2002 California Stone Routine Maintenance and Alternative Parts

Disclaimer: use these suggestions at your own risk. This is the possibility that I have mis-typed part numbers or mis-converted fluid conversions. Please notify me of any mistakes you should encounter. You may wish to verify volumes for other model years. These recommendations are meant to be used in addition to a proper service manual.
Please note that Guzzitech may have new, informative articles/procedures that I haven't referenced in to this site yet. Of course, there are many other fine reference sites as well.

Routine Maintenance

6,000 Miles    12,000 Miles    Wheel Removal/Tires    Occasional Items    Eventual Replacements    Useful Tools

6000 mile service

The items in this list are those suggested by the Owner's Manual and required to maintain the factory warranty. Additionally, the parts and part numbers listed, are factory parts (OEM) as required by the warranty. All required fluid volumes have been converted to English system for ease of reference (for myself) in the backwards U.S. with the metric volumes in parentheses.

Oil and oil filter change

Motogoose.com has a write-up of the procedure for changing the oil on his 1999 EV. The procedure for the Stone is the same. Do remember to clean the mesh filter in the oil pan as well.

Also, the sticky black goo in the center of the drain bolt is meant to be there - no need to pick it out. The good news is that if you do pick it out it's not a big deal.

Finally, if you use some gasket sealant on one side of the oil pan gasket (I use the side that sticks to the pan), and then just oil on the other side, you have a good chance of re-using these gaskets for a few times.

Air Filter change

Guzzitech has a nice write up on the fuel filter replacement that also includes instuctions on tank removal. Check it out, in addition to my comments below.

In order to access the air filter box, you must at least partially remove the gas tank. This is much easier than it sounds. Be sure to have some rags handy to mop up any spillage from the hoses you will disconnect. Start by removing the single bolt that is hiding under the seat. Then lift the tank up and backwards slightly. This will give you room to disconnect hoses. Follow along the lines leading out of the fuel sensor and the petcock until you find a spot where you can disconnect the wires. Be careful not to break the little plastic boot inside that snugs up and protects the connection. Be sure to mark the lines so you know which to connect up later (my bike had one set labeled with red, making it easy). Now, you can move the tank more freely. Disconnect the hose coming off the petcock, too. It should be hose clamped into place. Now, follow along the hose coming out of the fuel pressure adjuster that is under the front of the tank. Down near the fuel filter, you will see it is hose clamped into place (the kind of clamp you can remove easily). Unhook this hose, so that the fuel pressure adjuster can be moved with the tank. Now there are just two connections left. The first is easy: reach down under the tank and feel for the vent hose connected up under the middle. Pull it off of the tank. The final vent hose is attached at the front of the tank. I found that by putting a support (chair) next to the motorcycle, I could leave this final hose in place and just scoot the tank onto the support with it still attached.

Unscrew the three bolts that hold the air box closed. Change out your filter, and put everything back as you found it. When replacing the gas tank, feel under the front for the cut out rounded parts that are to rest on the gas tank support. When you are sliding the tank back into place, hold it up slightly to fit it on the round rubber supports.

You can add quick disconnects to the hoses to make gas tank removal and replacement easier in the future. Here's a set that works: BMW Part # 1331 7659 120 & 1331 7659 119 (one male and one female).

Adjust Valve Clearances

MotoGoose.com has a write up of the procedure for adjusting the valves. I found it quite easy to find TDC by rotating the alternator nut. I needed a 15/16" socket (a 23mm would be nice) to move the nut. Crank the nut clockwise as you are facing the front of the bike and feel for air pressure while covering the spark plug hole with your thumb. Then, insert (gently) a screwdriver in the hole and continue to turn the nut until the screwdriver is pushed up as far as possible. Now, look in the little window at the flywheel to find "D" or "S" depending on whether you're working on the right or left cylinder.

Note on extra-thick gaskets: when I bought new gaskets, I ended up ordering ones that were extra-thick and supposedly created a better seal. Probably due to my inexperience, when I tightened the covers back down, I crimped one of these gaskets so that it created an immediate leak. The other one developed a leak some 1000 miles later. Both were replaced with the standard gasket and seem to be working well.

Change Spark Plugs

Don't forget to put a little antiseize on the threads of the spark plugs. It will make your job easy the next time around.

Change Gear Box Oil

Motogoose.com has a write up of the procedure for changing the transmission fluid. The procedure is basically the same for the Stone. Don't let the photos of floorboards confuse you. Also, our fill hole is on the same side as the fill level hole. I was advised just to add the correct amount, without opening and looking in the fill level hole.

Change Rear Drive Box Oil

Here is a great source for Moly additive.

