pete roper

I'd imagine it's a potpourri of myth and hearsay just like most of his ill researched nonsense. And no, I'm not going to bother reading it. His stuff just annoys me.

Errr? Not quite. The driveline shock absorber and is a face cam type. The two cams parts #15 and the collar at the back of assembly #16 rotate in relation to one another. As a torque loading is imposed, either by suspension movement by the shaft or, more seriously by shock loadings imposed by sudden acceleration and gear changing up and down the box, the two cams run up against each other and the Bellville washer tower acts like a spring to absorb the energy. When the load is removed the energy is discharged back through the cams to the shafts. The free play between 'Power on' and 'Power off' as detectable by rotational movement of the rear wheel when the engine is stopped but engaged in a gear has nothing to do with the shock absorber. It is simply backlash between the engagement dogs of the gears. There has to be backlash to allow the rapidly spinning but differentially speeding dogs to slip into engagement. If they fit precisely together the chances of them slipping into engagement would be negligible. The wider the 'Gap' between the dogs the slicker the engagement but, unfortunately, the greater the hammer loading on dogs and gear teeth as one goes from throttle off to throttle on and visa versa in any gear. Probably the best example of the dangers of increasing this backlash in a Guzzi gearbox can be found in the early Carb Sports and Daytona 1000 models with the old five speed box. In an attempt to speed up the gear change without spending any money the selector dog collars and pinions went from the long standing six dog engagement to three dog. This leads to ENORMOUS radial travel between power off and power on meaning when the gear is selected and you are accelerating and decelerating the dogs have much longer to themselves accelerate and decelerate before power or braking is delivered and they hammer the living bejaysus out of themselves! This is absolute murder on the pinions and Sport C gearboxes in particular are terribly prone to bashing the case hardening off fifth gear closely followed by third before the rest of the box goes out in sympathy! The fact that many owners don't get the fact that the word 'Sport' means that you're supposed to ride them like the hounds of hell are chasing you and potter around at sub-4,000rpm lugging the entire driveline, (Which incidentally doesn't have a rubber cush drive in the rear wheel hub.) which simply accelerates the rate at which they beat themselves to death! After those two models the factory went to a compromise five dog engagement system and reincorporated the rubber cush in the rear wheel. This was a satisfactory compromise. Gear changes were a tiny bit less like dropping a brick in a bucket and the boxes no longer beat themselves to death. This system remained extant until the demise of the five speed and the rise and use of the first of the six speed, four shaft boxes used in the V11.

Try 34/36 and use the 10% rule.

Latest version of Guzzidiag has the ABS pump purging feature previously only available through PADS. Cali 1400's do not have linked brakes.

No, the big tank was used on some flat tappet models BUT if it is plated as a '13 it should be a roller motor. For the full skinny on who, where, why and what I suggest you read my thread here. https://www.grisoghetto.com/t5879-the-definitive-guide-to-rollerisation In the tech section of the Ghetto you'll also find accurate info on other stuff that you should be aware of if considering a CARC bike. Notably things like swingarm bearing and shock linkage greasing and how to recognise if the throttlebodies have been monstered by a shaved ape. Although Griso-centric owners of all models are welcome. Some of the tech stuff is only viewable if you are registered.

Just try riding it for as long as it usually takes to start playing up with the filler cracked open. Not with a full tank obviously! If it doesn't start cutting out? Then that's the problem. I'll bet it is though.

Vent hole in the gas cap is blocked.

Yeah, the pin the lever is mounted on part#884033. The problem is the 6mm threaded bit that mounts in the footrest hanger, (From memory on Stelvios?). When it takes a biff it tends to over stress the part where that turns into the 12mm(?) part that the lever mounts on. It may not fracture immediately but there is a good chance it will down the track. If that occurs way off in urine drinking country and you don't have a spare it can really spoil your day. We nowadays replace them on any bike that has taken a tumble and give the original back to the owner to carry as a 'Spare'. It's not like they're super expensive or anything.....

Just one further thought? Are you sure the two halves of the drive shaft are correctly aligned?

Once the peg nuts loosen and eventually flog their threads out it unloads the shafts and therefore the gear positions. The forks keep the dogs pretty much where they should be so the gear dogs can try and engage gears not meant to be engaged. It can get very, very nasty if you get a double engagement....

Yeah. These ones.

