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General Discussion / Re: Bought a 2013 Norge 8V with 11,000 miles
« Last post by Trevor G on Today at 01:16:13 AM »Well, the fun of riding a twelve year old Moto Guzzi that got excellent sport touring reviews back in the day is somewhat tempered by the reality of having to work on it. Judging by the service problems that show up with the current models Piaggio really haven't added much to the grin factor of ownership, which is a shame.
The Good:
Screen:
I rode it back from San Diego two weeks ago. It was only 390 miles, but I started late on Saturday afternoon and tiredness caught up with me, so I had to stop overnight. Remarkably, I wasn't tired from the seat or the riding position, but from lack of sleep. The ride itself was great, although the skimpy screen/windshield caused a lot of head buffeting discomfort. However, a spare Can Am Spyder RS (early model) GIVI screen we have lying around will hopefully do the trick, since it is a lot wider at the top, and an inch or two higher with a euroflip built in.
Foot controls:
The bike has slightly lower, aftermarket footrests and adjustable foot levers. Although they were both set fairly high, so that I had to lift my foot off the footrest to change up, that was a quick adjustment. The brake is yet to be done.
Seat:
I got an original seat, plus the one which was fitted which appears to be identical but has four holes drilled in the base, I assume to soften it some more, and maybe lower the seating position slightly. It sure was comfortable during both day's rides, and although the nominal seat height, at 31.9", is the same as my Aprilia Mana, it definitely is lower and more comfy! Anyone want an original seat?
Hand controls:
I haven't used a hand clutch since 2018, and I was a little tentative about how the Norge clutch would go, since it seemed a little heavy. However, even in some stop/go traffic in San Diego, I had no problems. The brakes work well, on a par with the slightly lighter Mana. One useful addition was a throttle lock, although it has been installed in the wrong position so that reaching the start button is awkward. I might investigate and make an adjustment if I can, but I might also get an MCCruise if I decide to keep the bike. We (my wife and I) ride long distances at high speeds (up to 9 over in states that permit that, 84mph on most Interstates) and I am used to using cruise on my Can Am Spyder F3 Limited. (Patti rides her own Spyder.) It certainly relieves hand tension and makes for much more relaxed riding on the boring interstates that get us to the fun rides.
Handlebars:
Although some people don't seem to like them, they fit me well, although I am ordering a 1" riser set to be a little more upright. A slight forward lean is fine for me. :-)
Instruments:
The speedo is about 5mph fast at 80, but I use the Speedometer app on my iPhone to keep within the law. For the first time I also used audible alerts from the app to warn me when I was exceeding the preset limit. Very useful.
The digital display is just like the Mana and includes fuel consumption, both average and instantaneous. Love it! Unfortunately on the Norge the display is unreadable when travelling into the sun when it's low. It's showing an average FC of 43.5 mpg over the last 400 miles.
Handling and Suspension:
With tyre pressures at 38 and 41 the bike steers very neutrally, with no sign of dropping into corners at low or high speed. In fact, at low speed I am cornering with greater lean around town, without any sign of instability. However, the forks are typical, village cart issue, with little rebound damping. In other words, when you hit a bump the forks are slow to respond and then bounce you back much higher than you were before the bump. Of course, they settle again immediately, but that does not alleviate the bounce back due to insufficient rebound damping. I don't know why every bike I have ever ridden has been like that, but a fork kit will cure that if I keep it. The rear shocks seem fine, although like most others of their ilk, as you increase rebound damping you also up compression damping. Better shocks don't do that.
Tyres:
The original Pirelli Angels are holding up well at 11,400 miles, with a rear tread depth of 2.5mm, down from 7mm on a new rear, and still well above the wear bars. We are heading East next week and I think I will leave them on. They'll get some good wear on the edges while we are away - they have seen very little use off the vertical. By comparison, I have been getting about 7500 miles from a rear Pirelli on the Mana. In spite of their age, the Angels show no sign of cracking or fatigue, and feel 'grippy' to touch.
Previous maintenance:
The second owner used Redline products at 4800 and 5,000 miles, but switched to Amsoil at 7800. At that time (July '23) it also had a GTM throttle body balance, TPS rest and a fuel remap. I guess that is all good. The engine performs quite well and seems to fuel OK, but it would be nice if a knowledgeable, Norge sort of guy could ride it and let me know. Maybe when I get back and fit new tyres?? ;-)
Luggage capacity:
This is enormous compared to anything I have owned or ridden. More than a Spyder, lots more.
Convenience:
There's even a 12v outlet under the seat. I'll run a couple of iPhone Lightning cables to the front. One of the POs did a rough job of adding a USB outlet below the instrument panel, so this will improve on his work.
Fairing:
It might not seem like much, but what is there seems to work very well. I started removing panels so that I could research the oil leak, and stripped the head and side panels from the left side. Then I went for a ride. Wow, what a difference in heat with the head cover/deflector and other fairing panels removed. Compared to my Nevada there is a lot more heat from these big engines - I now know that I couldn't ride an earlier, 2 valve version with its different plastic.
