Roller conversions

OK, thanks. I've got it booked into the local Guzzi shop on Monday for the proper inspection so hopefully might get it under warranty. Otherwise I'll bite the bullet. Engine has only done 3k miles. But would rather have it done sooner rather than later.

I just did a rollerisation on a 6,000km Sport 12. While the DLC hadn't worn through it was interesting to see the damage that was occurring. You had to hold them at the right angle to the light but there was clear and obvious hazing on the surface which to me lent credibility to my thoughts on the coating cracking up prior to delaminating as that's exactly what it looks like.

The problem with low mileage engines like this is that many places will say there is no problem. There is a problem and the sooner it gets fixed the less chance of more serious consequences.

Pete

Thanks Pete. I appreciate your advice.

My 2012 Tenni was showing wear @ 9,000 miles, according to my dealer(RFC). Claim accepted by Piaggio. "Kit Timing "A" Transformation" installed, Sump/Engine block flushed, tested, all good!

Another Tenni joines the converted, just completed the rollerisation, loaded roller map (thanks Beetle) and took her for a spin. Golden!!  

First spin on the GRiSO since Autumn,  good to be back and looking forward to summer or just less rain than winter!
New tyres needed now and starting to take a shine to the Mistral carbon conical exhaust, Spondulocks is the only problem, come to think of it, to soften up the rear suspnsion is on my wishlist too!!!

Thanks to all the people on this site for keepin us informed on the whole tappet issue and for sharing the best fixes. We can be a bit isolated over here!

Did you buy your kit? If not how did you go about lodging the claim?

Belfast Dave has been being fucked around for forever by Piaggio UK. If you got yours approved in Eire then it should, theoretically, be possible for him to get his sorted in the North.

Pete

Pete Roper wrote:

Did you buy your kit? If not how did you go about lodging the claim?

Belfast Dave has been being fucked around for forever by Piaggio UK. If you got yours approved in Eire then it should, theoretically, be possible for him to get his sorted in the North.

Pete

I asked the dealer in the UK that I bought the bike from to put in the claim, I sent them tons of photos, receipts for filters etc and I had all records of work done on the bike (including all my own records) scanned and sent to the dealer.

After that I just crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. Otherwise I was going to shell out for the A kit and new rocker covers myself.

I think the dealers weren't that hopefull of success either!

I just ordered a roller kit. so I guess I'm out a little over $1K plus install. Didn't even try to fuck with Piagio since I bought the bike used and only have records for the first oil change from dealer.

Bugger! I would of thought it was worth running by them? Never mind. If you need any advice on the install just sing out.

Pete

Pete Roper wrote:

Bugger! I would of thought it was worth running by them? Never mind. If you need any advice on the install just sing out.

Pete

When I first became aware off the tappet issue. I contacted Pro-Italia. where the bike was sold and the verified it's first service, but told me the roller updates were not gonna happen for free, even if I agreed to let them do the install. Your buddy/my mechanic T.E. will install for me at a reasonable price compared to Pro-Italia or Thousand Oaks.
Normally I would not spend that kind of money to repair what I believe should be a "recall" fix, but I enjoy the bike so much compared to the V7 Racer and my '94 HD FXLR, It's worth it to me.

Mine was a bit of a saga. It's an 08 bike, and the cams failed before the original recall. It had the cams and followers replaced 3 times with new flatties, and finally rollers in 2014, and since then it has been fine. I didn't pay a penny for any of this - Piaggio extended the warranty, and paid for parts and labour. Actually, I think I may have paid for oil. Piaggio also gave me a Termignoni pipe as compensation for all the aggro.

Just got the news that my black beaty is ready and the engine runs sweet. When one thinks that the heads were disassembled in mid-October, it for sure took some time to get the roller kit, but anyway, it is done!

Canyon Carver wrote:

Pete Roper wrote:

Bugger! I would of thought it was worth running by them? Never mind. If you need any advice on the install just sing out.

