Basic Guzzi info, anyone?

[jeffm]

Originally Posted by zenben

They use the same alternator as the BMW twins. Same issues and upgrades. The Guzzis are very similar in simplicity and longevity to the flat twins. Parts are a bit more rare, but still available. The Italians produce a nicer sound, and have superior brakes and handling to the German machine.

actually, the older bikes use a generator, not an alternator. V700, Ambo and Eldo all use either a marelli or bosch generator mounted on the top of the block and powered by a belt and pulley from the end of the crank. Tonti frame bikes use an alternator mounted to the end of the crankshaft.

I run headlights, fogs and my electric vest on my ambassador with no problems so far.

Greg Fields (who is also the parts dude at Moto International) put together a sweet kit that replaces the generator on the older bikes with a NipponDenso alternator - which will guarantee you will never run out of juice!

[zenben]

Originally Posted by Curvy

I found this place on the web. I don't know anything about them other than their price on starter solenoids is pretty reasonable.

http://www.euromotoelectrics.com/index.html

Here is another option that does not use permanent magnets.
http://www.motoelekt.com/charging.htm
Permanent magnet rotors will wear out eventually, where the wound rotors could (in theory) last forever.
In the real world, one might wonder which system would fail first.
The convenient three phase regulator is a nice add however, and might sway me toward the enduralast option. Those are also slightly less expensive.

[zenben]

Originally Posted by jeffm

actually, the older bikes use a generator, not an alternator.

Ah, true.
I've owned several Eldo/Ambo bikes, and never wanted for any addtional watts. I ran five 55W filaments burning concurrently with heated grips on my last LAPD, and never had any charging issues. I've always wondered at the alternator conversions for this reason. I suppose you could save weight. The Generators are heavy. But I'd never cut up a belt cover as I've seen done in most alternator conversions.
Tip: the guts of the generator are the same as an old VW bug.
The notable difference is the Bug generator had shafts exiting both ends.

[jeffm]

Originally Posted by zenben

I've always wondered at the alternator conversions for this reason. I suppose you could save weight. The Generators are heavy..

that is the cool thing about the Greg Fields kit. No permanent mods are necessary. We are planning on running one in the wife's bike when we get it back together. Benefits from my perspective are weight, complexity and output. With the kit, you get rid of the genny and the voltage regulator and can splice out quite a bit of wiring from the harness.

Also, it is getting harder and harder to find places to work on the old bosch stuff.

[zenben]

Yeah, Greg's Eldo is a particularly prime example of what can be done with an old Guzzi.
BTW: Any of the Seattle crew interested in a 1000SP parts bike?
Its about 90+ percent there, and really did come out of a barn this weekend. PO took the engine apart for no reason, and left it that way for 20 years. Its rebuildable, but not for the timid. PM if interested.

[MZRider]

Originally Posted by Bloodweiser

is there a way to check if the cyls have been replaced?
or is the way to check, asking?

Gilardoni marks theirs down near the base gasket between two fins. Should be a rectangular area with the name cast in.

[deerslayR]

Originally Posted by Bloodweiser

lets see it deerslayer.

im looking at a similiar condition ambassador. so me a favor and stay one step ahead of me so I can learn from your mistakes.

OK guys, Here is my "Barn Fresh" 1973 (woohoo! a 5 speed) Eldorado.
Engine is free, front brake is frozen in the "off" position .
Tank seems to be OK. Checking out the carbs next week.
Hasn't been run since 1995.

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Looks like I'm going to be busy this winter.............

[Yad]

Originally Posted by deerslayR

OK guys, Here is my "Barn Fresh" 1973 (woohoo! a 5 speed) Eldorado.
Engine is free, front brake is frozen in the "off" position .
Tank seems to be OK. Checking out the carbs next week.
Hasn't been run since 1995.


Looks like I'm going to be busy this winter.............

COOL!! Good luck and thanks for the pics! i'm working on a much newer bike (G5) and have found, and been sent, an enormous amount of helpful information from the good folks on the wildguzzi.com discussion group. Spend a few hours reading the archives there and you start to think you know something!

[jeffm]

Originally Posted by deerslayR

OK guys, Here is my "Barn Fresh" 1973 (woohoo! a 5 speed) Eldorado.
Engine is free, front brake is frozen in the "off" position .
Tank seems to be OK. Checking out the carbs next week.
Hasn't been run since 1995.

cool! looks kind of like my ambo when I rolled it out of the swamp I found it in

[Bloodweiser]

thats fucking cool as hell.

[uraldog]

when your done it'll run better than a new vintage and have way more class

[Bloodweiser]

yo vern!

whats the story?? Have you picked up/out a guzzi yet?

[deerslayR]

Hello fellow Guzzitisti,
Today I dropped the float bowls on the Eldo. Sorry, no pics.
They were fairly clean and other than some white crud, cleaned up pretty well.
The jets seem to be OK too, but I'm going to soak the bodies with some
carb cleaner and blow everything out to be sure.
If the cylinders don't need attention to get 130 lbs at the compression gauge
I may get this old tractor running before the new year.
Anyone got any advice as to things I should look for beyond the "normal"
resussitation techniques?
This Guzzi is very similar to my R75/5 BMW.

[jeffm]

Originally Posted by deerslayR

Hello fellow Guzzitisti,
Today I dropped the float bowls on the Eldo. Sorry, no pics.
They were fairly clean and other than some white crud, cleaned up pretty well.
The jets seem to be OK too, but I'm going to soak the bodies with some
carb cleaner and blow everything out to be sure.
If the cylinders don't need attention to get 130 lbs at the compression gauge
I may get this old tractor running before the new year.
Anyone got any advice as to things I should look for beyond the "normal"
resussitation techniques?
This Guzzi is very similar to my R75/5 BMW.

If it were me, I'd do the following before trying to crank it over:

I'd pull the carb tops and clean out the idle and choke circuits. The choke sliders can get bound up in the carb bodies pretty easily. Make sure the floats are still airtight.

There is a linkage under the tank that connects the upper throttle and choke cables to the final run to the carbs. Lubricate this well.

drain the oil and check carefully for chrome flakes. Also look for chunks of rubber that will indicate the cam chain tensioner is going south. I'm pretty sure that your year eldo used a chain not gears.

drain and replace the tranny and final drive fluid.

jeff

[deerslayR]

Thank You, jeffm.