MV Agusta FAQ

Fuel Filter check and/or change, every 12,000km/7500mi

2006-11-29T16:42:00.000-06:00

-JamesC

Fuel filter swap or 'check' requires disassembly of the fuel tank. It is also suggested you replace the rubber hoses involved in the fuel system every 24 months. I personally feel a swap every 24000km/15000mi or at 2yrs along with the rubber hoses is reasonable.

Parts required:

-Fuel hose. 8mm inner diameter or 5/16" SAE. Able to wistand +43psi or 3.0 kg/cm2 (300 kPa). Most USA available fuel injection hose is rated to 50psi and 7.9mm inner diameter. If replacing all fuel hose internal to tank and external to tank you will need approx 2m/6ft.

-Fuel filter. MV Part number 800088585. You can also use a Ducati 748/916/996/998 filter. I personally use BMW PN: (1614) 2 325 859 which can be more readily available and is cheaper.

-Hose clamps. Clic-R or All Stainless worm drive hose clamps (6)

At this point if you have not already swapped the quick connect fuel fittings from the stock plastic fittings for metal you may wish to do so. The tank will be apart already and this makes the process much simpler. See this FAQ entry if interested:

http://mvfaq.blogspot.com/2005/09/fuel-line-fittings.html

Process for Replacement:

-Siphon or pump as much fuel as possible out of the tank
-Remove tank from bike; remove seat, side panels then rear attachment pin under seat hinge
-Unclip fuel line fittings by pressing metal tabs
-Unclip fuel pump AMP connector
-Drain Tank utilizing drain plug on lower surface, hex key 8(?)mm
-Place tank upside down on soft work surface
-Remove three tube nuts securing metal flange assembly to tank
-Insert three M6 bolts into fuel pump flange holes to pull metal flange free from tank. Tighten bolts in balanced sequence to keep flange fairly level as it is removed
-Pull fuel pump assembly free of tank taking care with O-ring
-Remove the Clic-R fasteners from hoses with Clic-R pliers
http://www.chain-auto-tools.com/general_auto_tools/AMM391L.htm

-Remove Clic-R fasteners from fuel filter assembly
-Size and cut new replacement hose to fit old pieces

-Press tabs of fuel pump rubber sheath and pull fuel pump assembly free from metal flange
-Pull fuel pump screen filter free from pump assembly
-Using compressed air or similar clean all residue from screen filter. Replace if damaged
-Replace screen filter so that barbed hose fitting is in line with pump barb connection as follows

-Replace quick connect fuel fittings on outside of metal flange if so desired
-Snap fuel filter assembly back into metal flange
-Fit new fuel filter onto hose with clamps. Ensure that arrow is pointing towards metal flange
-Arc and fit new hose from filter barb to fuel pump barb and clamp

-Remove hoses from bottom of fillter cap which will attach to fuel pump flange from inside tank
-Cut new hose to size and fit it into same, approx 50cm/18" each
-Hose A will attach to flange on silver barb next to fuel pump
-Hose B will attach to flange on silver barb between filter and fuel height sensor

-Check large green O-ring around the filter flange. If any damage, replace
-Once perfect O-ring is fitted lubricate it with silicone grease liberally
-Lower metal flange assembly into tank so that "FRONT" mark on flange is facing the front
-Fit hoses as above (Hose A and Hose B) and clamp them taking care not to damage large green O-ring surrounding the metal flange assembly
-Press metal flange assembly evenly so as not to pinch/damage the O-ring. Screw tube nuts back onto threaded tank fittings and tighten metal flange to the tank
-Use teflon plumbing tape on the drain plug and resecure it to tank

If replacing all rubber hoses you'll now need to cut the new hose to size from fuel rail to quick connect fitting. Fit new hose to fuel rail and fit new quick connects to new hose

Cam Lobe marks

2006-10-26T10:18:00.000-05:00

-JamesC

We have had communication about cam lobe marking seen on some bikes ranging from MY2000 F4 750 to MY2006 Brutale 910R. So far in every owner-group communicated case, the issue has been a visual one rather than something that degrades over time.

We have documentation of this condition over 33000mi/53000km with no degradation over time.

Via MV Yahoogroups and special thanks to AG, GB and PS:

If during service You find little "scratches" on top of cam lobe, don't worry. It is not a nice sight, but it won't give trouble. We have been monitoring this kind of problem for a long time and on many engines, and this is the conclusion we reached. The problem is due to a not perfect cleaning of camshaft before final treatment of nitrogen coating; some small patches of thin nitrogen coated layer detach from lobe, creating a kind of raw surface. This kind of wear is easily recognizable because it does not affect max lift ofvalve. If it happens to find this kind of problem on a customer bike that we service in R&D we don't change parts.

See photos: in this case it is quite small, but it can be bigger. The only true and dangerous problem is if the cam lobe is deeply worn, meaning it looses its shape and becomes flattened, loosing valve lift. In this case generally we change camshaft and buckets under warranty. This kind of problem is mainly due to a defective bucket. Hope it helps.

-courtesy AG

-JamesC

For reference here is a cam lobe mark at 34,000km/23,000mi:

-JamesC

Here is that same lobe at 33,000mi/53000km:

-JamesC

Oil filter analysis and potential alternative

2006-09-22T16:59:00.000-05:00

Please carefully consider the risks when deciding to use non OEM parts.

There was a time when oil filters were hard to come by, especially in the UK. The UK importer at that time suggested the use of the Champion F306. This is the same filter as used by various Kawasakis & Yamahas including ZXR400/750, ZZR600,V-Max, R6, R7 & R1.

Here is a photo comparing the MV filter part# 8000A0810 with the Champion F306

-courtesy P, click to enlarge

The main differences are that the Champion F306 is slightly longer & hence has more surface area (a good thing) and that the Champion has an anti-drain backvalve (also a good thing on horizontally mounted filters - it's the orange ring).

Testing the pressure release valve with some scales shows the Champion F306 releases at 2.6Kgs pressure, the MV at 2.9Kgs. Given the fact that different manufacturers valves vary by substantially more than 300g even for the same model bikes, I think the difference can be safely ignored.

-Submitted by P

Brutale Handlebar Switch (Stock Bars for Ducati Monster S4R Bars)

2006-07-31T21:00:00.000-05:00

Submitted by Chris Current (Quixotic_1)

Contained here are instructions on the process to switch the stock Brutale handlebars for the Ducati Monster S4R bars specially made by Magura (other bars may be used, but the Magura has a nice, textured surface that allows for an easier switch; plus, several people have done this and it has worked for them very well). The reason for this (obvious to some Brutale owners) is that the stock bars of the Brutale may not be as aggressive or provide as much room in the saddle as some may wish for. This is the reason that I did it.

Pre-Preparation

First, the S4R handlebar must be found. I suggest driving around town until you see a S4R parked in a lot or next to someone's home, then pull some tools out of your tool chest and...OK, I would never suggest that. The fact is, though, these bars are not easily found except through a Ducati dealer. They cost around US$210 for just the bars. Another way to find them is to go through a forum. I found mine on the Ducati Monster board. I simply placed an ad there asking if anyone is willing to give their bars up. I was responded to within 24 hours by a good guy from Illinois. He let his go for less than half the new price (including shipping) and even sent me the top triple with them. They arrived in perfect shape. So, get your bars anyway that you can (don't steal them, please) and make sure that they are straight and in solid shape.

Depending on your preference, you might also get a new left (clutch-side) hand grip. I did because my dealer had to replace the throttle grip on my bike due to 'crate damage' and they must be ordered in pairs; so, they had an extra for me. I will include removing the grip form the stock bars in the explanation below for those that wish to use the original from the stock bars.

Next, there are some considerations. While most of the Brutale stock handlebar controls will fit perfectly on the new S4R Magura bars, the bar end weights will not due to the fact that the interior diameter on the Magura bars is a non-standard size. So, at the very least, either purchase (or keep, if you have them) the entire stock bar end weight setup or just the bushings that fit inside the bars and billet bar ends or sliders/crash pads. There are few (if any - I could not locate them anywhere) aftermarket bar end weights that will fit these bars without the stock S4R bushings. If you are going the slider/crash pad route, a company called Cycle Cat (http://www.cyclecat.com/BS1-1.htm) makes some quality pieces; there are others as well, but it seems that Ducatisti (?) prefer these. What you will have to do, though, is cut off the bit that slides into the bar and use the stock S4R bushings. This may seem to compromise the integrity of the slider, but at least one person has experienced a crash with this modification and it performed perfectly. I decided to go for a set of billet bar ends from Oberon (http://www.oem-uk.com/acatalog/Ducati_S4.html) out of the UK (the bolts that they sent did not fit the Ducati bushings so I had to purchase some 6x40MM screws).

OK, you have your supplies, now you will need tools. Here is a list of what I used:

Brutale Service Manual, specifically Section C, pages 4-7; it can be found in many places, you probably already have one!
Cordless drill.
5/32" drill bit, but I would suggest 3/16" as that is almost the exact size of the 'retaining pins'; I did not measure their exact metric diameter, so you may wish to do this and get a drill bit that matches. However, I liked using a smaller bit and just 'twisting it around' until I had a hole that was very close to the right size. That allowed for a tighter, thus stronger, fit for the controls.
Several Allen wrenches in various metric sizes; most used were 2.5, 5 and 6mm.
Phillips-head screwdriver.
An air compressor or some hair spray for the clutch-side grip.
Some way to measure angles and distances; I used a measuring ribbon - often used to measure for clothes - and a protractor and level. Some of these measurements will not be useful except as a guide for placing the controls on the new bars, but it never hurts to have too much information.
Some padded bags for using on the instrument panel.
A digital or Polaroid camera to take 'before' photos.
A Sharpie for marking places for drilling (or Liquid Paper).
And, Locktite, if you will use it. I did not use any and it has caused me no problems.
Dremel for cutting retaining pins out of Magura bars (only if necessary; some may come without these pins)

Preparation

Now comes the easy bit, taking the stock bars off.

First, take photos of the stock setup. This will give you something to look at for such things as the distances between grips and controls, angles of the levers, where the retaining 'rubber band' bits go, etc.
I would suggest taking some measurements as well; measure the angle of the levers, measure the distances of controls; basically, measure the things that you took photos of so that you can translate vision to math and back again.
Anything else that you can do to keep in mind how things are setup on your stock bars is helpful. You do not want to miss these steps because you will be manually positioning everything on the Magura bars...and you have to drill holes in those, so you need to be sure of your placement.

OK, now to the Service Manual.

The Manual states that the front headlight assembly and the dash instruments must be removed in order to remove the bars. It is about half right.
This is an unnecessary step, but I did it because I am anal about scratches and dings and such; you can choose to remove the front fender/mudguard and the aluminum radiator 'guards' as I did. This will protect these parts from being damaged by hanging levers and such. (2.5 and 5mm hex, if I remember correctly)
You will need to remove the headlight; just follow the manual. It is easy to do: remove the two bolts on either side of the light while holding on to the light itself (6mm hex), unhook the electrical connection, set the light on a soft, padded surface.
Next, unscrew the instrument panel. I did not remove it entirely simply because I knew that I did not need to. I wrapped it in some padding and placed a plastic bag around it. Then I used a large rubber band to hold it in place where the headlight used to be. It was safe and out of the way.

Now to the Actual Work, Removing the Stock Bars

The bars; loosen the bolts and remove the bar ends on both ends and set them aside. (5mm hex)
Remove the 'bands' holding the cables onto the bars. (fingers)
Loosen the 4 bolts on the handlebar u-bolt (clamp) on the top triple so that the bars slide freely just a bit. (6mm hex)
Loosen the bolts on the throttle and slide it off; it may help to slide the bars a little to the clutch-side. (5mm hex)
Unscrew and remove the ignition control set. (Phillips-head screwdriver; and remember which screws go where)
Unscrew and remove the lighting/horn/turnsignal control set. (Phillips-head screwdriver; again, remember which screws go into which holes)
Remove the bolt holding the mirrors and the clutch and front brake levers and master cylinders; be careful here so as not to break the mirrors. The units are hinged on one side so only one bolt must be removed and then you can 'open' them and take them off of the bars. As another safety precaution, wrapping the mirrors with something padded is helpful because they will hang down on the sides of the bike. (5mm hex)
Now that the controls are off of the bars, completely remove the bar u-bolt (clamp) that holds the bars on the steering head by removing the 4 bolts holding the u-bolt (clamp) on. (6mm hex, again) There is a retaining pin that locates the bars at the correct angle, so watch for that.
Once the bars are off the bike, you can remove the clutch-side handgrip. Use compressed air to blow into the space between the grip and the bars and the grip should slide off. (Compressed air). I have also been told, but never used, that you can blow some hairspray (or WD-40) into this space as well and it will help. There are many arguments about this, though...

The Real Work, Installing the S4R Magura Bars

Here is the way that I installed the bars. You may wish to do it slightly differently. It comes down to what is easiest for you and what you feel comfortable with.

Make sure that the new handlebar is clean. Depending on the condition that you received the bars in, you may need to remove the retaining pins that came with the bars (I did). I tried various methods of pulling and twisting and solvents, but was never able to get them out. So, I simply used a Dremel tool and hacked them off carefully (to avoid damaging the bars) and then smoothed them out with some light sanding. (Dremel with metal cutting disc and fine grain sanding disc) When all of the MV components are on the bars, the locations of the previous pins will be covered.
Place the bars in the top triple 'cradle' and place the u-bolt (clamp) on it; screw in the 4 bolts, but do not tighten\torque them on yet; just put them in far enough to lightly hold the bars in place. (6mm hex)
Now center the bars. This can be done by using a measuring method (for instance, use the measuring ribbon to measure the distance from the end of the bar to the u-bolt or use the bend in the bars on either side of the u-bolt and use a finger to measure the distance between the bends -they feel like bumps in the bars - and the u-bolt; just use whatever works for you) to find that they are centered. On the Magura bars, there is a Ducati Corse logo that can also be used for this purpose; however, I am not completely positive that it is in the dead center of the bar.
Next, twist the bars so that they are as 'high' as possible; the bars should be where the bends are at their highest point possible. This is the best plan for proper clearance of the hydraulic lines. Later, you can adjust this if you wish, but I found this to work well. Of course, this depends on how you want the bars positioned because the next steps will be about positioning the controls so be sure that the bars are in the position that they will stay in.
Once the bars are in place and centered, tighten the bolts on the u-bolt (clamp) so that the bars will not move but do not completely torque them in. (6mm hex)
Now, you should put on the clutch-side grip. Use your photos to determine what the end result will look like (positioning), unless you are not concerned with this. I matched mine to the stock position. Place the S4R bar end that you purchased on to make sure that the grip is far enough up the bar and positioned correctly; again, use your photos to determine proper position. You can use the compressed air or the hair spray (I don't like using this because when it gets wet it can become loose) or just do this when it is colder in your garage, or wherever you do this operation. For me, I was able to simply slide the grip in place by 'inching' it up on the bar. It was easy; even after I realized that I had to twist it a little to get the aesthetics right and had to do it again. (air compressor or hair spray)
OK, to the throttle. Placing this on the bars should be easy. Positioning is another matter. Make sure that you put on the bar end to make sure that the throttle is the correct distance from the end of the bar and it has enough clearance to keep the throttle grip from rubbing the bar end (I placed the bar end on the bar for every measurement). Refer to your photos for proper positioning or just lightly tighten the bolts (5mm hex) and move the throttle around until you find the proper and comfortable place for it. I used the photos and the tighten, twist, loosen, move, tighten, twist, etc. method as well until I had it set up right. Once the position is proper, you must now prepare to drill.
The throttle has a positioning pin in its bottom piece. Once you have it in a position that you are comfortable with (and be sure of this; also make sure to leave enough room for the bar end), hold the top piece in place very carefully and use the Sharpie (or Liquid Paper) and mark the positioning pin tip with some ink from the marker. Carefully close the throttle piece until the pin makes contact with the bars. Once it is there, use the Sharpie once more to go 'around' the pin to make an 'outside line' around it to better help you when drilling the hole. (Sharpie or Liquid Paper)
Now you can remove the throttle assembly. You should have a good mark on the bars that allows you to see where you should drill. Use your drill and make a hole. The Magura bars are textured, so holding the bit in place is easier than it looks. Push through until you know that you have gone through the very thick bar and into the center (in case there is someone not too bright reading this, you only need to go through one side of the handlebar). I used a smaller bit than the actual size of the retaining pin and then 'twisted' the drill itself around little by little until I had a tight fit for the retaining pin. (cordless drill, 5/32" or 3/16" bit)
Place the throttle assembly back onto the bars and screw everything back together. If it fits well and the position is good, you are done with this one - time to move on. If not, repeat the previous three steps...(5mm hex)
Now to move on to the next hole that needs to be drilled. The instrument control set on the clutch-side also has a retaining pin. It is the same size as the one on the throttle, so you can use the same basic tools. Also, the same procedure can be used here that was used to place the throttle, but it is slightly easier because you do not have to slide the throttle assembly on and off of the bars while checking and re-checking the proper location of the retaining pin hole. So, just follow the same procedure and drill the hole. (cordless drill, 5/32" or 3/16" bit)
Once the hole is finished, screw these controls in place. Test out the positioning and ensure that it is all in the correct location. If so, you can now move on to the easier (maybe) steps. (5mm hex and Phillips-head screwdriver)
The 'installation' of the right\brake lever and left\clutch lever mirror mount units can be rather simple if you choose not to use the retaining pins. I did not use them because the texture of the Magura bars holds them in place perfectly. If you wish to use the pins, follow similar procedures to the throttle and instrument control set for drilling and you will need to get the pins themselves - either make or buy them or try to remove them from the stock bars. Put these on when you are ready and tighten them in place. (5mm hex)
**With the stock mirrors you may notice that they are hard to adjust so that they actually work. There are a few options for this, though. One is to get 'bar-end' mirrors such as the ones by CRG. Also, you could pick up some other aftermarket mirrors that will fit in place of the stock ones; Rizoma makes some nice replacements. Or, you could simply do the 'cheap and quick' fix; this is what I did and it works great (for now as I am looking to replace my stock set with some Rizomas). For this change, simply cut out some circular rubber pieces, notch them to fit the notches on the stock mount and place them between the mirror and the mount. Position and tighten the mirrors down - but not too tight - and they should stay in place and work like the original setup or better.
Place the bar ends on the bars and torque them in place. (5mm hex)
Return the 'bands' holding the cables to the handlebars and position them properly.
Properly torque down the four screws in the handlebar u-bolt (clamp) and you are done! (6mm hex)

Testing (most of which should be done when working on the bars above)

Take a ride with the new bars and experience the difference.
If adjustments need to be made, walk through the specific procedure above and make the change.

