Norge or Stelvio for cross US & back trip?

[kingoffleece]

You have a Trophy?  Why are you not taking that?

[PeteS]

Running from San Fransisco to DC you would likely be doing a lot of I-80. US 30 parallels it from western Wyoming to Omaha and pretty rural most of the way. You can hop back on 80 to get around the bigger cities. We did that a few years ago traveling east from Portland. You won't loose much time and its a more interesting ride.

Pete

[JohninVT]

500 mile days, 6 days in a row by someone with some health issues doesn't seem reasonable.  That's 10-12 hours a day riding at a pretty good clip.  A couple toad strangler storms in the Midwest would add a day and make for a pretty miserable trip, IMHO.  Running 70mph all day, in August, with a loaded bike is going to eat tires.  I've re-thought my suggestions:

1)Something..ANYTHING with cruise control.
2)Concerns about weight would go out the window and I'd be looking at something with a big, flat seat to move around on and a larger seat to peg ratio.
3)Airflow management.  If it buffets you'll be exhausted and deaf after 60-70 hours of riding.  You'll want protection when you get caught in a downpour and you'll want it somewhat adjustable to handle a 40 degree temperature swing from 60-100 degrees. 
4)LED headlight or something with auxiliary lights.  You're going to end up riding at night on unfamiliar roads.

Or...add three days to the trip East and nearly all of those issues disappear.  In my experience, 300 mile days back to back are easy.  500 mile days are an exponential effort higher.  300 mile days make the trip pain free on any of the bikes you already own.           

[Huzo]

Why all the agonising ?
Just buy King of Fleece’s Norge and go...There’s nothing to work out.

[Cage Free]

Recently replaced my 13 Stelvio with 47k miles for an FJR. Way better road bike in every way, also have a 17 Griso and can't imagine a long road trip with it. why suffer? Used Stelvios are hard to sell and dirt cheap. Mine was in great condition and only brought $4300. after a long time on the market.

[usedtobefast]

You have a Trophy?  Why are you not taking that?

No, that was a recommendation.  Seems like a great "touring bike" suggestion, but nearest decent used one near me is ~11 hours away.    They have tons of features and seem to be several thousand less than a BMW. 

Point was, even if I was on a touring (zero dirt) type of bike, I could rent a dirt bike in Moab or Colorado for some dirt fun ... vs. trying to ride a Stelvio offroad there. 

[usedtobefast]

500 mile days, 6 days in a row by someone with some health issues doesn't seem reasonable.  That's 10-12 hours a day riding at a pretty good clip.  A couple toad strangler storms in the Midwest would add a day and make for a pretty miserable trip, IMHO.  Running 70mph all day, in August, with a loaded bike is going to eat tires.  I've re-thought my suggestions:

1)Something..ANYTHING with cruise control.
2)Concerns about weight would go out the window and I'd be looking at something with a big, flat seat to move around on and a larger seat to peg ratio.
3)Airflow management.  If it buffets you'll be exhausted and deaf after 60-70 hours of riding.  You'll want protection when you get caught in a downpour and you'll want it somewhat adjustable to handle a 40 degree temperature swing from 60-100 degrees. 
4)LED headlight or something with auxiliary lights.  You're going to end up riding at night on unfamiliar roads.

Or...add three days to the trip East and nearly all of those issues disappear.  In my experience, 300 mile days back to back are easy.  500 mile days are an exponential effort higher.  300 mile days make the trip pain free on any of the bikes you already own.         

The health issues are really just ache-ie joint type things.  The ADV style bikes feel the most comfortable to me vs. say a stock Griso.   

I hear you about the trip out.  I'm thinking about leaving a bit earlier ... target 400 mile days and have 1-2 "rain" day (lower mileage) worked in.  Can't miss the wedding!

And it is a bit funny ... trip out? Goldwing.  Trip back? Twisty backroad (as much as possible) bike. 

I did check, it is ~$1000 for a one way rental car.  Rental car out, buy a bike in VA, fun 3-4 week ride back? 

[usedtobefast]

Why all the agonising ?
Just buy King of Fleece’s Norge and go...There’s nothing to work out.

His bike is ~2800 miles away from me.    

[PJPR01]

A couple months ago, there was an espresso Norge for sale in So. Cal, down in Whittier I believe.  Exceptional bike, probably needs little modification for your needs as it already had all of the items needed to make it an all day tourer, other than maybe a sheepskin cover for the seat.  Not far from you...very fair price, and you'd have plenty of fun out and back.

My only guess is you may not want to sell the bike afterwards!

[bobrebos]

I have a 2013 Stelvio and a 2011 Gold Wing.  Both chew up miles pretty well!  But of course the Gold Wing really is the comfort king in my opinion. 

