Like to buy

[Tom]

Nice touring set-up.

[chuck peterson]

Try toe down for first, then heel down for 2,3,4,5...no need to get a toe under...adjust lever to taste

Congrats on the white Calvin, looks awesome, only 900,000 miles left on it tho...

[PJPR01]

Looks great Janusz...if you're driving it around Toronto today, I'd love to see it.  Working in Mississauga today, going to head to Starsky's on Dundas in the evening, would be cool to see the bike, if not, perhaps on the next trip out here.

[webmost]

Tonight I brought my CalVin home. It was very nice ride from Burlington to Toronto, perfect weather and bike was just fantastic. It handles way, way better than my Audace. I had a little bit of problem gear shifting, or should I say fitting my feet between footboard and shifter. Other then that the bike is perfect, it fits very well, the seat is excellent, it look good and sounds even better 

What handlebars are those? That's exactly what I want.

[smdl]

Fantastic, Janusz -- I am truly jealous!  Looking forward to seeing it on the road this weekend.

Cheers,
Shaun

[janusz]

What handlebars are those? That's exactly what I want.

As far as I know those are OEM handlebars.

[janusz]

Looks great Janusz...if you're driving it around Toronto today, I'd love to see it.  Working in Mississauga today, going to head to Starsky's on Dundas in the evening, would be cool to see the bike, if not, perhaps on the next trip out here.

Thanks! Assuming the rain will stop we can meet there. What time you are planning to be there? There is another obstacle, I have to get Safety certificate and register the bike before I can freely ride around. At this point the bike has previous owner plates and I think I will get in trouble if stop by police officer. I will update this thread once I manage to get all kosher.

[webmost]

As far as I know those are OEM handlebars.

Hey stranger ... want to do me a flavor? Would you measure me the rise and pullback on those bars? TIA.

[janusz]

Hey stranger ... want to do me a flavor? Would you measure me the rise and pullback on those bars? TIA.

No problem, just let me know what and how I have to measure the handlebar and I will do it.

[PJPR01]

No worries Janusz...better safe than sorry.  I am planning to head over around 7 pm to check out the place and see if there are any interesting goodies to take back to Houston with me.  Weather permitting of course!

I'll send you a PM with my phone number in case you are able to make it...just shoot me a text or give me a ring.

Cheers,
Paul

[webmost]

Hey stranger ... want to do me a flavor? Would you measure me the rise and pullback on those bars? TIA.

Imagine you pushed a desk up against the wall. You set your bars on the desk with the part that goes in the clamps up against the wall. You lift the grips up parallel to the table top. Rise is inches from the desk top to the grips. Pullback is inches from the wall to the grip ends. Mighty hard to do when the bars are on the bike; so you may have to use a rafter framing square and make your best guesstimate.

TIA

[janusz]

Imagine you pushed a desk up against the wall. You set your bars on the desk with the part that goes in the clamps up against the wall. You lift the grips up parallel to the table top. Rise is inches from the desk top to the grips. Pullback is inches from the wall to the grip ends. Mighty hard to do when the bars are on the bike; so you may have to use a rafter framing square and make your best guesstimate.

TIA

From desk-top to grips approx. 6.5"
From wall to grip ends approx. 10"

[PJPR01]

Had a chance to see Janusz' new bike last night...it's a beauty...looks like it came off the showroom floor!!

Enjoyed our visit and hope for a return next year to do a ride with some of the Canadian Guzzi riders!

[smdl]

Had a chance to see Janusz' new bike last night...it's a beauty...looks like it came off the showroom floor!!

Enjoyed our visit and hope for a return next year to do a ride with some of the Canadian Guzzi riders!

Sounds good, Paul.  You can follow our events here:

Ontarioguzziriders. com

If you get a chance to check in before you come, we'll see if we can set something up for the group while you're here.

Cheers,
Shaun

[janusz]

Sounds good, Paul.  You can follow our events here:

Ontarioguzziriders. com

If you get a chance to check in before you come, we'll see if we can set something up for the group while you're here.

Cheers,
Shaun

Paweł, I'm very glad I had a chance to meet you yesterday evening. I really hope next time you are in Toronto you let me know ahead of time and you bring your riding gear.

Couple shots from last night meetup, Paul testing the fit of CalVin:

[PJPR01]

Thanks very much Janusz...it was great to meet you and swap a few stories.  Certainly hope to get a ride in with you and the other Guzzi riders next time I'm up!!  Enjoy your new toy!!  Let me also say that the Makowiec (Poppy Seed cake) from Starsky's was great, I may bring one of the small loaves with me to the Guzzi Rally in Texas next weekend...

Thanks Shaun for the note as well!

A few other pics to share:

[Sheepdog]

Sorry to arrive late to this discussion. Your bike looks beautiful...truly a score. You will have a difficult time raising the front of the shifter if you use the adjuster in the obvious location; it just allows a very small amount of movement. There is a second shifter adjuster under the bike that will do the trick. Just trace the linkage and you'll find it. Once it is raised enough to fit a boot under it, you will have a great deal more space on the floorboard. Also, once you get used too upshifting with your heel, you may find you will prefer it. It is certainly easier on the top of your boot...