Conclusion

The process above is long and detailed, but the process is much shorter than it seems. It took me one evening to complete the switch and it was worth it! I love the new bars and it seems odd to sit on a Brutale without the new setup. So, if you want to do it, take the leap. You can always put the stock bars back on in less than 1/4 of the time it took to put the Magura bars on the bike - none of the stock controls are changed or modified for this process.

I also had some photos to put in here, but I believe that the post is long enough as it is. If you want some photos, please contact me (fly_racer_929@yahoo.com) and I will send some out - they are not that spectacular but it is possible to see the difference between stock and Magura.

Have Fun!

Eprom Exhaust & Chip Cross Reference Hit List

2006-06-08T08:07:00.000-05:00

Bike Model Frame Number Manifold Type End Can Type Eprom Number

F4 750 S 000001 to 004145 SPR RG3 F4 BB RG4

F4 750 S 000001 to 004145 Standard RG3 A004 RG3

F4 750 S 004146 to 006728 SPR RG3 DNX RG3

F4 750 S 004146 to 006728 Standard RG3 DNY RG3

F4 750 S 004146 to 006728 Senna/SPR RG3 CTX RG3
(13,900 RPM Senna)

F 750 S after 006729 SPR RG3 F4 SPR RG3

F 750 SPR any SPR frame # SPR RG3 F4 SPR RG3

F4 1000 S 000001 to 004145 Standard RG3 F5A23RG24

F4 1000 Ago 000001 to 004145 Standard RG3 F5A23RG24
(with SPP 0003015 or 0003016 central manififold)

Brutale 750 000001 to 002356 Racing SPP003006 Standard BRE1TSPA

Brutale 750 002357 Racing SPP003006 Standard BRE2TSPA

Brutale 750 000001 to 002356 Racing SPP003006 Racing SPP003014 Unknown

Brutale 750 002357- Racing SPP003006 Racing SPP003014 Unknown

Ferrari link to MV Agusta F4 development

2006-05-08T10:27:00.000-05:00

In the early development days of what we know now as the MV Agusta F4 motor, Ferrari was heavily involved in it's design. The motor they were working on was basically four cylinders taken from the 1990-1992 era Ferrari formula one car motor. This car was not very successful, Alain Prost called it a garbage truck (and was then quickly fired for the remark), so it didn't take long for the engineers at Cagiva to change the design looking for horsepower.

This early engine featured five radial valves per cylinder, the intake tract in front of the motor and the exhaust exiting the rear. Andrea Goggi had come from Ferrari some years earlier and worked primarily on Cagiva's V4 500cc GP bike and also served as Eddie Lawson's chief race engineer. Goggi became the primary engine designer of the F4 powertrain. After a major redesign, the engineers at Cagiva reversed the intake/exhaust set-up to the conventional design presently used. They also reduced the amount of valves from five to four per cylinder, but retained the radial valve set-up because of the broad spread of power they help create.

Early prototypes of the motor were mounted in a modified Cagiva 500cc GP bike. The original idea was to market the bike as a Ferrari built by Cagiva. When most of the Ferrari design was thrown out, they decided to market it as a Cagiva. When the Castiglioni's aquired the rights to manufacture motorcycles with the name MV Agusta in the early to mid 90's, it became obvious that a new MV Agusta four cylinder was on the horizon.

Victor M. Castañeda Jr.
Buckeye, AZ USA
2004 MV Agusta Brutale
http://www.raginpitbull.com/

History of MV Agusta - link

2006-04-18T18:22:00.000-05:00

-photos courtesy mvagusta.it

See the excellent factory coverage here:

http://www.mvagusta.it/_vti_g2_hist2.aspx?rpstry=23_

Frame Sliders and other protection

2006-04-18T13:02:00.000-05:00

The subject of frame sliders is a common one and something that requires special consideration.

The mounting method from the frame to the engine's head utilizes a bolt threaded directly into the Alu of the powerplant. This is a popular bolt to utilize by aftermarket slider companies.

We were warned early on by engine designer Andrea Goggi that significant damage can be done if frame sliders are improperly mounted using this same bolt.

-- insert damaged head thread photo here --

There are many popular offerings but few mount the sliders correctly. One notable and highly suggested application is the one used by Jorg Teuchert in the German IDM Superbike Championship. Found here from Performance Parts (also speaks English):

http://www.performanceparts.de/index.htm?http://www.performanceparts.de/xaranshop_k003001s002_1.htm

You can see above that we have the bolts which mount the frame to the Alu head. These bolts are hollow and threaded to allow the safe mounting of the slider mount to the BOLT rather than the engine head directly. Very important point.

Other sliders which can be considered safe are those which are press-fit into the frame hole, some of which stay behind the fairing and serve to protect the frame from damage rather than cosmetics.

Sliders which mount at the frame plates (R&G Lower Sliders), front/rear axles and bar-ends should be considered safe.

You can find sliders on offer from the parts suppliers in this FAQ link:

http://mvfaq.blogspot.com/2005/09/parts-and-modifications-mv-agusta.html

-JamesC

Model differences; 750 cc Senna, 2002 EVO2, 2003+ EVO3, SPR

2006-03-09T11:32:00.000-06:00

Let me paste the words of Andrea Goggi outlining EXACTLY the differences between the Senna, EVO2 and EVO 3. Please find an easy reference summary at the bottom.

For background, let me first post the question that generated the response from Andrea Goggi at MV:

==============================
Here are the contents of msg 13573 from someone asking the initial question on yahoogroups:

My guess is the factory was not able to complete their work on the SPR motor for the 2002 model year and ended up just making some simple modifications to the already improved Evo2 engine. Result…the F4 Senna. More specifically, I believe MV took the redesigned Evo2 motor (which included [for all versions] new Malhe forged pistons, a Malhe cylinder block, a lighter crankshaft, a redesigned combustion chamber, different exhaust valves and valve springs, jets for cooling the underside of the pistons, a modified clutch hub, and a fix for the self-removing oil filter) and made a few more changes to distinguish the Senna from both the "vapor"-SPR and the cooking version. When the dust settles on this issue, I think we'll find the Senna had the following engine improvements:

1) slightly different cams (not F4S, not SPR); **FALSE
2) a different fuel injection control unit (possibly off the SPR); **FALSE
3) a different gear box; (ratios) **TRUE
4) three rear sprocket options; **TRUE
5) the SPR exhaust manifold; and **TRUE + RG3 included
6) two new e-proms unique to the Senna and matched to the Senna's cams and SPR headers (one for the stock silences and one for the included RG3 silences). **TRUE

I believe the Senna also has a different alternator and a sturdier clutch disc material to provide a stronger platform for the higher revs (13,900 rpm) allowed with the RG3 chip. ===============================

And here is Goggi's response to the questions raised:

Basically almost everything written in msg. 13573 is somewhat right, but You need to learn some history more.
In 2000 R&D was already working on the upgrade of F4 S engine, and on SPR engine; at that time they were different projects, with different engine specs. Then, due to all the production retards caused by our financial troubles it was decided to make F4S same as the SPR of that time, calling it EV 02. This is shortly the story of F4 EV02. As a consequence the SPR evolution project began again starting from EV02. Differences between first series of engine and EV02 are quite precisely listed in msg. 13573 (pistons, valves, crancksshaft, etc. etc.), so I don't repeat them.
Senna engine is very similar to EV02 engine; differences are gearbox, clutch disks, Eprom (basically rev limiter from 13300 to 13900), and a special care in selecting production heads (better porting casting) in order to obtain a more restricted production tolerance in engine performance.
SPR engine (which is finally going in production right now for the first time), as a result of a further developement step, has many parts new and different than EV02, i.e. increased compression ratio, both in-ex ports, combustion chamber, 100% hand polished inlet ports, cam profiles, tappets, springs, pistons, trumpets, other than same clutch and close ratio gearbox as Senna.
F4 EV03 engine is same as EV02, only with painted pick-up, clutch and sproket covers (same color as Brutale).

I'm sorry to hear about troubles in getting the right informations, but in this moment of re-start of all our activities communication is for sure suffering; It will get better because as we always did we are working hard to make it happen. Anyway the informations about differences between basic engine and EV02/Senna have been communicated to press in a precise way, so it is strange that so many doubts still exist. I hope everything is more clear now. Ciao - AG =============================

EVO3 talking point from the engine designer: "F4 EV03 engine is same as EV02, only with painted pick-up, clutch and sproket covers (same color as Brutale)."

Senna talking points: "Senna engine is very similar to EV02 engine; differences are gearbox, clutch disks, Eprom (basically rev limiter from 13300 to 13900), and a special care in selecting production heads (better porting casting) in order to obtain a more restricted production tolerance in engine performance."

SPR talking points: "SPR engine (which is finally going in production right now for the first time), as a result of a further developement step, has many parts new and different than EV02, i.e. increased compression ratio, both in-ex ports, combustion chamber, 100% hand polished inlet ports, cam profiles, tappets, springs, pistons, trumpets, other than same clutch and close ratio gearbox as Senna."

Throttle spring tension

2006-03-08T12:15:00.000-06:00

A common and longstanding complaint by owners is the force required to turn the throttle and then maintain it at a given throttle input. There is a simple and reversible way to lighten the spring tension on the throttle return.

The Throttle body bank has two throttle return springs, one between cylinders 2/3 and another outboard of cylinder 1 on the bike's left side.

Spring between 2/3:

-courtesy Brad

The spring shown above, between 2/3, will remain in place for throttle return.

We will be removing the tension from the throttle return spring just below the airbox on the bike's left side.

-courtesy James

As you can see above, the spring has been removed from tension. The easiest way to do this is pull the long straight end toward you and away from it's stop block. It is fine to leave it free on the throttle body as shown above - removal would be extremely difficult and unnecessary.

Relish in your newfound ease to highside into oblivion :P

-JamesC

Tuning 3) Eprom replacement

2005-12-20T12:03:00.000-06:00

contributed by Brad with Moto-One Australia
www.moto-one.com.au
MV Dealership, Workshop and Custom Eprom tuner
Moto One
1432 Dandenong Rd. Oakleigh
Victoria Australia LMCT 7644
Ph: (03) 9568 0100
info@moto-one.com.au

Please contact Moto-One directly if you are interested in their custom Eprom tuning for MV! Their information can be found here:
http://moto-one.com.au/performance/index.html

Before custom or aftermarket eprom replacement you need to set up your TPS and afterwards you need to adjust your idle, CO and Throttle Body Balance as follows:

Step 1) TPS setup found here:
http://mvfaq.blogspot.com/2005/12/tuning-1-throttle-position-sensor-tps.html

Step 2) Replace Eprom described below

Step 3) Idle, Base Co and Throttle Body Balance setup
http://mvfaq.blogspot.com/2005/12/tuning-2-idle-base-co-and-throttle.html

Swapping an Eprom. The 1.6M ECU has a rubber access plug that is always hidden under a “do not remove” sticker of some sort. Either remove the whole sticker or just use a sharp knife/blade to cut around the plug and gently pry it out with a little screwdriver. Once removed you can see the eprom directly under the access hole.

Being very careful remove the grey blobs of silicone (the greatest goop ever) from either end of the eprom and its little white plastic clip on cover. It’s common to lose them inside the ECU case – just hold it upside down and roll them out as required. Then using a small blade and extreme care (usually the amount of care is inversely proportional to the number of times you’ve done it) pry the tangs of the white plastic clip on cover sideways out from under the eprom socket base and remove the white cover. You might have to go fishing for this too.

This exposes the eprom. Using an eprom puller under each end of the eprom remove it as well. Many people like to use anti static mats and the like when removing/fitting eproms to stop static electricity from damaging the eprom. Personally I never do (because I was never told to and Duane at FIM/Ultimap taught me everything I know in this area) and have never had a problem. I’m sure that’ll upset some. If it concerns you, go to an electrical supplies shop and fit yourself out. If any of this eprom swapping daunts you, get someone who has done it before to do it for you.

You’ll also notice that the socket that the eprom sits on and the pins go into has a notch at one end. The eprom also has a notch, usually hidden under the grey goop. This is the locating notch, and the new eprom needs to be fitted with its notch at the same end.

At this point, if you’re fitting one of our MVB01 eproms or any other sort of FIM/Ultimap eprom (excepting Megazone), you’ll notice the original eprom is only a single grey piece, whereas the Ultimap eprom is a similar grey piece fitted to a green circuit board. This green circuit board is a security device manufactured by Ultimap. Removing the eprom from this will do you no good at all, as it won’t work. For obvious reasons it also stops you copying the eprom and selling it on yourself too. So, you install the complete eprom and green board assembly as shown below.

-blogged JamesC

Tuning 2) Idle, Base CO and Throttle Body Balance

2005-12-20T11:55:00.000-06:00

Step 1) of this process is setting up the TPS, found here:

http://mvfaq.blogspot.com/2005/12/tuning-1-throttle-position-sensor-tps.html

Step 2) after the TPS (and optional eprom replacement) is this current document below.

*Optional step 3) of this process would be eprom replacement for tuning found here:
http://mvfaq.blogspot.com/2005/12/tuning-3-eprom-replacement.html

The idle trimmer is a little metal square just next to the eprom with a plastic rotating pot inside. This adjusts the idle mixture, working the same as the electronic idle trimmers in the 1.5M and 5.9M ECU. It adds or subtracts a given pulse width from the map fuel number across the whole map, therefore having a much greater percentage effect at small pulse widths.

This trimmer is adjusted by rotating it between the ends of its travel. The total travel is 270 degrees (3/4 of a full turn) as shown in the next photo so if you manage to make it go all the way round you’ve wrecked it and it’s time for a new ECU. Be very gentle! As with a mixture screw, clockwise is lean, anti clockwise is rich. The mixture screw is also very sensitive so it doesn't take much to effect a large change of CO %. The mid point, where the trimmer slot points directly at the eprom socket, is nominally zero. Best to use a non metallic screwdriver when adjusting this especially when you have the engine running and the ECU circuit board is live. You don’t want to be shorting anything out.
In the photo you can see the trimmer is set at about 60 degrees lean (which looks identical to 120 degrees rich).

As a starting point on the Brutale I recommend setting the trimmer around 35 to 45 degrees lean (clockwise from the mid point). This is the setting used when developing the Moto-One Brutale eprom and has proved to be consistant thus far. In fact, if this doesn’t give the right idle mixture CO% setting for your bike it’s worth rechecking your TPS setting or having a look at the fuel filter, that sort of thing. Other bikes may start at a different baseline position. Best to measure with your exhaust gas analyzer to be sure which direction you need to go. Below shows an '02 F4 750 which was zeroed exactly perpendicular to the eprom.

-JamesC , click to enlarge

To check the idle mixture CO% we need to fit probes to the two take off bungs in the LH and RH collectors of a brutale.

The Brutale is unique amongst the MV for having two take off points – the F4 models have only one as illustrated below.

-JamesC, factory manual

The issue with the Brutale is that while the exhausts are paired 1-2 and 3-4, the main fuel map and offset fuel map are paired 1-4 and 2-3. This means that checking in each header still gives a combined reading, not a dedicated ‘main’ and ‘offset’. It is still well worth doing, however, as they will vary when the air bleeds are set for balanced vacuum. The F4 models only having one sample port obviously provide only a 'main' reading.

At this point it’s just the usual balance and idle mixture setting. Initially wind all the air bleeds in fully – the air bleeds are the little brass screws at the fronts of the throttle bodies.

Now set the balance between the two butterfly pairs using the central balance screw.

The vacuum readings from cylinders 2 and 3 are the ones I use for this – I ignore cylinders 1 and 4 at this point. Usually I balance this at idle and find it stays fairly consistant when the throttle is opened to raise the RPM. Now this may seem easier said than done, but we use little right angled screwdrivers that do the trick amazingly well – see the photo below. Well worth buying if you do a few MV as we do. Access to the central balance screw is easiest form the LH side. If you don’t have one of them, getting someone to hold the tank up provides access.

Once you have this done wind the air bleeds out around half to three quarters of a turn (one on F4 750, one and a half or so on a F4 1000), balancing the settings using the vacuum readings of all 4 cylinders. This range should give the correct idle speed. There is no need for the air bleeds to all be at the same turns out – it would surprise me if they were. The vacuum is what matters here.

The factory specifies the following air bleed/bypass screw ranges as ideals:

F4 Oro: 1/2 turn to 1 turn air bypass opening. Idle 1250 +/- 50 RPM. CO 4 +/- .5%
F4 750 2000/01: 1/2 turn to 1 turn air bypass opening. Idle 1250 +/- 50 RPM. CO 4 +/- .5%
F4 750 Senna/2002/2003/2004/SPR/SR: 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 air bypass opening. Idle 1150 +/- 50 RPM. CO 3.5 +/- .5%
Brutale 750 2003/2004/2005: 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 air bypass opening. Idle 1150 +/- 50 RPM. CO 3.5 +/- .5%
Brutale 910: 1 to 3.5 turns air bypass opening. Idle 1200 +/- 50RPM. CO 3.5 +/- .5%

Because of the unique EBS system on the MV 1000 the procedure is somewhat different for that model (1000S, Ago and Tamburini). The factory specifies that you first adjust Cylinder #2 starting at 1.5 turns and try to stay as close as possible to that position while balancing the other three cylinders. The range for cylinder #2 is 1 - 2.5 turns. The range for cylinders 1,3,4 is 1 - 3.5 turns. End idle result should be 1200 RPM +/- 50.

Warm the bike up before setting the idle mixture. Most manufacturers specify engine temp of at least 65 degrees must be reached before setting idle mixture, but MV specify the idle speed and mixture be set with the radiator thermo fans running. The fans usually come on around 103 degrees C/215F, and luckily they warm up pretty quickly.

Now hook up your gas analyser to the take off from either collector on a Brutale or your single collector on F4. On the Brutale, once you have a stable reading on one hook into the other collector. We’re looking for around 3.5% CO as an idle mixture – certainly between 3 and 4%. You can use the idle trimmer to set the mixture in this range, but as stated above it should remain in the range of 35 to 45 degrees lean. For the Brutale, if the readings between each collector take off vary by more than 0.5% or so use the air bleeds of each cylinder pair to balance the mixture. This results in the vacuum balance being off, but don’t worry about that.

