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In addition to the attachment tips found at The Moto Guzzi People, I would recommend taking a look at the exploded diagram from the parts book, as it makes the proper assembly very clear. Basically, the order of fittings from the outside edge of the bike inward is: locking nut - small washer - frame piece (painted black) - bushing/spacer - centerstand - wave washer - mounting plate (aluminum) - bolt.
The only trouble I had was in fitting in the wave washer on the left bracket. However, after mounting the stand without it and leaving it overnight, I was for some reason able, the next day, to fit it in.
Learning to deploy the centerstand is another story! Remember that you mostly are pulling the bike back, not up. Stand to the left side of the bike (keep the side stand out just in case). Grab the left grip and also the rear seat or a grab bar. Push down the centerstand so that it is touching the ground. Now hold the bike so that it is vertically upright. Both feet of the centerstand should be touching the ground - you'll have to push the centerstand down a bit more when you move the bike to the vertical position. Now, in a coordinated movement, you need to step down hard on the deployment arm and pull up and back with both hands. It is really the coordination of these motions that will enable you do deploy the stand. I found that wearing harder soled boots helps (riding boots or hiking boots, but not tennis shoes). I have also found that I have more control of the deployment arm using a spot of my foot just in front of the heel. You may want to practice with a spotter on the right side of the bike until you gain confidence in the procedure.
To roll the bike off the stand, I either sit on the bike and walk it forward, or if I'm in a slightly uphill spot, I've put out the side stand, moved to the right of the bike, and then pushed forward with a hand on the handlebar (not the grip) and the seat. The side stand is my safety net in case I push it over.
EV handlebars - Get these from the right year and they bolt right on. Apparently provide more pull-back.
Centauro Handlebars - Zigzagguzzi is using these on his Stone and likes them. You can read about them and get part numbers from Mark's write-up about his Bassa at Guzzitech. Basically, "The centering holes for the controls had to be relocated (drilled), some of the cables and the brakeline had to be relocated slightly but all the original stuff fit and was used. A few bits of hardware were ordered when the bars were ordered. Remember, I did not do the work, but the dealer said it was very straightforward. The seating position is perfect for me."
1 1/4" ProTaper dirt bike bars - Roger G. has these on a 2003 Stone using 10mm tall risers from TAG (made for a Kawasaki KDX dirt bike)
Handlebar risers - Jeff Brannen raised his handlebars 21mm, to a comfortable height, using his home-made risers. Read his procedure at Guzzitech.com.
Tiny Tachometer from TinyTach.com - This little tachometer goes for just $37, but be aware that since it runs on a lithium battery embedded in its case, it will only last about five years.
Marlin Handlebar Clock from FringeIdeas.com - This handlebar clock is available in either a Bullet or Handlebar style for as little as $70. The handlebar style clock may not slip over our large 30mm bars, so ask first. However, Chris mounted his bullet style clock using the lower bolt on the left side mirror and is very pleased with the result! It is waterproof and shock resistant, so perfectly suitable for miles of riding. You can order it with a black face, or with a white face to match your Speedometer.
Clock, Thermometer, and Compass from Formotion - The scooter clock and thermometer are recommended by Ted Ewert. The solid white faces match the Stone's instrumentation, and they are waterproof with stainless steel cases. Wayne O. reports that the clock he bought from them had the face turn brown after just six month, so be careful.
RAM Mounts and TouraTech Mounts - RAM mounts come in a wide array of configurations and can be used to mount almost any gadget to your bike. Some retailers even offer a large U-bolt mount to fit our wide diameter handlebars. The mirror mount is another option. RAM mounts are especially popular for mounting GPS units. Just do an internet search on "motorcycle" and "RAM mount" to find a variety of sellers. The TouraTech mounts look to be handlebar mounts only, but include better shock absorption. Some vendors used by other Guzzi riders include:
I finally added a mirror mount to the Stone. I just removed the little spacer in the mirror attachment and the mirror mount was a good fit. With the standard 3" arm, my Garmin GPS V is in the perfect location for viewing while on the road. I had trouble getting the GPS into the cradle at first, but with some assistance at the Wildguzzi forum, I found it is pretty easy if you slip the unit into the bottom part of the cradle and then snap it into the top. Here's how it looks on Jim's bike.
Accessory Socket - I finally added a BMW accessory socket to power my GPS. The BMW kit was really easy to wire up, but since it takes a different male adapter than the one that comes on the GPS cord/cigarette lighter adapter, you either have to wire on the male part to the GPS cord or also invest in an actual cigarette lighter socket as well. The BMW wiring kit does include a fuse, so snipping the adapter off the GPS cord isn't too worrisome.
