Stelvio, Norge or Aprilia Caponord

[Delta425]

Am going to buy one of these three this coming Saturday.  All opinions welcome.

[ken farr]

I really like the Aprilia.

The only thing about the Aprilia, how are the valve adjustments performed?  Is it owner friendly?


kjf

[Lannis]

Am going to buy one of these three this coming Saturday.  All opinions welcome.

Can't go wrong with any of them.   Technically, no real reason to buy one over the other.  

Try them and go with the one you "feel" will be right for you.  

Lannis

[rboe]

Depends on which one fits you the best. Taller and long legged, Stelvio looks good. Tall but shorter inseam, Norge.

Never been on a Caponord so you are on your own.

Sounds like a dealer is near by for either so you are good there.

I'm tempted by the Stelvio, but she is tall and heavy so my back says pass. :)

Unless you blundered across a lemon (unlikely) I bet either of these machines would stoke you.

[Delta425]

Thanks guys.  Since my wife will now be a passenger with me (she has given up riding on the street, mostly due to other drivers/riders), guess the determining factor will be how she feels on the back.

Still, if anyone else has any input at all, I'm all ears.

[Vasco DG]

If buying a Capponord make absolutely certain it isn't eligible for the output shaft recall. To the best of my knowledge this only affected a few 2013 models but do make certain as if it needs the 'Big' fix which requires replacement of the output shaft it is 'Book Timed' out as a warranty job at 740 minutes.

As for servicing? Compared to a Guzzi valve adjustments on the Cappo are a right bastard and you need the various locking pins etc. to hold everything in place while you pull the cams. It's bloody cramped to get to the front pot too.

Personally I dislike the Doso/Cappo motor. It feels like a sowing machine to me. Sure it's powerful and the bike has a heap of interesting techno-gimmickry on it but I find it as boring as batshit.

Pete

[Delta425]

Thanks, Pete.  I am buying new - the dealership carries both.  Didn't think about the valve adjust on the Aprilia - but I definitely see your point.  The Guzzi will be very easy to get to vs. the Aprilia.

Anyone know the valve adjust intervals on the Aprilia?

[Lannis]

Thanks guys.  Since my wife will now be a passenger with me (she has given up riding on the street, mostly due to other drivers/riders), guess the determining factor will be how she feels on the back.

Still, if anyone else has any input at all, I'm all ears.

Well, since you ask, my wife and I bought our Stelvio after searching the wide world over for the best two-up highway motorcycle for us, that would carry our combined 400 pounds (mostly me, so there's no mistake!) and have plenty of room for my 32" inseam and her 34" inseam without cramping us.

The Stelvio was the only one of the bikes we tried (including the Caponord and Norge and a host of others including ST1300, Concours, BMWs, etc that filled the bill.   With a Russell Day-Long seat, it's been everything we hoped for ....

Lannis

[Delta425]

Lannis - thanks for the info!  That will make a big impact on my decision.

[Lannis]

Lannis - thanks for the info!  That will make a big impact on my decision.

Due diligence ... IF you are going to consistently carry two-up loads, you might want to plan on replacing the rear shock at some point.   On my '09 Stelvio, when my wife and I got back from a 4500 mile trip, 21,000 total on the bike, the rear shock was completely sacked out, and I replaced it with a Guzzitech rear shock designed for a higher load, which has been working well the last 12,000 miles.

I don't know if the new Stelvios have this issue, or if the Caponord or Norge had/have the issue, but you might plan on an upgrade if you ride for a while, like the bike, but are starting to feel the bridge joints ... !

Lannis

[Vasco DG]

Thanks, Pete.  I am buying new - the dealership carries both.  Didn't think about the valve adjust on the Aprilia - but I definitely see your point.  The Guzzi will be very easy to get to vs. the Aprilia.

Anyone know the valve adjust intervals on the Aprilia?

Lash adjust on Cappo is 20,000Km.

[Gliderjohn]

I agree that if you can test ride all three go for it and you will probably know pretty quick what will work for you. If you have the Norge with the top box with back rest it is quite nice for the passenger. Nice to have the opportunity to make a choice between those three.
GliderJohn

[Delta425]

Thanks!

[leafman60]

Ditto what most others have said.

Regarding the STELVIO-  your inseam length or height is an important consideration. I have a bias towards the Stelvio since I've had one for 3 years.  I'm also 6-2 and I like to ride on dirt occasionally. For long-distance comfort, the Russell seat has no peer. I've had several of them on various bikes. Nowadays, when I buy a new bike that I plan to use for touring, I go ahead and order a Russell soon after getting the bike.
 