Winding the air bleeds in richens the mixture, winding them out leans the mixture. Make the necessary adjustments to either or both cylinder pairs as required to keep the idle speed and mixture correct– you will end up with the vacuum of cylinders 1 -2 balanced, and the vacuum of cylinders 3 – 4 balanced, and most likely a variation between the two pairs. This variation is not important (within reason). The air bleed position/idle speed/idle mixture interaction can be a bit of a chasing game at times, but you get used to it.

For a chart correlating the CO% to a/f ratios refer here:

http://www.jason.fletcher.net/tech/sniffer/sniffer.htm#RATIO

The ECU position on the Brutale makes it a real pain to get to, but it’s worth keeping the ECU under the front of the tank and having the ambient air temp and pressure sensor connected. Hanging the ECU out the side with this sensor disconnected will give a varied reading based on the assumed values for ambient air temp and pressure the ECU will use when it’s not receiving input from the sensor. Using the idle trimmer setting mentioned above should ensure there’s little need for a second helper holding the front of the tank up so you can get inside the ECU.

The ECU position on an F4 allows for easy access to the trim POT. Key in off position, flip the ECU upside down and rebolt it to one of the ECU mounts on the subframe. Remember to keep the ground strap in contact with the ECU when securing it for the CO trim work described above.

-JamesC

At this point you have reset the TPS baseline, set the idle stop using either TPS voltage or the ECU degree reading, set the balance, idle speed and mixture. This is all pretty simple stuff – the TPS baseline setting is something we do at first service, the balance, idle speed and mixture something we do every service.

-blogged/edited JamesC

Tuning 1) Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) setup

2005-12-20T10:07:00.000-06:00

-contributed by Brad with Moto-One Australia www.moto-one.com.au
MV Dealership, Workshop and Custom Eprom tuner
Moto One
1432 Dandenong Rd. Oakleigh Victoria Australia LMCT 7644
Ph: (03) 9568 0100
info@moto-one.com.au

Please contact Moto-One directly if you are interested in their custom Eprom tuning for MV! Their information can be found here:
http://moto-one.com.au/performance/index.html

*1000R/Senna1000 Owners see note about your 5Sm ECU TPS setup at the bottom of this document

*Please note, this procedure is not specified by the factory - the factory specifies that the TPS (and any other related mechanism with yellow paint over the screw) should not "need" adjustment. I will include the factory procedure at bottom for reference.

This is a 2 part process for regular maintenance or *3 if you are also swapping the Eprom to tune:

- 1)TPS setup - this current document

-*2)Custom/Aftermarket Eprom swap - found here:

http://mvfaq.blogspot.com/2005/12/tuning-3-eprom-replacement.html

-3) Idle, CO and Throttle Body Balance - found here:

http://mvfaq.blogspot.com/2005/12/tuning-2-idle-base-co-and-throttle.html

Weber Marelli Throttle Position Sensor Setting Notes and Procedures - with photos for MV - Written 11/05

When we service any bike with a Weber Marelli EFI system we have a set procedure to make sure it’s working as intended. Which may vary from working as well as it can (Moto Guzzi models in particular), but it’s the baseline setup that theoretically gets everything where it was when the mapping was created. First step in this is TPS setup. This is something that I learnt when I first started working at Moto and it hasn’t changed since. However, not all manufacturers detail it, and in the case of MV they seem to totally ignore it. Which is up to them, and really doesn’t worry me at all.

The Throttle Position Sensor has one job – it tells the ECU how far open the throttle butterfly is. Simple enough you would think. On the Weber Marelli systems the TPS is non linear (excepting Ducati 749, 800, 999 and 1000 models, which are linear - the ’05 620 is also linear TPS I believe). What this means is that the output varies in its sensitivity – at low throttle openings you get a higher voltage change per degree of throttle opening than you do at high throttle openings. This is just the way they do it. What this means is that for the ECU to read the output correctly there needs to be a baseline setting to reference the TPS and throttle butterfly so they’re both starting at the same point. Otherwise the sensitivity is off and you get variations not only based on incorrect base line, but also on the transient voltage/degree relationship.

We also do baseline setting procedures for BMW models (the zero = zero) and for the Ducati models with the linear TPS. Keep in mind both these procedures are not actually ‘official’, but they do work. These are based on correcting the baseline reference between the TPS and throttle butterfly – ie, when the throttle is fully shut the ECU reads it as fully shut, not open a bit or shut more than fully (not a physical, but an electronic thing). However, in the case of the Ducati models the output voltage from the TPS is not relevant, as you carry out an electronic procedure using the diagnostic software that tells the ECU that the voltage it is seeing corresponds to a certain throttle angle.

On the BMW models the voltage coming out is relevant, and is used to set the idle throttle angle. However, the BMW TPS is linear, using two variable resistor tracks to give sensitivity (which is why it has 4 wires). One track reaches max output voltage at about 25% throttle, the other at WOT.

The important point here is that the TPS setting needs to be done using a repeatable procedure that ensures they’re all the same. Once they’re all the same it makes everything that follows much more consistant. So what we’re after here is consistency – and the Weber Marelli non linear TPS system is the one that suffers from inconsistency the most.

At this point it’s worth mentioning that many see TPS position as a tuning variable. It’s not, it’s just a basic sensor with an expected system input, but for someone like me with access to lots of tuning equipment that’s easy to say. If you want to play with your TPS using your own method go for it, it’s your bike after all and not my problem.

All the procedures vary, but at their basis they all have some sort of ‘throttle fully shut’ setting. With the Weber Marelli non linear system, when the throttle is fully shut the TPS needs to be producing a voltage of 150mV. To check this voltage you need to get the throttle fully shut and hook into the TPS circuit with the ignition on (or use the Mathesis test function and separate lead). Once you’ve done that you then wind the idle stop up to give the nominal idle voltage. Ideally you then hook into the diagnostic connector and set the idle stop using a degree value as specified for that model. In this case we’ll work with the MV Brutale and carry out a setup specifically for our MVB01 Brutale eprom, although all the MV models share the same throttle body and TPS layout. The concept transfers directly to all the Ducati and Moto Guzzi models as well.

1/ First up, remove the tank, airbox, etc to allow access to the throttle bodies. The locations of required parts are shown. This procedure is usually carried out with all bits cold. A hot engine or throttle body will give a slightly different result. Which is more correct – cold or hot - I’m not sure, but convention is cold, and sticking to convention gives us repeatability.

click on photos to enlarge

2/ Slacken throttle opening cable (or remove the bracket on the throttle bodies) and dig out the yellow paint covering the idle stop screw at the front of the throttle bodies. There is another screw at the rear of the throttle bodies that sits on the end of this screw (see picture with 3/ below) – don’t bother winding it out as it often doesn’t wind out enough to allow the throttle to fully close. You need a 2.5mm hex key for this. Wind the screw out until there is 3 or 4 mm clearance.

3/ Wind the balance screw 1 to 2 turns clockwise, remembering how much and where it was originally. This opens the LH throttle pair more than the RH, ensuring the RH throttle pair can shut completely without interference from the LH.

4/ Now you should be able to open the throttles and let them snap shut, or push down gently on the throttle blades themselves so they shut fully and lightly jam. This light jamming lets you know there’s nothing holding the throttle open.

5/ Move on to the TPS, located at the RH end of the throttle bodies. This is the later style small, round TPS on the MV that is also fitted to most Moto Guzzi after ’96, the Ducati 2V models from ST2 on and Ducati 748R, 996R and 998 models. All the previous models use the larger, square TPS, the very early ones (851, Daytona) of which were red. You can see the red painted screws, which we do after setting the TPS so we know for future reference that it has been done. As delivered these screws are covered in the same yellow paint that covered the idle stop screw. Dig out the yellow goop to ensure you get a good fit of the tool. On these later bikes they are a torx20 head, on early bikes usually a 7mm hex. The adjustment slots are visible behind the screws. There is a very large range of adjustment, why I’m not really sure.

So now we need to measure the voltage coming out of the TPS and then move it as required to give the 150mV reading. There’s a few ways you can get into the TPS signal to check the voltage. We use an auxiliary function on the Mathesis tester and a special cable, but not many have that luxury.

First is back probing the TPS itself. You need to take the voltage across the two outer wires for the MV. But you also need to make sure you don’t let the two probes touch or earth out on anything as this may give the ECU a voltage it doesn’t like. So be careful. Remember the ignition is turned on for this too, and you can see the display on the digital multimeter of 308mV. If you’re not sure if you have the right wires or not – the reading should be around 100 to 150mV with the throttle fully shut (as delivered) and it should rise to 4.85 or so Volts at WOT.

Second, and maybe somewhat easier when access is an issue, is reading the voltage at the ECU connector. This is relatively easy for P7, P8 and 1.6M ECU. First you disconnect the big black multipin connector from the ECU, levering the lock tab up with a small screwdriver. At this point always remember that when you turn the ignition off you need to wait at least 15 seconds before disconnecting the ECU.

Then cut the zip tie holding the wiring boot on and pull the boot back exposing the end of the connector.

Remove the small Phillips head screw at the other end of the connector.

Now slide the outer cover off. When this cover comes off the two plates that lock each little connector into the multipin connector can come out, although I’ve never actually seen the little connectors come out. You can also see in this photo the numbers denoting each pin number for the ECU.

Now you can easily connect a multimeter into the backs of the terminals. In this case we want pins 16 (green with white stripe) and 30 (white with green stripe). For the older Ducati and Guzzi P7 and P8 ECU systems you need pins 11 and 17. Reconnect the multipin connector to the ECU, pushing it home firmly. Turn the ignition on and read the voltage.

Once you’ve carried out the required TPS readings you reassemble the connector in the reverse and use a new zip tie to hold the rubber boot on. While this may seem a bit daunting the first time for some it’s not at all hard and I’ve never seen wires come out of a multipin connector. Not saying it couldn’t happen, and if it does don’t tell me it’s my fault.

As delivered, with the throttle fully shut, we expect the voltage to be from 150mV down to maybe 90mV. Occasionally it’s lower, and even more occasionally it’s higher than 150mV.

What you need to do now is loosen the two screws and rotate the TPS to give 150mV with the throttle fully shut. This is the baseline setting. Once you have a repeatable 150mV every time you open the throttle and let it snap shut (you should be able to get between 147 and 152 very easily) tighten the TPS screws and don’t touch them again. The TPS is now set.

6/ Wind the idle stop screw back in to give the idle setting. This setting varies for most models, and the relationship between this setting and what the ECU reads also varies. However, without the diagnostic equipment to read the degree setting (you need the Mathesis, Technoresearch or FIM software/tools to do this) the closest you can get is a mV setting. Be aware that a FIM Megazone or Ultimap eprom in a P7, P8 or 1.6M ECU will not talk to the Mathesis or Technoresearch software.

The table below gives a range of mV versus degrees – which oddly enough seems rather linear.

click to enlarge

For the MV Brutale 750 models the idle setting is 1.5 to 1.7 degrees – 315 to 335mV. I usually aim for 1.6 degrees.

For the MV Brutale 910 models the idle setting is 1.9 to 2.5 degrees - 355 to 413mV.

For the MV F4 year 2000 and 2001 the idle setting is 1.5 to 1.7 degrees – 315 to 335mV. I usually aim for 1.6 degrees.

For the MV F4 Senna, year 2002, 2003, 2004, SPR, SR the idle setting is 1.7 to 1.9 degrees - 335-355mV.

For the MV 1000 the idle setting is 2.1 to 2.3 degrees - 374 to 393mV.

Once you have the idle stop set as desired you don’t touch the idle stop again.

7/ Wind the balance screw (see step 1 and 3) anticlockwise (counter clockwise for our American friends) to return it to its original position.

You are not finished, move on to the following step which is correct for your situation.

To complete regular maintenance go to step 2):
http://mvfaq.blogspot.com/2005/12/tuning-2-idle-base-co-and-throttle.html

To swap Eprom as part of tuning go to step 3):
http://mvfaq.blogspot.com/2005/12/tuning-3-eprom-replacement.html

-Additional notes by MikeT, JamesC, yahoogroups
-blogged and edited: JamesC

Tuning 4) F4 1000; Idle, throttle, blipping issues

2005-11-28T12:26:00.000-06:00

submitted by MikeT

If anyone is wondering about why their MV1000 revs differently/sluggish when put in gear, I suspect that MV have done this by retarding the ignition timing, and progressivly advancing it again, so all's back to std by about 3000 rpm. The "sluggish" part is activated by the neutral switch to make the bike tractable in the very low rpm's, don't forget all the jap multi cylinder 1000's have a twin throttle system were you open one set and the engine vacuum/ECU opens the second set, MV don't have the room to do that due to the compact nature of the airbox etc. You could try"cutting" the neutral light input to the ECU which may get rid of the sluggish under 3000rpm bit, I must admit if you take off with some "gusto" and it goes over 3000rpm whilst also slipping the clutch it does rear it's head up!.

The other "no blipping" stuff that happens on the 1000 your going to need to adjust to, a power commander helps but it's still there, the bike basically monitors how fast it's engine is slowing down and then starts the "EBS" system, this system supplies air and fuel to cylinder two which opposes the braking torque, BUT it also supplies fuel to cylinder three, which doesn't want any! to get around this the "EBS" control unit removes the 12v supply to number three injector ( injectors always have 12v on them, the ECU shorts them to ground to "fire" them, and this MV ECU grounds them in pairs (1&4 2&3) hence the need to remove the 12v from injector three to stop it flooding the cylinder)

I am pretty certain when decelerating the "EBS" works to around the 5000 rpm mark (maybe 4700rpm) it then shuts all fuel off to 3000 rpm while/if still decelerating where you may notice a slight "kick" as some fuel is re-introduced, the "no blipping" on downchanges only happens in this 3000-4700 rev band when correctly fuelled with a power commander, and maybe less than that 3500-4500? I'm not too sure.You can improve it by blipping slower within these points to give the injection time to revert back to "acceleration" mode. It's not a perfect system which is why the new Senna has a different ECU , it's different, not wrong, once you adjust to it the corner entry lack of engine braking is amazing when the bikes "on song" in the 7000ish rpm's, it does work pretty good when you use the bike hard, even sounds good! more like a three cylinder when on the over-run.
Regards, Mike

Paint Codes

2005-11-23T11:10:00.000-06:00

F4 750 Red/Silver:

Fairings: PPG paint codes
PPG 954642 Red
PPG 954643 Silver

or NEXA paint codes
WVD7B Red
WVD8B Silver

Wheels: PPG 954644 2000-2002 Anthracite
PPG Alu grey Sebino 35204189 & Clear Sebino 35209052 2003- Silver
PPG 954663 Gold Magnesium for Oro

Frame: PPG 954644

F4 750 Silver (Diamante):

Farings: PPG 950042 Silver OR updated from Emotouk.com: PPG 0042 in UK shops
Wheels: PPG 954644 2000-2002 Anthracite
Frame: PPG 954644

F4 750 Senna:

Fairings: PPG*0038 Metalic Black & PPG*0039 Metallic Grey
Wheels: Pulverlac 1111950506 Red & Sebino 35209052 transparent/clearcoat
Frame: Palinal 255I0005 & Palinal 211XH578

F4 750 SPR:

Fairings: PPG T0036/1 + PPG T0036/2
Wheels: Alu grey Sebino 35204189 & Clear Sebino 35209052
Frame: PPG ?

F4 1000 Red/Silver:
Fairings: F4 AGO Red Painting (Code PPG ITP 473101)
F4 AGO Silver Painting (Code Palinal 928XV025)
Wheels: Alu grey Sebino 35204189 & Clear Sebino 35209052
Frame: MV Brutale Metal Anthracite Grey Painting (Code Palinal 211XH893)
Misc: Mirror supports: Metal Bronze Painting (Code Palinal 211E144)
Electrical Covers: Black Painting - CRC 1951-6 (Code Palinal 211E357)

F4 1000 Ago:
Fairings: F4 AGO Red Painting (Code PPG ITP 473101)
F4 AGO Silver Painting (Code Palinal 928XV025)
Wheels: Custom
Frame: F4 AGO Red Painting (Code PPG ITP 473101)
Misc: Mirror supports: Metal Bronze Painting (Code Palinal 211E144)
Electrical Covers: Black Painting - CRC 1951-6 (Code Palinal 211E357)

F4 1000 Blue/Silver:
Fairings: CRC Metal Blue (Code Palinal 928XV035)
F4 AGO Silver Painting (Code Palinal 928XV025)
Wheels: Alu grey Sebino 35204189 & Clear Sebino 35209052
Frame: MV Brutale Metal Anthracite Grey Painting (Code Palinal 211XH893)
Misc: Mirror supports: Metal Bronze Painting (Code Palinal 211E144)
Electrical Covers: Black Painting - CRC 1951-6 (Code Palinal 211E357)

F4 1000 Tamburini:
Fairings: F4 AGO Red Painting (Code PPG ITP 473101)
CRC Intense Black Painting (Code Palinal 929R486)
*CRC Gloss Transparent Painting (Code PPG 228.880) *-only on side fairings,
undercowl & front mudguard
Wheels: Custom/Marchesini Gold
Frame: MV Brutale Metal Anthracite Grey Painting (Code Palinal 211XH893)
Swingarm, Frameplates: F4 AGO Metal Matt Grey Painting (Code Palinal 211.A704)
Misc: Mirror supports: Metal Bronze Painting (Code Palinal 211E144)

Brutale S:

Tank, Painted Tail Colour combination A CRC Red : Palinal 926XH348D
Colour combination B Metal Matt Black : Palinal 925XH982
Color combination C: F4 AGO Silver (Code Palinal 928XV025) +
CRC B4 Red (Code Palinal 926XH348D)
Color combination D: CRC Intense Black Painting
(Code Palinal 929R486)

Tail piece, Air box side fairings, Ignition switch cover, Dashboard cover, Fuel tank , side fairings, mirrors: Brutale Metal Anthracite Grey: Palinal 926XH893 Multicryl

Frame: Color combinations A,B: MV Brutale Metal Anthracite Grey Painting
(Code Palinal 211XH893)
Color combinations C-D: F4 AGO Frame Red Painting (Code Palinal 211XH987)

Rear Sub-Frame, Exhaust Clamp: MV Brutale Metal Anthracite Grey Painting (Code Palinal 211XH893)

Steering base lower triple clamp, swingarm, Frame Plates: Black Anodized

Wheels: Alu grey Sebino 35204189 & Clear Sebino 35209052

Brutale Oro:

Tank, Painted Tail (Colour combination A CRC Red) : Palinal 926XH348D

Tail piece, Air box side fairings, Ignition switch cover, Dashboard cover, Fuel tank , side fairings, mirrors: unpainted carbon fibre

Mirrors: Palinal 926XH893 Multicryl

Frame, Rear Sub-Frame, Exhaust Clamp: Palinal 211XH893

Steering base lower triple clamp, swingarm, Frame Plates:
Brutale Gold Magnesium Painting: Palinal8814338 + Palinal 1211E359

Wheels: Brutale Gold Magnesium Painting: Palinal8814338 + Palina1211E359

Partial source:

http://www.motociclando.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1675

special thanks to Richard Sawkins, Jerry Finley/Pirate's Lair

-JamesC

Quick Change Sprockets for 520 chain: 750cc Brutale and F4

2005-11-22T13:37:00.000-06:00

A popular modification for 750cc models is the addition of an aftermarket quick change sprocket. The Brutale 910 and F4 1000 come with a quick change rear sprocket for a 525 chain. The below kits could be used if performaing a 520 chain conversion on these models. This allows use of aftermarket and widely available sprockets in a variety of sizes.

