Kiwi_Roy

On the few occasions I have tried to use the damper, it's scared the ____ out of me when I try to steer at low speed. If they made a damper that cuts out below say 30 mph, then I might use it.

When you are installing the wheel be careful to get the washer (33) back in place otherwise it can drop down and jamb the bearing.

If you remember, a while back I measured the current drain on mine. Can't remember the exact figures now, but 40mA springs to mind, which dropped to about 4mA after fitting a relay to disconnect it when the ign is switched off. It's on a thread here somewhere. In practical terms, it meant the bike would just about turn over and start after about two weeks and when plugged into an optimate, would take a couple of hours to get back to full charge. Since the relay fitment, I can leave the bike 6 weeks plus, starts instantly with no sluggish turn over and if plugged into the optimate, only takes a few minutes to show fully charged. Adding a relay or some other means of disconnection for long term parking makes sense to me. I did remember to measure the Electrosport, it was just 3 milliamps, enough to discharge a battery over the winter so I disconnected the wire for the next 3 months. The Voltage sensing Black wire of a Ducati Energia draws about 15 milliamps, I'm sure that's why they wired it through the headlight relay.

No as the Voltage goes up the current reduced for a certain wattage Watts = Volts x Amps but as the Voltage is fixed by the battery to 12 Volts the current stays the same. Having said that often a switch contact has a higher current rating at a lower voltage I think the normal current would be about 5 Amps, let me look at the schematic. Are we talking V11 Sport? Most Guzzis including some V11 Sports pass the start solenoid current through the switch, that's about 40 - 50 Amps but only for about 1/10th of a second. If you want to use a smaller switch you could add a relay somewhere between the battery and the loads using that to switch the heavy current, the standard Guzzi relays are rated at 60 Amps from memory. The relay coils only draw 0.1 Amps I looked at my 02 manual, it's quite unusual in the starter solenoid is not through the switch, the biggest load is the direction indicators and that's only intermittent. If your switch is fed from a 10 amp fuse it's like mine, the start relay current bypasses the switch. the only steady current through it is the tail light, Electric petcock and a couple of relays, I think your 3 Amp switch will be fine. Since you won't have a park light you can just connect the wires from 2 & 4 (J & L) together and use a single pole switch. What was wrong with the original switch, they do need cleaning after 10 years at least mine did but A simplified schematic I based on the wiring of my V11, it doesn't show all the lighting detail, just the stuff that makes it run. Luigi got this one right IMHO, the heavy solenoid current (well over 40 Amps) goes through fuse 5, the relay and straight to the solenoid bypassing the switch. Fuse 5 also supplies the headlight, the other main load. The unusual feature of this wiring is the headlight current passes through 2 relays in series, other guzzis just switch the headlight relay coil with the start relay.

As chuck says, it could be the relay base but I always suspect the Ignition switch. Do the jumper test I mentioned first, If it cranks normally it's not the starter or solenoid. At 2002 the grease in your switch will be quite stiff for sure, it tends to hold the pressure off the contacts making them high resistance (mine was around 18 Ohms before I cleaned it, even 0.5 Ohms is too much if the solenoid relies on the switch). Wipe out the old grease, don't use harsh solvents and replace with fresh Vaseline. It's a sure sign of stiff grease if it starts once you wiggle the switch a few times, I think you said earlier you have eliminated the bullet connectors under the tank, You would not hear the start relay click if they were the problem. Also check the main ground where it attaches to the gearbox, mine is under the seat release bracket which is stupid. Another member here smoked the wiring loom because of a loose ground, the heavy starting current will try to find it's way back through the small ground wires attached to other items like the regulator. Here is a sketch explaining the heavy solenoid current. Read the note about the heavy current then study the schematic in your owners manual, follow the wiring back from the starter solenoid all the way to the battery looking for any weak points. I suggest you wire a small lamp from the spade terminal to chassis, tape it somewhere safe until you next experience starting issue, it will act like a crude Voltmeter, always available when it's needed. The lamp should glow at near full brightness with the appropriate cranking while the start button is pressed. If it fails to start a quick glance will give you a valuable clue as to where the problem lies. If it glows dimly, look to the bike wiring, if it glows at full brightness look to the starter. All this of course assumes you have a good battery, if the tail light goes out when you press start that's a clue you have battery or connection problems (the tail light uses a different contact in the ignition switch) BTW, If you measure the current going to the solenoid all you will measure is the 10 Amps going to the lighter coil because it drops too quick for the meter to pick up. I sometimes wonder if the factory is aware of the heavy coil because I haven't seen it on any of their schematics. The Bosch starter solenoids have the second coil also.

