Author Topic: Final drive. Again.  (Read 3034 times)

Offline Toecutter

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Final drive. Again.
« on: September 13, 2016, 10:39:36 AM »
3500 km trip this past week, through the Rockies and Kootenays, and out the Island and back...

My wife's heated gloves and vest killed her battery at one point (V7 Stone), quick charge and back on the road, with a more moderate approach to the controller dials, no more issues for her.

My V7 Special did well, but the final drive began slinging oil on the return leg of the trip. Just a bit, and only intermittently at first... but by the time we were within spitting distance of home, it was a full on "leak". Again. This thing's been rebuilt once already.

I've never hated a bike I love so much in my 35 years of riding. 14 months of ownership. 21,500 km. 4 months downtime for repairs and waiting for parts. Third issue with final drive.

I like wrenching and tinkering, hell, I have garage full of old bikes that attest to the fact, but there's a limit! And the one that gives me the most grief is the newest in the stable.

And holy hell, do I envy the dealer/shop support of the Honda and Harley riders. Every podunk town we passed through has a shop for those two brands, and there were only two Guzzi dealers on the entire trip, IF you include the one at home. I gotta say, for distance riding, support does matter.

Anyways. Rant off. I'm seriously considering trading this thing in, but nothing out there checks the right boxes for me...
Old enough to say I've done it, young enough to do it again.

Offline swooshdave

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Re: Final drive. Again.
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2016, 11:25:38 AM »
I don't know your budget range but the Triumph Bonnevilles are dead reliable, if you want something that looks good, handles well and keeps on going.

For me the expectation is that the Guzzi is Italian and all that is good and bad about that.  :tongue:
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Offline rocker59

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Re: Final drive. Again.
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2016, 11:27:18 AM »
  holy hell, do I envy the dealer/shop support of the Honda and Harley riders. Every podunk town we passed through has a shop for those two brands, and there were only two Guzzi dealers on the entire trip, IF you include the one at home. I gotta say, for distance riding, support does matter.
 

Nothing like living life with no safety net on a beautiful piece of Italian exotica.

Not for everyone, though.

Maybe a Honda Dullsville, er Deauville is in your future ?

« Last Edit: September 13, 2016, 11:30:31 AM by rocker59 »
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Offline Antietam Classic Cycle

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Re: Final drive. Again.
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2016, 11:34:16 AM »
Buy a good, used rear drive, swap it on, go. Send the original to someone that really knows what their doing like Sean Fader of RTL Moto.

Breva 750 r/d on ebay cheap right now:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/03-08-MOTO-GUZZI-BREVA-750-Final-Drive-Rear-Differential-Gear-/181913858945?hash=item2a5ae93381:g:VKAAAOSwAYtWLktG&vxp=mtr
Charlie

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Re: Final drive. Again.
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2016, 11:34:16 AM »

Offline guzzisteve

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Re: Final drive. Again.
« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2016, 11:35:00 AM »
Find a rider looking to downsize, and trade it for an older big block.
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Offline Toecutter

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Re: Final drive. Again.
« Reply #5 on: September 13, 2016, 11:46:11 AM »
Quote
Maybe a Honda Dullsville, er Deauville is in your future ?

Oh, spare me. Hardly. I've been riding and wrenching on old bikes forever. Was expecting some of it on this one, but not so much, so early. And roadside/ mid-trip wrenching isn't alien to me, but... having a part like a final drive go while atop a mountain pass with no options but renting a truck to get home isn't exactly a "romantic" notion any longer, and having this issue on this this bike, repeatedly, is shaking my confidence to do things like this last week's trip... and I hate that.

It's a testament to the charm and appeal of the bike that I haven't pushed it off a cliff already. I love the damn thing, but I also f*cking hate it with a passion.
« Last Edit: September 13, 2016, 11:50:47 AM by Toecutter »
Old enough to say I've done it, young enough to do it again.

Offline swooshdave

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Re: Final drive. Again.
« Reply #6 on: September 13, 2016, 12:09:35 PM »
I love the damn thing, but I also f*cking hate it with a passion.

