Newbie looking for support

[Midle Age Warrior]

Hello Guys

 

Let's start from the fact that I am a complete newbie in the big machines world perhaps I have been riding motorcycles about 20 years now mainly for transportation porpouses with low cc engines.

A little background, I am from Caracas Venezuela where is hard to find parts, info and qualyfied technicians although I decided to buy a 2001 V11Sport in not running conditions.

I lost my mind, maybe, but back in the 80's I got a close encounter of the third kind with a Guzzi Lemans MK1, I felt in love with that machine at this precise moment and since then I was in love.

I was near to buy one a couple of times with not success and I must admit I had second thoughts about me having a Guzzi in Venezuela that lead me to quit and I am regret, and as somebody said to me "... regrets are cuorious things, since the worst are the ones that comes for things you did not do it..."  

So I decided to take advantage of this oportunity of redemption, she is a 2001 V11 Sport Lime Gree/Red presumyble the only one in my country with about 20k miles on the odometer, more previous owners that I what to admit and an electric problem.

 

   

 

 

 

After having some conversations with people who knows the guys or the motorcycle all of them agree with the fact that the bike has an electric problem associated with the wiring loom and or the TPS and a shot rear shock, we did start the bike after a few month of inactivity (no battery and old gas in the tank, you got the idea ) she finally roar up load and clear, no rare sounds coming out of the engine, althogth I could not perform a test ride due to the failure the bike seems prety solid to me.

What I want is a no a big down payment to enter in the game and a good example of a Guzzi to work on, the plan is to ride the bike occasionally with some fellow bikers in short rides not far from home .

Finally I spoke with a well know technician who told me to find a correct TPS (the actual comes from a Harley Davidson the PO said that is the same part number of Guzzi's) because he will not perform any test or job without it, the problem is I only find one in Harpes and it is over $300 so I am looking for options before buy at the new one.

If some of you guys have a TPS in good working conditions that would like to sale and ship to Miami Florida I will be glad to give it a try.

Thanks in advance for your patience reading this long thread and I hope bee around for a long time sharing my experiences with this Italian chic

 

[gstallons]

Do you know how to test the one that is on the bike ?

[luhbo]

Can you switch the technician?

A working PF4C TPS is basically the same as a working PF3C. As already mentioned above, first test the actual one. A well known technician can do this, at least as long as people know him because of his bike business.

 

What are the symptoms of your bike's problems?

 

Hubert

[Midle Age Warrior]

Thanks guys for the replys

The symptoms hummmm, as I told you guys I only saw the bike running once but at first after turn the key nothing happened then the owner move the connection  to the computer I guess and the gas pump came a live and when she was running the did not idle well and after actuate the accelerator takes a little to rev up.

 

 

Can I change the technician, no

I do not know how to test the actual TPS

 

I am in the process of getting the bike (long history) so the bike is not with me yet

Could you tell me how to test the TPS

Could you tell me where to find a new one just in case

Could somebody tell me where to find the data I should check on the TPS

 

Thanks in advance 

[fotoguzzi]

yes please explain the problem the bike has..

I have a used TPS that is working condition.. send me an adress and I will send it to you, free.

[Kiwi_Roy]

The V11 Sport is quite simple electrical wise but it has a few simple electrical faults, we can talk you through those. I have the same bike.

 

The key to making it run is getting power to the petcock fuse, most of the faults happen in the wiring before there.

 

The first thing I would do is remove the contact block from the ignition switch and clean it.

 

Run a proper ground from the voltage regulator to a timing cover screw

 

Check the 30 Amp fuse for signs of heating.

 

Pick up a couple of spare relays

 

Set up the TPS

 

Balance the throttle bodies

 

Ride it.

 

I will send you a Personal Message

[gstallons]

The TPS or throttle position sensor is a simple device . Google " testing a potentiometer " . It will help you to perform this operation with confidence.

 You will need a GOOD DVOM , test leads that will probe connectors and an understanding of how to use it . 

   p.s. this will be easier than you can imagine !

[docc]

How exciting!   You have definitely come to the right community. Get ready to know your Moto Guzzi!

 

If you can get a digital electrical meter, these fellows will help you through the electrical problems. You can do it!

 

The shock is not original to the bike. There may be forum members who would part with their original Sachs-Boge , but the yellow spring might mean it is an Öhlins. Does it have markings? Why do you say it is "shot?"

