2015 V7 Stone had a Clutch problem

[Haze]

Hey there -

I have been lurking around the forum for a little while, and I have to say it is lots of fun hearing all the stories about Guzzis in the wild.

I am a new owner. I have been riding a Triumph for a number of years, and I traded a Suzuki SV650 on the Guzzi, which was definitely a nice trade. The problem was that on the way home from the dealer last November, my clutch closed, started dragging, and I couldn't shift unless I rev matched into gear. I had the dealer pick it up, and they adjusted the cable. I didn't get it back for a couple of months, mostly because it was Winter, and I had really bad bronchitis. Get the bike back in March. Ride it about 40 miles, and the same thing happens. Dealer comes and picks it up. Adjusts the cable, this time getting instructions from Guzzi over the phone on how to do that. Clutch felt better, but 130 miles later, it does the same thing. This time I have it dropped by flat bed to the dealer with instructions to fix the bike or else. I also called Guzzi and asked them to give the dealer a call because I didn't think that the twenty year olds were really thinking their way around this problem. This time I get it back, and they fixed it. Apparently, there is a rod (I have no idea what they are actually talking about) in the clutch housing that was not properly installed and wasn't pushing the plates open fully causing the clutch to drag.

I'm really just posting this here in case anyone else has a similar problem because that did seem to fix it. I am really looking forward to actually riding the first new bike that I have ever bought. The little bit of time that I could get it into high gear and just go, it felt great to ride.

Just out of curiosity, what maintenance should I be thinking about for a new bike with just 350 miles on it? Anything having to do with breaking in a new bike?

Be well.

[Vasco DG]

The clutch pushrod is just that, a pushrod. It can't be installed wrongly, or at least I'll be buggered if I could work out a way to do so?

I'm imagining that the two adjustments available will be the one at the handlebar and the one on the operating arm at the back of the gearbox. If the locknut was loose on the grubscrew thei grubscrew could wind out and this sounds like it was the culprit. What I can't understand is why it took months to fix it?

Pete

[sib]

Just out of curiosity, what maintenance should I be thinking about for a new bike with just 350 miles on it? Anything having to do with breaking in a new bike?

Be well.

I'm really not trying to be snide, but I would strongly suggest reading the user's manual.  If your bike didn't come with one (and even if it did, since the writing is annoyingly small), you can find a pdf version on line.

[JeffOlson]

My Norge owner's manual does not discuss the clutch issue I encountered after my dealer swapped clutch levers for me...

[Cam3512]

As far as break-in and maintenance, do a search here.  There is TONS of information.

[pyoungbl]

From Chapter 6, page 198, V7 Use*Maintenance Book
600 miles:  change engine oil & filter, change transmission oil, change rear drive oil, torque heads, adjust valves, inspect a bunch of the normal stuff to catch any loose fasteners.  Total service time 100 minutes.
6,200 miles:  basically the same without torquing the heads.  Transmission and rear drive fluids changed every other 6,200 mile service.

Peter Y.

[kevdog3019]

From Chapter 6, page 198, V7 Use*Maintenance Book
600 miles:  change engine oil & filter, change transmission oil, change rear drive oil, torque heads, adjust valves, inspect a bunch of the normal stuff to catch any loose fasteners.  Total service time 100 minutes.
6,200 miles:  basically the same without torquing the heads.  Transmission and rear drive fluids changed every other 6,200 mile service.

Peter Y.

"Normal" fasteners are not those on the clutch arm IMO. It's not normal for that adjuster to come loose and should not have to be "inspected". That was a simple fix for the shop but they made it sound more complex than it was by suggesting the rod was too short to the clutch. Well, yes... but...
A two minute job at most.

[pyoungbl]

Kev,   Last sentence:  OP asked what maintenance should he be doing with a new bike, one with 350 miles on it.  Basically, what needs to be done during the break-in period.  The clutch adjustment problem was already addressed.

[Triple Jim]

To me, learning how to adjust a clutch, both at the lever and at the actuator arm, is part of riding a motorcycle.  I'd no more expect a dealer to get it the way I like it than I'd expect an optician to get new glasses adjusted to be comfortable while not sliding down my nose.

[Vasco DG]

You can argue until the cows come home whether this is the sort of thing that should be caught or not at PD but it has been a recurring theme here. The new V7's do seem to, at least in some cases, have poorly adjusted clutch cables ex-factory or they need adjustment early on in the break in period.

