belfastguzzi

Decided I would take some photos outside yesterday, so I lifted the compact and snapped some pics. The prettier ones are posted somewhere else. Here, I'll put some pics of... my car. I was thinking, most cars, being sleek and jelly-like these days, don't look like this so... I'll take some pics of it. My Car isn't Made of Jelly It is made of metal, rust and trees

Thanks guys. I thought it looked heavy Skeeve, so my interest grew in looking at a plastic one. The BMW item might be more substantial than Guzzi's item. Also, there is only one line from the tank/internal pump. There is no return. Slavomir, which connections would break? Do you mean the metal ones? Or do you mean that Aprilia plastic ones would pull apart, or break? If so, there's a good chance that they are/were the same as Guzzi parts. I will call at an Aprilia place tomorrow.

Yes that's the one I saw. It must be available in the UK too? I should send the link/picture to the local BMW place so that they know what it is.

Thanks John This is probably what I will fit when the elbow gets replaced and then I'll put on all new hoses with hose clamps. I phoned BMW here yesterday to ask if they had connectors in stock. They have one half only. I also asked about an all metal connector. The said there isn't one. There is though, apparently it's an aftermarket option for GS models. I saw a the part on an American BM site. The plastic may be good enough, as long as it is more substantial and works better than the one that Guzzi use. Good to get the Motorworks site reference. There is a spigot shown. It could the type of thing that's needed for a plate fitting. It's probably plastic though. An elbow would be better and probably necessary because of the under-tank clearance issue. The picture isn't good, so can't tell much from it, I presume it is a threaded end:

Mike, that is a fabulous offer, hugely appreciated. I'll see if I can find any suitable parts locally this week. If I can't, then I'll contact you. D

Uh oh, THANKS for the warning! – Pete did warn me about the elbow breaking, but I had hardly lifted the tank at all when there was a snap. They seem to break easily.

It's nothing special, just horrible poor quality tools. Far better to put your own set together. Why, in particular did you want it or what tool are you looking for?

It's the same. Take one out, put the other in. It is awkward getting the cables on, if you have additional connections, as the wires are a tightish fit. But simple enough. Make sure that you undo the negative connection first. And fasten the positive first when the new battery goes in. The attach the negative. You don't want an accidental short with the spanner.

I'd guess that the changes may be because there is so little room between the tank and the 1200 engine/alternator, so the protruding parts had to be relocated? I've said before how the tank is so close to the engine that it actually sits on it in places, sandwiching cables and, on my bike, rubbing through the +ve live cable from the alternator. Grey tape around +ve cable where it is worn through to bare live wire. Main areas of tank pressure on cables and hoses, including pressing both coil feeds between tank and cylinder heads. I taped the frame where it is worn through to bare steel and have taped extra onto the rubber support (at photo top) as it plainly is not supporting the tank high enough.

Fuel (petrol/gasoline) tanks. I experienced great difficulty in attaching the drain pipes to the Griso tank, as they are so short and tight. There is general agreement that access to the fuel lines on this bike (and so access to the 'quick-release' fitting) is tight as well. Looking at a parts diagram today, I was surprised to see that the drain hoses are much longer than mine. Then I noticed that the drain unions themselves are in an entirely different position. I had the 1100 tank diagram. In the diagram for the 1100 Griso, the outlets are in the bottom-forward part of the tank. On my 1200, they are in the bottom-rear of the tank so creating the problematic shortness and difficult access, obstructed by the frame, when trying to get the hoses connected to the unions. _____________ I've just found the 1200 diagrams: everything is different. Drains / vents and the fuel pump hose assembly American-type(?) arrangement, G1100 Griso 1100 --------------------------------------------- and the 1200 * Though my hoses are still much, much shorter than this diagram shows. The actual arrangement is different. Outlets are placed as shown, but hose legths to T connector are much shorter and asymmetric. These are the vent hoses, pulled out as far as they will come. If you can make this out, it's underneath the tank. Two unions facing to rear, which the hoses push onto (if you can get at them. 1100 fuel pipes and the 1200 assembly

