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Hmmm, suspect a bad ground then? Glad to hear it's working again...keep thinking nice thoughts Cheers, Jason

Right on- I'm at, uh, 20 years on Guzzi's so you have me beat there. But I have 5 in the garage If you decide to come over- give me a call and please stay at our house. Cheers, Jason

Hi Ray, Turns out that the culprit is a small oil leak from the transmission input shaft. It was small enough that I didn't notice any oil loss, nor did I notice any oil (other than normal) at the weep hole on the bell housing. Nevertheless, when Jim took it apart, he said the plates were wetted with oil. Last I saw, the ass end was off, new clutch installed, and apparently only waiting on the arrival of a new input seal to have it running again. I've not heard of other failures in this seal, so I doubt you'll see it. I did get my bike from Ned's, and I have been real pleased with how Jim had it set up, and the work he's done. Nice to have a good dealer. My tach works, but I've had some of the other problems you mention. FYI- Ned's Auto and Cycle (Riverside, IA, USA) is a unique place. On monday nights (and wednesdays during summer), Ned's is open 6:30-8:00. It's a gathering place for BMW, Guzzi, and other riders. If you can make it, it's worth the trip. Ray, I hope to see you there some evening (I'll be on my eldo 'till I get the sport back). Cheers, Jason

Hi Martenni, here's the link for the MGCycle page on V11 stuff: http://www.mgcycle.com/V11Sport.html But something about shipping a part across the Atlantic ocean, then BACK across the Atlantic to sell it strikes me as weird and unnatural. That's an awful lot of shipping. Seems like TLM should be able to set you up (seeing as they're a sponsor). BTW, I have mistral's (stock crossover) and they set evenly on my bike as well. cheers, Jason

.ekib wen a on ni 2002 ruoy edart tsuj to nur gnol eht ni repaehc eb thgim tI ... sorry...the 666 thing got me going... It might be cheaper in the long run to just trade your 2002 in on a new bike. You have to figure, if an '03 is wrecked- chances are it hit something, or something hit it. In either case, forks are often the sacrificial part. Besides- honestly- how much better are 3 mm larger forks? I know I wouldn't tell a difference. Also- if one wants to spend big bucks on a tank, why not have a cool aluminum tank made by the tank shop, or Evan Williams (is that right?) or whoever does that kind of thing. Just a thought. Cheers, Jason

I had a hell of a time getting my napoleon mirrors into the stock bars. I eventually had to 'trim' the rubber part down with a dremel tool, then whack it in with a hammer (I used ethanol as a lube). If you are going to use napoleons, then you might want to put some lead shot into the bars while you have them open. Cheers, Jason

Thanks guys. I'm using the Guzzi tank bag (Marsee?). Getting to the gas cap isn't a big deal, but getting the zipper started is sometimes a pain. As far as handling goes, I'm not sure its "improved", but it is different. The front end feels a bit lighter now. Not surprising, since I've shifted my weight back a little bit. Still, it seems stable (and I've gone round some corners pretty quickly), so it'll work for me. I doubt that some of the faster (and younger) riders here would like it as much. Still, if anyone is interested, I'll be at a couple of the (midwest US) Moto Guzzi Rallies (IL, IA, WI), and I'd be happy to let ya'll ride it out and decide if its something you want to do. And thanks about the fairing. That part I like a lot. It works too- hence the need to move my handlebars! BTW, I noticed that MGCycle sells repop LeMans I fairings. That would look pretty cool in a retro sort of way. Anyone thinking about giving it a go? Cheers, Jason

OK, finally posted some pictures of my bike, with the spiegler handlebar setup, on my website. Here for the cheesecake Eldorado picture: http://plasterbath.chem.uiowa.edu/bikes.html and the direct path: http://plasterbath.chem.uiowa.edu/fairing/.../bars/bars.html I like 'em. Cheers, Jason

They're really small bikes, you know. Feels like riding a minibike... Cheers, Jason

