sp838

Interesting, I didn't think about the ride height aspect... I will be slightly lowering the front when I install the GSXR forks. That along with a 170 tire should put a lot more of the weight up towards the front of the bike. But I guess then the tradeoff is a more "pointy" profile? Currently I have a 160 in the rear from the previous owner's setup, they are Conti Sport Attacks.

what size rear tire did you go with, bikelee?

Curious to know why you went from the 170 recommended in the manual to a 160. I'm thinking of going with the Avon Storm 2 Ultras. Thoughts?

TomM - I removed the risers at one point to take some measurements. The holes are smooth and the same diameter all the way through, they are 20mm wide and 110mm between centers. There are rubber grommets inside them, with a metal shaft inside those. The risers have what appear to be M10 bolts going through with a flanged nut underneath.

Hey guys, so I checked my bike's clamp and the only number I could find on it so far is: "13 00" This is in black numerals on the underside of the bottom clamp. In the coming weeks (waiting to get my fork legs back) I will be removing the whole front end, so I can possibly have more info on the clamps. I can tell you that my top clamp does not seem to be the original one, it has holes in it for handle bar risers, as the previous owner removed the clip ons and put Renthal bars on. The clamp and risers are Moto Guzzi, they have the MG Falcon logo on the plate that holds them together. My bike's manufacture date is sort of puzzling me: on the frame ID it says manufacture date 07 2000, but my title says the bike is a 2001. My vin number is ZGU KR AK R2 1 M 113455. Apparently one of those letters/numbers is a code for the year it was made, I haven't tried to decipher it yet, if anyone knows how to read these codes I'd love to know if in fact my bike is a '00 or an '01. When I got the bike I downloaded a workshop manual for the '01 model, thinking that was my model year. I was mistaken when I said the rake was shown as being 26º, I didn't zoom in far enough on the PDF. It says in fact 25º. The "print" date on this manual is 03/01. I hope this helps!

I was under the impression that shortening the offset would also shorten the trail... Is it really the other way around? EDIT: just looked at some diagrams and it makes sense now. I see that trail is measured between steering axis and the wheel contact patch perpendicular to the axle. By shortening offset, that patch moves back towards the bike, away from the steering axis, thereby lengthening trail. Thanks GuzziMoto! I will get numbers and specs. from my bike's stock setup and post this afternoon.

Dunno, I can check tomorrow. The front end I'm putting on is from an 09 gsxr 750. My factory workshop manual says the steering neck on the frame is 26° off vertical. I've measured my stock offset, at 45mm.

I've never had any stability or twitchiness issues with my 01 v11, riding 85+ mph on New York streets, roads and highways (ie hell). I have the stock Bitubo damper, not sure how well it works but it's there. What does make me a little nervous is that I'm about to swap the front end. I'll be running 12mm shorter fork legs, with 15mm shorter steering offset, and overall this setup will also be lighter weigh-wise, with narrower fork centers. The forks will have 30mm Öhlins cartridges, radial brakes and my steering will be faster, but might also be a little more prone to wobbles as a result of the geometry changes. I think I will try to fit an aftermarket damper because of this.

These look like the exact same ones, unless I'm missing something. And the price is about the same too.

I don't have this problem at low speeds, but it's possible that mine is a purely decorative, ornamental steering damper… (I haven't tried the whacking thing.)

this thread made me laugh out loud multiple times, and I barely made it through ~8-9 pages of it... docc, you have A LOT of patience.

I found them in the 8.3mm size: http://m.ebay.com/itm?itemId=151183685492 should make filling the tires a little easier. EDIT: oops wrong size, these are the ones we want: http://m.ebay.com/itm/161171880267?nav=SEARCH&sbk=1

Hey guys. I am changing my tires in the next week or two. Along with fresh wheel bearings, I want to replace the straight valves with angled ones, for easier filling. Anyone know what size the openings are on the rims? I'd like to have them ready to go before taking the wheels off etc., so I can do it all at once. I found these one ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Angled-Aluminum-Tire-Valve-Stems-GSXR-CBR-YZF-R1-R6-RR-600-750-1000-CB-VFR-BLAC-/170953524600 Seems more or less "universal" , for openings of 11.3mm. But I'm sure we all have been burned by "universal" before. Are our Guzzi wheels an exception? Thanks! EDIT: I found some older threads, in which others talk about replacing the valves. It sounds like our wheels have 8.3mm openings, not 11.3. Can anyone confirm this?

Will do GS. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I'm getting ceramic hybrid bearings from Worldwide: http://www.worldwidebearings.com/motorcycle.htm They have 6204 bearings, which is why I wanted to confirm the dimensions.

Hey guys, I am going to put new sneakers on my bike, want to replace the wheel bearings as well. I see the above part number for SKF bearings, just want to confirm the dimensions for our bike: 20x47x14mm. The parts catalog, and MG Cycle product page for the bearings (http://www.mgcycle.com/product_info.php?products_id=1428) don't list the dimensions. Thanks! And Happy New Year!

Part number is 06023500.

From what I've found, the '07-'13 8v 1200 covers are different and won't work: http://www.tlm.nl/webshop/media/catalog/product/a/4/a45582-1-2.jpg_t_1384340281 What works for us are the covers for the '05-'08 IE 1100: http://www.stein-dinse.biz/images/product_images/popup_images/06023500.jpg Very cool. I really like the idea of using the round fin covers too...

That does look very nice. Do they weigh the same as the v11 ones? They look a bit more substantial.

Kiwi_Roy, you are a gem. Thanks a lot. I am thinking I will go with the relay route just to be safe. Thank you all, and best wishes for the holidays!

Thanks docc. Question for the electrically literate (i.e. not me): if a switch is rated for 3A / 250VDC, shouldn't it be able to handle 10A at 14VDC? Ohm's law and all that stuff? Please pardon my ignorance... But if I do understand correctly, amperage, wattage and voltage are all related, so at lower voltage, shouldn't it be able to handle higher amperage? Or am I totally missing something here?

Hello all. I want to replace my keyed ignition switch with something simpler and more compact (no parking light position, not fork lock.) Does anyone know what the switch rating is? How much juice runs through it during operation of the bike? I looked in the manual and couldn't find any specs for the switch itself. Tried to glean some info on it from the wiring diagram, but all I could see (if I read this correctly) is that it is on a circuit with a 10 A fuse... I am looking at a waterproof switch that is rated up to 3A / 250VDC, would that be adequate? Thanks!

No worries, not your bad at all. They're definitely 28mm. I should have measured them before ordering. I will definitely keep you posted on my progress.

What gstallons said. SS fasteners have only been good for me. Taking care to apply anti-seize or locktite sure beats dealing with rust.

Update: sent the fork legs to Stig at PPS, he is working on them now! Very excited. Front wheel is almost repainted. My guy is slow but does good work. Not happy with the GSXR top clamp, mulling options, including having a custom one milled out of billet. Just realized that the bearings I got are the incorrect size for my GSXR stem. I needed 28mm ID bearings, not 30. Thankfully the kind folks at All Balls Racing will exchange them for me. Onward…