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V85TT issues and Loose Bits

2004owene said:
Hi Guys just picked up mine, 120km ride home at night in the rain from the shop, left hand guard bolt hanging out and headlights pointing at the ground (center adjustment bolt loose). Thanks for the heads up on other bolts I’m off to the loctite shop. Hoping the clutch beds in, it’s slipping over 4500rpm so I’ll take it easy and see how it goes. So bloody impressed with it so far, classy bike to ride, can’t stop smiling and going into the shed to “check” on it.
Can’t wait for the full exhaust system and maps etc, sign me up!
Click to expand...
Thanks for posting. Pic of the center headlight bolt?
Careful on the clutch, make sure the cable has slack in the line. If not, you are abusing it. It should NOT be slipping. Keep us posted.
Hope you’ll add you VIN and related to the Registry thread.
 
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GT-Rx® said:
Thanks for posting. Pic of the center headlight bolt?
Careful on the clutch, make sure the cable has slack in the line. If not, you are abusing it. It should NOT be slipping. Keep us posted.
Hope you’ll add you VIN and related to the Registry thread.
Click to expand...

Hi Todd, yep just added details on registry. Clutch has heaps of slack, both at lever and arm, seemed good today, few small slips like 500-1000rpm under full throttle over choppy bumps but heaps better than first ride. I back off as soon as I think it’s slipping, I don’t won’t to cook it. See pic of center headlight adjustment bolt viewed from right hand side. You can see the shiny 10mm nut and washer at the bottom center of lights just above white edge of the guard, head lights pivot up and down via this bolt, loosen sides first to adjust. Note Australia spec bike. Stayed put this ride, so did the hand guard so May have been missed at assembly.
 
Love this bike, so much character! Less than 200 miles and have already found oil around right hand head gasket, cleaned off and haven't seen anything since, hopefully something left over from assembly. After a ride yesterday, took a quick look over the bike and found the bash plate hanging down. Two missing screws and the rest were finger tight. Locktite on all and replaced the missing screws. I've read that others have had the same problem. Installing engine guard and tall windshield today and will check as many fasteners as I can and will be investing in locktite!
 
Kris said:
After a ride yesterday, took a quick look over the bike and found the bash plate hanging down. Two missing screws and the rest were finger tight.
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I think some people experience this and some do not and it appears to be down to dealer, some seem to do the PDI and tighten stuff up some don't. Mine was fine everything was tight and / or Loctited.
Alan
 
I found a loose screw in the luggage rack. So I put fixer. Number 4.

Luggage-rack.png
 
Just picked up myV85. but, not before tightening the shift lever that had become loose after 400 miles. I'll be going over the rest of the bike as soon as I get it home.

I'm not saying this ruins my Moto Guzzi experience. It is part of the familiarization of a new bike. I've seen much worse on bikes that I expected better of and they had less style and charm as the V85tt.
 
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vagrant said:
check the bar end weights too.
these things are flying down the assembly line too fast for the workers to drink their wine. If I had a new one I'd go over every fastener after the first tank of gas.
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There is no true classic assembly line in the Mandello del Lario factory. The volume doesn’t warrant it.

For the most part, motorcycles are assembled individually by hand at single stations then sent into a small room where 1 guy tests them before clearing them for shipment.

What should be happening is strict adherence by the dealers to the PDI specifications that the factory stipulates, but unfortunately many dealers are either lazy, inept, or tragically both.

It is true that there are some wonderful and diligent dealers out there who do a great job setting up the bikes. It all depends upon the dealers skills and ethics.

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I have both problems...friend noticed the guard flapping a little while we were riding and then just the other day the bump stop just came off when getting off to getting the gas...
 
GT-Rx® said:
These weren’t loose, but should be addressed. Rear shock bolts, top and bottom... Dry on assembly. Worth pulling and adding some grease.

View attachment 18044
View attachment 18043
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I performed the lube as suggested, 6 months latter I started getting a creaking sound coming from the rear suspension. I removed the rear shock absorber and found that one of the bushes, which are designed to rotate spherically (all directions) was seized. I found that I had had quite a lot of water ingress, which of course maybe more of a problem in the U.K. than in SoCal. it is simple to fix once the shock is off. the information came from Jose Ramon Castro Berniz on Moto Guzzi V85 facebook group and if I may here is a link to his youtube video

Keep safe
Al
 
An another loose bolt or rather several the alternator cover is held on by many screws which on my V85TT where pretty much all loose, not falling out loose but certainly not nipped up.

Stay Safe
Al
 
Faisal said:
Interesting.... I heard some slight rattling from my V85 today, especially at low revs full throttle.
Click to expand...

Sounds suspiciously like pinging to me. You should have it checked out posthaste. Pinging can have disastrous consequences.
 
Chris Jessop said:
It might just be my V85TT but it's worth checking your sump guard bolts. While cleaning the bike this morning after yesterdays 220 mile ride I noticed that the front of the sump guard was loose. The front two M8 x 16 bolts that secure the black steel bracket to the sump were missing. The remaining two bolts that hold the rear bracket to the sump were barely tight, I could undo them with my fingers.

Page 204 in the service manual shows the assembly and torque figures of 20NM for these bolts. I can only assume they weren't properly tightened at the factory. It hasn't had its first service yet.

Would a drop of Loctite blue be advisable on these bolts?

View attachment 17726
Click to expand...
You are not alone! I too, lost the front two bolts before even the first service. Apparently part of the first recall was to check the torque on the actual sump securing bolts and to reverse the orientation of the spacers for the sump guard, as well as make sure the bolts wee tight. (I've not looked to see if there is in fact anybdifference). I used loctite !
 
2004owene said:
Hi Guys just picked up mine, 120km ride home at night in the rain from the shop, left hand guard bolt hanging out and headlights pointing at the ground (center adjustment bolt loose). Thanks for the heads up on other bolts I’m off to the loctite shop. Hoping the clutch beds in, it’s slipping over 4500rpm so I’ll take it easy and see how it goes. So bloody impressed with it so far, classy bike to ride, can’t stop smiling and going into the shed to “check” on it.
Can’t wait for the full exhaust system and maps etc, sign me up!
Click to expand...
Left hand hand guard bolt came loose on mine after a week.
 
Chris Jessop said:
Welcome to the world of Guzzi ownership and the 'lost sump guard bolt' conundrum. It looks like sales of Loctite 243 are set to increase.....
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Keep a weather eye on your side stand securing nut, I lost mine at 2000 miles. It's M10 FINE pitch so not "off the shelf" to replace (common metric fasteners are course pitch, not fine pitch).
 
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