Loose Goose Vamoose

[ScuRoo]

I'm not happy, not happy at all. A bit pissed off in fact.

I'm new to guzzi I admit, but I expect guzzi dealers to know a bit more about these bikes...

 

I was previously told the two big nuts on the pork-chop's "held a bar in place which goes right through and ties both sides of the bike together" and as I was missing the RHS one I should get it replaced quickly (as in don't ride) in case the bar came out. They did'nt have one, but fair enough I got nut sent via London dealer from Italy - duly done (1/5 turn more than finger tight).

What was also commented on at the time was the fact the RHS threaded bar stuck out a long way, whereas the existing nut on the LHS was on but clearly appeared to have a only a short amount of thread it was screwed onto. Lets say, half to 2/3rd's at a guess.

Bloke even said "I bet it's out of alignment, I'll give it a quick check". Fair enough.

Later I asked how was the alignment?

"Funny that", he say's "It was spot-on". O'kay, fair enough, great. Well, I'd only been out on 4 or 5 half-hour solo rides since then.

 

However, my birthday was on Saturday and a mate & I were going to have a early morning blast down to the coast and have brekky. As my mate Stu has a Honda Blackbird I work the guzzi well 'ard to stick close. Much harder than when I'm solo.

So, after a great brekky, we set off along the coast to Eastbourne. Five minutes later I kinda sensed the bike did'nt feel the same. I ignored it thinking I was'nt feeling quite as comfortable as before we stopped and I'd soon get my feel back. Accelerating past cars the bike was shaking it's head like a pony on pepper.

I'm now thinking I must be getting a slowly deflating back tyre - shake the handle-bars and it's like it is all jelly. Ashamed to say, I'm a don't stop at the first squeak, rattle, whine, bump - ride it and hope it sorts itself out, kinda guy. 5-10 minutes later I do 'cos it feels like it's so sloppy I thought it was falling apart.

It was.

The RHS nut, bar, everything was gone and the chop plates internal threads were all mashed and swing arm was out of alignment by 1.5 inches with metal filings like confetti everywhere.

On my birthday, damn lucky! It could've been injurious.

 

Been on the internet and I now know there is NO ONE BAR THAT GOES STRAIGHT THRU. Instead there's two weeny 2 inch jobbies either side. If I had known this even I would have worked out that if the thread is virtually all visibly hanging out in the air, it must be just about to part company, nut or no nut. Grrrr.

So, why would'nt a guzzi dealer be astute enough to know this? I'm disappointed.

 

So where's my bike now? The AA delivered it there.

Should I loose 100% confidence in this dealer or give them the benefit of the doubt and stick with them? I don't mind human error, but guzzi dealer ignorance?

I'm feeling very shaky in my confidence in them.

Should any garden common-variety guzzi dealer be able to sort it out or should I get it to the (experts?) Colliers Wood dealer in London?

[luhbo]

Get them to repair it or at least pay for the parts and then search another dealer. What they've done is not a minor fault.

 

Hubert

[Baldini]

That there are 2 separate s/a pins is elementary Guzzi knowledge. I am astonished that any Guzzi dealer would not know this.

 

It's unclear to me whether the dealer did the work or you did it yourself. If your dealer left your bike in that condition causing that failure, I think you should pursue it with them for at the very least the cost of parts.

 

Things could have worked out worse. Glad you're OK.

 

If it don't feel right, it probably isn't. I found out same many years ago on a different bike: steering got very sluggish but, tho I slowed a bit, I ploughed on thinking maybe it was cos I'd lowered the bars earlier that day ... In fact I had a nail in the front tyre. Tyre blew, I landed in the dirt at about 60mph wearing jeans & a t shirt. I was flown home looking like Michelin Man.

 

Good luck in getting it sorted. I don't know what exactly needs to be done, but a good Guzzi dealer should be able to fix, trouble is there aren't that many of them - if you're on the South Coast, Corsa Italiana (SW London) & Moto Corsa (Dorset)come to mind.

 

KB

[guzzimeister]

Any half decent Guzzi dealer will know this. The two pins locate in ball bearings pressed into the swinging arm. If the Pin has come right out, you might be lucky and find you have only damaged the top few threads in the pork chop. But really it's immaterial and I would be pushing very hard (legally) for a new prok chop and possibly spindle. This arrangement has been on all the V twins since 1967. Who is the dealer so we can all avoid him?

 

If you get stuck, I think I have 2 pork chops RH in the parts skip at home, I will check.

