Sorting out a multiple-owner 2003 LeMans

[docc]

There it is again - another Guzzi being loved on and a hammer within reach.

[Scud]

The rear axle needed a little more persuasion on the way out than it did on the way back in.

 

I should have taken a mid-process picture. My brothers-in-law and nephews set up chairs in the garage to watch and BS - looked pretty funny. Couldn't have got the stock spring back on without them - and they all want to ride it soon.

 

Meanwhile, the women were enjoying Easter Sunday sunshine in the back yard.

[Scud]

Some people should just not be allowed to work on motorcycles. Let's observe the mental process of one such previous owner:

 

"Think I'll do something under the seat today. How about take out the fuse box screws for no reason? Ok, that was fun, now let's put them back in. Gosh, this one sure is tight. Better push down harder. Oh, the allen wrench keeps slipping, maybe I should use the cordless drill to screw it in. OK press down super hard so it goes in. Well, look at that, the screw head is totally rounded out, the fuse box is broken, and the frame tab is bent so far that the paint cracked. Well, got her in real good, cross-threaded for extra tightness. I am such a good mechanic... what should I do next?"

 

Now, in all fairness, the blame may fall on a factory worker too - it could have been that way all along. But there are enough of these little bodge-ups that my bet is on one of the previous owners.

 

All this I learned because I was trying to pre-solve the 30-amp fuse problem. 

 

Lucky for me, I have a complete and perfect fuse box on my e-bay "for parts only" wiring harness - and it even has a mounting screw. 

 

Looking for something useful? Try the Electrics Overhaul thread.

[docc]

"pre-solve . . ."

[cola]

Good to see the bike being cared for.  It reads as if it was a tad 'mis-owned' before.  Now it is just me or do those pods look too small?

[Kiwi_Roy]

Re the fuse block screws, I tried to take mine out one day, I wasn't having any success so I got mad and wrenched on the fuse block, that's when I found it just plugs into a couple of rubber grommets LOL

 

 

Sent from my shoe phone!

[Scud]

Good to see the bike being cared for.  It reads as if it was a tad 'mis-owned' before.  Now it is just me or do those pods look too small?

Mis-owned. That's a good one.  Y'know what's a bad combination? Pods and no rear fender - the rear tire throws junk in the general direction of the air filters. Pods are coming off - stock airbox going back on. All fixable...

 

Re the fuse block screws, I tried to take mine out one day, I wasn't having any success so I got mad and wrenched on the fuse block, that's when I found it just plugs into a couple of rubber grommets LOL

 

 

Sent from my shoe phone!

I am now intimately familiar with the fuse block, having just swapped the broken one with a perfect one from a spare harness. The mount screws go through two threaded parts - the little brass squares in the fuse block and the silver inserts that go into the grommets. And I must say - swapping the fuse box is a rather intricate piece of work, a task that probably should be avoided, but all part of my self-induced electrical education.

 

While I was at it, I added the 30amp fuse (per above-referenced electrics overhaul thread) and put in 5-pin Omron relays. I've got a little more electrical work to do.

 

The project's in a "holding pattern" till I get a care package from Harper's and my box of parts back from the powder coater.

 

Meanwhile, I am enamored of various features of these two bikes:

 

http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?app=gallery&album=160

 

http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?app=gallery&image=810

[docc]

Which features, those?

[czakky]

The second LeMans looks cool with no side covers.

[Scud]

Those both look to be '02 repaints.  I like the red tail sections on both, also like the white stripe (but I think narrower would be even better).  The red pinstripes on the wheels are cool - I assume it's the reflective tape, which is good for safety. Red (or eliminated) airscoops are nice. The "naked" stock airbox looks tough; I have not seen that treatment before, but I also like the red side panels. 

 

Thinking that wheels, alternator cover, rocker covers, porkchops, and levers and some other parts might all end up at the powdercoater at the same time. Plenty of functional stuff still to do before playtime though. Not sure how it will end up... just having some fun imagining along the way. 