Fast by Ferracci
http://www.ferracci.com/

35 Tooth through 44 tooth applications

STM Racing Italy

USA Source:
http://www.lockhartphillipsusa.com/rs/showProduct.cgi?prodID=9593

36 through 44 tooth applications

Motorrad Lust

http://www.motorrad-lust.de/

39 through 42 tooth applications

Performance Parts.de

www.performanceparts.de

36 through 43 tooth applications

Emoto/Talon

www.emotouk.com
41-41 tooth applications

-JamesC

Cam Chain Tensioner reset or rebuild

2005-11-22T13:10:00.000-06:00

submitted by Dan

Re-Setting Cam Chain Tensioner

Here is a view of a new cam chain tensioner disassembled for reference.

photo courtesy JamesC

This a rare condition but never the less happens, the tensioner gets stuck at its maximum position causing the over tensioning of the cam chain not to mention the awful noise the engine emits while the chain slack is forced to rattle at the wrong location.

This may also cause undue wear on the two cam gears and single crank gear that drives this chain. Normal chain and gear replacement interval is 30000km.

photo courtesy JamesC

The above symptom occurred on my F4 and is fairly straightforward to rectify.

The side fairings and belly pan should first be removed followed by the front nose cone, the electrical covers and air tubes. This clears way to loosen the top radiator fixing screw on the left side and allowing the radiator to be released and moved forward giving just enough room to access and dismantle the cam chain tensioner. The cam chain tensioner is located between cylinders two and three by the exhaust manifold.

photo courtesy JamesC

First stage is to undo the centre screw (10mm). Undo it all the way, take care not to let it go it as it is spring loaded and will eventually come out including the spring, a small rod and a washer.
Next undo the two screws (8mm) securing the tensioner body and prise it out of the block by rotating it back and fourths while pulling outwards, it will feel a bit stiff due to the rubber ring washer but eventually come out.

Once the tensioner is out you will clearly see the mechanism, it is designed as a ratchet with teeth and a spring loaded stop so once the arm reaches its optimum position with the help of the long spring, there it stays (now I understand why the complete assembly costs £125).

To reset, release the stop and push the tensioner arm all the way in. That’s it.

The rest is in the re-assembly sequence, first replace the tensioner body back into the block and tighten up top and bottom screws to required torque (8Nm). Then insert the centre assembly spring, rod and not forgetting the washer. Tighten up to the required torque (8Nm).

[From the Factory Workshop Manual]:
""Lock the screw cap by hand till you feel the tensioner extend, then lock it with a 8 Nm torque
Acting this way the chain tensioner is adjusted."

Once assembled, start the engine and let the tensioner find its own setting as the chain slaps around for a few seconds after which all cam chain rattles will disappear and all will sound as it should.
Job done!

edited JamesC

Torque Specifications Illustrated: Brutale, F4 1000, Tamburini

2005-11-21T12:10:00.000-06:00

contributed by HansB, JamesC, Motociclando

Click on picture to enlarge to full size.
Save to pc to allow zoom.

Brutale 750 Left Side:

Brutale 750 Right Side:

Brutale 910 Left Side:

Brutale 910 Right Side:

F4 1000 Left Side:

F4 1000 Right Side:

Tamburnini Left Side:

Tamburini Right Side:

-blogged/edited JamesC

Heat Exchanger modification for 4-2-1 MVSP or Ti Header Installation

2005-11-21T11:13:00.000-06:00

Contributed by HansB.

When installing new MVSP/Corse or Ti headers a part must be changed in order to clear the new header. This applies to chassis 1-4145 - primarily 2000/2001 F4 750 models. The new fitment of the heat exchanger allows clearance to the new header.

The required parts were arriving with the Ti or Stainless headers at the time but now that stock is depleted may have to be ordered seperately (one each of the following):

(1) 800092478
(1) 8000A1544
(1) 800099459

Preparation:

-Remove side, lower and nose fairings
-Drain radiator
-Drain oil
-Remove exhaust
-Remove radiator(s)
-Remove exhaust headers

Process:
-Loosen old existing bolt and disk from the heat exchanger

-Note aluminum washer and o-ring inside unit

-Place the washer on a new stainless bolt and the new bracket is fitted from above and clicks onto the heat exchanger. This fitment also prevents the bolt from loosening it's self.

-Note new clearance on offer from new bracket

-Refit radiators
-Fill Oil
-Fill radiators
-Refit nose, side and lower fairings

-edited by JamesC

Stands, Work Stands for Front and Rear

2005-11-17T10:47:00.000-06:00

MV Agusta Factory parts:

MV Factory rear stand p/n 800092642

courtesy Yannis

MV Factory windup front stand p/n 800095807

MV Agusta Corse front stand

MV Agusta Corse rear stand

--
FG Moto stands:
http://www.redracingparts.com

FG Moto front windup stand #CA04

Also requires MV adaptor #195101

FG Moto rear stand with wheels #CP05MV

FG Moto rearset jackstands #CPD01 (for bikes with solid rearsets, not folding OEM)

-
Pit-Bull Stands
http://www.pit-bull.com/

Pitbull one armed rear stand MV Agusta(only for wheel removal)

courtesy Andy - please note, use of front pit-bull forklift stand is not recommended on MV without stabilizing the caliper brakets from rotating. Some owners use a rod through the caliper braket from Left side to Right side in order to keep them inline and thus not slip off the pit-bull forklift stand. Strongly suggest use of one of the other front stands on this page.

Pitbull One Armed Reversible rear stand MV Agusta (for wheel and sprocket removal)

-

Handy Industries Stands:
http://www.handyindustries.com

Handy Industries rear stand Item Number 13004 with MV pin Item # 12997

-
Abba Stands:
http://www.abbastands.co.uk/

Abba chassis swingarm stand (also order: Fitting Kit for: MV F4 750/1000)

courtesy Ralph

Abba front windup stand (unconfirmed MV fitment!)

-
Motocorse Stands:
http://www.motocorse.jp and http://www.motocorse.net

courtesy Yannis

Motocorse rear alu stand

courtesy Yannis

Motocorse front stand for caliper bracket

courtesy Yannis

Motocorse jackstand for solid rearsets (not folding OEM)

Motocorse Rear Pump up Stand:

courtesy Yannis

Anderson Stands:
http://www.andersonstands.com/swingarm_stands.htm

MV rear stand normal:

MV rear stand space saver with mobile castors:

Pirate's Lair Front stand:

http://www.piratesk12site.net/MVfrontlift.htm

Carpimoto Front Lift stand

http://www.carpimoto.it/content/prod/l_EN/s_234_Stands/pr_28117_Front_Wheel__Fork_Stand_CM03D_for_Ducati_e_MV_Agusta.htm

-Thanks to BlackBruty/Vlad Drac

=========================

NCR Titanium Stands:

http://www.ncrfactory.com/

USA Orders:

http://incengine.org/incEngine/?content=categories&keyword=OFF&category=10038

NCR Titanium Rear Stand. Special order. Specify Ducati Corse rear axle or MV Axle to get correct size. Only 1kg!!

NCR All Titanium Rearset Jack Stands

Bike Lift Single Sided Swingarm Stand:

Order with Item # (E) PMM-01 MV Agusta F4 pin

http://www.ppblift.com/

Model list of modern MV Agusta

2005-11-17T10:10:00.000-06:00

contributed by trbmv, JamesC

Factory Models:

1998-1999 MV Agusta F4 Oro (750cc) (126 hp) limited to 300 units
1999-2000 MV Agusta F4S (one radiator) (750cc) (126 hp)
2000-2001 MV Agusta F4S (two radiator) (750cc) (126 hp)
2002 MV Agusta F4 Senna (750cc) (137bhp/140 hp - w/RG3 exhaust & eprom) limited to 300
2002 MV Agusta F4S Evo 2 (750cc) (137 hp)
2003 MV Agusta F4S Evo 3 (750cc) (137 hp)
2003-2004 MV Agusta F4SPR (146 hp) limited to 300
2004 MV Agusta F4SR (SPR engined) (146 hp) limited to 300
2005 MV Agusta F41000 Ago (166 hp/ ? - w/RG3 exhaust & eprom) limited to 300
2005 MV Agusta F41000 (166 hp)
2005 MV Agusta F41000 Tamburini (173 hp) limited to 300
2005 MV Agusta F4 1000 Mamba T1 Corse (173 hp?) (factory custom)
2005 MV Agusta F4 1000 Mamba T2 Corse (166 hp?) (factory custom)
2006 MV Agusta F41000 Senna (174 hp) limited to 300
2006 MV Agusta F41000 Veltro (road version) (177 hp/185 hp w/exhaust) limited to 99
2006 MV Agusta F41000 Veltro (race version) (190+ hp?) limited to 23
2006 MV Agusta F41000R (174bhp)
2004 MV Agusta Brutale Oro (750 cc) (127 hp) limited to 300
2004-2005 MV Agusta Brutale S (750 cc) (127 hp)
2006 MV Agusta Brutale 910S (910 cc) (136 hp)
2006 MV Agusta Brutale 910R (910 cc) (144 hp) limited to 99
2006 MV Agusta Brutale 910 Starfighter (144bhp) limited to 23
2007 MV Agusta Brutale 910S
2007 MV Agusta Brutale 910R
2007 MV Agusta F41000R
2007 MV Agusta F4 CC (1078cc) (200bhp)

MV Agusta SP Transformation Kits:

MV Agusta F4 series kits:
Blue/Silver SP01 Viper Kit limited to 50 units
Mamba Standard Kit (Plastic)
Mamba Basic Kit
Mamba Full Optional Kit
Corse Single Seat Kit
Corse Double Seat Kit
Serie Oro Kit

MV Agusta Brutale series kits:
Brutale America Basic Kit
Brutale America Full Optional Kit
Brutale Mamba Basic Kit
Brutale Mamba Kit
Brutale Mamba Full Optional Kit
Brutale Gladio Basic Kit
Brutale Gladio Full Optional Kit
Brutale CRC Basic Kit
Brutale CRC Full Optional Kit

Known Prototypes and Concept bikes:
MV Agusta F4 Serie Oro concept
MV Agusta F4 SPR 750 in Red/Silver
MV Agusta F4 SPR with full matt black paint

Distributor/Dealer/Parts Manufacturer Built Special Bikes:
Alka Alinghi Tribute MV 750cc
QB Carbon MV Mechanical Velvet Endurance racer (UK)
Ferracci MV 800cc kit (USA)
HRT MV 860cc kit (Italy)
HRT MV 981cc kit (Italy)
HRT MV 1100cc kit (Italy)
Moto Corse F4-1080CR Platino 2005 (Japan)
Moto Corse F4-1000SC 2005 (Japan)
Moto Corse BRUTALE-858CR 2005 (Japan)
Moto Corse BRUTALE-SC 2004 (Japan)
Moto Corse MV Agusta F4 Challenge 2001/2002 (Japan) for the Series Cup Challenge (10 full yellow and 10 full red liveries are known. One white liveried example has been pictured)
Mezzo Cagiva Brutale Mille (998cc) (Japan)
MV Agusta F4 America (Germany) - 28 made
Hdrogen H2 Brutale 910R (Italy)

Status Uncertain:
MV Agusta F4SPR (red/silver/black) (Japan)

-edited JamesC

Bearings, Front Wheel Info

2005-10-12T11:28:00.000-05:00

Bearing Type:

Japan NSK 542 6907DU or DDU

This is a 6900 series bearing which makes it a "single row ball bearing - thin section" with the 7 representing "7 multiples of 5mm" or having a 35mm inside diameter.

The DU designates a "single seal", or in other words, one side has a seal, the other does not. A DDU would designate "double seal", meaning both sides a have seal. Based on different findings it appears that the factory have used both types in production with the "double seal" type being the preferred choice.

Note that seal designations vary based on manufacturer.

Seals explained:

http://www.ntnamerica.com/Engineering/PDFs/A1000/A1000_Interchange.pdf

Most local bearing suppliers listed in your phone book should carry this part but here are some sources anyway:

US Sources:
(courtesy of James Corell)

vxb.com

UK Sources:
(courtesy of Phil Wood)

SMB Bearings,
Unit 8, West Oxon Ind Park,
Brize Norton, Oxon,
OX18 3YJ,
United Kingdom.tel: +44 (0)1993 842555fax: +44(0)1993 842666email: sales@smbbearings.com

2 Pcs 6907 2RS EZO Japan £ 9.05 Ex Stock
SMB China £ 2.81 Ex Stock

Midland Bearings Ltd
Unit 33 Second Avenue
Pensnett Trading Estate
Kingswinford
West Midlands
ENGLAND
DY6 7PP

Phone: 01384 841400
Fax: 01384 841450
email: websales@MidlandBearings.com

69072RS
£5.00 each net post and packing £2.50

Or:

Redhill Bearings Ltd
The White House
Brighton Road
Handcross
West Sussex
RH17 6BZ

Tel: 01444 400900
Fax: 01444 400753
6907 2RS, £12.50 each, p+p £1

TGM, JC

Bearings, Rear Wheel Refurbishing and Info

2005-10-11T12:03:00.000-05:00

Problems have occurred with the rear wheel bearings which are part of the rear hub assembly. This could result in a damaged hub housing, swing arm, or even a rear wheel lock-up!

There are three main reasons why this can happen:

1. Over-torquing the rear swing arm bolts
2. Under-torquing the rear swing arm bolts
3. Premature wearing of the bearings due to water entering the rear bearing (high-pressure cleaning)

The parts that can be ordered for repair go as far as the complete hub assembly including bearings. Instead, we have worked out a way to refurbish the hub, replacing only the bearings and seals, which results in lower repair costs and/or more frequent maintenance possibility. We are assuming there is no damage caused by bearing failure to the actual hub housing, check this thoroughly! When the hub has been damaged, renew the hub completely.

Image 1: Original hub with old bearings. Notice the ring between the two bearings just under the needle bearing seal.

MV Agusta advises renewing the hub at least every 36.000 km or 22.000 miles. The examples you will see are from an 2001 F4 1+1 having 35.000 km on the clock, where we discovered that although there was no major problem yet noticeable, one of the bearings was almost breaking down and was obviously overheated at some point. So MV’s instruction is correct (as expected!) although if you have any doubt that your hub has been improperly torqued or has seen excessive moisture due to pressure washing, etc…then it is recommended that you shorten MV’s advice and inspect at a reduced interval.

Image 2: Overheated old double row bearing after 35.000 Km

Parts needed for refurbishing:

1. One bearing 3810 2RS - this is a closed and sealed double row angular contact ball bearing capable to withstand axial and radial forces. (65mm O.D. x 50mm I.D. x 12mm width)
2. One bearing HK5520 - this is a needle bearing for radial forces only.
3. Two seals MBR55X63X5A - applied to both sides of the needle bearing.
4. High quality bearing grease (must be able to withstand 190 degrees Celsius)
5. Bench-vice and aluminium plates to avoid direct contact of the bench-vice and hub or bearings.

Both bearings and seals are manufactured by INA and can be ordered as a set for approx. 50 British Pounds or 100 US Dollars at:

For the UK:

BSL Wolverhampton
Headway road, Wolverhampton.
Tel 01902 395959
Fax 01902 395939
(Thanks to the MV Agusta Owners Club UK)

For the US:

Through INA directly using your local bearing distributor.

For Australia:

NACHI Bearings

TLA-5520 Needle roller bearing

3810-2RS Double Row A/C Bearing

OS-55635 Oil Seal (need 2 of these)

1. Over-torquing the rear swing arm bolts

The swing arm is constructed in such a way that only the right torque (28 - 32 Newton Meters) will result in a perfect circle fitting of the hub into the swing arm, over-torquing will cause the circle to be oval and therefore create uneven pressure towards the hub causing the bearings to fail prematurely. Make sure torquing of the rear bolts is done properly and evenly by tightening each bolt, alternating as you go, until the desired value is obtained. One can check on a medium or long trip the temperature of the swing arm. Directly after stopping the swing arm should not be warmer then 50 to 60 Celsius.

Image 3: Empty swing arm - make sure to clean thoroughly before assembly.

Overheating will be a direct result of a failing bearing. A failed bearing can also be noticed by a non-smooth or bumpy/noisy rear wheel movement when turning the rear wheel on the paddock stand. Noticing aluminum particles around the hub or even rim is reason to order a complete new hub as it will be damaged beyond repair! By experience, the 3810 2RS bearing is the worrying one, and when broken, heavy vibrations at the back of the F4 while driving are to be noticed clearly.

2. Under-torquing the rear swing arm bolts

This will cause the hub to turn in the swing arm which will cause damage to the swing arm and/or hub and also cause the chain tension to vary (eccentric). A very dangerous situation!

3. High pressure cleaning

Although one of the bearings is a closed sealed bearing (3810 2RS), we found rust inside due to earlier pressurized cleaning. Pressure cleaning is in all cases to be avoided anywhere on the F4 or Brutale (or any bike)!

Image 4: Notice the rust marks at the lower roller position.

Disassembly:

Once the hub has been taken from the swing arm (for details consult the workshop manual) the sealed bearing can easily be removed by applying even pressure from the inside out using a small hammer and wood while securing the hub in a workbench and gently hammering the bearing out of the hub. No shrinking by cooling the hub is needed for both disassembly and assembly. Notice that the present seals (2) of the open bearing will be damaged beyond repair and will warrant replacement anyway. Inside the hub there is a pressure ring which can be taken out after removal of the sealed bearing. This will make the open bearing accessible from the inside and then it can be removed the same way as the closed bearing.

