Cleaning the Grisos air intakes, any easy way?

[triman023]

Got about 10K on the clock and really loving my Griso. According to the manual its time to clean the air intakes. Is there a way to do this without removing the tank? I would like to spray the magic cleaner into the intakes and be all good, or is this an involved procedure?
Can anyone point me to a write up with pix?

[pete roper]

Errr? The airbox is under the seat. Remove six screws that secure the lid. Lift lid. Lift plastic retainer ring. Remove filter.

Unless you live somewhere very dirty and dusty chances are you can just blow it out with compressed air and replace it. If it is grubby a new one costs pennies.

Reassemble airbox being careful that the diagnostic plug doesn't get trapped between the lid and the frame. Move on to rest of 10K service. (Assuming we are talking km.)

Pete

[guzziownr]

What Pete said!  To get in further take out the battery and remove the rubber battery holder.  Underneath you will find another hatch with four cross head screws, remove those and see how much oil and gunk is inside the airbox. Keep the engine oil level at half rather than full and you will get less in the airbox.  Some owners find the butterflies sticking, causing a high idle.  My bike is at about the same mileage as yours and had a little oil collected in there.


upload multiple pics

[pete roper]

Sorry, early morning here. I think I misconstrued what you were asking.

Yes, at 10,000 the service schedule calls for removal and cleaning of the throttle bodies which is where the confusion came from, I was thinking you might of thought the dummy 'Air Scoops' in the *Wings* were actually the air intakes.

As Guzziowner sez though the major cause of TB's and the stepper motor getting gummed up is overfilling of the sump. Yes, if you keep the oil level at the 'Full' mark on the stick the engine will just keep pumping it out into the airbox and the excess will gum up the throttle butterflies meaning they won't close properly. This leads to a high TPS reading at idle and consequent high idle issues which can be exacerbated by a gummy stepper.

If though you only fill the engine to a bit below the half way mark on the stick and then don't add any more until it actually drops off the bottom you will probably find that somewhere between that half way mark and the 'Add' mark the level will stabilise and except in very hot weather it won't use a drop! The fact it isn't *Using* any means it isn't pumping any out, if it isn't pumping any out it won't be fouling the TB's anywhere near as much!

In reality if you follow that regime the 10,000km clean and inspection is total overkill! Last time I pulled mine off was when I was doing the engine swap on my Griso. That set of TB's had been on for 38-40,000km and they were fairly grubby but we're still functioning fine. In hindsight I should probably of yanked them off for a bath a bit earlier but certainly not every 10,000. Probably more like every 25-30,000 would be more than adequate. As it is my recently aquired Stelvio has 108,000km on the clock and I'll bet London to a Brick that the TB's have never been off it! They still function just fine!

Pete

[nobleswood]

Pete,

Thanks for the illumination, but if you have a bike that is new to you, or its winter & you're hiding from the wife in your garage & just want to have a look at the throttle bodies. Or you can see oil mist around the bottom of the airbox & want to have a look in the throttle bodies to clean them out.

Can you release the clamps & get the boots off the TB's, sliding them back into the airbox? Like the V11 Sport ?   

[pete roper]

Four bolts and the airbox is out. Release and disconnect the throttle cables, disconnect the TPS, undo the clamps to the inlet boots and pop the TB assembly off and pull it out to the side, (Can't remember which side offhand?) have at them with a can of carby cleaner and a toothbrush followed by a microfibre cloth!

Pete

[nobleswood]

Thanks 

[elfrider]

Pete,

Is that the same for the Stelvio? To get to the TB's that is.
Mines become a bit recalcitrant when starting and has once or twice stalled when stopping at lights even though its warmed up.
Checking to see if its gummed up is the first place I wanted to start, being the easiest for me.
I've been very conscious of not adding oil for the last 10k. (16k total)

Greg.

[pete roper]

I'm not as familiar with the Stelvio but I'd imagine so, (I haven't done it to one recently and 'The Turd' hasn't had that sort of attention lavished on it yet!) but if anything it should be easier as there is less munt on a Stelvio to stop you pulling them out from the side.

Pete

[elfrider]

  Thanks Pete, I'll give it a go and let you know what I find.
(Just need some flaming time now)

[not-fishing]

Ah Geeze you guys have shamed me.

Butt, I just had the tank off to mess with the oil pressure sending unit a month ago and I'm tired.  nothing like removing the tank, removing the sending unit only to find out your new $40 sending unit is the wrong thread.  I cleaned and put the old one back in.  Now I have the right $6 one but the oil light does not stay on with the engine running ..... 

Ok I'll clean the throttle bodies on my Griso next Christmas when it gets to 60,000 miles.....

[pete roper]

Ah Geeze you guys have shamed me.

Butt, I just had the tank off to mess with the oil pressure sending unit a month ago and I'm tired.  nothing like removing the tank, removing the sending unit only to find out your new $40 sending unit is the wrong thread.  I cleaned and put the old one back in.  Now I have the right $6 one but the oil light does not stay on with the engine running ..... 

Ok I'll clean the throttle bodies on my Griso next Christmas when it gets to 60,000 miles.....

Good man! If it works well? Leave it the fuque alone, (Within reason....)

Pete

[triman023]

Thanks all! Yes throttle bodies. I took Petes advice a while back and keep my oil level at the mid point on the dip stick. My idle is always steady
at 1,100. When I do the next service I will check them, but as you say, if its working well don't!

Funny aside, I read an article about a group called Bikers for Trump. The article said they ride Harley's because they are rugged manly bikes but wouldn't ride Moto Guzzies because they are too "fussy". So far nothing fussy about this bike!