[Scud]

More going-through stuff over the last week or so:

• Removed pods, cleaned throttle bodies, and fitted factory airbox (sans snorkels).
• Reinstalled (straightened) stock bars, raided the Scura take-off-box for the bar-end weights.
• Lubed throttle and high-idle cables. Rerouted hydraulic lines, cables and wires. The PO did some "cheats" to use the stock-length cables and lines with raised bars.
• Removed and cleaned front wheel, cleaned brake calipers, checked bearings, etc. All is well.
• Verified that new gauges should arrive next week, as will my box of goodies from Harper's. 
• My batch of black powdercoated bits should be ready later this week.
• Picked up the cross-overless pipes from the welder.

[Scud]

On the levers, I prefer the ASV to the CRG/Pazzo-knock-offs, but any of these will work.   I don't remember off the top of my head the exact models but our master cylinders (Brembo, Gold-Line Brembo non-radial) are common among Ducati/Aprilia ranks....

 

 

I sent inquiries to various retailers, who will not advise regarding cross-compatibility (liability reasons). So I did some searching, and the Brembo front brake and clutch master cylinders are common to other bikes. If you search for a 1998 Ducati 748, or 1995 Ducati 900SS, you'll see that they are the same master cylinders and levers. Pazzo racing has pictures of the correct levers on the Ducatis. Pazzo's part numbers are DB-12 (brake) and DC-12 (clutch). I ordered a set of black shorties for the Scura from MotoMummy on sale for $150. The LeMans will get the Scura's take-offs.

 

This compatibility puzzle was also solved in this thread, which lists a whole bunch of Ducatis.

[Scud]

 

Starting to get to the fun parts now.  Picked up my first round of powdercoated parts.  Flat black for making some things disappear and for protection and easier cleaning on other parts that were already black but with poor quality paint, or showing some wear/weathering (there was a little rust on the battery tray).  Put the sidestand and dash on last night... now the dash looks better than the triple clamp... 

 

FYI - I used QuickSteel to fill in a few imperfections before powdercoating (it can handle the heat). There are two kinds - a two-part putty in a tube and a premixed paste in a canister. I tried the paste, but will use the putty next time, because it goes on smoother and is easier to sand, the paste is more gritty.

 

Buying a bike with an uncertain past and a broken odometer carries some risks. Some things I've found made me wonder if the bike had more miles on it that claimed - then other things (like an old date code on the front tire) support the low mileage. They just weren't easy miles - and the bike was not always garaged.

 

Hoping to have it back together functionally, balance of fluids replaced, and re-tuned by next weekend.  Then ride it a bit while I ponder other promising possibilities, perhaps paint?

[JRD]

Scud- Great read, thanks for posting your progress and having all the photos. Keep up the good work!!!!

[Scud]

Scud- Great read, thanks for posting your progress and having all the photos. Keep up the good work!!!!

 

Glad you're enjoying the story. Next installment:

 

She's cleaned up quite well. Simple Green and Silicon Spray did wonders to the bike - the engine and wheels were the worst - kind of chalky. Naval Jelly also does a fantastic job of getting rid of light surface rust (like on the exhaust studs and a few other spots.) And WD-40 is a great solvent to clean brake calipers (take the pads out first).

 

 

• Got all the powdercoated bits back on (you can see sidestand, fairing bracket, and dash in the above pic).
• Reset forks to stock height (PO had raised forks above clamps to lower the bike)
• Reinstalled exhaust (so much easier without the crossover).
• Adjusted all suspension settings to factory specs (they were way off, the forks weren't even set the same as each other)
• Tried to install Shindy steering damper - the Bitubo had a sticky spot in the middle. I need to go get more spacers, washers, bolts, etc to do it correctly.  This thread re the steering damper is very helpful.
• Went for a sunset ride on the Scura as a reward (she's been very helpful recently - even better than a parts diagram).

Here's a tip for anybody who finds the helmet lock unattractive, but doesn't want to cut the tab off the frame. Grind the things that look like rivets flat (they're actually screws), then use a small triangular file to put some slots in the rivets, then take it off with a screwdriver.