Unscramble a Stornello

[Shiftonthefly]

Hey guys and gals,

I stumbled on this forum while searching for some info about my Stornello. I'm hoping some one here has some info that can help me a bit.
I'd really appreciate it.

I'm looking to change out some aspects of my 2016 Stornello to that more of a street V7. I'd like to change the 2-1 high exhaust to the standard V7 twin tube style with some slip on shorty mufflers. Does anyone know if the O2 sensor leads will accommodate the lower pipes? It would be nice to think they use the same ones across the model range but I don't want to assume such a thing. Also I assume I'd need the hanging hardware as well.

I'll probably be selling off the Arrow scambler style exhaust. If anyone has a stock style system with aftermarket mufflers or an aftermarket system that exits low I'd be willing to trade if your close. Mine has less than 3k miles on it.

I'm also looking to lower the bike a bit. I'm gonna try to move the forks up a bit and drop the preload on the rear a bit. If I grab the lowering shocks available for this bike and drop the forks say 3/4"..will that negatively affect the drive shaft angles?

Thanks in advance guys. I appreciate it.

[Guzzi Gal]

Sadly, I have no answers for you, but I would like to welcome you to WG!  

Someone will come around shortly with an opinion on how to proceed, I'm sure.

[Toecutter]

In my experience, with my and my wife's bikes.. the shocks have way too much preload when purchased. Set the sag on them, and you might be surprised by the amount the bike lowers. If that fails... a set of 2810s from Hagon, 370 mm, would fit the bill perfectly.

[fotoguzzi]

welcome, good first post. I don't know your bike but Guzzi would use the same wiring harness on all the V7's so there should not be a problem unless that connection is a sub harness to the main.
there's no way they would use a different main harness for different bikes from the same heritage, at least that's my experience with big blocks.

[Shiftonthefly]

Thanks for the welcome. And thanks a lot for the shock recommendation. That saved me an hour of searching.

That was my guess on the O2 wiring as well. From a manufacturer standpoint it would make sense that they all are the same. I hope so.

[fotoguzzi]

If you had a Convert would you be Don'tshiftonthefly?

[Shiftonthefly]

[Huzo]

Hi mate , welcome.
I would have thought that anything that brings the rear axle closer to a straight line through the swingarm pivot to the gearbox, would put the UJ into a straighter line and therefore, be of benefit to the drivetrain, all other things being equal, ( which they never seem to be), but will be a good thread to follow.
Who knows, if yours works out well, Guzzi might invite you over for a chat...!
Just don't let the "Boss" kiss you on the cheek....
(Face, that is...)

[Idontwantapickle]

Everyone is thinking it so I'll just throw this out there:

The Stornello is a pretty special limited edition bike and is even numbered. Wouldn't it be easier to sell it and get a different V7?

Just a thought. I am not the modification police! A rider is entitled to do as they see fit with their bike. I know I do!
And welcome to WG!

Hunter

[twowings]

I'd be willing to bet you just might find another V7-model owner to swap with you and then the Stornello can remain unmangled for someone else to enjoy....just my 2 centavos

[DanD]

Why not just let Fly be the guy turning a Lemans into a Covert..?

[fotoguzzi]

Why not just let Fly be the guy turning a Lemans into a Covert..?

did I miss something? doesn't he have a Stornello, not a Lemans..

+1... I think a Stornello might look quite alright with low headers and upswept megaphone mufflers.

[Shiftonthefly]

Believe me. I do see your point. I'm not much on "collectors" items. However my bike is # 0005 of 1000 produced. That fact alone make me feel guilty. I chose the Stornello because even among the unique Guzzi it's even more unique. I loved the red frame on white. The black spoked wheels. And the brushed trim bits.

I got it a year ago. It's bone stock now. I originally had this dream to actually use it as a scrambler. Dirt roads and trails. I have come to realize that it's not that great at being off road. Plus the road and trails here are littered with sharp baseball sized rocks. On a street bike it's no fun.

I realize my choice to modify it is sacrilegious. I struggled w it for awhile. My plan is to only do mods that could be reversed.

I love this bike. I'm not going to go with another bike just to relieve my guilt. The cafe look makes my boy parts tingle. Clubman bars , bar mirrors, smaller signals cleaned up tail/eliminate the rear fender dropped headlight/gauges...that's my plan. Most of that stuff is bolt on so it can be reversed.

[Guzzi Gal]

I realize my choice to modify it is sacrilegious. I struggled with it for awhile. My plan is to only do mods that could be reversed.

