V11 Trans Recall

[justmike]

Just about ready to purchase a 2000 V11 Sport that HASN'T had the trans recall done. Does anybody know if Guzzi will still honor the repair at no cost? If not, any idea what the necessary parts are worth?

[Steve G.]

There's only one way to find out, get hold of a good dealer. In the U.S., it is a mandated safety recall with no expiry date, good info to have when approaching a Canadian dealer. I know both of the two dealers we have in Metro Vancouver would look after you, IF they were able to get hold of the parts package from M.G..

Greg Field at Moto International would have a solid understanding of the situation.

 

Steve

[justmike]

Steve,

Thanks for the feedback. Wow - I thought I'd have answers up the yin-yang! Hard to believe it took 88 hits before a response on this one. I'll give your man a try to see if he's got any quick answers.

[justmike]

Okay, so the fellas at MotoInternational were able to get me an answer in about 2 minutes flat - I've been waiting for two days from the local dealers The bad news is the recall has not been performed on this particular bike. The worse news is, the recall apparently expired on December 31, 2008 Any suggestions?

[gstallons]

what is in this particular recall? See if someone has the recall parts and ship it to someone you have confidence in and pay them to fix it. sorry.

[justmike]

I guess I was thinking more in terms of challenging the "expiry" of the recall - is there such a thing?

[Guest ratchethack]

. . .the recall apparently expired on December 31, 2008 Any suggestions?

Mike, I was pretty sure this^ was the case. If you've already purchased the bike, this would seem to put you between the proverbial rock and a hard place, but all is not lost -- far from it! Now if you haven't yet purchased it and still want it, I'd say you have a SUBSTANTIAL bargaining chip to throw out on the table, but I'd play it only AFTER you discover replacement cost -- and availability! -- on the parts in the kit. Looking back in my receipts folder, the kit for "Recall Campaign B" (kit #973260900016) includes the following part numbers:

 

04211201, 1 ea. flex. coupling hose - shifter sleeve (updated spacer)

04212401, 1 ea. spacer (at output end of the "belleville washer" internal cush drive)

04214901, 2 ea. movable hose - gearbox shift sleeve (sliding dog)

 

(NOTE: The translation from Italian to English for "sleeve" came out, "hose".)

 

The above list came directly to me from MGNA, and I believe this to be accurate, as installed on my Guzzi. All the contacts I had back in March '04, when I got this info and had the recall work done, are of course, long gone now.

 

If you're at all handy, you might consider sourcing and installing the parts yourself. Once you have the box open, it's merely a matter of re-stacking 2 of the 4 shafts and switching out the parts. No special tools of any kind required. The bulk of the labor by far is getting the box out and back in. Though I was entitled to have a dealer do ALL the work, it was my preference to have the box out and back in myself, and have a seasoned Pro with a dozen of these recalls under his belt do the "inside the box" work on an over-the-counter basis, and sign off the authorized Guzzi dealer recall work order.

 

Hope this helps.

[justmike]

Thanks Ratchet. Yes, I've seen that recall notice with the parts listed, and I wouldn't have a problem doing the work - but the cost of parts would have me concerned. And no, I haven't purchased the bike yet - but we've settled on a price conditional upon whether or not it needs the recall done. I feel bad for the guy - the price was already pretty good - he's not gonna want to eat the price of these parts too! But neither would I. Buyers beware!!!

Are you saying that you think the recall is legitimately over - SteveG. seems to think there is no expiry date?

[Guest ratchethack]

. . .I feel bad for the guy - the price was already pretty good - he's not gonna want to eat the price of these parts too! But neither would I.

Leave us not feel too awfully guilty here, Mike. After all, the guy had over 5 years since the recall to get it done for free, and he chose to let the the clock run out, whilst risking catastrophic failure on the road over each of however many miles he put on it since then. Negligence of this magnitude typically comes at a steep price later. His balloon payment just came due, not yours. Sorry, but I'd have no shred of guilt over a transaction where he's finally forced to come clean at whatever price the market will bear, and you are made whole (excluding considerable uncompensated extra time, cost, and effort on your part!) for his negligence in the bargain -- but o' course, that's just me.

. . .Are you saying that you think the recall is legitimately over - SteveG. seems to think there is no expiry date?

Yeah. I'm saying the recall was legitimately over at the end of last year, as MI informed you. Your chances of getting a "freebie" half-year extension (plus a month) at this late date from an infamously badly-supported dealer network (shall we be honest here?) -- on a "foreign" continent yet -- are nearly dead certain to be found somewhere down the lonely road between slim and ZIP. . .

 

Best of luck to you. There's a win-win in this somewhere.