Image 5: Inner ring between bearing 1 and 2

After removing the bearings inspect to see if they have been overheated. This can be seen by the color of the closed bearing inner ring, brown or blue will be marks of overheating (see image 2). Thoroughly clean the inside and outside of the hub with degreaser and check for any damage of the hub housing.

Assembly open bearing HK5520:

First assemble the open bearing by fitting one of the seals (MBR55X63X5A), followed by fitting the new open needle bearing (HK5520).

Image 6: Position the needle bearing.

Then use a bench-vice with aluminium protection plates on either side to gently press the bearing in its place.

Image 7: Press in place.

After the open bearing is positioned, fit the second seal, this seal will fit until the topside is even with the hub housing. The placement of the seal should not be done with a bench-vice but manually. After fitting both seals and bearing make sure to grease the bearing sufficient with high quality bearing grease.

Image 8: Lock the bearing with inner clip to secure.

Grease the bearing properly with high quality grease. Use grease which can withstand 190 degrees Celsius. When in place, there should be almost no space between the inner ring and both bearings, causing the inner ring to offload axial forces during operational use.

Image 9: fitted needle bearing and seals.

Note: Inner Race for the needle roller bearing.

This is a loose part and may need replacing, mine was actually loc-tightened to the spindle and took 30t of force to remove. I asked MV if I could buy the inner race separately, no please pay AU$1280 for the whole hub. Well AU$9.00 later and part number LRT-505535 and the problem was solved. (courtesy of mv_ozzie)

Assembly closed bearing 3810 2RS:

Make sure the inner ring is placed into the hub before assembling the closed bearing 3810 2RS! Clean the hub thoroughly before placing the bearing in its place, this will assure easy fitting. Here we need no seals; this bearing is a closed bearing. First place the inner ring towards the open bearing inside the hub. Then evenly place the closed bearing in its housing. The original bearing is placed with the part number pointing to the inner part of the hub. We have placed the new bearing accordingly, but it should make no difference. Use again aluminum plates and a bench-vice and gently press the bearing into the hub. When properly cleaned and placed there will be almost no force needed to place the bearing, a bench-vice is only used to evenly press the bearing in its place.

Image 10: pressing the closed bearing into the hub.

When in position, no grease is needed. The top of the bearing will be even with the top of the hub when in position.

Well, job done! All you have to do now is assemble the hub into the swing arm and after assembling the axel etc. (see workshop manual) make sure to torque your swing arm bolts as described earlier. Enjoy your MV Agusta knowing your bearings won’t fail!

Harm Meijer en John Bex
www.bikemotel.nl

Parts and Modifications, MV Agusta Corse & Aftermarket Suppliers

2005-09-13T19:00:00.000-05:00

Submitted by Chris Current (Quixotic_1)

MV Agusta Special Parts MV Agusta Corse:

http://www.mvagusta-sp.com/

This site lists most MV Corse Special Parts items that are manufactured by or for MV Agusta
Factory parts offerings orderable by any dealer
Parts may also be purchased through this site and shipped worldwide
Located in San Marino, Italy
Ti factory parts manufactured by MotoCorse, see listing below

MV Agusta Aftermarket Suppliers:

Moto Corse Special Parts: http://www.motocorse.jp/

Top level Titanium parts as supplied directly and also to the factory for all MV Corse Ti
Top level tuning and engine internals
Creators of a number of special complete bikes for F4 and Brutale models
New line of Carbon Fibre parts
Suppliers of select top level components from other compaines which fit MV models

UK Contact: www.emotouk.com

US Contact: www.motopoint.com

Moto MV: http://www.moto-mv.com/index.htm

A mix of both MV Corse Special Parts and aftermarket parts
A wide variety of performance and aesthetic parts for all MV models
Includes racing parts, titanium bolts, aftermarket exhaust parts, Power Commanders, even MV clothing
Located in the UK

Performance Parts: http://www.performanceparts.de/

Site is in German, try Babelfish (http://babelfish.altavista.com/) to translate
Offers many performance parts, including: clip-ons, brake upgrades, suspension and steering tools and upgrades, lighter bolts, sprockets, MV tools and the often referenced gold brake reservoir connectors
Parts on offer are race proven by German Superbike effort of Jorg Teuchert
Located in Cologne, Germany but ships Intl

Be Faster: http://www.befaster.de/

Mostly German importer of Moto Corse MV parts
Also, though, they have many race accessories such as lap timers and very useful diagnostic equipment
Based in Hannover, Germany

Red Racing Parts: http://www.redracingparts.com/en/english.htm

Search for "MV Agusta" and a Google site search will display available parts
Everything from rearsets to chains to sprockets to stands to (limited) carbon fiber are offered here; too much to list
Located in Italy

MotoWheels: http://www.motowheels.com/

Many parts for MV Agusta including; carbon, titanium, radial caliper conversion, calipers, rotors, master cylinders, exhaust, wheels and misc.
Exhibit project MV F4 of their own including full carbon and BST wheels

Fast by Ferracci: http://ferracci.lhhosting.com/index.php

Not the easiest site to navigate, but their parts are renowned; everyone that rides Italian knows this company
The important 800cc overbore kit for the Agusta 750 (F4, Brutale)
The well-known quick-change carrier for 750 Agustas and accompanying sprockets
Exhausts, carbon fiber body parts, stands, clip-ons; too many to list...
Located in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania with a location in Bologna, Italy

Casoli Moto Australia: http://www.casoli.com.au/ recommended by forum members

Many parts for MV Agusta F4 and Brutale
Mostly known for their carbon fiber parts for the F4
They also sell several billet accessories, such as bar end weights, clutch and brake reservoirs, rearsets, fuel caps, etc. Their selection is constantly expanding
Exhausts, windscreens, and even tools

Casoli Moto USA: http://www.casolimotousa.com/ OUT OF BUSINESS!

Casoli Moto UK) http://www.casoli.co.uk/ Many complaints about them!

Lieb Speed: http://www.lieb-speed.de/index.htm?frame=sg_NewsMVAgusta.htm

MV Agusta carbon bits for F4 and Brutale, VERY high quality prepreg carbon
Sponsor of Jorg Teuchert (races MV Agusta F4)
Located in Germany (and most of site is in German)
Distributed in USA by www.shift-tech.com - see below

Pirates' Lair: http://piratesk12site.net/MVPP.htm

Good site and well-regarded
They offer several hard-to-find parts
Exhaust headers for the Brutale, the mid-pipe replacement for the F4-1000, Wilbers Suspension, license plate relocator for the F4, billet reservoir covers, headlight protectors, R&G line of crash protectors (sliders), custom footpeg kits, two all-in-one tailights (clear with red LEDs that also functions as turnsignals and the Hyper Lite MV Kit), an exclusive front stand, and the F4 helmet lock put together exclusively for Pirate's Lair
Located in Fairview, North Carolina USA

PFM Brakes: http://www.pfmbrakes.com/welcome.asp?page=catalogue&logoid=7

UK Manufacturer of top level brake kits
Located in Isle of Man, UK

QB Carbon: http://www.worldofqbcarbon.com/products/mvagusta/mvagusta.htm

UK supplier of their own carbon parts for the F4 (highly regarded)
Some other parts, such as a gold swingarm (not sure if magnesium or not) and sprockets
Located Nottinghamshire, UK

MV-F4.com: http://www.f4oro.de/Parts/parts.html

Many exhaust options for F4 and Brutale
Very shiny carbon parts made for their shop for both F4 and Brutale (as well as some 'carbon look' parts)
Decals, stickers and pins
Covers, bags and even MV rugs
Specialty lights including the 'all-in-one' tail light, some very interesting turn signals (aluminum and silver anodized), bar end signal lights, mini turn signals for F4 and Brutale
Plate relocators
A Brutale air dam???
Custom (embroidered MV logos) seats for F4 and Brutale
Rear sets, Ohlins suspension, and the full MV Agusta offering from Rizoma
Many specialty items, like 'Fuel Friend' for an extra bit of petrol and fits in the tail section, a helmet lock, and many tools...
They must be contacted for many of their prices
Located in Germany

Rizoma: http://www.rizoma.com/index.html

Billet parts for MV Agusta
Not many of them are listed on the website in any category (except for a small section for the Brutale - 3 items)
Look under their Universal section for an idea of their available parts and contact them directly with fitment questions
Rearsets, Reservoirs, mirrors, Brutale License tag locator, etc
Their recommended retailer is CarpiMoto (see below)
Locations in Italy, France and Germany

Carpimoto: http://www.carpimoto.com/

Large online retailer of parts
Searchable by Make and Model
Way too many parts to list (65 pages just for the Brutale), but many are 'universal' bits like stickers, keychains and the like
Key retailer for Rizoma parts and accessories
Located in Genoa, Italy

Kaufmann Motos AG: http://www.hrkaufmann.ch/onlineshop/

Site is entirely in German
CRC Carbon bits
Magnesium and carbon wheels
License plate relocators
Turn signals of many types, including the Brutale 'passenger grab bar' area relocation set
Upgraded headlight for Brutale
F4 windscreens (5 types/colors), Brutale windscreens (two types)
Sliders (crash protectors) for all Agustas
Exhausts
Race bodywork, dash, windscreens
Nice billet top triple tree for F4
F4 slipper-clutch
MV Agusta CRC clothing and accessories, models, covers, stands and rugs
Located in Muhen, Switzerland

MV Agusta Parts (German, ships Intl): http://www.mvagusta-parts.com/e_startseite.html

Electronic speedometer recalibrator for all Agustas (recommended if changing sprockets)
All bodywork (unpainted) for racing or custom paint/replacement
Quickreleaseefastenerss
Crashpads (sliders) for all Agustas
Sprockets and chains (and quick-change carriers)
Forged aluminum and magnesium wheels; carbon wheels (Marchesini, PVM and BST)
Quality carbon fiber body parts (money- back guarantee!) for all Agustas
Brembo radial brake upgrade bits; all parts needed
All-in-one brake light and other signal lights
SIL (F4 and Brutale) and Arrow exhaust (Brutale)
Severalfastenerr options
Billet triple clamps (2 types)
Clip-ons
Rearsets (interesting design)
The famed German 860cc upgrade for Agusta 750 engines!
Slipper clutch for the 750 engine
Ohlins suspension
Every special tool and several stand choices
Large selection of stickers (not all listed on site)
Amazing selection of Agusta gear, such as jackets, model kits, key chains and even a tire valvle cover in the shape of a piston
Located in Mainburg, Germany

MV Agusta Benlux: http://www.racemotoren.nl/index_MV.html

Dutch source for MV Agusta Corse parts and kits
Also MV Agusta Corse apparel and gear

Shift-Tech: http://www.shift-tech.com/shop/enter.html

US seller for Lieb-Speed Carbon parts
Also on eBay as "kartwholesale", where some MV carbon parts are also auctioned\sold by them
Very high quality prepreg carbon and also sells MV fitment Gilles rearsets

Riding House: http://www.riding-house.com/parts/agusta.htm

Supplier of some nice rearsets
Also, they have the MV Corse Titanium exhausts, HID headlight kits, fork sliders, radiator covers for F4 and Brutale
They also have special, shop built bikes
Based in Osaka, Japan

eMoto/eBusters: http://www.emotouk.com/mvagusta.htm

Many parts here, including special carbon bits.
They also have MV Corse parts, bags, tank protectors, exhausts (Moto Corse, Arrow), performance parts such as air filters and Power Commanders, Gilles rearsets, frame sliders and protectors, windscreens and suede seats.
Excellent customer service!
Based in the UK

MV Agusta Deutschland GmbH: http://www.mvagusta.de/

Well designed site with news and updates in German
Mostly standard MV Agusta Corse parts
They sell many of the special parts in sets as well
Their special claim is the ultimate MV Agusta Tool Set; found under "MV Racing", "PRODUKTE" , "Special" - Great kit, but rather expensive
Based in Wesseling, Germany

DucatiShop: http://www.ducatishop.ch/

Look under MV Agusta on the left navigation pane
They have many parts from the MotoCorse Japan parts producer (see entry above) including the Brembo radial mount kit, Brutale rear seat cowl, some of their nice Ti bits, etc. They can also get most of their other parts not listed on their site
They also have the STM slipper clutch; Marchesini, Marvic, Dymag and BST wheels; various makes of many carbon parts - some hard-to-find; STM sprockets; chains; many Rizoma parts; various aftermarket turn indicators; rearsets from a few manufacturers - over 150 parts overall!
(Gunnar recommends!)
Located in Switzerland

Ilmberger Carbonparts: http://www.ilmberger-carbon.de/

Carbon parts for Brutale only currently; prices not listed
Quality appears superb
(Another Gunnar recommendation!)
Located in Germany

MCET: http://www.mcet.de/

More carbon parts for MV Agusta
Possibly other parts that would be useful for Agusta's, but the site is entirely in German
Located in Germany

Ducati Shed\Norton-SP: http://www.norton-sp.com/

Carbon parts for F4 and Brutale (many good photos) with good pricing
Dzus fasteners of all sorts
The necessary rear-wheel removal tool and a nice leather case to carry it in
The Kellermann halogen signals
And, the high-chrome silver wheel paint!
Based in Hamburg, Germany and starting to grow...

Motovation: http://www.motovationusa.com/mvstore/Scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=64

Noteable for frame\fork\axle sliders for all MV Agusta models
License plate relocation kits
Arrow headers, mid-pipe and exhaust
Clutch and Brake Lever 'Skinz'
Nice Rearsets
Integrated rear signals and clear replacement lenses for stock signals
Based in Austin, Texas USA.

More to come...

There are, generally, two types of motorcycle owner, the tinkerer and the stocker. The stock people will buy a bike and leave it 'as is' throughout its existence; they may hold onto it forever or sell it when the next interesting machine is released on the world. We won't be dealing with them here. This is for those who like to change only some things or everything on their machine.

The tinkerers are always looking for the next best bit of hardware that will add that extra something to their bike. Some just buy one or two little add-ons to improve the look or performance of their machine and some go all out and just buy everything that they can get their hands on. This post is for the tinkerer; this will be a one-source for all currently known parts suppliers.

With MV Agusta there are limited resources, as we all know. Since this very exclusive make is most certainly a small company and produces only a few thousand motorcycles a year, not many suppliers make parts for them as they do for the big four in Japan, the American contingent, or our Italian cousins. So, this list is an attempt to bring together suggested suppliers, manufacturers and retailers that have been mentioned in many different posts in the various MV Agusta forums.

So, here will be website listings, mostly, with direct links to MV Agusta pages when possible. Also, some companies with only phone numbers may be listed. Comments are most welcome; experiences with quality of parts, ease of use, customer service and such will be very useful. As more information is made available about special and unique parts, they will be added to this list. Please contact Chris at quixotic_1@earthlink.net with any questions, concerns or additions

Dzus fastener damage to fairing paint? Read on:

2005-09-13T13:44:00.000-05:00

Submitted by Jerry Finley

I'm anal.. so sue me.. Comes from being the #1 motorcycle detailer in the south for 5 years in a row. I have had my 03 MV F4 for just a few months now and I already notice just a bit of scarring of the paint where the Dzus fasteners rub against it. It may get worse.. it may not, but rather than just bend over and take it.... here's one solution that's cheap and effective.. While Home Depot and Lowes are retailer's of this stuff, they usually do NOT carry the Clear version. I simply ordered mine direct at 800.327.8583 EST Behold my humble How-To...

Parts/Materials Needed:
(1) Can Star Brite Liquid Electrical Tape from http://www.starbrite.com/ (about $6)

(1) pair pliers or vise grips
(1) block of styrofoam
(1) Imported beer

Step #1: Getting StartedI chose to do my fasteners a few at a time rather than remove all of them and the bodywork, but that was just a personal preference.First.. Remove whatever fasteners that you plan to coat from your bike. Make sure the ring of each fastener is clean.

Remember.. you are ONLY coating the end of the RING.. not the entire fastener. Duh. After you dip each Dzus in the liquid it will bead up and roll with the angle so you'll have to hang it upside down so the bead hangs perfectly down. This will guarantee that the majority of the hardened liquid is at the point where the fastener comes into contact with the bikes paint surface..
The consistency of the StarBrite liquid is, for the lack of a better analogy, thick as molasses. You don't want to get any more on the ring than is necessary. As the liquid does NOT come to the top of the can, you'll need to hold the fastener with a pair of pliers or vise grips. Do NOT leave the fastener in the "juice" for more than a second or two as you want as little on the ring as possible.

Step #2: Hang 'Em HighOnce you've dipped your Dzus (hmmm... sounds sexy....makes my nipples hard.. but I digress...) you'll need to hang them upside down for a full 24hrs as is recommended in the packaging. I chose a block of Styrofoam which worked like a charm.

Step #3: Reinstall...Hopefully, you did wait the required 24 hrs.. If you've done it correctly, you can't even see the coating on each ring. A few will have a slight accumulation, but hardly noticeable.

Reinstall, sit back and revel in your own magnificence. Your bike's paint will now stay as God/Yewah, Crom intended... You're done.. Beer/Bong time..

Visit Jerry's site including additional how-to's and parts for sale at: http://piratesk12site.net/MVIntro.htm

-edited JamesC

Spark Plug Fitments

2005-09-13T12:32:00.000-05:00

Beyond the normal replacement of spark plugs it has come to light that there is occasional stalling, especially on 1000cc models, which can be remedied by the use of certain spark plugs. Please also note that your throttle body sync and base CO% should also be carefully checked as this can be root cause of stalling on it's own.

Spark Plugs to use:

NGK CR9EIX - iridium, confirmed fix for stalling
NGK CR9EB - normal replacement model for brutale per manual - confirmed fix for stalling
NGK CR9E - normal replacement model for 750cc per manual
Champion G59c - normal prescribed replacement model for 750cc per manual

Spark Plugs fitted to bike as OEM:

NGK CR9EB for 750S
CHAMPION G 54 V for SPR/SR/Senna
NGK CR9EKB for Senna
NGK R 0045 - J 10 for Senna

NGK CR9EKB - listed as standard on F4 1000/Ago, has been present when stalling, recommend CR9EIX or CR9EB instead

Additional notes about Denso plugs:
Although we were advised by engine designer Andrea Goggi NOT to use denso type plugs, they seem to be popular with the Italian forum members. We were advised Denso type plugs were of an incorrect shape and thus not compatible with the MV heads. If you are interested, the model the Italian forum members are using is: Denso IU27 iridium.

Additional notes:

-Ensure use of anti-seize on spark plug threads
-Torque for fitting spark plugs is 12Nm

Your spark plugs may not come with the small terminal ends which screw onto the end of the plug and insert into the plug wires. These are called "Terminal Nuts" and can be troublesome to find.

