Eldo Power (no V11 content)

[Greg Field]

While awaiting a few parts to get my Billy Bob on the road, I've kept after the quest for more power from my trusty old Eldo. This planned upgrade was to be centered around a B-10 cam (thanks again for the cam, Mr. Roper) from a LeMans 1000. This week, I finally got that sucker in the old Eldo.

 

Between working at MI and working on other people's bikes in my off hours, my Eldo power upgrade has been done in small spurts. First, 36-mm carbs onto 100,000-mile-since-valve-job heads. This worked surprisingly well, especially after several rounds of jetting that resulted in very similar specs to those recommended by Ed Milich of GuzziTech fame. Even with the accel pumps disconnected, it pulled much harder than ever before, and got better gas mileage, too.

 

Then, I had an extra set of heads freshened up with new valves and guides, LeMans 1000 springs, mild port job, 5-angle valve-job, and ports matched to the 36-mm DOs and put them on early one morning. This made a huge difference. It ran great without the cam, so great that I thought about just sticking with the stock cam. It would punch right through 120 (veglia) mph and keep on charging, even with the big Guzzi police fairing. But I can never leave well enough alone.

 

So, I got up a 4:00 a.m. Monday and made time to do it. Even at that early hour, the fitting of the cam itself was easy. Then I had to fit and time a dual-point timer, put timing marks for both cylinders onto the belt pulley, find a space for dual coils, and wire it all up. All that took way longer than the cam swap itself.

 

It fired right up afterwards, but the idle jetting was now so lean it coughed and sputtered and died all the time. I had to go all the way up to a 65 idle jet to get decent running. A 68 would have been even better, I think, but I didn't have jets in that size.

 

Oddly, the main jets proved too fat with the new cam, so I dropped down to 125s, and it pulls really hard. I tuned it on the EGA at work and was able to get perfect CO and carbon readings, so then I hooked up the accel pumps for the ride home.

 

Wow! Now, it pulls even harder, hopefully to far past its former documented top speed of 141.7 mph. That testing will have to wait for this summer, where she'll go head-to-head with the Billy Bob . . .

[beauchemin]

Wow! Now, it pulls even harder, hopefully to far past its former documented top speed of 141.7 mph.

 

Holy cow - I didn't think Eldos could go that fast. Waaaait a minute... is this an early stab at April fool's day?

[jrt]

Notice this is in Veglia mph. Still- that's impressive Greg. I can pull up to about 80 on mine (bone stock) with a barn door fairing before it starts to get a little wiggly. I need to look into my front end though. Hmmm, that doesn't sound right...

[Greg Field]

The 141.7 is a bit of a joke on

 

It started when Enzo and others in the Seattle area and elsewhere began fitting their motorcycles with Sigma bicycle speedometers so they could record their top speeds and then "prove" it to any non-believers.

 

Well, I ride with a bunch of those Sigma-smack-talking bastards. I ride the Eldo, and they ride V11 Sports, or 1100 Sports, LeManses, ST 100, blah, blah, blah. In effort to "keep up with the Enzos," I installed a Sigma, and calibrated it. It always read significantly fewer mph than my Veglia speedo and gave me a better idea of my true speed.

 

One of the routes we ride is called Green Valley Road, which is a mix of really twisty parts with some nice, long straights. I almost always lead on the way to this road because I know the way and ride faster on the freeways than they usually do, so they also use me for cop bait. When we get to the Green Valley Rd., I usually let the fastest of them lead because I would hate to think I was slowing someone else down. So, that's the way it went on the way to our destination; I just followed along behind the leaders.

 

On the way back, I was going to do the same, but they all laughed and said, "No; you lead!" So I took off and wound it out and had a great ride to the end of the road. When I got there, stopped, and looked back, only one bike was in sight, a Sport 1100, way off on the horizon. I lit up a smoke and was halfway through it before the pack caught up.

 

So, when we finished the ride at the Buckaroo Tavern, I got off the bike, looked at my own Sigma, and started laughing when I saw that my Sigma said, "Top Speed 141.7 mph." I thought, I'll show them how much their SIgmas are worth and took it inside and shoved it in every one of those bastard's faces. Of course, they all said, "No goddam way that old touring bike can go that fast."

 

I could only smile in replying, "How would you know. You were too far behind to even be seen."

 

Now you know how my Eldo came to be "Documented to have gone 141.7 mph." I never did erase that top-speed reading, either, but I did pass it around a few more times to rub salt in the wound. Unfortunately, the proof was destroyed about a month ago when the Eldo took a tumble off the lift, crushing the poor Sigma.

 

Now, I'll have to buy another Sigma to see if I can break 150.

[Skeeve]

Holy cow - I didn't think Eldos could go that fast.  Waaaait a minute... is this an early stab at April fool's day?

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Typo. You'll note that the "k" key is just above the "m." A stock Eldo pushing the police-spec barn door windshield should just be able to break 140kph [approx. 87mph.]

 

This is similar to the recorded top speed of 82mph [at Bonneville] of a Shovelhead Harley pushing it's barndoor. The difference being that the Eldo is giving away 350cc to the Harley & could keep that speed up all day...

 

I'm interested in seeing what his topspeed is with the B10. Next stop will probably be changing the final drive to get some taller gearing...

[Greg Field]

Even with the stock airbox, my Eldo easily topped 100 mph and would cruise at 90 all day.

[guzziownr]

Even with the stock airbox, my Eldo easily topped 100 mph and would cruise at 90 all day.

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Tis true, I make regular trips down to VA from NYC on the New Jersey turnpike. Slow lane 70 MPH, fast lane 80 to 90. I run at 82 or so on the Eldo and keep a sharp eye on the mirror. That's 4500 + RPM in fifth gear. Plenty of get-up left to go.

 

The ice cream truck below is from the Teo Lamers collection.

 

DW

[Greg Field]

Actually, I'm worthless without brainpower enough to make a digital camera useful on the web. Plus, I just opened a bottle of wine and made a kick-ass pasta after a long day of work, so I will soon be in a food coma . . . Life's hard some days . . . But you and I should hook up for a ride or a beer this summer. I love Portland but get down that way too seldom.

[Mike Stewart]

Cool write up Greg

 

Someday I will have a Eldo as well, I am working backwards. From the V11 Series, I added a tonti frame to my garage and when that project is done perhaps a loop frame.

 

Ahh, the Enzo years.... You did not say if you hit that high mph with the Cobra exhaust

 

Mike

[Greg Field]

I actually love those Cobra pipes. They sound awesome and seem to realy punch up the midrange of that bike. Now, he's in RC-51 lust, so his v11 just gathers dust.

[Skeeve]

I actually love those Cobra pipes. They sound awesome and seem to realy punch up the midrange of that bike. Now, he's in RC-51 lust, so his v11 just gathers dust.

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On that note, will the Griso headers fit a v11, or is the spacing enough different that it won't work [interference w/ v11 alternator lump, etc?]

 

Hate the Griso muff, but the headers look the perfect Rx to make a spiffy v11 custom...

[Skeeve]

Ride and a beer sounds good. I'd be honored. Italian day at PIR is coming up in May (I think)... They let novices on the track (for free) during the lunch break, so you could flog the Eldo at WOT without risking the ticket. Free track time is easily as good as free beer. 

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PIR? I'm guessing it's P_______ Internotional Raceplace, but don't hold me to it...

 

I'm thinking what you're thinking tho', Pinky: free track time is as good as freeee beeeer !