abouc

Instead of having mismatched gauges, have you considered a digital one from Koso?

I would have a look at the "bracket, welded to the frame" what is it doing there? and, should you maybe cut it off? If it is performing any function, what is it. Otherwise get it off. And repair it properly. The only reason I can see for it being there is to (maybe) keep the oil cooler off of the alternator cover if the oil cooler were to come loose. It occupies the space just above the alternator cover, has 2 holes and an arc cutout that follows the contour of the alternator cover. The holes show no evidence of ever having been used for a bolt. Maybe it serves a purpose on the Sport models with no fairing? I will post a photo later for reference.

Great thread. I swapped the springs today. The seat spring was still a bit too long for the fast idle cable, so I used a pen spring. 15 minutes later, my seat stays closed and the fast idle works like a charm.

MGCycle Bob +1 on this stand. It's expensive, but you will use it often. After a few times, it's possible to get the bike up and down without help. It also comes with a post for under the oil pan which will let you get both wheels off the ground. Great for tire changes, etc. MG Cycle is also very good for parts. Most of my orders have arrived within 3 days (to Michigan).

But could you build a small bike around the 1200 engine? Just curious because the V11's seem somewhat smaller in stature than the Griso and 1200 Sport. A bike with the look of a V7 Classic/Cafe/Sport but larger displacement would be really nice. Heck, they got a 1200 in the Aprilia Dorsoduro - probably with modifications to frame, transmission, etc.

I don't care much for bullet connectors either, but that's what I ended up using, since that was what was there already. After removing all the bolts for the timing cover, I am unable to remove it due to a vestigial bracket that's welded to the frame and blocking the way. I guess I'll just retorque all the bolts and hope for the best. If it leaks again, I'll make an appointment to take it to GT Motors in Lansing, MI.

I would love to see a big block engine in the small bikes, provided they improved the suspension & brakes at the same time.

The plot thickens. I went to unplug the alternator wires and found an electrical taped mass of wires shoved up above the regulator. Peeling the tape away revealed that the wires were bent in half before taping, and have now all melted together. I wonder if this might be part of my charging & starting troubles.

I got my initials mixed up. Yes, what I meant to say was r.p.m. and T.D.C. sensor (as labeled by the shop manual). Since the last oil change about 3,000 miles ago, I have lost a small amount of oil on the dipstick. It was still well within the safe range. It's mostly just messy and unsightly. After re-torquing the heads and degreasing the whole right side of the engine I went for a 30 mile ride. Lots of new oil is present on the right side. The majority is located where the timing cover gasket is, like fotoguzzi. Here are some photos. Left Side (not cleaned for a few weeks) Right Side (cleaned just before most recent ride) Maybe I need a timing cover gasket. Can that be done without removing the engine?

I don't a dye/UV light, but will check with the local auto parts store. Looks like a cool tool. Presently, I'm going through the head torquing technique outlined in the tutorial I found here. Fingers crossed, this will stop the leak. If it doesn't, I'll pick up one of those lights. I assume, you have to put the dye in and run the bike for a while, then look for where the light detects it. Unfortunately, the nearest competent Guzzi shop is 2 hours away. There's one 5 minutes from my office, but the last time I took the bike there for service, bad things happened.

About 1,000 miles ago (1.5 weeks), I noticed that there was a small amount of oil running down the right side of the engine. It's about equal to what always runs down the left side from the TPS. A few days of commuting later, the small amount has become enough to being collecting on the oil pan fins. None is making it to the floor, but I'm getting concerned. While replacing a throttle body boot (tank off), I looked at things and it appears it could be coming from the head gasket towards the center of the engine. Non oil is on the cylinder fins or the bottom of the head. All the oil lines seem intact. It's just running down the black paint of the casing. Does this sound like something any of you have encountered? There's info on the valve adjustment tutorial I downloaded from here about torquing head bolts. maybe this is something that needs to be done periodically? The bike has 28,500 miles. Valves last adjusted in August at 25,000 miles. Thanks.

Nor do I. Choppers can be nice to look at - as art pieces - but I would never want to ride one. What happens when you need to make an evasive maneuver? There's no where to go but down on one of those.

Is this the tiny allen screw on the back side of the left throttle body? None of my shop manuals clearly identify this one, but they do say that there is a 2nd screw that should never be used to set idle.

Pick up a copy of Guzziology. It's a great book that covers everything from proper oil/fluid selection to the quirks of practically every Guzzi made in the past 40 years.

I don't use Shell unless it's the only option without running empty. My Aprilia stumbles and has reduced power when run on Shell. The Guzzi is no fan either. I've had similar experiences from multiple Shell stations hundreds of miles apart, and figured it had to do with the valve cleaning detergents they add. BP and Marathon seem to be the most consistent performers. Oddly enough, my truck doesn't care what I fill up with, so long as it's name brand.

Finding TDC is the most difficult part of valve adjustment IMO. I've tried it both ways; turning the back wheel and by turning the alternator. Using the alternator is nice because you are right by the engine and can watch everything move. The tradeoff is, you have to remove more stuff to gain access to the alternator. On my bike I have to unbolt the oil cooler to get the alternator cover off. This, in turn, changes the position of my fairing mounts. If you have a helper, the rear wheel technique is probably the way to go.

I had this same problem recently, especially in top gear or when passing cars. It can be caused by exhaust leaks. I had a leak at the crossover by the right header, and crack on left side of crossover by the muffler. Once the crack was welded and whole system refitted properly the pinging went away. Anti-seize at all connection points seems to make a better union.

That's a beautiful bike. I love the white & silver. Can that fairing and headlight kit be added without making additional modifications to the rest of the bike?

Guzzirider, the paint on your Rosso Corsa is amazing. Reminds me of an Aprilia Tuono with the fairing removed. Are those skateboard wheel you have for sliders?

My dealer had a good price for the Roadsmarts, so I'm going to give them a try.

Yep. There's something about a Guzzi that no other bike can deliver. I could have bought a brand new Suzuki with warranty for what I've got into my newly acquired Le Mans, but that would have been boring.

Did you remove it for looks or service? Mine looks awful with the fairing off.

I mentioned the Road Attacks in my first post. I really liked them but they wore out a little too quickly for me. I want more than 4000 miles out of a pair of tires so I don't have to buy two sets of tires in one riding season. They have a Road Attack 2 on their website now that I might try next time. I don't have too many miles on the new Pirelli Angels yet but they seem OK so far. My bike came with a nearly new set of Conti Road Attacks with zero flat spot in the center. I managed to render the rear one nearly threadbare in less than 2500 miles of freeway commuting. At the end of each daily commute (140 miles), I could see the flat spot get wider. Though I will admit, they felt very good in the corners. Now I'm debating on whether to go with the Michelin Pilot Road 2 or Dunlop Roadsmart. It sounds like both of these wear nicely and handle OK in the wet.

Lots of good inspiration coming in here.

Excellent photos Bill. Looks like a great trip. Do you have your camera set to take photos at timed intervals or do you have a remote switch hooked up for easily taking shots whenever you choose?