Please read this page first. Someone else may have already asked
what you are wanting to know. The top few questions are related to service items.
The
bottom of the list is related to e mail, orders, shipping, and miscellaneous.
To go to: orders, shipping, etc questions, Click
here
The following are questions we get consistently and a few unusual
ones also. If you have a question that you think should be listed, feel free to e mail us
your suggestion.
Q. Where
do I find color matched paint?
A. Need to find color matched paint for your Goose? This be the place.
1980 and newer models, only. Paint is not available from Moto Guzzi.
Try: http://www.color-rite.com/
or try www.cyclecolor.com
Q. My
bike has not been started in over a year. What should I do?
A. Do not try to start it
before you do the following:
1. Prelube the cylinders with a penetrating or
solvent type oil. Squirt oil in spark plug hole and allow oil to set for a
minimum of 15 minutes.
2. Roll engine slowly with a wrench on the
end of the crank until engine turns freely.
3. Clean the carbs thoroughly before
starting.
Note:
If you do not follow this procedure there is a risk of
damaging a cylinder wall and/or piston and rings.
Q. My bike has been setting
all winter, should I clean the carbs?
A. Yes!
If your bike has been
sitting for 3 months or more you definitely need to clean the carbs. Remove the carbs and
disassemble. Soak only the metal parts in carburetor cleaner dip for at least 4 hours or longer. Flush
well with water and dry with compressed air. Remember to check all the jets
and passageways to make sure they are open.
Q. What
is the Valve timing and required oil
for California’s with hydraulic lifters?
A. Engines
with hydraulic lifters require 5W 40 oil (mineral or synthetic).
Note
Also:
The engines with hydraulic lifters have a new camshaft with different
timing than engines that do not have the hydraulic lifters.
The hydraulic lifter camshaft timing is:
Intake: opens 20° before TDC.
Closes 47° after BDC. Exhaust:
opens 51° before BDC. Closes
15° after TDC
Q. How
can I tell if my T has an oil filter?
A. The
very late T's may have had an oil filter. Look under the oil pan. If
there are 4 bolts in the middle of the pan then it has an oil
filter. If there are only bolts around the perimeter
of the pan then it does not.
Q.
Does my Ambassador or Eldorado have an OIL
FILTER?
A. No, it only has a screen. This means that you should
change your oil more often to add life to your engine and avoid costly rebuilds. A few
cans of oil and a pan gasket are whole lot cheaper than a bore job, new pistons and rings.
Every 2,000 miles is a good average for oil change.
After a while you will be able to tell, judging by
how dirty the oil is, if you should do it more often or if you can go a few more miles
between changes.
Q. My
owners manual says I should use Moly in my Rear Drive but I can't find it.
Do you sell it?
A. Yes,
we have it in 3 oz bottles. That is enough for 3 changes.
Click here for more information.
Q. What
weight and how much oil do I use in the transmission, rear end and engine?
A. For
most all Moto Guzzi's engines we recommend Valvoline multi-viscosity 20/50 engine
oil for the summer (55 degrees or above) and 10/40 for winter use (below
55 degrees). The transmission and rear end
use Hypoid 80/90. The transmission takes
about 1 qt and the rear end about 1/2 qt. Engine takes approx. 3 qts.
You should
consider adding Moly to the rear drive. Use ATF oil in your forks.
Be aware that some of the popular oils
have too much detergent and create to much foam which causes crankcase
pressure at high RPM. The result is that the oil will foam and cause oil
to blow out the vent hose.
If you are looking for a
synthetic oil click here for more info. Redline
Note:
On the 2003 California's with hydraulic lifters you will need to use 5W40
oil. Mineral or synthetic.
Q. What
brake fluid do I use and how much.
A. For
brake fluid use DOT 3 or DOT 4. Fill to the level line in the reservoir.
Q.
How much oil do I need in the transmission, rear end and
engine?
A. Fill the transmission
& rear end until it trickles out the level hole. If you put too much in the
transmission it will blow out the transmission vent. Transmission
takes about 1 qt and the rear end takes about 1/2 qt. The engine requires
about 3 qts.
