It's been a while..

[big J]

Hiya fellas, long time since I posted. I'm still in Bahrain, havent even seen my V11 for years now, miss the old girl terribly.

Anyhow, recently I had occassion to drop a friend over to the Hardly agency here. I couldnt stomach the place, so wandered up a couple of doors to the Piaggio dealers, therein to find a Griso 8v. It's a 2010 model, been sitting in the showroom since and never ridden.

As you do, I had a sit on it, though I didnt make any engine noises this time.

The very nice sales guy and I had a very nice chat.

Then he told me the price, it was very nice too.

I find myself in a quandary.

 

The dealer is a box shifter, I dont believe that I will have any support should the worst happen. I'm easy with that.

I dont know if the bike has even been started in months, therefore I will assume that it hasnt.

Pete has posted that as long as a proper PDI is done, the bike should be ok, but I cant find any mention of what a PDI would include, does anyone know?

I'd like to pressurise the oil system before initial startup, is this possible? Maybe hook up a garden sprayer full of oil to one of the oil cooler pipes and pump it up to ensure adequate lubrication?

I have read of the seemingly random nature of cam lifter failure, I realise full well that I may end up with an ornament, but I miss my old Guz and want another.

 

All comments welcome

 

John

[GuzziMoto]

As long as it has the new style tappets and you use quality oil of the recommended spec it should be fine. There does seem to be some failures still of the cams/tappets, and they seem restricted to certain areas of the world. Not sure why.

 

Proper PDI setup to me would be to fill the battery and let it sit before putting into service so the acid can be properly absorbed (or something like that), as well as checking the valves, making sure the map is current (almost sure it would have an old map in it from the factory), syncing the throttle bodies, setting TPS, filling with 10w60 oil as spec'd, along with all the other fluids and what-not.

 

I would not be concerned about it sitting, or worrying about pressurizing the oil system. But if you wanted to you could pull the two outer spark plugs and push the bike in gear to spin the motor over, which would pump oil through the system, before starting. We used to do that after re-building our Ducati race motors, only we used rollers instead of pushing. Pulling the plugs makes it easier to spin the motor.

 

Either way, good luck.

[big J]

Thanks Guzzimoto. The bike is a 2010 model year. I checked the VIN against the recall list, but it falls outside that. I'll ask the dealer if the tappets have been changed for the latest type.

I think I'll head down there tonight and drop a deposit on it.  Have a chat with the "technician" (probably some poor little Indian fella with some chocolate tools in a carrier bag  )

 

I'll have the only Guzzi on the island

[pete roper]

If you can give me a day or two, and feel free to pester me, I'll give you a run down. I'm currently in Sydney, a shithole and c#nt of a place, for a night and am about to go to bed but if I forget? Please nag me. I think my email is in my profile somewhere.

 

Pete

[big J]

Lol, will do. Thanks Pete

[mznyc]

Good to know that the Highland Cow still grazes here!

How much longer are you there for John? Working? What's life there in general? Feel free not to answer,just curious about life for a Westerner in the Middle East.

[Skeeve]

Good to know that the Highland Cow still grazes here!

Feel free not to answer,just curious about life for a Westerner in the Middle East.

 

No women, no booze. Not much of a life at all!

 

Every guy I've ever met says the same thing about working there: the job is overpaid, which makes up for having to fly out periodically so you can decompress. Only reason they kept at it was how much money they were able to bank while they were there, against one day coming back to what they consider the real world...

[Tom M]

Good to know that you're still around and doing OK big J!  That Griso should be the dogs danglies (a term I learned from you).  Post up a pic once you seal the deal.

[AndyH]

I'm envious, for me the Griso is 'the one to have'... if it wasn't the case that I was so attached to the V11 and no room for another bike until I sort the V50 and sell it on. Life choices eh?

 

Just don't stay in one of those Gulf bankroll countries too long - I've known too many people who stayed 'just one more year' there, stayed five or more and lost their soul in the process. The Griso might be a powerful talisman against the bad magic.