Local automotive or motorcycle shops can likely help you, or online at:

http://www.davesmotors.com/store/product997.html

For troubleshooting spark plug appearance:

http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/techinfo/spark_plugs/techtips.asp?nav=31000&country=US

click to enlarge

-JamesC

Fuel Line Fittings

2005-09-12T13:13:00.000-05:00

More than a few MV owners have had their plastic fuel line fittings crack and or break off entirely causing fuel leakage. There are two primary sources for metal (chrome plated brass) replacement fittings. Please note materials and writeup at bottom of page if you have an F4 1000 or Brutale 910 derivative.

OMEGA ENGINEERING, INC.

http://www.omega.com/pdf/tubing/couplings/ft-lcseries/ft-lcseries.asp

updated page: http://www.omega.com/pptst/ftlc.html -courtesy John/falcopilot

P/N FT-LCD100-04-VITON - Coupling Body or threaded part that fits into tank
P/N FT-LCD230-06-VITON - Hose Barb or part that fits on hose

(photos courtesy of hb)

Colder Products Corp. available through Ryan Herco

http://webcat.ryanherco.com/products/040/110/140/040110140.cfm

P/N LCD10004 - Coupling Body or threaded part that fits into tank
P/N LCD23006 - Hose Barb or part that fits on hose

The main culprit is "usually" the Hose Barb which is the 90 degree elbow fitting but some owners have had the Coupling Body fail. The metal elbow replacement will work fine with the stock plastic fitting in the tank if you choose to go that route. If you choose to also replace the Coupling Body be sure to wrap the threads with some teflon tape prior to installation.

Note: When ordering you may want to purchase some extras to have as back-ups.

It is advised that you regularly replace the viton O-rings and also add a small amount of silicone grease to them before re-assembly.

http://www.mcmaster.com/ is a good source for replacement O-rings, amongst other things. You can purchase a package of 100 for US$5-8.

Male side Viton (Fluorocarbon) O-Ring (black) AS568A Dash # 011, 7/16 inch O.D. by 5/16 inch I.D. by 1/16 inch wide - McMaster-Carr Part # 9464K16, $7.54 per 100 pack (courtesy of the Ducati forum). This is the side to grease at every removal.

Female side (in tank dry break) Viton (Fluorocarbon) O-Ring (black) 9464K13 at 5/16 OD by 3/16 ID

Also, pay attention when putting your tank back on as to how you position the fuel lines. They should be positioned left to right, not front to back, or they could get pinched between the tank and frame cross member.

Note: A Triumph dealer is another alternative if you’re in a bind but I understand that they only offer ¼” fittings so you’ll also have to replace the fuel lines as well to make them work.

MV Factory manual also suggests the use of Loctite 577 on the thread interface between fuel pump housing and quick connect fitting.

=================Note post 2005 info below regarding fuel line============
===========================Thanks to Altoon/AP===================
Performing the fuel fitting swap (metal for plastic) on the F4 1000cc and Brutale 910 motors is not as straight-forward as it used to be on the 750s. The challenge stems from the use of a new fuel line. It is interesting to note that this new fuel line does not use any clamps at the fittings!

The line is constructed from two parts; a firm, stiff inner core, and a softer, pliable outer cover (see the photo for reference). The inner core material appears to be made from a PVC tube with a fluor-polymer coating. The outer tubing is made from Sunprene, a PVC based thermoplastic elastomer that is often used as a replacement for rubber. The supplier for the fuel hose is Dayco. Unfortunately, I have not been able to determine a part number for the hose.

The problem is that the inner core is very stiff, and it will not slide over the barbed end of the male fuel fitting. As can be seen in the photo, the I.D. of the tube is smaller than the O.D. of the fitting. Getting the hose on the fitting is very extremely difficult, but it can be done. My approach was to cut the old plastic fitting off at the hose junction. Then using a hammer, I hit the hose to break the remaining barbed end into pieces, which were pulled out with a set of small needle-nose pliers. Next, the new fitting was forced into the hose. And I do mean forced. You need to act quickly as the inner tube will actually shrink, making the fitment almost impossible. It helps to lubricate the fitting barbs and inner hose with silicone spray.

At this time, attempts are being made to find alternatives to the fuel line. However, there have been some problems in sourcing all the necessary components.

The fuel fittings on the fuel rail end are made by John Guest (http://www.johnguest.com/). In order to make a replacement fuel hose system, these fitting will be required. However, obtaining the fittings has been extremely difficult.

This photo shows the fitting as it sits on the fuel rail, with the gas tank installed. You can see this fitting if you remove the either of the two silver side-plates that cover the tank mounting hardware.

This is a close-up photo of the fitting itself. The end inside the hose is barbed. To release the fitting from the rail, you press on the two tabs on either side then slide it off. One tab is indicated by the red arrow.

Here is a photo of the fuel rail after the fitting has been removed. Note the ring on the tube (red arrow). This is the latch collar that the John Guest fitting snaps onto. When you press the tabs on the sides of the fitting, you will release it from this latch collar.

TGM, TS, BC, FP, JC, AP, HB

Valentine 1 radar detector installation

2005-09-12T13:05:00.000-05:00

Provided by Jerry Finley
http://piratesk12site.net/MVV1.htm

How anyone can ride a high performance motorcycle without a radar detector is beyond my comprehension...I can't ride 10 minutes without getting nailed with a "velocity award.".. Never fails. First thing I do when I purchase any motorcycle is figure in the cost of either the Passport 8500 or the Valentine One.. Depending on who you talk to, either is arguably the best money can buy. I run the Passport 8500 on my K12RS, but it simply didn't fit right on the MV so I paid the bucks and bought a new V1 for this install. FYI.. I have installed over 100 detectors over the years and 100% of them involved in-helmet speakers which involves lots of clever wiring. On the MV I took a different route.. With the exception of the power wire and ground for the V1... I went wireless using the H.A.R.D which is ...Inside Helmet Visual Alert - Instead of a blaring speaker, H.A.R.D. provides an immediate visual alert: a flashing LED light , inside the helmet that is illuminated within your field of vision allowing immediate recognition of radar. The H.A.R.D. consists of two miniature devices. A transmitter that broadcasts to a receiver within the helmet. Here is a step-by step of what I've done on my MV....

Parts/Materials Needed:
(1) Valentine One Radar Detector from http://www.valentineone.com/ (US $399)
(1) H.A.R.D. from http://www.legalspeeding.com/ (About US $160)
(1) Some hex wrenches / vise grips
(1) various wire splicing tools/crimpers/wire tires/electric tape
(1) heavy duty Velcro
(1) J B Weld or sodering gun
(1) 1 Six pack (Imported beer)

Wiring: Hot WireThis is a relatively easy install once you find out a good hot wire and ground... so you can benefit from my torment. FYI..both the furnished manual and the $100 shop manual are useless as tit's on a boar for determining wire color codes on this bike.. It's as if it was written by Stevie Wonder and edited by Ray Charles. I had to take my F4 to a local legend and BMW Jedi Knight to let him peruse the wiring. He deciphered the Matrix code and showed me a good place to run the hot wire and suggested a couple of places for a ground. As per the prophecy.. his advice was dead on...

1. Loosen (but do not remove) the (2) screws securing the left side rear view mirror post then remove the (4) screws securing the left side plate to expose wiring harness (see pic at right).
2. After the 4 screws have been removed do NOT try to yank the plate off as one small wiring harness is attached underneath. This plate does NOT come out easily. It must be coaxed a little. Unplug the single wire harness fastened to the underside and set plate aside.
3. Unplug the large wire harness. You may have to slice the plastic coating back a little to access the wire. The hot wire I used on my 2003 is the Red wire with Green stripe. This is a switched wire meaning that when your key is off.. the power is off. I did a dry run to see how much actual V1 wire I needed then using one of the finished wire clips, I spliced directly into this hot wire.

Wiring: Ground
The hot wire was the easy part.. the ground proved to be a pain in the ass. There's really nothing easily accessible. You may have better luck. I chose to run the ground wire off the V1 to the metal clip that secures the headlight housing as shown in this pic...

1. I removed the clip and using J B Weld (a mixable liquid weld) secured the ground wire directly to the clip.
2. I waited about 4 hours for the J B to dry then reinstalled.
3. As to make sure the area of contact remains in top shape I placed a dab of liquid rubber electrical sealant over the entire area. It forms a waterproof barrier as well as secures the wire even better. This stuff can be purchased at Home Depot or Lowes for about $5 and is simply a liquid equivalent of electrical tape or shrink tubing. It dries in 5 minutes. Comes in 4 or 5 colors.

Hiding Wires: / V1 Install
The word here is anal....Routing the wires in a "clean" fashion has it's own rewards so take your time.. Try to have your new extra wiring as tucked in as possible before you replace the metal side plate. It's a tight fit any way you look at it and with all your new wire under there.. it's even tougher...

1. Replace the plate and (4) screws. Make sure the metal fairing post that holds the rear view mirror is positioned properly over the plate before tightening the (2) upper screws. If this post is NOT positioned properly with the two tits slotting into the 2 holes in the plate, your left front blinker will NOT work. The only thing you should have sticking out when done is the telephone type wire that powers the V1 and the ground wire.You should have about 8-10" length for both.
2. OK..Where to install the V1? A dilemma.. or is it? Here's my solution. Pay attention. The V1 comes with a sunviser clip. What I did was bend the very end of this clip flat using some vise grips. The sunviser clip now has a flat edge.
3. Take a little sand paper and smooth out the textured surface of the viser clip. Clean it off well.
4. The inside of the fairing on the left side has a perfect spot to secure this visor clip. (see pic at right) In the pic shown I used some white Velcro for test and positioning purposes. Make sure when positioning you check your lock-to-lock to make sure your bars clear the V1. Mine had about 1/2" clearance when done. I have since added some black industrial strength Velcro and it's holding solid as a rock. The best part is, I can simply slide the V1 out of the clip and unplug in a matter of seconds and it looks like it belongs here.

H.A.R.D. Install:
The HARD unit is a simple two piece system. The lower end consists of a tiny 3/4"x1" box with a phone type wire coming out of it. The upper is a small box with a flexible wire (with RED LED on the end) and an on/off switch. The way it works is this...

1. Plug the V1 phone type power wire (that is sticking out from underneath your metal side plate) into the side of the HARD.
2. Plug the HARD into the side of the V1... I stuck the little HARD transmitter inside the opening of the V1 visor clip. Perfect!
3. Place the receiver either inside your helmet under some padding.. neck-roll or ear opening (or stick on the outside of your helmet for easy access.) Keep in mind.. the HARD receiver is NOT waterproof.
4. Run the flexible wire with the RED LED light to where you can see it with your peripheral vision. A little trial and error is necessary to find the proper spot. I chose the Janet Jackson method of coming up from the bottom like a microphone. That's it.

Notes of Importance: Yes.. Ideally the V1 should be exposed for best reception of evil radar/laser waves. I chose a cleaner.. hidden-from-view method of install just so I wouldn't fuck up the visual beauty of the bike. A trade off, perhaps but, IMHO.. clean is good. BTW. Reception seems to be almost as good as if it weren't shooting through fiberglass.. Surprisingly, the V1's face is clearly in view and a quick glance offers easy view of the arrows showing were the "bad guys" are... Cool!
Also: There is a downside of the H.A.R.D. The receiving unit (on your helmet) must be switched on when in use.. and OFF when you get off the bike. Other people I spoke to confessed they regularly forgot to turn the unit off after their ride which means over night the two furnished watch-type batteries will go dead.. Sure enough.. after my first test ride.. I forgot. Next day.. TWO dead batteries. With my pathetic memory I think I'll be buying a dozen at a time... Another job well done, me thinks...Next time you ride.. you're on a quasi-level playing field with the blue meanies.... For now...Ride fast.. brake hard.....

Visit Jerry's site including additional how-to's and parts for sale at:

http://piratesk12site.net/MVIntro.htm

Wheel fitments and weights for OEM and aftermarket

2005-09-12T10:53:00.000-05:00

Following is a list of wheels, their weights and MOI - which fit MV Agusta Brutale and F4 with two popular industry alternatives listed for comparison [which do not].

For the MOI, "Moment of inertia"basically lower is better on a comparative level, has to do with the force to spin up at a certain rotational acceleration and the gyroscopic characteristics. How the wheel "deals" with it's weight.

Data listed in Front/Rear format.

SportRider Magazine Feb 04:

-BST street: Front 5.5lb / Rear 10.4lb MOI: 217 lb in2 / 304lb in2

photo courtesy BST

-Carrozzeria forged alu: F 9.4 / R 14.02 MOI: 421 / 587 (no known MV fit)

-Dymag Carbon: F 7.3 / R 12.38 MOI: 301 / 406

photo courtesy dymag.com

-Marchesini forged alu: F 8.82 / R 13.8 MOI: 362 / 496 *Rear=9.98lb SS swingarm
-Marchesini forged mg: F 6.54 / R 11.12 MOI: 276 / 373 *Rear=7.76lb SS swingarm

-Marchesini Shining forged Alu "Kompe": F 8.23lb / R 10.42 3.73kg / 4.72kg
photo courtesy TAWvehicle.com

Brembo Superlight Forged Aluminum: F 6.47 / R 7.17 MOI: unknown
Kg. 2.938 (Forged Alu Front) Kg. 3.253 (Forged Alu Rear)

photos courtesy Gunnar

-Marvic Penta cast mg: F 7.46 / R 12.16 MOI: 327 / 437

photos courtesy pro6cycle.com

-OZ HL02 (Aprilia RSVR Factory) F 8.4 / R 15.54 MOI 331 / 565 (no known MV fit)

-PVM forged al Y5: F 7.96 / R 13.44 MOI: 346 / 489
-PVM forged mg Y5: F 5.6 / R 9.76 MOI: 209 / 290

photos courtesy ema-usa.com

Manufacturer supplied data, new wheel was not yet released as of above test:
Found on www.ema-usa.com
PVM forged alu Y10: F 8 / R 12.5 MOI: ? but 20% lower than Y5 alu
PVM forged mg Y10: F 5 / R 8 MOI: ? but 20% lower than their Y5 mg

photo courtesy ema-usa

photo courtesy www.motocorse.jp

-MV Agusta OEM Aluminum rims combined: 11.6kg / 25.55lbs

-MV Agusta OEM ORO Magnesium rims combined: 7.1kg/ 15.7lbs
3.2 front and 3.9 rear

- Marchesini 10 spoke magnesium rims combined: 6.49kg / 14.3lb ss swingarm
- Marchesini 10 spoke aluminum rims combined: 8.5kg / 18.8lb ss swingarm
*incl spacers and bearings per motowheels.com

-BST Carbon Fiber rims combined: 7.2kg / 16.6lbs per motowheels.com for ss swingarm
*incl bearings, valvestems and spacers

-PVM magnesium rims combined: 6.8kg

=====================================
From TAW, source of Brembo parts and Marchesini wheels:
http://www.tawvehicle.com/alloyperf.htm

Alloy Process UTS: Ultimate Tensile Strength
Al-356-2 Aluminum Cast 228 mpa/33 KSI
AZ-91D Magnesium Cast 230 / 34
AL-6061-T6 Aluminum Forged 310 / 45
MA-14 Magnesium Forged 328 / 48
This is an area where the forged process gives you higher strength and performance. The higher the number the stronger the wheel. This means that the forged aluminum wheel is 36% stronger than the cast aluminum wheel. The forged magnesium wheel is 42% stronger than the cast magnesium wheel.

Alloy Process YTS: Yield Tensile Strength
Al-356-2 Aluminum Cast 166 MPA / 24.1 KSI
AZ-91D Magnesium Cast 160 / 23
AL-6061-T6 Aluminum Forged 276 / 40
MA-14 Magnesium Forged 287 / 42

Again, this shows the yield tensile strength of the product. You can see that the forged aluminum is 66% stronger than the cast aluminum.The forged magnesium is 79% stronger than the cast magnesium.

Alloy Process Elongation
Al-356-2 Aluminum Cast 3.5%
AZ-91D Magnesium Cast 3.0%
AL-6061-T6 Aluminum Forged 12.0%
MA-14 Magnesium Forged 10.0%
This shows how brittle the material is. The higher the percentage number the stronger the material is. The lower percentage shows that the material is more brittle and is more likely to fail under an impact.
=======================================

JamesC

Rear Brake reservoir relocation & resolving poor performance

2005-09-08T10:36:00.000-05:00

Although the usefulness of the rear brake is debated time and again this article only hopes to explain a few ways to improve its performance should you so choose.

There are several possibilities for improvement, from fairly simple to fairly involved. We will start with the simple methods and move to the more involved, some owners stop at the simplest method while others move to the most complicated - your results may vary depending on how you use the rear brake.

Section #1 - easy bleeding of rear brake
Section #2 - adds the complete bleeding process to above
Section #3 - relocation of rear brake reservoir

First, high quality brake fluid should be used in all of the below scenarios. You are interested in the specification level of fluid, the dry boiling point and the wet boiling point.

Here is a very good write-up by a well respected automotive engineering expert, Carrol Shelby, on brake fluid properties:

http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_brakefluid_1a.shtml

The two most popular fluids are Motul RBF 600 and Castrol SRF. Motul is much easier to find and about 25% the cost of Castrol SRF yet is not quite at the level of SRF, as the article explained in detail. Most automotive and motorcycle shops carry in stock or have access to Motul RBF600. Specialty race shops, most likely automotive, will need to be contacted for Castrol SRF purchase.

Motul RBF600 data sheet:
http://www.motul.com/motulbaseuk/gab_fiche2b.asp

Castrol SRF data sheet:
http://www.castrol.com/liveassets/bp_internet/castrol/castrol_usa/STAGING/local_assets/downloads/c/ccc.pdf

The simplest method of resolution is to simply bleed your rear brake. There is an easy way and a more complete way to do this:

*Note, brake fluid is extremely damaging to finishes. Protect all surfaces from fluid!