Q. My transmission vent seeps. How can I correct this
problem?
A.
On bikes with a vent hose, T
and newer, the hose should be run up along side the battery. On big block bikes without a vent hose
you will need to retrofit the vent plug, gasket and hose, which we have in stock. Then run
the new hose up along side the frame or battery area.
Q. What do I use
for FORK OIL, what weight and how much?
A. All front forks with a front disc
brake use Dextron ATF. V700, Ambassador, Eldorado with drum brake use 7 oz. Dextron ATF in
each leg.
V7 Sport, 850 T and newer
all use about 2 oz. per fork leg.
NOTE: Fork oil
is only there for lubrication not for dampening in these models.
Q.
Should I use silicon seal on my gaskets?
A. No.
Moto Guzzi gaskets are made of a self-sealing material and do not require
any sealer. Here are a couple of photos to show you why you should not use
sealer. The silicon seeped into the oil passageways and stopped the oil
flow and we all know what happens when you stop oil flow in your Moto
Guzzi...Italian Fried engine!
Q. What are the valve settings?
A.. Through
1990 the valve settings are .006 intake and .008 exhaust. NOTE: On all round head cylinders you will need to torque the heads first.
Q. What are the torque specs for my bike?
A. The torque specs for the round head cylinders are
35 foot pounds.
Q.
What is the
valve timing on my new 2003 California?
A.
The 2003 California engines with hydraulic lifters have a new camshaft
with different timing than engines that do not have the hydraulic lifters.
The hydraulic lifter
camshaft timing is: Intake: Opens 20deg before TDC. Closes 47deg after BDC
Exhaust: Opens 51 deg
before BDC Closes: 15deg after TDC
Q. As a vertically challenged person (5.6) I would like to change the rear
suspension on my 1999 Jackal to lower the bike about an inch.
A. You
should try to go to a lower profile tire like from a 110/90 to a 110/80,
80 being the lower profile number. Also, an upholsterer can take
some of the foam out of your seat. Be sure to not change the angle of the
U-joint more than 1 inch.
When you change the angle of the u-joint there
is the chance you could put it in a position that is too extreme causing
premature U-joint failure. However, having said that, you
could change the shocks. We have been selling the Progressive Suspension
for years for a very good reason-they work! An inch would be the maximum
you should go with a shorter shock. We have 1/2" and 1" shorter
than your 13 1/2" shock. See shocks.
Q. After installing the Dyna III, it only runs on one cylinder.
A. Remove the spark plugs, replace
end caps and lay them on the cylinder head. Turn engine over and watch sparks to determine
which is missing. Disconnect (key off) the white and black sensor wires and reconnect in
reverse (black to white). If spark transfers to opposite plug, it indicates a bad sensor.
If it stays with the same plug, it indicates a bad electronic module, a bad coil or a
problem somewhere in the wiring not associated with the sensor plate. Lost
the Dyna instruction sheet? Click
here.
Q. How do I do a
Module/Coil test on my Dyna III?
A. Disconnect the
sensor wires and touch the female (module end of the input wires to ground. Do not
touch the 12 volt (red) sensor wire to ground. You should get a spark at the
appropriate spark plugs every time the inputs are grounded. If not, it indicates a bad
electronic module, a bad coil, or a problem somewhere in the wiring not associated with
the sensor plate.
Q.
Do you have a side cover for an Ambassador or
Eldorado?
A. Yes, we have a limited supply of used,
paintable side covers for the Ambassador and Eldorado.
Q. Do you rebuild engines?
A. Yes, we do. We have a full service shop and have been repairing
Moto Guzzi's since 1970. You can crate your engine, transmission, generator and carbs and
ship to us via truck lines. We will tear it down and call you with an estimate. When
you receive the work back it will be tuned and tested, ready to install in your restored
rolling chassis. Call us about which truck lines to use.
Q.
Do you restore Moto Guzzi's?
A. Yes, this is our specialty. We take
pride in restoring the Moto Guzzi back to it's original, beautiful condition. Please call
for details. 800 752 9735.