 

So go for it if you can.

[fotoguzzi]

I'm envious, for me the Griso is 'the one to have'... if it wasn't the case that I was so attached to the V11

my thoughts too, plus that Griso dash thing where it goes bad and the bike no run..

[mznyc]

No women, no booze.

Count me out,deal breaker.

[GuzziMoto]

I'm envious, for me the Griso is 'the one to have'... if it wasn't the case that I was so attached to the V11

my thoughts too, plus that Griso dash thing where it goes bad and the bike no run..

I have had some issues with my Griso dash, but never where the bike would not run and typically all you need to do is cycle power to the dash to reboot it.

I do not think there is anything about the Griso, or any other current Guzzi, dash that is inherently bad. It is typical of modern computerized stuff.

 

My Griso is not my favorite bike, but it IS the one I can always count on to run.

Although the wifes V11 is much the same.

[pete roper]

OK, time to hook into this.

 

Firstly, as a 2010 model it should post-date any of the tappet problems. Look at the engine number prefix. It'll probably be A8. That means it'll have its cams shimmed for end float and be marginally quieter than the earlier A5 motors but they're still a mechanically loud donk.

 

If you can get it off the box-shifter without their 'Mechanic' doing anything to it, so much the better. Hit 'em up for a new battery and put it unto service yourself after reading the instructions. The gel mat batteries can't just be wetted up and flung in the bike. They have to sit, preferably overnight, before being asked to accept a charge or they'll simply blow the acid out all over your new bike!

 

Before you ride it give it a decent once over. Adjust the valves, they are always way too wide ex-factory, check all the mounting bolts etc. If its never been ridden I really wouldn't bother changing the oils, just when you have the rocker covers off to do the tappets dribble a bit of oil down the back of the cam-boxes to make sure the cam baths are full to the top of the weirs.

 

Almost invariably you will find that the throttle bodies won't of been set up right from the factory. With the W5AM and stepper motor controlled bikes only ONE of the air bleeds should be open. Ex factory they always seem to have both open.

 

This brings us to what most people find most daunting about the newer bikes but shouldn't. The fact that the TPS is set electronically rather than mechanically. Certainly early in the piece this was a bit of an issue as it required the purchase of expensive tooling to be able to re-calibrate it. Nowadays you can simply buy a couple of cables off fleabay, download Guzzidiag off the innerneck and pay a paltry contribution to its founders site and for less than the cost of a case of beer you're ready to go.

 

Because Guzzi have the TPS on the RH throttle body but balance adjustments are done on the left when you adjust the linkage rod with the screw on the bell-crank it changes the TPS reading. All that is required though is that you close BOTH air bleeds once the engine temp is over 60*C, hold the engine speed at about 4,000RPM and using your vacuum gauges or whatever tool you use adjust the high speed balance with the linkage screw. Once this is done kill the engine with the kill switch and re-calibrate the TPS with Guzzidiag. Then restart the engine and let it idle and whichever side is showing the HIGHER manifold depression? Open the air bleed that side until the readings on the gauges are the same.

 

The whole thing is much, MUCH easier and quicker than the earlier screwing about with mechanically adjustable TPS's.

 

Guzzidiag will also allow you to ascertain what map you have in the bike. If its a 2010 bike it may or may not have the 'Good' GRS8V03 map in. If it has you're good to go. If it has one of the earlier maps then it needs to be overwritten with the #68S map. Just send it to me, I'll do it for a beer. When you re-install it though you MUST re-calibrate the TPS before you ride as the new map causes the TPS signal to be interpreted differently and if it isn't re-calibrated it'll run like a dog. Ask BelfastGuzzi, he knows all about that!

 

Because the idle speed is stepper motor controlled you should NEVER touch the throttle stop screw on the LH throttle body.

 

Don't run the oil, which must be a high quality full synthetic, more than half way up the stick between the 'Add' and 'Full' marks or it'll simply blow it into the airbox where it will gum up the stepper motor and throttle butterflies.

