2015 Moto Guzzi V7 Stone - Questions from a New Owner

[moss]

Hi guys. I've just joined the forums as of yesterday, since I picked up my new Moto Guzzi V7 Stone. It's the nicest bike I've owned so far, and I want to make sure I take care of it as best as I possibly can.  Just to clarify, my first 'real' bike, that I just recently sold, was a 1972 Honda CB450 -- Between that and the MG V7 It's a night and day difference.  I made some huge mistakes with the '72 CB450 that I don't want to repeat with this new bike. I've read a few forum posts about things to check for on your new Guzzi and it's sad to say I already have some concerns.  I'll start off with a few: the first has to be the clutch/gear adjustment -- When I first drove the bike off the lot, I stopped at a light and put it in neutral while waiting for green. Went to put it into first, it appeared it went into first but would not accelerate. Took me 30 seconds to figure out that I needed to pull the clutch in ALL the way against the grips and shift again.  There is _a lot_ of free play in the clutch lever, this concerns me since the problem that made me sell my CB 450 was a gearbox and clutch issue (and it was ~45 years old).  The reason for getting a new bike was to alleviate all these problems and it seems as though I'm even more worried because I've just spent ~8 grand on a new bike only to not have it prepped correctly... - Any input to this clutch/gear concern would be greatly appreciated.

Second, I've also read a bit about the clutch cable being routed poorly.  I asked the salesman about this issue, and he pointed out that they've added a huge rubber cylindrical casing around the clutch cable where it sits against the cylinder.  I still find this kind of concerning. Should I get some zip ties and move it? I wouldn think that any cable sitting on the cylinders wouldn't be good at all. 

Another concerning bit that makes me think the bike was DEFINITELY not prepped is that before I even took off out of the lot, when attempting to adjust the left mirror, it became very loose and just started DANGLING. I had to hand tighten it since I already had all my gear on and did not feel like getting the salesman to make a stink about it.

Lastly, if anyone can point me to a decent post about what to look for or what to inspect on a new V7 to ensure that you're taking care of it properly off the get-go, I'd truly appreciate it.

Pleased to meet all of you, and if anyone is in the Philadelphia suburbs area that wants to go for a ride, let me know! Thanks guys.

[kevdog3019]

Cable routing I'm not certain about, but I think they have an eyelet the cable runs through now compared to the early days of the 750.  The cable sounds too loose.  Tighten it a bit at the lever with the adjuster screws.  Have some free-play built in or you'll wear out internals.  I'd say cable needs at least 1/8" freeplay.  Yours sounds very loose.  Do a search on ANYTHING you want and you'll see plenty of info.
Have fun.

[RinkRat II]

Welcome moss, to the forum and the world of Guzzi! READ YOUR MANUAL, when you get done READ YOUR MANUAL, seriously, they put all that info in there for a good reason.
 If your the mechanically inclined type Guzzi ownership is a piece of cake. Plenty of info here and lotsa good people to help . :bike


    Paul B :BEER:

[pyoungbl]

Congratulations on the new bike.   Due to the design of the transmission (a design used on lots of bikes) sometimes the gears are not lined up perfectly for the shift from neutral to first after sitting at a stop.  You will learn to feel this because the shift lever won't go down as far as you know it should.  Don't try to force the shift!  Just put gentle pressure on the shift lever as you slowly let the clutch out.  It only takes a tiny bit of clutch engagement to get the gears to line up and drop into place.  I suspect this is your problem rather than needing any clutch adjustment since you did not have a problem except from a stop.

The clutch cable will have that big rubber doughnut to keep it from falling between the cooling fins but I also used a zip tie to pull the cable away from the fins.  Don't try to move it more than about 1/4" because you want the cable to make very gentle turns.

The loose mirror issue is easy to fix.  As I recall it takes a 17mm wrench to tighten that adjustment.

Take a look at the brake pedal.  You will see an odd looking bolt that stops the pedal from rotating up too much.  Mine loosened up and fell off.  Just make sure it is snug.  A bit of blue locktite would be a good idea.

Here you can see the replacement bolt and spacer I installed.

Now it's time to put some miles on that little puppy.

Peter Y.

[moss]

Congratulations on the new bike.   Due to the design of the transmission (a design used on lots of bikes) sometimes the gears are not lined up perfectly for the shift from neutral to first after sitting at a stop.  You will learn to feel this because the shift lever won't go down as far as you know it should.  Don't try to force the shift!  Just put gentle pressure on the shift lever as you slowly let the clutch out.  It only takes a tiny bit of clutch engagement to get the gears to line up and drop into place.  I suspect this is your problem rather than needing any clutch adjustment since you did not have a problem except from a stop.

The clutch cable will have that big rubber doughnut to keep it from falling between the cooling fins but I also used a zip tie to pull the cable away from the fins.  Don't try to move it more than about 1/4" because you want the cable to make very gentle turns.

