Hi all

Paul,

We don't know each other, but without your work on creating this forum ages ago and all your subsequent very informative posts, it's safe to say I wouldn't own my RGS. Thank you.

Godspeed man, your story is truly a great one.

Best,

Kristian Soholm
Bellingham

Thank you for the kind words, Kristian

For all, no Laverda content until this weekend. Has stopped snowing here, and supposed to warm up a bit for the weekend, so planning a ride on Sunday with the carbon fiber clad 79 1200. Have the carbs off the RGS again, bit the bullet and ordered a new 30 liter ultrasonic, waiting for ultrasonic to arrive to tackle the RGS carbs again. I soaked them in 10 liters of Varsol for two days then blew them out with compressed air, crap still coming out of them, so ordered the big ultrasonic. Now I need to figure out what ultrasonic cleaning solution to use for carb cleaning. Suggestions anyone?

I also Varsol soaked the Rochester Quadrajet carb off the big V8 in my recently acquired old 19 foot speedboat, the Quadrajet is going to need a trip through the new ultrasonic when it arrives as well. Quadrajet photo attached. Old/bad gas is not kind to carburetors, the boat engine has not been run in about 5 years, and I suctioned about 60 liters of horrible stinky crappy fuel out of the boats fuel tank and lines, the Quadrajet was gummed solid. Amazing what specialty businesses are out there, I ordered the marine version of the Quadrajet rebuild kit plus all the jets, needles, float, etc from https://quadrajetparts.com/ now waiting on the rebuild parts to arrive. Carb came apart easily, now I just have to figure out how to put it all back together and then dial it in.......

Paul LeClair
 

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Hello Paul

I have had good luck with both of these ....... one is meant for cleaning guns and it works quite well. The Master STAGES CLEAN2020 I bought through Amazon for $103 CDN and it does work the best but the OTIS Ultrasonic Cleaning Solution works almost as well and is only $64. They both work best at max temp on my cleaner (60 degrees C) and usually only need 20 minutes to and hour to do the job. I quickly clean them in hot water ASAP and so far I have not had any discolouration of aluminum. The Master Stages website shows many different version for different cleaning and washing. I am thinking that for volume purchases it would be the way to go.

Jim

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Hello Paul

I have had good luck with both of these ....... one is meant for cleaning guns and it works quite well. The Master STAGES CLEAN2020 I bought through Amazon for $103 CDN and it does work the best but the OTIS Ultrasonic Cleaning Solution works almost as well and is only $64. They both work best at max temp on my cleaner (60 degrees C) and usually only need 20 minutes to and hour to do the job. I quickly clean them in hot water ASAP and so far I have not had any discolouration of aluminum. The Master Stages website shows many different version for different cleaning and washing. I am thinking that for volume purchases it would be the way to go.

Jim

Hi Jim

I found and ordered the Master Stages Clean2002 from an Amazon Canada seller. Hasn't arrived quite yet. Thanks for the recomendation. The 30 liter ultrasonic cleaner I ordered directly from a seller in Burnaby British Columbia (Canadian importer apparently) has arrived. Size of a large microwave. Trial run of it in the house kitchen next to a tap and sink, had not though the lack of water in garage and how heavy the thing is once filled with water. Used a parts cleaner solvent I had kicking around, heavily diluted. Used hot water from the tap, then used the ultrasonic tank heater, and ran the Rochester Quadrajet carb parts for half an hour. They had already been presoaked in varsol for two days. Amazing how much more black crap was pouring out of them, the solution turned so black you couldn't even see the carb bodies in the ultrasonic tank by the end. Then rinsed in warmish water. Sparkling clean now, but still waiting on the rebuild parts for the Rochester Quadrajet four barrel marine carb. I also suspect my spouse may not be keen on ongoing use of the big ultrasonic in the kitchen and that it will be banished to the garage for further use....

