• Ciao Guest - You’ve landed at the ultimate Guzzi site. NEW FORUM REGISTRATIONS REQUIRE EMAIL ACTIVATION - CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER - Use the CONTACT above if you need help. New to the forum? For all new members, we require ONE post in the Introductions section at the bottom, in order to post in most of the other sections. ALWAYS TRY A SEARCH BEFORE STARTING A NEW TOPIC - Most questions you may have, have likely been already answered. DON'T BE A DRIVE-BY POSTER: As a common courtesy, check back in and reply within 24 hours, or your post will be deleted. Note there's decades of heavily experienced Guzzi professionals on this site, all whom happily give endless amounts of their VALUABLE time for free; BE COURTEOUS AND RESPECTFUL!
  • There is ZERO tolerance on personal attacks and ANY HYPERLINKS to PRODUCT(S) or other competing website(s), including personal pages, social media or other Forums. This ALSO INCLUDES ECU DIAGnostic software, questions and mapping. We work very hard to offer commercially supported products and to keep info relevant here. First offense is a note, second is a warning, third time will get you banned from the site. We don't have the time to chase repeat (and ignorant) offenders. This is NOT a social media platform; It's an ad-free, privately funded website, in small help with user donations. Be sure to see the GTM STORE link above; ALL product purchases help support the site, or you can upgrade your Forum profile or DONATE via the link above.
  • Be sure to see the GTM STORE link also above for our 700+ product inventory, including OEM parts and many of our 100% Made-in-SoCal-USA GTM products and engine kits. In SoCal? Click the SERVICE tab above for the best in service, tires, tuning and installation of our products or custom work, and don't miss our GT MotoCycles® (not) art on the BUILDS tab above. WE'RE HERE ONLINE ONLY - NO PHONE CALLS MADE OR RECEIVED - DO NOT EMAIL AND ASK QUESTIONS OR ASK TO CALL YOU.
  • Like the new V100, GuzziTech is full throttle into the future! We're now running on an all-new server and we've updated our Forum software. The visual differences are obvious, but hopefully you'll notice the super-fast speed. If you notice any glitches or have any issues, please post on the Site Support section at the bottom. If you haven't yet, please upgrade your account which is covered in the Site Support section or via the DONATE tab above, which gives you full site access including the DOWNLOADS section. We really appreciate every $ and your support to keep this site ad-free. Create an account, sign in, upgrade your account, and enjoy. See you on the road in 2024.

V7 850 e5 gearbox shenanigans & questions

G

GoodKat

Cruisin' Guzzisti
Joined
Aug 20, 2022
Messages
124
Location
Romania
Hey there lads,

First of all, I might be overthinking (something that it is specific to me) but I have some questions for the more tech-savy people around here.

I've noticed two things in the past 5000 kilometers since I own my '22 V7 850 Special, maybe some of you can come up with the input.

1. Sometimes when engaging the 3rd gear, I can hear the usual "clunk" sound that you usually hear when changing gears, but when I'm releasing the clutch lever, I can clearly hear another "click" and I can feel how the gear engages. It doesn't do this always, sometimes it doesn't do for days, sometimes several times a day. It happens only in the third gear. Otherwise the gearbox is smooth as butter and works like a charm.

Did anyone else noticed this kind of behavior? What could it be? Is it "normal"? Should I worry?

2. Today I had to take an emergency stop while I was in the upper gears (5th or 6th gear) therefore I had no time to shift through hears since I was on my brakes. After I stopped, I've tried to get it into Neutral so I've tried to shift it down. As it happens sometimes, if you're not moving, the shifter doesn't do anything so you either need to release the clutch a bit or rock the bike back and forth.

Anyway, I've released the clutch and I could hear a noise that freaked me out for the moment and several hours after that (as I am writing this post :rofl:). Like a dwarf hitting something with a big-ass sledge hammer once. It was so loud I could hear it from the intercom of the buddy that was nearby me. WTF was that? WTF was so loud? The bike behaves as it should, took more 100 kilometers down the road, no issues, shifts like butter nothing suspicious. My (wild) guess is that when I've tried to shift downwards, the gears engaged a tiny bit and when I've released the clutch and applied a bit of throttle, they fully-forced engaged...but damn it was a loud noise. So...what was that? happened to you?

Anyone willing to share / having similar stories?

Cheers!
 
GoodKat said:
2. Today I had to take an emergency stop while I was in the upper gears (5th or 6th gear) therefore I had no time to shift through hears since I was on my brakes.
Click to expand...

In motorcycle school. We did emergency stops from 40-0mph and in the sequence of pulling in both levers and applying the rear brake, getting the ABS to engage. We were also told to shift down through the gears to get into first. This is important to learn incase a car behind you might not stop in time and hit you. You are already down into first to get back on the throttle and move out of the cars way. It'd be good for you to practice this. Your left foot wasn't doing anything and should have been down shifting.
 
Moto_Max said:
In motorcycle school. We did emergency stops from 40-0mph and in the sequence of pulling in both levers and applying the rear brake, getting the ABS to engage. We were also told to shift down through the gears to get into first. This is important to learn incase a car behind you might not stop in time and hit you. You are already down into first to get back on the throttle and move out of the cars way. It'd be good for you to practice this. Your left foot wasn't doing anything and should have been down shifting.
Click to expand...
I know the theory, doing this 90% of the times, but I was already outside of the road. Still, doesn’t answer my questions. Cheers!
 
Are you a newer rider? Hard stops can certainly cause things to shift and move internally. It sounds like the gear forks/shafts may have been in between (false neutral if you research it). Panic causes fear across the board. if everything now seems normal, don't sweat it. Most things like this come down to clutch adjustment, and learning to "pre-load" the gear box to shift, or roll it back and forth slightly with the clutch in, and it'll move easier. Try it with the engine off.
 
