Welcome to the tips for
these beautiful two bikes!
(you'd better follow them all, your experience
with the bike will be devastating...)
Like everything on this world, even the wonderful Guzzi can be improved
and rendered even more appealing and "tasty" when ridden, a thing that
requires only few time and very little expenses.
| Spare parts tricks! | |
| Frame
modification |
Who gave me these tricks! |
The first thing you need to know is this: search your
spare parts out of Guzzi stores!
I broke a fuel pump of my 1100Sport i.e., went to the local dealer
(Latina, Italy), and he asked me 280u.s.$... (honestly though, for that
is the price of Guzzi catalogue)
Being a no-money student, I soon learned that Moto Guzzi can be fitted
with other parts to substitute the originals, to save money.
I went to a car spare parts shop and aked for a pump *similar* to mine,
hoping to be able to replace the original with another, and instead
they gave me exactly my pump
(only the code was different, Bosch changed the code for the pump), at
1/3rd the price: 100u.s.$!!!
The bike is now running vigourosly, with much satisfaction of the onwer
and his wallet! :-)
When I had the DaytonaRS, I asked a price to get her back on the road
after the accident.
I discovered that a single brake rotor costed 370u.s.$...
Yes, they are Brembo Gold line, but the guy who has bought my bike and
is now repairing her, had Discacciati (a famous italian brake builder)
build him a new rotor for only 200u.s.$.
Braking also builds braking systems
of the highest quality, and thus asking the price might save big money,
or might mean fitting your bike with beautiful "wave" disks!
Almerico Cavallo (see credits down in the page!) told me that the fuel
pump on 1100Sport/DaytonaRS is the same used on Alfa Romeo 33, perhaps
it is just the same used on Fiat Tipo and Alfa Romeo 75 too...
If you need to change your forks, forget the "Moto Guzzi by WP" forks,
and go for aftermarket WP/Showa/whatever you like.
Original "Moto Guzzi by WP" cost 2070u.s.$, aftermarket WP can cost you
only 1000u.s.$ or slightly more...
This is: many parts are better subsituted with non-stock parts: I was used to thinking that the "integrity" the bike preserved with original spares was a thing to be kept; now I understand that it is no shame to look for a couple of wheels from other bikes in case I break mine, costing, the front, 500u.s.$ alone...
This is, always look for alternatives: it's better a little tinkering with a big money savings than original parts (unless very necessary ones, like a crankshaft!): even the clucth can be subsituted with a better non-Moto Guzzi one. (inquire Alexander Lagerberg for this)
Moreover, and perhaps more important than money saving, you will
learn how to work on the bike.
I was scared to death at the idea of touching the bike: I'm negated for
manual work, that's it...
But I was angry with the bike (in my mind, she just couldn't break down
considering how I treated her, it made me feel like betrayed!) so I
decided I would have solved the problem by myself.
Stripped her down of fuel tank and fairing, worked on her, changed fuel
pump and fuel filter, all alone!, and fired up the bike after
having finished!
I learned a lot, so much I can't describe: mainly, I learned that I
need to know how to take care of her.
My next moves will be valve clearance regulation and brake fluid
change.
This will bring me in deeper contact with the bike, and will have me
enjoy even more my bike.
Do it yourself if you don't already: you'll save money and have huge
amount of fun and satisfaction!
Engine
-> Eprom + Crossover = great fun!
(And I can't tell you how better things get with
a pair of K&N filters! :-)
The first thing you'll want to do on your bike is make it free to "breathe": if you have looked at it closely, you should have surely noted the central exhaust connector beneath the gearbox connecting the two exhaust pipes.
It is fitted by Moto Guzzi in order to fulfill the severe laws
concerning noise adopted by many countires, but it is a very bad
accessory for your engine.
It's main purpose is adequately carried out (you can hear only a very
low noise coming from the mufflers), but it has a side effect: it makes
the engine not regular when idle, creates a deep torque lack at
3500-4000 on the Sporti and at 4500-5000 on the DaytonaRS, lack that is
extremely noticeable because the range 3000-5000 is absolutely the most
used when riding the bike.
Replacing the connector with a CrossOver is the first thing any Guzzi lover would do, thus I strongly suggest you do the same if you own a bike and haven't done it yet.
As soon as you replace it with the Crossover (sold by Mistral, or, better Stucchi), you'll hear a very different roar from the bike, much more aggressive and in line with its beautiful look!
But changing the crossover is not enough: the original eprom chip is
badly programmed (ah, Guzzi...).
