California 1400, Hi from a new owner.

[Kjon]

Hello all.
This is my first post here having lurked around this fine forum for a while.
I've been researching info on the Cali1400 prior to purchase & now having bought a 2 year old, 2000 mile Touring in black I thought I'd introduce myself.
First a little back story, I'm a 52 year old life long motorcyclist living in the UK, had many different bikes over the years, & been fortunate to own models from most manufacturers but my enduring love has always been Moto Guzzi. My current bikes consisting of a BMW K1200rs & a Guzzi California 1100i a bike I've owned for 20 years & 55,000 miles.

I bought the 1400 with the intention of it replacing the other two, but just now I’m not sure thats the way to go.. So far (a couple of weeks) the bike has been something of a mixed bag of emotions.

What i like: It looks beautiful & both fit & finishing are in a different league to older Guzzis I’ve owned. It handles well for a bike this size though the suspension is a disappointment. No harsh engine vibes, It's very smooth at speed. The instrumentation & lighting are 1st class.
I'm slowly coming to terms with the riding position. The feet forward stance felt very strange at first (coming from the Tonti California) but the more miles I do, the more it seems to work. I rode the 1100 the other day (a riding position I've always liked..) & it felt cramped in comparison, I guess that says a lot...
Now for the gripes; While the overall engine performance is good, the fuelling between idle & 3,000rpm is pretty awful. The power constantly surges & falters making slow speed manoeuvres & corner exits in particular a miserable experience. I admit this is not something I've heard of before with these bikes so quite possibly this one has a fault. Im probably spoiled by the fact that both my other bikes have been re-chipped & modified & both run faultlessly, but they certainly weren’t as bad as this when in stock trim.
At first I thought the poor fuelling may be down to the Agostini pipes fitted by the previous owner but having refitted the originals (which he thankfully provided) the symptoms are just the same.. (The Agostinis have gone back on...)
A ride last week proved a low point.. Decided to take my dearly beloved out for the day trip. After 6 hours of bouncing around on the undamped suspension, (it's much worse with a passenger) fighting with the throttle & clutch to achieve smoothness & all to the constant accompaniment of pops & backfiring on a closed throttle. I can tell you, I haven't been so pleased to get off a motorbike in a very long time!..
If you think all this means I hate the thing, you'd be wrong. Pride of ownership is massive.. It's been a while since I bought a new bike & I guess having spent so much money i expected a bit more?.. Or perhaps I've just got a bad one?..
Anyway, the search for remedies begins.. If anyone has suggestions I'd  be grateful..

Jon.

[Vasco DG]

There's something wrong with it or it's been buggered around with by an idiot.

Pete

[El Pescador]

Yes, something is definitely wrong.  Mine doesn't display any of the symptoms you describe. 

[lucian]

I agree, something is up. Do you have a reputable dealer nearby where you could take it , and maybe try a demo and see if it runs differently. Also the ecu may take some time to re trim fueling after the exhaust change. I would also take the seat off and see if the air box has been butchered. Mine runs smooth as can be stock. Good luck getting it sorted out.

[segesta]

Welcome to the forum!

I'll pile on and agree with everyone else. I've never heard a pop or backfire from my California 1400. Make sure the dealer downloads the correct maps from the "home office" in Italy. Moto Guzzi apparently tweaks the software that controls the fueling maps, always trying to make it better. But you need the dealer to download it (I think--others may be more experienced).

One other thing: Could it be the fuel you're using?

[Francis]

Well ,decell popping is usually a lean condition,but not always,so...from what your saying there is a fuel cut off problem also...I'll paste an article on the subject to give you an idea of what might be involved...some of this info applies to a diff. beast ,but the premise is pretty well the same. Here goes

This article is written for those of you having problems with exhaust decel popping.  One thing a lot of motorcycle owners don�t realize is that there was probably decel popping with the OEM exhaust, but due to the restrictive baffling of stock exhaust systems you never heard it. By changing exhausts to get a little more �roar� there has also been an increase in the loudness of decel popping.

