Anyone who owns a Quota 1100 ES or knows someone that does? I need some information concerning the gear selector mechanism.

[docc]

22 minutes ago, audiomick said:

Yes, I also reckon the bolt is too short. Maybe 4 or 5 mm more would be good. I read somewhere, written be someone who should know, that there should be 1.5 to 2 turns of thread proud of the nut. And the lock nut does look a bit shabby.

But why the nut on the bottom? I see no reason for that. On the contrary, I expect it is a lot easier to tighten up with the nut on top.

I suppose my thinking is that if the nut comes off the bottom there is still a bolt in place. If the nut comes off the top, the bolt falls out.

[p6x]

3 hours ago, docc said:

I feel like that bolt on the pinch should be slightly longer and the lock nut should be renewed.

I would also be inclined to insert the bolt downward with the nut on the bottom.

The drawing shows the nut at the top, Doc.

Agreed about the nylstop nut renewal. Those are supposed to be a one time use only. In any case, the gear lever spline claw is permanently deformed, making its removal difficult. I think it was overtightened. The "Nut Place" did not have M6 nylstop nuts; McMaster-Carr has them, but they sell them by 100, and the shipping cost is significant.

I am going to wait until the Nut place restock them.

[p6x]

On 3/10/2025 at 10:07 AM, gstallons said:

Good . Were you doing something else to this bike too ?

Excepted for this mishap, and the somewhat loose battery connections that caused a no start, the Quota has been incredibly reliable. I mean, much more than the V11 if I have to compare both.

I am going to put it through its paces by driving it all the way to Wyoming, at what used to be the northern boundary of the former Republic of Texas. Exceptionally, I am going to bring a 10 and 13mm flat wrenches with me.

I am a member of the AMA, and under their umbrella, I have a one time free tow (per year) to the closest Moto Guzzi dealer. I am yet to find out what happens if the dealership refuses to work on an older motorcycle. The Moto Guzzi dealer in Arizona that changed the tires on my Quota said they would have no problem working on it for anything. While the Moto Guzzi dealer near me, Wild West Motoplex does not work on anything older than 10 years.

[gstallons]

3 hours ago, p6x said:

The drawing shows the nut at the top, Doc.

Agreed about the nylstop nut renewal. Those are supposed to be a one time use only. In any case, the gear lever spline claw is permanently deformed, making its removal difficult. I think it was overtightened. The "Nut Place" did not have M6 nylstop nuts; McMaster-Carr has them, but they sell them by 100, and the shipping cost is significant.

I am going to wait until the Nut place restock them.

The only concern everyone has is : should the nut come loose to the point it falls off , the bolt would fall off and you're in trouble.  Installing the bolt N to S ensures it will remain in place until you can tighten it and be on your way . 

 This 10 yr old policy must mean they will look at your VIN plate to see the date of production to say "sorry it is now ten years and one month old , push it back out of the shop" .  

I would think there are more bikes on the road 10+ yrs. old v bikes under 10 yrs old.  an absurd policy .

[p6x]

10 hours ago, gstallons said:

The only concern everyone has is : should the nut come loose to the point it falls off , the bolt would fall off and you're in trouble.  Installing the bolt N to S ensures it will remain in place until you can tighten it and be on your way .

Even without the nut, the bolt would not fall off; I pointed out that the splined claw of the gear lever has been deformed because of excessive tightening. Since the hole where the bolt stays is in both parts of what forms the claw, there is now a lot of friction because that hole is no longer concentric. There is about a 5 degrees angle between the top and the bottom of the claw.

10 hours ago, gstallons said:

This 10 yr old policy must mean they will look at your VIN plate to see the date of production to say "sorry it is now ten years and one month old , push it back out of the shop" .  

I would think there are more bikes on the road 10+ yrs. old v bikes under 10 yrs old.  an absurd policy .

I also find this policy wrong, but there is not much I can do. It is their decision. They do not seem to care that it may affect their reputation. I think they weighted their policy based on the hassle to service motorcycles for which spare parts may require extra effort that cannot be incorporated in the invoice. I pointed out that a satisfied customer may purchase a motorcycle from them rather than another business. The feeling that I had if it was possible, they would have no service department and only sell motorcycles if that was ever possible. I have a feeling that in today's market, finding a good mechanic is no longer easy; once you found him/her, keeping is also an issue.

I am old enough to remember the days when you could get your motorcycle serviced just about everywhere.

The new vehicles are less serviceable than they used to be. These new TFT displays, the added electronics do not age well. Because the technology is in constant evolution, you may not be able to replace some of the electronics after a while. It is a bit like the EV batteries. If you purchase an older EV, some of the onboard technology may no longer be available to replace. I enjoy my two analog instruments. I only need to know the mileage, the speed, and the rpm. I have a warning light for low oil pressure, one for the charging, and a fuel reserve indication which I don't really need since I know how far I can go with a full tank.

Cherry on the cake, a 10 and 13 flat wrenches will address most of my problems.