Why this is so is anybody's guess but the run of the cable is different on the new, six speed, bikes and it could be something as simple as the coils of the cable settling in the sheath in use exacerbated by warm weather. I haven't encountered a problem here but the two V7-II's I've sold were delivered in cool weather where effect of heat on the cable sheathing is minimal. Not saying this is a definitive explanation but it is a possibility.

At the end of the day if it is a loose adjuster at the arm things like this are hard to pick up at PD as when the bike is test ridden the problem may not manifest itself. It can take miles for that to happen so let's not be to quick to point the finger. Just note that some people have had problems and be aware of it.

Pete

[Haze]

You can argue until the cows come home whether this is the sort of thing that should be caught or not at PD but it has been a recurring theme here. The new V7's do seem to, at least in some cases, have poorly adjusted clutch cables ex-factory or they need adjustment early on in the break in period. ...  Just note that some people have had problems and be aware of it.

Pete

This was sort of where I was going with this post. I did quite a lot of searching on this forum and other sources, and I could not find an answer for what was going on with my bike. I thought that starting a thread might help other owners since it took my dealer three trips with a bike that was dragging so hard it stalled at every intersection, and could not be shifted using the clutch lever. It took me the three trips and a couple of calls to Moto Guzzi to get this sorted, and I am also not going to throw my dealer under a bus. They did their best, and they did eventually resolve the issue.

It is worth noting that my V7 Stone is not a V7 II. It has a 5 speed transmission. 

As for adjusting it myself, I don't do that on new machines. When there is a warranty in place, if I start messing around with it on top of the dealer mechanics, it just muddies the waters about who is doing what. They could simply default and say I broke it, and I wouldn't have a leg to stand on, but they would be relieved of the obligation to work on the bike. That is not a positive  outcome for me.

The only question that I had too was why it took more than two minutes to fix. My guess is that my dealer is not very used to working on Guzzis. They seem to sell mostly Ducattis, and a fair number of Agustas. The Guzzis seem to be their slowest line, but still, I felt that they could have done a little more research. Especially when I came back the second time.

The question about upcoming maintenance was more of a throw away question. I was just wondering if there were something not covered in the handbook, but I take it no would be the answer.

Anyway, thanks for the replies. I appreciate the input on the grub screw and the support that this should have been a simple fix.

[Vasco DG]

This was sort of where I was going with this post. I did quite a lot of searching on this forum and other sources, and I could not find an answer for what was going on with my bike. I thought that starting a thread might help other owners since it took my dealer three trips with a bike that was dragging so hard it stalled at every intersection, and could not be shifted using the clutch lever. It took me the three trips and a couple of calls to Moto Guzzi to get this sorted, and I am also not going to throw my dealer under a bus. They did their best, and they did eventually resolve the issue.

It is worth noting that my V7 Stone is not a V7 II. It has a 5 speed transmission. 

As for adjusting it myself, I don't do that on new machines.When there is a warranty in place, if I start messing around with it on top of the dealer mechanics, it just muddies the waters about who is doing what. They could simply default and say I broke it, and I wouldn't have a leg to stand on, but they would be relieved of the obligation to work on the bike. That is not a positive  outcome for me.

The only question that I had too was why it took more than two minutes to fix. My guess is that my dealer is not very used to working on Guzzis. They seem to sell mostly Ducattis, and a fair number of Agustas. The Guzzis seem to be their slowest line, but still, I felt that they could have done a little more research. Especially when I came back the second time.

The question about upcoming maintenance was more of a throw away question. I was just wondering if there were something not covered in the handbook, but I take it no would be the answer.

Anyway, thanks for the replies. I appreciate the input on the grub screw and the support that this should have been a simple fix.

Mate? Adjusting the free play in the clutch cable is a regular service item. It's not going to void your warranty! Good grief? This is getting to 'Bus Pass' territory!

[Haze]

Mate? Adjusting the free play in the clutch cable is a regular service item. It's not going to void your warranty! Good grief? This is getting to 'Bus Pass' territory!

Whatever mate.

This isn't a pissing contest about who can build a machine better. I can spin wrenches just fine. I also know how to deal with dealerships, and if I even pass a wrench over it, they will blame any wrong thing with it on me.

[Kev m]

Whatever mate.

This isn't a pissing contest about who can build a machine better. I can spin wrenches just fine. I also know how to deal with dealerships, and if I even pass a wrench over it, they will blame any wrong thing with it on me.

Then I'd find a better dealership. Too bad Pete is probably too far away for you.