However, the Russell will effectively add about an inch to ride height after it has been broken-in.  If you are tall enough to accommodate this, you will be fine. As I said, I am 6-2 and I ride on my Russell with the seat in the low position.

If you are not adequately tall, the Stelvio will probably not work for you, especially if you plan to carry a passenger and need a secure footing on the ground when stopped.

The rear shock on the NTX model is improved and I've experienced no problems carrying a passenger with my preload turned up.

I also use an attached Laminar Lip to give me slightly more wind protection. Gustafsson Plastics can make you a windshield that looks just like stock but with wider and/or taller dimensions.

The Stelvio is a great bike on the road and yet it offers you the flexibility to do many things both on and off-road.

Women like having a backrest when they ride as passenger. You can get an aluminum top box for the Stelvio that matches the saddlebags and you can get a small rubber pad for the top box. It doesn't look too comfortable to me but I've not tried it. You can look to several aftermarket suppliers of backrests or you can fabricate one as I did.

The NORGE is more of a dedicated road bike in the sport-touring mode. The ride height will be noticeably lower than the Stelvio and allow a more secure purchase with the ground, especially when carrying a passenger. The Norge should also provide a bit more wind protection, especially if you opt for a larger windscreen. I would also consider a Russell for the Norge. This may also help the seat to peg arrangement/distance.

The Norge top case should also provide a better backrest than the stock Stelvio top box.

I've ridden the new CAPONORD Aprilia and it is exhilarating. Lots of power is on tap and the engine still offers a certain amount of VTwin character. The bike also handles very well. If you expect to be riding solo very much and want something sporty (in a Ducati sense), this bike is worthy of consideration.

Maintenance is the big thing for me. As has already been mentioned, nothing beats the Guzzi for simplicity and ease of maintenance. Valve lash inspection and adjustment can't get any easier that with the Guzzi motors.

Best advice is to take all of this into consideration and then go ride the various bikes, perhaps with your passenger.

[Delta425]

Thanks, Leafman.  Lot of good info there.  Am definitely leaning towards one of the Guzzis, now... which one!?

[leafman60]

Thanks, Leafman.  Lot of good info there.  Am definitely leaning towards one of the Guzzis, now... which one!?

How tall are you?

[Cage Free]

mas
Am going to buy one of these three this coming Saturday.  All opinions welcome.
[/quote

I know this is could be considered blasphemy  but unless you've just got to have Italian I'd give the Yamaha FJ09 a look. This from a Stelvio owner.

[nikwax]

I'm 6' 3" with a 34" inseam. The Norge fits me like a glove with a rebuilt seat (Don Weber / Mr. Ed's Moto). Very comfortable for the wife and I, around 350 lbs combined, plus three bags. Terrific touring bike and agile enough to commute and hoon on. Definitely not a dirt bike.



The stock suspension was adequate when new and by 20k miles was shot. I highly recommend a Wilbers rear shock. I highly recommend NOT buying anything from Guzzitech / Todd Eagan, he doesn't know squat about the 8V Norges and you may find yourself, like me, a couple of hundred dollars short.

[Demar]

I love my 2012 Stelvio. I'm 5'-9" with a 30" inseam. I have to be careful where and how I park it. It's difficult for me to push back while sitting on the bike. A few times I've tried to place my left foot down and realized the crown in the road fell away so far I would have been on my tip toe. I quickly lean to the right if this happens. I did have a custom seat made that lowered the seat by 3/4". I won't ride anything off pavement but mild gravel roads.

I considered a Norge but I don't care for all the plastic. I like the look of the Stelvio much better. The Stelvio is a fantastic road bike. It handles very well and once moving, even just 1 or 2 mph, the weight disappears for me. I like the upright seating position. I bought it for camping trips and it excels in this aspect. I can load it up with all my camping gear and do 400+ mile days with no problem.

[leafman60]

I love my 2012 Stelvio. I'm 5'-9" with a 30" inseam. I have to be careful where and how I park it. It's difficult for me to push back while sitting on the bike. A few times I've tried to place my left foot down and realized the crown in the road fell away so far I would have been on my tip toe. I quickly lean to the right if this happens. I did have a custom seat made that lowered the seat by 3/4". I won't ride anything off pavement but mild gravel roads.

Yes, and just imagine if you had the weight of a passenger perched atop the passenger seat. 

