| 1 | Clutch basket (original gauge was too light and fell apart, destroying the engine) |
| 2 | The intermediate gear on the back of the clutch basket was only 6mm and didn't mesh properly. It is now 8mm. To check it's done, you have to remove the clutch basket. The new gear came with an upgraded clutch basket, making #1 redundant |
| 3 | Clutch command lever - now steel, painted black (on mine) |
| 4 | The alternator drive dog (possibly) had a small Belville washer, and was locked in place with Loctite on the M8 bolt threads. This could come unstuck. It was replaced with a proprietary lock washer and an M10 bolt. This also failed. The lock washer was finally replaced with a larger Belville washer and loctited. It should be inspected each service. |
| 5 | The original radiator cap was too small, and tended to leak. This could cause the coolant to be dumped into the overflow tank, and from there, onto the front of the engine |
| A | 2 above (intermediate gear) & 5 above (alternator lock washer) |
| B | Cam Chain condition - this is to be replaced at 25,000 km intervals. Earlier if the engine is/has been operated at high revs for considerable periods, eg. racing, or track days. |
| C | Cam Chain Tensioner - Benelli don't mentioned it, BUT, it's a VERY good idea to measure the adjuster depth and the spring length, to confirm that it is still working properly. In older engines, the installed spring lengths varied. I've documented what I know about it HERE. There have been a couple of cam chain failures which have never been explained by the factory, but I believe (in at least one case) to be due to the adjuster. It's not a problem if you know what the state of your engine is. |
| 1 | Dash temp gauge unreliable, and clock/trip may reset on cranking (Warranty Replacement) |
| 2 | Corroding core (Welsh) plugs. A bad batch of steel plugs failed prematurely. (Mine has been fine) |
| 3 | Engine dying as it drops to idle. Documented Here |
| 4 | Difficulty in selecting neutral. Documented Here |
| 5 | Tip Over switch may cut the engine at high revs (vibration) Documented Here |
| 6 | Poor panel preparation prior to painting. The lower panels are the worst, regardless of colour. (Warranty Replacement) |
| 7 | Some of the original drive chains fitted were rubbish. They had too much lateral movement, which allowed it to hit the frame. This may have been accentuated by a poorly aligned wheel. Find out how to align the rear wheel HERE. |
| 8 | Check the fit of the front indicators - some are poorly aligned and can rub the paint on the fairings. |
| 9 | Check the rubber on the gear change lever - early ones (matt black) wear excessively, later ones (shiney black) are ok. (Warranty Replacement) |
| 10 | Check the two seats off the bike - some early ones split underneath. (Warranty Replacement) |
| A | first oil change at 100km. This will remove the residual swarf, left over from manufacture. |
| B | remove the sump at 1000km to remove larger manufacturing debris, such as silastic sealant, or casting sand. |
| C | measure the cam chain tensioner depth (Here's how) every oil change. It should gradually increase, by perhaps 1mm each service. If it doesn't move - find out if it is still working! |
| D | measure the maximum tensioner depth (Here's how) - then you'll know if the spring has reached it's limit. |
Clutch / Alternator Drive Issues - Important - Read This!
There have been other faults, alternator input shaft breakages & clutch cush spring control to name a couple, but these have been minor compared to those described above.
More on the '03 Clutch Cush Spring Issue to follow. Colintornado is the expert on this.