Hi-Cam (Daytona, Centauro, MGS-01) stuff here! -

[Skeeve]

All right, so in the thread about "Will v11LeMans.com fade away?" someone suggested that they'd like to see more information regarding the contemporaries to the v11 2v mill, the 4 valve Hi-Cam Guzzis like the Daytona, Daytona RS, Centauro & MGS-01.

 

Note, that this doesn't mean that no one wants to hear about the new QV ['quattro valvole'] motor released since Piaggio took over, but that given that v11LM.com is now a website devoted to an "orphan" line of machines no longer supported by Piaggio/Guzzi, that the Hi-Cam crowd needs a home to call its own as well, & since there's plenty of virtual room here, & some not negligible crossover between the V11s (which are ultimately merely refinements of the Spot 1100/1100 Sporti models), well it seemed like a reasonable idea to start a thread devoted to the Hi-Cams.

 

Now, just as a starting point, are the motors essentially identical from the bottom of the cylinder base gaskets downwards, or are there subtle differences between the Hi-Cams & the v11 mills? I always thought that the Hi-Cam models seemed to be a bunch of 4v stuff slapped on top of the 2v motor, much like had been done w/ the small blocks years before [except of course, with the change from pushrod activation to belt driven cams taken off the timing chest in front, whereas the small blocks were all push-rod activated, whether 2v or 4v...]

 

If the cases are substantially different, what about the sumps? Visually, they appear identical.

 

Yes, yes, I hear it coming already: "Buy your own copy of Guzziology!" It's in the works, trust me: I just wanted to throw out something to get the ball rolling here...

[antonio carroccio]

...I hate insane speculation.

[raz]

Now, just as a starting point, are the motors essentially identical from the bottom of the cylinder base gaskets downwards, or are there subtle differences between the Hi-Cams & the v11 mills? I always thought that the Hi-Cam models seemed to be a bunch of 4v stuff slapped on top of the 2v motor, much like had been done w/ the small blocks years before [except of course, with the change from pushrod activation to belt driven cams taken off the timing chest in front, whereas the small blocks were all push-rod activated, whether 2v or 4v...]

I use to lurk at the http://www.centauro-owners.com/phpBB2/ forum, it's probably the best forum for the high cams.

 

Apparently one difference is the oil pump. Apart from it being driven by a gear it apparently also has no needle bearings but a plain bearing. It seems there was some quality issues, some pumps and/or gears hold up forever, others fail early. Some people change it to a V11 pump.

[Paul Minnaert]

Since the high cam doesn't need pushrod chanels in the cylinder, there is more space, the base is bigger, and the stud bolts spaced at 100mm square, so 100 mm bore is easy. First prototype engines had the cases welded there to get the studs at 100mm.

 

The oilpumps have wider gears to get a higher delivery, but are interchangeble with other pumps. Because the wider gears, they left out the bearing, what was't a bright idea. The mgs01 uses the v11 oilpump, with it's chain.

[Skeeve]

...I hate insane speculation.

 

Yes, I know: I personally think there's about a snowball's chance in hell of this vibrant little community fading into the online equivalent of a ghost-town myself, but I thought that starting a thread devoted to the Hi-Cams was worthwhile.

 

So sue me!

[Paul Minnaert]

well some will be taken in pieces because there are a lot of things older ones can be made better with. But the rest will stay for long and as long as they exist, there are people having questions. Look at all v7 and early tonti's still around. Well how old are they?

[Skeeve]

well some will be taken in pieces because there are a lot of things older ones can be made better with. But the rest will stay for long and as long as they exist, there are people having questions. Look at all v7 and early tonti's still around. Well how old are they?

 

Some going on 40 years baby, & we're not talking garage queens either!

 

Of course, it will be harder for the Hi-Cams to match such a record, simply because they were made in so much smaller numbers. Difficult to get those "unobtanium" parts off crashed/otherwise dead bikes in future years when the donor list is so much smaller.

 

Hopefully, it won't come to that!

[macguzzi]

At this rate we will have a Tonti section as well

[Skeeve]

At this rate we will have a Tonti section as well

 

Oh, we already do! It's called "Wildguzzi.com/forum" Yeah, we keep'em segregated in their own little ghetto...

[Guest drknow]

Bravo 4v guzzis! They are worth all the hassle of sorting them out. They really only need:

 

1. Oil pump fix (bronze bushing)

2. Valve guide fix (new guides)

3. Soft Tappet fix (dlc coat tappets)

4. Update F.I. chip (Creedon chip)

 

I bet you could make a list of that length for almost every guzzi older than 2003. Considering what a deal they are, $1500 or less will have you with a bullet proof bike that will give you an unmatched guzzi experience.

 

HIGHLY recommended.

 

dk

[dlaing]

Bravo 4v guzzis! They are worth all the hassle of sorting them out. They really only need:

 

1. Oil pump fix (bronze bushing)

2. Valve guide fix (new guides)

3. Soft Tappet fix (dlc coat tappets)

4. Update F.I. chip (Creedon chip)

 

I bet you could make a list of that length for almost every guzzi older than 2003. Considering what a deal they are, $1500 or less will have you with a bullet proof bike that will give you an unmatched guzzi experience.

 

HIGHLY recommended.

 

dk

Someone recently had a Centauro on Craigslist for $4000.

I considered robbing a bank, but the image of prison rather than riding my V11 held me back.

I think I'll start saving up for a second hand Stelvio