 

Guzz

[Admin Jaap]

Please note, there is a diameter difference in the pin hole between the

[pete roper]

It is painfully obvious that you can't have a 'Bar' going through from one side to the other. There's a f#cking driveshaft in the way! While the dealer/mechanic who told you that is obviously an idiot I'd advise you to examine your machine a bit more carefully and think about 'How it works' a bit more.

 

If the dealer was so hopeless I'd definitely be checking the driveshaft alignment as well as they probably don't have a clue about that either.

 

Pete

[moscowphil]

The dealer you took it to is obviously completely clueless. Guzzis have used the system of a short stub on each side, locked in place by a locknut, since the year dot - all the tonti framed bikes from the 1970s onwards use this system, as well as all the V11 series. So there is absolutely no excuse for a dealer to not know this. After this, I wouldn't even trust them to change the oil! Hopefully they will do the decent thing and repair the damage, but if not I'd have thought you ought to be able to sue them for negligence - there's no other word for it. Good luck, and hope it hasn't put you off your bike!

[dark_bike]

Get them to repair it or at least pay for the parts and then search another dealer. What they've done is not a minor fault.

 

Hubert

 

What pratts :-( . Check that they screwed in those stubs to the same depth, otherwise you will get alignment problems. I can imagine the stub and/or bearing on the left hand side may also have suffered.

 

The dealer I bought my bike from said the clatter it makes when running in neutral was due to the input shaft of the gearbox. Using a very good gear oil would reduce it. Yeah sure

[pete roper]

 

What pratts :-( . Check that they screwed in those stubs to the same depth, otherwise you will get alignment problems. I can imagine the stub and/or bearing on the left hand side may also have suffered.

 

The dealer I bought my bike from said the clatter it makes when running in neutral was due to the input shaft of the gearbox. Using a very good gear oil would reduce it. Yeah sure

 

No, the clatter you get is from the crappy single plate clutch tryng, and often succeeding, in beating the flywheel to death. Since the clutch and flywheel should be dry no oil change will fix the problem.

 

If there is undue knocking from the gearbox it will be a combination of too low an idle and unballanced throttle bodies. Once again, changing the oil won't tune the engine.

 

Pete

[ScuRoo]

Thanks fella's for your support - I've got an amazing update on this now which I will share with you if I may. Before I do, some of you may need to loop some string around from top of head to under throat a number of times to save dental bills when chin hits, hits, hit's bouncing on keyboard... here we go.

 

Phone rings yesterday. I answer. "Hi it's Xdealer here, w've had chance to look at it and you need new rhs side plate, new emblem in side plate, new axle stub and new nut. That comes to £170.00. Do you want me to order the parts in?"

Well, (take deep breath) to be honest Xdealer, I've gotta say I'm disappointed that you told me blah, blah "one single bar, stub hanging out" blah (as above story) and don't think you should be charging for your error.

Xdealer goes, Well hang on here, blah blah, blah blah, to be quite honest, this is the first time I've ever seen inside the swingarm set-up. (WHAT!!!!!)

We usually work on modern stuff. To be quite honest, we don't know much about old guzzi's or get to work on them(HUH?!)

Oh, come on Xdealer, I said, my bike was made in 2004 or 2005 - I would'nt call that an old guzzi!

Well, said Xdealer, your bike might not be that old but what I mean is it still is old style technology.

 

But, I said, you're a moto guzzi dealer and you don't have a sign up saying you don't know much about "old" guzzi's.

And now, you're telling me you don't know much about old guzzi's and this is the FIRST time you've EVER had the opportunity of a side plate being off to see how the swingarm all works.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I KID YOU BLOODY NOT. Aaaarrggh!

 

I'm sorry guy's, I can't do this anymore. This isn't even remotely humourous for me to try and relay this story. I am just sickened in my gut's. I can't even begin to now be pissed or enraged - it's like dealing with a total spastic who does'nt know any better. Disgust, pity, disbeleif, nauseated - yes, all of the above, but I'm beyond being mad. (I think, I'm not sure).

 

I'm only not saying his name because I will continue to give him the opportunity to pay-up for his ignorance. If in the end, he insists I pay, I will.

£200 is neither here nor there to me in the grand scheme of things of scraped bones and scars for life. It's the principle. Rewarding ignorance on this occasion would be just plain wrong.

 

I'll write more if you want, but this is enough for now. I need cuddles.

 

...or at the very least, my fellow Aussie's encouragement to HTFU.

[dark_bike]

 

What pratts :-( . Check that they screwed in those stubs to the same depth, otherwise you will get alignment problems. I can imagine the stub and/or bearing on the left hand side may also have suffered.

