Subject: RE: More new loopy stuff (long)
Author: Rich Zink
Date: Mar 6, 2002, 8:25 AM
Post ID: 1709789824
1) Maybe, But I don't have an answer. Never been a real problem for
myself.
2) The manufacturer of the prone (no I didn't say that mine have been
fine so far) to fail electrics.
3) LOL, had the same prob when I first aquired my Ambo. Use the foot
only to lower the stand. Then place your foot on top of the 'hook' on the
actual stand. It's real easy once you figure out how to do it right.
Good Luck,
Rich
----------
From: Richard Arimoto [SMTP:arim-@cemrc.org]
Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2002 7:12 AM
To: Loopfram-@topica.com
Subject: More new loopy stuff (long)
============================================================
Good, Better, BEST! What's better than a year's subscription
to Ladies' Home Journal? Only a FREE year's subscription!
Check out this great offer now!
http://click.topica.com/caaacQ1b1dfltb2ouw6a/TopOffers
============================================================
Fellow Loopers:
Background: I have a 2000 Bassa and liked it so much I decided to
get
another Guzzi. I've always liked the Ambo/Eldo series so that's
what I
decided to get (well I was tempted by a basket LM I, but that didn't
pan
out and I'm kind of old for that kind of bike anyway). I like old
cars/MCs but I want them to be modern enough to keep up with traffic
on
the highways here in NM, i.e., cruise at 75 mph. I have a '72 MGB
that
I'm restoring--did the front and rear suspensions and a full engine
rebuild, so I have some mechanical ability.
I bought the bike from a fellow in Mich. It was restored by
Harper's in
99. The previous owner put about 150 miles on it since the rebuild
(probably not real good for the bike actually). Total mileage 14K.
There are two basic philosophies with respect to vintage vehicles:
(a)
get one that someone else has already restored or (b) do it
yourself.
I'm doing the rebuild myself on the MGB and so I decided on course
(a)
for Goose 2.
I got the bike on Tues evening. Needed a battery. Got a lawn &
tractor
battery at KMart (wonderful buying MC parts at a KMart), and fired
it
up. Sputtered but ran. I wasn't surprised as it had been sitting
for
so long. Was late enough that I postponed other matters until the
next
am.
Next day. Put some gas in the bike and headed off to motor
vehicles.
The bike stalls (more on this later). The key breaks off in the
switch
when I try to restart--the bike has the car-like starting system.
Walk
the mile or so to where my wife works. Get the 2nd key. Start bike
and
head off to MV. Can't get the bike registered--there are the letter
"VP"
on the VIN on the title but not on the bike. @#$)(*)(*.
We're not starting off our relationship real well.
Head for home and KABOOM, tremendous backfires. It had been
backfiring
before, but this was was Harleyesque. Limp home. There I notice
that
the baffle and packing for the left muffler were "missing,"
evidently
blown off in action. Jumped in the car and quickly retraced my
path,
fortunately finding the baffle and packing just before a lady in an
SUV
was about to run over it. She waves.
Ponder whether this purchase was a good idea (do not discuss this
with
my wife at lunch).
Re-install the baffle. {Oh, I took the day off of work}
Give the bike a bath as it arrived fairly dirty.
Start the bike and reset the timing by the seat of my pants. Runs
strong now, no backfires. Fix some minor stuff (re-route cables
tighten
nuts and bolts, etc.). Head to the gas station and fill it. Ride
to
the local MC shop for some license plate reflectors and notice gas
spilling on the tank from a leaky gas cap.
Clean off the gas. Curse and ponder.
Ride home. Clean off the gas. Examine the gas cap, the funky lever
type, and find that there's a very hard plastic gasket, and so I cut
a
new one with a piece of cork and rubber gasket material and replace
it
and all's well, no leaks.
Polish and wax.
Summary: The bike is truly beautiful, stunning in fact. The Bassa
turns
heads, but the Eldo snaps 'em. I rode it to work today and aside
from a
missed shift, merrily putted along.
Some questions:
1. The bike only starts in neutral. Several times the bike has
stalled
and I "sense" that the stalling is due to the only start in neutral
feature. Is there any way to defeat this?
2. What does CEV stand for?
3. I tried putting the bike on its center stand. I'm not a
weakling,
but I couldn't get it anywhere close to being on the stand. Advice?
Again, there will be more questions to follow, I'm sure. I checked
the
bike's petcocks--one on the RHS has a small R, and the other has a
C.
No trip odo on the bike, so I'm going to use a sharpie pen and write
mileage on the mirror or speedo.
I'm going to post a pic on the wildguzzi site. My Bassa is there,
too,
but it has been modified a little so I'll update that sometime.
Rich A
==========================================================
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Get the latest weather,
sports, and lifestyle news you can't afford to miss, all
at a price you can afford to pay! Click now!
http://click.topica.com/caaacQXb1dfltb2ouw6f/TopOffers
==========================================================