If the meter movement is still ok, I suspect it's fixable. The high voltage probably took out some sort of Voltage regulator on the 12V input. Put 12 Volts on the appropriate wires and see if you have voltage across the cylindrical black capacitor.

I do have a white faced tach I could send you, off my V11 Sport. The dial is a bit faded but you could swap parts. It has been open to paint the needle so the bezel ring is a bit graunched. I changed out the clocks for a pair from Speedhut. http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s526/Kiwi_Roy/Guzzi%20Dash/CIMG5019_zpsf8294390.jpg Send me a PM with your address if you need it.

So, the small connector is just the High Beam, Low Beam, Park & Ground I am having difficulty in understanding how a broken ground wire could cause such a problem - unless perhaps it was arcing to one of the other two coloured wires. How did you end up with 50 Volts at the headlight fuse that's what concerns me, if the battery is connected to the regulator output it should clamp the voltage down. (In an emergency I replaced my regulator with a rectifier (full alternator output to the battery) and even then the Voltage didn't go over about 17). The only way I can see 50 Volts is if it's the regulator output without the battery connected, a wire left off the battery terminal perhaps. The DE regulator sends the full alternator current pulses to the battery, it's not like a battery charger set to about 16 Volts, the battery is like a huge sink damping the pulses down, with no battery to suppress the Voltage pulses they will go sky high. I would just extend the wires from the other 4 pin connector at the steering head right into the bucket and crimp them to the headlight pigtails, this should still allow you to remove the headlight is you need to.

PM = Personal Message Up at the top of the page next to your handle (at least on my Mac) you should see a little envelope with a number in it Click on the envelope to see your personal messages. I need an e-mail address so I can send you some sketches.

Andy, Docc, What does that 4 pin connector go to? Mine doesn't have that. The black wire is probably a ground but I can't figure out how it could make the voltage on fuse so high. It's the weirdest problem I have seen yet and Guzzi have some dooseys

I looked at my schematic, i can see how it might happen. But without being able to see how yours is it's a shot in the dark. Another thing I would check carefully is where the main battery ground connects to the chassis, behind the seat release key bracket on mine, if that were intermittently disconnecting it might cause a problem for example the battery could remain at 12V but the ground might let the whole system float much higher if the Electrosport is directly connected to the battery it wouldn't see anything wrong except a low battery and crank up it's output. Describe how you have each of the electrosport wires (the battery ones) where do they go exactly Which model Electrosport? I'm sure it will turn out to be some silly little thing but luckily you haven't fried the ECU yet.

Something weird going on for sure, I suspect the full alternator output is getting into the headlight circuit bypassing the battery i.e. 50 Volts Is it possible the red wire from the regulator is connecting to the common point supplying the headlight fuse? but not going to Battery + The battery would normally clamp the voltage to a safe level even if it's getting overcharged (the voltage indicates it's not getting charged) Does the bike crank normally Has anyone added an extra fuse or modified the wiring in any way I think you said it has an electrosport Check the hot side of the headlight fuse has a good connection to battery +. If you grab the fuse holder and give it a sharp tug it will pop out in your hand so you can inspect the wires at the back. Make sure there's not a loose wire near the battery post, it's easy to miss one. A scan of your schematic would be a big help. (I moved the schematic to next post)

Andy, The ducati energia regulators rely on the headlight circuit being alive to make them work, with the key on you should see 12 Volts at the regulators Black wire. Unplug the two yellow wires, measure the ohms between the two sockets (from alternator), it should be close to zero, if it's open take the cover off and inspect where the wires attach to the coils Start the bike and measure the AC Volts between the two sockets it should be quite high at 3000 revs say 30-60 Volt range Get back, I'll send you a PM

Since posting the 2 relay schematic I have modified mine again to a single relay without diodes. This was done to appease the flakey Ducatti Energia regulator wiring, it likes to see the current passing through the original headlight relay. I have now scrapped that regulator for an Electrosport that could care less how the headlights wired. My bike wiring has the headlight current passing through the normally closed start relay contact as I show in the schematic, I think this may be quite unusual for a Guzzi, most just switch the headlight relay coil with the start relay.