According to experts like Will Creedon, it is *really* badly
programmed; the reason for this comes fromthe limitations of the
emissions in order to make the motorcycle lawful even in strictly
caring states like California.
For this reason, the Daytona (and the Sport too) were realized, and
then sold, with too lean eprom chips, that cause the bikes to have dips
in the powercurves (or big flatspots, if you prefer) and to stall at
idle or at small throttle blips.
Change to the eprom chip is highly
recommended, to get rid of these troubles and to bring the engine at the
level its builders first created.
You could buy one of the many chips out there, and extremely suggested (for it seems to be ubiquitous and loved by its owners) Will Creedon's one.
As soon as you stick into the bike a Crossover and a new chip (only 20-30 minutes of very easy work) you'll discover a new dimension for your bike.
The Sporti will pull continuosly from 1500 to 8000, giving you a
very powerful sensation and effectively running more and more
efficently and faster the stock one.
So better it will run that you're not going to go back to the stock
system, simply unacceptable after having experienced what the "freed"
and tuned Sporti can do for you!
The Daytona instead gains some mid range power losing its torque
hole at 4500, but will acquire even more and more liveliness when
revving high: the range between 6500 and 9000 will be absolute nirvana,
granting you a furios revving and brutal power delivery.
No, you're not going back to stock Daytona once you've experienced the
freed one...
These two simple things, which dramatically improve your bike's performances and your satisfaction without harming the bike in any way (you just make it free to breath like Guzzi designed it...) are extremely cheap:
Will's chip costs around 100 u.s. $, and in case you go for others,
like Raceco's or FIM, you can go up to
250.
The Guzzisti community has already promoted with full marks Will's
chip, which seems by far the best out there for the two bikes.
A Crossover should ship between 180 and 300 U.s. $, but if you are good at metal working, once you've taken a look at it you could easily handmade it a quasi-zero cost.
Believe me, these will be the best spent money on the bikes you could imagine!
As an addenda, I'll introduce you another very important gadget for
your engine: the K&N filters.
As you may or may not know, the Daytona and the Sport (both carbureted
and injected) are provided with an airbox because of noise levels laws,
and because they were the "mode of the moment" when the bikes were born
(according to Dr.John Wittner's words, the father of the bikes!)
He says that removing the airbox and replacing it with a pair of
K&N filters mounted on the carburators or on the throttle bodies
(on injected bikes) will improve by a lot engine powerband, even if it
will cost you some km/h of top speed.
Many people have found, on both 2 and 4valve engines that the
combination of eprom chip, crossover and K&N filters made their
bikes perfectly tuned, and a real pleasure to ride.
On the 4valves engines, which are much sportier in characteristics than
the 2valve brother, many reported gains of 6 to 9 horsepowers, mainly
because the sportier 4valve is much more restricted by airbox and
mufflers than the 2 valve.
As I said before regarding eprom and crossover, this should be no
suprise: the bikes were created in a certain way by John Wittner, and
then, they had to be strongly modified to pass noise and emission
tests.
The result was that bikes did run stock, but they lost many hp on the
whole rpm range because of the restrictions; the good old V-Twin was
just suffucated because it's dated technology didn't allow to make it
work well and be homologable too...
This is, according to almost all the Sport/Daytona owners I know, and
according to the inventor of the bikes, Dr. John, the road to follow; no
risks, no problems, much smother and more powerful engines.
Do I need to say more?
(Obviously, anybody can do whatever he wants with his bike: keep it
stock and whatch it ride "like crap", as many say, or even over modify
it with cams/pistons/flywheels, risking to make the engine blow up in
pieces!
One things is to make an engine work like it should and did in the
inventor's head, another is trying to abuse it...)
To come to an end, the triad eprom-crossover-K&N is a great
suggestion, and very cheap though.
A short ride on a bike equipped in this way will immediately lead you
to the nearest shop, you can bet on it.
And, after having taken a look at a K&N equipped bike (with stock
airbox removed) you will be amazed by how an already wonderful-looking
bike can earn...
(have a look at a bike set up
this way...)
Choose your tires carefully!!!
This might sound strange a first, or even one of those things so
obvious I shoudln't have bothered you with this section.
Well, IT IS NOT!
Sorry for the yelling, but DaytonaRS and 1100Sport are extremely
sensitive to the tires used, and their behaviour changes dramatically.
A stock DaytonaRS with stock Pirelli Dragon MTR01/MTR02 tires will
be hard to ride, and give the rider little confidence.
Turning will be not easy, and the rider will feel all the weight of the
bike when he tries to lean her.
The same applies for the Sport: the stock Pirelli Dragon GT grant for
high milieage before you have to change them, but the bike will have
less grip, and, more important, she will give the rider little
confidence in curves.
