Nearly got a heart attack

So today I made my first relatively long (I live in a tiny country so rides are very easily 'long') distance ride since I repaired the GRiSO last week. About a 1 hour drive of which 20 minutes in city. When I left this morning everything was great. On my way back halfway through the bike suddenly began vibrating more than usual, but it does so since I bought it. It comes and goes very randomly and I always attributed it to character.
Anyhow after riding in slow city traffic for 15 minutes, suddenly I hear a sound like this: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

So like 10 different scenario's play through my head "Have my flat tappets destroyed themselves and the engine?" "Did I set valve clearance too tights and have they burned up?" "Did I leave my hammer under the valve cover?"
But just as I wanted to park the bike, the sound vanished completely and the bike sounded normal again. So continued very slowly (was almost home). Right before my home, same sound again. Turn the bike off, turn it on again while I'm standing next to it...its the bloody rear pannier. Apparently the 'undamaged' one wasn't so undamaged and has become a rather loose fit where it mounts the rack, which makes the exact same sound as a self destructing engine


On a sidenote, I know its sort of normal with this bike but I can't get used to how incredibly hot it gets. It was fairly warm today but not overly so (24 degrees celcius) and when its warmed up from half an hour highway, getting into slow moving city traffic (not a jam, just slow moving 15-25km/h with lots of traffic lights) for half an hour turns it into an oven. When I've parked the GRiSO there is this strong peculiar smell of I don't know, rubber/plastic/oil or whatever, and I can even hear sissling sounds as if super heated gas is leaking out from the area behind the throttle bodies somewhere. I've had tiles my GRiSO was parked on crack from the heat in the past. Is there anything I can do to improve this, or is it just something to accept and pray no parts of the bike will melt

its great to find an easy fix!!!

I think mine vibrates more since i put a different shock on the back and put more strain on the universal joint, but i could just be imagining it. I also think it is slower, but then that's because i have the slowest bike compared with all my riding buddies. One of them brought an 821 monster and even that leaves me for dead in a straight line.

After a long thrash, they do get very hot, but i have ridden around southern europe in summer with no noticble problems and our friends in Australia and other hotter parts of the world do not seem to have problems. Just get some carpet to replace the tiles!

Are you running std maps or one of Mark's ?? I think they run hotter on OEM map with learning parameters & Lambda on; especially at certain engine speeds where it's trying to lean out the mixture for emission ie around 3,000 rpm. With Mark's map I don't get it as hot as you describe, even riding in city traffic - although admittedly temperature in Manchester rarely gets to 24C; that would be a very hot day here

OEM map. If I have any money left after getting it rollerized I plan to get Mark's special map, but they ain't that cheap so not going to buy one for the maybe 6 more months that it has flat tappets. But good to read his maps help!

Allright turns out it was a little less simple than just a loose pannier,
There is a leak where the headers attach to the head. Since I'm going to install new headers + muffler anyhow its no biggie. I did wonder if I can reuse any of the gaskets? The exhaust header gaskets where its leaking I assume not, but what about the big 30€ one that connects the midsection?

The pipe joining gaskets usually destroy themselves if you try to remove them.

The gaskets don't have to come from Guzzi, some from kawasaki fit too, half the price. At least the stelvio ones, don't know the size from GRiSO's.

Yeah, the Kawasaki ones are for the headers to the 'Y' pipe. Dunno if there is one for the muffler joint? Someone over on ADV posted up the Kawasaki part# recently. GRiSO and Stelvio pipes are the same size.

You can machine one from aluminium tube - just match internal and external diameters. when finished cut an angled cut (like spiral) so it's got room to compress when you tighten the clamp. Did this years ago on mine and still good.

Oz1200Guzzi wrote:

You can machine one from aluminium tube - just match internal and external diameters. when finished cut an angled cut (like spiral) so it's got room to compress when you tighten the clamp. Did this years ago on mine and still good.

'Twas thinking along those lines too Tony, but it would cut into my beer time

Yeah, afraid I can't manufacture them myself, but good to know about the kawasaki alternative. So I did a thorough inspection of the exhaust system today armed with a spraying can filled with dishwashing soap and a towel. From what I can tell the leak isn't where the headers attach to the cylinder, this was just warm air coming out of the cooling vent that I mistook for a leak.
Blocking the exhaust ports with the towel, the bike coughed once then started and ran just fine, which obviously shouldn't happen. Then there was lots of white smoke from where the muffler attaches to the midpipe (it was cold and raining so very visible), and when I felt there with my hand gas was expelled with enough pressure as if it was the exhaust ports itself.
So yeah, something to do for the weekend, hopefully re-tightening everything is sufficient until I replace the entire system.

Anyhow I do wonder if this rather major leak would potentially explain the loud rattling sounds and excessively hot engine after a ride? Since its located after the O2 sensor (but before the catalyst) I'm not sure.

Ron, if you are extremely lucky, a beer can can sometimes be "just right".

I thought (no experience - just remember reading in forums) there was a 'known problem' with the Y pipe bracket/Y pipe itself cracking. If there is a crack in the y pipe bracket I'd imagine that would vibrate and make a noise; same with a major crack in the pipe itself.

Pete Roper wrote:

The pipe joining gaskets usually destroy themselves if you try to remove them.

Indeed as I found out today. No way I'm going to be able to reuse it, as it essentially came out in a state similar to decaying cardboard