JBBenson

I had the same struggle for almost a year. I ended up replacing all of the intake rubbers and replacing the rubber hose connecting the two intake manifolds (same nipple used for the balancing). You do have a hose connecting those, right? I also replaced the head temperature sensor with the upgraded brass one. Also make sure the exhaust is not leaking anywhere, tiny leaks can make it run rough, popping etc through the throttle range. The only number that matters is 150mV with a RH disconnected throttle. It just so happens that around 520mV when connected is often right, so start there. Some here feel that you should use both throttle stop screws, I think it make things more complicated. It the linkage has that much slop in it, you can either start replacing worn parts, or compensate for the misalignment with the bleed screws. Once on the throttle, the idle stop screws don't play a role anymore. Do any tuning when the bike is fully warmed up. That being said, make sure you are not balancing an overheated engine, that can make it difficult or impossible. Use a big fan and keep it cool and only run it for a few minutes. Keep in mind too, that "in balance" is not the same as "even". My bleed screws are totally uneven and my bike finally idles perfectly in all conditions, cold, hot, traffic, etc., and there is no sputtering, burping or anything else. The faltering you describe is out-of-balance throttles at idle. I only turned the white knob a little to get good balance above 3K. I will say it again, the cheap yardstick manometer made all balancing super easy. I just took an hour-long ride in the cool mountain air this morning. The Guzzi has never run better: it purrs like a sewing machine and pulls like a locomotive. It was worth all of the headaches.

The initial reading was 800 mV when I explored this, with the bike not started. This was the reading with the syncro knob tweaked previously. The throttle idle screws were virgin and untouched from factory, judging from the paint on the screws. On what you say, shouldn't I attain the 521mV reading only after reconnecting the syncro connecting rod, after getting the 150 mV TPS reading? My trouble seems to be that I can get the 512mV, but the idle is not stable. How do I get a stable idle? Finally, how often does the Throttle Position Sensor go bad? Thanks. Make sure the throttles are clean, you can do this while they are on the bike: use q-tips and carb cleaner, take your time. This should help with the sticky throttle. I had the same issue with getting a consistent number when it snapped shut. A good cleaning will solve this. The idle is balanced using the bleed screws. Make a "yardstick manometer" like the above link, this will make it easy. Forget some expensive carb sync tool, this cheap thing is the best I have ever used. I thought I needed a new TPS too, I was tearing my hair out trying to get a steady idle. Get the throttles clean, and remove the left-hand little idle stop screw. Forget about the yellow paint on everything, remove it with a wire brush, Dremel with a wire wheel tip, or a x-acto knife. The Guzzi respects the bravery. Do it. Set the disconnected right-hand TPS baseline at 150mV, set the connected right-hand TPS at around 520mV (using the remaining right-hand little idle stop screw), make the "yardstick manometer", and balance above 3000 RPM using the white knob, and then balance the idle using the bleed screws. It will work.

All of the above advice is good. I would add that the white knob is for balancing above 3000 RPM, and the bleed screws are for balancing at idle (not an RPM number, but with the throttle fully closed). Although my bike ran really well, I had a lot of trouble holding a smooth idle. I was at the point where I dreaded going for a ride, it would stall out so often. Turns out the carb sync tool I was using was a POS. I made one of these: http://www.powerchutes.com/manometer.asp My bleed screws ended up at 1.75 out on the left, and .75 out on the right. I was nowhere near these uneven settings. But the gauge doesn't lie, and now my bike idles reliably after warm up. These bikes are really finicky, but when you get it sorted, you will love it.

My bike wasn't running right even though my carb sync tool said it was synced. I could feel it was out of balance. So, I made something like this: http://www.powerchutes.com/manometer.asp I used 2 stroke oil in the event something got sucked in. I filled it up to the 18-20" mark, if 36" is at the bottom. The thick oil gives any change in balance a little lag time, so move the white knob, wait a bit, blip the throttles a bit, wait until the oil settles. If needed, adjust again. Don't forget to close the bleed screws. So simple, but works really great.