Ted Ewert found the H4 available both in the two pack (US $27.80) or singly (US $15.00) in the electrical section at CA Sport Touring.
Auxiliary Driving Lights from Harper's (look under Harper's Bolt-On applications) - Vance installed these on his 2002 Stone. These are his instructions: "First, I ran a wire from the battery to the switch, which I located below the right side of the handlebar. I had to crimp on connectors and screw them into the switch. Then, I removed the headlight and turn indicators and installed the chrome turn signal relocators. I have aftermarket indicators which had to be cut and spliced back together. Then I installed the spotlights and wired them to the switch, I reattached the headlight, made my adjustments and that was that. It wasn't too hard, but you certainly need to be mechanically inclined or very intuitive. My only electrical experience was replacing lighting in my home -- so you don't need to be an expert."
Bruce Lammers has installed some nice auxillary driving lights on both his Jackal and Bassa. I'm hoping to have the details soon.
Harper's soft bag brackets - I had Harper's soft saddlebag brackets mounted on my 2002 Stone (until I got my Hepco Becker hard bags from Moto Guzzi). They were easy enough to install, except for the fact that I wanted to mount my bags under the pillion seat. With the bulk of the saddlebag yokes, it was difficult to push the seat down into place and hold up the brackets and get the screws/bolts all back in. This is definitely a two person job. The brackets look good and work well. I'd recommend them. One comment: the black paint on the brackets will eventually wear off if rubbed continuously by a hard part (like a hard plastic backing) of the saddlebags.
LeatherConnexion's soft saddlebags - I have the 2500-BK mounted on my 2002 Stone. I got mine with the red piping around the lid, and it matches the oval Moto Guzzi logo on my tank perfectly. The bags are really nice quality leather and the hardware is very durable looking. They are working just great with my brackets from Harper's. My only complaints are 1) the yoke is very thick and thus hard to mount under the seat and 2) there is no way to lock the bags. Although LeatherConnexion doesn't list the Stone, I think all of the bags recommended for Jackals will work. I'd take measurements just to be sure. The 1500-BK bag looks nice, too. Even though the bags are semi-custom, they ship really fast - mine shipped three days after ordering.
Saddlebags from Motorbags - The "Expandable Saddlebags" are a good fit for the Stone and look good too. The bags hold 21 to 32 liters each. They are waterproof and have nice carrying handles and shoulder straps. They go for just $99, and sometimes they are offered for even less on eBay.
Tail bag from Motorbags - The "Expandable Tail Bag" (Model SP907) fits well on the Stone's pillion seat. It holds 30 to 36 liters. It's a bargain at $75, or check eBay for this item, too.
Chrome Saddlebag Guards from Drag Specialties - These guards do a good job at holding the Motorbags saddlebags away from the rear wheel. They are easy to install, requiring just one bolt, and they look sleek and simple, just like the Stone. Drag Specialties only sells wholesale, but you can find the guards at some of the aftermarket accessories dealers online pretty easily.
Marsee 20L Tank Bag - I bought this bag for my trip from Arlington, TX to New York, and I love it! It's a good fit on my tank, easy to put on and take off, and sits in such a way that I don't even notice it when I'm riding (unless I'm looking at it on purpose to examine my map). I read some good reviews that claim it didn't scratch paint on the tanks of the tester bikes - I haven't had any scratches yet. I paid $115 plus shipping for the magnetic mount version from Micatech, Inc.. These guys had the cheapest price and super speedy service. I think the 25L bag would fit well, too. I didn't use the expandable feature of the bag since the weight limit is a bit restricting.
Kuryakyn Footpegs - Jeffrey Brannen replaced the stock pegs on his 2002 Stone with some pegs from Kuryakyn. They required some modification, as he has described at Guzzitech.com.
I recently replaced my own front and rear pegs with Kuryakyn pegs. My boyfriend just had room to rest his toes on his pegs without hitting the backs of my heels, so I wanted to get the Kuryakyn pegs that come with the heel rest stirrups (Kuryakyn part 8075). These pegs are much more comfortable for him. The rear pegs were easy enough to replace with the addition of a few spacers from the hardware store. I bought the male mount pegs, so they fit in the same peg bracket as the stock pegs with a little space left over. I believe the order of parts is: bolt - wave washer - stock bracket - spacer - peg - maybe a lock washer - stock bracket - lock nut - rubber cap. The rubber cap would not have been needed if I had been able to find a slightly shorter bolt.