Both the bikes act the same when fitted with stock tires...
Many a 1100Sport/DaytonaRS owner has discovered that by replacing the front tire to a better one, the dynamic behaviour of his bike changes so dramatically that it can be difficult to think it is the same bike, and, NO, I am not kidding.
My 1100Sport is fitted with the standard DragonGT at rear (still
brand new after 10800km as of today, April 14th 2001), while the front
sports a Pirelli Dragon EVO, a very sticky tire, which grants a very
good handling of the bike, which can be thrown into any kind of curve,
both very long or very short with an incredible ease, compared to the
standard fitted bike.
Anyway, mixing tires can be a *bad* idea, if you don't know what you're doing, and thus this is not recommended; my bike came in this way and I used it with satisfaction, but I know that other owners really had trouble with this, and troubles on a bike means hit the ground...
If you don't want to venture in the swamps of tire-mixing, then a
good combination seems to be Pirelli Dragon Evo front and rear, or
Dunlop D207 (street mix, not the race one, which would probably last no
more than 3k km on a driveshaft, 230+kg bike like a Daytona :-)
Another very good combination is Bridgestone BT56 front and rear; I tried this combination on WIll Creedon's DaytonaRS, and I really like the handling: the bike seemed very fast in leaning, and then stopped leaning and went on like a train on tracks...
Thus, to fully enjoy your bike, consider replacing stock tires with
others more performing (avoiding, if you have a Sport, the Dragon
MTR01/MTR02 tires of the Daytona, better than the stock Sporti
DragonGT, but not enough...).
I myself, and many many people like me enjoy the excellent
manouverability and safety granted by the front tire (in my case the
DragonEVO) while remain satisfacted by the long lasting DragonGT at the
rear (I usually keep the throttle very open to hear the great roar of
the engine...).
Otherwise, one of the combinations listed before will greatly improve
your riding experience while giving you the best safety.
Do your choice, but remember that you should really give this a try,
you won't regret, simply because you will think you're riding another
bike...
One thing people criticize about the Sporti/Daytona is their
exhaggerate wheelbase.
1475mm, they say, is simply too much.
They are right: the bikes are rock stable at every speed, and their weight (240Kg when on the road...) contributes to this stability a lot, but when riding it you would like a faster turning bike, more agile, and in a a word, easier to turn.
Here comes the new bearing for the fork: once you stick them in you lose some mm of wheelbase, having a bike a bit more nervous and agile, readier for sudden assect variations and for easier turnings, without losing its incredible stability.
I have little info on these bearings, for I hadn't got the time to
try them: my bike was crashed in an accident before, but people who own
them say that the bike earns a lot in terms of driveability when they
are mounted.
And, about my new Sporti, well, I am so satisfacted by the way it
handles with the front tire Pirelli DragonEVO (have you read the
previous section? :) that I don't feel the need to try them.
Anyway, if you like your bike to be even faster, they are an
excellent way to do this, and a very cheap way too, because the should
cost arount 100$.
And trying them might be a very good idea indeed, because they come
directly from Ghezzi &
Brian... do I need to add more? :-)
Have you taken a good look at that sidestand?
Well, it is just a piece of metal, but id does its job, it allows you
to leave the bike alone! ;-)
But, it is not (as many other details in Moto Guzzi's products) very
good when stock.
I, and many like me, hate the automatic-closing "feature": we fear that
a little inconvenience (a car touching the bike when parking, a kid
running into it when playing...) might cause the bike to get vertical
for an instant, thus allowing the sidestand to automatically retreat
and let the bike tipover (read: crash down!) due to force of gravity...
Moreover, the sidestand is not very easy to engage, and is very
difficult to use in situations of uncertain equilibrium...
But, as for many other Guzzi things, there is a solution easy and cheap, which, in the perfect tradition of the brand, asks you to tinker a little.
Have you seen the pivot bolt on the sidestand, it has a protrusion
on which the small arm connecting the springs top the sidestand
is stopped when engaging the sidestand, causing the springs to elongate
and recall the sidestand as soon as you remove your foot?
You just need to machine this protrusion down, with a saw or with
whatever you want, after having removed the sidestand (obviously, have
somebody keep the bike for you!).
The pivot bolt will look like a normal bolt after this (no more
protrusion), in this way the arm connecting the springs will not be
stopped and will not elongate the springs.
When you open the sidestand after havin mounted it back, you will be
surprised by teh sidestand's behaviour: like a Japanese bike, it will be
easily engaged and will not automatically close anymore.
