1976 Lemans Project

[blackcat]

This little ground contact is critical, the tab must ground through the clip-ons across the fork tubes to the frame. Not the best design in my opinion.

Hmmm....I wonder if that is why I'm not having any success with the starter button?

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

If anyone needs a few of these "lock washers", let me know, I have a whole box of them.

[Motorad64]

Holy smokes, Charlie...just pinged MG for one...I'll buy a couple from you.  Mine's lost its snap as I've pulled my LH controls off a couple times for troubleshooting.   

I've got some spare SS fasteners for you, as well.   Way overbought.   Brad

[Motorad64]

Lesrned the hard way on the RH bar contact.  I had not sanded off the powder coat in the right spot.  Engine would crank, but sure cranked more enthusiastically once I’d gotten the right contact point on the bar stripped.  The RH switch is super simple as long as the wiring is in good shape.  Adding a couple more pics from diff angles.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Holy smokes, Charlie...just pinged MG for one...I'll buy a couple from you.  Mine's lost its snap as I've pulled my LH controls off a couple times for troubleshooting.   

I've got some spare SS fasteners for you, as well.   Way overbought.   Brad

Send me your mailing address and I'll get some out to you.

[blackcat]

If anyone needs a few of these "lock washers", let me know, I have a whole box of them.

Where do these lock washers go?

[blackcat]

Lesrned the hard way on the RH bar contact.  I had not sanded off the powder coat in the right spot.  Engine would crank, but sure cranked more enthusiastically once I’d gotten the right contact point on the bar stripped.  The RH switch is super simple as long as the wiring is in good shape.  Adding a couple more pics from diff angles.

My clip-ons are chrome so that shouldn't? be an issue.  I haven't revisited this problem today, currently working on bleeding these GD brakes!  I got the front brake semi-working but the linked brakes are just a pain.

Back to the right switch, the fact that I don't hear a relay clicking makes me think the switch isn't grounding. Is there a simple way to check these switches for ground? I'm terrible with electrics.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Where do these lock washers go?

They slip on the clip-ons and hold the switches in against the lever perches.

[blackcat]

They slip on the clip-ons and hold the switches in against the lever perches.

OK, I missed those items. Sure I’ll take some, let me know the cost. I was wondering what was supposed to keep the switches from moving around.

[Motorad64]

I had one of the lock rings on the LH side but not the right.   The Right side appears to have one or two of the little molded locating tabs broken off the switch body--keeps it from sliding round the bar.  Seems to stay put with a little side pressure from the throttle assembly.

I'm using Greg Benders relays and there is an audilble "click" at the relay when you hit the starter button.  The horn is nocticeably louder with his relay, btw. 

[blackcat]

I had one of the lock rings on the LH side but not the right.   The Right side appears to have one or two of the little molded locating tabs broken off the switch body--keeps it from sliding round the bar.  Seems to stay put with a little side pressure from the throttle assembly.

I'm using Greg Benders relays and there is an audilble "click" at the relay when you hit the starter button.  The horn is nocticeably louder with his relay, btw.

I also installed Greg's bank of relays and I got one blast from the horn and that was it, now the relay just clicks.  I'm guessing it is a grounding issue from that switch but I could be wrong.

[blackcat]

I installed a new reground P3 cam from Raceco using the stock springs, anyone know if I should use stiffer springs?  MG Cycle sells a P3 but they don't mention that stiffer springs will have to be used with their cam, so I assumed that was the same with mine and Amadeo from Raceco didn't mention anything either.  Guess I'll email him and see what he has to say.

[blackcat]

Well, it’s basically all together. Unfortunately I’m going to have to take the heads off and bring them back to the machine shop and have them shim the springs to 32mm according to Raceco. Amedeo said the stock springs are fine for this cam provided they are shimmed. I measured the springs today and I have no idea if I’m right but with no compression and measuring from the cylinder head to the spring crown I came up with 40mm. It seems like shimming 8mm is  a lot to me and or I measured it the wrong way.   Had I known before ordering this cam that this needed to be done I probably would have taken a different route. Oh well, I’ve barely gotten the front brake bleed and the linked brakes are not even close so I can work on them while this shop work is being done.

