Look What Appeared In The Garage

[ozarquebus]

Against my better judgement, I drove 1000 mi r/t through two states barely before stay-at-home orders went into effect, avoiding contact with all except seller and two convenience store clerks. The only person I saw wearing a mask was in the convenience store mirror.
 I will tell you that the stretch of hiway 60 through the semi flooded region between Sikeston, MO and Paducah Kentucky is rough and very weird and spooky. I came back through there at dusk and it felt like the Lord of the Rings swamp. I would like to try that stretch again on the bike in nicer weather. Confusing to stay on the right road to avoiding driving into the spookier bayou back country.

Anyway, thar she blows. The new-to-me 87 1000SP II with 30Kmi on the clock. Runs fairly good with worn out sooty plugs and all. Should be a good rider with just a little sprucing up. I noticed the steering stops reduce the turning radius a lot compared to my G5. Must be that way to avoid hitting the fairing on the lowers.

[Bpreynolds2]

I have always liked those.  Sharp and congrats 

[ozarquebus]

Thanks,
That seat is driving me crazy, already and I haven't even gotten it off the trailer yet. To answer forthcoming seat comments; the original pan is under there. Its just a custom seat cover. Bike came with an 850T owners manual if anyone needs one.

[Dave Swanson]

Congratulations on the new acquisition!   There is something special about a long drive to bring home a bike.    I drove 1600 miles round trip non stop to get my Griso.  Don't think I am up for that again! 

[Shorty]

Nice! Congrats! I do that Rt 60 route about twice every year on my way to Ohio/Pa. I try to arrange the trip so the Mrs. drives across those little bridges on the Ohio and Mississippi to Wickliff. She HATES to do that, lol. One day I'm gonna take Rt 60 all the way east, with no slab. Be fun on a Bergman, etc..   That seat may be fugly, but I bet it's easier on yer bum that the stock one.

[Guzzistajohn]

Looks like a nice one!

[Scout63]

Great acquisition and drive story. Best of luck with the new bike.

[usedtobefast]

Nice!  What was it about this SP that made the trip worth it? Special features? 

[brider]

I was going to ask how your knees fit behind those fairing lowers until I realized you trailered it. Please report on that; seems to be opinions all over the map on whether a standard-US-type adult's knees fit or not. I've always wanted one, but only with the benefit of the lowers (my own personal weirdness).

[john fish]

I was going to ask how your knees fit behind those fairing lowers until I realized you trailered it. Please report on that; seems to be opinions all over the map on whether a standard-US-type adult's knees fit or not. I've always wanted one, but only with the benefit of the lowers (my own personal weirdness).

6'2" with 33" or 34" inseam.  My knees were firmly wedged against the lowers on my SP2.

[brider]

The feature that made it worth the drive was the price. $1200,

I hate you. I would've ground my knees 'till they bled into those lowers for that price.

Congrats!

[centauro]

I was going to ask how your knees fit behind those fairing lowers until I realized you trailered it. Please report on that; seems to be opinions all over the map on whether a standard-US-type adult's knees fit or not. I've always wanted one, but only with the benefit of the lowers (my own personal weirdness).

My earlier 1984 SP fits me fine, but barely so. I am 5' 9", with a 32" pants inseam, and my knees bump against the lowers. I assume that anyone with a 33" inseam or more, and taller than 6' would not be comfortable on it.

[moto-uno]

  Do I see a couple of film enlargers in that garage ?  Peter

[ozarquebus]

moto uno yes, 2 of three visible. 35mm, 120, and a 4x5. Lots of camera gear, but darn few good pix to show for it.
I collect camera gear like I do broke down old motorcycles.

The tail light has an open circuit and the kill switch is shorted ON and the front brake light actuator is bad.

Slightly noisy valves (normal?) and minor throw-out clunking in neutral. Idles nice at 800 rpm.
Neutral light always tells the truth, surprisingly.

I am going to have to run the tail light circuit fault down before riding and it looks like I will be taking off the handlebar controls soon, too and that is fraught with frailty.

The PO is pleading ignorance saying everything worked fine.

 Oh, well, ya rolls dem dices 'n' takes yer chances.

Niggles.

[ozarquebus]

brider, I may be selling it to you if things go like they started...just kidding,
 but first thing I did was take off the rear tail light assembly and the free floating backing nuts fell down in a void between the plastic fender and the inner rear cowling. Looks like I am going to have to partially remove the rear cowling, inner cowling. the grab rail, the pannier mounts and the fender to put the tail light assembly back on. Oh the joy of 'modern' construction.