[groundhog105]

Today's update:

- probably passing on an ST1300.  Too heavy.  Too boring.  And the "excessive heat on the rider" thing for an August trip doesn't sound good.
- no decent Stelvio's to be found (yet)
- finding a number of nice Yamaha Super Tenere's.  Might go check 1 or 2 out this week.
- considering a V-Strom 1000, but really want a shaft drive
- did another search on VRF1200X's and nothing out there (well, some new leftovers and a used one that is 11 hours away from me)
- thought about taking the Quota for about 2-3 minutes then got over that! 

A bit more about the trip:

- CA->VA will need to be a ~6 day major road "get there quick" trip
- Then I will be in VA for 2-3 weeks hanging around with family (wedding, and visit with relatives in the area) (do any bike maint/tires)
- Then the VA->CA trip can be 3-4 weeks

Going solo, so I don't really want to venture off into any remote dirt areas and drop a ~600lb bike.  If on a Stelvio or Super Tenere, going through Colorado and Utah will be tempting.  But ... they have rentals.  So I could ride my Triumph Trophy 1200 SE into Moab and then rent a KTM dirt bike!  (for example) (or my Stelvio with street ish tread tires and do a real dirt bike rental)
 
So it will probably come down to which nice bike pops up in the used market in the next few weeks.  Figuring on a mid August departure, and I'd like to get the new to me bike as early as possible to get things sorted out (might have to buy cases, or tires, and do pre-trip maint). 

Right now, the Super Tenere 1200 is looking like the most possible.  Got 3 nice ones not too far away.

I have a riding buddy that has a first gen Super Tenere and still loves it.  Reliable as a hammer and smooth.

[TN Mark]

His bike is ~2800 miles away from me.   

Paralysis by analysis seems real in this case. Relax, you’re planning a wonderful trip and it seems, by reading your posts, you’re worrying way too much. If you don’t/can’t trust your Quota for your trip, sell it, as it’s useless in your garage.

Flying to Buffalo to get the Norge is an awesome idea. As is a big heavy comfortable road bike like a Road King, Road Star, Cross Country, Chieftain, VTX etc etc etc.

My bike isn’t made anymore, it’s a dead brand, plus it has 76K miles on it. I wouldn’t hesitate at all riding it from coast to coast and back again. The dealer network wasn’t all that great when the bikes were current anyway so why worry about it now.

Your bigger issue may be getting yourself ready for several weeks in a row on a motorcycle. If you’re not used to multiple several hundred mile days in a row, you need to be ready for it before you start your trip.

[usedtobefast]

Paralysis by analysis seems real in this case. Relax, you’re planning a wonderful trip and it seems, by reading your posts, you’re worrying way too much. If you don’t/can’t trust your Quota for your trip, sell it, as it’s useless in your garage.

Flying to Buffalo to get the Norge is an awesome idea. As is a big heavy comfortable road bike like a Road King, Road Star, Cross Country, Chieftain, VTX etc etc etc.

My bike isn’t made anymore, it’s a dead brand, plus it has 76K miles on it. I wouldn’t hesitate at all riding it from coast to coast and back again. The dealer network wasn’t all that great when the bikes were current anyway so why worry about it now.

Your bigger issue may be getting yourself ready for several weeks in a row on a motorcycle. If you’re not used to multiple several hundred Mike days in a row, you need to be ready for it before you start your trip.

I don't think it is "paralysis" to spend a few days figuring which motorcycle to ride for a ~5 week trip.     And I am relaxed, I find moto shopping fun. 

For the Quota, it is super fun.  I really enjoy the bike and take it on many ~100 mile local trips.  But it probably has not gone more than 500 miles without needing some attention.  Like one of the dash mounts broke or the speedo 90 degree bend thing fell out or the rear brakes over heated and faded or it started leaking oil like crazy or the charging system goes nuts and charges at 17v ... so the odds of it making an 8000 mile trip?  Ha.  But since it isn't good for an 8000 mile trip doesn't mean I'm going to get rid of it.  It is a quirky keeper. 

A big part of this trip is to avoid flying, and go to my nephew's wedding, and a long moto trip sounded like a great idea.  So I'm not going to fly to buy a bike.  The Buffalo Norge sounds like a great idea, but the logistics make it a bit messy.  Like if I did the one way rental car to VA for the first part, attend the wedding, then I'm still ~530 miles from the Norge.  And unfortunately there are no Norge's around my area at all ... so not sure how the leg room/bend is.  The ADV style bikes seem to be way more comfortable to me.

As for me being ready physically, I'd give that a "fair" rating.      I'm riding ~4 times per week now, but many of those rides are 60-120 miles.  Did one 330 mile day recently and it was no problem.  In the past I've done 3-4 day trips, usually around that 350 mile/day range (and mostly tight twisty backroads, so speed lower, daily mileage lower).   So 7 400 mile days on highways should be doable.  And if I figure 2 rain days with 200 mile per day amounts that should be doable too.  So basically give myself 9 days to go 2800 miles vs. the original 6 I was thinking.