Kind of disappointing as I got the Dyna static timed this morning and would like to start the engine, but I’ll wait until this is sorted.

[Motorad64]

Looks great!   We have similar taste in bikes and dogs--nice looking boxer.

[blackcat]

Looks great!   We have similar taste in bikes and dogs--nice looking boxer.

Thanks, that is Candy. She is an 8 year old Boxer who is my daily shadow and we have had Boxers for 40+ years. 

[Motorad64]

Same story. We’ve had them since I was a kid.  Here’s our 7 yr old Lucy.

[Motorad64]

Are those your new Lafranconis posted on FB?   

[Canuck750]

The bike looks great! … nice dog as well.

[blackcat]

Are those your new Lafranconis posted on FB?

Yes, those are mine and my dog.

[blackcat]

Same story. We’ve had them since I was a kid.  Here’s our 7 yr old Lucy.

I'm sure you have done the "Lucy I'm home" a few times.

[blackcat]

The bike looks great! … nice dog as well.

Thanks.

OK, getting back to the grounding of these switches.  Other than pulling them off and making sure the grommets are grounded is there some other way to create a ground?

[Canuck750]

Thanks.

OK, getting back to the grounding of these switches.  Other than pulling them off and making sure the grommets are grounded is there some other way to create a ground?

Its easy enough to run a ground wire from the switch along the existing switch loom wires and connect to the frame. I always add dedicated ground wires to the signal lights rather than relying on ground through the signal light stems.

[blackcat]

Its easy enough to run a ground wire from the switch along the existing switch loom wires and connect to the frame. I always add dedicated ground wires to the signal lights rather than relying on ground through the signal light stems.

Guess I should have done that from the get go, taking these switches off with the wires in the handlebars is not much fun.  Anyway, thanks!

Charley,I got the washers, Thanks!

[Motorad64]

I feared taking the switches off, but was not as hard as I'd feared once you get going.   Shot a little silicone down the bars to help them slide out without being grabby.   Patience and reading glasses to make sure I didn't break something small.  They are pretty simple once you get everything apart.  Definitely need the little tool to punch out the pins from the connector blocks.  Greg can point to the source--was maybe $14 via Amazon.

[blackcat]

I feared taking the switches off, but was not as hard as I'd feared once you get going.   Shot a little silicone down the bars to help them slide out without being grabby.   Patience and reading glasses to make sure I didn't break something small.  They are pretty simple once you get everything apart.  Definitely need the little tool to punch out the pins from the connector blocks.  Greg can point to the source--was maybe $14 via Amazon.

I have the tool but I did break two of the pins which is a bummer but I had some extra pins. Still haven't solved the problem as I got side tracked on something else. 

Next question, where exactly are these brake line guides mounted?  Were there holes (not on this fender) on both sides of the fender or are they mounted to the studs for the fender?

[blackcat]

And I found a NOS pair of velocity stacks. Stupid things were expensive, but less than some others that were all beat up.

[Canuck750]

I have the tool but I did break two of the pins which is a bummer but I had some extra pins. Still haven't solved the problem as I got side tracked on something else. 

Next question, where exactly are these brake line guides mounted?  Were there holes (not on this fender) on both sides of the fender or are they mounted to the studs for the fender?

That looks like the long one that is frame mounted under the tank







the short ones go on each fender

[blackcat]

Thanks,  I don't have any of those short ones in my stash of parts and MG Cycle doesn't sell them, just the rubber grommets. Harper's shows them on their website but I don't trust that they have the part based on past experience so I will call on Monday. Weird that this fender doesn't have the holes as it is an original fender.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

The factory parts manual doesn't show any hose guides on the front fender at all. 

[Canuck750]

I don't know if the brake hose guides are stock I only assumed they were, when I got my LeMans the forks lowers had been reversed with the calipers on the back and the hose guides behind the fork lowers.





When I google 1977 Moto Guzzi 850 LeMans, most of the bikes that appear to be stock or original have these hose guides. Google images of the 1976 show sporadic use of the guides, Maybe Guzzi added the guides late 1976 production?