I appreciate the following issues may have been touched upon in other threads, several of which I have read but I would still appreciate fresh advice.
I have recently bought a low mileage (3000 or so miles) 2012 Norge GT 8V. It was a replacement for my 4V model and I soon noticed that the top end of the 8V was noisier than the 4 valve model. As a result I adjusted all the valves. All were slightly loose but not excessively so. Having done the valve clearances the top end was quieter at tick over but the engine developed a pronounced rattle from around 2000rpm upwards from the right hand rocker cover area in particular. As road speeds increased it can no longer be heard but I am pretty sure it is just being carried away on the wind. Having heard it I rechecked it the valve clearances thinking I might left an adjuster loose or measured the gaps incorrectly but all was well. I have made the valve clearances as tight as I dare but this has made no difference to the rattle. It is the sort of rattle you might imagine hearing if someone had thrown a couple of 10mm nuts into the rocker box. There is also a different rattle on start up which lasts 3 or 4 seconds as if something is waiting for the oil pressure to build up. Again it is on the right hand side of the engine. I have seen plenty written about installing roller tappets in these engines but I don’t think this has been done to my engine because of the low mileage. So the questions rattling round in my head are…
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Has anyone heard the sound of tappets failing. Did the symptoms sound anything like mine?
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Is it likely that a bike of this model with such low mileage could have failing hardening on tappets already?
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is there an easy way to tell if the tappet modification has already been done? For example, can the roller tappets be easily seen from the top of the engine?
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Is there anything other than the hardening on the tappets failing that is known to produce the sort of rattle I am experiencing at present.
I thank those that are able to respond with advice.
Here’s a pic that may help you to see if your bike has been rollerised…It was taken from the “Griso Getto”.
A great forum for loads of help/information.
PS take off the head covers and look…they should be easily seen. Cheers 
Larry46 - Many thanks for the images they are most helpful. I will take another look but I fear it still has bucket type followers.
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If it has the buckets they must be replaced asap before the metal filings thrown off kill all the bearings. If they are the last attempt by Aprilia to make the buckets work (with Diamond Like Coating) they will kill the bearings faster and more completely by embedding flakes of that coating 
Once “rollerised” it is a wonderful engine but otherwise…it is a grenade
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Your description of the sound is a lot like pinking. That usually occurs under load situations, could this be the cause?
Hello Don. You are quite right it does sound very similar to pinking but it can be heard when the engine is not load so I am inclined to think it is a mechanical noise rather than pre-ignition.
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Hi Graham, did you get to the bottom of the problem and resolve it? Cheers Phil
Hello Phil. Not yet. I am waiting for the roller tappets to come from Italy where they are apparently being manufactured. I can only hope they resolve the problem. I had the hardening fail on the tappets of a california Sports Special in days gone by and the net result was very very similar so I am confident the conversation will resolve the problem.
Hi, that is interesting, are the parts being supplied free of charge by Piaggio as per their original agreement? I have a 2010 Stelvio that I bought second hand in the UK and then repatriated to Italy. The flat tappets failed and I took it to a local dealer who inspected the motor, decided which kit was required (A, B, or C). He wrote a report and sent it to Piaggio. Despite the fact that there was no service history and the bike was 6 years old they supplied the parts free of charge. I just had to pay the installation labour costs. I thought this was a really fair deal. I hope you receive the same good service. Cheers Phil
Hello Phil, thank you for taking the trouble to reply. I had not given much thought to the chance of Piaggio paying for the parts because of the age of the bike. However, because it is a one owner bike that has covered less than 4000 miles it makes me think it might be worth pursuing in light of your success. With that in mind, I am curious to find out more about the way the way your free replacements were claimed.
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How long ago were the parts supplied and fitted?
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Did Piaggio specify the dealer?
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Was it a Moto-Guzzi Franchised dealer that did the job?
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How long did the whole process take from start to finish?
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How did you instigate the process, did the dealer suggest it or did it start with you contacting Piaggio?
Sorry for asking so many questions but it would be really helpful to know the answers, especially as getting the bike to a franchised dealer could involve a long journey and having it done by them could involve me losing the deposit I have paid for those that I have ordered, although it is a small fraction of their total cost. Here in South Wales, I imagine there are far less Moto Cuzzi dealers you might find in Italy!
Thank you for your time.
Graham.
Hello Graham
My 2010 Stelvio had the tappets swapped with parts supplied free of charge by Piaggio, it started to make small knocking sounds and I took it to Baldrick who confirmed there was a need. However as he was not a Moto Guzzi dealer he suggested I took it to Twiggers in Loughborough, who did the work in (I think) 2017 for about ÂŁ400. I had a full dealer service record up to that point. Unfortunately Twiggers no longer are a Moto Guzzi dealer.
Best of luck Chris
Hi Graham, I replied to your note above but it seems to go to an unmanned address at the club. If you can find my mail address you can send me an e mail which will
Make it easier to chat. Cheers Phil
Phil, I have failed the initiative test and can’t see how to find your Email address from within the Guzzi Owner’s Cub website. So, I wonder if you could copy and paste your reply into a traditional email and send it to me at XXXXXXXXXXX
Many thanks
Graham.
Hi Graham, I wrote you an e mail, did you receive it? Cheers Phil
Hello Phil, yes I did get the email from you and I thank you for composing it. I have had a response from Piaggio today. It’s basically telling me that their campaign to provide parts F.O.C. (Where there has been a valve train failure) ran for 10 years and ended in 2023. So, it looks like I am paying for it out of my own pocket. With labour and parts that is going to be circa £2000.00.
If you are mechanically adept, then it’s not a difficult job, can be a pain as one side is easy and the other awkward.
I seem to remember that there is a different map for roller engines as the power delivery is different.
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