Scud

So I was trying to get the stickers off the swingarm and made a mistake. I started with "Turtle Wax Label and Sticker Remover" and a soft plastic scraper, then tried "Goof Off". It was tedious, and I damaged the finish on the swingarm. Then I remembered that I own a heat gun... The heated stickers peeled away easily and left no residue. I don't know what's in those stickers, but a piece fell on the garage floor and stuck so hard that I had to heat it again to get it off. I hope this can save somebody else some trouble. The stickers just say stuff that's easier to read in the manual or that doing other stuff is illegal... blah, blah, blah... Heck, putting this bike in 6th gear in illegal in the US. I'm glad I started with the lower one; the damage isn't obvious with the exhaust canister back on (and the flash made it look worse). But those bolt heads are blinding...

Well - I stopped shy of removing the shaft and lubing the splines (another day...). But I have figured out how to get Bob in the family. Which was important, because I think he really likes my mom's sister. All you need are a couple brass fittings from the plumbing department of your local True Value hardware store (I love that store) to modify the grease gun. Then it popped right on from behind with the wheel out - without removing or loosening anything related to the driveshaft or suspension. As "proof of concept" I was able to fit it to the forward zerk fitting in 15 seconds with the bike on the sidestand (time not including pushing it until the fitting was pointing up). No muss, no fuss. Let there be no more swearing at the driveshaft.

This thread was well timed for me, I just got a tube of grease for the gun a couple days ago. However... Bob's not even my distant relative right now. Lubing the driveshaft is one of the last remaining items on my "break-in" service list. I got 2 out of 3 zerks done - no problem. I pulled the rear wheel and still can't get my grease gun on the zerk fitting toward the front. What is this "needle zerk" that causes Bob to marry my mother's sister? I don't mind removing the shaft - probably a good idea to lube the splines while I'm there. But I'd like to learn the trick - please help.

The 30 amp fuse seems clear - once I determine which wire to put it on. Shame too, because I just had the tank off and could have traced the wires easily then. Just to confirm about the extra ground strap: I should attach it between the points as shown by the blue wire in this picture? Obviously, I would run the final wire more discretely... I might even screw it in... Benefit of the fuse is fire insurance - got it. And the benefits of the ground strap are that the bike is less likely to suffer from surging and poor charging?

Some shiny stuff will remain - including the red pork chops. However, Black Sabbath has been dominating my garage soundtrack since the Scura arrived.

And here's the whole bike so far. The next round of darkening will probably finish it off for me, and it will probably take a few weeks. Here's what I currently think needs to go for powdercoating (black, of course): Fork bottoms (and pre-emptive fork seal replacement) Alternator cover Sidestand (along with related bits) Footpegs and brackets Brake lever Shift lever Rear master cylinder cover (Although if a Carbon Fiber one were to appear, that would be OK) Passenger pegs ...and a black billet fuel filler would be nice. BTW - have I mentioned that San Diego is heaven on earth for motorcycle riders?

Got the valve cover bolts in black. FYI - 5mm longer than stock goes in just fine. That feels better. The silver-screw-scurvy is nearly cured. Here are before and afters of the right side of the engine (in obviously different lighting), where the fuel pressure regulator and 32 other points of light have succumbed to the darkness (mostly by replacement, but some painted). Valve cover (8) Frame bolt (1) Oil cooler bolts (4) Machined "tombstone" shapes by oil pan (2) Chin spoiler bolts (2) (which also hides a bunch of other silver-scurvy) Transmission and driveshaft housing bolts and nuts (8) Seat lock screws (2) Seat lock chrome face Side panel screws (2) Throttle-body bracket (2) The other side is similar - but the helmet lock did not survive its brief encounter with my die grinder.

That's the kind of advice that can make the difference between riding home and needing a ride home. Thanks.

The good doctor has correctly diagnosed my affliction - but if there's a cure, please withhold it. This is partly an escape for me while my wife and three daughters are binge-watching the series "Gossip Girl." The show is so bad that I have to leave the house, so off to the garage I go... It's been a long time since I had a bike that I really loved the look of, AND could ride all day. I never really loved my BMW RT (although it was a very competent bike) and I put the KTM Adventure into too many rocks, trees, and other piles of debris to care how it looked. The last bike I loved to look at was my Ducati Sport 1000 but it was painful to ride. The Guzzi hits the just-right "Goldilocks zone" for me. Honestly, the "darking" of the underseat area does feel a little silly. But I nearly stabbed myself on the tool tray bolt (which was WAY to long) so it had to be replaced, then all the through-bolts from the parts I was actually trying to darken (passenger peg brackets, fender, etc.), and I had the battery tray off to get the CF fender installed correctly and what do you know... down the slippery slope, facilitated by the fact that I have easy access to a wall full of inexpensive black bolts. It's sort of a game to see how many matching black fasteners they will have. Thanks for playing. This is way more fun than "Gossip Girl."