Then there's also some not-so-good things, but they can come another time.
The Good:
Screen:
I rode it back from San Diego two weeks ago. It was only 390 miles, but I started late on Saturday afternoon and tiredness caught up with me, so I had to stop overnight. Remarkably, I wasn't tired from the seat or the riding position, but from lack of sleep. The ride itself was great, although the skimpy screen/windshield caused a lot of head buffeting discomfort. However, a spare Can Am Spyder RS (early model) GIVI screen we have lying around will hopefully do the trick, since it is a lot wider at the top, and an inch or two higher with a euroflip built in.
Foot controls:
The bike has slightly lower, aftermarket footrests and adjustable foot levers. Although they were both set fairly high, so that I had to lift my foot off the footrest to change up, that was a quick adjustment. The brake is yet to be done.
Seat:
I got an original seat, plus the one which was fitted which appears to be identical but has four holes drilled in the base, I assume to soften it some more, and maybe lower the seating position slightly. It sure was comfortable during both day's rides, and although the nominal seat height, at 31.9", is the same as my Aprilia Mana, it definitely is lower and more comfy! Anyone want an original seat?
Hand controls:
I haven't used a hand clutch since 2018, and I was a little tentative about how the Norge clutch would go, since it seemed a little heavy. However, even in some stop/go traffic in San Diego, I had no problems. The brakes work well, on a par with the slightly lighter Mana. One useful addition was a throttle lock, although it has been installed in the wrong position so that reaching the start button is awkward. I might investigate and make an adjustment if I can, but I might also get an MCCruise if I decide to keep the bike. We (my wife and I) ride long distances at high speeds (up to 9 over in states that permit that, 84mph on most Interstates) and I am used to using cruise on my Can Am Spyder F3 Limited. (Patti rides her own Spyder.) It certainly relieves hand tension and makes for much more relaxed riding on the boring interstates that get us to the fun rides.
Handlebars:
Although some people don't seem to like them, they fit me well, although I am ordering a 1" riser set to be a little more upright. A slight forward lean is fine for me. :-)
Instruments:
The speedo is about 5mph fast at 80, but I use the Speedometer app on my iPhone to keep within the law. For the first time I also used audible alerts from the app to warn me when I was exceeding the preset limit. Very useful.
The digital display is just like the Mana and includes fuel consumption, both average and instantaneous. Love it! Unfortunately on the Norge the display is unreadable when travelling into the sun when it's low. It's showing an average FC of 43.5 mpg over the last 400 miles.
Handling and Suspension:
With tyre pressures at 38 and 41 the bike steers very neutrally, with no sign of dropping into corners at low or high speed. In fact, at low speed I am cornering with greater lean around town, without any sign of instability. However, the forks are typical, village cart issue, with little rebound damping. In other words, when you hit a bump the forks are slow to respond and then bounce you back much higher than you were before the bump. Of course, they settle again immediately, but that does not alleviate the bounce back due to insufficient rebound damping. I don't know why every bike I have ever ridden has been like that, but a fork kit will cure that if I keep it. The rear shocks seem fine, although like most others of their ilk, as you increase rebound damping you also up compression damping. Better shocks don't do that.
Tyres:
The original Pirelli Angels are holding up well at 11,400 miles, with a rear tread depth of 2.5mm, down from 7mm on a new rear, and still well above the wear bars. We are heading East next week and I think I will leave them on. They'll get some good wear on the edges while we are away - they have seen very little use off the vertical. By comparison, I have been getting about 7500 miles from a rear Pirelli on the Mana. In spite of their age, the Angels show no sign of cracking or fatigue, and feel 'grippy' to touch.
Previous maintenance:
The second owner used Redline products at 4800 and 5,000 miles, but switched to Amsoil at 7800. At that time (July '23) it also had a GTM throttle body balance, TPS rest and a fuel remap. I guess that is all good. The engine performs quite well and seems to fuel OK, but it would be nice if a knowledgeable, Norge sort of guy could ride it and let me know. Maybe when I get back and fit new tyres?? ;-)
Luggage capacity:
This is enormous compared to anything I have owned or ridden. More than a Spyder, lots more.
Convenience:
There's even a 12v outlet under the seat. I'll run a couple of iPhone Lightning cables to the front. One of the POs did a rough job of adding a USB outlet below the instrument panel, so this will improve on his work.
Fairing:
It might not seem like much, but what is there seems to work very well. I started removing panels so that I could research the oil leak, and stripped the head and side panels from the left side. Then I went for a ride. Wow, what a difference in heat with the head cover/deflector and other fairing panels removed. Compared to my Nevada there is a lot more heat from these big engines - I now know that I couldn't ride an earlier, 2 valve version with its different plastic.
Then there's also some not-so-good things, but they can come another time.