Kind of zero'ing in on ADV style bike with shaft drive and hard cases.  Stelvio, Super Tenere, VFR1200X ... and maybe a V-Strom 1000 and a can of chain lube. 

[TN Mark]

For the Quota, it is super fun.  I really enjoy the bike and take it on many ~100 mile local trips.  But it probably has not gone more than 500 miles without needing some attention.  Like one of the dash mounts broke or the speedo 90 degree bend thing fell out or the rear brakes over heated and faded or it started leaking oil like crazy or the charging system goes nuts and charges at 17v ... so the odds of it making an 8000 mile trip?  Ha.  But since it isn't good for an 8000 mile trip doesn't mean I'm going to get rid of it.  It is a quirky keeper. 

I'm glad you like it. But yea, it's quirky alright. Everyone has differing opinions on the matter. If I thought about a bike I owned as you described your Quota I couldn't get rid of it fast enough. It's simply not dependable enough to be trusted. For an 'adventure' bike, your description leads me to believe the adventure is in if the bike makes it back under its own power. Fine enough for an around town 'bar hopper' with your trailer owning friends, but not worth the garage space for me.

Enjoy the journey, all of them.

[kingoffleece]

I get it, but why drive to the wedding?  You land, get the bike, and then ride the fantastic Appalachian Mountains all the way there.  Sure beats the Great Plains, which you'll hit going home anyway.  If one can't have fun riding from my house to the south then you just can't have fun.  You can two lane and twist 99% of the way.

But, you'll have fun anyway you do it.

[ampm7]

Lots of good suggestions for your trip. I have done some good trips but just not across the country. I have some physical problems that limit my riding on a trip to 300-350 miles a day. If I could have an FJR1300 I would probably have it for longer trips if I could mount it. I've had Yamaha's in the past and they are very dependable. I had a BMWR1150RT to take on a myriad of trips but I could not hold the bike up in bad pavement because of my bad hip/sciatica. The bike ran flawlessly. My Harley was dependable but was underpowered. A lot of dealers that can help you out, if you have Road King. So, Guzzi's aren't any different than any other bike, they just need dependable servicing. One thing I like about a naked bike is that stuff is visible vs. having to take off fairing components. That is one thing that "most" Guzzi's are good at. But, would I choose Guzzi over a Yamaha, BMW, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Ducati, RE, yes, maybe...

[zebep]

I have an 07 Norge  sliver .Two  01 California special sports and A 2016 V Strom  650As much as I love my guzzis  I would take the Strom . The way I see it the DL 650 is lighter .DL can take you  off road, gets up to 60mpg (not me but some do) also  way less heat coming off the DL.vs Norge..
Has plenty of power on for the highway
 You can find good 650's under 5k , If you want new, 650 adventure model sell for around 10 k that includes aluminum cases, hand warmers crash bars Etc. 
The bike handles good not Guzzi good but its ok .  Resale ? I dont KNow I always buy hardly ever sell
If I had the money and I  didn't need to sell (or not) after then trip I would purchase the   V85TT hands down.
 IMHO The dl650 is a poor mans Moto Guzzi  V85TTAdventure
Happy Hunting

[coast range rider]

I have a Stelvio and a 650 V Strom. The way I see it the Stelvio is better in every way.
Unless they are laying on their sides.

[zebep]

I have a Stelvio and a 650 V Strom. The way I see it the Stelvio is better in every way.
Unless they are laying on their sides.

f[  I've not ridden a NTX Stevio, too tall for me but if it's  as hot as my Norge on 90*+ days 

[coast range rider]

f[  I've not ridden a NTX Stevio, too tall for me but if it's  as hot as my Norge on 90*+ days 

More heat than the V Strom, but only on the shins, not a big deal. Probably cooler overall than the Norge because of the Norge bodywork.

[alanp]

Recently replaced my 13 Stelvio with 47k miles for an FJR. Way better road bike in every way, also have a 17 Griso and can't imagine a long road trip with it. why suffer? Used Stelvios are hard to sell and dirt cheap. Mine was in great condition and only brought $4300. after a long time on the market.

Funny how peoples experiences and perceptions differ.  I bought a new FJR because of their great reputation and the fact that they had been made for a decade virtually unchanged, figuring they were "sorted".   Worst bike ever.  Cramped and uncomfortable, terrible wind protection with 3 different screens, hot, and unstable as all hell.  Only bike I ever had that wore out the front tire twice as fast as the rear!     I would much rather ride my V7 on a long trip than an FJR. 