Q.
Does Harper's still sell reproduction silencers for
the V7 Sport?
A. Yes, we do.
Q. Is it necessary to replace the X-over on my 1100 EV
to use the Harper Outsider kit?
A.
No,
it is not. We redesigned the Outsider. It is now thinner so you don't need
to replace the X-over. The Outsider will
NOT work on all Sports models, Daytona and Centauro.
It will work on the Quota.
Q. Why isn't my motorcycle rear end vented?
A. There is a very valid reason for not
venting your bike's rear end. Pressure drives the gear oil into the pinion bearing. If you
vent the rear end your pinion bearings could burn up prematurely due to lack of
lubrication. Drive shaft splines will also suffer from lack of lubrication.
Q.
Can I use unleaded gas in my
bike?
A. Yes, you
should not have a problem.
Q.
What tire pressure
should I run?
A. Check the side wall of
your tire. You will find what is best for that tire. Depending on load variables it could
vary. Because rims/wheels are made of a soft alloy they tend to bend with low tire
pressure. Try to keep tire pressure on the firm side but do not exceed the tire
manufacture's specs.
Q. I want to make my bike to look like a LeMans. Is this possible?
A. Yes. The T, T/3, G5 seem to be
the bikes that are being retrofitted to the LeMans style. There are no LeMans gas tanks
available. You will need to use the 1000S tank and gas cap. Then you will need to change
the seat and rear fender as the tank will only work with the 1000S seat. The seat and
fender of the 1000S mount entirely different from the above models.
When you change handlebars you will also have to
change cables to shorter ones.
Q.
I want to
paint my exhaust pipes but can't find heat resistant paint. What can
I do?
A. Our
parts manager suggested two things. First:
Try to do it your self. There are many paints that will work on exhausts,
it is the way you apply the paint.
1.
Clean your exhausts very well, maybe even bead blast to get a really clean
surface.
2. Get
your pipes really hot, like in a very hot oven for about 15-20 minutes.
3. Have
everything prepared outside or in a special room for painting. Including a
place to hang the pipe while painting and drying.
4.
Take the hot pipes, one at a time, to the prepared area and paint. Allow
to cool after painting. It is the expansion of the cold metal that pops the paint.
Painting it while cool will
not have the same effect.
Second
way, if that does
not work, would be to send your pipes to us and we can do a ceramic
coating. It is available in black or aluminum color.
E-mail & shipping questions start
here.
Q.
I sent you an e-mail
and you did not respond. Why not?
A. We do answer all e mail
pertinent to our Moto Guzzi business. It is the same thing to us as if you called on the
phone. Sometimes we get a message back saying the e mail was undeliverable. If you will
please put an alternative method of contacting you this would help, considerably. FAX,
mailing address, phone number, (specify time to call or leave a day and evening phone
number), etc. If you are not in the USA please give us a mailing address and which country
you are in. If you don't hear back please contact us again.
Q. I only received part of my order. Where are the
other items?
A. If you will look at the invoice there is
a column for back ordered items. Unless you specified not to split ship, we ship what is
in stock and back order the items that are out of stock. We will ship the backordered
items when they arrive.
Q. My package arrived damaged and some parts are missing.
A. You
will need to call the carrier and put in a claim. Once it leaves our premises it is no
longer under our control.
Q. I do not see my question listed in the FAQ. How do I find an answer
to my question?
A. Submit
your question via e-mail to customer service & mention FAQ. You will receive an e-mail
response and possibly your question will be added to our FAQ. Or you can call 816-697-3411
and speak directly to our service manager.
Q. Can I place an order via e mail? What credit cards do you
accept?
A. Yes, you can place
your order with e mail. Since we do not have "Secure Buy", you can e mail us the
first half of your charge card number along with your order and then e mail the second
half of your card with your expiration date. Don't forget to include mailing address and
ship-to address, if different, and your daytime and evening phone numbers. FAX number
also, if you have one. We take all the major cards. MasterCard, Visa,
Discover and American Express. |
