annoying problems

[Guest Le Man]

Just got back from a week on the BRP, great WX, nice roads, lots of bikes, lovely time! Now for the problems..developed major tank suck (11 k miles on the bike and now it starts!) Tank was changing shape as I drove and I was stopping every 60 miles or so to give it a gulp of air, but then I came up with an on the road solution! Just stick one of those little straws that you stir coffee with into the tank opening and shut the cap on it. It will lift the gasket just enough to give the tank the air it needs to stay at neutral pressure and every time you look down and see this little straw sticking out of the fill cap of your $14,000 bike it will remind you to buy a BMW next time.

 

Mike

[dlaing]

You coulda just pulled the little rubber nipple from under the cap.

But your solution was clever.

I saw a BMW 650 single split lanes up to the red light yesterday. When the light turned green he stalled, to the anger of the cages behind him.

Sh^t happens to the best of bikes.

Don't give up too easily.

With easy effort, a perusal of V11lemans.com forum, and a little patience, you will find your Guzzi experience very rewarding.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintainance was written at a time when Beemers were as spiritualy evolved as Guzzis, sadly Beemers have developed a profit formula and their soul has been sucked near as dry as a gold wing.

That is not to say that someone with Dr. Frankenstein like talents could not breath life into a new beemer, as the corpse has potential.

And don't get me wrong, I would love to have a beemer because I believe soul is not a requirement in a motorcycle, just a perk.

[Guest Le Man]

Good words..I am starting to get a little more Zen by the moment! My bike did run absolutley fantastic through the whole trip (1870 miles) handled real well on the BRP as well as the Gap. I am still running the set of Battleaxes that came on the bike but you can be sure that 11, 265 miles is all you can get from these tires (understandably) they are down to the wear bars front and back. And it was the center of attention mainly because you just don't see them too often.

 

Mike

[Mike Stewart]

Mikie,

 

I was suprised to see my 03 Rosso with the tank suck problem also. Removing the evap. canister and getting rid of the tipover valve solved the issue, same as the earlier models.

 

Other Mikie

[Guest Le Man]

Thanks for the replys guys! After a long, long drive in the rain with the tail light not working half the time and that stupid straw sticking out of the tank fill , mocking me, mocking me I was a little burned on the 'Guzzi experience last night.

 

That f**kin tail light is a toy! Don't the engineers know that in a nighttime rain situation on a highway w/semis all around our lives depend on this piece of junk?

 

I am looking at some interesting alternatives to the tail light situation. Not any of these flashing things for bikes but some military stuff I located thru the Coast Guard, I'll let you know how that goes. I get excited about trying to come up with solutions to this stuff for a while but then I start to get pissed that I have to deal w/this at all and just can't go riding and not @#$$#! around with the shortfalls..ya know?

 

Hey! The BRP was the bomb this week . what a great collection of people and bikes. The hot unit was a sport naked type Jap unit no one could recognize at first but it turned out to be an undressed GSXR 1000 with Monster type bars and a small radiator running a hi temp coolant. Try and stay with that guy!! I heard that a guy got pushed off the road at the Gap on Tuesday by a truck..anyone know anything about this?

 

Mike

 

Mike

[docc]

I suppose there may be no end to the niggly problems we continually fettle on our Guzzis. And we often compare this to what we percieve would be the experience with a BMW or a Honda.

 

While my Sport is down from the crash I looked around. You know, the usual suspects. BMW, Ducati, Triumph. Even rode a BMW R1100S (how can they make a big twin seem buzzy and neutral?). So far, nothing has measured up to the styling and allure of the Sport.

 

For my crutch bike I picked up a '93 VFR. Very nice motorcycle. Does every thing pretty well. I definately like it better then the Beemer I rode ( at 1/5 the cost!). But where's the brio? Why don't I find myself , late at night, sitting in the garage, sipping scotch, staring at the VFR? Instead, I'll pick up a bracket or a side cover from the sport and admire its lines. Looking deeply into the disassembled chassis I recall the crisp days connected to the ride, rewarded by the Sport's gutsy intensity and raw beauty.

 

Sure, there's a price to pay. And not everyone can afford the time and frustration to develop and share solutions. But if there were only 'very nice' motorcycles that do 'every thing pretty well' just think what we would be missing.

 

Thanks to everyone for the care and passon to post and reply as we all support one another in the experience. This board has made the biggest difference for me and my Sport.

[Baldini]

Why don't I find myself , late at night, sitting in the garage, sipping scotch, staring

 

Yeah!!!

 

Cheers, KB