The loose mirror issue is easy to fix.  As I recall it takes a 17mm wrench to tighten that adjustment.

Take a look at the brake pedal.  You will see an odd looking bolt that stops the pedal from rotating up too much.  Mine loosened up and fell off.  Just make sure it is snug.  A bit of blue locktite would be a good idea.

Here you can see the replacement bolt and spacer I installed.

Now it's time to put some miles on that little puppy.

Peter Y.

Great info, Pete. Thank you. And thanks everyone for the warm welcome.  I did read my manual (before taking it out for a proper spin) and didn't see anything about clutch free play adjustment. I suppose I am just being paranoid. 

Pete, when you got your moto guzzi, did it come with 2 washers that the dealer couldn't tell you about in the bag with the owners manual & warranty info?

I will try to post a pic here in a bit.  I'm curious as to what these washers are.  I am going to take a look at my brake pedal in a bit as well.

[fotoguzzi]

It seems common that many dealers don't know how to set up a new Guzzi.. It's a shame.

[Kev m]

Sounds like you bought it from FBF.

[moss]

Sounds like you bought it from FBF.

I didn't want to say, since I'm new and the forum rules said no dealership naming/hating (i think) -- but yes, I did. 

[moss]

It seems common that many dealers don't know how to set up a new Guzzi.. It's a shame.

It truly is.  What an amazing machine.  I scoured the internet for a bike that suited my taste in both power and design, and this was the only bike. You would think that anyone working on them would be super pleased, as they're so easy to work on, at least from what I've read.

[Kev m]

I didn't want to say, since I'm new and the forum rules said no dealership naming/hating (i think) -- but yes, I did. 

Lol, no the rules are no UNJUSTIFIED attacks. You're good.

Jim Collision is a nice guy and makes the sales experience easy, but it's all downhill after that.

They "prepped" their demo Stone that I rode years back, and my Stone the same way (as in barely).

Peter covered things really well, but I'll add, check to make sure the hoses/spark plug wires aren't rubbing the underside of the tank (was on mine, but I don't think it's a common complaint).

By the first service check to make sure the header nuts aren't loosening and keep an eye on them once in a while.

Take great care to make sure the oil dipstick o-ring remains in place and the dipstick is tight.

Most of all, enjoy it, it's a great bike.

[Cam3512]

Welcome. You can take up some clutch lever freeplay by moving the adjuster OUT at the lever.

Definitely wire tie the clutch cable off the cylinder, even with the rubber "protector" it will eventually melt and leave you stranded.

Get some loc-tite and check all fasteners. They tend to vibrate loose and evaporate.

Check out our NJ Guzzi forum.  We get together regularly, and welcome riders from PA.  Couple of us ride V7's.

http://mgnocnj.forumcircle.com/index.php

[moss]

Great info guys. Keep it coming  :)

Thanks for the invite, I will definitely check it out NJ Guzzi.  There are some really really nice places to ride from PA --> NJ.  I'd love to ride by Frenchtown in the upcoming summer months. I'm really excited, and thank you all for all the great info. Here's a pic of the new toy:

[fotoguzzi]

that's Beautiful!

[moss]

that's Beautiful!

Thank you  ;D

You should hear it with the Sil Moto pipes and the baffles removed.  It has such a nice low hum. It's amazing

[Cam3512]

Great info guys. Keep it coming  :)

Thanks for the invite, I will definitely check it out NJ Guzzi.  There are some really really nice places to ride from PA --> NJ.  I'd love to ride by Frenchtown in the upcoming summer months. I'm really excited, and thank you all for all the great info. Here's a pic of the new toy:

We often have breakfast meetings near Frenchtown, at Sky Manor airport.

I bought my V7 Special at Eurosports in Coopersburg, PA.  Consider taking it there for service.  They actually care about Guzzi.

[Kev m]

I bought my V7 Special at Eurosports in Coopersburg, PA.  Consider taking it there for service.  They actually care about Customers.

Fixored...

[moss]

We often have breakfast meetings near Frenchtown, at Sky Manor airport.

I bought my V7 Special at Eurosports in Coopersburg, PA.  Consider taking it there for service.  They actually care about Guzzi.

Damn.. I should've joined here before hand and asked where to get the bike from.  I avoided EuroSports because the sales guy would simply *not* negotiate on the Freight & Prep. In fact, he told me it would be illegal for them to do so.. which is complete BS. FBF cut it in half for me and gave me a deal on some nice pipes.. they weren't even really pushing the pipes, I just fell in love with the sound when I test rode the demo. 

EuroSports recently switched ownership though, I hope that the service remains good.  I will have to drop by there soon.