[smdl]

Sorry to arrive late to this discussion. Your bike looks beautiful...truly a score. You will have a difficult time raising the front of the shifter if you use the adjuster in the obvious location; it just allows a very small amount of movement. There is a second shifter adjuster under the bike that will do the trick. Just trace the linkage and you'll find it. Once it is raised enough to fit a boot under it, you will have a great deal more space on the floorboard. Also, once you get used too upshifting with your heel, you may find you will prefer it. It is certainly easier on the top of your boot...

The other good thing about using the heel for upshifting is that it provides more positive engagement, reducing unwanted neutrals (false or otherwise).   

Janusz brought the CalVin out to our ride today!  Janusz, thanks so much for letting me take your beautiful new bike for a ride.  It truly is just like new! 

Also, Drew decided to join us for the first time on his gorgeous Mille!  Thanks for leading us along Lakeshore, Drew.  I particularly liked those crazy little bridges over the railroad tracks!

Edit:   Added a couple of pictures.







Cheers,
Shaun

[janusz]

Sorry to arrive late to this discussion. Your bike looks beautiful...truly a score. You will have a difficult time raising the front of the shifter if you use the adjuster in the obvious location; it just allows a very small amount of movement. There is a second shifter adjuster under the bike that will do the trick. Just trace the linkage and you'll find it. Once it is raised enough to fit a boot under it, you will have a great deal more space on the floorboard. Also, once you get used too upshifting with your heel, you may find you will prefer it. It is certainly easier on the top of your boot...

This is great info, thanks a lot. Problem seems a bit more complicated than I originally thought.  When riding home today I started to experience some up shifting problems. At first it was 3rd gear, then 2nd one as well, Shaun and Phil will confirm my struggle when taking off from the green lights. Things went really bad when I got home and parked the bike at from of my garage. I tried to find the neural gear and I wasn't able to do, so after couple of minutes I decided to turn the bike off, got off the bike and open the garage door. When back on the bike and engine started I couldn't put the bile in any gear, bike was stuck in neutral but the NEUTRAL light was off. After number of tries I managed to put bike in the first (I think) gear and park bike in the garage. I will check the oil level on the transmission (assuming such a thing exists to be checked) and see if I can find some explanation to the gear changing issue.

Thank you!

[janusz]

Thanks very much Janusz...it was great to meet you and swap a few stories.  Certainly hope to get a ride in with you and the other Guzzi riders next time I'm up!!  Enjoy your new toy!!  Let me also say that the Makowiec (Poppy Seed cake) from Starsky's was great, I may bring one of the small loaves with me to the Guzzi Rally in Texas next weekend...

Thanks Shaun for the note as well!

A few other pics to share:

Thanks Pawel, real pleasure to meet you. Please plan your next year trip to Toronto around end of September, first two week in October (but if you cannot, any time will do just skip December - April period). Thanks!

[Sheepdog]

Janusz: Check your clutch free-play. That is what typically causes the shifting difficulties you described. Also, that same adjustment point for the shifter (under the bike) has an alternate hole in it that will change the geometry of shift linkage (creating greater leverage). Finally, just give the bike a little time. Mine didn't really start breaking in until 8 or 10 thousand miles.

[Tom H]

Aw crud, shifter problems

(While typing: Seepdog's reply is worth looking at as well.)

So is it a trans problem or operator error? From reading this post, the bike appeared to be fine. So let's for the moment assume operator error that comes from getting a new vehicle that you don't understand yet.

So you have a heel/toe shifter. You would use your toe to tap it into first and your heel to push it into second and so forth. Then to downshift you would use your toe.

Let's say it's not a trans problem for the moment.

So you are at a stop, and while coming to the stop you never shifted out of 5th gear, you just coasted with the clutch pulled and still in 5th. Now you are stopped and trying to get to first. Many times you cannot shift from fifth to first at a stop. You would need to let out the clutch a TOUCH and a very short roll, pull back to disengage and then shift down again, may need to repeat until in first.

Now if it MIGHT be a trans problem.

Your in a parking lot, at a stop light or the like. The bike is in neutral and you use your toe to put it in fist. All goes well into fist. Your on your way, now to second. So you pull in the clutch lever as well as lowering the throttle and you use your heel get into second. NOTHING still in first or back to neutral. So you use your heel again and no second again. This would "probably" be a trans problem.
NOW if you happened to get to third on the second attempt, it could still be operator error.

So, it seems that you have a few Guzzi riding freinds. And "assuming" that they have a few Guzzi miles under their belt. I would let at least one of them take the bike around the block. Then you would have a better feel for what the problem is.

JMHO, the Guzzi 5 speed trans is fairly bullet proof at least when in the cruiser style bikes. Racing style bikes could have had the trans thrashed by the operator.