No more pain at the local hangout! ;-)
I did this yesterday to my bike (April 12th 2001), and really enjoy
this very relaxing way of using the sidestand, I sugeest you to do it
very soon to improve your pleasure in having the bike.
Needless to say, this took only 8-10 minutes to be accomplished by my
father while I kept the bike!
Hard core modifications (for special
use only...)
Please, remember that this modifications make sense only if you
remove the stock exhaust (you have at least a crossover, better a full
system).
If you change cams/valves/bore-stroke you WILL require a new eprom.
If you are asking more from you Sporti or Daytona, and I mean,
REALLY more, then your only chance is to go for a big expense to buy
heavy upgrades from the *experts*.
The modifications we dealt with before in this page were intended to
bring the bike to the point it was when first in the mind of the
developer, without all the constraints caused by the laws.
And what a great bike you now have, if you've followed my suggestions!
:-)
But, if you want more (who doesn't), prepare the big money and your
tools: kits exist for our bike to change everything, from the
distribution chain with exact-working timing gears to lightened
flywheels to add a lot readyness to your engines, to heavy
modifications in the heads to accomodate larger valves for improved
top-end power (even at the cost of low-end power and smoothness), from
brand new and hotter camshafts to enlarged bore & stroke kits to
bring your bike to 1225 cubic cm (even more for the 2valver!).
A well tuned Daytona may well produce some 135hp at the real wheel
(like a Yamaha R1), but keep in mind this is going to cost you dearly...
The best source of information are teh websites of the producers of
this parts, and mainly Raceco UK, whose owner, Mr. Manfred Hecht (hope
not to mistake the name) even worked with Dr. John Wittner when he was
racing both the 2 and 4 valves bikes in the American throphys in the
mid-late 80ties...
Raceco offers virtually everything you need, from bigger valves to
titanium Carillo rods, rebalanced crankshafts to ported and flowed
heads, cams and eprom chips, and everything you might ever dream of.
Again, this has a price, a high one indeed, but, well, we are talking
of engines able to impress even the duller inline 4 jap bike owner!
Another excellent source of Guzzi special parts (they built a 1300
cubic cm 4valve with 142Hp!) is Dynotech, a german shop.
They have plenty of kits for our beloved bikes, enough to drive you
crazy...
Last, but not least, is Stein Dinse,
If you believe your Guzzi needs some more, or if you are deeply
convinced she deserves more, have a short internet ride to
www.ghezzi-brian.com Ghezzi
& Brian's homepage... creators of Furia, MG01 and SuperTwin!
www.raceco.co.uk Raceco's homepage
www.dynotec.de Dynotec's page
www.dropbears.com/s/sda/index.htm
Stein Dinse, australian shop which can post your their HUGE catalogue
for Guzzi, from engine parts to different fairings and stands.
Now, my personal opinion on this subject:
I do believe Guzzi to be reliable machines, masterpieces of
engineering, able to last several years (decades...) if well treated,
but I have to admit one thing: the old ones were more reliable than the
newer ones...
I had a DaytonaRS which, at 14000km, broke the right cylkinder
distribution because of a faulty camshaft, and my actual 1100Sport
burned the electronic injection unit at 500km, plus she decided to make
the fuel pump die ONE day after the warranty expired (I know, it sound
funny, probably it is, until you find out Guzzi wants 280 u.s.$ for a
new pump!!!).
Other bikes I know of, like Alex and Pontus Lagerberg 1100Sport and
DaytonaRS broke (DaytonaRS) a cylinder distribution and I-dont-know-what
in the basement because oil decided not to flow gracefully for several
seconds (1100Sport), plus a damaged clutch and perhaps other things I
don't remember know.
And you have to consider they treat their bikes like a zealot could
treat the image of his God!
(I am of the same sort, sigh! :-)
This is to tell you two things:
1) Don't have religious fears abou the bikes: treat them well
(oil/filters/driveshaft lubrication often) but enjoy them, because,
like anything on earth, they will surely suffer some kind of problem
soon or later.
Enjoy enjoy enjoy!
2) It would be a wise idea not to modify them too much if you want to
preserve reliability...
I'd suggest, if you own a C kit Daytona (european DaytonaRS, Daytona
Racing) to switch to the cams supplied by Raceco and the appropriate
eprom chip, maybe, if you want more hurry, a switch to larger intake
and exhaust valves, ported and flowed heads.
This will bring very noticeable results, filling the weak mid-rpm of
the C kitted Daytonas but granting at the same time more power on the
top end, due to the larger valves.
