Ballabio - First impressions/questions

[Guest Britcheflee]

Hi,

Picked up my 04 Ballbio this weekend - took a nice ride out today (I am up in N California so a number of great roads to try) Just loved riding the bike and 100miles went by very smoothly - certainly the most powerful and responsive bike I have ever had here are a few questions and commets:

 

1. Do they do a rubber front foot peg conversion? I am not all that keen on the metal foot pegs - I find my feet slipping on them as I adjust position.

2. Some vibration as expected - I am thinking of getting bar end weights - do they help?

3. Has anyone ever replaced the handlebars with narrower (to give you some cable slack) and slightly higher?

4. I am older...47 do they have a Moto Guzzi ball bra??? Heh heh....just...got..to adjust those nuts now and then!!!!

 

In my excitement I went out and bought a nice AGV helmet - then saw a flip up style moto guzzi helmet - better for me as I wear glasses - now I kinda regret buying this nice helmet and spending the money on it - anyone interested in buying a brand new AGV helmet full face for about half of new? I can send pics and full details...

 

Beautiful bike - just need to get used to all that power!!!!

 

Also enjoying all the looks Im getting (sadly from other guys and not gals!!!)

 

 

 

Lee

[richard100t]

Please tell me what kind of agv helmet it is. I just bought a demon top & I wouldnt mind having another.

[Guest Britcheflee]

Please tell me what kind of agv helmet it is. I just bought a demon top & I wouldnt mind having another.

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Not qutie sure what the model is - here is a picture - you can e mail me directly at Leentina@comcast.net.....I paid...wait for it $460 - there is a tiny chip on the very back which can easily be painted over and be invisible - I can e mail some pics for you - comes with tear offs and sale price of $295 would include shipping to you.

Literally only worn 3 times.

Lee

[jrt]

1.  Do they do a rubber front foot peg conversion?  I am not all that keen on the metal foot pegs - I find my feet slipping on them as I adjust position.

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No, but I think Rich Maund put some rubber-cushioned 650 pegs on his (???). I could be high, though.

 

2. Some vibration as expected - I am thinking of getting bar end weights - do they help?

yes, but putting some miles on the bike is the real solution. Get 10K miles in it and she'll be smoooth. I think I've seen throttlemeister and manicsalamander bar ends put on. What's the bar made of- steel or aluminum? The interior diameter is different, and most bar ends are made for steel handlebars.

 

Also enjoying all the looks Im getting (sadly from other guys and not gals!!!)

ah yer a handsome devil....I have this 'friend' by the name of Belfast that's interested in your phone number....

[velofish]

 

yes, but putting some miles on the bike is the real solution. Get 10K miles in it and she'll be smoooth.

 

 

There's your solution. Mine smoothed drastically around the 8k mark. Also, you're not lugging it, are you?

 

John

[Guest Britcheflee]

 

yes, but putting some miles on the bike is the real solution. Get 10K miles in it and she'll be smoooth.

There's your solution. Mine smoothed drastically around the 8k mark. Also, you're not lugging it, are you?

 

John

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No, the vibration is more noticable at higher speeds on freeways - that buzzing hand deadening feeling you get after using a weedeater for a long time.

I also read a while back that this causes nerve problems.

 

 

Lee

[txrider]

On the vibration bit at the handlebars, I'll mention again that the original grips are pretty thin and replacing them with an aftermarket slightly larger diameter grip relieves some of the tingle. Another thing I've found to work is to relax your grip at the handlebars a bit. Makes for less fatigue and smoother inputs to the front end.

[Guest ratchethack]

No, the vibration is more noticable at higher speeds on freeways - that buzzing hand deadening feeling you get after using a weedeater for a long time.

I also read a while back that this causes nerve problems.

Lee

Lee, a few rambling thoughts. I'm thinking you're gonna hafta get this out of your way or you'll never enjoy your Guzzi. And yep - you can get nerve damage. It's hard for me to imagine this level of irritation from vibration on a Guzzi. Not that I'm doubting you, I've just never experienced anything like it on my Guzzi, (now, on my old A65 BSA, yes!) so I think something must be out of whack. As Jason and Vfish have noted, more miles, more RPMs, bar-end weights and/or filling the bars with lead shot or molten lead would all contribute to relieve it.

 

Since I've had Throttlemeister heavy bar-ends (16 oz., not the lighter 14 oz.) for the entire 15K miles I've owned mine, and haven't ever had ANY kind of significant vibration at the bars - or anywhere on the bike, I gotta believe that you could benefit from properly balancing the throttle bodies. I balance mine myself, so I know exactly how well it was done. From several posts I remember reading, guys new to their Guzzi's don't know what's "normal" and can evidently believe that whopping big vibration is just the way these things are. NOT TRUE!