I love this bike. I'm not going to go with another bike just to relieve my guilt. The cafe look makes my boy parts tingle. Clubman bars , bar mirrors, smaller signals cleaned up tail/eliminate the rear fender dropped headlight/gauges...that's my plan. Most of that stuff is bolt on so it can be reversed.

Sounds like the man has a plan!

[Huzo]

Sounds like the man has a plan!

I'll be keen to see where it goes.
Some owners are happy to write the cheque and use what they're given, some do it that way because they have to and some choose to express themselves through change.
Hope to see plenty of shots.

[fossil]

Let it as it is, fit better tyres (Dunlop Streetsmart or better the new Conti Radials Road Attack 3) for street use and get a Himalayan.

[blu guzz]

my thought is that you keep the stock exhaust while you are using the new exhaust, so you can return it to original condition when you sell the bike (I know, far in the future). Welcome aboard, there is no shortage of opinions here.

[Moto]

Ah, making it more like the one in the middle?



Sounds fine to me!

Moto

[Shiftonthefly]

Yea I suppose that's the basic gist. Those grasshopper mirrors drive me crazy. My bars would be a little lower and pulled back slightly. I don't want to go straight to clip-ons unless I have to.

I ride a little weird I think. I like a more downward position. I tend to use my knees to steer more than my hands. With the stock bars my wrists are at an awkward angle. Rearsets will probably be in the future later.

That's a good idea about the exhaust. Probably the smartest thing to do.

Tires have been a hard choice. I don't have any real complaints about the tires that are on there. I don't particularly like how narrow the front tire is. But I don't know enough about motorcycle tires to know if I can get a wider size. Until I'm educated I don't want to mess with it. For some reason I do like the knobby Tire look on a street bike even though I know how ridiculous it is. What I'm trying to find is a tire that has a good look to it and good on road performance. I've been looking at my old dual sport tires that have a bit more sidewall and tread design than a standard street tire. I realize tires are about function and not aesthetics but for me this bike is all about aesthetics over function. It's all about an emotional response to how it looks and rides. So for me every element should compliment that good feeling I get when I look at it. It's as much art as it is a machine.

[twowheeladdict]

Yea I suppose that's the basic gist. Those grasshopper mirrors drive me crazy. My bars would be a little lower and pulled back slightly. I don't want to go straight to clip-ons unless I have to.

I ride a little weird I think. I like a more downward position. I tend to use my knees to steer more than my hands. With the stock bars my wrists are at an awkward angle. Rearsets will probably be in the future later.

That's a good idea about the exhaust. Probably the smartest thing to do.

Tires have been a hard choice. I don't have any real complaints about the tires that are on there. I don't particularly like how narrow the front tire is. But I don't know enough about motorcycle tires to know if I can get a wider size. Until I'm educated I don't want to mess with it. For some reason I do like the knobby Tire look on a street bike even though I know how ridiculous it is. What I'm trying to find is a tire that has a good look to it and good on road performance. I've been looking at my old dual sport tires that have a bit more sidewall and tread design than a standard street tire. I realize tires are about function and not aesthetics but for me this bike is all about aesthetics over function. It's all about an emotional response to how it looks and rides. So for me every element should compliment that good feeling I get when I look at it. It's as much art as it is a machine.

I love the Stornello, but struggled with parting ways with my Cafe Classic that is so damn perfect looking as cafes go.  When I saw that deal up in Maryland last year I was so very tempted to add a Stornello to the stable.  But I do agree with those who say it is too special to change too much.

When Triumph came out with their Steve McQueen signed bonnie I wanted one bad but my bride refused to let me park it in the sunroom.  A few years later I saw one for sale that the guy had put ape hangers and all kinds of other crap on.  Totally ruined the bike IMO.

Good luck with whatever you do.

I actually found my cafe when I was looking for Triumph Scramblers to turn into a Thruxton because I like the 270 degree crank on the Scramblers so much more.

[Shiftonthefly]

I love the Stornello, but struggled with parting ways with my Cafe Classic that is so damn perfect looking as cafes go.  When I saw that deal up in Maryland last year I was so very tempted to add a Stornello to the stable.  But I do agree with those who say it is too special to change too much.

When Triumph came out with their Steve McQueen signed bonnie I wanted one bad but my bride refused to let me park it in the sunroom.  A few years later I saw one for sale that the guy had put ape hangers and all kinds of other crap on.  Totally ruined the bike IMO.