This is another procedure where it is not advised to open and look through the fill-level hole. Just fill with the correct amount of fluid.

Check and adjust:

12,000 mile service

I haven't reached 12,000 miles on my 2002 Stone yet. However, I'm adding this section now, since I did my fork oil change at 6,000 miles (as it was skipped at my break-in service). I will add more detail to this section when I actually reach this service.

For the 12,000 mile service, repeat the procedures performed for the 6,000 mile service, as above. In addition, perform the following procedures:

Fork Oil Change

Changing the fork oil is really quite easy, even if you follow the service manual procedure of removing and inverting the forks. Remove the front wheel and fender. I recommend working on one fork at a time. To avoid the whole business with a vise, loosen the top cap of the fork with a large adjustable wrench (unless you have a giant combo wrench that will work) while the fork is still on the bike. Then, loosen the three screws that hold the fork in place. Slide the fork out (downward). When you turn the fork upside down to empty it, a length of pvc tube will slide out. Underneath it is a large spring. Be careful, or they will go crashing and splashing into your oil pan! Once you have drained as much oil as possible, push the upper fork into the lower fork (still pointing the end at the oil pan). Keep pumping until no more oil comes out.

To refill, add about half the amount of fork oil, and then, again, pump the upper part of the fork into the lower until the motion becomes smooth and regular due to the oil filling the lower portion. Add the rest of the oil, pump a few more times, and fit the cap back in place. You'll have to push down on the spring with the pressure from the cap in order to get the threads started. Replace the fork on the bike, tighten the screws, and then give the cap a final tightening. The bottom of the fork will swivel around easily, so you don't need to worry about its orientation when you replace the fork.

I have heard of an alternate option, but I haven't tried it: after removing the front wheel, up inside the fork there is a 8mm bolt. With a suitable extension on your socket wrench, you may be able to loosen this screw and let the oil drain from there. Then, just open the top cap to fill. This seems like a bad idea, however, as per Ric Davis' comment, "I don't think this is a good idea. That bolt goes in to the damping mechanism inside the fork. That mechanism can potentially rotate, forcing you to strip the fork down to lock it in place to allow re-assembly. Also, I suspect it's meant to be thread locked in place, and getting thread lock to work after you've just drained fork oil through it just isn't going to work."

Replace Fuel Filter

Note that if you buy an aftermarket, non-OEM part, it may or may not include crush washers.

Once again, check out the Guzzitech.com write-up on tank removal, air filter, and fuel filter replacement.

The fuel filter is a pain in the butt to remove from amongst the frame tubes and wiring where it hides. Just remove as much as possible from the filter before pulling it out. Definitely plan some extra time to fiddle with tube tightening, in case you have a leak when you get everything back in place and fire up the bike. Also, don't skimp on the crush washers - you really need new ones for this application.

Change Brake Fluid

(DOT 4)

Adjust:

Wheel Removal for New Tires (and replacement)

Front Wheel Removal

This is pretty straightforward, if you have a centerstand (or you could use a lift). I put the Stone on the centerstand and then used a jack (with a board on top to spread out the force) under the oil pan to tilt the bike back on to the rear wheel. Remove the two screws that hold on the brake caliper. Make sure you support the brake caliper with something (don't leave it dangling by the brake line).

The key to front wheel removal on the 2002 Stone is loosening the two screws at the very bottom of the right fork. After this, it is simply a matter of unscrewing the long axle bolt, pulling it out, and removing the wheel. There is a little stub of allen key in the stock tool kit - it fits nicely into the axle bolt and can be turned with a hex socket. When you pull out the bolt, keep track of which spacer goes on which side (thin on the left, thick on the right).

To replace the wheel, just work in reverse. Don't forget to tighten up the two screws at the bottom of the fork!

Rear Wheel Removal

Since the Stone is forward heavy, it will easily rest on the front wheel and centerstand for this procedure. Alternatively, you could use a lift.

First, remove the left side muffler (one acorn nut and loosen the clamp where it joins the H-pipe); it will take some tugging and twisting to pull it off the H-pipe. Then, unscrew the two screws holding the brake caliper to the caliper plate. Remember not to leave the caliper hanging; find something to support it. Now it is time to remove the axle bolt. You'll need a big combo wrench (1 1/16") on the right side and a socket wrench with the stub of big allen key from the stock tool kit for the left side. I used a board to wedge the socket wrench into place, in order to turn the combo wrench on the right side. After you unscrew the nut, pull the axle bolt through on the left side. Again, keep track of the direction the spacer faces. Finally, the caliper plate must be removed from the wheel. Now, if someone strong tilts the bike over to the right, the wheel can be easily pulled off on the left side. With care, it can be slid out past the fender.

