Latest Stelvio Mod.

[Doc]

The Forks on my '09 Stelvio have a few small areas where the Chrome is flaking, most likely from stone damage.
I’m going to strip them down and send them off for re-chroming, but didn’t want to be without the Bike while they’re being done, so . . .

2010 Multi-Strada Forks, 50mm, same as the early Stelvio, almost a straight swap.
Had to make Split-Sleeves for the Upper Yoke, the Duke Forks are 1mm smaller at the top than the Stelvio’s (58mm top & bottom), and one for the Axle Head, the Duke version has a larger diameter.

Also had to relocate the ABS Sensor, the Duke’s is on the left, and has a smaller Sensor and Sensor Ring, made up a Bracket for it.
Will probably relocate it to the right at some point, with a simpler Bracket screwed to the lower Caliper Lug.

[Doc]

Disc spacing on the Duke is the same as the Griso/Norge/Sport(?) etc, so off came the Spacers I made to fit the Griso Wheel to it originally . . .

I still needed the inner part to centre the Discs on the Hub, so I parted off a 4mm slice and used that.
The Spacers will still be good if/when I refit the Stelvio Forks.


Why the Ducati Forks?
They’re the same overall length, and they have separate Rebound and Compression Adjusters in each Leg, the Stelvio has Comp in one, Rebound in the other.
Also, they were £250, the Stelvio ones go for £800+, if you can find any.

They also have the Axle in-line with the Forks, the Leading Axle Fittings on the Stelvio are prone to cracking, although that’s almost certainly down to ham-fisted (and non-sequential) tightening of the Pinch Bolts.

[Doc]

Got the Lower Fittings off the Stelvio Forks at the Weekend.

One side undid with just a bit of heating from a Hot Air Gun, holding the lower Fitting in a Vice, and turning the Stanchion with a large Strap-Wrench, with a piece of Rubber Sheet under the Webbing Strap for grip.

The other side was more stubborn.
I had to machine a 50mm hole through the join of two Alloy Blocks (clamped together), to make Clamping Blocks, so I could hold the Stanchion tight enough in a Vice.
Then I heated up the Fitting with a Gas Torch, spraying lube into the top occasionally.
It did the trick eventually, but took several half-turns between heating and lubing until it could be undone all the way off.
Fair bit of surface corrosion inside, nothing major, but it’s such a small gap it made it really tight.


Dropped the Stanchions off at the Platers on Monday, 80 mile round-trip.
Ducati Forks work well on the Stelvio.
Feels very slightly different in the corners, takes a minuscule amount of effort to tip in, and hold a line, whereas before it was totally neutral in the corners, and verging on unstable the way it tipped in (how I like it).

They feel different because they’re not ‘Leading-Axle’, so the wheelbase is decreased, but the Trail increased.
I thought the two might have cancelled each other out, but it seems not.
It’s very slight though, I’ve lifted the Forks a little in the Yokes to ‘quicken’ the steering again.
I’ll see how they feel soon.

The Tool for removing the Ducati Fork Caps arrived Tuesday, so I whipped the Springs out yesterday.
Managed to do it with the Forks in-situ.

Was going to leave the original Springs in for a while, at least until the weather improves a bit, but couldn’t resist!

The Springs are very similar to the Stelvio items, around 7mm longer, with more Coils (therefore ‘softer’).
Stelvio Springs dropped straight in.

Will try them out in the next few days.

Stelvio Spring on right.

[Doc]

I posted a picture on another Forum recently, of my Stelvio as it was when I bought it, i.e. absolutely Bog-Standard.

A Friend of mine on there suggested I post a photo of it as it is now, so I did.
Had to do three though, couldn’t fit all the labels on just one . . .

[Doc]

One more (other than the Rack Mod posted elsewhere).
Radial Clutch Master Cylinder assembly.
Lightens the Clutch feel a little.

Lever reach is adjustable, but has nothing to restrict the free-play at full extension.
I’m using a Cable-Tie at the moment (not shown) to keep it within reach.
I’ll remake the adjuster Barrel Nut, with an extended bit underneath to ride in a slotted plate, to restrict the movement forwards.
Also need to make up a support for the Reservoir.

[Doc]

I had a slight ‘hiccup’ with it approx 40 miles after fitting it, it went ‘spongey’, and wouldn’t fully disengage.

Stripped it down, and found it a bit grubby inside, should have checked before fitting it really, I guess they skip QC at this price.
All good now, put around 600 miles on it so far, two-and-a-half weeks.

Oddly, stripping, cleaning, and rebuilding it has cured the reach issue.

It’s a 16mm Bore, looking for a Seal Kit to keep as a spare now, will probably cost more than the whole assembly did . . .

[Doc]

Probably not classed as a ‘Mod’ as such, but something to try.

Due to the ‘heatwave’ here at the moment (low-mid-30s °C and humid. And yes, I know, you Aussies can stop sniggering!), I removed my Screen Assembly.
Obviously there’s the welcome windblast to keep me cool, but it also totally changes the ‘feel’ of the Stelvio.
It’s difficult to explain or put into words, but it just feels ‘different’, in a ‘fun’ way.

I guess maybe it reminds me of all my early un-faired Bikes, that weren’t as ‘civilised’ as the Stelvio.
Now I understand why Griso owners are nearly always grinning so much.

Try it.

[Doc]

Another mod done.

Didn’t like the way the original Gear Lever flopped about, even after making a new Bush for it, so I made a replacement.
Milled off the stub from the outside of the Mount, and drilled through with a 10mm Drill.
Drilled and Tapped for a 5mm Grub-Screw, to secure a 10mm steel Dowel in the Hole, which extends out both sides.
The two Lever halves have Delrin Bushes for the Pivot, clamped together with two 6mm Bolts, through Alloy Spacers.
Zero play now.

The other reason I remade the Lever, was to drop the point where the Linkage attaches, to allow for the length of the Sensor for the Translogic Quick-Shifter Kit I’ve fitted.
Also, the Bellcrank Plate Bush was a little loose, which lead to some sideways movement in the Plate, so I remade the Bush.
I made the Bellcrank Mechanism not long after I got it, to reverse the Gearchange pattern, so it’s 1-UP ~ 5-DOWN.