Gorgeous late fall Sunday here today, freakishly above 20 + Celsius, then will be down to more seasonal temp of 7 C tommorow and thereafter. Meant to take a Laverda triple for a good ride today but physically just not up to any motorycle riding today unfortunately. Part of my ongoing medical recovery process has had to include recognizing and accepting some new limits and making sure I don't set my ongoing medical recovery back by pushing myself when I am not feeling up to something. Very very hard for me to accept, but very very happy to be and remain alive so far. Francesco went without me today for what has been becoming our usual Sunday morning ride. Heard from him later this afternoon after his ride complaining that without me along there was no-one else to keep up with him but he was much less at risk of being arrested:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

Paul LeClair
 

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That not accepting limitations is so common, we are our worse enemies sometimes. Bit like THAT Knight on Monty Python, it's all fine, I just need a short rest. Riding is such a good medicine for all of us
 
Hi Paul

Looks like you are well on your way to clean parts! I have to say I tried some dishwater detergent once but it made the aluminum go black (it was nothing important). The hot water rinse is very important.

Is your friend Francesco a fellow who used to own an MGS-01 and various Ducatis? I do know a fellow your way but I haven't seen him for years. If it is him please give him a big hello next time you see him.

Jim
 
Hi Jim

sounds like Francesco, not going to post his last name or too many details on a public forum. I will mention you to him next time I am chatting. with him. A countinuosly rotating number of interesting bikes, the Ducati 888 SPO Limited from three weeks ago was just sold to a fellow on Vancouver Island for a large amount of money, but not that big a deal as Francesco has another 888. He did have an MGS-01 at one time. He also owned for quite a while one of the very nicest red RGS Laverda's I have ever seen, the thing looked better than a brand new bike, but then sold to someone in the Netherlands. I never know what he is going to turn up on, not just Ducati's and Moto Guzzi's, but a broader range of equally interesting bikes, from very high end rarities to really nice condition more average bikes, recently a really low mileage mint Honda Blackbird that could (almost) keep up to my modified ZX14. I am just happy to still have someone to ride aggressively with, so many of my long time riding buddies have packed in their helmets and bikes as concessions to aging, or aged out and died, depressing really. If they are still riding, many have slowed waaaay down, another one of my long time riding buddies complained a few weeks ago I scared the heck out of him going by him on the outside at full chat and full wail on the modified supercharged Kawasaki H2, I was seperated from him by more than a full lane but I guess the noise level and the speed differential made him uncomfortable. Ten years ago he probably would have been trying to pass me..... but at least he is still riding.

Dishwashing liquid is apprently not a good idea in an ultrasonic. Ph of about 9 when I checked for Dawn Dishwashing liquid, so a bit alkaline. Really good surfactant though. Anyway, I will give the dedicated ultrasonic cleaning solution a go, appropriately diluted, for the RGS carbs. I didn't care what the Rochester Quadradjet for the V8 boat motor looks like as it is hidden away under the engine cover anyway, but I do care how the RGS carbs look after cleaning. I will post some photos of the RGS ultrasonic carb cleaning process once the proper solution arrives. Oh, and my spouse has formally banned the big ultrasonic from her kitchen...:sneaky: I guess I will have to wait for her to go out.....;)

Paul LeClair
 
This thread is all over the spectrum, fast bikes, Jags, Bentleys, fuel additives, solvents, boats,, the weather, the big C, helmets. So in light of this fact this photo should be enough to support my not liking open face or modular helmets, OK I might consider a modern modular.
Motor Cyclist (USA) magazine many years ago did a great article on helmets, 'Blowing the Lid off ' They reported the results of testing on 16 different helmets as tested by various government and independent safety organizations DOT, BSI, DOT/BSI, ECE22-05, SNELL.
Surprisingly the less expensive polycarbonate (plastic) shell helmets transmitted fewer G-forces to the brain than the more expensive top-of-the-line helmets. While the more expensive helmets offered more features and were more comfortable? they transferred a greater G force to the head. Feed your head
 

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I seem to remember that helmet article. Great info. I also seem to remember a follow up article some time later. Wasn't the main researcher the aptly named Dr. Harry Hurt or something like that? Canada forces the DOT standard on us as far as I know.

In addition to the modular Schuberth C3 Pro and now the modular Schuberth C4 Pro Carbon, I also have an Arai full face that will see track use when the new local track opens. For street use I rightly or wrongly have concluded that the ability to open up the front of the modular helmet is worth while and that the locking mechanisn seems very substantial, but not prepared to test that theory on the race track if the track were even to allow modular helmets.