Pete

When I first became aware off the tappet issue. I contacted Pro-Italia. where the bike was sold and the verified it's first service, but told me the roller updates were not gonna happen for free, even if I agreed to let them do the install. Your buddy/my mechanic T.E. will install for me at a reasonable price compared to Pro-Italia or Thousand Oaks.
Normally I would not spend that kind of money to repair what I believe should be a "recall" fix, but I enjoy the bike so much compared to the V7 Racer and my '94 HD FXLR, It's worth it to me.

OK bike is now Rollerized! also had the drive shaft etc serviced. It was devoid of grease completely! Brakes bled, oil changed, new map. Runs smooth and sweet. Still noisy top end, just a different pitch to it.
Been rainy so haven't been out other than to get it home. Itchin to ride more.

Trogladyte wrote:

Mine was a bit of a saga. It's an 08 bike, and the cams failed before the original recall. It had the cams and followers replaced 3 times with new flatties, and finally rollers in 2014, and since then it has been fine. I didn't pay a penny for any of this - Piaggio extended the warranty, and paid for parts and labour. Actually, I think I may have paid for oil. Piaggio also gave me a Termignoni pipe as compensation for all the aggro.

Incredible! I have an '08 bike saga also. Piaggio UK have been quite unhelpful in the circumstances here where my local dealer went out of business just after I bought the bike and as it was going bad at 2k miles. There has been no dealer in the whole of Ireland for some time. In the current situation, Piaggio will still not send me parts directly. I was hopeful of a UK dealer processing a claim for me and they said they would if I sent photos. I did, but then the story changed and they said that auditing is so tight hat I must crate the bike to them so that they can photograph it themselves and then submit claim to see if it will be accepted. (Then there is also the 'Dealer Servicing' issue.) If claim would be accepted I would have to pay for labour, consumables etc.

Piaggio was always reluctant to accept that there were problems, calling this 'internet hysteria'. There has been no question of extending warranty. Certainly no form of compensation for many problems caused. Was all that arranged for you by your dealer or with Piaggio Customer Services directly? Never mind compensation, Piaggio UK won't even 'find' my warranty parts that were ordered years ago through dealer system and then 'lost in the system' somewhere. I am astounded by your contrasting customer service experience.

I am doing the rollerisation myself now, with parts supplied from the other side of the world.
It was the same in earlier days: no help from Piaggio UK but I was dug out a hole by Pete Roper who, for example, lent me Axone diagnostics equipment from all those thousands of miles away! The dealers here at the time had the Axone, but didn't use it, saying that it was "not necessary"!

I wonder how they went about recalibrating the TPS after throttle body balancing then? No Guzzidiag or aftermarket tooling back then, at least none worth a pinch of shit.

Pete

They didn't check / recalibrate at standard servicing time (I first asked the question at my First Service with the dealer) – and I doubt they ever went as far as an exotic throttle body balance! Both the official dealers that I dealt with at the time (2008, 2009) had the same prehistoric approach.

Mines sorted. 7 weeks in total. Very helpful dealer. Kit C I think, not seen the flat ones yet but dealer says they were not yet showing signs of wear. £490inc. That included a new battery. Have not put a single mile on this bike since buying it in the back end of our Winter. Hope it is as characterful as my Boxer Cup Replika was although I have bought the Guzzi for a more relaxed cruiser/retro esque ride. Andalucía here we come!

boxerscott wrote:

I have bought the Guzzi for a more relaxed cruiser/retro esque ride.

Bwahahahahaha!



Wrong.






.

boxerscott wrote:

Mines sorted. 7 weeks in total. Very helpful dealer. Kit C I think, not seen the flat ones yet but dealer says they were not yet showing signs of wear. £490inc. That included a new battery. Have not put a single mile on this bike since buying it in the back end of our Winter. Hope it is as characterful as my Boxer Cup Replika was although I have bought the Guzzi for a more relaxed cruiser/retro esque ride. Andalucía here we come!

Well despite what you were told they must of been. The process for making a claim involves having to provide a variety of things that are sent to the factory to be checked. These include photos of the service records, the damage to the cams and tappets, pics of the inner faces of the heads to identify whether they have the drill mark in the paint and one of the inside of the rocker cover to identify if it is the 'Floating' or the 'Non Floating' type. If there is no evidence of damage they won't supply a kit, it's as simple as that.