That right there should sum up all Italian vehicle ownership nicely. Perhaps Italian women too but we won't go there...  :shocked:
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Offline Toecutter

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Re: Final drive. Again.
« Reply #7 on: September 13, 2016, 12:14:19 PM »
That's my standard joke when asked about the bike...

"It's like an Italian woman, she's sexy, temperamental, and you occasionally have to throw money at her to keep her happy."
Old enough to say I've done it, young enough to do it again.

Offline Antietam Classic Cycle

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Re: Final drive. Again.
« Reply #8 on: September 13, 2016, 12:30:20 PM »
That right there should sum up all Italian vehicle ownership nicely.

<shrug>I must be doing something "wrong" or have been "blessed" or something. All of my Italian vehicles (X1/9s, Guzzis, Morinis, Cagiva, Benellis) have been very reliable. Love(d) every one of them, can't say there was(is) a "bad" one in the bunch. Definitely never hated any.
Charlie

Offline ITSec

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Re: Final drive. Again.
« Reply #9 on: September 13, 2016, 12:38:55 PM »
I'm puzzled - rear drive failures on that series are not a common thing, and it hasn't changed dramatically in design in 15 years. I can't see it from here, but the question I'd ask is whether the previous rebuild has treated the root cause, or just the symptoms?

My 2004 Breva 750 had the same rear drive, and it went many more miles than yours has with no issues at all. If the seal on yours is failing, there must be a reason - an imperfection in a part touching the seal, or some other cause which may not have been found in the previous work.
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Offline brenwin

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Re: Final drive. Again.
« Reply #10 on: September 13, 2016, 12:46:01 PM »
I sympathize with your situation . Nothing more frustrating than being left on the side of the road on a relatively new ride .
My Stelvio has done that 3 times in the last year . 2 regulators and an alternator later and I'm afraid to take it around the block .
Everything possible has been done to remedy the problem but no solution . I went to this website a few weeks ago for some answers and got 2 reply's .
At some point what starts out as just another motorcycle problem turns into a nightmare and that seems to occur far too often with these newer Guzzis .
The Stelvio is for sale and I'm waiting for the 017 Bonnies to hit the dealership as is time for a bike I can depend on .
At least I have a very dependable old Eldo to satisfy the urge in the meantime .


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Offline not-fishing

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Re: Final drive. Again.
« Reply #11 on: September 13, 2016, 01:01:30 PM »
I'm puzzled - rear drive failures on that series are not a common thing, and it hasn't changed dramatically in design in 15 years. I can't see it from here, but the question I'd ask is whether the previous rebuild has treated the root cause, or just the symptoms?

My 2004 Breva 750 had the same rear drive, and it went many more miles than yours has with no issues at all. If the seal on yours is failing, there must be a reason - an imperfection in a part touching the seal, or some other cause which may not have been found in the previous work.

You know that's a problem I had with other "machinery"  an imperfection - in my case a burr- causing intermittent failure.  It took and expert to figure it out.  and I'm a shade-bush mechanic so I didn't have a prayer

Mark
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Offline Toecutter

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Re: Final drive. Again.
« Reply #12 on: September 13, 2016, 01:08:41 PM »
I'm convinced there's a manufacturing defect... but I wouldn't bet my life on it, as I haven't been the one to work on it.

That said, a search online for "V7 final drive" will bring up several hits with this issue.
Old enough to say I've done it, young enough to do it again.

Offline pete mcgee

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Re: Final drive. Again.
« Reply #13 on: September 13, 2016, 04:09:00 PM »
Buy a good, used rear drive, swap it on, go. Send the original to someone that really knows what their doing like Sean Fader of RTL Moto.

That is what I would do.
Seals are quirky bloody things, 98% of the time when you fit one they give no issues.
There is any one of half a dozen reasons yours is leaking again, and its a sure bet its the same reason as the first leak.
These things aren't complex but you need experience and a keen eye to sus out some issues.
I had no end of dramas with just about everything on my LeMans 3 for 8 years until I got fed up with it, pulled it completely apart and rebuilt it correctly.
 That was 21 years and 100,000 miles ago, very few minor problems since.
But I'm stubborn, work on aircraft for a living and refused to be beaten by late Friday afternoon build quality.
Turns out I was right.
Pete (no not the Bungendore one)


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