My plan is very simple. No cutting or hacking. The only mod I see being intrusive is the wiring for the small turn signals. But I'm going to see if I can modify them to fit the stock wiring. Not the other way around.

[Roebling3]

Shiftonthefly: I like the way you think. When my 2017 'Racer' is finally exposed (w/in a week or so, pending parts promised), it will be very different and looking a lot less like the poseur it was. BTW: I enjoy your stage name.  Good fortune,  R3~ 

[Shiftonthefly]

This is the idea. Clean. Simple. Sleek. The seat will eventually be like this one too. I love BAAK's merchandise but they are proud of it. I like it because zero modifications to the bike have to be made. It's a bolt on. So I'll keep the stock seat and swap them around when I need to.

[timonbik]

The questions begs to be asked "why".  With limited numbers of Stornellos around and almost unlimited standard V7s why go to all this bother and expense.  It's your bike and you can do what you want but I think I'd sell the Stornello and buy the V7 closest to the form and function that you want then modify.

Tim

[Shiftonthefly]

The questions begs to be asked "why".  With limited numbers of Stornellos around and almost unlimited standard V7s why go to all this bother and expense.  It's your bike and you can do what you want but I think I'd sell the Stornello and buy the V7 closest to the form and function that you want then modify.

Tim

Again I'm only doing reversible modifications to the bike. I can't stress that enough. Any rarity or collectablity is retained by simply swapping the parts back.

While I understand the romantasisim of your suggestion to "go buy another bike", I don't understand it from a practicality standpoint. I'd have to finish paying off my loan on this bike. Accept that outside of a few forums like this one that this bike isn't worth what I paid for it. Take the loss of value then turn around and start a new loan on a new bike that I will also loose value on. Only to turn around and modify the exact same parts in the exact same way. Now I have the fun of now wanting to buy spoked wheels, side battery covers, a new exhaust and not liking the color schemes on the other V7 bikes. That is assuming they have another bike I'd want. I'm sorry but I don't see the point of doing all that to save the bike from having some different parts bolted to it.

[Shiftonthefly]

And so.....it begins.....

[Moto]

... Now I have the fun of now wanting to buy spoked wheels, side battery covers, a new exhaust and not liking the color schemes on the other V7 bikes. That is assuming they have another bike I'd want. I'm sorry but I don't see the point of doing all that to save the bike from having some different parts bolted to it.

I really like the white/red combination, and can appreciate your desire to take advantage of it in creating your cafe. No permanent modifications/ no foul.

Moto

[Shiftonthefly]

Some small updates. I aquired a V7 Racer seat. Finished the tail clean up. Now just the wiring is left. Obviously these pics are when I was test fitting parts. The number plate/abs light mount needs some custom brackets made now. The new Guzzi Tech drop mount mount doesn't include those tabs.

The front now has a dropped headlight/gauges. I used some Clubman bars to get the grips were I wanted them. I'm having a little trouble fitting the clutch lever to the new angle of the bars. The clutch lever that wraps around the bar is angled itself so it doesn't fit now. I may have to change it out with an aftermarket piece.

Smaller metal LED turn signals. An LED taillight. The seat. The bars. I added an oil temp gauge on the dipstick. Removed the large front fender. I'll eventually get the smaller on from BAAK. I will most likely change the headlight to a smaller unit as well. Not a fan of the huge bulbous unit on there. 
 It's almost ready to go back on the road. I still want to change the exhaust but that will probably wait. I want to do a fuel remap when I swap the exhaust so all in time I guess.

[malik]

You can get the short levers (adjustable) on eBay - Chinese Pazzo knock offs - cheaply. They work very well & you have colour options. Look at replacing the cables with those from a Racer - they fit a little better -  & then you'll have spare for later. I'd advise getting the rear sets sooner, rather than later. Just a couple of degrees of lean, and the linkages are likely to have some welcome adjustment. Guzzi no longer sell the Racer kit separately, but those and the Agostini version are simple straightforward bolt ons. LSL are the new kid on the block - I think AF1 Racing keeps them in stock. I'm unaware of any others specifically made for the V7.

Agostini Mandello has stainless headers, as well as mufflers, but the cost plus postage is likely to be a factor. SC-Projects make a 2 into 1 system, low slung, which is cheaper all up. Worth looking at. And may be appropriate for a Stornello.

Keep on keeping on, modify away, and keep the photos coming.