Sad day

[Gary]

Well done chaps, that's just what I wanted to hear. Up till now we've all been pussy footing around.

There is a numbers issue Pete, as it does seem it's only UK bikes, so it's 6 out of 10 or 12. And in 30 years I've been stranded twice once a puncture on the Motorway where the tyre split and once by a Stelvio.

A nice show of strong passion for Guzzi.

 

[Douglas]

Thanks muchly for all your replies chaps. It really is a help for a Guzzi novice to get clear, fact based opinion and advice (even yours RJVB!).

New kit for the cams has arrived from Guzzi today so we shall get those in, check filter/sump etc and get back on the road. I will let you know how I get on!

thx again

Douglas

 

[Penis Rotor]

RJVB wrote:

* thousands of Stelvio owners? I don't know if the number sold until now has been published already, but thousands seems very large given the yearly total output of the factory in Mandello!

* Conversely, how many 8Vs have you sold and/or serviced, Pete?

The Griso and Stelvio motors are identical. Why would it only effect Stelvios if there was an endemic problem? Yes, worldwide there will by now of been thousands of 8V's sold.

How many have I sold? None, I'm a service agent, I don't sell bikes, I work on them. How many 8V's have I worked on? Mine and one other but I see NO evidence of anything I'd call a 'Problem' in the engine.

Look, it's very simple, if people are so terrified that there *might* be a problem? Don't bloody buy one! Buy a V-Strom or some other characterless piece of shit and be happy in your nice, safe little cocoon of normalcy. Me? I'll take my Griso and continue to flog it mercilessly every opportunity I get and my guess will be that it will continue to be tediously reliable. And if it doesn't? Well I'll fix it, but I won't go onto the internet and winge to anybody who'll listen about things I know bugger-all about.

Pete

 

[RJVB]

pete roper wrote:

Look, it's very simple

Of course it is - at a certain level. We know bugger-all, expect for 2 things:

On the one hand, we have your expert assessment that there's no problem in the engine. On the other hand, we have someone who gets a replacement for a specific issue, and then the replacement bike develops the same issue while very similar things are seen on other bikes of the same kind. I think you'll agree that that reeks of a problem *somewhere*

If those bikes were all sold by the same dealer and/or touched exclusively by the same mechanic, then your idea that sloppy maintenance is the explanation would be the 1st hypothesis to try and rule out. But this isn't the case, so another explanation is needed at least as a complement.

If it were pure chance (bad luck), other 8V engines would have to be affected.

If somehow it has to do with the fact that the engine sits in a different frame that loads it differently, samples of failure should show up in other countries.

If somehow it has to do with riding on the wrong side of the road ... we'll have to wait 'till the beast comes to other countries with the same deformation :silly:

Damn, let's just hope that it's only a bad batch or something similarly trivial!

BTW, I presume you have checked that the engines are indeed strictly identical between the Griso and the Stelvio, with identical part numbers? One could imagine that certain parts of an adventure bike's engine were built to different specs than for the same engine in a fashionable streetbike, after all.

 

[Penis Rotor]

RJVB wrote:

BTW, I presume you have checked that the engines are indeed strictly identical between the Griso and the Stelvio, with identical part numbers? One could imagine that certain parts of an adventure bike's engine were built to different specs than for the same engine in a fashionable streetbike, after all.

The only relevant bits have identical part numbers. How on earth would a different frame and running gear effect a cylinder head? It's not a stressed component in the frame???

Pete

 

[RJVB]

pete roper wrote:

How on earth would a different frame and running gear effect a cylinder head? It's not a stressed component in the frame???

They can't. Or rather, I'd suppose they couldn't! I was looking for a few clearly and ridiculously bogus reason to lighten up the atmosphere a bit.

But then I've been known to hit jackpot doing just that...

 

[DecD]

guzzirider wrote:

expecting a bulletin from Guzzi soon on this matter.

If there is an issue, Guzzi will sort it under warranty.

Lets hope if they do, it details exactly which bikes are affected, and recalls them..put an end to this..

 

[Craig]

Hi All

Well i don't care if there is a problem with the engine !!! i will be picking mine up in the morning and after the first 1000m i will ride the shit out of it and if it gives up the ghost I'm in the AA and its under warranty so my dealer will have it back till its sorted

And like Pete said after 30 years you don't see many if any Gussi on the side of the road. . . . . . . I love the Stelvio and I will be riding a icon something with great history and built with passion

 

[RJVB]

You new to the marque?

Lemme me let you in on something — the passion with which they're built ... all depends on what Luigi had with his lunch! :silly:

 

[Mike.C]

The good thing is that when I was in Italy a few years back they took the Minister and I too lunch and before we even sat down they plied us with red wine....

