New Guzzi owner started tinkering already.

[pikipiki]

Hi,
This is my first post but i've been reading with interest many of the threads here for past month.
Bought a V7 Classic a couple of weeks ago after being without a bike for well.. a couple of decades.
Have to say I'm really quite pleased with it. Doing some basic maintenance was always going to be part of the plan and started on that.

Changed the Air filter yesterday, a little fiddly and I can imagine some bikes may have missed changes, filter I took out looked OK though from the state of it I'm guessing probably been in for less than 5000 miles (not dusty ones) but I really don't know how quickly the filter gets dirty, seems pretty well protected. Engine oil looks good and scribblings in the handbook indicate a recent change, also checked and replaced the rear transmission oil  - this topic does confuse me.‎
The old oil was a dirty grey but was this just some molly additive? Oil I put in yesterday is 85 140 GL5 mineral. Agip oil states 85 140 GL4/5 which should be the same. Part of me wants to go order some of the Agip stuff but I'm really struggling to see the importance, let's face it some differentials have to suffer shared oil with transmission, some have limited slip, there can be copper brass plastic all sorts - this oil is only for a single bevel gear which I'm guessing is all steel isn't it? I'm guessing no brass, no copper no plastics surely any 85 140 GL5 oil with no additives changed at short intervals should be fine? Please feel free to correct me.
All this maintenance stuff and well riding and that's what it's really about isn't it - Well that's just brilliant.... except went for a 2 hour ride other day and we'll I have the lowered gel seat and I'm not so short as to need it.
I guess it's all preference but was seriously considering ordering a standard seat  or a racer seat but will have to try first at a dealership. Toyed with idea of a pad on top of seat but before I knew it I'd found a bit of 8mm foam I had bought from an auto jumble for different purpose some time back, whipped a few staples out the seat and padded it up a bit mostly with two layers but with one and three in places to get a good shape. probably only raises seat height by 5mm but initially seems a little improved will have to see next time go for a long ride.
‎
PS would attach picture of seat, dirty filter, removed oil if could work out how to

[oldbike54]

 You are gonna fit right in 

  Dusty

[Chuck in Indiana]

You are gonna fit right in 

  Dusty

Yep.

[pikipiki]

Is this quite clean? Filter and trans oil?




Not so low seat?

[lucian]

Welcome aboard and glad your back to motor cycling. I occasionally suck the dust out of my air filter elements with a brush on a shop vac, avoid using compressed air, it will damage the fabric and allow larger particles to get through. Oil looks clean and moisture free. Now how about some pics of the rest of the bike? Nothing like a Guzzi if you like doing your own servicing. A lot of knowledgeable small block owners here, best of luck with yours.   dave

[malik]

The diff oil looks OK, but to me the filter looks dirty. If you suddenly get missing or lurching at around 4,000rpm, that may be a dirty filter. A clean filter has solved that problem on my V7C on a few occasions.

Mal

[wymple]

Real Guzziphiles tinker a lot. Seems we can't keep out hands to ourselves....

[oldbike54]

Real Guzziphiles tinker a lot. Seems we can't keep out hands to ourselves....

 Yeah , if it ain't broke , we fix it until it is 

  Dusty

[neverquit]

That air filter looks dirty enough to be changed.  Pleated filters can be closer to being clogged up than you would think by looking at them, that one has probably been restricting air flow.  The lubricant looks like mine does after adding some moly.  Have fun.

[flip]

Yeah , if it ain't broke , we fix it until it is 

  Dusty

 

[oldbike54]

 Thanks Flip , but that was borrowed from another WGer , don't remember who . Still , it holds up well 

  Dusty

[pikipiki]

Went out for a short ride this morning, I hadn't previously noticed any problems due to the filter (looks a dirtier in pic than when inspecting it), what I did notice this morning with new filter, I switched off the cold start 30 seconds into ride as had been doing and engine cut out at traffic lights shortly after.
Stands to reason - sucking more air? I assume all the cold start does is increase the idle speed. Regarding transmission oil the change interval looks short to me? I mean in a truck dif same oil might run 200k miles. I can only assume on a bike the reason for short change is that it might be susceptible to a little water contamination? That and it's such a small amount and so easy to change. I still don't understand reason for adding molly and am curious as to how the UJ gets lubrication.

[Chuck in Indiana]

sucking more air?

possibly

susceptible to a little water contamination?

yep.

I still don't understand reason for adding molly

'cause Mother Goose sez so.  Humor her.

curious as to how the UJ gets lubrication.

When you take it apart and not lose any rollers  and grease it. It's rebuildable, but seems to go forever without maintenance.
Welcome to WG, btw..

[Vasco DG]

If the air filter was previously clogged it will take time for the ECU to re trim. If you want to speed it up pull the main fuse or simply disconnect the battery for 30 seconds to return it to baseline.

Pete

[Kev m]

Yes, the fast idle lever is just that, it holds the throttle plates open a bit so it won't stall as easily during warm up.

[vstevens]

... Toyed with idea of a pad on top of seat but before I knew it I'd found a bit of 8mm foam I had bought from an auto jumble for different purpose some time back, whipped a few staples out the seat and padded it up a bit mostly with two layers but with one and three in places to get a good shape. probably only raises seat height by 5mm but initially seems a little improved will have to see next time go for a long ride...
‎

After a couple longer rides on a 2013 V7 stone - also a returning rider - I find the seat rather uncomfortable... your solution seems a good one that I may soon try.   Congrats on the smallblock Guzzi and sounds like you're thoroughly enjoying it.   

[pikipiki]

After a couple longer rides on a 2013 V7 stone - also a returning rider - I find the seat rather uncomfortable... your solution seems a good one that I may soon try.   Congrats on the smallblock Guzzi and sounds like you're thoroughly enjoying it.   

This is foam I used, think it's actually a car head lining? Used some double sided tape to stick two layers together. Top layer about 3/4 inch proud of the bottom layer. Put an additional 1 1/2 inch strip along the back to add more curve to the lip up to the pillion seat but don't think you have that. If your seat is flat it may be easier, then again it may not? On the low seat the seat cover seemed to have a little air space under in front of the lip.
Oh if you need to buy a stapler you only need 6mm staples but some cheap staple guns like the dunelm mill one are to feeble to shoot the staples.
Oddly when I sit on the seat the foam seems to fully compress under my weight would think it was doing diddly squit? But having just been out for a 45 minute ride seat felt real good. Still early days though need a 2 hour run to really know. Oh and worth saying before I installed the cover I'd had a mind to foam under the gel, seems that won't work because the way the foam slots into the plastic seat base. Foam on top is simplest. Understand though you will only get about 15mm of foam in and once stapled in it will be compressed down to more like an extra 5-7mm padding. If your seat is not a gel seat it's possible more foam may make it harder. Think this works on the low gel seat because of the low scooped out bit.

[malik]

If your efforts on this seat don't work out, keep in mind that there are others seats available - the comfort gel, the standard, the re-upholstered, the cafe & racer. I found the cafe seat to be more comfortable than the standard plank with the standard bars & footpegs, but with lots of miles, the body eventually found that either was useable for long trips, tho' I mostly choose the cafe - more padding. I'm on a trip at present with the cafe seat, but with the rear sets & clip ons - 500-700km days & nary a twinge.

Mal