2 things I still want to do

[Brightblade]

On my 04 california ev I'd like to change the handle bars and put different exhaust on it.  I'd like a little lower and straighter handle bars... Kinda a comfort thing.  Any suggestions there?. Size is weird as the bars are smaller where the grips and controls are...

With the exhaust I just want the bike to sound as awesome as I think it is, I'm wondering if something like agostini or mistrel (spelling?) Or if there are  any other brands out there I should look at? If I change the exhaust and don't put the db killers in will my bike run fine or worse?. First fuel injected bike I've ever owned....

[Porterhouse]

Lafranconi Competizione - the sound is wonderful.

[luthier]

I had slight riser Norton bars on my Cali. The ones on my T3 are similar. I couldn't put up with the great big original bars specially the way the hand grips came round almost parallel to the length of the bike. Gave my wrists hell, totally non-ergonomic.

 

[Sheepdog]

The Stone bars are not so low, but are narrower and a much more natural bend. I use them on my Vintage. Also, I tried the Mistral H-Pipe and SS mufflers. They looked great, but were a little too loud for me. In addition, they produced a great deal of popping when decellerating that I never could tune out. Stone bars shown in the photo below:

[fotoguzzi]

start by getting rid of the center muffler and use an H pipe crossover.  mgcycle.com

[radguzzi]

start by getting rid of the center muffler and use an H pipe crossover.  mgcycle.com

True story... I just installed a Mistral Crossover on the V11, great sound even with stock cans.

If that doesn't do it for you...

Lafranconi Competizione - the sound is wonderful.

They are a bit loud but I love the noise they make. I have also heard Mistrals on a V11 and they sound sweet too, more mellow than the LaFranconis.

Dean Rose here installed a set of Centauro bars I believe on his EV with risers.

Perhaps he will chime in with a photo of them.

Best,
Rob

[Bill Havins]

Fotoguzzi offered a good suggestion.  But H-pipes are not all built the same (H-pipe, crossover, balance pipe, they're called different things in different locales).  When I bought my '98 EV (used) it had a crossover on it that was about 20mm too short and 5mm too narrow.  It made attachment and alignment very difficult.  A crossover has to have enough space between the two longitudinal pipes to keep the headers from "buzzing" against frame members.  And the length has to be adequate to allow enough "overlap" of exhaust components to prevent leaks (which can lead to popping on deceleration).

I bought a new stainless steel crossover from Keihan Systems in the U.K. (http://www.keihan.co.uk/).  I later bought a pair of "stock" mufflers from them, too.  Excellent craftsmanship and excellent sound.  Not much louder than stock.

Good luck!

Bill

[radguzzi]

I bought a new stainless steel crossover from Keihan Systems in the U.K. (http://www.keihan.co.uk/).  I later bought a pair of "stock" mufflers from them, too.  Excellent craftsmanship and excellent sound.  Not much louder than stock.

Good luck!

Bill

Bill,
They seem to have good prices as well, not sure how that converts to USD.  Is there a US presence or does one pay shipping from the UK..?

I just installed the Mistral mid pipe on the V11, I have used many of these, excellent fit, stainless.

Best,
Rob




http://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=26_95&products_id=4466

[Bill Havins]

Bill,
They seem to have good prices as well, not sure how that converts to USD.  Is there a US presence or does one pay shipping from the UK..?
....
Rob

Rob,

There's no U.S. presence.  There is a Beemer shop on the east coast that shows in the results when you Google "Keihan Systems".  I telephoned the Beemer shop several months ago, just to see if they ever called in "big" orders just to save a bit on shipping.  The fellow I spoke with started to go off on me, saying that if you want the parts "you just have to pay the price."  I got him to calm down a bit, and he was finally able to talk about Keihan Systems' quality and workmanship on things like Beemer mufflers, pushrod tubes (?), and other parts.  By the end of the conversation we were both chuckling.

Shipping to the U.S. is about $78, if I remember correctly.  And the parts show up in less than a week...amazing!

Use Google to convert their prices (British Pounds Sterling) to U.S. dollars.  Much cheaper than Staintune, and a bit more than Mistral, etc.

Bill

[Brightblade]

Figured I'd put a pic up, if you guys can't see it let me know and I'll try and fix it.



Where did you two get your bars, I'm kinda going for something inbetween what you both have.


So if I put the h pipe in that will change the sound of the exhaust if I leave the rest of it stock?

[Brightblade]

I also took a closer look at the H-pipe thats on there and it looks like it has a Plug on the top of the cross over section....  Why does the H-pipe change the exhuast when there is a cross over in the exhaust right in front of the motor?