I ended up grinding it down with a Dremel and aluminum oxide stone. A little hand filing to clean up the edges and shoulder of the boss too. I also used the Dremel polishing pads to get it nice and smooth. I ended up just shy of 15mm in diameter. I also reshaped the spot where the small pawl spring hook catches the edge of the shift linkage. The edge was pretty sharp so I rounded it off and made it smooth. I swapped out the original for a larger spring, although the one that was in there was the same size. Oh well. No guarantees that the spring won't break, but I feel better having done what I could to prevent it.

I have searched a bit, haven't found an answer, thus this new thread: I have opened up my 2000 V11 to look at the pawl spring and boss, just to see how hard it is to do, and to check the pawl spring and boss size. Crap, I have the large 16mm boss. Anyone here have a good method to grind it down? I would guess that keeping it smooth is pretty important, as the spring needs to slide a little as it compresses. Dremel? By hand? Take it to a machine shop? How do you keep it even as you reduce the profile 1mm? Is keeping the boss perfectly round even that important? Any advice appreciated.....

Change the springs and re-valve. I had Todd @ Guzzitech do mine and they are really, really nice now. You won't know how bad the Marzocchis are until you upgrade them. Money well spent.

Bike has 5k, so probably not that, but the V11's general sensitivity to TPS angle just reinforces the need to keep everything clean and tidy around the intake. .....also that ethanol gas is really crappy, especially if the bike sits in a hot garage and is only used periodically. Now that it's clean, I will watch to see how fast the crud builds up.

UPDATE: Well, while waiting for my forks to be rebuilt by Todd @ Guzzitech, I decided to replace all vacuum hoses and intake rubbers to eliminate the possibility of air leaks. I also replaced the plastic head sensor with the brass one. Then I reset everything: disconnect cold start cam and connecting rod, set TPS voltage to 150mV fully closed, etc etc etc. Forks came back, and I took it for a test ride. Front end is WAY better, the new Raceco valving and springs have transformed the crappy Marzocchis the bike came with, but the damn idle is still up and down, WTF? I tightened all the clamps, unhooked the throttle connecting rod, and attempted to reset the TPS again at 150mV. This time, I noticed that every time it snap closed, it gave me a different reading on my multimeter: 145mV, then 152mV, then 156mV, then 148mV, etc. It also felt a little sticky. I hooked up the connecting rod and noticed the same thing: I never really got a consistent reading when the throttle was shut. This would explain a lot. When the throttle snaps shut, something is blocking it, it feels sticky, so it never really reaches the same exact angle. We are talking about tiny fractions of volts, but there they are. I removed the rear intake rubbers and saw that there was a lot of build-up of gummy old gas on the throttle plate (esp. the edges and pivots) and the throttle body walls. I got to cleaning using carb cleaner and q-tips, pouring in the cleaner and letting it drain out until it was almost clear. I also cleaned all of the exterior springs, levers, pivot points etc. Also pulled the air bleed screws and really cleaned them and the port they screw into. Then I reset the baseline TPS at 150mV, connected the rod, set the TPS to 520mV, opened the air bleeds to 1 turn out, and put my helmet and jacket on. Just for good measure, I dumped some Seafoam into the tank and went for a ride, giving it an Italian Tune-Up when the motor was warmed up. The idle is now pretty solid at an indicated 1600 RPM, so I am guessing a real idle RPM of around 1200-1300. Problem seems solved. When I am up to it, I will pull the throttles and soak them in cleaner. But for right now, I want to enjoy the “new bike feel” I have with the new front end…..!

I only get "wrong chassis number"

I wanted to change mine and the plastic shredded while unscrewing. The copper piece left over was countersunk, rendering a 16mm socket useless, other than for rounding off the edges of the nut. I took half the bike apart to get to it. After soaking overnight in PB Blaster, I ended up using this to get it out, after trying everything else. Just a warning for those who think it is a 30 minute job. Uh.... no.

Thanks Docc. Wow, Harper's wants 30 bucks for the nut! Well, it's a critical part. Shouldn't be stingy with that.