I hope that it's not a tans problem!!!! Sweet looking bike!!!!!! Hope this helps to point you in the right direction to solve the problem!!

Tom

[smdl]

This is great info, thanks a lot. Problem seems a bit more complicated than I originally thought.  When riding home today I started to experience some up shifting problems. At first it was 3rd gear, then 2nd one as well, Shaun and Phil will confirm my struggle when taking off from the green lights. Things went really bad when I got home and parked the bike at from of my garage. I tried to find the neural gear and I wasn't able to do, so after couple of minutes I decided to turn the bike off, got off the bike and open the garage door. When back on the bike and engine started I couldn't put the bile in any gear, bike was stuck in neutral but the NEUTRAL light was off. After number of tries I managed to put bike in the first (I think) gear and park bike in the garage. I will check the oil level on the transmission (assuming such a thing exists to be checked) and see if I can find some explanation to the gear changing issue.

Thank you!

Hi, Janusz.

Very sorry to hear about the shifting issues!  I did notice you struggling a couple of times, but thought you were just still getting used to the bike and shifter.  As recommended, it's definitely worthwhile to check the clutch cable and adjustment.  It would also be interesting to know if the problem recedes once the bike cools down.  Hoping it is something simple!

Cheers,
Shaun

[timonbik]

I've been following this post with interest as I looked at this bike back in July but opted not to proceed as I believe the price was a little high and  I already have 2 bikes.  The seller did tell me that he did have the bike in for service just after he purchased it a month prior and the dealership opted not to change the fluids as they appeared clear.  Thought this very strange for an almost 10 year old bike.  If it were mine I would have had all fluids changed as I'd be willing to bet that gearbox and transmission fluids are original given the low mileage.  Good luck, it is a beautiful bike.
Cheers, Tim

[Tom]

 :1: on Tom H analysis. 

[Tom H]

One more thought. Are you sure you were in first and then to neutral with no neutral light???

When I got my Eldo I had no idea what I was doing. The only manual I had said to shift the lever back to get to first. Well the book was wrong for a US bike at least. Did yo know that there is a false neutral between 4th and 5th? And that you can get the 850 to move even up a slight hill in 5th. Too short a parking lot to shift to 2nd (LOL) and when I finally did the rpm came and I thought the clutch was slipping. Did I mention I was new to this bike.

Could you be in 5th at a stop??? You could be in a false neutral between any of the other gears as well, rare but could happen.

Good luck,
Tom

[janusz]

Thank you all for the advice and suggestions.

I rode the bike almost all day without any issues, just in last hour of the ride or so the shifting problem surfaced. The bike was ridden by Shaun (smdl) and Nick (nick949) the same day right after we stopped for a lunch, looks like all was fine since none of them say anything about shifting problem.

I'm positive about being in first and then in neutral since the engine was off, the clutch lever was fully released and I was able to roll bike back and forth. When stopping on traffic lights I always gear down to first, I was told this is a proper way when taking motorcycle training course.

I check the clutch lever gap and it was approx. 2mm so I opened the gap to approx. 4mm. I started the engine and looks like all is working fine including the NEUTRAL light on the dashboard. I took bike for a short spin around parking lot and not problem shifting to first, second, or third. Didn't try fourth or fifth because parking lot is too small :)

At this point I'm waiting for dealer to pick the bike up for service (all oil replacements, etc) hopefully they will be able to shine some light on this mystery. My theory is that on the way back to Toronto we only stop once for very short time to fuel bikes, my calvin got hot and the gearbox oil being probably low started to impact shifting but... I reserve rights to be wrong :)

[nick949]

Everything was fine when I rode it. Delightful  even. I did notice that I didn't notice the neutral light (if that makes any sense), but my older bikes have trained me not to pay attention to such fripperies. Good to hear things are working properly again.

Nick

[Tom]

Seems that prior to coming to a complete stop, shift to neutral then shift back into first.  Yeah....I know.  The 5 speed trans. seem to work better that way.  Good to check the linkage too.  Spray some lube on the heim joints and the rest of the pivot points.

[smdl]

I agree, the bike shifted very well when I rode it, and Janusz has had no trouble with shifting his Audace or this bike earlier on.

Funny, I also seem to recall not seeing the neutral light when I came back, but I just shut it off in first gear.  I'd guess the light had stopped working, or the sensor needed adjusting, and this fits well with the forward lurch on the next start.

I suspect that heat was likely the cause of the shifting issue, which is why I was interested in hearing what happened when the bike cooled down.  Janusz, did you try riding the bike after it cooled down, but before making any adjustments?

 Finally, I agree that changing all the fluids is mandatory on a bike with an unknown past.  That's always the first thing I do when I get a new-to-me bike. 

Janusz, I'm not sure if you will have the bike back by the weekend, but I'm happy to come by and have a look at it with you, if so.  Let me know.

Cheers,
Shaun