 

Newbies can also tend to lug the engine and short-shift these bikes as Jason noted. This can become a bad habit, and it'll cause significant damage to the engine and drivetrain. I've seen this keep a rider from knowing, understanding, and really enjoying the BEST PART of the fabulous wide powerband that these bikes are made to perform within!

 

I sure wouldn't accept the level of vibration that you describe, even with low miles. If it's as bad as you describe at higher RPMs and you don't know how well (or even if!) your TBs have been balanced, I'd suggest you either do it yourself or get it done right to establish a base reference point. Make sure you get the valves opened up to World specs or better in the process (see many procedures here and linked elsewhere).

 

If necessary after you do this, I'd go for the heaviest bar-ends you can find. If this doesn't get it under your irritation threshold, you can add lead at that point. NOTE: Some have achieved significant bar vibration reduction without weights by going to Napolean or CRG bar-end mirrors, if this has interest.

 

Best o' luck with it and let us know how it goes.

[bigbikerrick]

Lee, a few rambling thoughts.  I'm thinking you're gonna hafta get this out of your way or you'll never enjoy your Guzzi.  And yep - you can get nerve damage.  It's hard for me to imagine this level of irritation from vibration on a Guzzi.  Not that I'm doubting you, I've just never experienced anything like it on my Guzzi, (now, on my old A65 BSA, yes!) so I think something must be out of whack.  As Jason and Vfish have noted, more miles, more RPMs, bar-end weights and/or filling the bars with lead shot or molten lead would all contribute to relieve it. 

 

Since I've had Throttlemeister heavy bar-ends (16 oz., not the lighter 14 oz.) for the entire 15K miles I've owned mine, and haven't ever had ANY kind of significant vibration at the bars - or anywhere on the bike, I gotta believe that you could benefit from properly balancing the throttle bodies.  I balance mine myself,  so I know exactly how well it was done.  From several posts I remember reading, guys new to their Guzzi's don't know what's "normal" and can evidently believe that whopping big vibration is just the way these things are. <_ not true>

 

Newbies can also tend to lug the engine and short-shift these bikes as Vfish noted.  This can become a bad habit, and it'll cause significant damage to the engine and drivetrain.   I've seen this keep a rider from knowing, understanding, and really enjoying the BEST PART of the fabulous wide powerband that these bikes are made to perform within!   

 

I sure wouldn't accept the level of vibration that you describe, even with low miles.  If it's as bad as you describe at higher RPMs and you don't know how well (or even if!) your TBs have been balanced, I'd suggest you either do it yourself or get it done right to establish a base reference point.  Make sure you get the valves opened up to World specs or better in the process (see many procedures here and linked elsewhere). 

 

If necessary after you do this, I'd go for the heaviest bar-ends you can find.  If this doesn't get it under your irritation threshold, you can add lead at that point.  NOTE:  Some have achieved significant bar vibration reduction without weights by going to Napolean or CRG bar-end mirrors, if this has interest.

 

Best o' luck with it and let us know how it goes.

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What rpm is considered "lugging" a Guzzi? I ride around town regularly at around 3000 rpms and the engine seems happy, Am I lugging the engine? what is the lowest rpm we should cruise at around town when the engine is under a light to moderate load, at around 40 mph? I dont want to damage my motor by lugging it, Im used to a big kawasaki v twin that likes to "lope" along lazily. Thanks Rick..

[Guest ratchethack]

Now somebody's surely gonna disagree with this. But you asked, and this is my honest opinion. "Lugging" the engine is a function of both RPM and load, so you can lug it at any RPM below - and even up into - the powerband. Here's your sign: If you lug it hard, it'll ping (detonation, aka pre-ignition). I try hard not to load my engine much more than minimally below 4500 RPM. This is the point in the powerband where the torque curve just starts to "climb out of the hole". I want torque all the way out of the hole at about 5K or above for anything above half-open throttle. I find that on premium high octane gas, this will keep it from pinging under most circumstances.

 

IMHO, I'd say it's perfectly OK to toodle around (at lower speeds only!) on steady, low throttle openings at 3K RPM (but no lower!) as long as you're on the flat or downhill, with no load or headwind. But this ain't a parade float, and it sure as hell ain't no Motor-Davidson Harley Cycle or Kwaker Kruiser. It likes to breathe! Just don't whack open the butterflies without downshifting one or 2 gears, depending on how much throttle you want to feed it! I prefer and wouldn't hesitate to recommend a habitual smooth riding style that, when making a choice not to downshift before accelerating, "eases" the bike up into the powerband before really opening 'er up. To my way of thinking, this is what the tachometer is there for, and I make good use of it. But then, I reckon I don't ride like most people. I plan to keep my Guzzi forever, that's just me, and as always, YMMV.

