Guzzi Common Mods/Problems

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This lists some of the most common problems that crop up with the Guzzi V11 Sport and LeMans. Credit and thanks goes to the contributors at V11Lemans.com

 

Interested in buying a V11?

Frequently asked questions from potential buyers

Thanks and credit goes to the many V11LeMans website contributors.

 

Are you interested in buying a V11 sport, Le Mans, Ballabio, Rosso, Coppa, etc.?

BigJ sums up the gist of this faq pretty easily:

"Just see if you like it. It may have flat spots, a clunky box, vibrate, need the suspension set up. Dont worry about it, they're fairly easy to sort/fix. Just enjoy yourself, if you find you're grinning to yourself as you go, its for you. If you dont gell, try another one."

 

Common Modifications (all are well documented in the faq forum)

Oil pressure gauge

Foot forward controls relocation kits

Roper Plate for preventing pump starvation on some models. For installation, see the topic in the How To section: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=9425

Relay replacement

Vibration control

hSeat

Bars

Exhaust

Intake

PCIII

a sigma (BC600) bicycle speedometer

Rear mud guard http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...ost&p=67956

 

Uncommon Modifications

Cliff J's, My16M new CPU

http://guzzi.daytona-it.com/

http://daytonasite.free.fr/

 

 

Common Problems (most of these are addressed in this faq section in great detail- this is just an overview)

Also, not all of these problems necessarily show up. Very few of them have shown up on my bike, and others have their own specific mix of issues. These are the ones that are most commonly reported.

Oil pressure light goes on during acceleration- Models with the pump pickup towards the front of the sump can experience pump starvation during hard acceleration. This is made worse by the dipstick full mark being 0.69 inches lower than the actual oil level when refilling with 3.5 liters as specified by Guzzi, with the dipstick screwed in, as specified by the manual. Even with 4 US quarts, tests with an oil pressure gauge showed pressure dropping to zero at maximum acceleration in first gear on level ground. Installation of a Roper Plate and refilling with 4 quarts prevents this starvation. The Roper plate also permits refilling to 4.5 quarts for extra margin. Even with this, pump starvation may occur on long, hard, steep uphill climbs. An oil pressure gauge is a useful addition to monitor this and idle pressure. The oil pressure light switch only goes on if pressure drops to somewhere in the 2-5 psi range.

Relays- see the "Best Relay" thread for what High Current relay is currently available.

Grounding- Guzzi electrics are not the strongest so one needs to maximize all available power. Check grounds and use dielectric grease on every connector you can get to. Do not apply the grease to the mating contacts, only to the external joint (usually a rubber boot) to prevent moisture from entering.

Tail light blows fuse- On some models, e.g. Cafe Sport, the wiring to the tail light is pinched by the mounting bracket and can short out. Simply loosen the screws and re route it.

Tach fogs over- cured by drilling a small hole in the tach housing

Tach 'bounces'- caused by a bad ground. The tach is grounded through the mounting lugs, not by a dedicated ground. Add a ground wire to the tach (requires disassembly) to cure.

Speedometer bounces- common to every Guzzi I've ever ridden back to 1971 models. Sigh. The routing of the speedo cable puts a 'kink' in it. The best approach is to route the speedo cable so it has as smooth a run as possible. Additionally, on the early V11 there is an angle bracket that can work itself unthreaded and disgorge it's worm gear drive...usually at speed. As if that weren't enough- early Veglia speedo's and later ITT speedo's use DIFFERENT cables and these cables are NOT interchangeable. See 'bicycle speedometer' above. Both gauges are commonly optimistic (~8%) in their reading. The tach is also optimistic.

Speedometer cable breaks- Models like the '04 Cafe Sport experienced early failure of the speedo cables. This is caused by the sharp bend of the metal tubing just above the transmission connection, which replaced the gears of the earlier generation. When replacing it, be sure to get the current version of the cable housing, which has a flexible tube instead of rigid. Moto Guzzi issued a service bulletin on this. The part numbers for the replacement cables are:

01760481 is the new cable for Cafe Sport, and Ballabio.

01760492 is the new cable for Lemans,Nero Corsa and Rosso Corsa.

Clutch/sidestand switch- sometimes fail.

Transmission spring boss oversized (year specific) mostly only found on '02 model years. The oversize boss stresses and breaks a spring in the transmission, causing it to get stuck in first gear. A fix has been posted.

Flaking engine paint (year specific) 2002

Tank suck- can be an issue, even for bikes built after '02. On some early bikes, the evaporative emissions system didn't function properly and a vacuum would develop in the tank- sucking it in. The two possible fixes are easy- 1) make sure the breather valve is perfectly level, or 2) remove the rubber seal under the lid. If you do the latter, you may spill gas in the event of a tipover. In the case of the later models, the tipover valve must be tie wrapped vertical and right side up. These are sometimes installed incorrectly by the factory. See the thread on this topic in this section for details.