Now in my experience I work much more effectively after a few good reds, so assuming the Italians are the same it should mean that asside from any outliers in the red wine appreciation data most Guzzis will be made with passionnnnnnnnn.

 

[Brian UK]

I think it's probably true to say that Luigi would be far less passionate if he didn't have his correct lunch.:laugh:

 

[Gary]

As an experienced Italian worker, ( the paper machines I service are made in Vimercate, about 50 km's south of the MG factory).I can recommend the Lemonel, a sort of Italian sherry 32%vol, or if your adventurous the Blo. Nardini Bassano Grappa 50% vol, blows your bloody head off.
In the factory, the canteen lunch included beer or wine. If you were a visitor and taken out to the 2 hour lunch Lemonel and Grappa were standards.

 

[RJVB]

Lemonel a sort of Italian sherry? I don't know what you call sherry, but in my book, it's a fortified wine from the Jerez region, thus made of grapes, around 18% ... and not made of/with lemons...

I think we have some local experts on grappa on the board

All this just goes to say there's some sort of trade-off between passion and precision :silly:

 

[NJC]

All this just goes to say there's some sort of trade-off between passion and precision :silly:[/quote]


RJVB.......... Yes could not agree more ! :dry:

Cheers Nige

 

[pehayes]

Gary wrote:

or if your adventurous the Blo. Nardini Bassano Grappa 50% vol, blows your bloody head off.

POLI Sarpa.

Patrick

 

[NJC]

Hey Pete

How are getting on with the pictorial step by step guide to adjusting the cam clearances, This will be much apprieciated by all, so we can all keep a check on correct clearance.....and in a way elimate the bad maintainance aspect.

I must admitt I prefer to do all my own spannering, obviously this is not allways possible, that way when I am committed at speed ripping the holy shit out of the motor, I can feel confident that things are as good as I can get them.
I realise that during the warranty period you have to get the services done at the given intervals....however I for one would not keep the same oil in a motor for the period that any manufacturer recommends. It will allways do at least one if not two oil changes between the stated service intervals.

Pete remember that for the poor bastards that have had failures it is a bummer, and you cannot blame them for being pissed off.
I am one of them, and now have my second, and I have to say it is running like a stota (that means good) except for a constant sweat of oil from the right hand head.....I will keep and eye on that, it could be the 'O' ring around the plug aperture, but that has been replaced a few times, so I am not sure....I just hope it is not a pourous head....still that would replaced under warranty.

I did nearly 400 miles in under 24 hours the other day in zero to plus 2 temperatures......I think I will purchase some heated grips, I always considered the guys who fitted heated grips were tarts.... so now I must become a tart ha ha !

Anyway Pete look forward to the pictorial post

Cheers Nige

 

[YBFAST]

NJC wrote:

Hey Pete

How are getting on with the pictorial step by step guide to adjusting the cam clearances, This will be much apprieciated by all, so we can all keep a check on correct clearance.....and in a way elimate the bad maintainance aspect.


Cheers Nige

Looks like its posted on the general tech area so we all see it

 

[RJVB]

Nige, you checked the head gaskets...?

Pete's illustrated DIY is here

 

[NJC]

RJVB, The oil is sweating above the head gasket, I'll post a picture tomorrow so you can see. at the back of the head where the throttle body is connected, directly above where this bolts to the head is where it comes from, which like I said could be the 'O' ring failed, but I will replace this again clean it all up and see what happens.

 

[Wonder B]

Well if you insist, I'll let you know that I am the proud and HAPPY owner of an 8V engine surrounded by a Stelvio frame!
So far the only really bad stuff I have heard seems to be coming from the UK Stelvios and then again since I don't know how many of this model has been sold in the UK, it's hard to say that the whole batch of UK Stelvios are affected by the same problem.

Also we have someone who bought his Stelvio or your side of the pond but brought it back to France and who seems to be riding without a problem since he got to the continent.

For sure I'd love to cross the path of another Stelvio in my area or even just on some road!
What's nice is the feeling you get from a wonderful bike the only down side is that I got stopped twice by the french Gendarmerie (bike suqad) just because they wanted to chat about the bike which was apparently the first they'd seen! They were all riding BMW's except for one who had an FJR 1300 Yam...
Nice talking to you chaps but I had something else to do than spending half an hour chitchatting on the side of the raod by some freezing temperature! LOL
The thing is I should be getting an awful lot of (thankful) mail from the automobilists who didn't get fined for speeding during those two 1/2 hours because the guys were too busy talking instead of fining them!:laugh:

I just have three words to say : VIVE LA STELVIO!!!!!