Parts needed:
Brake fluid
Clear hose (like that for aquarium which fits over rear caliper nipple. ~6mm or 1/4")
Container for old brake fluid drain

#1 Easiest
-Remove lower V fairing
-Remove right side fairing
-*Remove rear wheel *note reverse threaded 55mm wheel nut at 220-240Nm
-Remove rear brake reservoir from behind right side frame plate *(2) 8mm bolts and note hose routing for reassembly
-Relocate reservoir to engine side cover for easy access, tie to footpeg or dzus plate keeping level -Remove black Rear Caliper nipple cover and attach clear hose which drains into container
-Carefully remove reservoir top with two cross-head/philips screws
-Carefully remove rubber diaphragm from inside reservoir. Note the shape of the diaphragm for reassembly, it is shaped to take up space in the reservoir
-Remove almost all old fluid before adding new. Leave barely just enough at the bottom so no air is sucked into the system before adding new fluid
-Fill fluid to 1/4 - 1/2 of the reservoir
-Pump rear brake pedal 3+ times to build up pressure in system, hold pedal down at last stroke to keep pressure in system
-Using combination wrench (8mm) slightly open the rear caliper bleed nipple allowing fluid to escape into discard container while continuing to apply pressure to brake pedal. Close bleed nipple as soon as fluid stops moving and then you can release brake pedal
-Pump rear brake pedal 3+ times and continue the two steps above, alternating building up pressure and releasing the old fluid into the discard container

Reassembly:
-Tighten fully then remove combination wrench from rear caliper bleed nipple
-Remove fluid hose and replace bleed nipple cover
-Clean off rubber reservoir diaphragm and reshape
-Add or remove fluid so that there is approx 1/4-1/3 fluid filling the reservoir
-Insert diaphragm paying careful attention to brake fluid level, you want the fluid to reach the fill line of the reservoir when diaphragm is completely inserted
-Screw cover closed on reservoir
*suggest pumping brake pedal testing caliper bleed nipple and reservoir cover for leaks
-Rebolt reservoir behind right side frame plate paying close attention to hose routing
-Reattach rear wheel noting reverse threaded 55mm wheel nut, torque to 220-240Nm

*Note, pay close attention to the reservoir during this work never allowing it to empty! If it sucks air into the system you will have to work to remove all air from hoses/caliper all over again! Much like a bathtub drain the vacuum can suck air into the system even when there is a small amount of fluid at the bottom - beware.

Once all air is removed and you are sure it is only new fluid in the system you are done with this easiest method, suggest you at least read over next hardest method, complete bleeding, for further understanding should this process alone not entirely fix the rear brake.

#2 Complete Bleeding
-Remove lower V fairing
-Remove right side fairing
-Remove rear wheel *note reverse threaded wheel nut at 220-240Nm
-Remove rear brake reservoir from behind right side frame plate *(2) 8mm bolts
-Relocate reservoir to engine side cover for easy access, tie to footpeg or dzus plate keeping level
-Remove black Rear Caliper nipple cover and attach clear hose which drains into container -Carefully remove reservoir top with two cross-head/philips screws
-Carefully remove rubber diaphragm from inside reservoir. Note the shape of the diaphragm for reassembly, it is shaped to take up space in the reservoir
-Remove almost all old fluid before adding new. Leave barely just enough at the bottom so no air is sucked into the system before adding new fluid
-Fill fluid to 1/4 - 1/2 of the reservoir
-Remove the rear brake pads
* Optional - Free rear caliper brake line from swingarm to allow a bit of slack
-Remove the two bolts attaching caliper to swingarm mount
-Position the rear brake caliper so that the bleed nipple is the highest point on the assembly, this allows any air bubbles to rise to the top during the bleeding process
*Optional - reinstall rear brake pads to act as spacers and thus keep caliper pistons from hyperextending during bleeding process
-Pump rear brake pedal 3+ times to build up pressure in system, hold pedal down at last stroke to keep pressure in system
-Using combination wrench *8mm slightly open the rear caliper bleed nipple allowing fluid to escape into discard container while continuing to apply pressure to brake pedal. Close bleed nipple as soon as fluid stops moving and then you can release brake pedal
-Pump rear brake pedal 3+ times and continue the two steps above, alternating building up pressure and releasing the old fluid into the discard container
*Optional step, once you are sure all old fluid has been evacuated you can then run your bleed nipple extraction hose back into the reservoir. This cycles the new fluid through the caliper and hoses thus extracting the air bubles but without wasting good new fluid

#3 Relocation of Rear Brake Reservoir

Parts needed:
Length of brake hose, 1m / 3ft (? Inner Diameter)
Small piece of alu or metal to serve as a bracket
*Optional, two new hose clamps fro brake hose

Starting in 2003, F4 750 models were fitted with a relocated rear brake reservoir to help keep it away from residual exhaust heat. Some owners have made a modification to mimic this. The Brutale and 1000cc models also had their reservoir relocated to reside behind the right side frame plate and under the gas/petrol tank.

-Remove lower v-cowl fairing
-Remove right side fairing
-Remove rear wheel, 55mm reverse threaded 220-240Nm
-Remove (2) 8mm bolts to free the rear brake reservoir from behind the right side frame plate
-Remove (2) cross-head/philips screws on reservoir cap and empty fluid
-Remove hose from bottom of reservoir
-Remove hose from rear brake master cylinder
-Remove upper exhaust mount bolt

Approximate the size needed for a small custom bracket, this will affix the rear brake reservoir to the upper exhaust mount as follows

Photo courtesy John King

It is likely you will have enough bolt length on the original bolt but if you choose a large width bracket you may need to extend your exhaust mount bolt by the corresponding amount. A simple bolt, nut and lock washer will affix the reservoir to the new bracket.

-Route your new brake line, without yet affixing to reservoir or master cylinder, from the general location of each, down subframe, behind frame plate and around to the master cylinder

Photo courtesy John King

Photo courtesy John King

Photo courtesy John King

Photo courtesy John King

Some owners have also protected their brake line with heat resistant shielding such as that manufactured by thermotec:

http://www.thermotec.com/products/full/14005/14005.html

These sleeves will need to be added before you affix your new brake line to either side.

-Affix new line to each side of the system, reservoir and rear brake master cylinder - double check hose clamps on both ends
-Proceed to bleed the rear brake system as seen in section #1 or #2 above
-Reinstall rear wheel with 55mm reverse threaded wheel nut at 22-240Nm

Please note there are alternate methods of bleeding a brake system such as that offered by Mighty Vac and others. On motorcycles I happen to prefer to use the master cylinder itself to bleed as the reservoirs on motorcycles are so small it is easy to overcome the new fluid supply and accidentally suck air into the system. There are some advantages to these systems however, in that their pressure may overcome bubbles in the system which can remain embedded by simple master cylinder pressure. Most users prefer to stay below 12psi / .83 bar so as not to damage seals in the system.
The use of these systems is fairly universal, you attach the extraction tube to the caliper bleed nipple, either pump up pressure or turn on compressor, and then release the valve which sucks the old fluid into the system's extraction container.

If you are interested in these systems see below:

Mighty Vac can be found at most automotive repair supply shops. It is the hand pump type and has only a small extraction reservoir:

Another vendor who offers a few types of bleed systems is Griots Garage in the USA
www.griotsgarage.com

The following unit is a hand pump type and has a very large extraction reservoir (can also be used to extract oil from the sump, for example):

The following unit is a compressor type whereby you connect the unit to the air hose and only have to use the release valve trigger to begin extraction, it has a middle sized extraction reservoir:

-JamesC

Oils suggested by the factory

2005-09-07T13:25:00.000-05:00

There are two officially supported and suggested motor oils per the Research and Development Lab at the factory.

The first, and specified per the manual, is Agip:

Agip 4T 10W - 60

This can be ordered directly from American Agip for USA owners:
http://www.americanagip.com/

The next oil is somewhat easier to find and is available and most motorcycle retailers or online

Motul 300V 15W-50

This is from the MV Yahoogroups and originates with the engine deisgner:

"Another bit of informations: change oil every 6000 Kms (3,728mi). Seems banal, but any
kind of problem related to wear can be influenced by oil change.

We use AGIP Racing 4T 10W-60 and it it really works well (it's not only a
commercial issue).
We also have direct experience with Motul V 300 15W-50, which is also a very good
oil. "

-JamesC

Tire selection and fitment for 120/65 and 120/70

2005-09-07T12:41:00.000-05:00

Thank you to: Mike Tiltson, Andy Ruhl, Pete et al

Although it was officially suggested that no 120/70/17 tires be fitted to 750cc models, which came standard with hard to find 120/65/17 rubber, the factory chose to increase rake by .5deg on the 1000cc to allow for more commercial tire selection by owners. The reasoning behind this size restriction is contact of the front tire to the radiator(s) under heavy braking or bumps causing damage. Owners have found however that there are a few safe choices to be had in the easy to find and popularly sized 120/70/17 size while others prefer to stay with the original 120/65/17 - pick your poison, so to speak.

RED = Track focused

Here are 120/70 tires known to fit F4 750:
Dunlop D208GP
Metzeler Rennsport
Metzeler Racetech
Michelin Pilot Power **NOTE for Brutale only, contacts front fender - use 120/65 or spacer
Pirelli Supercorsa
Pirelli Diablo
Pirelli Diablo Corsa

Here are 120/70 tires known to NOT fit F4 750:
Michelin Pilot Sport
Dunlop D207RR
Continental Attack

Tires that are known to come in a 120/65 size:
Dunlop D207RR (no longer available - NLA)
Michelin Pilot Sport (NLA)
Michelin Pilot Power
Pirelli Dragon Corsa (NLA)
Pirelli Diablo Corsa
Dunlop D207ZR
Bridgestone BT010
Bridgestone BT019
Metzeler Sportec M-1

Important with the above considerations are the actual tire size vs the sidewall number. Not all 120/65 or 120/70 tires are the same actual size in mm. One method is to measure the actual height change from your old/current setting first, from axle to ground for example, then measure the new tire's actual height from the same location once installed. Make suspension changes as appropriate; for example moving from a 120/65 tire to a taller (in actual mm) 120/70 may require you drop the front height by a corresponding number of mm. Balance the rear ride height to accommodate the front's change to maintain proper geometry.

-JamesC

Clip-on risers for no cost *F4

2005-09-07T11:05:00.000-05:00

Submitted by Walter Siegmund

MV Agusta Handle Bar Mod

1) Place bike on rear stand.

2) Remove front fairing. On each side forward just inside the curve in the nose bodywork is a 5 mm hexbolt that goes in at an angle. It’s about 50 mm long. Remove both bolts, left and right. Stand in front ofthe bike facing aft and grab the fairing in thevicinity of where those bolts were. Lift up at a 30-45degree angle and pull backwards towards your gut. The entire fairing comes off as a unit, mirrors and all. No wiring to worry about. Takes a bit of muscle.

3) Drape a rag/towel over the air intake cover on bothsides.

4) Using either a 12mm wrench or socket, break open very slightly one at a time, the banjo bolt on thebrake and clutch master cylinder, just enough torotate the fitting forward about ¾” of arc. Retorque the banjo bolt. A little fluid will come out so make sure all is cleaned up as very harmful to finish.

5) Starting on either side, remove the two handlebar pinch bolts (5mm) that go through the bar clamp. These bolts are two different lengths but it’s obvious which goes where.

6) Remove the master cylinder clamp bolt (5mm). Disconnect the electrical leads. (Brake side: twowires with spade connecters, clutch side: one plasticsnap connector.) Open clamp and remove mastercylinder/ lever/ reservoir. Let drape over air intakecover.

7) Remove handlebar from bar clamp. Take a wood doweland a rubber mallet and gently pound the bar out ofthe clamp and let drape over the air intake cover.

8) Remove the bar clamp from the fork tube. Remove the(5mm) bolt. The clamp is hinged on a locater pin. Letthe clamp lower out of the locater hole and removefrom bike. Mark each clamp as you remove it as O.E.L.or O.E.R. on the inside surface.

9) Take the clamp to your well lit, towel covered workbench. (reason for towel. Will shortly become clear).Each clamp is hinged on a pin that has a protrudingtip that goes in the locater hole in the bottom of theupper triple tree. This pin is retained by a clevis. On each clamp, remove the pin and replace from the opposite direction as stock. The best way to remove the clevis so you can reverse the pin is to take alarge flat blade screwdriver and slowly push the clevis out of the groove in the pin. The towel is there in case you push to fast; the clevis comes offand flies. If it lands on the towel it won’t go far.Without the towel, it could bounce and then you are s.o.l. Once pin is reversed, press clevis back intogroove. Make sure it is home and clevis rotates withpin when pushed.

10) Take the O.E.L. clamp and mount it on the rightfork tube and the O.E.R. on the left fork tube. Makesure the locating pin is seated all the way up in the hole in the triple tree. You will now see that the hinged assembly is upside down. The two bolts that actually clamp the handlebar have to be installed from below. Do not over tighten ANY clamp bolts. They don’tneed much.

11) Now, on each handlebar you will see a metal pinsticking out towards the end. Remove pin from both bars. This pin is a locating pin for the brake and clutch assembly. This will take lots of elbow grease.For the life of me, I don’t know why Mv has a locatingpin for the clutch/brake controls. Crazy. Everybodyhas a different preference for lever elevation.Anyway, remove the pins.

12) Open up the throttle cable housing on the bar (2-5mm bolts) and remove the lower portion. Leave the upper portion on the bar. This is the part the throttle cables enter into. Do not let the cables comeoff the white plastic “sprocket” inside this upper portion. The lower portion that you removed has a protruding pin in the area that mate with the handlebar. File this pin flush with the arc of the housing. Reattach the lower housing to the upper parton bar.

13) Put both handlebars back into the handlebar clamp on the bike. Before you do this, you will notice that the handlebar has a concave locating groove for thelonger of the two bolts that go in this clamp. That groove has to be aligned with the hole for that bolt. Little tricky as it has to be exactly aligned both for distance and rotation. Lightly grease the inside ofthe handlebar clamp, and using the rubber mallet; gently pound the handlebar into the clamp. Initial alignment is best achieved by shining a flashlight down through the hole while tapping the bar in. You will see the groove through the hole as it comes into place. Then, while pushing up on the bolt from below, rotate the bar a little until the bolt goes home. Tighten both bolts, short and long. You will not be able to get to them once the brake/clutch assemblies are installed.

14) Install clutch and brake assembly adjusting elevation of lever to suit, attaching the electrical lead connectors prior to final clamping. It’s a good idea at this point to make sure those connections are sound. Turn on the ignition. Test the brake light andpush the starter button to make sure it turns over.

15) Reinstall front fairing. You’ll see that the mirror support bracket has a locating pin that goes in a hole on the receptacle on the bike. The fairing takes some muscle to reposition. You will hear it snap into place. Before you replace those 50mm long bolts, turn on ignition and make sure the directional lights in the mirrors work. If not, you are not home in position with the fairing.

16) Now, as you rotate the bars SLOWLY full left and right lock, you will notice that the throttle cables, if the housing is in the O.E. position, just touch the inside of the fairing/screen at full left lock. Rotate the throttle cable housing rearward just enough so that at full left lock, it doesn’t touch the fairing.Tighten throttle housing bolts (5mm). Don’t overtighten.

17) Check the alignment of the master cylinder hose fittings and make final adjustment if necessary for proper hose routing. On the brake side, alignment should be such that the hose goes down equidistant between the fork tube and inner air duct housing. The clutch fitting should be far enough forward that the hose does not bind on the fork tube.

18) Bleed your brake and clutch lines. If you were careful when you slightly loosened the banjo bolts, might not be necessary. But never hurts to bleed those lines.

19) Ride and enjoy a more comfortable position withgreater leverage.

-edited JamesC

Battery Problems, Tips, and Alternatives

2005-08-26T10:08:00.000-05:00

As you may have previously read, there have been some instances where the stock F4 battery has leaked causing damage to the rear shock and swingarm. After much discussion the consensus is that this is caused by improper battery preparation by some dealers and or owners. After filling, it is advised that you let it sit upright for 24 hours before capping and then on it's side for another 24 hours to allow sufficient time for out-gassing or it will build internal pressure and leak. It is not a pretty sight! (photos courtesy of John King)

An empty plastic oil container can be used to make a containment tub which is set into the stock battery tray. An absorbent mat can also be added to the inside of this to help with spillage should it occur. (photos courtesy of James Corell)

There are also some alternative replacement batteries that are available if you prefer not to use the stock FIAMM unit. Here is a starter list which will be added to as more info comes in:

Yuasa YT12A-BS which is also used on Suzuki GSXR 750 2000/2003 TL1000R 1998/2003 and GSXR 1300R Hayabusa 1999/2004

Yuasa YTZ10S used by MV as a factory upgrade and also used on Honda CBR954RR 2002/2003 and CBR1000RR 2004

Yuasa YTX9-BS which may be replaced by a Westco 12V9-B or a Bosch 508 012 088/0 097 150 80C (this is a UK sourced number and appears to be a dealer P/N for the unit)

http://www.apexbattery.com/yuasa-ytx9-bs-motorcycle-battery.html

Note: The above units are know as AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) type batteries which are sealed and therefore should not spill acid on components although there have been a few occasions where this happened, please read below.

There's two problems that have come to light over here (Australia) with the new breed of batteries, you may already know that Ducati, Triumph, and some other brands have been having major warranty claims over these things since their introduction. Triumph is now sending all dealers world wide a rising rate charger for the pre-delivery (first charging of the batteries). This seems to get them to their max charge rate and helps them keep it over a long period as well. It is also known here that you have to leave the batteries after this charge to sit for 6 to 12 hours before fitting into a bike (more important if the battery lies on it's side in a bike like Dukes and MV's) as well or you end up with the gel leaking out. (courtesy of Paul from the Aprilia forum)

Here is some more battery/charger info that I found:

The "intelligent" chargers, used to "maintain" a battery assume thatthey are dealing with a "good" battery. For them, 2.4 VDC or even morethan that, is required to consider charging it and not declaring it BLR. Car chargers, especially the ones designed for dealing with "deepdischarged" batteries or the ones the dealers use to prime new freshly filled batteries could try to revive the battery and restore thechemical process. It seems that Mike's momentary reversing of polarityaccomplishes the same thing.

Basically 1.5 volts represent the full operating range of charge on a12-volt battery. It is possible to over discharge a battery well beyond its intended design. It is possible to take the battery voltage (on a 12-volt battery) down to 3 or 4 volts under load. That would constitute a severe over-discharge. Many batteries will not respond kindly to such abuse. Although if this only happens a few times, the battery voltage may recover to 8 or 9 volts without recharging. There is also a good chance that the battery can be restored to full health provided that it is recharged within a few hours of experiencing thesevere over-discharge.