While the wheel is off, you should be sure to grease the splines to protect the metal from oxidation. A small amount of grease is sufficient. The part to be concerned about is simply the toothy sprog looking things shown in these wheel photos (thanks to Jim W. for the photos!). Any kind of grease will do, as it is not required for lubrication, simply to coat and protect the metal.

Comments on New Tires

The stock wheel on the Stone is spoked and uses tubed tires. This is unfortunate in that it makes roadside repair nearly impossible (you can't use a simple plug).

General consensus seems to suggest that tubes should be replaced when you get new tires, or at least once per year if you go through several sets of tires in a year. You should also consider checking that the rubber spoke strip (which protects the tube from the spokes where they enter the inside of the wheel) is still flexible and not dry rotted. Some say this can be replaced with a bit of duct tape, if you want to take the cheap route. Valve stems may also need replacing - make sure they are replaced with the same type as the original (choices include: metal or rubber stem; straight or 90 degree angle; and whether the stem is in the center of the tube or off to the side - I guess this last is more of a tube option).

I get my tires mounted and balanced at the local shop. I pay more for the tires than I would from an online source, but I like the shop and this is a good way (worthwhile to me) to give them business. As long as my tire is in stock, I carry in my wheel and carry it back out in about ten minutes.

If you want to mount and balance your own, there are lots of places on the web to find information on this. One really good reference is Adam Glass' site. I'll try to add some additional links later (in particular, in reference to tire removal and bead breaking and also on wheel balancing), but here is some recent information from Tom at the Wildguzzi forum on mounting tires without pinching (and ruining!) the tube:

  1. Check the rim strip and replace if cracked or brittle.
  2. Inspect the tube (flexibility/wear) and valve stem (rust/wear) and use a replacement if needed.
  3. Sprinkle a small amount of baby powder in the tire to help chafing of the tube against the inside of the tire. Rotate tire to evenly coat the inside.
  4. Mount 1st part of tire then install tube.
  5. Remove valve core from valve stem.
  6. Inflate tube to remove kinks in the tube and set up tube in tire. Deflate.
  7. Replace valve core in valve stem.
  8. Reinflate enough (about 5 lbs) to move tube away from rim so you won't pinch the tube with the tire iron.
  9. Mount 2nd half of the tire and inflate the tire.
Additional suggestions from Tom: Take your time. Use soapy water in spray bottle for lubrication not a chemical spray lube like WD40.

The best place I have found on the web with tire recommendations for California models is Martyn's Tire Guide. Just remember to add tubes to your shopping order for your Stone.

Occasional Maintenance Suggestions

In addition to checking nuts and bolts and tire pressure regularly, here are some tips for other items to check/adjust/lube:

Eventual Parts Replacements

I thought it might be useful to compile a list of parts eventually requiring replacement, along with the time frame in which you might expect them to become worn or to fail. As I encounter any of these myself, I will add additional information on how to take care of the problem.

Battery

Check below for some alternate part numbers, and read this helpful site regarding battery-charging information.

Clutch push rod seals at 15,000-25,000 miles

If not caught early, expect to replace the clutch friction plate as well. See Guzziology for the "O-ring fix." Cost is about $10.

Fork Seals

See MotoGoose's write-up.

Rear shocks

U-Joint and carrier bearing at 50,000-70,000 miles

Easy to install if the old bearing is together. Parts cost about $250.

Useful Tools

Here are some specialized tools that Guzzi folk have found to come in handy:

Alternative Parts

Special thanks to Joe Martin for lending his list of alternative parts for Californias as the basis of this section; other tips have been gleaned from elsewhere. Use caution applying some of these parts for Stone models.

Battery

Bearings

Bearing numbers appear to be generic, as NAPA had no problem assisting JoeB with the following:

Brake Pads

Front: Rear:

Front Brake Micro Switch

Fasteners

Here are the McMaster-Carr part numbers for some stainless screws:

Fuel Filter

Fuel Pump (External)

Gas Line Quick Connect

Head Lamp Parts

Note: no Stone replacements listed as of yet.

Big Light (Cal. Spec./Bassa/Jackal/v11 Sport) BMW R100/7 part numbers:

Small Light (EV/Centauro) BMW R65/R850R part numbers:

Hoses

Light bulbs

Oil Filters

Relays

Spark Plug Caps

Brass Temperature Sensor Holder

Throttle Position Sensor (TPS)

Voltage Regulator

Back to the California Stone Information Page

Copyright 2003 - Marina M. Gerson
e-mail: marina@armory.com