pete roper

I know someone has done it. @Moto maybe? I was thinking of doing the same because of all the bling and trickery on modern RBW machines the only one other than ABS that I would really like would be cruise. I simply haven't worked up the enthusiasm to do it yet though and since I've been riding Grisos since 2006 I tend to think the likelihood of me ever getting enthusiastic enough is probably pretty slight!

Too big. They should use one of the smaller Piaggio singles to chase custom. Better yet an electric vehicle.

For all of you cynics the fact is that the Tonti models are very good motorbikes. Not as good as the Aprilia/Piaggio models that superseded them but back in the day, the day being the mid 1970's, but there was a lot of charm in that era. The early 'Short Head' Tonti models were pretty impressive. Sadly, in the mid eighties the 'Market' changed. People, (And I'm mainly talking about you USA!) wanted 'Bigger' motorbikes. Not just capacity but also, more importantly, physical size! Anyone who has ridden an un-f*cked Mk III LeMans back to back with a 'Big Valve', 'Tall Head' Mk IV, V or 1000S would have to be mentally defective to think that the earlier model was inferior to the latter one! That doesn't though mean that the later models, 'Sport' or 'Cruiser' are shit! They are fine, competent motorbikes and the Cali 1100, even with Bill's chunder inducing 'Hot Dog and Mustard' paint job are actually great touring motorbikes! In the unlikely event I ever go back to the US for another tour, (I'd love to, but 'Reasons'.) the fact is with Cali prices being so low I'd be terribly tempted to take a punt on something like this $2.5K shitter, use it for my trip and just abandon it at the airport when I left leaving the title and keys stuffed in the tank and ignition. Or donate it to some charitable agency. It would be much cheaper than hiring or buying a more *Modern* bike. Cheap, pretty bulletproof bike, that you can ride trans-continental for next to nothing! Really, what's not to like!

NGK have ceased production of plug caps. This mob have stepped into the breach. http://kandstech.com/productreleases/sprc.pdf

Lots of people don't understand the laws of physics too.........

I've built two single spark 1400's. There is a lot of work involved. Torque is prodigious. Outright power increase is minimal. Enlarging the motor produces big difficulties with oil expulsion/crankcase pressurisation. As you say the oil cooling circuits between the single spark and twin spark engines are entirely different and I've never heard an adequate explanation of how these people have addressed that issue. The reason why much greater power is well nigh impossible to get is because of the side draft head design, narrow included valve angle and combustion chamber shape. Effect of cam changes will be minimal. I don't doubt that they are fun to ride, I just don't get why people have to make silly claims for them.

Oh for fucks sakes. Yeah, believe it. Then look at where the torque and horsepower graphs cross. There are also huge problems with crankcase pressurisation and oil expulsion if you increase the swept volume of the motor. I do tire of this bullshit.

Bloody wogs!

Daytona, Centy and Sport-I all use the 16M controller to the best of my knowledge.

Sounds a bit ominous. Hope you're OK.

Just wondering why you've decided to sell?

(Pathetic whimpering noise from Aussie who would crawl seven miles over broken glass to stick matches in your turds for such a bike but is too poor to do so now he's retired and couldn't bring it here anyways......) Bargain!

The earlier pork chops are unfortunately pretty fragile. Any early spiney that has been up the road should really have them removed and crack tested as they do crack if crashed and although they will continue to work for awhile when they do finally let go it tends to be catastrophic as they are what supports the swingarm. Once the integrity of one fails things go to hell in a handbasket bloody quickly and due to the nature of the failure it tends to happen in high speed/high load situations.

Let me have a dig. Sorry, I was busy this arvo and forgot.

Nah, but I'm pretty sure I've got a couple lying about in the 'Mountain of munt'. I'll have a look, if I do it's yours, just make a donation to MSF for the cost of the postage, which won't be a lot if I don't insure it or anything daft like that. Actually, what's wrong with yours? If it simply won't grip the mirror stem any more that is easily addressed by wrapping the bottom of the stem in a bit of shim stock to fatten it up a bit so the vanes of the olive are a bit wider when the nut clamps them.

He definitely did. I've got a pic somewhere. I'll try and dig it out.

Pity he never gave any credit, (That I know of.) to the man who actually designed and pioneered the Spineframe.

The early Hi-cams tend to run very hot. John has had a long, ongoing battle with his Magni overheating but it does have the cantankerous 'C' kit cams in it. If I had one I think I'd be loath to delete the cooler even on a Centi. Not so much because of the oil overheating per-se but because of pressure loss from all the leak points and the seemingly questionable ability of the pump to deliver sufficient oil when things get toasty.

Thing is the V11 has a thermostat, as do the two valve CARC bikes so all you have to do is copy the plumbing for an 850 Griso that doesn't have an oil cooler and I reckon you'd be golden. Having said that just buying an aftermarket cooler makes far more sense. The later 8V's only have a cooler in the actual cooling circuit which doesn't have a thermostat. That is a huge pain as for most of the year it's almost impossible to get the oil up to temperature. Many of us owners blank the cooler off in winter to get the oil temp above 70*C!

I'd say that your suggestions are probably correct.

Was the driveshaft properly assembled and aligned when it was making this noise?

Yeah, gaskets both sides Phil. Might be a bit messy otherwise....

Umm? No, not really. There hasn't been an easier bike to tune than a W5AM Guzzi since? Well, probably just about ever. Was it designed that way to make tampering harder? Maybe? I can't say for sure but sure as shit ain't sugar it hasn't stopped people fucking about with shit they don't understand BUT if they want to take the time to understand it almost everything in the W5AM is adjustable. Idle speed? No problem. It's easily accessible in the map. Correction tables and most other parameters likewise. To do so though you simply need to learn to use different tools. You can't just do it with screwdrivers and a multimeter any more! The more recent ECU's and their increasing interconnectivity have far greater levels of encryption to prevent tampering but I don't, in and of itself, see that as a problem. The needed regulation of the final generation of fossil fuel powered vehicles isn't just based on the 'Evil Government' stopping us having *Fun*, it's because the actual technologies used in engine design are outstripping the abilities of 'Conventional' tuners to understand and master! I'm no genius but I can clearly see the idiocy of a lot of the *Solutions* and 'Tuning' tips offered by a variety of clowns, some of whom seem to be held in high regard, on even a two or three generations from current removed motor like my muse the Hi-Cam 8V! Thinking of what stupidity will be heaped on the V100 motor makes me shudder with dread! Making modern IC engines efficient and clean isn't some sort of plot to rob us of something! It's common sense. I'll be all for tuners actually working out ways to increase the performance and efficiency of them. I just don't believe that that will be achieved by a combination of whining and harking back to tuning methods and technologies of the best part of a century ago. A motor like the V100 is designed to run with an AFR getting close to 15/1 in places. Playing the '"Just add more fuel, remove the anti pollution devices" card is simply sad and desperate bollocks from grifters trying to make a buck off the back of mugs. YOMV

On 15M bikes you can use the air bleeds to change the idle speed so both can be adjusted as long as the balance is maintained. Breva 750 is basically the same.