[Guest whart]

My bike seemed to have a dead spot at just under 3k rpm which i would ride over quickly, but if stuck behind a slow moving truck or other crawling traffic, there were times when i was in that range longer than i'd like, and it definitely could have ridden rough. I also had what seemed to be unnecessary vibration compared to my other bikes. A couple things made a difference- first, when i changed pipes and X-over, and added a PC, this changed how the motor ran- the dead spot seemed to be there, but even worse, it would backfire or misfire at just under 3k rpm. Again, i could ride right thru that, but if stuck in that range, it made for dreadful riding. I had the PC reconfigured and that made all the difference. Also, and i am nowhere near 8-10k miles yet, the bike is noticeably smoother as I pile on the miles- once warmed up, i tend to crank it out in each gear, not quite to redline, but close enough. I honestly don't find the bike to be that fast, though, at least compared to other italian sporting bikes. It is extremely well balanced, though, and a joy to ride.

[Guest ratchethack]

Whart, I don't mean to offend, but regardless of your bike's state of tune, if you're complaining about a "dead spot" below 3K RPM, you're lugging it and short-shifting. Your "dead spot" is in a range where you're demanding power the engine has - but can't deliver! (operator error!)

 

The torque curve on these engines is generally not even graphed on dynamometers below 3K because it's out of operating range. Below this RPM, torque falls off very sharply into unmeasureable territory, even with performance modifications. Horsepower below 3K drops into the 20's. Hauling around a 500+ lb. motorcycle with 200 lbs. of rider and gear with 20 hp simply ain't a reasonable request. Now asking it to accelerate to any extent with only 20 hp on tap puts a tremendous and unreasonable stress on it. "Dreadful riding" as you describe is exactly what I'd expect! I'm suggesting that under no circumstances whatsoever should you be accelerating that low in the RPM range. What dead spot below 3K?!?! This engine doesn't even start to come alive until 4.5K!!!

 

For an engine in stock configuration, at 5K RPM, the torque is coming up on it's peak at around 65 ft-lbs., and the HP curve is approaching 70. This is where the engine delivers power most efficiently, and where it can accelerate without undue stress. I don't know what other bikes you've been used to, but the Guzzi V-twin doesn't behave at all like many other engines. I humbly submit that you'd be well advised to understand how your Guzzi delivers power and revise your riding technique. Get the rev's up, per my post above. I suspect that most of your complaints about the "dead spot" and "riding rough" would disappear.

[Guest Nogbad]

I have to support Ratchet on this one. He's right, when I first had mine, I would short shift it and "lug" the engine.

 

Then I discovered the "hidden hooligan" in the engine lurking above 5000 rpm. If you want blistering overtaking performance, shift down enough to get near 5K and accelerate in one smooth go. A snappy upshift just prior to the yellow dot and you are ready to go again.

 

I do "bimble" along quite often at 55 mph in 6th, and the bike is quite happy on a whiff of throttle, but don't expect it to accept a sudden throttle opening coz it'll bog down and rattle like an angry cat in a sack of spanners.

 

The gearbox is not bad at all if you are firm and precise with the lever. I always use the clutch because I believe a botched clutchless shift is bad for the bearings and gears, and with the inertia and lack of give in the Guzzi final drive it can't be a good thing to do (cue howls of objection from all those "expert" riders out there).

 

Throttle body balance makes a huge difference to the vibration. Other things that affect it are engine temperature and ambient temperature. If the bike has suffered an hour in London gridlock as mine did yesterday in 28° heat, it needs gentle treatment once back on the open road before it will accept full throttle at any RPM to give the engine and oil temperature time to drop back. Vibration was much worse till it was cooler again.

 

Yes I know that crossing London at 5pm is terrible abuse to give your V11. Sorry all

 

I should probably change the oil again now! Incidentally, I filled the tank right up to give the pump plenty of cool fuel to dissipate its heat into, and I didn't get vapour lock at all.

[velofish]

I know it sounds silly, but ride without looking at the tach. rev it until it is smooth. The rev limiter will save you from doing undue damage. After a while, look back at the tach-- you will find that you are above 4000 at all times. I really don't think these bikes need tachs, the engine will tell ou what it likes, and it likes to rev.

 

fish

[grossohc]

Reading this I will have to revise my riding style of the bike and see if it helps i am guilty of maybe having it in to high a gear and opening her up from 2-2500rpm and have not been happy with the results. tomorrow morning it all changes.I just assumed with a big Vtwin you did not have to bother with changing gear all the time because of the torque they have.