The engine shouldn't suffer too much from this, and probably won't
suffer at all, because the rev limiter and compression ratio will remain
the same, but will make you feel a big kick in the back when cracking
the throttle open, that is exactly what you were looking for!
If you go for a larger capacity engine, for example stick in big
bore pistons (100mm) you will need to increase the valves size, but
will also need to rebalance your crankshaft, and you would want to
stick in a lightened flywheel too; but will you stop?
Larger capacity means more torque and power, but an even larger
capacity engine with a stroke of 80mm instead of 78mm will bring you
way more torque.
With this pieces you will have a brutal beast, but this ain't cheap
nowhere... and ain't reliable, that is for sure...
Remember that the problem that kept the Daytona away from market in
1990 was the fact that she got too hot in the heads, because it is is
very difficult to make an aircooled V-Twin with 95hp.
They solved it, but consider that the DaytonaRS run, stock, hotter than
their 2valve counterparts, and a pumped up 4valve, with larger bore and
stroke, will run *a lot* hotter...
Unless you take lots of care of it, it will fail soon or later, and
maybe soon is much more probable than later...
Things apply in the same way on the 2 valve: a hotter camshaft and
larger valves will give you a big beast at a relatively low cost, both
regarding expense and reliability.
You might want to stick in higher compression pistons (the Sporti has
9.5:1 comression ratio, the RS 10.5:1), but I myself wouldn't spend the
money there, unless my pistons were used a lot (40000km or more).
Remember that, like the 4valve, a 2valve with the right cam and larger
valves provides a big kick in the back, a thing you will appreciate
withouth spending every second of your ride worrying "How much will it
last?"...
If you go for bore & stroke increase, you'll get a lot of power,
but, along with the expenses, you could encounter serious problems
relating reliability in the medium term (if not on the short one).
You have to decide here: Dynotec sports a 1100Sport increased to 1160
cubic cm, with a 100mm bore, granting 112hp...
Who could resist? :-)
Just one more thing:
you might not be looking for more top end and brutal response, you
could just be looking for more torque at medium rpm, a "stronger"
engine, especially if you own a C kitted Daytona.
In case you have a C kit 4 valve, then you might switch to the A kit
cams made by Guzzi, the same that are fitted in the Centauro and in the
USA/Switzerland/NewZealand DaytonaRS.
They provide more torque and more power at lower revving than the C kit
cams, even though you will loose power on top end (102->95Hp).
But the 4valve will become more usable, perhaps, even more enjoying, if
you ride in very curvy roads.
Otherwise you could fit the Raceco cam, granting lots of top end power,
but better power response at medium revving: single camshaft, double
result! ;-)
On the 2valve, instead, you could fit a raceco cam, but, if you want
a stronger medium rpm pull, you might switch to a Guzzi B10 cam, which
should provide much more torque at the cost of high rpm liveliness.
There are some 2valve 1100 engines which provide really a lot of low
and mid revving grunt!
Again, at your choice, but remember, lots of cams exist for the 2valve
engine, some of them are from
www.megacyclecams.com
Megacycle
others come from Guzzi, like the P3, B10.
Camshaft is a delicate matter: the best thing you can do is enquire
Herr Manfred at Raceco, he knows virtually anything about them.
And, if you get any info you haven't found here (easy, I say...)
please, send it to me to publish.
I discovered this kind of modification thanks to Guzzisti friends in
Rome.
I will add some photos, description and maybe an explanation directly
from the creator of this mod, a mechanic who lives in Rome and enjoys
his time on a racetrack with a V11Sport with 1100Sport tank and front
fairing, GSX-R sky-hi tail, hand-made exhaust running under the tail,
cut frame and "wave" brakes...
He really owns a *great* bike!
Almerico
Cavallo -> The person who convinced me to buy
a DaytonaRS instead
of a Japanes bike. Thanks!!!
He also showed me the existance of the new bearings for the fork.
Will
Creedon ->
American Guzzi fan, owned a Sport 1100 and now a Daytona.
Maker of excellent eprom chips! Very patient, extremely informed.
Alex
Lagerberg -> Sweedish guy,
owned a Sporti and now a Daytona. Gave me
many many suggestions, and is responsible for the "differences
between Sporti and Daytona" secDaytona" section (he gave
me all the info).
He also has the patience to to listen to my foolish ideas about
the bike!
Paolo
"Loctite" -> Italian owner
of a Sport 1100. He is able to "electronic einject"
everything you could dream of (his previous bike was a Guzzi Strada
1000 with carbs removed and replaced by fuel injection system).
He also prepares wonderful eprom chips, and is enough bold to let
his bike pass 9000rpms!!! tml>