Edit: 4-7.
Ok i am an idiot. The inner rear storage compartment in the rear cowling just pops off, exposing the back of the tail light assy. At least i figgerd that out before disassembling it all.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Congrats.. 

I was wondering; is the fairing is supposed to jiggle a lot from engine vibration?

Nope.

Slightly noisy valves (normal?)

 and minor throw-out clunking in neutral. Idles nice at 800 rpm.

Yep, normal
You really want it to idle higher than that.. say 1100. It's hard on the clutch splines to idle that low because of the uneven firing order. That's what you are hearing.

[john fish]

What Chuck said.  The fairing should be solid as a rock and idle is 1100 rpm or so.  Incidentally, that is a great fairing-- designed in Guzzi's wind tunnel and works better than any other I've used.

I'm curious- is that an 18" front wheel?

[usedtobefast]

Sounds like a great bike/deal. 

The SP is on my list as a bike I can afford and I think it would work well for me.  Kind of going backwards in time with Guzzi's ... started with a couple of 2017 bikes, then got a 2000 Quota, now thinking of an older carb/disc brake model, but don't want to go so old that I'm worried about actually riding it! 

Would love a green/black 1000S, but WAY too expensive and the riding position of the SP makes more sense for actually going on a trip.

Congrats on the bike! 

 

[ozarquebus]

Yes 18" Front wheel.

I am trying to avoid taking too much of the bike apart to fix dead tail light. I have been pouring over the wiring diagram and it appears that the Yellow to the tail light goes from the left handlebar light switch, but I can't figure out from the diagram for sure which wire into the handlebar switch is supposed to be the 12v Supply to that switch. Red, Blue/Black or Red/Black.
 
It appears it should be the Red from Fuse 4 since physical check shows that to be hot when ignition is on.

So if Red is hot to the switch that sends the 12V to the tail light via the Yellow, then fault (open)must be in the left handlebar switch? Wire continuity seems to be good so far.


simple, right?

(Some PO used big tags made from duct tape to identify wires on on DynaCoil installation and aluminum foil to fix the broken spade connector on top of frame mounted brake reservoir, though unrelated to tail light, it is disturbing)

 I know these handlebar switches are the bane of many Guzzis.

[Denis]

I was wondering; is the fairing is supposed to jiggle a lot from engine vibration?
Also, I would like to find some original mirrors, which have been replaced with cheesy ones.

Congrats on the SPII! I love mine!

The fairing shouldn't be moving all that much. It attaches in three places: two behind the fairing and one under the headlight beneath the headlight. My guess they are loose.

Regarding the mirrors: the originals weren't all that great. If tightened too much the pedestal below the mirror would crack. I have seen some later, rectangular, black ones mounted in the same location and they look good.

[ozarquebus]

thanks Denis,
'think i will remove fairing and reinstall since things look pretty messy in there from PO.
Also
 I think I will run a temporary hot wire off the headlight circuit for the tail light since I am afraid of damaging the still-working switches in the left handlebar assy.

[Denis]

You're welcome. Removing it is fairly straight forward and there are only two electrical connections for the turn signals. To undo the two bolts in the fairing, you'll need an a right angle allen wrench if I remember correctly. It's fairly tight in there.
When you undo everything, make sure the fairing doesn't slide forward and hit the floor!

[rocker59]

 I will tell you that the stretch of hiway 60 through the semi flooded region between Sikeston, MO and Paducah Kentucky is rough and very weird and spooky. I came back through there at dusk and it felt like the Lord of the Rings swamp. I would like to try that stretch again on the bike in nicer weather. Confusing to stay on the right road to avoiding driving into the spookier bayou back country.
 

US-62 from Charleston to the bridge into Cairo / Fort Defiance.  Yeah, you're at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.  Lots of productive delta farming there...   You should've driven into the semi-ghost town of Cairo to get the full immersion experience of the area...

[ozarquebus]

I did the Cairo main drag! No other way to go for miles. Looks like it has been bombed for blocks, then a splendid Victorian landmark, then back to bomb zone: repeat. When I got home I did the research.  Quite a history, no future. You are correct, nice flat and fertile surrounding land. River is like a sea there at the confluence. Odd bridge closing times.
 As a Coastie on a river tender aboard the Cutter Sumac WLR311, at the end of a hard day grappling with nuns and dragging cans, dropping rocks and shot, we used to shove the barge bow up onto the mud bank there and drop the spuds, skip dinner when liberty was called and power walk up to the closest gin joint in town. I don't have to tell you how we walked back.
 I was ignorant of its violent past, then. It looked about the same, there back nearly 30 yar ago.