The stock rider's pegs looked pretty dorky with the fancy Kuryakyns in the back, so I replaced those with the regular peg in front. I bought the pegs with the 3/8"-24 bolt mount (Kuryakyn part 8037), thinking I could bolt them right in where the stock pegs were. However, the 3/8" bolt is slightly too big for the metric sized hole in the bracket. I had a machine shop drill out the holes for me (regular metal bit on the drill press at school just wouldn't do it), after which it really was a simple bolt-on operation. I did need to buy longer bolts than those provided by Kuryakyn. A word of warning: drilling the holes in the mounts bigger means that putting the stock pegs back on will leave a little slop in the bigger (and now non-threaded) hole.
I regreased the brake and gear shift joints while I had the pieces pulled off.
Corbin Solo Seat - Steve in Chandler, AZ bought the Corbin Solo Seat for his 2004 Stone (one piece seat is stock). Word has it that a new Corbin seat will have stiff rubber bumpers that will make it hard to latch the seat down. It will become easier over time.
On another note, Hal actually visited Corbin, and they told him they didn't have a seat pan for the one-piece seat Stones (though they do have a seat for the Jackal, so perhaps also for the two-piece seat Stones). They refurbished his seat (in about 4.5 hours, while he waited) using his stock seat pan: "First off I had it raised and the riser moved farther back, so when we put it on it seemed much bigger. Visually it's not as trim as the old. The comfort is great, and should get better as it breaks in. I now can move around on the seat a little when I feel like a change in riding position. They also did some nice stitching on the saddle and pillion portion, and they have many patterns to choose from."
Rich Maund - Jim had the two-piece seat on his 2002 Stone rebuilt by Rich. Note that Rich can't work on the newer seats, but he will do rebuilds on the Jackal-style two-piece. In fact, Pat has his Jackal seat rebuilt and is pleased with the work.
Sargents Cycle - Robert had his one piece seat from his 2003 Stone rebuilt. He reports, "I had the rise moved back 2" (I'm 6'5"), had the seat raised 2" and redone with "Super Cell" foam. (I have no idea what that is). They did a great job. The seat looks perfect and I just returned from a 60 mile tryout and my butt has feeling. They recovered the seat with "Griptex" and I would definitly give them a recomendation for anyone who suffers from Guzzi Numb Ass. It took a month for the turn-around, and I paid $222 with freight."
Givi A600 - I tried to fit a Givi A600 on my 2002 Stone. The handlebar mount will NOT fit the 30mm bars. However, some modification will allow attachment of the windshield to the screws on the sides of the forks that are meant for the touring shield offered by Guzzi. Basically, you just toss the bar clamp part of the mount. You'll need longer screws than the ones already present, and you'll want to fill in some of the space in the mount piece with some washers of the right size. However, this method requires that you rig up some way of attaching the bottom of the shield, as it will swivel up as you ride (since the mount isn't as tight as it would be on the bars). I found some plastic clips made for attaching a cell phone to your belt. I was at able to attach these to the base of the shield (using some plastic foam cushioning) and then zip tie those to the headlamp bracket. It worked, but I had too much wind buffeting, right at helmet level, for my liking. Maybe this shield would work for a taller rider or shorter rider. I'm 5'6", and I'm selling the shield.
Moto Guzzi California Touring Shield - I finally broke down and bought the Touring shield. I'm only 5'6", and I was looking right through the top line of the shield - it gave me a bit of a headache and was pretty disorienting. But, I had about an inch shaved by a local plastics shop (Bill's Plastics in Dallas) and now it is perfect. The plastics shop did a really nice job, too, and only charged me $10. However, after only a few rides with the shield, one of the bolts that holds the shield to the mount came out, so I would recommend checking the tightness of these bolts upon purchase.
Moto Guzzi Sport Shield - Although I liked the looks of this smaller shield from the very start, I was skeptical that it would perform well enough for highway speeds. I was wrong! I purchased a gently used Sport Shield, and I love the way it looks and works on the Stone. I think I will still prefer to switch to the bigger Touring shield for long trips, but for day trips in nice weather, the Sport shield does a terrific job at keeping the wind off my head and upper body. It does get a little noisy from wind buffetting my helmet at 65 mph and higher.
Bar-End Mirrors from CRG Products - Jeffrey Brannen added these
bar-end mirrors when adding his bar-end helmet lock (described above). Read
his full explanation at
Copyright 2003 - Marina M. Gerson
marina@armory.com