Vapor lock- there are some reports of developing vapor lock in bikes that have an external fuel pump ('99-02 models). Heroic measures of insulating the pump have been performed. The best thing is not to drive your bike while hot for 1 mile, stop, drive a mile, stop, etc. which allows the fuel system to get hot (it sets right above the engine)

Or, relax and wait 20-30 minutes for it to correct itself.

Rear brake 'groans'- it's dirty and needs to be cleaned. There's nothing wrong with it in all probability.

Vibration- especially problematic on new Guzzi's. Some bikes have a buzzy vibration that is unpleasant- it's mostly at specific rpm ranges (right around 3800 rpm on my bike). This fades with time and miles.

Oil return tube- the ~1/2" (1.25 cm) rubber tube that runs from the motor (just fore of the bell housing) to the frame is low grade rubber- eventually it degrades and starts leaking. It is a pain to replace, but Rich Maund has written an excellent tutorial on how to replace it with quality tubing.

Trouble shifting- clean, clean, clean and grease the shift lever, including the heim joints. Your ankle will thank you.

Body panel cracks- check to see if the tank rests on the sidepanels. If it does, shim up the tank with a washer at the rear mounting point.

Oil cooler bracket cracks - specific to '00 and maybe some '01 models. The aluminum brackets vibrate and crack. Replace with steel brackets. Practically, these should all be done by now.

Electric fuel petcock- wires are epoxied into the base of the electric valve and can break from vibration. The fix is to replace with a manual petcock.

Poor running when hot. The bike pops, spits, and idles rough. This seems to crop up every summer. While there are many possible causes, one of the most common is simply that valve lash is set too tight. Set the valve clearances to 'world' or 'Raceco' specs instead of 'US' specs.

Not so common Problems

These have been reported, but only by very few people.

Clutch grenading- only reported on single plate clutches (Rosso Mandello, Scura). Not sure how much of a problem this really is. It is the topic of a long thread.

Soft valve guides- The rumor is that all big-block Guzzi's have soft guides which wear out quickly. If you're worried, keep an eye on oil consumption and engine compression.

Cracked transmission- Only heard of this twice so it's pretty rare

Cracked oil cooling mounts- early ('00) mounts were soft aluminum and prone to cracking with vibration. Should be replaced with later steel versions

Ignition mounting bolts- are 'security bolts' although not very secure. Some fall out. The suggested fix is replace them with allen head bolts and bit of locktite.

Transmission leaks- check the seal on the left side of the case

Wheel spacer incorrect length- If your bike goes through wheel bearings (front or rear) quickly, check the length of the spacer in the wheel.

Sachs rear shock- a couple of reports of the rear mount eye cracking- check it regularly, clean and grease if you can to prevent rust building up.

A tale of two springs- this one is weird- on some bikes, the idle return spring and the seat latch spring were fitted in each other's place. If the idle advance is *really* stiff and the seat latch is weak, it might be this.

There are two recalls that need to be done on a specific range of bikes-

1) replace rod connecting bolts (only pre-'01 bikes qualify)

2) replace a transmission part (99-02 bikes)

 

Are parts hard to find and where can I have my bike serviced?

No, there are several VERY good online parts sources:

http://www.mgcycle.com

http://www.mphcycles.com

http://www.motoguzziclassics.com

and it would be easier asking about dealers on the forum.

 

I'm constantly reading the various ways these bikes break. Do all Guzzi's break down so much?

No, this is an internet forum where everyone (including me) posts problems. As such, it gives the incorrect perception that these bikes are constantly breaking down. Occasionally, some kind soul will post a happy ride report or something, but by and large, it's the breakdowns that are newsworthy. Guzzi's are rather well built- just look on any other marque-specific forum and people complain there as well.

 

So then why should I buy a Guzzi?

Maybe you should and maybe you shouldn't. It's a very personal decision. I'm biased, and I admit it. I like Guzzi's because they reflect what I think is noble about motorcycles- a simple, well designed machine that will run basically forever. They are way overbuilt in most ways- once the motor is properly broken in, it should run 100K miles (200 Km). The parts used are generally good quality (with the exception of a few choices mandated by 'bean-counters').

Horsepower is not that high compared to other, water-cooled, motors. If you want raw horsepower, you don't want a Guzzi, you want a Honda (or related). The advantage a Guzzi has is torque and good handling characteristics. A Guzzi has torque, and lots of it, which is useful in the real world. They pull like a freight train throughout the rev range. To me, this is an advantage because it forces the rider to be smooth and consistent in their driving, rather than using WOT to go fast on the straights. The Guzzi requires skill to ride well, and riding develops skill. The Guzzi also has soul, which is intangible until you ride one.

The engine Guzzi uses has been around since '67 with the first V700's out of the factory. It's a very simple, 2 cylinder, pushrod-operated valve engine. It is a very easy bike to work on if you like to do your own maintenance.

The community of Guzzi owners is outstanding; by far they are them most helpful group I've been associated with.

But- it's a personal decision. Ride one, see what you think. If it connects with you, then it's yours. If not- find a bike that does connect, and enjoy.