[Haze]

Then I'd find a better dealership. Too bad Pete is probably too far away for you.

I looked into it. Not an option unless I want to go to another state.

I am beginning to get the feeling that Guzzis are more of a West Coast thing.

[Kev m]

I dunno, I'm EAST (gawd I hate auto-correct sometimes) coast... There are actually about 4-5 dealers within a 100 mile or so radius of here, though not all are equal.

[Haze]

I dunno, I'm ready coast... There are actually about 4-5 dealers within a 100 mile or so radius of here, though not all are equal.

Wow. That is a lot of dealers.

[Vasco DG]

This isn't a pissing contest about who can build a machine better. I can spin wrenches just fine. I also know how to deal with dealerships, and if I even pass a wrench over it, they will blame any wrong thing with it on me.

Using this logic you should never open the throttle because if you have an accident you could be blamed for 'Adjusting' it.

There are adjusters on the clutch mechanism for a purpose. So you can 'ADJUST' it!

[Haze]

I dunno, I'm EAST (gawd I hate auto-correct sometimes) coast... There are actually about 4-5 dealers within a 100 mile or so radius of here, though not all are equal.

Man, I am glad that was auto-correct. I spent a small amount of time trying to figure out if there were some euphemism out there for the East Coast I didn't know anything about.

[Kev m]

Mea-culpa 

[guzzisteve]

Haze,   Just so you know, I have to adjust every new smallblock clutch rod at the grub screw on the arm since 2005.

If the factory (which browse this forum) would make the adjustment a bit better, it would be nice.

I do this so the customer has full use of the clutch cable life(or stretch). I see it as part of the set-up on a new bike.

[Haze]

Mea-culpa 

No! It was hilarious!!! :)

[Haze]

Haze,   Just so you know, I have to adjust every new smallblock clutch rod at the grub screw on the arm since 2005.

If the factory (which browse this forum) would make the adjustment a bit better, it would be nice.

I do this so the customer has full use of the clutch cable life(or stretch). I see it as part of the set-up on a new bike.

That is interesting to know. It was a bit of a learning curve for my local dealership. Thanks for the reply.

[easyr17]

hi all

I have similar clutch issues on my new 2015 V7 II Stone... near-impossible to shift into neutral, v.hard to shift, clutch won't disengage when I come to a stop light in 1st. It made my rides very hard work & no fun at all.

In the end I ran out of space adjusting the nut at the clutch lever end but problem still persisted.

So I went to adjust the screw at the actuating arm. Problem solved.

Now it rides beautifully with no probs going into neutral. Glad I now can enjoy the bike without all the earlier worries.

Al.

[Loftness]

Just chiming in to say that adjusting the clutch is a regular type of service one should do whenever needed without fear of a dealer crying foul.  I'd actually *encourage* my customers to do this.

As for eastern dealers, there are three here in the Cleveland area (albeit two of them are ours  )

[Haze]

hi all

I have similar clutch issues on my new 2015 V7 II Stone... near-impossible to shift into neutral, v.hard to shift, clutch won't disengage when I come to a stop light in 1st. It made my rides very hard work & no fun at all.

In the end I ran out of space adjusting the nut at the clutch lever end but problem still persisted.

So I went to adjust the screw at the actuating arm. Problem solved.

Now it rides beautifully with no probs going into neutral. Glad I now can enjoy the bike without all the earlier worries.

Al.

Hey - glad that this helped, and I am glad that your bike is running well for you.

[Chuck in Indiana]

That is interesting to know. It was a bit of a learning curve for my local dealership. Thanks for the reply.

  It's not rocket science. Literally, a 5 minute job. If there was a learning curve, they were seriously on the left side of it.

[Vasco DG]

Yep, I do find it a bit of a worry that owners can't figure this out but the fact that someone at a shop has trouble is a serious concern. I mean, if their 'Technician' can't figure out how to alter the relative length of an inner and outer cable how do you think they are going to handle something like a valve lash adjustment on an RSV-4 or a cam swap on an 8V Guzzi? Hopefully it's just an aberration.

Pete

[Haze]

Again, I could have handled it ... I just felt that it was necessary to get the dealership to do it.

They are completely incompetent though. Three trips to adjust a clutch, then I took it in for the first service, and the screwed up the appointment so instead of renting a trailer for a day to get it there and back, I had to rent it twice.

I found another dealer about a half hour further away, but I don't care. Maybe they can fix a bike.