Could be that the dealer *assisted* with the claim knowing that they are all going to fail but any UK 8V with more than a few thousand miles on it would have to be showing some damage.

Pete

Pete Roper wrote:

boxerscott wrote:

Mines sorted. 7 weeks in total. Very helpful dealer. Kit C I think, not seen the flat ones yet but dealer says they were not yet showing signs of wear. £490inc. That included a new battery. Have not put a single mile on this bike since buying it in the back end of our Winter. Hope it is as characterful as my Boxer Cup Replika was although I have bought the Guzzi for a more relaxed cruiser/retro esque ride. Andalucía here we come!

Well despite what you were told they must of been. The process for making a claim involves having to provide a variety of things that are sent to the factory to be checked. These include photos of the service records, the damage to the cams and tappets, pics of the inner faces of the heads to identify whether they have the drill mark in the paint and one of the inside of the rocker cover to identify if it is the 'Floating' or the 'Non Floating' type. If there is no evidence of damage they won't supply a kit, it's as simple as that.

Could be that the dealer *assisted* with the claim knowing that they are all going to fail but any UK 8V with more than a few thousand miles on it would have to be showing some damage.

Pete

Yes Peter, the dealer really did assist me. He sold and serviced the bike and the knows the former keeper well. (that is why I chose  them) He like you has old stuff at hand. When I go to collect the bike (it`s about 300 miles south of me in Leicestershire) I will show you all the condition of the tappets. Have not seen them myself yet. The seven week wait was obviously getting through the process and receiving the kit. The dealer (Twiggers) is a hands on guy runs the business with his brother, not a sole franchise and not out to skelp a punter either. Has a very busy service department. I felt quite at ease with them from the first phone call, a different experience to the Solus dealerships with there service menus.

Yah. I've heard good things about Twiggers. As usual it seems like Piaggio wants big, shiny showrooms and sleek salesmen in suits whereas the real grunt work gets done by the bottom dwellers.

Imagine how much better their bottom line would be if they looked at customer satisfaction rather than just sales numbers....

Pete

Finally Rollerised! Finaly inspected the tappets at 15000 miles my self. After a service at 12000 was told by a dealer that is no longer in business, that they were fine, i didn't really believe them and the bike just started to run bad over the next few thousand miles. From the removal of the left hand cam box as suspected the outlet tappet has heavily worn, the inlet had the coating wearing. All sorted at a dealer im lucky to know in the trade for free, very lucky i know. Just got to decide to keep or sell, as its been the most troublesome bike I have ever owned. A couple of rides out so far and all seems well, just got to gain some trust i guess! One thing i have noticed is that on start up there is no rise in idle for warm up. But i think it did that when i loaded the 68S map previously?
Any how, here's to riding the beasty as the weather improves!

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Given that this seems to be a common practice I'm not surprised the aforementioned dealer has gone out of business! I keep hearing similar tales of people who are told their bikes are fine, sometimes they are charged for a tappet inspection and their bikes aren't fine and not unsurprisingly the owners loose confidence!

It saddens me greatly. It would seem that the last truly inovative 'Range' of Guzzis will forever be damned by this stupid fucking problem that should never of happened. It will all be swept under the carpet as a dirty little secret and Piaggio will say that it was all in the past and now they have a wonderful range of bikes to take Guzzi in a 'New Direction'. Bleargh!!!

Yeah, its a shame they couldn't just hold their hands up and say ok lets fix this properly, to give the owners and others faith in the brand. I do love this bike, the way it feels, its looks, its performance. i guess part of me thinks sell it before something else goes wrong, but im willing to give it a chance as there is nothing else quite like it. The dealer who said it was fine was in total denial about the tappet issue calling it internet hysteria! It's really thanks to your work Mr Roper, and to this site which has informed and allowed myself and others to catch the ticking time bomb before it goes BOOMB!
Thank you Sir!