2015 Stelvio announced

[Penderic]

http://www.fasterandfaster.net/2014/10/new-and-improved-2015-moto-guzzi.html

FYI  **C  :BEER:

Some changes to the EFI, frame, and suspension. No ABS or traction according to the article at the begining and then it does have traction control at the end of the article - oops. It does have traction control or not?  ???

[Bisbonian]

Some changes to the EFI, frame, and suspension. No ABS or traction according to the article at the begining and then it does have traction control at the end of the article - oops. It does have traction control or not?  ???

Tone ring on the front wheel at least points to ABS.

[Nick]

Thanks for the post and link

There's also ABS and traction control here, just to make sure your complete your mega journeys as safely as possible.

http://www.fasterandfaster.net/2014/10/new-and-improved-2015-moto-guzzi.html

[Vasco DG]

It's had ABS and TC for a couple of years.

[Kiwi_Roy]

So that's what they are using the wind tunnel for these days - photo shoots  ;-T

[ChuckH]

It's basically the same bike as has been available in the US since '12 with possible ECU upgrades and other minor changes.  Looks like they're offering the black, white and green colors in various markets.

The bikes shown are not for the US market unless the DOT has relaxed their requirement on the distance of the turn signals to the headlights that forced the turn signals to be located in the mirrors.

Still a very good offering in the big bore, shaft drive, Adv Touring marketplace.

[andrewdonald1]

I see the norge is still in the wind tunnel with it.  Look closely.

[Cage Free]

Good to see they haven't changed the position of the driving lights to a place where the vibes wont turn the bulbs into dust.

[Lannis]

It's basically the same bike as has been available in the US since '12 with possible ECU upgrades and other minor changes.  Looks like they're offering the black, white and green colors in various markets.

The bikes shown are not for the US market unless the DOT has relaxed their requirement on the distance of the turn signals to the headlights that forced the turn signals to be located in the mirrors.

Still a very good offering in the big bore, shaft drive, Adv Touring marketplace.

I'm still happy with my '09, takes me anywhere I want to go at any speed I can stand to go, and with any load I care to carry!   Gets 40+ MPG overall, so at almost 200 miles before it runs dry.   I've got 6500 miles on the current rear tire and 16,000 on the front, and just now considering maybe perhaps changing them.

And with the custom seat, the most comfortable all day tourer and easiest-to-ride-on-crooked-roads bike I've ever had ....

Lannis

[BlizzGuzz]

More 'leaks' from the Guzzi factory re 2015 Stelvio?
I'm toying with the thought of swapping my 2012 8V for a 2015 8V Stelvio.
Alternatives are Aprilia Caponord 1200 and KTM 1290 Super Adventure...   ;D

[leafman60]

http://www.fasterandfaster.net/2014/10/new-and-improved-2015-moto-guzzi.html

Lol

I think that's the same identical boiler plate description they've used since the introduction of the NTX in USA back in 2012!

[Vasco DG]

Chances are like the 2015 Griso it'll be using the one piece Cali 14 sump.

Pete

[pocphil]

It's official - The 2015 Stelvio is exactly the same as the 2014, except for being available in BLUE. They're discontinuing the Orange, keeping the amazon green and adding the blue.



MY15 Standard Equipment: MSRP: $15,990

 ABS
 ATC traction control
 Black satin-finish aluminum side panniers
 Cylinder guard
 Long-range lights
 Aluminum sump guard
 Hand guards
 Spoked wheels
 Extra-large windshield with side wind deflectors

In Europe it has been available in a non-NTX version since 2011 that comes without Luggage, without engine crash bars and without road lights, but it does have alloy wheels. Here's a picture of the 2015 version of that bike....




How about an 840cc version of the Stelvio?

[pyoungbl]

Phil, showing that 840cc Stelvio is just plain cruel.....you know we want it and can't have it...yet.

Peter Y.

[brenwin]

So that's what they are using the wind tunnel for these days - photo shoots  ;-T

Hahaha ,......seems the budget for new developments might be a little tight !! I did hear though that a possible new Lemans might be in the cards in the near future . 

[Chuck in Indiana]

Yeah, I've heard from creditable witnesses that a new LeMans is in the works. Considering the glacial pace of Guzzi product development, I may or may not live to see it..  ;D

[AH Fan]

I'm still happy with my '09, takes me anywhere I want to go at any speed I can stand to go, and with any load I care to carry!   Gets 40+ MPG overall, so at almost 200 miles before it runs dry.   I've got 6500 miles on the current rear tire and 16,000 on the front, and just now considering maybe perhaps changing them.

And with the custom seat, the most comfortable all day tourer and easiest-to-ride-on-crooked-roads bike I've ever had ....