 

The dealer I bought my bike from said the clatter it makes when running in neutral was due to the input shaft of the gearbox. Using a very good gear oil would reduce it. Yeah sure

 

No, the clatter you get is from the crappy single plate clutch tryng, and often succeeding, in beating the flywheel to death. Since the clutch and flywheel should be dry no oil change will fix the problem.

 

If there is undue knocking from the gearbox it will be a combination of too low an idle and unballanced throttle bodies. Once again, changing the oil won't tune the engine.

 

Pete

 

I took his suggestion with several grains of salt (it was mid-winter anyway ). But it goes to show how 'knowledgeable' some dealers are.

[dark_bike]

Thanks fella's for your support - I've got an amazing update on this now which I will share with you if I may. Before I do, some of you may need to loop some string around from top of head to under throat a number of times to save dental bills when chin hits, hits, hit's bouncing on keyboard... here we go.

 

Phone rings yesterday. I answer. "Hi it's Xdealer here, w've had chance to look at it and you need new rhs side plate, new emblem in side plate, new axle stub and new nut. That comes to £170.00. Do you want me to order the parts in?"

Well, (take deep breath) to be honest Xdealer, I've gotta say I'm disappointed that you told me blah, blah "one single bar, stub hanging out" blah (as above story) and don't think you should be charging for your error.

Xdealer goes, Well hang on here, blah blah, blah blah, to be quite honest, this is the first time I've ever seen inside the swingarm set-up. (WHAT!!!!!)

We usually work on modern stuff. To be quite honest, we don't know much about old guzzi's or get to work on them(HUH?!)

Oh, come on Xdealer, I said, my bike was made in 2004 or 2005 - I would'nt call that an old guzzi!

Well, said Xdealer, your bike might not be that old but what I mean is it still is old style technology.

 

But, I said, you're a moto guzzi dealer and you don't have a sign up saying you don't know much about "old" guzzi's.

And now, you're telling me you don't know much about old guzzi's and this is the FIRST time you've EVER had the opportunity of a side plate being off to see how the swingarm all works.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I KID YOU BLOODY NOT. Aaaarrggh!

 

I'm sorry guy's, I can't do this anymore. This isn't even remotely humourous for me to try and relay this story. I am just sickened in my gut's. I can't even begin to now be pissed or enraged - it's like dealing with a total spastic who does'nt know any better. Disgust, pity, disbeleif, nauseated - yes, all of the above, but I'm beyond being mad. (I think, I'm not sure).

 

I'm only not saying his name because I will continue to give him the opportunity to pay-up for his ignorance. If in the end, he insists I pay, I will.

£200 is neither here nor there to me in the grand scheme of things of scraped bones and scars for life. It's the principle. Rewarding ignorance on this occasion would be just plain wrong.

 

I'll write more if you want, but this is enough for now. I need cuddles.

 

...or at the very least, my fellow Aussie's encouragement to HTFU.

 

The word 'lawyer' usually works wonders in obstinate cases like this one....especially in combination with you reminding him that his ignorance/sloppiness might well have resulted in serious injury (if not worse...)

Writing stroppy letters can be very relieving :-)

[Baldini]

... we don't know much about old guzzi's or get to work on them...

Well if you don't know nothing about it, don't f***in pretend that you do!

And he's gonna fix your bike?

Have you considered asking him to pay for the parts, then get the bike to someone who knows what they're doing to get them in & fix it?

I know nothing about procedures but it might be worth talking to Trading Standards at council, citizens/consumer advice bureau - dunno wether that's still going - & there's small claims court.

Sometimes it just ain't worth the energy tho.

 

KB

[jrt]

Just my opinion, but I would call the dealer up and tell him NOT TO TOUCH MY F#@$KING BIKE.

Get it the heck out of there now, before they destroy something else. I have zero confidence they could effect any work competently.

Then send them the bill for the parts.

[belfastguzzi]

Just my opinion, but I would call the dealer up and tell him NOT TO TOUCH MY F#@$KING BIKE.

Get it the heck out of there now, before they destroy something else. I have zero confidence they could effect any work competently.

Then send them the bill for the parts.

I'd have to agree. It's only risking more damage and heartache.

My experience is that a bad mechanic 'fixing' things just wrecks more things in the process. I am NEVER taking my bike back to that dealer and I've given up on getting parts that he owes me (as have other people).

Unless you have good reason to do otherwise, take the bike away to someone who cares about what they do.