    First and foremost � when you slow down let go of the throttle completely. Train yourself to close the throttle when you are decelerating � a half open throttle causes popping.
    On FI bikes DO NOT �blip� the throttle when decelerating. Doing this will cause popping and fool the ECU into thinking you are accelerating thus compounding the problem. FI engines depend on many sensor inputs to tell the ECU how to respond, by �blipping� you are tricking the ECU into thinking the engine is doing one thing while you are actually doing another.
    Check the exhaust pipe for leaks at the header gaskets and if you have a 2 part pipe (muffler and headers are 2 separate parts) check the band clamps and gaskets there. You can do this using smoke, so get out the incense, cigarettes, cigars, etc or just blow out a match � and with the bike running pass this smoke around the exhaust ports and/or the junction of the headers to the muffler. If there is a leak you will see the smoke either get sucked in or blown around. If there is a leak ask yourself:
        When/if you changed or removed and reinstalled the exhaust did you remove the old crush gaskets from the header ports (yes they ARE in there) and install new ones? These crush gaskets are not reusable items, just because you only put 5 miles on them does not mean they are still good. Crush gaskets like these are designed for one-time use � once they are installed they are crushed and become �used� and cannot be used again.
        Did you torque down the header bolts to the appropriate torque and then retorque them after riding a few times? Check them again to make sure they are still torqued to spec.
        On a 2 part exhaust are the band clamps (where the muffler and headers meet) torqued down to the appropriate ft/lbs? Check them again to make sure they still torqued to spec.
        Is the header pipe sitting square in the exhaust pocket? Sometimes it appears they are when they aren�t. You can verify this kind of exhaust leak by looking for carbon trails.
        If you�ve changed exhausts did you check that the header acorn nuts didn�t bottom out before the header flange tightened properly to seal pipes into the head? Some aftermarket exhaust systems have thinner exhaust flanges so you may need a washer under the acorn nut to make up the difference.
    Be sure the throttle body/carb butterflies are closing completely. There should not be any movement at all. If they do move close then check all throttle cables and adjust accordingly.
    A throttle body/carbs that are out of sync can cause popping and uneven idling.  it may be best done by your dealer. Link �
    If there are no leaks in the exhaust then check for leaks in the  system. Are all the hoses snug and in place? Are all the hose clamps snug and holding the hoses where they belong?

If you�ve gone over all of the above and still have popping then you need to look at fuel management ,which can be done by your dealer

    Check for corrosion buildup or loose connections by removing and reseating any plugs. Also make sure the O2 sensor is snug in the exhaust pipe and all other wiring connections are good.
    If you have an aftermarket fuel management system,you will have to look into that also.
 

[Vasco DG]

Apart from looking for physical leaks I would ignore that article completely.

Pete

[Kjon]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I've tried premium fuel, made no diffence. When I refitted the Agostinis I used assembly paste to avoid leaks, again no difference. Air box hasn't been messed with so I guess it's off to the dealer?.. Nice to know it should run better than it does though. I had hoped to check for faults/do a throttle reset using Guzzidiag. It works fine my 1100i but won't connect at all to the 1400.. Has anyone had success with the program & the new California?..

Thanks again

Jon.

[Francis]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I've tried premium fuel, made no diffence. When I refitted the Agostinis I used assembly paste to avoid leaks, again no difference. Air box hasn't been messed with so I guess it's off to the dealer?.. Nice to know it should run better than it does though. I had hoped to check for faults/do a throttle reset using Guzzidiag. It works fine my 1100i but won't connect at all to the 1400.. Has anyone had success with the program & the new California?..

Thanks again

Jon.

there I took out the non pertinent sections of the article... if you read the beginning of my post,it does say "not all is applicable to this model ie: guzzi.

in any case,  I guess I should of edited the article prior to posting it...I have been at this for close to 40 years and sometimes I forget that not everyone have been around bike that long and doing their own wrenching...point taken!!

Hope it helps out !   

[tiger_one]

I dont think GuzziDiag can communicate with the new ECU that the California 1400 uses.   

[Vasco DG]

Yes it can but the protocols aren't known yet to allow anything other than basic adjustments.

[toaster404]

Mine is annoyingly lean.  I will do something about it.  I am looking for the one thing that makes the most difference.

The front suspension is way over damped.  I really get a punch hitting a bump at speed.  No wallowing and good in corners. So I might have too much fluid.  I will check eventually, and if it is to spec, might remove 1 cm from each leg.  If that doesn't work, I'll drop fluid cSt a little.  That is a powerful adjustment.

Rear suspension is OK.  Could be much better, I'm probably going to have some new dampers made up with compression, rebound, and preload adjustable. 

The throttle oddness does bother me at lower speeds and rpm. 