When the weather picks up ride it down here and bring your computer and cables. We'll sort it out.

An interesting little *event* I had a few dats ago in Townsville might be useful here. My mate Peter and I were attempting to read the map from one of his Cali 1100's with a 15M-RC. when we went to 'Reader' I could go through the 'Mame the map' stage after which the instructions stated to 'Turn off the ignition for at least ten seconds.' Doing this, on turning the ignition back on the fuel pump primed and the connection would time out. The dialog box actually stated if you could hear the pump then the download was aborted and you should try again. After a few frustrating attempts I turned off the kill switch and flicked it back on again and, Voila! It connected and started the download! Interestingly though the download took ages! Like about 15 minutes! It was as slow as a 7SM! Weird! The map was OK though. Being paranoid I sent it to Mark to get him to run his eyes over and it was pronounced good. So why it took so blessed long to download I have no idea........

Peg nut/s on the end of the shafts come loose.

I have in stock, no they aren't cheap but I have one. I'd advise replacing the pivot bolt at the same time as these stress and break easily.

877847 is the part number for the shims. By 'Valve caps' I take it you mean the valve guide oil seals? If so that is correct. You also missed head gaskets. These come in three thicknesses so unless you want to buy all three thicknesses, (They're expensive!) it's best to pull one head and check which ones you need. Most bikes use the *Middle* 0.85mm gaskets. Dont be afraid of using a computer Rolf. Twenty years ago I was like you but really there is nothing much to it. The Guzzidiag suite of tools is simple and intuitive. If I can use it anyone can and you need to be able to use it to tune the bike as the TPS is an interpretive value rather than an absolute one on W5AM Guzzis. Oh, and roller kits are in very short supply at the moment. Not absolutely sure why.

If there is a drill mark in the paint on the side of the head facing into the valley adjacent to the manufacturing date stamp it's a 'B' kit bike. If there is no drill mark it's a 'C' kit bike 2010 was the year that changed so it's worth checking. I suggest you have a look at my 'Definitive guide' thread on the Ghetto. https://www.grisoghetto.com/t5879-the-definitive-guide-to-rollerisation Yes the map needs updating but even the last factory map is a piece of shit. Buy the cables and download Guzzidiag and the 'Reader' and 'Writer' program and get a map off Mark at Griso.org. Orders of magnitude better than the factory option. Make sure the bike is tuned properly too. You do understand how to tune a W5AM Guzzi? If it hasn't yet been done it will be necessary to grease and probably replace the swingarm bearings and shock linkage bearings. If it has ever been out in the rain for any length of time replacement will probably be required. Also check the integrity and attachment of the two drain hoses on the airbox and make sure they are capped/plugged. Nothing kills throttlebodies quicker than even small amounts of dust ingress. Don't be tempted by a K & N type air filter either as they too will cause you to need new throttlebodies at a cool $1,500US or so.

I've got a 'B' kit but I think I'm short one shim to make it into a 'C' kit. They are in very short supply at the moment. I waited six months for them, (B kits.) to appear at TLM and I grabbed both of them clearing them out again. Dunno what the situation is with SD but I'd guess no better.

Don't get me wrong. If someone wants a gauge by all means fit one. The thing is that one fitted into the sump in one of the redundant plug holes or indeed anywhere else isn't going to give an accurate assessment of what the temperature of the oil is where it's actually doing the heat removing part of its work. Where that is is at the bearing faces on the crank, big ends and camshaft and to get any meaningful info you'd either need to have the sensor in a delivery gallery or better yet, in the stream of oil exiting the bearings. In one way this actually means that an oil temperature dipstick isn't actually too bad a solution! Where it sits in the motor means that it is in the path of the constant streamer of oil pouring out from between the connecting rods as the crank spins but it's still pretty hit and miss, literally, and of course it will be dumping heat even as it travels towards the probe on the stick! If the sensor is in the wall of the sump it's reading is going to reflect little on the temperature of the oil where it is doing its job and the sump wall itself is going to act as a dirty great heat sink! Then there is the types of gauge. This 'Analog' type of gauge must use a sensor with some sort of waxstat or the like in it which then pushes on the column of fluid in the feed tube to the handlebar mounted gauge itself. In the gauge one assumes the fluid presses on some sort of membrane or mechanism that translates that linear movement into the rotational movement that moves the needle. The problem there is of course that the environment that the tube passes through will have a profound effect on the gauge's *Reading*. Running it up the back of the block and then through the valley will lead to it being hotter and therefore the medium within it expanding more than if it is routed away from engine heat. That will change the reading on the gauge rendering it inaccurate. As will different ambient temperatures that the machine is run in and the bike's velocity as that will effect air flow. By all means fit a gauge if you want. Just don't put any stock by it! With the pushrod motors in all their iterations we know that unless something is really wrong with their set-up they are massively over-cooled and it will be very difficult to get them to overheat to a dangerous degree. The early Hi-Cams? Not so much. Later Hi-Cam is so grotesquely over cooled it is actually hard to keep them hot enough in winter!