[BigBlock]

Congrats on the new Stone.  Love the colour :drool

[moss]

Congrats on the new Stone.  Love the colour :drool

Thanks! I'm happy with my choice. Was between the black and the green but the fiancée suggested the green.  I couldn't ignore her input :)

[BigBlock]

I couldn't ignore her input :)

You know the old saying, happy wife (to be), happy life.  ;D  

[Kev m]

Funny, Eurosports screwed the pooch on selling us a bike back in 2011 when we called ahead and said were ready to buy a 696 or V7 but wanted to compare them and their answer was that they were too busy that day because of the Triumph demo truck. So we hung up the phone and drove straight to FBF where we bought a 696 that day and a V7 a few years later.

However FBF screwed up any time we tried to do anything else like service, warranty inquiries, even parts for basic maintenance. So I got sick of the attitude and incompetence.

[moss]

Funny, Eurosports screwed the pooch on selling us a bike back in 2011 when we called ahead and said were ready to buy a 696 or V7 but wanted to compare them and their answer was that they were too busy that day because of the Triumph demo truck. So we hung up the phone and drove straight to FBF where we bought a 696 that day and a V7 a few years later.

However FBF screwed up any time we tried to do anything else like service, warranty inquiries, even parts for basic maintenance. So I got sick of the attitude and incompetence.

I can definitely see that happening. When I tried to haggle a little too aggressively on the price of the Guzzi with FBF, I was met with as close to an "F-OFF" that you can get without actually saying it.  They didn't even give a counter offer, the exact words from the sales guy were "We can't help you." I still bought the bike though because they discounted me moreso than the competitors in the area.  I think the problem is that the dealerships are scarce.

[Cam3512]

Thank you  ;D

You should hear it with the Sil Moto pipes and the baffles removed.  It has such a nice low hum. It's amazing

How does it run with those open pipes?  I have Agostinis on mine WITH the DB killers. Runs great.

[pyoungbl]

You will find that dealers selling Guzzi frequently won't negotiate much on the price of a new bike.  First, the margin is not huge to begin with.  Next, the accessory supply is slim so the dealer cannot count on selling some clothing and bling (where the margin is much greater).  Finally, the average Guzzi buyer is...frugal...and may well never darken the door again because he buys his parts online and does his own maintenance.  My local dealer only sees me if I have a warranty issue.  Maybe that's why he dropped the line in favor of his Triumph and Ducati lines.

Peter Y.

[Vasco DG]

The washers you mention go between the mirror glands and the mounts. The fact they aren't installed will of been a contributory factor to them coming loose.

Your bike will run better with dB killers installed.

Pete

[moss]

The washers you mention go between the mirror glands and the mounts. The fact they aren't installed will of been a contributory factor to them coming loose.

Your bike will run better with dB killers installed.

Pete

Wow! So they didn't even install the mirrors properly LOL. It seems to run fine without the DB killers as you call them, but they are so easy to remove and put in I may just put them back on until the "running in" period is over. i didnt notice any difference in performance whether in or out, but trust your advise. Thanks

[Kev m]

I can definitely see that happening. When I tried to haggle a little too aggressively on the price of the Guzzi with FBF, I was met with as close to an "F-OFF" that you can get without actually saying it.  They didn't even give a counter offer, the exact words from the sales guy were "We can't help you." I still bought the bike though because they discounted me moreso than the competitors in the area.  I think the problem is that the dealerships are scarce.

Jim in sales treated me fairly with both purchases and I was hoping to start a relationship with them to meet other needs. Ironically I turned down a lower price offer elsewhere for that reason.

Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[sib]

Jim in sales treated me fairly with both purchases and I was hoping to start a relationship with them to meet other needs. Ironically I turned down a lower price offer elsewhere for that reason.

Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Some sellers expect to get what they ask for, or no sale.  Others enjoy, or at least put up with, the give-and-take of haggling.  Although haggling is accepted practice in some places, it isn't everywhere.  If you want to haggle, be prepared to get rebuffed.  Don't take it personally.

[moss]

Yes, exactly why I gave FBF another chance. In any case, i am HAPPY with this purchase. A lovely day for a nice ride!! At Lake Galena, what a great view!

[fossil]

Hi All!

May I get back to the question of the proper adjustment of the clutch cable? I have read several discussions regarding this here at Wildguzzi, but still I am not sure I have understood the right procedure: It was recommended that a free play of at least 1/8 inch (aboit 4 mm) should be achieved. But: how do you define "free play"? Is it that it feels as if nothing is moved, activated, or put under pull, or is "free play" actually that, meaning, if I pull the handle the lever at the gearcase does not move for some millimeters?

I have set the clutch in a way that I sat on the Stone, engine not running, first gear selected, clutch handle fully pulled. Moving around the bike I let go the handle until I felt the engagement of the clutch. This point then I put into the middle of the handle movement. The shifting is better than anytime before, no problems at all, be the engine cold or warm. But I fear the clutch release bearing could be damaged.