V7 III Carbon Questions, Mods & Musings

[DoubleGuzzi]

Needed to lift the tank, to access the relays, for fitting a manual main light switch. I've discovered a considerable amount of surface rust on the chrome tank underside.  I rubbed a fair bit off with liquid chrome cleaner, followed up with a wipe of WD40. That'll be a task that I'll need to return to, soon: I'll mull it over for a while. Wire wool/Brillo pad scrub down, then painted with Kurust? Dunno yet.

[DoubleGuzzi]

First proper outing on the bike today.
A 44 mile round trip and already my butt was starting to ache a little - so much for the MG lowered gel comfort seat. 
This bike is certainly a different experience to my Breva and on this initial run seems to be be better overall compared to the 2018 Speed Twin. It's far too soon to draw any strong conclusions though.
Compared to the Breva..

• Clutch is lighter, though I'm gonna strip the rear of the Breva to check for a gunged up and/or collapsed bearing.
• 6 speed box almost seems like overkill with the ratios spaced too close together.
• The engine is more tractable at low revs, even though I never found the Breva to be lacking in that department.
• Currently, the Breva appears to be quicker and pulls stronger at higher speeds. 
• The forward pegs makes higher speeds less sustainable, at least on first impressions.
• Fuel economy seems to a considerable improvement and better than expected.
• The automatic low fuel trip meter was a great surprise to get. 

Just initial impressons.

[Kev m]

I coulda told you about the gel seat.

Something is wrong, there's no way the Breva should have been faster or pulled stronger at higher speeds.

Oh forward pegs made me chuckle... Try a Dart Flyscreen, out in the Pinelands I spend all day at 50-70 mph. I am not fighting the wind at all.

[DoubleGuzzi]

I coulda told you about the gel seat. -- Ahh, but(t) you have a height advantage in being able to add inches of padding ;)

Something is wrong, there's no way the Breva should have been faster or pulled stronger at higher speeds. -- Yup. Needs further trials/investigation. I'm beginning to doubt the dealer serviced valve clearances, for example. Was surprised at this one, though the Breva pulls stronger than the Speed Twin did!

Oh forward pegs made me chuckle... Try a Dart Flyscreen, out in the Pinelands I spend all day at 50-70 mph. I am not fighting the wind at all. --
Cruising at 50-75mph is a non-issue with the small flyscreen that I have fitted and is pretty relaxing.

I did wonder if I'd keep bashing my lower shins when coming to a stop, with the relatively forward pegs. Amazing how quick one becomes accustomed to it though and it didn't pose a problem.

Further edit: the Pirelli tyres are rancid! Reasonably stable until they hit white lines or uneven surfaces. I'll put up with them until they wear down at least a bit. (The horn has since been replaced by a larger than standard chrome one.)

[Kev m]

Ahh, but I'm the end I'm on a pair of Corbin seats and not the huge thick one I bought. Whatever that's worth. It's just that of the 7 seats I've had the OEM gel was among the worst.

Oh and I don't get why you're fighting to hold on at speed then. * Shrugs *

[DoubleGuzzi]

..Corbin seats ..
Oh and I don't get why you're fighting to hold on at speed then.

Corbins are huge expense by the time the weighty things are sent over The Pond. The one I had for the Sprint ST weighed a ton and really only came into its own after about 300 miles/day travels. [A hard slab to sit on at first!] If I eventually get a hold of a cheap used seat, I may end up building a custom one, like I did for the Street Twin - if I keep the CS for long enough. It would be good to have a seat that was comforting (though low) enough to use up a tank of petrol.

I don't ride like I stole it all the time (fuel costs/license saving) but do like to blow away the cobwebs, now & again. Cleans out the carbon deposits, allegedly. 

[DoubleGuzzi]

More additions..
LED rear bulb, to hopefully outlast the standard filament bulb. I noted the horrible bulb socket that is also used on other Italian bikes (Ducati & Laverda) and IME are prone to cracking and/or poor connections.
30mm bar riser slugs; I re-routed the clutch cable slightly, to behind the ignition switch wiring.

I've noticed that there's quite a lot of wasted space on the underside of the seat pan - the seat could have easily be made to sit lower - hmm.  Time to resurrect the the 'flat' toolkit that I had put together for the Street Twin, which also had (very) limited space; a DVD case worth. I wrapped it up in a grubby microfibre cloth (reduce rattling/wipe things) and into a resealable bag. The flat multi-tool splits apart to give different spanner sizes and I'm sure that I have another shock spanner somewhere in the garage.






I never understand the open-ended bottom frame on these Guzzis - just looks so unfinished, like someone has butchered the frame.  Ali to the rescue with plugs intended for a V85TT, held in place with some black bath seal.



The underside of steering stems on cycles tend to rust up easily if not plugged up, as with motorcycles too. I found a use for one of the other plugs that was part of the above package. I drilled a 2mm hole to help drain any trapped water - I have a mission to source one for top of the yoke now, for the middle of the Allen bolt. Note the chrome horn replacement.