[inditx]

I amend my previous post;
Get the Quota all checked and primed and then let the adventure begin!

[TN Mark]

I just got back from a 4 day 1700 mile trip. 600 miles to the destination, two days of 250 miles each riding around the area and than another 600 mile ride home. No big deal and I don't claim to be any kind of distance rider. The trip you're writing about will be far more demanding than the simple ride I did over 4 days. But here are a few things I was reminded of that I like. YMMV.

The feet, seat and grip ergonomics triangle needs to fit YOU. Many bikes are designed with a rider between 5'8" and 5'11" and between 150 and 185 pounds in mind. If you fit that range or not, the riders triangle has to fit YOU. For days on end for your planed ride.

There are valid reasons people choose to replace handlebars and use an aftermarket seat.

Floorboards are so much more comfortable and offer so many options for foot placement over foot pegs. My floorboards are 18" long and they provide much needed full knee movement and foot placement options.

Having foot rests on a highway bar is another huge benefit.

The bikes seat as well as yours seat has to able to do the miles you need to cover each day.

A rider backrest is awesome to lean against to raise your butt off the seat from time to time.

A windshield or a fairing is best when it doesn't beat you up with buffeting and/or wind noise. The oem 'Classic' windshield that came on my Bassas looked great but performed terribly. An aftermarket California Touring Shield or a Swanee Aerofoil took care of the function wonderfully though.   

For me, cruise control is a must have item. Not a throttle lock, an actual cruise control. I did damage to the tendons of my two right hand middle fingers decades ago when I rode 1000 mile days on my first Bassa. I ordered a Throttlemeister the day I got home but the finger damage was already done.

Audio - again for me, having a Sena SMH10 integrated into my Bell Mag-9 helmet is another must have item. Yes, I know it's nice that people post how they'd rather listen to their bike instead of music or podcasts. But in my real world life, having the Sena is a necessity. And I love the sound of my aftermarket exhaust system under all riding conditions.

Anti Monkey Butt Powder works wonders. If a little is good, more is better and too much is just right. If the powder is lightly landing on your boot tops as you walk from your hotel room to your bike you may have applied Anti Monkey Butt Powder correctly. It was in the high 90's on my little 4 day jaunt. I was the only one not complaining about Swamp Butt and such.

Helmets, clothes, gloves, tire options etc. Again, they need to be the right choice for YOU.


     The more I think about it, flying and riding someone else's modified or stock bike is likely not the best option. Even before my little 1700 mile trip I spent as much time as I could making tank draining rides non stop to get myself mentally ready for a mere 600 mile day. My bike has been set up for me and my preferences for many years now.

Like I posted, YMMV as will others opinions and findings.
 

[usedtobefast]

Ok, figured I'd update this thread:

Short version:
Trip canceled
Bought a Stelvio anyway!  (that thread here:  https://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=107163 )


Long version:
Backing up to my shopping over the past 4 weeks ...

I really wanted to avoid BMW's as I've heard too many failure stories and had friends with some bad experiences ... but ... I noticed my local BMW dealer had a number of used bikes, so I went there.  Test rode a 2011 BMW R1200RT.  A very nice touring bike.  Almost blocks too much wind from you.  Then rode a 2013 R1200GS, this had the newer generation motor and while it did seem zippier I kind of liked the other bike better.  I guess I'm officially an "old fogey" now, I just don't like all the electronic junk on these bikes.  Like replacing the super fancy BMW rear shock is a bit over $3000 (basically more than I paid for my Quota).  And BMW owners then get happy when they find out about a $950 option for replacement.  This is all to much $$$$ for me.  And while I can appreciate the features, I just don't think it adds that much joy in riding and could be a real financial pain when it fails.

Found a few new Honda VFR1200X bikes.  That was a very very close purchase for me.  Super reliable, super smooth, shaft drive, not a bunch of electronic gizmos to go bad, would be brand new.  Worse thing is it might be a bit to bland/boring. 

Was kind of lining up to buy the Honda.  But then the purpose of this trip was to see family on the East Coast, a wedding and a family reunion combo ... and with Covid19 concerns and restrictions, the wedding kept morphing and reducing ... and the idea of large number of people from across the US coming together for a reunion just started seeming like a bad idea.  So we pushed the reunion part off to May/June 2021, and the wedding is going to be super tiny now.  So trip canceled. 

So then eBay reached out to let me know about a Stelvio ... 44,000 miles on it, which is much higher than what I'd like, but the price was super appealing.   So I thought, what the heck, buy it, do some 2-4 day trips on it, and if I'm happy happy with it, that could be my bike for the cross country ride next year.  And if for some reason I don't gel with the Stelvio I could sell it and get something else.

Thanks again to everyone for all your input/tips/hints/ideas.