gasgas
Tuned and Synch'ed
I went to a Guzzi dealer (in England) to try a new V7 and a new V9. I took the V7 out first, it coughed and spluttered and basically didn't go so I took it back and got on the V9. That was fine so I ordered one. I should have asked what was wrong with the V7 but for me the V9 had a more comfortable riding position, and for some reason was £1000 cheaper than the V7.
A week later I went to collect the V9, got on it and 100 yards down the road it too coughed and spluttered, seemingly only running on one cylinder so with difficulty I turned it round to go back to the dealer. Naturally sod's law pertained and just as I got to the dealer it sprang into life. I thought 'if I go in complaining they will try it and it will run just fine' so I turned round and it went home 46 miles perfectly. Subsequently I rode about 600 miles with no bother, this being over January to March time. Then I got a job, volunteering at Bletchley Park (WW2 Code Breaking centre / center) which is another 46 miles away. I hadn't left the bike in my garage for any great length of time but when I got on it to ride there, again it was only running on one cylinder for half a mile before it started behaving itself. Since then it has run OK, but having said that I have been using it twice a week to do the 90 miles there and back.
I have two questions I would like to ask:
1) I notice the owners handbook says don't use petrol with more than 10% Ethanol. Does anyone know what content the cheap supermarket fuels have, and what the established brands have? I'm wondering if it matters which you use, and how long you leave your bike unridden.
2) The throttle seems to have a sudden switch between idling and GO. In other words it is practically impossible to ride slowly unless you use a touch of throttle and slip the clutch, which can't be doing the clutch any good. For those of you in the Wide Open Spaces of the US and Australia you wouldn't be familiar with our 10 mile long queues on our 3 / 4 lane motorways / freeways / highways. Motorcyclists have to filter slowly between numpties doing their hair / phoning / lipstick / reading maps / drinking beer / listening to their favourite Lithuanian radio station. (I think the Lithuanians and Polish truck drivers seem to be the worst)
Is this sudden switch between nothing and Vroom Vroom normal?
A week later I went to collect the V9, got on it and 100 yards down the road it too coughed and spluttered, seemingly only running on one cylinder so with difficulty I turned it round to go back to the dealer. Naturally sod's law pertained and just as I got to the dealer it sprang into life. I thought 'if I go in complaining they will try it and it will run just fine' so I turned round and it went home 46 miles perfectly. Subsequently I rode about 600 miles with no bother, this being over January to March time. Then I got a job, volunteering at Bletchley Park (WW2 Code Breaking centre / center) which is another 46 miles away. I hadn't left the bike in my garage for any great length of time but when I got on it to ride there, again it was only running on one cylinder for half a mile before it started behaving itself. Since then it has run OK, but having said that I have been using it twice a week to do the 90 miles there and back.
I have two questions I would like to ask:
1) I notice the owners handbook says don't use petrol with more than 10% Ethanol. Does anyone know what content the cheap supermarket fuels have, and what the established brands have? I'm wondering if it matters which you use, and how long you leave your bike unridden.
2) The throttle seems to have a sudden switch between idling and GO. In other words it is practically impossible to ride slowly unless you use a touch of throttle and slip the clutch, which can't be doing the clutch any good. For those of you in the Wide Open Spaces of the US and Australia you wouldn't be familiar with our 10 mile long queues on our 3 / 4 lane motorways / freeways / highways. Motorcyclists have to filter slowly between numpties doing their hair / phoning / lipstick / reading maps / drinking beer / listening to their favourite Lithuanian radio station. (I think the Lithuanians and Polish truck drivers seem to be the worst)
Is this sudden switch between nothing and Vroom Vroom normal?