Shock Horror

[Martin Barrett]

The oil light failed to go out this morning. So I first went to check the level so put her on the shop stand. Was OK but dribbled a little more in for good measure.

 

The light still wouldn’t go out. But was very feint at tick over. Now I suspected that it would probably be an electrical short around the switch. Only last week the side stand switch was playing up but was fine the next day, before it was WD40’d. So I hoped a squirt of WD40 would sort it out and it would be fine when I went back to it later. So a quick squirt on what I thought appears to be oil pressure switch. Then put her away and search on the board to check.

 

Roll her off the stand. There’s a metallic tinkle and this half a donut shaped piece rolls out from under the bike.

 

 

Initial thoughts are what have I knocked off with the stand? Picked it up thinking exhaust collar? As soon as it’s in my hand I suspect the rear shock mounting eye. Quick look reveals my fears to be right.

 

Looking at the piece two thinks struck me

1- Rust around the inner face. I assume it was assembled dry without grease.

2- One fracture was clean and shinny the other had a dirty arch around a very small clean area.

 

 

 

I came in and reached for the service book, checking to see if this was covered by PDI or a service item. I would have hoped greasing the suspension linkages would have been at least an annual service item.

 

Called the dealer and then the recovery centre. The only upside of this storey was within an hour she was on the back of trailer being taken to the dealers, all covered by its warranty as only 18months old with less than 8,000 miles.

 

 

I’m so glad that it failed under these circumstances not at speed on the road.

 

Debs now has it in for the Guzzi big time. Given the number of little issues it has had and now this. but it's because she cares

 

The moral of the story is when Pete and others say when you get your new Guzzi take it apart and reassemble it with grease they mean it.

[Guest davidb]

when I changed my back tire, the splines never had grease.

[Martin Barrett]

I was hoping to replace my rear tyre when it went back for its new headers, I was going to ask them to go around with the grease at same time. It seems it would have been too late. still waiting for one header since mid November when the correct ones were ordered.

[GuzzTim]

Holy Crap!.. Thankfully it happened as it did.. I've had a couple of experiences like this, where things I assumed would be correct on my bikes from the dealer's PDI were not..

 

 

2001 Kawasaki Concours.. After driving it for about 1000 miles from new, I was noticing a clunk from the front end going over bumps at low speed, and a scraping noise from the front brakes.. Thought it was just newish pads in the front brakes. When cleaning (a good time to check things) I found that the front pinch bolts on the axle were completely loose and the front wheel had tons of play. I was able to wiggle back and forth in the front forks !!! Yikes.

 

2001 Guzzi V11..(current bike).. After about 300 miles I was noticing noise from the front brakes.. With past experience with the Connie I checked for play at the front axle. I could wobble the wheel !!. Took it to the dealer. They determined that the left and right spacers on the axle were installed wrong. They're different lengths.. Oops ! This was an assembly problem and they quickly swapped them around.

 

2000 Kawasaki W650.. mine own fault. Before taking it down to a dealer to trade it in (on the Connie) I took the front end apart to remove the forks and reinstall the original headlight bracket. I'd tarted the bike up a bit with cafe bars and aftermarket headlight bracket. This of course involved removing the caliper and the front forks. Got everything back together and buttoned up nicely. Drove down the street, did a quick check on the front brake and all seemed fine. Hit the highway, cruising nicely at 70-80 mph. After 30 miles come to the off ramp, which is a nice high speed one, and just before the apex at 60 mph I grab a bit of front brake. Nothing ! Pump the lever several times, pressure builds but still no front brake. Quick downshifting, now hitting the corner, a little back braking and with a sphincter tightly clenched I make it round the ramp and pull up to the traffic light safely. I looked down at the front end and there's my caliper swinging freely in the breeze.. I guess I'd forgotten to use the torque wrench ! I can't imagine what would have happened if the caliper had swung into the spokes at 70mph..

 

So moral of the story ? Double check your own work, and don't assume others have checked theirs !

[V11UK]

Jeepers creepers Martin! I hope the problem is resolved quickly.

 

Out of all the new bikes I've ever bought, the Buell was the best lubricated at the factory. The V11 was the worst - perhaps Italians are allergic to grease?

[jrt]

As above, Martin- Glad you are OK.