The fuel pump assembly. The red plastic elbow is not made to come out. The complete unit has to be replaced!!!!!! I did try to disconnect the fuel line at the injectors. so that I could pull the complete hose assembly out. The whole injector pulled out of the head. The end of the fuel pipe is tight on the end of the injector and won't easily pull off. I didn't want to force it incase of damage. I'll have to pull it off or cut it off when I get new hoses. I'll put a new post in the CARC section about the differences between 1100 and 1200 Griso tanks & fittings.

Pic post 3 Lumpy Metal Bits This is one reason that I have been trying for so long to get the fuel line disconnected and get the tank off. Since the recall work, there has been oil leaking from the right barrel base In between the barrels. The 'bolt heads' are caps on the tubes to the cam chain tensioners. Since the recall work to (eventually) replace the cams and tappets, there has been oil leaking from the barrel base. Recently I have wondered could it be coming from the 'bolt' head, rather than the base gasket. That's why I started into this job. Threaded cap off and you can see that the sealing face is in fact damaged with a couple of gouges! How did that happen :!: :?: At the factory assembly – or during the recall work? More crap. The edge is clearly gouged, but there is also a v-shaped indentation that runs across the face to the inside.

Pic post 2 The kinked high-pressure fuel hose that I have complained of before. Seems to me that this happened during the recall work. A clear crease in the line. This has been there since the recall. As soon as the tank is lifted slightly and pulled back a bit, the hose folds. Confirmation of bad stuff. The other side of the hose shows a split in the outer. This is crap. How do I get the pipe off the barbed connectors? Apply hot air to soften it? Same procedure to put a new piece on? – Seems not. I'll have to slice it off.

Pic post 1 That 'Quick Release' (sic) connector. Hmmm This is the danged connector, or most of it. It's not yet released, quickly. I still couldn't get it separated. I could see that the grey part is indeed broken. I used a screwdriver to release the plastic catches and get the red pipe end out. You can see here the broken parts. Two of the four straps that connect the grey outer ring to its inside part were broken. When the grey ring was pushed, it just hinged rather pushing down on the interior part. Is this why I could never get the parts to disconnect? Was this damage done at the time of the recall work? More on that later. The broken elbow. Why do they make it so fragile? Given that it is so fragile, why can a replacement part not be bought? Can the part really not be bought on its own? Will I have to buy a complete pump assembly? – Continued in next post–

Anyone interested in an update? Where to start? I'll not go into the whole story, even though it might be amusing. Anyway, it's disconnected now. But the red plastic outlet elbow from the tank is broken. The part isn't available separately. You're meant to pay ££hundreds for a complete pump assembly. I suspect that I couldn't get the unit to disconnect because the grey disconnect ring was indeed partially broken. I'm not sure. It's hard to see how exactly it works. The grey ring only moves a fraction, perhaps less than .5mm, but it wouldn't move properly because two of the four thin plastic straps that connect the outer ring to its internal parts were broken. This may have been done at the recall work. (And I've found more damage.) There is very little free play in the fuel line, so it's hard to lift the tank enough to get at the connector. I've just realised that the whole tank set-up is fundamentally different from the 1100 Griso and there is less free play all around. I see that someone in USA has made up a part to replace another broken plastic fuel pump connector. I wonder how common this breakage is? There must be more than a few, as so many people report a lot of difficulty in getting the Quick Release separated. I'll have to see what sort of repair can be bodged if I can find suitable parts to use. However I want to get rid of that dreadful so-called quick release connection. If anyone knows of alternative parts I'd be glad to here. As for the hose end: I'll either have to buy a complete new fuel line assembly (with half of the QR connector at end) or else replace all the hose with separate lengths, connectors and hose clamps. That would seem better. It looks like that is how the earlier 1100 Grisos were done. I've been asking for advice on getting the fuel line off the connectors. There hasn't been any, so I went ahead and tried heat. It doesn't work. The pipe just deforms and melts rather than softening/expanding/easing off. I'll cut it off, slice the line. I haven't posted here about the rest of the ongoing problems with this bike, as this is a V.11 forum, but it's been grim. The bike is once again off the road indefinitely. Everything stems back to the factory faults with the tappets and cams and the terrible lack of aftercare to get things fixed. I'm on my own and any fixes are coming out of my pocket. I shouldn't have to bear the cost or the loss of the bike – but that's another story and one that Piaggio doesn't care about. I'll put pics in posts following:

