Lurkers cafe build

[guzzigray]

I'm uh.. pretty sure.. ;D the battery plate is important..

Lino thought so.

[spmoto]

As important, if not more, than the lower frame rails. In fact the lower rails can be eliminated with the use of a sufficiently robust battery plate. I think if you look closely at samples of Guzzi café bikes and racers you won't find any without the plate.

[trumps]

Ok...Ok... you have all talked me into it ;) i had some 5mm Ali plate left over from making my gauge surround and have cut out a support to replace the battery tray. just have to make up some new frame tabs and weld them in. exhaust has made it to Oz according to the postal tracking number, and my main man is busy smothing out any imperfections on the tank before painting it, getting there!

>:(

[pressureangle]

Sweet build.

Somehow, I never find the right combination of skill and patience to make my electrics look that good.
Good thing I'm covering most of it back up with the stock fairings.

[Petrus Rocks]

Can someone elucidate  as to the why's and how's of the plate?  I understand it's to stiffen the frame-what exactly needs reinforcing?
 My battery currently resides under to motor.

[NCAmother]

Can someone elucidate  as to the why's and how's of the plate?  I understand it's to stiffen the frame-what exactly needs reinforcing?
 My battery currently resides under to motor.

if you can imagine the original mounting points for the drivetrain, this completes the motor/tranny as "one with the frame".  It also makes the frame stiffer, vs. a "floating drivetrain"   But I'm still learning about Guzzi's

[Pancake]

Can someone elucidate  as to the why's and how's of the plate?  I understand it's to stiffen the frame-what exactly needs reinforcing?
 My battery currently resides under to motor.

I can't answer that exactly but in the process fop replacing my original steel plate, which had a big crack in it, I noticed the ovalled holes, demonstrating the movement that this plate had regularly undergone from cornering etc .

When I tried to line up my nice new 6mm aluminium plate I found that the holes did not line up properly. Naturally I blamed the manufacture of the plate...But I was wrong (put straight by the people on this forum), the plate was fine but the frame had twisted a little. With a little jiggery pokery with the frame I eventually got the holes to line up, helped in great part by the fact that the holes and bolts were countersunk, which pulled it into place.

The handling was greatly improved and my feeling is that the plate controls side to side movement of the frame in relation to the engine. Later frames, I believe, have and additional brace which fixes onto the engine assembly with the gearbox mountings.

[Fangit]

Very nice build Trumps! I am building something very similar from a 1000SP also. I am wanting to get a sump spacer or an outsider spacer or deeper sump. I have what might be a dumb question. With the plain spacer do you need to remove/replace two sump gaskets every time you do a filter change or is the spacer held in place independently from the sump?

Cheers Joe.

[charlie b]

My T5 came with a sump spacer.  It uses two gaskets.

[Triple Jim]

My Mille too, and the spacer is not bolted on separately, it all comes off when you take the bolts out.

[charlie b]

Yep, which can make for a juggling act when trying to bolt it back up  :)

[NCAmother]

Very nice build Trumps! I am building something very similar from a 1000SP also. I am wanting to get a sump spacer or an outsider spacer or deeper sump. I have what might be a dumb question. With the plain spacer do you need to remove/replace two sump gaskets every time you do a filter change or is the spacer held in place independently from the sump?

Cheers Joe.

nice bike!

[Fangit]

Yep, which can make for a juggling act when trying to bolt it back up  :)

Thanks gents. That sounds like a royal pain in the buttocks.

[brenwin]

Very nice build Trumps! I am building something very similar from a 1000SP also. I am wanting to get a sump spacer or an outsider spacer or deeper sump. I have what might be a dumb question. With the plain spacer do you need to remove/replace two sump gaskets every time you do a filter change or is the spacer held in place independently from the sump?

Cheers Joe.

I'm drooling guys , beautiful workmanship , more like works of art . What a way to ride ! Thanks .

[trumps]

Thats a beauty Fangit, classy build! I am pretty much done with mine, just need to bleed the brakes, fit fuel lines, and battery, then it's time for the road, and some tuning, looking forward to it. Might get the seat re upholstered in a different colour as well, maybe red, or black, undecided!

[Muzz]

Looking nice Trumps! ;-T

Is it the photo or do the carbs have quite an angle on them?