Personally, I'm glad Manley Cycles is in Minneapolis instead of Pasadena . Pasadena is a much longer drive. I haven't done any business with Manley, but they have a good rep. The bottom line is that a competent tuning facility should be able to map out your bike's injection. Are you guy's running power commanders? If so, Todd Eagan is in your neck of the SoCal woods (eh, concrete). He's supposed to be pretty good. Cheers, Jason

And here's his webpage. You can check out the specs on those relays (same part#): http://www.dotnet.com/~dprune/btrash002.htm Cheers, Jason

Check out the tech articles on Manley Cycles (no, I'm not making the name up) A comparison of MG exhaust systems: http://www.manleycycle.com/Tech/mgv11ex.htm http://www.manleycycle.com/Tech/more_mg.htm Or the main tech page: http://www.manleycycle.com/Tech.htm Cheers, Jason

Maybe it's a heated jacket? With gloves? sorry... They really should take care of it, but IMHO, a silver engine case looks way better. cheers, Jason

What did Joe Camarda fit onto his bike (Joe, you listening?)? Those little bullets are cool. There's a picture under the 'muffler choices' thread (pg 4). Of course, its only the rear turn signals that are shown- what's up front? Cheers, Jason

I need a hug, man.... J

No big deal, and no hard feelings. I do hope you get your suspension worked out to your satisfaction, but I really doubt there's an instant results method. So many people have written in on adjusting their shocks, and universally they put in a couple of weeks of experiments. Maybe I'm lazy, or maybe I'm lucky, but I'm pretty happy about the way mine rides. I'm certainly not pushing the bikes' limits- that's for certain- but it seems mine handles pretty well. Sounds like we're about the same size- I'll record the settings on my shock and get back to this thread. cheers, Jason

You're right- I looked it up last night in the shop manual. I don't know what I was thinking... Have you (or anyone) drilled the cush rubbers? Cheers, Jason

Man, somebody had too much coffee or something. It wasn't my intention to piss you off, Scre, so relax. Really. What I wrote is my opinion on the subject. If you really want to dial in your suspension for a heavier load, then you'll probably need a new shock. You can adjust preload- that'll get you some benefits, but there are costs also to that approach. It's been discussed extensively, so I'll let you look it up- other's have posted links in this thread. Good Luck, Jason (I've never owned a Harley...)

Rhubarb and pea-soup emetic? Cheers, Jason

Hi Rich, I thought I read somewhere that the rear drive on the sport didn't have a cush in it. Guess it's time to look in the manual... Cheers, Jason

New shock, or minimum new spring. Sorry. What do you carry? Lead? Uranium? (factoid: uranium is the most dense naturally-ocurring element) Cheers, Jason

I'm witholding judgement until I see one in person. It looks a little weird to me as well, but maybe (probably) the picture doesn't do it justice. Time for dinner! sorry...had to do that. Cheers, Jason

Sooooo... how do your REALLY feel? I look forward to seeing (and hearing?) some pictures... Cheers, Jason

Hey folks, On the last couple of rides I've taken I've noticed that the clutch has started slipping a little bit. Not all the time- I have to make it happen (so far). Its when I really goose it- get the rpm's up around 5K then give her full throttle - like I'm passing someone or just hauling butt. I've only noticed it in 4th and 5th (mostly 5th) gear. That part makes sense. When it happens, the bike pulls normally for a second or two, then the clutch lets go- not bad, but definitely slipping. I've only noticed it when the bike is hot, or after I take off after the bike sat for a few minutes (hot). I don't drive very fast until the bikes fully warmed up. Sigh. My shop said to just bring it in and he'll take care of it (they're good), but I was wondering if anyone else had this happen. I don't abuse the clutch by riding it, nor do I do burnouts (I did pull a wheelie once, but the road helped ). I don't see oil under the bike. cheers, Jason

Carlomoto, Be real careful when you tighten that bolt. You really, really don't want to strip out those threads. Most of the time, a leak like this can be fixed by using a new aluminum crush-washer. It should be replaced every time you loosen the drain plug. I'll wrap teflon tape around the drain plug to help seal it. Be careful if you do this to not have any tape up inside the crankcase (start a couple of threads down). The oil passages can get clogged if any stray bits of teflon get in them. Bad stuff happens after that. Cheers, Jason