Trial Build of the Front End

So, I have now offered everything (well, maybe not everything) up at the front end, with no major disasters. Let's start off with fitting the GuzziTech steering adapters, that let you use tapered roller bearings inside of ball-bearings. Installation is straightforward. Install the Guzzitech cups into the frame, and then tap the bearing races into the cups. The bottom bearing slides down the steering stem, which is then pushed up through the frame. You then add the top bearing and the cover plate like so:

(remember to click to see the photo enlarged)

Then screw the top bolt down. I don't have a torque setting, but you shouldn't overdo it. Nice and tight by hand with a spanner is all it needs:

Then  tighten the pinch bolt to hold the top yoke in place. Actually, don't tighten it quite yet. Slide the forks through the yokes (a rubber mallet is your friend) and het the yokes lines up first:

Note the Tarozzi fork brace. I really like it. Combined with the Guzzitech bearing adaptors, the front end feels way more solid by hand than the original setup ever did.

Although the center piece isn't in place in this photo. Note I also slid on the Tarozzi clip-ons, which are cool. Nice and high for real riding:

Drop 'em low for a show:

Here's just some more pics showing details:

Next step is to mount the tank. I'm planning on making up some kind of strap arrangement with bicycle inner tube to make a rubber mounting arrangement. More just as soon as I do it!

Trial Build of the Rear End

Today I did a trial build of some of the top frame components, just to offer things up and see what they look like. Nothing's final at this point!

Hear's the rear fender and license plate holder fitted into the rear frame with the seat mounting bracket:

I then fitted the toolholder (which is quite an integral part of the center-frame construction), and the battery plate. I fitted the original Guzzi seat to the mounting bracket, and offered up the new tank. If I use the original seta, I'll need to get someone like Rich's Custom Seats to modify the seat:

We'll also have to tidy up the backside of the seat: 

Some metal will have to come off the seat frame to make it fit the new tank:

Just for fun I mounted the brake light:

On the other hand, I could just put on a new seat pan, and make a new seat from scratch:

There's plenty of space:

Decisions decisions...

Clutch and Gearbox Disassembly

The clutch housing is held on by a few Allen heads and is easily removed. A sharp tap with a rubber mallet overcomes gasket stiction. You need to remove the clutch altogether in orderto take the primary drive off the transmission however. Remove these three bolts:

And pull out the clutch. A sharp tap with the aforementioned rubber mallet gets it out.

This is the clutch housing seal:

Now to remove the gearbox cover. First remove all the Allen bolts holding the end of the transmission onto the main housing. Then you must insert the clutch, next to the primary drive, like so:

Now Moto Guzzi will sell you a tool that grips the splined shaft of the clutch, so you can hold it steady while undoing the primary drive mounting bolt. Moto International suggested putting a penny between the gears to jam them, the idea being that the soft penny takes all the damage. Rodekyll on the WildGuzzi forum suggested using a copper washer as it is even soften (pennies are quite hard). So a copper washer was duly used:

And off comes the transmission bolt, with no damage to the gears! Thanks guys!

The transmission itself looks in great shape:

Note the spling-loaded plug used as the gearbox vent: