Just picked up a 13 F6B........ (windshield, BMW, Honda, 2015)
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It's been a little over 5 months, and 2500+ miles, since the bike went to the service center and was repaired under warranty.
So 2-3 weeks ago I started having the same problems, with the clutch needing constant adjustment (3 times during an 8 mile trip on one instance), the biting point fluctuating quite a lot when the engine had warmed up etc. In addition to this there were two occasions when I pulled in the clutch to change gear and it felt very much like the clutch cable had snapped, with the lever becoming loose, the clutch staying engaged and the bike pulling me forward as it remained in gear. I quickly switched the bike off and put it in neutral and realized that the cable hadn't snapped but needed to be adjusted quite extensively (I was stack in the middle of a high way so in the rush I didn't count exactly but it took at least two full turns of the lever clutch adjustment nut). So I decided that enough is enough and was about time I took it back to the dealership. In the meantime the oil pressure indicator flushed a couple of times under heavy acceleration so thought I would let him know about that in case the engine oil (which i checked 2-3 weeks ago) needed top-up.
I told the dealer in no uncertain terms that enough is enough with this bike, it was bought new 10 months ago and has 4500 miles on the clock and has not gone more than 4 months straight without giving any problems. So in short that I am looking for an exit strategy and that in my eyes the bike is clearly a factory defect. I also wrote a formal letter of complain to Moto Guzzi UK (the second time I do that as i also sent them one during the October 2015 ordeal) saying that it is clear to me that the bike was defective from day one and I request a full refund on the purchase cost. (in hindsight this was a mistake... or at least miss-timed)
On a call with the dealer earlier today I was informed of the 'bad news'. Apparently none of the problems I observed are related to the clutch/gearbox but have to do with multiple engine parts (crank, bearings etc) that were damaged due to low engine oil level. And since engine oil is the responsibility of the rider he is unsure if the repair will be covered by warranty, though he will do his best to cover it. He also said that I can't have checked the oil lately cause there is no way the bike burned through a litre of oil in 2-3 weeks.
So I have a few questions:
a) If the engine oil level is low, shouldn't the oil pressure indicator come on and stay on ??!
b) Is it normal for an engine with faulty bearings,crank etc to run and sound absolutely fine ?
c) Could the clutch issues described above be related to engine faults while the clutch/gearbox are absolutely fine ?
d) Is it normal for a new bike to need engine oil top-up every 2500 miles??
Those ratings are based on the magazine’s survey of more than 11,000 subscribers who reported on more than 12,300 motorcycles from model years 2008 to 2014. Ten brands were surveyed.
The reliability ratings are based on failure rates for 4-year-old bikes:
“But owner satisfaction — i.e., happiness — is an entirely different measure from reliability,” Consumer Reports states.
I ride with some Harley and BMW guys and for the most part they love the bikes anyway.....so there ya go. Guzzi wasn't on the list but presumably still not a stellar performer.....I'm sure many happy owners out there who have good ones.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
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Originally Posted by Vf6cruiser
From Consumer Reports..........
Those ratings are based on the magazine’s survey of more than 11,000 subscribers who reported on more than 12,300 motorcycles from model years 2008 to 2014. Ten brands were surveyed.
The reliability ratings are based on failure rates for 4-year-old bikes:
“But owner satisfaction — i.e., happiness — is an entirely different measure from reliability,” Consumer Reports states.
I ride with some Harley and BMW guys and for the most part they love the bikes anyway.....so there ya go. Guzzi wasn't on the list but presumably still not a stellar performer.....I'm sure many happy owners out there who have good ones.
It may be so, I've only had one Guzzi and it had no issues, admittedly I only put about 20K on it.
I take many complaints with a full shaker of salt.
I've worked in the warranty departments of two import auto makers and it's really quite amazing how many problems would be easily cured had the called for maintenance been performed or had the owner read the owner's manual before claiming something was working as intended.
It may be so, I've only had one Guzzi and it had no issues, admittedly I only put about 20K on it.
I take many complaints with a full shaker of salt.
I've worked in the warranty departments of two import auto makers and it's really quite amazing how many problems would be easily cured had the called for maintenance been performed or had the owner read the owner's manual before claiming something was working as intended.
I can agree with your point of view, a lot of problems are owner generated for sure........I've stayed with Honda and Yamaha for the most part and have had remarkable luck with almost zero problems. I had a 1100 Honda Shadow many years ago and it was stone cold reliable. One day whizzing down the 60 freeway it just shut off. Wouldnt fire at all. Took to dealer and they figured out it was fuel pump. The bikes were so reliable Honda didn't bother to stock a single one in the USA........they had to order it from Japan!........
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,329 posts, read 54,389,283 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vf6cruiser
I can agree with your point of view, a lot of problems are owner generated for sure........I've stayed with Honda and Yamaha for the most part and have had remarkable luck with almost zero problems. I had a 1100 Honda Shadow many years ago and it was stone cold reliable. One day whizzing down the 60 freeway it just shut off. Wouldnt fire at all. Took to dealer and they figured out it was fuel pump. The bikes were so reliable Honda didn't bother to stock a single one in the USA........they had to order it from Japan!........
Oh, believe me, I have a LOT of respect for HONDA, they make great products. I had an '80 CBX that was a fun bike and one of my all-time favorite bikes was a friend's '94 VFR, had they offered integrated bags at the time I likely would've bought one and still be riding it. I also had a supposed "Ultimate Riding Machine" that puked it's final drive at 43K. I probably just get a little defensive of Moto Guzzi, I loved the one I had and it's a company with an interesting history, one of if not the first to have its own wind tunnel, they built some 4 wheeled streamliners back in the day and I certainly can't forget their 500cc V8 GP bike. And if I could visit one factory, sign me up for a tour of theirs on the shores of Lake Como.
It always fascinates me that one man like Carlo Guzzi could get out of the Italian Air Force, sit down and just decide 'I think I'll become a motorcycle manufacturer'. I'm sure much the same applies to Mr. Honda.
Oh, believe me, I have a LOT of respect for HONDA, they make great products. I had an '80 CBX that was a fun bike and one of my all-time favorite bikes was a friend's '94 VFR, had they offered integrated bags at the time I likely would've bought one and still be riding it. I also had a supposed "Ultimate Riding Machine" that puked it's final drive at 43K. I probably just get a little defensive of Moto Guzzi, I loved the one I had and it's a company with an interesting history, one of if not the first to have its own wind tunnel, they built some 4 wheeled streamliners back in the day and I certainly can't forget their 500cc V8 GP bike. And if I could visit one factory, sign me up for a tour of theirs on the shores of Lake Como.
It always fascinates me that one man like Carlo Guzzi could get out of the Italian Air Force, sit down and just decide 'I think I'll become a motorcycle manufacturer'. I'm sure much the same applies to Mr. Honda.
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So you had the legendary CBX.....what a machine that 6 had to be......I love the VFR also but have a xxl body best suited for cruisers....lol....loved the single sided swingarm on the VFR also. Trying to imagine a 500CC V-8....wowee
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Originally Posted by Vf6cruiser
So you had the legendary CBX.....what a machine that 6 had to be......
Sweet engine, the 35mm fork tubes could get your attention if you started pushing it. Fun days, the lower the fuel mileage the more fun the ride had usually been. AFAIK they never did one but I would have loved to see that engine in a BiMota chassis.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vf6cruiser
I love the VFR also but have a xxl body best suited for cruisers....lol....
It'd be a very boring world if we all had the same things. I have problems with cruisers that have you sitting bolt upright, I find a little bit of a forward lean much easier on my back.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vf6cruiser
loved the single sided swingarm on the VFR also.
I think they're stylish but can't help wondering if some, like the one on my BMW, contribute to final drive bearing failures by not supporting the wheel on both sides, I don't believe HONDA had issues with theirs. I did notice that I could R & R the rear wheel in about the same time on both the (double sided SW) Guzzi and the (single sided SW) BMW.
What's always dazzled me is how fast the men who rode those bikes went on the tires that were available at the time.