Can I say that fitting an oil temperature gauge, especially in that position and doubly especially of that type is an exercise in futility. It will tell you ritually nothing and certainly won't 'Protect' your engine.

Too right. Is the ETS working?

Happy to be corrected. I haven't seen a 16M bike since? Forever! And happy about it. I actually thought the P8 was a happier thing, albeit vast!

John, it uses the 16M. Don't think there's a version of GD for the 16M.

The commonest thing that happens to MkIII's is that some prick gets a hold of one and sees that the jetting on the carbs is different from the earlier mid valve, roundfin, LeMans. This causes them to phoam at the mouth, chew the carpet and accuse the evil gubmint of trying to stifle the fun of the poor motorcyclist in the name of emissions. This is absolute bollocks as the carbs are completely different. Apart from the PHF, (From memory. I haven't touched a carb in years, thank @#!#$#!) designation they are a different instrument. The *Experts* will install earlier jetting and turn the bike into an overfuelling pig that will wear itself out in 20,000km. and won't pull the skin off a rice pudding. Next step is to install K&N pod filters to 'Free Up' the breathing. The only advantage being of this being they'll @#!#$# the carb bodies and slides so they need to buy new ones at the same point 20,000km down the track when they are replacing the barrels and pistons and rebuilding the heads! Back about the turn of the millennium I had a bloke bring me a completely stock, low km Mk III. It was fifteen or so years old and very low Kms. I went through it front to rear replacing anything that was rotted or leaking, serviced it and rode it. I took it around Test Track 'C'. Bungendore, Tarago, Goulburn and back down the Federal Highway, a three lane motorway/freeway. It was butter smooth, sprightly and I saw an indicated 195kph on new tyres. It was lovely. Then they dumped that for the 'Big Valve' LM IV! An ugly, physically larger and heavier, vibratory turd that went no faster and had only minimally better acceleration. That was the beginning of a decade in the wilderness. Some would say twenty years.......

Prior to the 1100 Sport series there were basically three different cylinder head designs and valve sizes. With the 700 and 750cc loops there were other tiny differences but by the time the motors got taken out to 850cc right the way through to the last of the 950's there were basically three types of of combustion chamber design, small valve, mid valve and big valve. These were matched with a variety of pistons to give different compression ratios and from the 850T right the way through to the 1000S they all used a 78mm throw crank. That 'Golden Age' of the Tonti framed bikes was really one where Guzzis were like Meccano sets for grown ups! You could mix & match pretty much end thing. Of all of them the 'Big Valve' heads, which only came in squarefin form, have always been a bit of a 'Holy Grail' for people wanting to build rorty-snorty motors but IMHO the 'Big Valve' motor used in the MkIV-V LeMans and some 1000S's is a horrible thing! To get the compression up due to the combustion chamber being huge to accommodate the big valves the incredibly heavy, cast, pistons have an enormous alp of alloy on the top of them. This in turn makes the flame path long and convoluted and leaves all sorts of nooks and crannies for end gas to lurk to pollute the next incoming charge lowering combustion pressure and risking detonation issues. Bleargh! Horrible! Also big valve heads are absolute murder on valve guides! No idea why really as the 1100 motors, even the 'Sport' ones with similar sized valves and guide length don't seem to flog out so quickly as the smaller bore 'Big Valve' heads. If I was in the market for a 1000S I'd actually prefer one of the mid valvers with 36mm carbs. While no doubt it would get me sneered at by people who 'Know better' the fact is that the mid valve LeMans III/1000S motor and it's even sweeter close cousin used in the SPIII are to my mind the apogee of the 78mm stroke engine's development. The Mk III was an 850 and to my mind every bit as sweet as the 950's.