Have pulled my Marzocchi forks to do new springs and valves, the 27mm nylon locknut looks sort of old, I want a new one, anyone have the right part number? I know at some point they changed the front axle to a hollow one, mine is solid. I have a parts catalog from 2003, gives me: Nut: 01 61 21 90 ​Washer: 95 00 53 25 The locknut I have looks taller that the illustration and has yellowish nylon insert. Anyone know?

Be carefull! Zerks are brittle. They snap really easy! Hubert Yes, I was afraid of this as well. I forgot to mention that I didn't adjust the grease fitting all the way tight/closed, but sort of halfway unscrewed. This meant that I needed to hold it onto the zerk with one hand while squeezing the gun with the other, but was able to pull it off without a lot of drama or breakage.

This worked for me without removing the rear wheel or anything else. I got an adjustable swivel coupler grease tip, removed the tube, spring, and the sliding collar, and ground down the tip (more than expected) until it snapped on. You will need to use both hands. Get the zerk facing up, grease fitting bent slightly about 30 degrees, and push slowly in until it snaps on. It seemed like it wouldn't work but it did. Took a few tries to get it, but now it goes on easily. This tip: http://store.kvalinc.com/grease-gun-extension-adapter-threaded-8-long-rigid-extension-tube-with-swivel-coupler-p8282.aspx After modifying:

You need a Bill Of Sale from wherever you bought the bike with a signature of the seller. It doesn't need to be notarized: CA Bill of Sale: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg135.pdf Then you need to go to the Oregon DMV. They will not help you over the phone, you need to go there. Bring the Bill of Sale and any other paperwork you have that has the bike's info on it. They will instruct you to fill out one of the following Oregon Application for Replacement Title: http://www.odot.state.or.us/forms/dmv/226.pdf and/or Oregon Application for Title and Registration: http://www.odot.state.or.us/forms/dmv/226.pdf They will need to inspect the bike after issuing a temp registration. I recently registered a TX trailer in CA with a totally screwed up TX title and was able to get it done. But took a few trips to the DMV. The key is a Bill Of Sale with VIN. It doesn't matter what state it is from. You need to have this.........they will check the VIN history etc. in Oregon. As long as the bike is not reported stolen, it should be possible. There may be back fees but the bike is older, so maybe not.

I was on a long downhill run the other day and heard a weird whine, like a medium to high pitched howl. I downshifted and it disappeared. I think the V11 transmissions hit a certain speed and load and create some kind or harmonic resonance. I have tried to duplicate it but couldn't find it again.

Docc: I did clear the high idle cam when setting it up. Checked the TPS and turned out it had drifted to .462 v, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but not the .475 v that I set it at a while ago. Per Docc I bumped it up to .500 v and reset air bleeds to .075 turns out. Took a ride, and the idle is for sure more solid, never varying more than +/- 100 RPM, mountain twisties or stop-and-go traffic. It tended to settle around 1400 (indicated), which is a little high, but since I upped the TPS 38 millivolts not really surprising. Might need to bring it back down just a tad. Lesson is: the throttles/TPS drift a bit, and having the breakout harness from Casper’s made it really easy to diagnose and adjust. Took 30 seconds. Get one...! Still amazed that a sump motor like the V11 is so sensitive to tiny adjustments.

Yes, I disconnected the throttle connecting rod, set TPS at exactly .150 v (using a breakout harness), reconnected the rod, and adjusted the LH throttle stop screw until I reached a TPS reading of .475 v (per Todd @ Guzzitech....I am using his map). 1 turn out on each air bleed and she idled perfectly in my garage. That doesn't mean you aren't right, and the millivoltage @ idle couldn't be a bit higher. I have not tried this yet, as the bike runs really really well otherwise. The air screws seem to affect only the idle speed in general, and fiddling with them, (which I have), doesn't seem to stop the up-and-down quality of my idle. It seems to be more of a temperature thing more than anything else. I think Trevini is on to something, the throttle feels "boggy" when hot, like it is running too rich, I suspect the head temperature sensor might be giving weird readings to the ECU when it (and the motor) is hot. The bike does seem too run a little hot, and my knees get pretty warm. But, admittedly, it's hard to tell when the ambient temperature is hovering around 90 Fahrenheit....everything is pretty hot.

