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Looking at an ‘03 California Sport Special... questions...

S

S854

Just got it firing!
Joined
Apr 6, 2022
Messages
3
Location
Big Sky Country
First post here...

My first ride on a Guzzi was in ‘72... I was all of 16 years old and the proud owner of a Dingo GT... 50cc of raw power and freedom!

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I was the terror of Vicenza, Italy...

Fast forward a few years... and various motorcycles... I’ve stumbled across a 2003 1100 California Sport Special for sale nearby... 19,000 miles and $3500...

I’ve investigated the year and came away with a few concerns... mostly the hydraulic valve lifters...

First: I’m not sure the SS has hydro lifters... the only models I see listed are the EV, Stone and Titanium... is the SS a variant of one of these models? I cant imagine Guzzi running a special engine for one model... but I’ve been wrong before...

Second: if this is a hydro engine, is it relatively easy to remove the valve cover on the SS to see if the recall has been done? Would I need to replace the valve cover gasket if the current owner is willing to “wrench” on the bike before a sale?

Another concern is with the possibility of a single plate clutch... is this an “easy” inspection in the sellers driveway... to determine if it has the dual clutch plates?

I come from a predominantly BMW Airhead and (most recently) Ural background... however, spending five of my formative years riding in Italy has left an indelible impression on my motorcycle psyche... I’ve also owned Ducati, Benelli, Aspes (now Gasgas) and even a Moto Morini... I can’t get too cocky, though... between the four of them the total displacement added up to just under 200cc...

Anyway... thanks in advance for any insight you can share...
 
Raven said:
That Dingo GT is a beautiful little thing.
Click to expand...
Left side brake pedal, right side shift... one up/ three down (IIRC!)... and the shift drum was outside the gearbox, under the engine... kickstart was up next to the cylinder, rotated “forward”... the toolbox contained one plug wrench and as many spark plugs as I could afford... the Dingo liked to foul its plug...

Eventually I replace the cylinder/piston with a 60cc... not sure if it was supplied by Guzzi or aftermarket... but it really woke up the beast... I could outrun my buddies in third gear... fun stuff...

Of course... there’s always a “down side”... I got very proficient at replacing clutch discs...
 
Pop off a valve cover. If you see adjusters that were sheared off, the modification was performed. If you just see rockers without any type of adjuster it hasn't been done. If you aren't sure when you look at it, take a picture of what is there and post it. There is an old thread with pictures but I can't seem to find it.
 
Thanks John... that’s my plan... I believe I found the old thread with the pics... that’s what lead me to this web board... as you stated, I saw one of the rocker arms with what appeared to be an adjustment nut on the pushrod side... very obvious...

I also read where, on some models, it’s necessary to remove various bits or possibly shift the tank to the side to access the valve cover... I could see where a seller might balk at such an idea... which, obviously, would make me pass on this particular bike...
 
S854 said:
Thanks John... that’s my plan... I believe I found the old thread with the pics... that’s what lead me to this web board... as you stated, I saw one of the rocker arms with what appeared to be an adjustment nut on the pushrod side... very obvious...

I also read where, on some models, it’s necessary to remove various bits or possibly shift the tank to the side to access the valve cover... I could see where a seller might balk at such an idea... which, obviously, would make me pass on this particular bike...
Click to expand...

In the California models you don't need to move the fuel tank to access the valve covers. Scott's post above gives you the pictures you need. I must have been blind and forgot it was a sticky post.
 
I have a 2004 california ev with 19000 miles. I love this bike. It is bigger than I am used to but it has scoot. It sounds like the lifter thing has been done on yours. Grab the back of the bike and shove it up and down. My shocks were gone.. I have ordered new ones. Other than that it has just been regular maintence. They came from the factory with half plastic half metal fuel filters in tank. They tend to swell and split. Replace with all metal filter I think it fits a ducati and the number is something 145..... It is a great motorcycle. buy it. It is italian so you will have to spend some money on it but you will only regret it if you do not buy.
 
