I recently picked up a 2003 California Titanium, and am working on getting it fully revived for regular use. It's a bike that I maybe should have passed on, or at least worked harder on the sale price, but it's all mine now, so I'll keep pushing forward.
Some background on it - I got it from a guy out in Idaho, who said he got it from the original owner. He made it sound like he'd had it for a while and rode it regularly until recently, but while signing over the title, it showed he'd only had it about six months, so it's more likely that it was purchased from an estate sale or something, cleaned up, and flipped (like a house, not on the road, just for clarity ). This was further evidenced when he handed me four oil filters to go with it that turned out to be nowhere close. He did give me a partial jug of Liqui-Moly 10W-60, which, while being incorrect for this motor, at least showed he did some research on what oil is used, and the oil was fresh in the motor (more on that later).
Based on that, I'm really glad I decided to trailer it home rather than ride it. It started and ran fine, but anything over about 10 years old with low mileage should be fully investigated for any time-related deterioration. I started by changing the oil with the correct 5W-40 for the PI engine. Luckily, the inside of the engine was spotless, save for slight evidence of water mixed with oil in a spot in the lower left corner of the pan, probably from being parked and getting condensation (also points to a likelihood that the oil was changed previously, but not the filter). The gearbox is also very clean, and the gas tank rust free.
Now we get to what it needs. This is the part where I didn't follow my own advice - always bring someone else with you on a major purchase, even if they are just there to remind you of your checklist. I had done research and had been looking for a while. I picked up the most recent edition of Dave Richardson's Guzziology, and had read up on things go look for, but decided to roll the dice and came up a little short. I asked the seller about the cam recall, and he said he hadn't heard of anything like that. It also didn't sound like he'd know what to look for when pulling the cam cover. Well, it hasn't been done. The engine does run quietly, with no swarf in the pan, so that is good, but I do have a call out to MPH for a cam kit for when it is needed. It also has the single disc clutch, which I verified on purchase, but I decided to chance it anyway, not fully knowing the intricacies of Guzzi clutches. I'll split that out to a separate thread later. So far so good, but it is definitely nearing the end of it's life. It also will need tires - the tires have almost no wear, and exhibit no vibration or anything, but are date coded 2008, so I want to replace them before going out too far or riding in the rain.
So my first question here is around missing equipment. I found it was missing the tool tray and tool kit, both of which have been sourced. I've attached a picture of the battery. I feel like it should be held down by something, but the parts diagrams aren't very descriptive. Do more experienced eyes see anything in particular that's missing? Also, this bike apparently had an evap canister, but that has been removed. It looks like they are available for not too much, and the lines are still there but plugged (although they need to be replaced). Are there any big problems with having the evap system in place now that there is another 17 years of experience with it?
Thanks for any help, more to follow.
Dave
Some background on it - I got it from a guy out in Idaho, who said he got it from the original owner. He made it sound like he'd had it for a while and rode it regularly until recently, but while signing over the title, it showed he'd only had it about six months, so it's more likely that it was purchased from an estate sale or something, cleaned up, and flipped (like a house, not on the road, just for clarity ). This was further evidenced when he handed me four oil filters to go with it that turned out to be nowhere close. He did give me a partial jug of Liqui-Moly 10W-60, which, while being incorrect for this motor, at least showed he did some research on what oil is used, and the oil was fresh in the motor (more on that later).
Based on that, I'm really glad I decided to trailer it home rather than ride it. It started and ran fine, but anything over about 10 years old with low mileage should be fully investigated for any time-related deterioration. I started by changing the oil with the correct 5W-40 for the PI engine. Luckily, the inside of the engine was spotless, save for slight evidence of water mixed with oil in a spot in the lower left corner of the pan, probably from being parked and getting condensation (also points to a likelihood that the oil was changed previously, but not the filter). The gearbox is also very clean, and the gas tank rust free.
Now we get to what it needs. This is the part where I didn't follow my own advice - always bring someone else with you on a major purchase, even if they are just there to remind you of your checklist. I had done research and had been looking for a while. I picked up the most recent edition of Dave Richardson's Guzziology, and had read up on things go look for, but decided to roll the dice and came up a little short. I asked the seller about the cam recall, and he said he hadn't heard of anything like that. It also didn't sound like he'd know what to look for when pulling the cam cover. Well, it hasn't been done. The engine does run quietly, with no swarf in the pan, so that is good, but I do have a call out to MPH for a cam kit for when it is needed. It also has the single disc clutch, which I verified on purchase, but I decided to chance it anyway, not fully knowing the intricacies of Guzzi clutches. I'll split that out to a separate thread later. So far so good, but it is definitely nearing the end of it's life. It also will need tires - the tires have almost no wear, and exhibit no vibration or anything, but are date coded 2008, so I want to replace them before going out too far or riding in the rain.
So my first question here is around missing equipment. I found it was missing the tool tray and tool kit, both of which have been sourced. I've attached a picture of the battery. I feel like it should be held down by something, but the parts diagrams aren't very descriptive. Do more experienced eyes see anything in particular that's missing? Also, this bike apparently had an evap canister, but that has been removed. It looks like they are available for not too much, and the lines are still there but plugged (although they need to be replaced). Are there any big problems with having the evap system in place now that there is another 17 years of experience with it?
Thanks for any help, more to follow.
Dave
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