Hopefully the above is of some interest to someone. 

[DoubleGuzzi]

Some detailing added..



Those recessed bolt heads were driving me nuts!



Ahh, that's better. 

[DoubleGuzzi]

K-tech linear fork springs now fitted.

Even though I suggested a softer rate to the supplier, I was sent 8.5N/m springs - on a scale of 6.5,7.5,8,8.5 and 9.
These are considerably firmer than OEM, raising the front end due to less sag. The stiffened front does make the bike appear to be more flickable - lack of flex?
I've backed off the preload to very nearly absolute minimum and even with spirited riding and heavy braking, there's no sign of the forks bottoming out, ever: about 3/4 the full travel. Over bumps and rough surfaces, I wasn't getting the forks jumping up, so the existing damping must be fairly close to decent (heck knows what weight/quantity of oil the dealer put in, during seal change).
One downside is that it now highlights the deficiencies (jarring) of the rear shocks.. hmm, I've got a virtually unused set of cheap TEC ones, previously fitted to the Street Twin. Could be worth the effort.

On feeBay, these springs were cheaper than YSS and others, so less than £100 was good value for money, I reckon. Could be a good option for you folks with a bigger physique and/or more baggage luggage.


 

[DoubleGuzzi]

A few more changes..
I picked up a genuine MG screen very cheap on feeBay which is in near immaculate condition. It's slightly larger than what I'd usually use but takes a good deal of wind pressure off at higher speeds. (Although I have had bikes with fairings, I'm more used to (near) naked bikes.)
I've switched out the standard shocks with TEC branded ones, which were previously fitted to my Street Twin. Currently, they're adjusted close to the standard length though can be shortened by about 15mm, if I feel inclined to play around. The big advantage over stock is the inclusion of damping and my initial settings have seen an improvement already. I also have a pair of shorter springs, should I wish to experiment further.

[kingoffleece]

I've had 8 or 9 Bonnies (besides the old ones) and have a V7 for 5 years.  I used the rear pegs a lot when I had to slog down a super highway.  A nice switch to relieve the legs.  As a bonus when using the rear, I could find the perfect forward lean where the wind pressure and gravity equaled out.  My torso was weightless and I was good for 100's of miles.  I'm always surprised more don't do this.

[DoubleGuzzi]

..I was good for 100's of miles.  I'm always surprised more don't do this.

[The Superman pose!]

Environment/terrain/country likely has a lot to do with it. Apart from a few motorways, there are very little cases of lengthy stretches of straight roads, in the UK. As teenagers we used to put our feet on the pillion pegs, sort of emulating racers, on small capacity bikes. Not a practice that continued onto mid-size & larger machines  - being too far from foot controls is not such a great idea. The same for highway pegs: fine for extended (boring) slab mile munching.
On multi hundred mile rides, I nearly exclusively had a pillion.

[DoubleGuzzi]

At "Kev m" could you check what your Corbin says on the label/seat pan, please?
I picked up a great deal on one labelled MG-V7S-GL - indicating V7 Special/Stone/Scrambler Gunfighter & Lady. Though it looks fabulous, the mottled tan leather just doesn't look right on "the Shiny". Yeah, not as posh as your carbon-look one but at less than £150 delivered, beggars can't be choosers.
I've chopped away at bits of the seat pan with a Dremel (other rotary tools are available), to give clearance for the mudguard and fuse boxes. (I've flipped the ABS one on its side.)
For further clearance, I've lowered the mudguard by adding two plastic washers to the front mounts and three to the rear.

.


Should I get on well with it, then I have an inkling (geddit?) for a dark grey leather dye kit. [Edit] Incoming: has to be done!

A brief ride reminds me how rock solid these seats feel at first. The seat pan is a bit too wide (as with my Sprint ST one) and digs in to my thighs when at a standstill. The bump at the tank makes for a longer stretch to the 'bars and as with my previous G&L, the pillion space is poor, with rider space too roomy. The pillion is raised that much that the grabrail becomes far too low, except for gorillas. As before, it's very apparent that these seats are designed for larger solo riders. Also as before, these weigh a ton, not that long distance riders seem to care about such matters - you know who you are.
It's looking like I won't be using this as my standard saddle but I'll see how I get on with a 50+ miles run. I used to keep the Sprint ST one for longer runs, for very similar reasons.

[Kev m]

At "Kev m" could you check what your Corbin says on the label/seat pan, please?
I picked up a great deal on one labelled MG-V7S-GL - indicating V7 Special/Stone/Scrambler Gunfighter & Lady. Though it looks fabulous, the mottled tan leather just doesn't look right on "the Shiny". Yeah, not as posh as your carbon-look one but at less than £150 delivered, beggars can't be choosers.
I've chopped away at bits of the seat pan with a Dremel (other rotary tools are available), to give clearance for the mudguard and fuse boxes. (I've flipped the ECU one on its side.)
For further clearance, I've lowered the mudguard by adding two plastic washers to the front mounts and three to the rear.