 

They will happily take an aftermarket pipe but best results are got with a long, restrictive pipe with a catalytic converter and a dB killer installed. This is why the 'factory' Termi pipe works so well.

 

Stock suspension is high quality but under-sprung and over-damped. It can be made to work acceptably but this is the area I would, (and have!) spent my aftermarket dollars on. Swap to HH pads in the brakes. Early in the piece drop the swingarm and grease the swingarm and linkage bearings.

 

I've got over 60,000km on mine and it has proven to be one of the most stupidly reliable and fun motorbikes I've ever owned. A turnkey proposition that never goes wrong. I love it!

 

 

Pete

[felix42o]

Hope you can get something going there. Where's the piaggio dealer on the island? Never saw one out there (I spend around 3-6 months every other year or so out in Bahrain). I won't be back out there for a couple years, but I do enjoy it there.

[big J]

Jeez, thanks for all the replies. I'll try to answer them in order.

myznc, life here is good. I'm only a teacher, not making the big bucks the petrochem guys make, but I'm not complaining.Bahrain is probably the least well off of the Gulf states, there isn't the conspicuous consumption of somewhere like Dubai. The locals are great, I\ve made many really good friends here, people here are generally open and friendly, very easy going and tolerant and like to show off their hospitality. You bear in mind that it's a Muslim country and have a bit of respect for local culture, but as long as you arent a complete arsehole, you'll get along fine. Crime levels are, generally very low, the last place you want to end up is in a local jail, I dont think I've locked my car in years for example.The only thing is that there's very little to do and nowhere really to go. Plenty of restaurants and bars, but the island is tiny and only about a quarter is inhabited, there isn't a single decent twisty road at all. Hence, Hardly's sell by the boatload , by far the most popular bikes here. The heat is savage in summer, usually 50 deg or above for 4 months during the day and 40 ish at night. No fun. It only rains for about 5 or 6 days a year though. All in all, I really like it here, not bad at all.

 

Skeeve, see above. Women and booze freely available. Plenty of bars, restaurants and hotels around.

 

Tom, thanks man, will do!

 

Andy, tbh, if it was financially viable, I'd have my V11 out here. But it would mean a trip to Ireland to collect and crate up, import duties and shipping, remedial work to fix her up, blah blah. The asking price for the Griso is about the same, plus I get to ride it right away.I dont think the Griso is as good looking as the V11 but hey ho.

 

Fotoguzzi / Guzzimoto, I know I'm on my own here.Whereas you guys can go to your local parts store, there is virtually nothing available here unless you drive a Japanese car or similar. Nothing. Even getting bulbs, fuses, etc for my old Chevy can be a mission. Many Western companies wont export here, Amazon for example. It just adds a layer of hassle, something you have to work around. For example, I've been looking for a battery charger for about 3 months now, no luck yet.

 

Felix, the Piaggio dealer is a couple of doors up from the Hardly place on Budaiya Highway. Tiny little shop, one Guz, 2 Aprilias and loads of Vespas.

 

Pete, many thanks and much appreciation for that. I didn't make it down to the shop last week, going today. I'll certainly put everything into motion that you've advised. I called them during the week and ascertained that they have a Navigator tool and confirmed that the motor is outside the recall period. I will check to see if it's the A5 or A 8. I'll do some reading to ensure that I can identify the air bleeds from the sacred screw, I've been checking but haven't seen any clear pics of it. I dont know if they have a synchronising tool and mine is in Ireland, there's no chance of finding something like that here in a shop, but I can work something out even if it means making one. Interestingly, the tech is away doing a course on the new Cali which arrives soon. Maybe he might just have a clue. Anyway, if it comes to it, I'll use their tools in the shop and do it all myself. I'll also check which oil they have, getting 10/60 synth out here will be a mission if they dont have it.

 

Thanks again guys, it's great to be back. I hadn't logged on for ages, it was a bit painful cos I miss my old bike so much. Going to the shop now, back tonight!!!!!!