[Midle Age Warrior]

When I started to write the thread I already had conversations with some fellow bikers because I wanted to hear what I want, that meant something like " go for it", "do not miss the opportunity", "life is one, live it' and they did it as I supposed even my wife thinks is a nice idea to get the bike but my major corncern was (note that I wrote was) the technical difficulties, but when just one post in this forum, you guys fill me up with the confidence I was looking for.

I called the owner today and did the final arregaments so we could get started on the process of buy/sell the bike, that here in Venezuela is not an easy  task.

I guess that MY NEW TO ME MOTO GUZZY 2001 V11 SPORT (the capitals means I am so exited with this project) could be home by next weekend.

I will post more pics of all the culprits that will appear once I started to work on her in my garage.

For your information the original Sachsboge shock lost the oils through the seals, I was taking it apart just to find out that the inner shaft guide/stopper is stuck in the shock body so I can not push it down to free the cir clip that keeps it in place, in order to pull the shaft/valve together so I can totally disassembled and look for the spare parts.

I could also be willing to negotiate a good spare that maybe one of you have laying around or have it in the spare parts bing.

I almost forgot to let you know that I am not really buying the motorcycle in fact I am trading it by one of my mountain bikes

Have a good night 

 

[fotoguzzi]

cool, I sent you my spare TPS but shucks I didn't think of adding a few relays.. you should be able to get relays at an auto parts store if you bring yours in to compare.. If they are Seimens relays (stock) many of them turned out to be less than reliable so for just a few bucks you could swap them out for good measure.

 

can you get the stock airbox with it, in case.. personally, I don't like those pod filters.

[Midle Age Warrior]

Thanks you fotoguzzi I will look for the relays as soon as I bring the bike home, the multimeter is already on hand so I think in short time I will back with a lot of questions.

I have second thoughts about those pod filters thanks God the bike comes with the original airbox and a fairin also here is a pic of her full dressed

 

[Kiwi_Roy]

Congratulations

Those Carbon Fiber cans are awesome, the guys I ride with reckon my bike is the best sounding bike they have heard.

Yes, don't discard the original air-box, pods look ok but they don't perform any better, worse in fact.

[Skeeve]

 

Finally I spoke with a well know technician who told me to find a correct TPS (the actual comes from a Harley Davidson the PO said that is the same part number of Guzzi's) because he will not perform any test or job without it, the problem is I only find one in Harpes and it is over $300 so I am looking for options before buy at the new one.

 

The utterly ridiculous price on the official Guzzi part is why the Harley-Davidson tps is used as a substitute: a few years ago they were ~ $60 for the part, vs. Guzzi's part at 3x as much or more. The only difference is a slightly faster "ramp" on the H-D part [which didn't seem to cause any problems in reports from those using them.] These are electro-mechanical parts, so they do eventually wear out.

 

WRT the pod filters: tests by serious go-fast people have conclusively determined that the stock airbox with the top converted into a sort of "retaining ring" for the filter element performs better than pod filters at all throttle regimes, & makes more power at WFO. Pod filters are strictly a "looks good" feature for that classic "motorcycle you can see thru" appearance, as opposed to modern, densely-packaged "opaque" motorcycles.

 

I understand that the situation in Venezuela may alter things, but the official word on the stock Sachs shock is that it is non-rebuildable [or at least, not worth doing so] and moreover, some iterations are prone to failure at the "eye" [which would allow the rear end to collapse & the shock to possibly jam against the rear wheel if it happened at speed.] The best advice it to replace it with one of the several aftermarket options [Penske, Hagon, Ohlins if you're wealthy] once the stocker is kaput [as yours is.] Alternatively, someone else who's already upgraded may have a stocker that's still usable and would be willing to give it to you for the cost of shipping? Wish I knew of some other bike that used a similar size, but like other esoteric vehicles, I think our Guzzis are a bit off the beaten track of "most bikes" equipment. ;-)

[Kiwi_Roy]

You can easily test the TPS by measuring the Voltage going to pin 11 of the ECU and Battery Negative

Poke a sewing pin into the wire and attach your meter Red lead, Black lead to the battery negative. 20 Volt range.

You should see it vary from 450-500 mV to about 4.5 Volts as you open the throttle.

If you open the throttle slowly the Voltage should follow smoothly with no sudden jumps.

[docc]

I never could find my bad TPS watching for millivoltage jumps, but when testing resistance across the TPS leads, there was a distinct *jump* - new TPS: hiccup solved.