[pyoungbl]

I had a Norge and thought it was a wonderful road bike.  You will find that the seating position has you sitting down into the bike whereas the Stelvio has you on top of the bike...not a good description but I hope you get the idea.  I have 32" inseam and this had my knees bent just a bit more than I like.  The Norge offered good luggage, very good aerodynamics, great weather protection, and more than enough performance to keep up with my buddies in the twisties.  On the down side, it was a PITA to have to take so much plastic off when I wanted to work on the bike.  Some of that has been corrected with the newer models, also heat issues have been addressed with the new bikes.

I moved on to a Stelvio NTX and have no regrets.  I have the same, or better, power.  The NTX will keep up with any Norge on the highway or track.  It's much easier to work on the Stelvio, I love being higher on the bike, the crash bars should limit how much damage when the bike takes a nap, and I appreciate the NTX extras like aux lights and hand guards.

My experience with the Aprilia line is limited to demo rides on just about everything they offer.  Man, what great sporting machines!  The engine entertains to the max.  They have great brakes, transmission, and overall suspension.  After owning a couple Ducati' I find that cutting edge performance comes with a cost I'm no longer willing to pay.  Ask the dealer what it will cost for a major service...I'm guessing somewhere north of $1K.

[Delta425]

6'1" - 34" inseam.

[swmckinley54]

Like Denmar I would be considered on the short side for a Stelvio,  I have one that I have put 40K mile on. I have a 31 inseam and I also have a Russell Day Long saddle on the Stelvio. I manage it quite well and have only dropped the bike once, but I can't see myself putting my wife on the back, its her getting on and off the bike that would be the problem. I have another cruiser type bike that works well for our two up trips. Like another said here I would take a hard look at the 2015 FJ 09.

[Delta425]

Thanks to everyone for all the information. At this point I am definitely leaning towards one of the Guzzis. Will let about 75% of the decision up to the wife since she will be on back.

If anyone has anything else to add, I am still listening.

[leafman60]

6'1" - 34" inseam.

You should be fine on the Stelvio, even with an aftermarket seat.

[PJPR01]

For what it's worth, I found that the chain slap on the Aprilia Caponord was annoying...much prefer the shaft drive of the Norge.  The Aprilia also has a more upright riding position like the Stelvio so it depends on what sort of riding position you are searching for.  With my Norge, I have a Corbin seat that lowered it a bit but more than anything else made the bike rideable all day as the stock seat would put my rear to sleep after about 100 miles.  Flat boots on the ground at a stop light makes the Norge outstanding for riding 2 up with great stability...and that I find to be more important than the taller clearance, by the way I'm 5-10 with a 31 inch inseam so as others have said...that's an important data point for finding the right fit.

I would however like to see a bit more protection on the bottom of the Norge as the oil pan is fragile as hell ( I busted one last year going off a 6 inch sidewalk...my fault...should have been going faster to clear the drop off)...whereas the Stelvio does have a nice protector.  

Finally...I would say the sound of the engine of the Stelvio or Norge are much more pleasing to my ear than the Aprilia... YMMV.

[poorBob]

I bought my Stelvio for the express purpose of riding 2 up with my previously non-motorcycle friendly wife. She loves riding on the back and once actually fell asleep - I felt her jerk awake and stopped and got her a coffee.

I had an issue with the Yuasa battery slobbering but the dealer stood behind it and the bike has otherwise been  trouble-free.

300 mile days are no problem for my wife but a Stelvio is more than capable of covering long distances in comfort. I've done over 900 miles in a day.

By the way, I have a 32 inch inseam.

So my 2 cents is a vote for the Stelvio! 

[motrhead]

 I'm 5-9, 32" inseam, and my Stelvio fits me fine. Paddling backwards on uneven ground can be a bit more work than on some other bikes, but it's not that  big of a deal. My Sportster is worse for some reason. LOL
 The most amazing thing about the Stelvio for me is how stable it is on dirt and gravel roads, and how it turns into a sportbike in the twisties. It pains me to admit it is easier to ride fast than my V11 LeMans!
 Clip ons take some effort to turn in, but the wide bars on the Stelvio let you think it into the curves. I haven't compared to a Norge yet, but the Stelvio is a very sporty ride.

[Delta425]

At this point, I am leaning towards the Stelvio. I really appreciate everyone's input. Will let everyone know what I bought after we get back on Saturday.

[bad Chad]

Have you gone on any Aprilia boards to get their side of the story?   If and when the time comes to get a new Guzzi, I do want to ride the Stelvio again, but also the Capo, it's a very intriguing bike.  I think it's unlikely that I would jump ship, but I wouldn't rule it out.  That being said, I will always have at least one Guzzi in my garage!