Sorry I may be asking basic questions, I've never changed exhaust on a bike before so I have no prior experience to draw upon and being this is the only bike I've ever had that was fuel injected.... I just don't want to screw it up.

[Bill Havins]

....when there is a cross over in the exhaust right in front of the motor?

Huh?  ???  I wasn't aware that any of the Californias had a front crossover.  But that doesn't mean anything.

Can you post a photo of the bike, being sure to show this front crossover?

[radguzzi]

Huh?  ???  I wasn't aware that any of the Californias had a front crossover.  But that doesn't mean anything.

Can you post a photo of the bike, being sure to show this front crossover?

Yup, my '04 had (has...?) one.  Maybe the Bassa too but I do not recall right off...   The concept was something to do with mid range torque or some such engineering feat.

rd

[Brightblade]

The bikes at the shop.  I'll post a pic of it tomorrow when I'm there.

[Brightblade]

Sorry for the quality of the photo's, let me know if you can't see them.  I don't use photo bucket so I kinda am using a work-a-round.

First picture is the front cross over.

 The second one I tried to show the H pipe thats there.  What is the plug on the top?  Do I need to worry about it when I'm changing out the H pipe?

[Sheepdog]

I got my Stone bars from a kind fellow on this forum, but I believe you can find them at MG Cycle or Harpers. They're a bit expensive, but are a big improvement in nearly every way. If your H-pipe has a bung on top, it is to accommodate a Lambda sensor for the FI CPU.

[youcanrunnaked]

It looks to me like you already have an H-pipe.  (I do not see the stock collector.)

My EV has the Mistral H-pipe and Mistral silencers.  The sound is glorious.

[Dean Rose]

98 Centauro bars on a '02 EV

Dean

[Brightblade]

 Alright, been awhile since I've gotten to be on.  Work has been crazy.  Any way I've got different exhaust ordered for the bike and I've been reading about this guzzi diag

http://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=69168.0

So I belive I'll need to reset the ecu with the different exhuast but I'm not sure the connector listed on that thread will work with the 04 california.

Would you guys know if it will work?  Phone isn't working to give picture of the plug on the Cali so I'll post that Monday if anyone wants to see it.

[fotoguzzi]

What exhaust did you get?  I won't hurt anything by mounting them and riding.. you can worry about the ECU trim later, the change won't be that great unless you ditched the airbox too.

[Brightblade]

Generic Helix 20" pipe with turn out.  So basically a straight pipe...  I'm still young enough I like loud and obnoxious  ;-T

I'm keeping the air box

[fotoguzzi]

yeah you might need to tweak the tuning then but still you can ride it some and see how they work out.
keeping that center muffler? or an H pipe? that is a balance pipe so should use something but I've seen bikes running fine without any crossover.

[youcanrunnaked]

I am not saying it won't work but you may not be happy with the torque curve after mounting straight pipes. My understanding is that the 2V Big Block likes a bit of back pressure.

[Brightblade]

Leaving the crossovers in place.

With the torque, wouldn't I be able to fix that by changing the ecu using the guzzi daig?

And at the end of the day if I can't make it work, that's what they have eBay for.

[krglorioso]

I am not saying it won't work but you may not be happy with the torque curve after mounting straight pipes. My understanding is that the 2V Big Block likes a bit of back pressure.

I agree.  My 04 Stone Touring came with a Stucchi crossover and Mistral "silencers", plus a PCIII with Todd Egan map and a Feracci airbox.  It was too loud for me, so I put it all back to stock, but for the PCIII.  Know what?  It runs better! 

Ralph

[Orange Guzzi]

I used 7/8" European bend bars and 1-1/2 risers as replacements. bought of Fleabay. No change in cables or brake line.  I removed the rubber bushings in the triple tree because they made the bars twist about 2 inches in either direction when I push on them against the steering stops.  My bike had the high risers with drag bars from the factory.  Same bars as Centuaro, Aluminium and Titanium.  Vibration is not a problem. 

[Brightblade]

My bars look to be about an 1 1/4 and reduce to 7/8 for the grips.  It doesn't look to reduce where it attached to the triple tree sip I'm unsure what to get there.  I got long arms so I think the centaro bars posted in this thread would work great, yet I'm unsure what I really can make work...

[Brightblade]

Well I got the exhaust on the bike, it has minimal baffles in them.  And thanks to the suggestions I got on the handle bars here and in pm,i decided to go with the stone bars. 

And thanks to the good guys at Harper's I got all the fluids and the bars from. 

I got everything done to my bike and got a good sun burn going from riding so much today.  I'll post pics of the bike when I get a chance.