Position - I find the bars a bit forward for my usual motor patrol officer position, and will get taller risers.  I actually ride much better that way.  Laminar lip for the windscreen and lowers on the sides of the mount should make all fine. 

Hard bags are way wide.

I miss having a big rack.  Considering whether a solo seat and long custom rack is feasible.

Gorgeous bike, though.

[DaddyRabbit]

Very sorry to hear of your troubles.   Something is definitely out of sorts on your bike.  I was just remarking today that the California 1400 is the best motorcycle I've ever had or ridden.   I've not experienced any of the throttle issues you describe.   As for the suspension, many have difficulty with stock suspensions, but with a bit of time and fiddling we've been able to dial it in for two up.  I'm sharing my experience as an example of what you can expect once yours is sorted out.   Fortunately, mine came out of the box with nothing to sort out. 

Best wishes.   It really is a fine machine and I hope you are able to get it straightened out.

[Vasco DG]

I'd first up plug in PADS and see if any errors popped up, if there was nothing obvious I'd do the throttle and 'Handle' self learning and also look at the amusingly described 'Knob Position' which is essentially the demand sensor position reading, (Like a four way TPS.)  if it's reading increases erratically or drops out at all in the low opening range that will say something although I'd expect it to throw up a 'Service' warning.

Pete

[jim mac]

Might be something to do with the set up for EU pollution regs,  i know that the 8V Norge and Stelvios had similar issues - my Norge was really bad for stop start lurching on slow corner and roundabouts. Traffic lights starts were like a speedway.   i got a Finebau Forge unit in UK that cleared it and bike is now great.   check out Dave who owns the company that makes them on the Guzziriders forum in UK - his name there is Pupton, he might be able to help

[Vasco DG]

I strongly advise against these sorts of add ons.

Pete

PS As we are talking about a Cali 14 with a 7SM controller it is doubally irrelevant.

[Kjon]

Thanks for all the replies guys, they're much appreciated. Work commitments mean I haven't any time to try & sort the bike this week but I'll book it in to the dealers for a diagnostic ASAP & I'll report on the findings.

Jon.

[toaster404]

I strongly advise against these sorts of add ons.

Pete

PS As we are talking about a Cali 14 with a 7SM controller it is doubally irrelevant.

I have no idea what a 7SM controller is.  I've not had a fuel injected bike before and know nothing about them.  I do recognize lean running.  It is improving a little as break in goes on, but really will not pull up as it wants to at 1800 rpm.  I am sure it is a pollution measure, but since there's no exhaust testing where I am . . . .

Pete also indicates:

"I'd first up plug in PADS and see if any errors popped up, if there was nothing obvious I'd do the throttle and 'Handle' self learning and also look at the amusingly described 'Knob Position' which is essentially the demand sensor position reading, (Like a four way TPS.)  if it's reading increases erratically or drops out at all in the low opening range that will say something although I'd expect it to throw up a 'Service' warning."

This is martian, but I'm reasonably sharp.  What is "PADS"?  And this "throttle & 'handle' self learning"?

Beautiful bike.  Pushed the windscreen out 1.5 cm today with spacers, didn't get a chance to ride it that way.  Think I can get it up 4 mm, too.  Get more air under it.  Ordered a "laminar lip" - kind of ugly, but they work.

Might white vinyl the lower part of the windscreen and trip all the sharp edges (e.g., fenders, windscreen) with black door edging.  Really sets off things nicely and helps prevent edge chips.

Thanks much.

[Vasco DG]

PADS I'd the (Crappy and expensive.) factory diagnostic tool. The throttle and handle self learning functions are done to zero the inputs of the RBW throttle control.

If you are wanting to learn to work on your own bike, or at least troubleshoot your own problems, you are going to have to learn Martian.

Pete

[Doppelgaenger]

I've heard that some of the Cali 1400s are having issues with the throttle actuators on the throttle bodies (this is coming from the folks at Moto International) and there is very little that can be done to fix it on your own. You'll have to take it to a dealership to get it fixed.

Try switching the throttle map to a different setting and see if that helps? The rain setting might smooth it out a bit.

[toaster404]

Pete, I can learn things pretty well, just rather busy at the moment.  And may have better things to do!  At the moment, I just want to get the suspension a bit better, get the lean condition remedied a bit better, and then ride 10,000 miles, see how I like the beast!  That will take a couple of years because I alternate with my VStrom, depending.