Further diversion - the marine carburator rebuild kit arrived to day for the Rochester Quadrajet four barrel carb off my new to me old power boat and its 350 cubic inch V8 inboard motor. I don't know much about boats, but have learned that although automotive parts would fit what is a Chevy 350, have to buy marine spec parts for the boat motor, safer venting for the carb apparently, stainless steel shafts for water pumps, etc., etc..

Also have signed up to acquire my boating licence, and about to go through the Federal licencing inspection and registration for the old boat, way more complicated than transferring ownership and licencing and insuring of a car or motorcycle, I had no idea. Now I have to figure out how to rebuild/reassemble the big marine carb and set it up:cautious:

Paul LeClair
 
Paul, it is easy to get caught up in the boating lark. I spent the summer in Coeur d Alene, Northern Idaho and along with some amazing motorcycle roads, there are multiple large bodies of freshwater, a boaters paradise. Stan Craft was literally just down the street from me, it was an absolute pleasure to watch craftsmen at work. Boating like motorcycling can be habit-forming, enjoy your Chevy-powered craft ( do I see a Vette LS motor in your future)?
 
Heard on the radio this morning that the best two days of boat ownership are the day you bought it and the day you sold it.:)
Have also been told that a wooden boat is a hole in the water that you throw money in to.

Personally I prefer to travel in tubular steel. 😉
 
Ive spent some time on boats over the years mostly yachts and from my experience the best boat is someone elses. Happy to crew though. These days I'd much prefer to spend a day fanging my Laverdas around a race track.
 
literally laughing out loud at the most recent posts, especially Steve B's......

I am a boating virgin, am just finding out a whole bunch of stuff I didn't know I didn't know. Older 19 foot closed bow fiberglass hull with a 350 Chevy Marine engine inboard, says 260 hp on the valve covers. Low, low hours. From all the boating safety stuff I have been reading, sounds like as many ways to harm yourself with a boat as with a motorcycle, and as many ways, or more, to spend money on accessories and improvements. Alberta is land locked, but lots of fresh water lakes within towing distance, several months from now when spring comes around. WIll give me time to go through the boat and the engine, acquire all the required safety gear, get the boat and myself licenced and insured, all that good stuff.

Something else for me to look forward to for the spring 2022 is the expected opening of a brand new racetrack about an hour away. https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/southern-alberta-racetrack-nears-completion-will-open-in-2022-1.5631459 I am already on the look out for a suitable track only bike, likely a Japanese 600 ish. It has been ten years since the previous local track closed, I have been having to tow/travel considerable distances in the last decade to get in any track time, having something local again is going to be fabulous!!! Of the three Laverda's, best on the track for me has always been the RGS Executive "1200", stripped to bare bones for each track outing and fitted with wider Astralite wheels for each track outing. I may also put the set of Mikuni RS 36 flat slides back on the RGS, I just ordered three new Mikuni floats and a bunch of other bits for the Mikuni's from Sudco. Riding season is now pretty much over here except for sneaking out an hour or two here and there until the snow settles in to stay.

Paul LeClair
 
Heard on the radio this morning that the best two days of boat ownership are the day you bought it and the day you sold it.:)
I was due to be away for a week for work, before I went I bought some aluminium cleaner for my boats Hull. On returning I gave it a shot, this stuffis pretty potent. Brought it up okay, but where it pools in streaks, has now left it looking like a grey zebra ........ FFS. So, I figure, if I spread the streaks our with a brush as it is doing it’s work, that would help. No, that seems to not allow the stuff to penetrate.

That second happy day may well be getting closer Terry.
 
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Paul, Chev 350, 260 hp was common boat motor in that era. Same as mine. Auto parts will work for the most part, especially if only using casually and not sitting in the water at dock for a months. Some parts should be boat specific especially anything that deals with gas vapors and electrical sparks. Eg alternators and starters may have shields on them. The carb is pretty basic, the good news is unlike a car you can tune it while the boat is being driven. When you see the secondaries open up the gas just squirts in a large continuous flow, like have a leak when you were a young man with a few beers in you.

You say it's an inboard but if you really mean a inboard/outboard then you have to endure the drive is serviced, for winter drop the gear oil out of the plug at the bottom front to ensure no water in it. Also make sure the engine block and exhaust manifolds are drained before it freezes.
 
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