct me to this one.

Thank you all so much for your various comments and counter comments. I was amazed at what I spawned! It's going to take me some time to try the various things that were suggested. I'm interested in the valve clearance issue. I did not think I was using some "US" spec., because I was using the factory shop manual and owners handbook which are multi lingual and the spec is the same in all languages (0.1mm and 0.15 mm-- and actually .004" and .006" are very slightly looser than that due to conversion factors (i.e. 0.1mm is actually like .0039")) Formerly when I set valves I was using an inch feeler gauge so those are the clearances I have it set to (4 and 6). Recently I got a metric feeler but I had to ask my Snap-On guy as nobody else had one. I'm willing to try different clearances as recommended, but I'm not so sure I want to deviate too far from factory specs. I have not seen any mention of US specs being different, etc. However it is worth noting that my OLD Guzzi (Ambassador '72) uses .1 and .2 (4 and 8 thou). I remember being surprised the first time I looked inside the V-11 valve cover thinking it was basically no different than the old Guzzi. To my mind valve clearances have two functions: one, to avoid burning valves by not allowing the gap to completely close up when hot, thereby leaving valves slightly open and liable to burn; and two, to position valves precisely to have optimum valve timing. In other words, if the gap is too small, the valve opens slightly earlier than intended, and stays open shorter than intended, and if the gap is too large, the valve opens later than intended and stays open longer than intended. This can be seen in the use of "valve timing checking valve clearances" which are sometimes specified in various shop manuals (not noted in Guzzi books, this is a general comment)--- that is, set clearance for valve #1 to say .030 and note on degree wheel exactly when valve begins to open, or something similar. I recall using this technique to determine that the cam in the engine of my '57 MG Z Magnette 4 door saloon was in fact not the Z cam but the MGA one instead, which was a performance upgrade on the part of a prior owner. Thus, messing with valve lash clearances messes with valve timing, so I'm concerned. I was tickled to see the discussion of setting valve clearances and who could get it right etc. etc. I think it takes a certain feel, but, it doesn't take as delicate a touch as setting an ignition points gap with a feeler gauge, because when you do that you have to worry about not pushing back the points spring. I think with valves you are unlikely to really have much of an effect on the spring! One day soon I'm going to have to learn how to set the valve lash on my new Ducati which has desmodromic valves. The dealer thinks I should let him do it, but that's not my style. Thinking of the Ducati, which is a Sport 1000, I recall a recent conversation with a Guzzi enthusiast who was the salesman in a nearby Ducati/ Honda dealer. He said the sport 1000 is a new bike trying to look old, but the V-11 is an old bike trying to look new!!!!!!

Thanks, I did read all that stuff already. However, at the time of the failure opening the fuel cap does not produce a sucking in of air nor allow the bike to restart, the only thing that seems to work is to wait for some time.

I'm new to this forum. First I posted one reply to a somewhat older thread, then thought I better start fresh. My 2001 V-11 Sport has generally been very reliable, with the exception of the neutral lamp, which would sometimes not work (the light would not come on). Replacement of the switch does not appear to have completely cured the problem, but it seems better. But this is just an aside, which I hope is not associated strongly with the main problem. Another pesky issue has been an occasional stalling at idle following a longish run. I'm also wondering if this matter is associated with the main problem. This bike will appear to run fine, but sometimes during a longish run, apparently when the bike is hottish, the engine will either lose power, and eventually die, or, will just stall and die. At the time of the failure it will not restart. BUT, if one waits say for 10 or 15 minutes, the bike will restart and all is well again. So far each time this has happened, I have made it home again, and have not yet had to be towed. I have not yet tried the more adventurous approach of continuing on further afield after the failure occurs! The first time this happened, it was on the freeway, and the bike just cut out, with the tach dropping to zero-- an apparent electrical problem. This time, it restarted, then further along it started to cut out and come back, and finally cut out completely. At the time, it would not restart. Having heard about the relays, I noticed that several of them were identical, and swopped them around. Whether this cured the problem, or whether it was just the wait, I don't know, but in any case after this I replaced all the relays. I used ones from Omron, purchased from the electronics supply house Digikey, for only about $4 each. Although the OEM ones are 4 of one type and 1 of another, the essential difference is an extra unused function in the 1, and Omron has stopped making this type, so I ended up using 5 identical relays. These matters can be seen on the wiring diagram. So now, thinking I had solved the problem, I continued to ride, but the problem seems to have reappeared but now appears to be more fuel related than electrical. As I am not able to make this problem occur at will, and as survival on the road is a high priority when it does occur, I cannot always be sure I am seeing all the symptoms. However, it is my impression that the tach cutting out symptom and the feeling of electrical failure has been eliminated by replacing the relays. So, either the problem was always one of more than one cause, or, another cause has appeared on the heels of the first problem. Now during a longish run the bike will all of a sudden start to lose power, and act as though it has run out of fuel, finally stalling out completely. When this occurs the bike will not restart. A wait of perhaps 10 or 15 minutes results in being able to restart and ride with full power. On the basis of various advice I checked and adjusted the gap of the rpm sensor, this seemed to make no difference. Valve clearances are stock and fine. I have been told that the following are possible causes: failing electric petcock, failing rpm sensor, failing sidestand switch, clutch lever switch, tps failure, fuel tank vacuum (tank suck). I have noticed various possible related matters discussed on this forum. I don't want to start in replacing items that are not the true cause-- after all, the way electrical and electronic parts are, there is no guarantee and new one won't be faulty too. Anyone want to offer suggestions on how to proceed to diagnose this problem?

I'm new to this forum and have been searching for discussions of problems similar to what my 01 V-11 Sport experiences. This thread sounds similar, because my bike would go for miles and miles and then just start to either lose power, and eventually quit, or, would have what appeared to be electrical shut down where the tach needle would drop to zero as the bike cut out, but cut in and out, and finally die completely. The first time this occurred was on the freeway and none too safe. There were some indications that the bike had to get fairly hot before this would happen so I'm thinking about the threads on fuel vapor lock. In any case, after these symptoms shut down the bike, with some waiting, like maybe 10-15 minutes, normalcy would return. The first time this happened, I suspected the relays. Switching these around seemed to help, though I am not sure if it was that or just waiting a bit that allowed me to ride home. After that I replaced all the mini-relays with ones from Omron purchased from Digikey, a big electronics supply house. These were only about $4 each. Omron shows 2 types of these relays, which correspond to the two types used on the bike, but in fact have discontinued supplying one of the two, however, the one type they still supply can substitute because the extra internal contacts are just not used. Nevertheless, the problem recurs, though I THINK the electrical aspect has gone away. I also messed with the rpm sensor and reset the gap. It has been suggested to me by various people, including the helpful techs at Moto International in Seattle, that the causes might be: bad electric fuel petcock, failing rpm sensor, vapor lock, tank suck, tip over valve, and more. I prefer to diagnose the actual cause rather than to just start replacing parts, though I did replace the relays having heard so much about their problems. This bike also exhibits the problem mentioned in some threads of stalling at idle after a longish run. I'm starting to think that may be TPS related. Any ideas would be appreciated!