 

It looks like the metal on the shock mount has been oxidized for awhile (the darker semicircle). One probable explanation of this is that the shock mount has been cracked for quite a while. The rust buildup expanded and eventually broke it clean in two. Grease would have prevented rusting, but the eye would still have been weak. I would suggest that the root of the problem was in the manufacture of the shock.

 

This is the lower mounting eye?

 

Jason

(goes to look at his bike)

[Guest ratchethack]

Martin, great good fortune has certainly smiled upon you. Congratulations on discovering this while taking the bike off the shop stand rather than on the road!

 

Just speculation, but from your pics and description, I'd expect that during assembly, some witless wrench maven likely dropped the shock on a hard surface, resulting in a hairline crack in the shock eye, not immediately damaging it enough to cause a complete and obvious fracture. Riding the bike would of course complete the fracture at some point - a great example of a mechanical time-bomb. If this is what actually happened, I'd expect it to be a very rare thing.

 

BTW - my shock eyes also came dry from the factory, along with the shift lever pivot and the internal cush drive sleeve. This last had developed a horrendous amount of "red-brown grinding paste" which had liberally distributed itself around inside the drive housing, and had undoubtedly opened up the clearance in the sleeve

 

Glad you're OK!

[al_roethlisberger]

... glad to hear you discovered this whilst not riding .... although I don't think it necessarily would have been catestrophic if it had You never know 'till it happens though

 

As an aside, that's a sweet lightweight trailer they picked up your bike with

 

al

[Baldini]

Martin,

 

Sorry to hear you got another problem but glad it wasn't worse.

 

When I got my Scura, shock mounts were assembled dry. Another thing to check is roller bearing in outside of rear drive box.

 

I've not looked at steering head bearings or s/a pivots - maybe I should...yes...

 

Oh well...

 

Best wishes, KB

[Admin Jaap]

As an aside, that's a sweet lightweight trailer they picked up your bike with 

 

To bring your HD to bike meets?

 

(...sais the man with the van...)

[Guest Brian Robson]

Glad to hear that you are OK. I would have done the same as you and thought it was the oil sensor.

Both the suspension mounting bolts were dry on my bike.

[pete roper]

I'd suggest either a casting fault in the eye or damage caused by, as somebody else said, abuse, ie Guiseppe using the shock eye to get the top off his early morning bottle of Nastro Azzuro in the assembley line. One of those rare and unfortunate things I'd guess I wouldn't think it is an endemic fault.

 

Interesting about the lack of lube on the shock mounts, I'll add that to my list of stuff for PD that I'm compiling.

 

Pete

[Martin Barrett]

As an aside, that's a sweet lightweight trailer they picked up your bike with 

 

Breaks down in to four parts, wheels and axels come off. Takes up very little space in the back of his van. Best bit was as you roll up the ramp at the back it see saws down, but still is attatched to tow hitch.

[exwtk]

Hello Martin,

 

Did you attend the V11 meeting in Varseveld Holland?

I was there,

Due to bad handling of my bike during that meeting I started wiggling around at the back and discoverd play in the rear.

After further checks I found out the top eye of my REAR shock Sachs-Boge had a crack in it!!

Same as you, wasn't driving, but likewise quite upset.

Since then the shock is replaced by a HAGON shock (Britisch manf.)

 

Greetings and don't loose your faith in Guzzi.

 

Co.

[Martin Barrett]

Did you attend the V11 meeting in Varseveld Holland?

 

Yes. I think we were talking at breakfast. I remember the mention of time away at sea. Jumping to conclusions from your avtar.

 

Is this you, closest, with back turned to camera talking to the chap who had the modified scura

 

on the Saturday ride outduring the return leg from TLM to Vasseveld

 

and don't loose your faith in Guzzi.

 

No not yet , Looking forward to having her back soon, PLEASE . want to go to the UK V11 and Buel Highland Fling and the GMG. Not quite the same turning up in a Ford Mondeo.

 

  rare and unfortunate things I'd guess I wouldn't think it is an endemic fault.

I found out the top eye of my REAR shock Sachs-Boge had a crack in it!!

 

Thats two - How many single plate clutches disintergrated?

One swallow doesn't make a Spring - Two cracked Suspension eyes doesn't make an endemic problem. It helps that it sits there quietly and doesn't rattle like a can of nails shouting "Am I going to fail or is this normal"