wojeepster said:
I have a 2004 california ev with 19000 miles. I love this bike. It is bigger than I am used to but it has scoot. It sounds like the lifter thing has been done on yours. Grab the back of the bike and shove it up and down. My shocks were gone.. I have ordered new ones. Other than that it has just been regular maintence. They came from the factory with half plastic half metal fuel filters in tank. They tend to swell and split. Replace with all metal filter I think it fits a ducati and the number is something 145..... It is a great motorcycle. buy it. It is italian so you will have to spend some money on it but you will only regret it if you do not buy.
Click to expand...
Welcome to the Forum, and congrats on the C11 EV. Hope you'll add your info to the Registry; https://www.guzzitech.com/forums/threads/bb-tonti-registry-and-pic-thread.12601/
Please read the paragraphs at the top of the page a few times. This Forum is full of very experienced Guzzi owners (myself included, going 264k miles on my first Guzzi California Jackal before 2007, which I purchased new in 1999). Also as noted above, is my online STORE tab above, which sells 700+ products, all of which were nearly tested and/or developed by me. The filter has it's own thread here, and the SUSPENSION tab on the Store has superior shock options for marginally more cost than you paid for yours.
Note this isn't a opinionated social media site, it's a factual "Tech" site. Hope you'll reset your mindset based on these facts on the info you post on.
 
wojeepster said:
I have a 2004 california ev with 19000 miles. I love this bike. It is bigger than I am used to but it has scoot. It sounds like the lifter thing has been done on yours. Grab the back of the bike and shove it up and down. My shocks were gone.. I have ordered new ones. Other than that it has just been regular maintence. They came from the factory with half plastic half metal fuel filters in tank. They tend to swell and split. Replace with all metal filter I think it fits a ducati and the number is something 145..... It is a great motorcycle. buy it. It is italian so you will have to spend some money on it but you will only regret it if you do not buy.
Click to expand...

2003 models have the external filter and fuel pump so no half plastic filter in 2003 and earlier. It is possible that some late production bikes may have the internal arrangement but I'm not aware of any.
 
john zibell said:
2003 models have the external filter and fuel pump so no half plastic filter in 2003 and earlier. It is possible that some late production bikes may have the internal arrangement but I'm not aware of any.
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John, 2002 was the year that some of the models started seeing internal pumps, by '03 they all had internal to the best of my memory. I can't recall if they had plastic/metal filters now, as the several I owned all had external pumps.
 
Todd,

My 2003 EV had the external fuel pump and filter. So not all. I thought the internal systems mainly started with 2004. The 2002 Special Sport shows the external system on the parts lists.
 
Last edited:
john zibell said:
Todd,

My 2003 EV had the external fuel pump and filter. So not all. I thought the internal systems mainly started with 2004. The 2002 Special Sport shows the external system on the parts lists.
Click to expand...
Thanks, so maybe I have it confused with the '03 model line. There was a mid year jump to in tank, when the hydraulic lifters started appearing... so maybe late '02.
 
I had no idea your shocks in your store were superior to koni's. Koni's were what all the others were measured by but I am old and kind of old school. When I went to the runoffs at road atlanta koni was there and rebuilding their shocks for free for the people that were there racing. When I saw the icon name that I never heard of i investigated and found they made all koni's motorcycle shocks since 2000. live and learn. Koni was king but that was 40 years ago and times do change. When I purchased mine I just saw they were a rebuildable shock with progressive springs and I have always thought koni's were good shocks. I am 68 years old. I am not the fastest motorcyclist. I live in the mountains and the really fast motorcyclists are found by hunters when the leaves fall off the trees here. Thanks for letting me know what the best shocks are.
 
wojeepster said:
I had no idea your shocks in your store were superior to koni's. Koni's were what all the others were measured by but I am old and kind of old school.
Click to expand...
Konis used to be, when there wasn't many options out there, pre-internet more so. When the Ozzies bought them and renamed them to Ikon, they basically duplicated what they bought. They do offer an aluminum body version, that is similar to the GTM offerings I sell on the online Store. These days, there's a massive influx of small (and big) companies into the game. I didn't race on twin shocks, my era was monoshocks, which made me chase the best twin shocks out there when I bought my first Guzzi back in 1999. I have bought the bike twice in what I've spent on suspension upgrades alone. What I offer on the site goes from the proverbial mild to wild depending on your budget. That said, NONE of them will match a monoshock's performance. A brief summary of my history on two wheels; https://www.guzzitech.com/forums/threads/site-owner-todds-bio.22388/
 
wojeepster…

Did you notice this fact?

Todd (GTM) = 264,000+ miles on his personal Jackal from brand new…reconfigured in the pursuit of riding perfection by an expert class rider!

Ignoring his professional racing experience entirely, I’ve never met his equal in this feat and the knowledge he gained along the way.

He’s the real deal.

Enough said…
 
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