[gstallons]

Being self-employed you learn to be available and work on what you sell. The best thing to do is take a deposit before you start . If dealerships don't want to work on older bikes , that is their business. 

[p6x]

The shift lever and the gear lever parted again at the spline.

I did 269 miles today, and the two components slowly came undone as I kept riding, until the gear lever came off the spline.

Since gear change is only by reciprocation, one wonders why the gear lever would slowly move out.

I took a closer look at the gear lever claw, and realized that with the nut tightened, the two sides that form the claw are in contact. In other words, you can't tight more than what it was, and it stil comes out.

I could drill a hole in the center of the shift lever, at the spline end, tap it, and install an hex screw and a washer so the gear lever would not come out any longer.

Or, I could put some mild loctite on the spline, and see if that does the trick?

Other ideas? I don't think I can easily find another gear lever. I am still going to look though.

[docc]

Why not relieve the lost gap in the claw clamp?

Or replace the "claw clamp?"

[p6x]

4 minutes ago, docc said:

Why not relieve the lost gap in the claw clamp?

Or replace the "claw clamp?"

If you go back to the beginning of the thread, the gear lever is item #10 of the drawing.

You see the female spline part is split to allow for tightening. However, fatigue makes the two sides in contact, and even when I untight the nut, it stays in the same position. No more elasticity.

There are a few mechanical tricks that can be used. Put some very light and think metal around the male spline, force open the "claw", and reassemble. The think metal band will increase the diameter and possibly improve the lateral grip.

I have looked for a "Gear Lever", item #10 of the drawing. Part Number 30 25 69 25, with the prefix "GU" so GU30256925.

I could not find it anywhere excepted for an outfit named "Parts Republik" in The Netherlands, for a whopping 191 EUR!!!

Maybe MPH has something in stock, but they are still in transition.

[docc]

Agreed, that #10 "clamping part" got over-tightened, and deformed. It is the point of failure.

Perhaps, the approximation points of the jaw could be relieved (filed) to restore the clamping function?

And, again, introducing a replacement bolt that extends its threads, by two threads, beyond the "new" lock nut . . .

[gstallons]

Until you replace worn parts , you are wasting your time. # 10 in the diagram is worn out and possibly # 12.  Of course $207.44 as of 5:21 AM  CST is steep  but that is life . i remember when the Honda CR 125 came out the aluminum shift lever was  (I think) $71.00 . That was in 74-75. 

Until you replace # 10 you are wasting your time . There are a couple of "things" you can do but it would be stupid to do them .  I am not going to describe them because I don't want you to attempt them . 

Anything else would be a "repair" but not a fix.  No one with any mechanical knowledge would do anything but replace the worn parts .  If it were my bike I would man up and order needed parts.

[gstallons]

Harper's Moto Guzzi shows the part SKU # 30256925 for a 2000 Quota priced at $22.08 . You will have to call them and speak to them about availability and if not in stock , when ?  There are a few large Guzzi dealerships in the  States you can contact and get this from .

[p6x]

2 hours ago, gstallons said:

Harper's Moto Guzzi shows the part SKU # 30256925 for a 2000 Quota priced at $22.08 . You will have to call them and speak to them about availability and if not in stock , when ?  There are a few large Guzzi dealerships in the  States you can contact and get this from .

I went ahead and purchased it.

I do not know if you are aware, but voice calls are now past us. All of the large companies have resorted to robots, so-called powered by A.I.; smaller companies don't answer their phone any longer. They have a recording that provides you with hours of opening or other stuff that is available from Google anyway.

The days when you would call to make a reservation for anything are mostly gone. There are a few exceptions, but most of those are no longer the rule.

Before, after having exhausted all the run around given to you by the robot, you would eventually get to speak to a human. I found out recently that if none of the options addresses your needs, the call is simply terminated. All the options offered are only handled by the robot, without the need for human intervention. Basically, they may as well have no phone number, as all transactions are handled on the web in any case.

Back to Harper's, there was another thread on this forum, where someone had purchased parts from them, had not received them, and could not get in touch either by phone or email.

So, I am prepared to lose the 50$ I spent on that part they may not even have.

In the meantime, I am going to try a mechanical fix, because I want to rite my Quota. I will start wth the quick simple, and look at drilling a hole for putting an M6 screw to hold the lever in place.

[gstallons]

Good luck . Where did you locate one ?

 I was not proselytizing for Harper's I was giving you a price reference. There are not many Guzzi dealers in The States and this is not a normal maintenance / replacement item . It will be an accident for anyone to have one on the shelf.

Edited March 14 by gstallons
more info

[gstallons]

If you want to "fix" it , you can drill a hole through the shaft and lever . then install a double roll pin into both parts . This will get you by until you can get the new parts. When you see a double roll pin you will see how robust it is compared to a regular roll pin . A 3/16 or 1/4 roll pin should work . You really need to chuck this up and use a drill press to get a good hole through everything . Also , get it like you want it , you only have one attempt . Also , get a whizzer (cut off tool) and open up the gap ta\that closed up where it clamps on the lever. 

Edited March 17 by gstallons
spelling error