Idle mystery for the peanut gallery: Specs: 2000 V11 Red Frame Stucchi x-pipe Mistral canisters w/ db-killers Guzzitech map, .475 v at TPS idle setting. Balanced throttles, using LH idle screw only, no interference in the throttles or connecting rod Relays have been mounted on a strip of aluminum to secure them Air bleed at 1.75 left and right Valves @ .006" intake and .008" exhaust New air filter, fuel filter, new regulator ground to engine 5000 miles Note: All RPM’s are indicated, maybe not actual On cold start, idle will settle in at around 1700 When the bike is warned up, idle will drop to about 1200, which feels ideal for me. Sometimes, after a hard mountain run, idle will settle at 1000. After some traffic stops, idle will settle between 1200-1500. Then after another couple of stops, idle will drop again to 1000, or slightly less. Recently dropped so low at a stoplight the engine died. Throttle cable is free, return spring snaps closed just fine. Intake rubbers are either new or in good shape. I tightened all the clamps on the intakes as well as the exhaust pipes. There is no popping or banging in the exhaust. I have changed the air bleed a few times, up and down, and although that changes the idle, it doesn't stop the up and down idle issue. Bike runs and drives otherwise really well, I am very happy with it. Finally. I can only think of a couple of things: 1. Valves are not where I think they are, i.e. too tight, and the warm engine closes them up a bit and drops the idle. But that doesn’t explain the return to high idle after some stops and starts. 2. Intake rubbers are leaking even if I think they are not. Explains the climbing idle but not the dropping. 3. Crud build-up on the TPS that doesn’t let the butterfly close consistently every time. At 5000 miles? The bike is pristine. 4. Could be the fuel additive I have been using lately, Bell Performance Ethanol Defense. 5. EFI Moto Guzzis “just do that”, especially in hot weather (about 90F where I am), especially in stop and go traffic. Stop complaining. What say you?

I added a fat 6 gauge ground from my regulator to a screw on the timing case, sanding clean all connections. Bike definitely cranks better now. Thanks to Kiwi_Roy. j.

I would guess as long as the top of the fork tube is not lower than the top of the triple clamp, it's probably OK. But, if you do so, you will change the geometry of the chassis, putting more weight on the back wheel, which you are already doing by using standard bars. So the handling will change, (perhaps a lot) with the large drop in the forks (if you make them flush with the triple). . You are essentially increasing the rake angle. Try it with some caution. It will probably become more truck-like. I think.

Re: Low milage V11’s I think it takes a certain kind of person to own an exotic like a Moto Guzzi. It is not for the faint at heart. You need to be courageous and confident to put the hammer down and fly through the gears. Like an Alfa Romeo, the Guzzi needs to be driven hard: it likes it, and most people feel Italian machinery is not only temperamental but fragile, and hesitate to really screw it on. Thus, they lug around town, always afraid of breaking something. Of course, this is the worse thing you can do to an engine like the V-Twin from Mandello del Lario. It hates it, and will be cranky and moody. Most will then park the Guzzi in the garage, not willing to dance with it anymore, saying, “It’s always something with this thing”. Bikes like ours reward doing the maintenance yourself, and having done the work yourself makes you more confident, as you understand the machine much better, and have trust in the basic design. You can feel when something is not right, or could be better, and are rewarded when your instinct is proven correct. Of course, the lack of a dealer network sort of forces one to do this, but still, there are people who wouldn’t question owning an exotic, and those who wouldn’t think of it.

Since LED technology is changing by the year, wondering who has found an LED (headlight, tail light and turn signals) replacement for the V11 that is plug-n-play? Vendors?

According to their website, Moto International has complete V11 engines: https://www.motointernational.com/store/engine-assemblies