.


Should I get on well with it, then I have an inkling (geddit?) for a dark grey leather dye kit. [Edit] Incoming: has to be done!

A brief ride reminds me how rock solid these seats feel at first. The seat pan is a bit too wide (as with my Sprint ST one) and digs in to my thighs when at a standstill. The bump at the tank makes for a longer stretch to the 'bars and as with my previous G&L, the pillion space is poor, with rider space too much. The pillion is raised that much that the grabrail becomes far too low, except for gorillas. As before, it's very apparent that these seats are designed for larger solo riders. Also as before, these weigh a ton, not that long distance riders seem to care about such matters - you know who you are.
It's looking like I won't be using this as my standard saddle but I'll see how I get on with a 50+ miles run. I used to keep the Sprint ST one for longer runs, for very similar reasons.

Uh, I gave up trying to modify the seat and instead relocated the lock mechanism from the bottom of the frame bracket to the top of the frame bracket. It latches now without issue but allows a very slight rocking motion side to side when unloaded. I don't notice it when I'm in the saddle.

I'll be happy to check the label when I get home next week... Till then it's suds and brews and seafood and sun and sand... Lots of friggin sand. If I was Anakin I'd kill myself levels of sand.

[DoubleGuzzi]

Just for info., here's where I've been hacking at the seat pan. It would need a deep slot cut out, for the ABS fuse to sit in the original position/orientation.




Kev m: with your method, I'd be tempted to change out the bumper pads, particularly at the front and sides, for thicker ones. Only for the taller riders amongst us.

[DoubleGuzzi]

Hopefully just one more coat of colouring, before the 'finish' goes on:



I still see a hint of the yellowish "bomber tan" after two coats and this has been an interesting diversion. I've covered/re-covered seats before but never a change of colour.

[Kev m]

Just for info., here's where I've been hacking at the seat pan. It would need a deep slot cut out, for the ECU fuse to sit in the original position/orientation.




Kev m: with your method, I'd be tempted to change out the bumper pads, particularly at the front and sides, for thicker ones. Only for the taller riders amongst us.

Yeah I changed the fender and accessory bolts for shorter ones and hacked at the pan light that and shimmed the latch bolt lower and STILL couldn't get it to latch.

So I gave up and moved the latch plate.

Yes there's a little rocking motion on the seat right now and I agree I should extend the rubber bumper pads.

[DoubleGuzzi]

.. STILL couldn't get it to latch.

IF your seat pan is the same one, then the key is to remove the ridge between the two bumpers and where the 'factory' cut-outs are.The Special has presumably a flatter rear mudguard in that area. Visually, the seat sits closer to the frame rails when this is done; I assume that you can nearly fire golf/ping-pong balls through the gap on yours.   

[Kev m]

IF your seat pan is the same one, then the key is to remove the ridge between the two bumpers and where the 'factory' cut-outs are.The Special has presumably a flatter rear mudguard in that area. Visually, the seat sits closer to the frame rails when this is done; I assume that you can nearly fire golf/ping-pong balls through the gap on yours. 

*Shrugs* they will both latch on the Stone but something was different on the Carbon.

And no the gap isn't visible at least not in the pics I have

Maybe I'll try to take pics of the gap when I get back from the OBX.

[DoubleGuzzi]

Pleased with the result of three days work - the scrubbing off of the original finish was the toughest/messy bit..








After a week, I'll do the detailing and saddle care solution. IMO, the dark grey really brings out the carbon weave. 

[Kev m]

How my seats fit:

Here's the Cafe style Corbin seat on the MKI Stone:




Here's the 2-up style Corbin seat on the MKIII Carbon Dark:

[DoubleGuzzi]

Here's the 2-up style Corbin seat on the MKIII Carbon Dark:

Surprisingly, that looks OK (though a gap is forming by the time it reaches the shock mount).  Carbon Fibre look. 
That rack does reduce the bulky look of the pillion portion and gives a usable grabrail.

[Kev m]

Surprisingly, that looks OK (though a gap is forming by the time it reaches the shock mount).  Carbon Fibre look. 
That rack does reduce the bulky look of the pillion portion and gives a usable grabrail.

It's NOT perfect, but it sure looks close enough to perfect from 10'

[DoubleGuzzi]

I try to be nice to my Shiny and all it does is bite back! The sticky out footpeg keeps catching my shin - it had just about healed up from the last time, then pissed with blood again! Grr. I try to remember to change my stance when lifting onto the centre stand (compared to every one of my previous bikes) but it's so ungainly and unstable feeling.  (Sitting here with yet another sticky plaster on one leg.)



screen time gratuit

[egschade]

Surprisingly, that looks OK (though a gap is forming by the time it reaches the shock mount).  Carbon Fibre look. 
That rack does reduce the bulky look of the pillion portion and gives a usable grabrail.

On my V7 III I loosened the tank bolt and pulled it back a little and make the gap smaller. Suppose you could elongate the hole a bit more with a file to get the tank back even farther.