GTM® said:
Are you a newer rider? Hard stops can certainly cause things to shift and move internally. It sounds like the gear forks/shafts may have been in between (false neutral if you research it). Panic causes fear across the board. if everything now seems normal, don't sweat it. Most things like this come down to clutch adjustment, and learning to "pre-load" the gear box to shift, or roll it back and forth slightly with the clutch in, and it'll move easier. Try it with the engine off.
Click to expand...

Hey, Todd! Amazing to have your input here!

Not new at all, riding for 13 years now, but I only had japanese bikes in the past, still getting used to all the sounds of my Guzzi.

Talking about clutch adjustment, is the 2mm free-play between the lever and the clutch perch - as indicated by manual - a reliable way of adjusting the clutch?

The dealership here “adjusted it” and It barely had 0.5 mm. I unscrew the adjuster right off, because it felt too tight and never set a foot in that dealership again. I keep it around 2-3 mm of slack measured between the lever and the perch, where I feel that it shifts nice and easy and to be sure that the clutch doesn’t dragging.

Thank you!
 
Last edited:
Winter here in Dallas Texas and all the sudden it is near impossible to shift into second gear until the bike is fully hot. I sit in the driveway for at least 3 minutes letting the bike get warmed up. I pull out on the city streets and the bike just doesn't want to shift into second. I have nearly been run over a couple of times. Once the bike is hot it will shift normally (for a Moto Guzzi). Have I got a problem or is the 850 V7 Special just a cold hearted bitch?
 
Motoman70 said:
Winter here in Dallas Texas and all the sudden it is near impossible to shift into second gear until the bike is fully hot. I sit in the driveway for at least 3 minutes letting the bike get warmed up. I pull out on the city streets and the bike just doesn't want to shift into second. I have nearly been run over a couple of times. Once the bike is hot it will shift normally (for a Moto Guzzi). Have I got a problem or is the 850 V7 Special just a cold hearted bitch?
Click to expand...

Your clutch is not properly set. It needs to be properly adjusted.

You need to actually READ the thread in order to gain the information you are seeking, and not just skim it.

This is discussed extensively here.

Check your play at the lever. 2mm is the specification.

You will also find this in your OWNERS MANUAL.

IMG 0520
 
Last edited:
Yep; mine did that for a while until I adjusted the clutch properly, not how it was delivered.
 
Hydraulic clutches (Ducati) were very trouble free but good to know that if problems appear, it is just clutch adjustment :) Thanks!

BTW. Is Owners manual also downloadable after donate ? The stamp size manual that came with the bike is unusable because of it`s size and mixed languages etc.
 
Thanks Scottmastrocinque. I will try the adjustment. Thanks also for posting a blown up version of the manual page. The manual that comes with the bike is unusable due small font size. Can't read it even with my contacts on. Maybe Guzzi should have single language manuals for country of sale with larger fonts.
 
Motoman70 said:
Thanks also for posting a blown up version of the manual page. The manual that comes with the bike is unusable due small font size. Can't read it even with my contacts on. Maybe Guzzi should have single language manuals for country of sale with larger fonts.
Click to expand...

This is also inside discussed inside the paper Owners Manual! 🤦‍♂️


FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CANNOT OR WILL NOT READ YOUR OWNERS MANUAL HARDCOPY BOOK, YOU CAN GET THE DIGITAL VERSION IN FULL PRINTABLE HIGH-RESOLUTION, FREE FROM PIAGGIO.

You can download your DIGITAL PDF of your Owners Manual for free direct from Piaggio. All you need is your VIN number.

“Once you have compiled the following form with the information requested, you will receive an e-mail with instructions for downloading your booklet in PDF format. The frame/chassis number is needed to allow us to provide you with the correct use and maintenance booklet for your model.
This service is available for vehicles produced from 2004; contact our Customer Service for earlier models.”

Copy and paste this address into your browser.

manuals.motoguzzi.com
 
Last edited:
scottmastrocinque said:
This is also inside discussed inside the paper Owners Manual! 🤦‍♂️


FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CANNOT OR WILL NOT READ YOUR OWNERS MANUAL HARDCOPY BOOK, YOU CAN GET THE DIGITAL VERSION IN FULL PRINTABLE HIGH-RESOLUTION, FREE FROM PIAGGIO.

You can download your DIGITAL PDF of your Owners Manual for free direct from Piaggio. All you need is your VIN number.

“Once you have compiled the following form with the information requested, you will receive an e-mail with instructions for downloading your booklet in PDF format. The frame/chassis number is needed to allow us to provide you with the correct use and maintenance booklet for your model.
This service is available for vehicles produced from 2004; contact our Customer Service for earlier models.”

Copy and paste this address into your browser.

manuals.motoguzzi.com
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, it does not always work—I tried numerous times for my 2021 V85TT.
 
Just checked mine clutch handle and the "free play cap"/ "empty travel" is 4-4.5mm but it has worked like a charm without troubles. Maybe it is better to keep cap bigger rather than narrow ? I`ll just leave it as it is.

EDIT: The bike is V7 850 `23 with 2500km.
 
Last edited:
Adjusted it anyway between to 2-3mm. It`s was so simple and quick job. Too bad it takes 4-6months before I can test did it change anything. Probably not because like I said there were no problems earlier.

Anyway when adjusting the freeplay pay attention to point 5. With 2mm cap it makes cable tight. That`s why I left it to 2-3mm to make sure the clutch ain`t little engaged all the time. I just fingertightened the adjustment lock wheel so it can easily be adjusted on the road (if that situation ever comes).

BTW. What`s the another adjustment in the engine end of the cable ? When it is needed to adjust ?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top