For the rider view/handle bar area - the replacement parts are: Rizoma fluid tanks and brackets Napoleon mirrors Other darkening: Removed white "instructions" from hand switches and fast-idle control Blacked-out ignition switch Added RAM ball mount for GPS Replaced bolts: pinch bolt, fairing bracket to triple clamp (2), frame shroud (2) Painted bolts: dash (6), tank pad (4), oil line nut. Here are before and after photos:

As for making the bike Scura-er: I didn't have a clear plan when I started - just let it emerge as I went and lived with the bike a bit. I've got close to 1900 miles on it now - over 10 times the mileage when I got it. Based on the journey so far, here's what makes sense to me. There are 7 different zones: Underseat/rear wheel-well View when riding Front view Back view Right view Left view ...and the hairy-chest (behind the front wheel) As of today, I'm calling "done" on the first two. Zones 3-7 will have to wait for a trip to my local powder coater - which, in turn awaits my decision about which pieces will make the trip. Passenger pegs, kickstand, and alternator cover are obvious candidates - but I think they'll have a lot of company. The major change to the underseat area is the replacement of the stock fender with the carbon fiber unit, which I posted earlier. The rest is not so interesting, but I've been trying to cure the bike of a bad case of silver-screw-scurvy. In this area, I painted (flat black) the bolts that attach the grey tail piece and replaced about 20 other silver spots with black zinc: Battery tray U-clips and bolts Tool tray bolt, nut, & washers Passenger peg bracket bolts License plate bolts and nuts mud guard mounting bolts and nuts fender mount bolts and washers (the kit came with silver)

Seems there a lot of cross-compatible parts that, when known, can save Guzzi owners a lot of money and hassle. Google's Swedish translator says hoosk-van-na instead of husk-a-var-na when she reads Husqvarna. I have given up trying to get my other dirt-biker friends to at least stop putting the extra A-syllable between the Q and the V ...now to transition back to our regularly scheduled program... the Google Translate Italian pronunciation of Scura is pleasant. Today I got the tank back on: Installed K&N air filter (I see there has been quite a lot of debate on this issue, and I decided to go the K&N route) Removed the air intake snorkels Removed the balance of the emissions hoses and capped the manifold vacuum fittings Re-routed, protected, or otherwise adjusted hoses, wires, and the fuel filter (which was rubbing on the tank) Darkened various small bits, including the fuel pressure regulator and hose clamp As for other 12-year-old, new-bike issues: Under-tank heat-shield was peeling away at the edges - re-glued it. I noticed some cracks in the hose that returns oil from the frame - no leak yet, but I will replace it next time. Cracks are starting in the rubber that connects the throttle bodies to the airbox and the heads. I'll order those four parts in advance of the next service. The paint on the block between the cylinders doesn't look quite as good as the rest. It appears that she is not going to spare me the pain and embarrassment of the dreaded bubbling paint syndrome. I hope she doesn't hurt me too soon... just give me 10,000 miles before going all bubbly and nasty. Is that too much to ask?

I put the bigger washers on. The supplied nuts were self-locking already. Also noticed that the bracket was rubbing on the shock mount - so I bent it a little to give it clearance.

Thanks. I used the leftover emissions hose for the right side tank vent and ran it behind the starter so it drains next to hose for the left side drain. It's good to know that one is a vent, while the other is a drain. Different functions, so no T to join them. As for the manifold vents, I installed rubber vacuum caps and clamps. I got nervous when it ran really roughly at first - but then I realized it was because of air in the gas line. Runs fine now.

Thanks for the answers to #1 and the "bonus question" - both regarding the tank. I still have a T connecting two intake manifolds and leading back to where the emissions canister used to be - the plugged line in second picture. I am still looking for answers to 2-4. My intuition says to plug the fittings with vacuum caps. Are the fittings in the third picture needed for tuning or some other purpose - or should I just install solid plugs?