Someone spoke!! I mentioned Scotland, back than, just to check if Euan MacHaggis was still thinking of doing something. Otherwise I saw the MGCGB event and want to aim for it. If you have seen any recent posts on MGCGB Forum you may have noticed my extreme unhappiness over the continuing Griso / MG / Piaggio mess. It a big Moto Guzzi downer. I enquired about a trade in, but even in top condition the book value is only half of what it cost less than two years ago. Looking on the bright side, I do want to get to a rally or two and organise something here again – so that gives something positive to look forward to.

Pedal assist?

Time flies: can you believe this is from a year ago? Some bikes don't fly though. They are quite unreasonably slow, for a modern day machine. It really is quite, quite unreasonable.

Another great video FG. I've seen Greg's photos and bit & pieces: the video really brings it alive. Is that your garage-workshop? Wonderful.

Motorcycle Action Group 09

How does a so-called quick release fuel fitting release? I need to get the tank off my Griso to confirm where oil is escaping, but I have never been able to get that dreadful connector apart. I haven't asked here before because the topic has been raised in the past – but I'm desperate now, so I'm repeating the old question. Separation of this fitting seems to be an all or nothing affair. From past posts, people find it impossible – then it 'just pops off when pulled' with no real explanation. I have pushed, pulled, squeezed the parts together, pulled them apart – and there is no sign of the connector coming apart. Manipulation of the fitting is made difficult because there is no free play in the fuel line. The tank has to be lifted to get at the connector, but it will only lift a little because of the taut one-into-two fuel hose. • How does it work? Can someone explain how to take it apart? Could the mechanism / bits of plastic have been damaged / broken by the mechanic who did the recall work, so causing it to not operate? The fuel line is another worry. Since the bike had the recall work done, a pronounced kink has been evident in the fuel pipe just behind were it joins the QR connector. As the fuel line is some sort of stiff plastic material, the damage is permanent. The pipe is flattened and weakened where it is sharply creased. The damage must have been caused by the mechanic was working at the pipe to disconnect it. This would be easily done because of the lack of free play in the fuel line, causing the pipe to kink almost as soon as the tank is lifted to get a hand in to the connector. As an aside, the drain pipes were never reattached to the tank - again because there is no free play and they are so inaccessible. Stupid short-changed design / fitting. For the sake of an extra inch or two of hoses, removing and refitting the fuel tank and its fittings becomes a nightmarish trial. • The second question is, how strong is that plasticky fuel line – how resistant to splitting? I'm worried about it splitting at the crease. The smallest split would have pressurised fuel spraying over the engine.

Best wishes for a merry Christmas to all the Tenni chaps from the Scura gang hut

If only Tech Topics could solve The Time Problem: then Scura 497 would have a chance of making it back to the light of day.

yes, about 800 miles for me. I don't think that it will get any closer in the next 9 months.

That's because nobody is buying new V.11s, because there aren't any and everyone's old V.11s are **fixed thanks to Tech Topics. ** 'fixed' can also be interpreted as 'totally wrecked (thanked to tinkering tech topics flights of fancy) and so buried at the bottom of a shed' Anyway, V.11s are so last decade, don't you think?