Test the solenoid by jumping a wire from the large hot terminal to the small spade connector, this will bypass all the other wiring. Touch the terminals firmly because the current inrush is over 40 Amps Other Guzzis develop Startus Interuptus when the ignition switch builds up resistance, it's not so common with a V11 Sport but it may be yours is wired differently than mine. Swap out the start relay with one of the others. If it cranks with the solenoid but not with the start button then measure the Voltage at the spade connector while you press start and report back. Actually this V11 sport does have the high current passing through the ignition switch, my 2001 doesn't. If yours is like this my moneys on a dirty switch. Wiggle the switch and try again. http://www.thisoldtractor.com/guzzi007/schematics/2004_V11_Sport_Catalytic.gif (sorry the schematic has been removed, if you look at the sketch I posted further down the page I show a switch with note 1) updated Jan 10 2014 The problem usually occurs with age as the grease dries out, but you say since new, let's get to the bottom of it, look for a PM

To find a short without blowing a dozen fuse or more substitute a large 12V lamp for the fuse. Work your way around the bike wiggling all the wires, when you find the short the lamp will flash at full brightness. I use an old headlamp bulb with a couple of short wires soldered on, stuff the wires into the fuse socket. Since it's the headlight you are tracing the lamp will be on at half brightness until you find the short or you could remove the headlamp globe. I'm a little puzzled as to why the lamps are blowing but they do that sometimes if the connection is bad, the inrush current for a cold lamp is many times normal.

Don't go anywhere without the headlight working, if it's not chances are the battery is not getting charged because the regulator relies on the headlight circuit to make it work (the Ducati Energia one) Try unplugging the 4 pin connector below the headlight relay bucket, see if the fuse still blows. Unplug the regulator black and white wire, see if it blows. The headlight circuit also powers the stop light, if the fuse doesn't blow straight away I would start looking in that area. It could be the regulator tits up but try the simple stuff first If you do need a regulator Electrosport make a good alternate.

The regulator probably uses a small current to sense the Voltage, The Electrosport ones do as well. The original Ducati Energia regulators didn't have any parasitic drain current because they connected downstream of the headlight relay however this caused other problems. The ECU also has power on when the bikes shut off. What happens if you forget to put the fuse back, the charge light doesn't indicate does it? Before you decide to pull the power you could measure the leakage current, I doubt it's very high, once you know that then calculate how long it will take. Just measure between battery + and the regulator on a milliamp range. Suppose for argument sake it's 10 mA and you have a 13 Amp hour battery it's 13 / 0.01 = 1,300 hours To be conservative assume you only have a half charged battery 7 / 0.01 = 700 hours Can someone with an Electrex measure it for us, I will measure an electrosport. A word of caution, you might find your multimeter shows 0 milliamps, it's very easy to blow the fuse in series with this range without noticing, you can check it in series with a 12V LED or other tiny lamp.

Roy, by this you mean the yellow wires coming from the stator underneath the alternator cover at the bottom of the stator coils? Yes, they get brittle with age and vibration and snap off, an easy job to replace with a soldering gun. Check every 5 years or so.

Ignition off, engine off 11.97V Ignition on, engine off 12.3V Where and with what are you measuring those Voltages? Directly across the battery terminals or at some point in the loom Or just have them backwards perhaps? The others seem pretty normal, I like the direct connection to the battery, much better than the OEM http://www.electrexworld.co.uk/acatalog/RR51-ducati.pdf It might be worthwhile to check the coil connection to the yellow wires, I found one of mine just hanging by a strand.

4. The rough idle may be caused by a bad contact in the side stand switch, try jumpering across it. If you remove the middle relay and wrap a strand of bare wire around the 30 & 87 pins, that will bypass the stand switch

Where, where?

I think you will have to separate the engine from gearbox. At that time it should be obvious where the problem lies. The oil pressure light can come on under acceleration if the level is low, this is the reason many riders fit a Roper plate. http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=9425 I don't have one in my V11 Sport but I do keep the oil level close to the full mark. I think your problem is more like the clutch.

I have a pressure gauge on my Sport, provided I don't let the oil get below half way between the marks on the stick it Maintains around 50, any lower and it drops to zero accelerating from a light, I think the sloppage plates are a great idea and I have one hanging on the wall.

I just took a look at mine,the ground is still where I found it sandwiched between the bracket that holds the seat lock and the gearbox, making contact with the Alminium of the box, it all looks nice and neat. There's only one problem, for some reason the bolt that holds the bracket on can work loose, mine did and I just tightened it up without thinking, I don't recall how I came to find it loose, probably bad starting. If you are going to leave it there as Gstallons says for goodness sake make sure it won't ever work loose, If it does you may end up with a much larger problem http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=18217&hl= As a result of a loose main ground Czakky's loom sustained major damage when the starter current seeking another way back to the battery negative found a path through the regulator ground wire. Slightly off topic this same scenario has caused many house fires when the neutral wire becomes disconnected and the current seeks a different path through the grounding system.