Also dazzling to me, I'm gonna guess maybe 15 years ago or so Cycle World ran article about an Italian gent who'd obtained factory prints for the '50s V8 GP bike and built an exact replica just for fun, makes me feel guilty when I need to motivate myself just to change the oil in the car.
Originally Posted by Vf6cruiser View Post
loved the single sided swingarm on the VFR also.
I think they're stylish but can't help wondering if some, like the one on my BMW, contribute to final drive bearing failures by not supporting the wheel on both sides, I don't believe HONDA had issues with theirs. I did notice that I could R & R the rear wheel in about the same time on both the (double sided SW) Guzzi and the (single sided SW) BMW.
Per the posts I have read the BMW rear end deal was some guy at the factory taking a shortcut and not shimming things properly.......they can supposedly go in and re-shim and take care of it. One of the buddies had an earlier model RT and the back end failed on it, needless to say they don't mention that much when trying to get me to buy an RT......LOL
I'm like you I've gotta get motivated to do an oil change and have never achieved the "immaculate" oil change yet where I don't spill any or drop something in the drain. People who can build sophisticated machinery are in an entirely different alien category from the rest of us. I go to a small airshow where the small engine builders frequent for some reason and it's amazing the craftsmanship in abundance.
You know your stuff on cycles when you point out tires as the reason we go fast today. The rubber bands we rode on in the 60's thru 80's should have killed all of us. Tire tech enables putting 200hp to the ground today......
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,329 posts, read 54,389,283 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vf6cruiser
Originally Posted by Vf6cruiser View Post
loved the single sided swingarm on the VFR also.
I think they're stylish but can't help wondering if some, like the one on my BMW, contribute to final drive bearing failures by not supporting the wheel on both sides, I don't believe HONDA had issues with theirs. I did notice that I could R & R the rear wheel in about the same time on both the (double sided SW) Guzzi and the (single sided SW) BMW.
Per the posts I have read the BMW rear end deal was some guy at the factory taking a shortcut and not shimming things properly.......they can supposedly go in and re-shim and take care of it. One of the buddies had an earlier model RT and the back end failed on it, needless to say they don't mention that much when trying to get me to buy an RT......LOL
That's what I've been told, that some were shimmed too tight at the factory. Consensus was that if it went 50K it'd be fine to 100k, mine puked its guts at 43K.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vf6cruiser
I'm like you I've gotta get motivated to do an oil change and have never achieved the "immaculate" oil change yet where I don't spill any or drop something in the drain. People who can build sophisticated machinery are in an entirely different alien category from the rest of us. I go to a small airshow where the small engine builders frequent for some reason and it's amazing the craftsmanship in abundance.
You know your stuff on cycles when you point out tires as the reason we go fast today. The rubber bands we rode on in the 60's thru 80's should have killed all of us. Tire tech enables putting 200hp to the ground today......
What really pleased me about modern tires was their performance in the wet. I used to live in NJ and it seems if I decided to take a ride to Maine for a lobster roll or took a ride to Vermont, they could've hired me as a rainmaker.
I was at the Smithsonian's restoration facility in Sliver Spring MD and saw the V8 powered motorcycle Glenn Curtiss went 136mph on in 1907. As David Hobbs used to say when announcing F1 races, that man had some LARGE attachments. no clutch or any other means of disconnecting the rear wheel from the engine, if it was running you were going for a ride.
I got that as a loaner bike when SoCal Honda was servicing my Fury and weren't able to finish the work the same day. Iit was probably a newer model than 2013 (2015-2017?) but not sure.
I was pleasantly surprised at how nimble and comfy the bike was, not to mention easy to handle and shift.
I have never ridden a Goldwing but F6B won my vote as a long distance touring bike that I would also use for daily commuting.
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I also had a supposed "Ultimate Riding Machine" that puked it's final drive at 43K. 
I probably just get a little defensive of Moto Guzzi, I loved the one I had and it's a company with an interesting history, one of if not the first to have its own wind tunnel, they built some 4 wheeled streamliners back in the day and I certainly can't forget their 500cc V8 GP bike. And if I could visit one factory, sign me up for a tour of theirs on the shores of Lake Como. 
