Moto Guzzi California Jackal - Recent Questions, Troubleshooting & Support

Just a thought as you asked...sounds like a poor throttle position potentiometer ... throttle cabled to butterfly most likely and if ECU dosen't know throttle plate moved you will see this symptom . If electric throttle , can you see(hear) plate moving whilst twisting , if so measure resistance/voltage on pot. . I do not know if resistance of position sensor can be measured while twisting throttle or pushing plate (bike off , battery disconnected or ignition off) Luck Hugh

Too much fuel perhaps from the injector. Go to guzzitech.com and follow up there.

If old gas sat in the carb. for more than a month it starts to dry up. As it drys up it leaves behind a varnish like film that stops up some very small ports and pin holes inside a motorcycle carburetor. It is also very hard to get out. You can try this. Use a product called Seafoam, get as much gas out of the carb.s as you can. use a turkey baster and force the seafoam into your carb. Take the fuel line loose from the fuel tank and force it into the carb(s). Let that set for say 1 or 2 days. then hook up the fueltank with a mix of good gas and seafoam, (not a lot but enough to start it up. Move the cycle outside as the seafoam will make a lot of smoke if it does start up. If that does not clear up the problem you may have to pull the carb. and remove the blows to clean the inside, I know you said you have already done this but you may have to do it again, and pay attention to very small holes in the up tube . If you have to do that do not DO NOT MESS with any adjustment screws. Just take the carb. bowl off. Do not mix up any internal parts. It is best to work on a large sheet so if you drop a small part you can find it, you do not want to be missing some tiny spring or screw. Hope this Helps Fix Ya Up..

It seems that the fuel is not reaching the carb in the right quantity, that is why it runs while idling and sputters when you need more fuel after a few miles. Get the fuel line cleaned and also the carb and ensure that the fuel is flowing freely. Or if there is a fuel filter then that needs a change.

yes, the mesh filter in tank may be clogged. remove petcock from fuel tank and check

Check that the oil is not leaking from the spark plug.

which is attached onto the forks by 4 bolts. I presumed this was designed to reduce fork flex. Its heavy and its ugly and I am thinking of dumping it when I get my new alloy front mudguard built. I think several other Tonti models have this kind of brace bolted to their mudguard and forks. Has anyone else dumped it and if so did you notice any difference? CheersI think the brace also holds the mudguard so you will need another method to hold the guard. Older Cali's had stays out to the guards to support them. With a different guard you may be able to lighten the brace by drilling but I would do a road test with and without the brace before dumping it completely.,,

I'm thinking of upgrading my Jackal by adding a second front brake disc Moto Mecca seem to offer an upgrade kit. Has anyone on the forum done this upgrade before is it worth it?Yes my Jackal has the extra disc- would not want to be without it loaded up in the rain!,,,

this is a job I have done manymany a time on all sizes of Guzzis but this one is a real pig I have stripped the back end of the bike and now the s/arm with drive box is in my workshop but will they come apart? no way! I have tried Plus Gas, and also lots of heat but so far it aint moved a inch, the drive box is now just the casing as I stripped the insides out, any ideas??,I think that the box is siezed to the swinging-arm, via the studs, so maybe it would be worth trying that freeze-and-release spray that is available from Halfords, and other Motor Shops. I suspect that electrolytic corrosion has probably occurred between the studs on the drive-box, and the holes on the swing-arm flange, that they fit into. If all else fails, heat the studs up with a powerful blow-lamp, then lob a bucket of cold water on them. Maybe that will shock them off. ,,,

but never been fuurther than a tappet in the engine.If you are not using oil and the smoke only lasts for 10 seconds or so and you get no more smoke later, then I would ignore it. If the guides were worn, you would also be getting smoke on the overrun. Are the plugs getting fouled up? Again if not, ignore. If it aint really broke, don't pay out wads to fix it. (Unless you are a perfectionist, and insist on everything being perfect regardless of cost). Even if the guides are a little worn, and it will only be a little at this point, they will go on for some time yet.,,,

when I noticed that where the silencer goes into the balance box the weld had gone and it was blowing. I only have a short trip this weekend so it can wait untill Monday but I am unsure what to fit. If I fit an H pipe, will it need the EFI resetting ? How much increase in noise will it generate ? If it means playing with the EFI or a lot more noise I will refit a new standard box. ,I swapped my old balance box for a Mistral H pipe- gives a noticeable boost to the mid-range, and if you keep the standard silencers and airbox won't create too much extra noise. Also looks much sleeker and makes gearbox oil changes easier. I have a spare standard balance box in the garage if you want a one,,,

If the battery is fully charged (test it with a good volt meter), and the solenoid is good (prove this by measuring the volts on the battery side of the solenoid when pressing the start button) and it still will not start, suspect the starter or the wire from the soleniod to the starter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwnijg8bTxE

The Cali' Special tyre pressures:- --------------- 1 RIDER.---------------------- 2 RIDERS Front ...... 2.3 Bar(33.5psi) ................... 2.3Bar(33.5psi) Rear ....... 2.5Bar(36.3psi) .................... 2.9Bar(42psi) I use BT45's on mine but I have the ordinary tubed rims. I find the ride harsh but this may be down to suspension rather than tyres. People recommend running the BT45 at a slightly higher pressure than the book. I got 8500 miles from the front and 4700 from the rear. Although the rear was changed slightly early due to a puncture. I will probably try a different make next time.

what is the original problem that makes you think it is cam shaft problem If the manufacturer used cheap cams (not likely as it affects the brand name) the engine is under warranty and the cams would be replaced by the company Find a different service center or contact the manufacturer direct to see if there is a recall out on the engine consider this --if it is a moto guzzi mechanic that was telling you this , then why was it not booked in for replacement parts under warranty I suspect that he was trying to get extra money out of you and was not qualified in the product

Bad connection or faulty starter. Check voltage/current to the starter when you press start - should be around 8/9 volts for a 12 volt system - if considerably higher suspect starter, if lower and little current flowing suspect poor connection somewhere. If the voltage is low and current high suspect starter.

it sounds like the solenoid secondary circuit has failed. Carefully stick a screwdriver between the 2 larger posts and the starter should spin.