Typically 11.4 volts represents 0% state of charge. Anything below11.4 VDC and the battery is discharged at a negative state of charge, or in other words, discharged at e.g. 120% or 150% of rated capacity.Without knowledge of very recent severe over-discharge conditions, one could make a judgment about the condition of the battery by a voltage measurement. If the battery voltage on a 12-volt battery is only 8 or 9volts, when measured in a rest state, then there is a very good chance that battery is defective. At the very least it is safe to say that the battery has been severely over-discharged. That's probably what Phil's optimate was reporting. Now if you charge it right away and do it correctly (voltage over time as required by the battery type) you have probably saved the battery, albeit with some scars left in it.

Also, getting back on the leaking battery issue, I thought of another potential culprit. A cheapo, defective or unsuitable (for AGM batteries) trickle charger or a bad voltage regulator. Basically something that tries to charge the battery at anything above 14.5 VDC, even for a short amount of time. This is called gassing voltage and you probably can guess by the name what it does to the battery. The gasses produced are more than the battery is designed to handle. (courtesy of the Yahoo forum)

Quick Easy Tip:

When installing the battery, and to hold the battery terminal nuts firmly in place and to prevent them from coming dislodged when the battery is tilted, cut a foam type ear plug in half (the cylindrical type) then squeeze it and slip it behind the nut. When it expands it holds the nut firmly enough to get it started. (courtesy of John Markis)

TGM

Countershaft Sprocket (Pinion Wheel) Installation

2005-08-25T10:48:00.000-05:00

Removal and installation of the countershaft sprocket is fairly straightforward with one noted exception.

Parts needed:
Stake Washer: 800081451

New Sprocket part varies by bike/year but note 2000/2001 bikes utilize a different sprocket offset than that of Senna/2002 and later bikes!

MY 2000-2001 Sprocket/Pinion Wheel:
800088340 =14 (standard)
8A0088340 =15
8B0088340 =16

MY Senna/2002/2003:
800098034 = 15 (standard)

There are two methods of removal. One (1) involves using the transmission in gear as force against which to remove the sprocket nut while the other (2) involves using the wheel and tire being bound as force against which to remove the sprocket nut.

REMOVAL PROCEDURE Alternative 1 (of 2):

-Put bike in gear

-Remove the chain from the bike
*Note loosen swingarm pinch bolts then utilize hub eccentric to loosen/slacken chain first
-Proceed to Procedure for sprocket cover and sprocket removal, below.

REMOVAL PROCEDURE Alternative 2 (of 2)

-Chock or tie rear wheel. You can accomplish this by tying the rim to your work stand or using the tire's friction against the work surface. Please note however that the loosening motion of the sprocket nut (left or counter/anti-clockwise will drive the wheel forwards and potentially off of the bike's sidestand.

-Remove the chain from the bike

*Note loosen swingarm pinch bolts then utilize hub eccentric to loosen/slacken chain first

Procedure for sprocket cover and sprocket removal:

-Remove the following 4 bolts (but not yet the cover itself)

Notice that three of these bolts are on the cover itself (10mm) and one is the left side of the clutch slave sylinder (8mm).

-Removal of the black speed sensor plug (AMP connection) may aid in clearing space.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is the main gotcha for the procedure.
-To remove the counter shaft sprocket cover once the bolts are removed first slide the cover out just enough to get your fingers behind the cover. Behind the Clutch Slave Cylinder is the clutch actuation rod - as pictured below. This MUST remain inserted into the case and not be pulled out with the cover. I find it easiest to pull the cover just barely away then hold the rod with two fingers while sliding the cover off. It can be balky so be patient, it may take some slight rocking to help dislodge the rod from the cover. If you use needle nose pliers to help hold the rod in the case then cover with protective tape to keep from scoring the rod with the pliers.

-Once the cover is removed tie or tape it up to the frame so as to relieve pressure from the hydraulic line fitting.

Now the sprocket is revealed

Notice the clutch actuation rod (protruding) to the left of the sprocket. The stake washer as shown has also been bent back flat from it's locking position against the side of the nut. Yours should still be flush with one side of the nut.

-I prefer to remove the speed sensor wheel from the centre of the counter shaft, shown removed above (8mm?)

-Flatten stake washer to allow full access to all sides of nut

-Remove countershaft nut with 32mm or 1-1/4" socket. I found that a deep well socket was not needed if you remove the speed sensor wheel first. Standard threading so left or anti/counter-clockwise to loosen. Note any offset present on sprocket (Senna & 2002 onward) and remove stake washer then sprocket itself.

*This is a good chance to clean inside countershaft sprocket cover, speed sensor, chain guides, etc of any chain lube and grime

-Install new sprocket with offset, if present, on the engine case side (not facing you). Clean grooves in the shaft to aid installation, gentle tapping may be required to seat fully.

-Install new stake washer noting grooves in counter shaft

-Tighten counter shaft sprocket nut. Normal threading - tighten to the right or clockwise. 100Nm / 74lb ft.

-Bend portion of stake washer so that it sits flush with one entire side of the nut. A flat punch and small hammer will assist in full contact with the nut.

-Install new chain.

-Slide the cover back onto the clutch actuation rod and seat it firmly into the locating dowels. Take note to place the speed sensor wiring into the slot at bottom before continuing.

-Tighten the three 10mm cover bolts to 25Nm or 18lb/ft
-Tighten the clutch slave cylinder bolt to 8Nm or 6 lb/ft

-Reattach the black speed sensor connection

-JamesC

BMC Air filter installation into F4

2005-08-23T12:47:00.000-05:00

A popular modification is the installation of a BMC air filter. In the USA our supplier is Fast by Ferracci.

www.ferracci.com

Part number for the F4 750 and 1000 is: F45800
Part number for the Brutale is: F45805
*NOTE that Europe has both a STANDARD and a RACE version available but in North America we seem to only have the RACE version.

The actual BMC filter part numbers are:
394/19 - for the street F4 filter
394/19 RACE - for the race F4 filter
360/19 - for the Brutale filter

Here is what FBF and BMC have to say about their filter:

"These high flow filters provide maximum protection, performance and quality. Developed in the high tech world of Formula 1 automobile racing. These filters clearly outperform more expensive paper and fabric type filters. BMC washable air filters are manufactured to higher tolerances than competing brands for maximum filtration area and flow rate. BMC incorporates parallel pleated cotton fabric and special filter oil to offer flow rates of up to 900 CFM."

PROCESS of INSTALLATION:

-Remove all bodywork
-Remove Tank
-Remove airbox
-Remove foil tape from air filter cage bottom
-Unclip the gray airfilter cage and remove OEM filter
*This is a good chance to clean out the inside of your airbox!

When your new BMC filter arrives it will have two packages. One including the foam weather stripping and another including the filter itself.

-Extract foam weatherstripping and filter from their packaging
-Place weatherstripping strips along the edge of each side of the air filter. Their contours follow that of the airfilter exactly
-Now you will need to modify the BMC air filter slightly so that it fits securely into the filter cage. Test fit the cage to see the exact outline that will need to be cut out. I used an X-acto knife, a razor blade will do.

Modify as follows

So that each component fits securely into the filter cage as shown. Only a few mm in thickness is removed. There are 4 holes to modify in total.

*Alternative method available. The Italian forum on Motociclando has been using a portion of toothpick to wedge between the barb and the hole to keep the cage assembled rather than making the time consuming cuts. I do not personally prefer this method for fear of toothpick bits being sucked into the engine.

-Next slide the assembled and foam weather proofed filter into the cage. Note position of orientation notch for BMC filter relative to the cage for correct front/back orientation.
-Slide the filter cage into the clean airbox until you hear all securing tabs click. Note position of filter cage notch for correct front/back orientation.
-Verify secure installation of filter and cage into airbox.

-Cover the bottom of the filter cage with foil tape

-Reinstall airbox taking care that the throttle body boots are secure against the bottom of the airbox openings. The factory suggests use of silicone grease between the rubber boots and the bottom of the airbox to ensure a good seal.

INCORRECT (note gap):

CORRECT (note lack of gap):

**Please note wellnut FAQ when re-installing airbox side covers. These should be replaced at each removal as they are ONE TIME USE.

-Reinstall Tank
-Reinstall bodywork
-Enjoy your new sound and increased breathing capacity!

JamesC

Side Stand Mod

2005-08-23T11:38:00.000-05:00

This mod applies to early model MV F4’s with auto retracting side stands

Some folks either bend the stock spring lever around the existing nut such that the lower portion passes the centerline of the nut with the stand down or purchase the standard Evo 2 and up part number from Cagiva, but I have found the following method to work the best.

The Ducati spring lever [P/N 82912602A], or "side stand plate" as they call it, is very narrow and has a prominent 'C' in the middle of it that ends up fitting around the Ducati nut [P/N 75010481A], or "side stand bolt" as they call it, which has a slot turned circumferentially around it. Using these parts works great except you must also shim out the mount or the spring lever will scrape the belly pan as you put the stand down.

You will need to shim out the mount between 6mm to 7mm to provide the clearance needed. This is accomplished by using either a combination of appropriately sized washers or a length of tubing that serves as a compression sleeve. You will also need to replace the three 8mm x 22mm cap screws with longer 8mm x 30mm ones. If possible, try to use "low head" style cap screws otherwise one of them will rub against the rubber sensor boot and another will touch the fairing panel. I used standard 316 SS ones and trimmed the head height down to 6.5mm. Last, apply a little of the "removable type" loc-tite to all three screws and re-assemble.

Not only does this method cure the undesirable auto retracting problem but it also provides a bit more room for clearance and allows you to find the stand easier with your foot.

TGM

Wellnuts on airbox need to be replaced at every removal!

2005-08-22T17:39:00.000-05:00

There have been at least two engine failures documented online due to airbox wellnut disintegration. The factory requirement is to replace the airbox wellnuts each time the covers are removed.

There are two wellnuts per side, one of which is towards the front of the bike and separated by the filter from the throttle bodies. The important one to this dicussion resides precisely above the #1 and #4 throttle butterfly openings. Direct passage for the small brass threads into the cylinder.

Orientation shows wellnut just above the throttle body.

In the following photo, looking closely, we can see that the wellnut has disintigrated upon removal of the screw:

From the inside:

Here we can see the brass thread core having separated from it's rubber sheath:

Part number: 800094651

Alternatives: Velcro. Industrial Blind nuts. 3M Dual-loc (found at Radio Shack for North American readers).

-JamesC

Yellow Box Install for speedometer recalibration

2005-08-22T16:10:00.000-05:00

Yellow Box Install for MV Agusta F4S

Special Thanks to Yannis Doganis

The Yellow Box corrects speedometer error on motorcycles and cars which have had a change resulting in reporting error at the gauges. A wheel size change in cars and sprocket changes on motorcycles are frequent applications that can benefit from this correction. For motorcycles we require the 3-wire Yellow Box.

Things to buy:

(1) 3-wire Yellow Box speedometer recalibration device

--source: http://www.blackrobotics.com/

(3) Tab contact, part number (PN) 183024-1 $0.43 ea
(3) Receptacle Contact, (PN) 183025-1 $0.43 ea
(6) Yellow Seal Protector, (PN) 281934-2 $0.28 ea
(1) Housing Plug, (PN) 282087-1 $4.27 ea
(1) Housing Tab, (PN) 282105-1 $2.42 ea
(2) Boot, (PN) 880811-2 $2.51 ea
--source: http://www.onlinecomponents.com/

(2) 1m/3ft of Violet with white stripe 18ga stranded wire
(2) 1m/3ft of Brown 18ga stranded wire
(2) 1m/3ft of Blue 18ga stranded wire
--source: local electronics store

(3) Crimp butts or Crimp Solder Shrink butts
--source: local electronics store or web http://www.fastenerhut.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=1005_3600_3608_3670&osCsid=1c3d7576550f338648de79b6ce857530

(1) 1m/3ft of split loom, heat shrink tubing or flex conduit

Total cost ~ US $140 Total install time ~ 60mins

**Extra parts of the above as you see fit and to practice. We ordered extra of everything!

Tools needed:

-AMP crimper
-Wire stripper
-Soldering iron if using regular crimp butts
-OR: heat gun if using Crimp Solder Shrink butts

References for factory wiring:

-Violet/white wiring on bike is switched power with key ON
-Brown wiring is the signal pulse from sensor up to gauge cluster
-Blue wiring is battery negative

References for AMP connector part numbers:

http://www.amp.com/ - enter each of the above part numbers for diagrams

We recommend reading over the “Installing the Yellow Box” which can be found on their website and is also included with the box itself.

Installation Process:

Remove left side mid-fairing and lift seat unit. Find speed sensor plug next to the water pump and unplug the AMP connectors (FIG 1). Pay careful attention to factory routing.

--FIG 1—

Locate the corresponding pins within each plug so that you can identify the wire colours (FIG 2). Note AMP Superseal parts are named “Housing Plug” on left and “Housing Tab” on right.

--FIG 2--

Next we’ll create a factory AMP connector interface to splice in the wires from the Yellow Box to the factory plugs. Locate all of your AMP parts ordered from onlinecomponents.com. *NOTE, photos do not reflect use of factory coloured wiring for the interface as it could not be found locally. Keep things organized in the same manner as described below if you do the same.

-Slide a yellow seal protector over the end of each of the (6) wires about 2cm in and with the small barrel side facing the end.
-Strip 5mm from the end of each wire.
-Crimp the “Tab Contact” and “Receptacle Contact” pins onto one each of the wire colours, e.g.: (1) Tab Contact to one Violet/White and (1) Receptacle Contact to the other Violet/White wire, (1) Tab Contact to one Brown wire and (1) Receptacle Contact to the other Brown wire, (1) Tab Contact to one Blue wire and (1) Receptacle Contact to the other Blue wire. AMP website shows how to correctly crimp. (FIG 3 and FIG 4)

--FIG 3-- --FIG 4--

-Insert the (3) Tab Contacts into the three slots in the Housing Tab. Ensure Violet/White will plug into Violet/White, Brown to Brown and Blue to Blue. Please note there is a top and bottom for insertion and the contacts will SNAP once in place correctly. (FIG 5)

--FIG 5--

-Insert the (3) Receptacle Contacts into the Housing Tab in the same manner as above taking care to line up the wiring so that the corresponding colour matches the correct position on the factory mate.

-At your discretion bundle each side’s wiring with appropriate diameter heat shrink.
-Slide a boot over each of the bundles of wires so that you will end up with one boot per housing. (FIG 6) The boots fit over the housings to provide a tight fit.

--FIG 6--

Our next step is to plug in the two newly made connectors to the factory mates. Where the topmost factory connector used to plug into the bottommost factory connecter we now have an effective interrupt to route to the yellow box.
Ensure all wiring connections line up with the same coloured factory wiring. See below for placement on the bike (FIG 7):

--FIG 7--

-Slide the entire bundle of wiring through your Shrink Wrap/Split loom.
-Route the bundled wire up and follow the route of the existing power wiring back to the ECU. This should pass under the frame, past the alternator, behind the gas tank, under the subframe, beside the battery and up the subframe to the ECU tray.

We will now prepare the yellow box side to connect all of our work thus far.

-Splice your (2) power wires (Violet/White factory) to the Yellow Box RED wire
-Splice your (2) ground wires (factory Blue) to the Yellow Box Black wire
-Splice your signal IN wire (factory Brown) from the sensor side to the Yellow Box White wire
-Splice your signal OUT wire (factory Brown) to the speedometer to the Yellow Box Gray wire. (FIG 8)

--FIG 8--

For my splicing I used Solder Shrink butts which, when heated via a hot heat gun, solder the wire together, heat shrink the butt connector and also release an adhesive agent to seal everything nicely. Plug in the newly spliced wiring to the yellow box.

Yellow Box secured to the ECU tray (FIG 9).

--FIG 9--

http://www.blackrobotics.com/yb_inst.htm (FIG 10)

Calibration is fairly straightforward with the most difficult bit being the determination of your bike’s % error. Using GPS I determined that both my speed and distance were 18% high. I had moved from a factory 15T countershaft sprocket and 40T rear sprocket to a 15T / 43T, a popular configuration.

--FIG 10--

Using the Yellow Box switches I used switch 1 to indicate I wanted a positive change for a speedometer that was reading too high. A positive change means switch 1 goes RATIO POS or DOWN. This is somewhat counterintuitive but makes sense according to their instructions.
Next I simply added the appropriate numbers to arrive at a total change of 18%. I moved switches 2 and switches 5 to the ON position or UP. Turn the bike OFF to switch off power and allow the Yellow Box to calibrate.

Go out for a nice long ride to celebrate.

-JamesC

Water Pump leaking

2005-08-22T13:09:00.000-05:00

**Please note: MV has recently changed the water pump seals in question so we don't expect future issues. Please report if your 2006 production bike (or later) develops a leak. Email me at right or post a comment below.

There are two main causes of seeing blue (factory) coolant on the lower cowl. One of the first telltale signs:

Causes:

1) Normal coolant overflow from the overflow drain as seen here highlighted in red (ignore the rest for now):

The main cause of simple overflow is a reservoir overfilled. Keeping your reservoir at the MIN line (found below instrument cluster/clocks) is the usual prevention of this type of "leaking". Many owners also shut down their bike's engine but keep the ignition turned to on to allow the fans to run, thus cooling the radiators even after the ride. The normal turning off point is flexible but is often 185F /85C.

2) The second type of leaking is from the Water Pump itself, two internal parts in particular.

**NOTE: For 2006+ bikes or to retrofit the new pieces to your 2000-2005 bike please see section 3)

================================================
For 2000-2005 See numbers 10 & 23 below; per Factory Parts Manual section G07.
Click to enlarge:

The part numbers for the two points of failure (#10 & #23 above) are:

#10 800081236
#23 800081237

One contributor suggested preventative replacement O-ring while Water Pump is apart (#14 above) - though no others (+25) have required this part for successful fix:

#14 800086702

In ONE case a bike also required the shaft be replaced due to scoring, check your part for any abnormal scoring and replace if required. Part number is:

#9 800081539
==========================================================

3)
=================================================
2006+ bikes or to retrofit new design:

The factory have changed the water pump makeup to diverge from the previous design. They have moved from a shaft and two seals to a shaft and one seal as below (click to enlarge). See parts numbered 7 and 19:

The part numbers for the new design are as follows:
#7 8000A6709
#19 8000A6708
==================================================

The following photo shows the hole out of which the coolant escapes, see red arrow.

-JamesC

If you see this much coolant accumulated you may very well have a water pump leak. Now, what to do? Some owners, author included, have had the leak subside after 500-1000miles/800-1600km. If leak does not subside on it's own then replacement of the above two parts are known to resolve the very vast majority of leaks. Often, if under warranty, the factory will replace the entire unit rather than the two parts in question. This varies by geography.

-JamesC