I've got the tank off for the first time and am trying to figure out how much hose to dispose. I dropped the emissions canister a few hundred miles ago and it's running fine. In fact, now that I think of it, I have not had a single hiccup since disconnecting it and plugging the vacuum line. It was hiccuping occasionally at idle - even stalled a couple times. (I increased the idle speed a bit at the same time). The line from the left side of the tank disconnected easily and appears to be routed as described (although I did not remove the starter cover to verify the existence of the one-way valve). Clearly, this one stays as-is and gets reconnected. The hose (stamped with "Made in USA" and something about emissions on it) from the the right side of the tank has the permanent clamps (can't be undone and re-used). After routing through a small plastic thing (which I assume is a valve and part of the California emissions system) this line simply drained by the exhaust (because I cut it from the emissions canister and did not plug it). The vacuum line I plugged from the emissions canister goes to a T-connecter, the other lines from which then attach to fittings on the intake manifolds at the heads (between heads and throttle bodies). My questions: 1) Can I simply run a drain line from the right side connecter? - or is it best to leave it open, or connect with with a T-connecter to the line that come from the left side? 2) Is there a reason (other than to make the emissions system work) that the two manifolds should be connected by a vacuum line? 3) If the answer to 2 is "no", can I remove the whole T-line and put vacuum caps on the two fittings? 4) If 3 is "yes", is there another reason to have these fittings? If no, then should I just install some metal plugs so I never have to think about them again? Bonus (aka off-topic) question: What adhesive should I use to re-attached the parts of the heat shield that are peeling away?

Thanks. I just put a higher-resolution file in the gallery. Anybody else have a picture of the place that lets you know you're coming up on great road? The spot that says "let the fun begin." Ideally with your bike in it...

Here's another attempt. My bike is a 2002. This links one of several bases that I thought might be compatible - for a 2002-2006 MV: http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no=23429 This shows the caps, which fit all bases: http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no=18577 I tried to contact the Driven Racing directly - but they are closed until early January.

Oh - looks like we posted at the same time. I didn't see that you had decided to pass on it.

For comparison, my Scura (which I bought last month) was listed at a dealer for $6,995. It had only 185 miles (not 13,000 like the one you're looking at). No warranty - it was on consignment. I paid the sticker price, but the dealer over-valued my trade-in and helped me with a few other discounts. To me, it was worth potentially paying extra for the rarity, and showroom-new condition. (Actually it felt like a steal compared to buying a new 2014 bike). For the Cafe Sport, in comparison to the Scura: you can avoid the future costs of a new flywheel, re-springing the Ohlins, and repainting the engine. Apparently, all those future costs to me are offset by the little plate with the number 375 on the triple-clamp. The bikes are obviously and significantly different. Rossa is red. Cafe Sport is 50 shades of grey.

Very generous of you. Maybe you could also find some matching black forks to sweeten the deal for me? Seriously - Ohlins parts can be whatever color they want. BTW - I recently learned from a Swedish friend how to pronounce Ohlins: sort of like "Ehr-leans." Put that in a sentence with "Moto-Gootsie" and the average citizen has no idea what you're talking about. All part of the fun... My goal is not to black out everything, it's more to knock down the visual clutter and focus attention on the parts I find interesting (like that silver thing by the triple clamp). I've been chipping away at replacing the silver bolts with black (zinc) bolts. Just did the lower frame mounts, transmission and driveshaft housings, and the starter bolts. Amazingly, I've been able to find exact replacements for almost everything at my local True Value Hardware store. The effect is starting to work - more pics later. I'm seeking advice on a fuel door replacement on the linked thread. I found a luscious black billet one that has a gold trim ring... to match the Ohlins bits. But I can't figure out which one will fit the V11.

I want to replace my fuel door and base with a non-locking screw-top cap. I found a nice black billet aluminum one by Driven, but neither the retailer nor the manufacturer can say which one will fit. Seems to me that Guzzi must have bought these from the same supplier as lots of other manufacturers - this can't be a custom, Guzzi-only part. Here's a link to the part I want, which shows all sorts of likely candidates from MV, Ducati, Triumph, etc. Bases and caps are sold separately, this link only shows the bases. http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Categories.bok The black base and black cap with gold trim would go nicely with the Ohlins on the Scura. Does anybody know what other bikes the fuel filler housing cross-references to?

This is one of my favorite signs. I visited it today shortly after sunrise. It's on Route 74 in Riverside County, California - leaving Hemet on the way to Idyllwild and Palm Desert. Is there a special sign, scene, or other landmark that says to you: "This is where the fun starts."?

Here's how the GPS attaches to the RAM mount. Nice to have a map, clock, turn-by-turn directions when needed - and info regarding the ride - like 191 miles this morning. Finally got around to the transmission and drive oil changes last night. The only remaining original fluid is in the forks. Meanwhile the silver screws and bolts are disappearing - replaced with black ones when possible and painted when not. In this photo, you can see black pinch bolt, frame shroud bolt, and tank pad bolts.