[Fangit]

Thats a beauty Fangit, classy build! I am pretty much done with mine, just need to bleed the brakes, fit fuel lines, and battery, then it's time for the road, and some tuning, looking forward to it. Might get the seat re upholstered in a different colour as well, maybe red, or black, undecided!

Thanks Trumps. Your build is coming along very nicely, well done. Yes, not sure about the brown seat. What sort of exhaust system is that and where did you get it from?

[trumps]

G'day Muzz, Yup, the carbs need to be squared up yet. Fangit, the system is from HTMOTO, Lovely bit of pipework it is too, was worth waiting for!

[trumps]

Got 1000Kms on the ol girl now, going like a train, will get her on the dyno in the next few weeks to finalize the jetting, though it feels pretty close, and a bit of time dialing in the suspension, am thinking the SP dual rate springs might be a bit stiff for her now with the reduction in weight. had a couple of good head shakes over some of our less than perfect back roads the other day.

https://youtu.be/FNiUSxsQs5U

[kevdog3019]

I like the seat, but I'm into tan seats. Red seems too gaudy to me. Bike looks fantastic. I'd put the idle up a good few ticks as its living on the edge currently. One things for sure, it's running evenly if it can stay afloat that low. Move from lumpy to smooth. Excellent job. 

Edit: I could be off base here, but oil pressure always concerns me when I hear a bike on the verge of stall.

[canuck750]

Thats a beauty Fangit, classy build! I am pretty much done with mine, just need to bleed the brakes, fit fuel lines, and battery, then it's time for the road, and some tuning, looking forward to it. Might get the seat re upholstered in a different colour as well, maybe red, or black, undecided!

Stunning 

You have nailed it with the paint scheme, front fender and headlight, great looking seat as well. I like the matte black, its not in your face screaming red Italian or polished aluminum, very moody and stealthy.

Well done

Cheers

Jim

[Triple Jim]

You probably know, but on the street you can run the Uni filters without the coarse red prefilters.  The bike would certainly look different without the red spots.  Whether that would be better or worse is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose.

I'd be proud to own and ride that Guzzi.

[NCAmother]

the only thing I might consider changing, would be to bob the front fender to match the back fender

[nunzio]

I think a red seat to match her red socks would look nice.....Matching Cuffs and Collar you know.
Then name her "Ginger" and you'd be set. 


Alan

[trumps]

Cheers all,  Kevdog, when she has warmed up the idle lifts a bit to a rock solid 1100rpm. Triple Jim, in the end i decided to go with a set of K&N's, although i prefer the filtering ability of the UNI's the oiled K&N's fit better, and will still be up to the job for street use. NCAmother, i was seriously considering trimming up the front guard, but decided i quite liked the look of the full length guard on this one, and the rolled lip front and rear, matched well with the lip on the Honda guard i am using at the back end. Tan seat eh, second time that has been suggested, i need to see an upholsterer, and lay some swatches over it, see it in the flesh, i am shocking with colours, just can't visualize them ;)

[Rich M]

Thanks for sharing the build history....

That's a gorgeous Guzzi....

[NCAmother]

Cheers all,  Kevdog, when she has warmed up the idle lifts a bit to a rock solid 1100rpm. Triple Jim, in the end i decided to go with a set of K&N's, although i prefer the filtering ability of the UNI's the oiled K&N's fit better, and will still be up to the job for street use. NCAmother, i was seriously considering trimming up the front guard, but decided i quite liked the look of the full length guard on this one, and the rolled lip front and rear, matched well with the lip on the Honda guard i am using at the back end. Tan seat eh, second time that has been suggested, i need to see an upholsterer, and lay some swatches over it, see it in the flesh, i am shocking with colours, just can't visualize them ;)

Cheers to ya mate.  I picked up that honda rear fender you used on your bike, really great fit brother!!!!!!

[trumps]

Glad you found one mate, took some scrounging through the wreckers over here, but slots into the rear frame rails just nicely ;)

[rboe]

Brown seat works. If anything, more of a burnt sienna (redder, darker); killer color (being a tenni griso owner I may be a tad biased). 

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

That is awesome. I love the exhast. Just great work all around!