Lannis

Hey Lannis ........ so was wondering as far as the heavy weight adventure bikes are concerned, have you ever taken a BMW 1200 GS out or the big KTM for comparison.
I have always wondered if those were really 5-6 K better than the Stelvio?
Any one and all feel free to chime in....... I'm dying to know.

Ciao

[pyoungbl]

Leafman60 has considerable experience with the GS bikes.  He rides a Stelvio now. 

Peter Y.

[swmckinley54]

Before I purchased my "12 NTX I had previously owned a 2002, 2007 and 2010 BMW Adventures. I now have close to 40K miles on the Stelvio. Best bang for the buck, Stelvio, hands down. Knowing what I now know and money was no concern what would I buy? Stelvio. Get rid of the US turn signals and factory fog lights (replace factory fog lights with aftermarket LEDs), put a Russell Day Long saddle on it, slap on a aftermarket CalSci windshield and your good to go. DAMHIK this, but resist the temptation to to put a different exhaust and and mess with the ECU, and you will get low 40's for MPG. I ended up putting the stock map and exhaust back on and am happy I did.

[leafman60]

I had BMW GS models for 12-13 years, several of them from the 1150 to the 1200, including an Adventure.

The Stelvio is not perfect and there are issue to sort out. I would not say that I will never own another BMW endure-type bike but:

1. The Stelvio is more reliable and less problem-prone with serious issues than the BMW

2. The Stelvio works better off-road or in the woods etc. It tractors-down and plows through areas where you had to slip the clutch on the BMW

3.  The Stelvio is much more stable and better handling at speed on the highway.

4 The Stelvio has so much more desirable character for me than the opposed twin boxer.  Nothing sounds, feels and pulls like a VTwin.

Yes, on top of all these advantages, the Guzzi is several thousand (6-8000) dollars less in price than a comparable BMW. I always bring this up, especially around my BMW friends.  I go on to say, in great honesty, that if the price differential were reversed, if the Guzzi was 6-8000 more than the BMW, I would pay the extra money for the Guzzi that I would not pay for the BMW!

As chronicled here in the past, I completed a fantastic European trip last October on a new water-cooled 2014 BMW GS. It performed great but I had some observations
did a little research that I condensed into a little synopsis that may bring out some points to consider for anyone comparing such bikes. I hate to bore everyone with too-much detail but here it is-

_____________

October 2014

Recently, I was fortunate to ride a new 2014 BMW R1200GS LC for about 1400 wonderful miles through some of the most scenic and challenging roads in Europe. The bike performed well and was fun to ride aggressively on the kinky switchbacks and curvy roads of the Alps.

BMW has apparently steepened up the steering geometry and reduced the front wheel trail of this new bike to give it a light feeling. However, this move also imparts a noticeably unsettled feeling to the bike when moving at high speeds. I also noticed that the front wheel seemed easily deflected by rocks and irregular surfaces when off-road.

I’ve owned and ridden all previous models of GS bikes and a little research is interesting.  

The previous 1150GS had a steering angle of 62.9 degrees and a trail spec of 4.5 inches. The subsequent air-cooled 1200GS had a quicker geometry with a steeper 64.3 degree head angle and a reduced trail of 4 inches.

The new water-cooled 1200GS introduced in 2013 had the steering head steepened even further to 65.2 degrees with only 3.5 inches of trail. Apparently, BMW received some negative feedback on the resulting twitchy handling characteristics and relaxed the geometry for the 2014 model GS to 64.50 degrees with 3.9 inches of trail. They also added a hydraulic steering stabilizer to the 2014 model.

Still, the 2014 model that I rode for 1400 miles was not rock-solid stable at speeds over 75 MPH and the same characteristic was noticed by the 3 or 4 other riders who were also riding GS models. By the way, these bikes did not have saddlebags installed so I can’t attribute any handling issues to wind buffeting of the bags.

For comparison, I looked up the specs for BMW’s water-cooled RT model. The steering geometry for the new RT is more like that of the old 1150GS.  Head angle is 63.6 degrees with a trail of 4.6 inches. Wheelbase specs for all these BMW bikes are close to 59 inches.

Another thing I noticed was how revvy and buzzy the GS engine seemed at speed. It has plenty of scoot for squeezing around switchback curves and the like but, when pushed to lively sprints or long pulls on the superslab, it sure seemed busy.

Again, a little research provides some insight.

With the previous 1150 series, 4000 RPM in 6th gear would get you about 80 MPH. The subsequent 1200GS had the gearing shortened so that 4000 RPM would get you only 70 MPH. Now, with the more powerful water-cooled engine, the gearing has been shortened even more so 4000 RPM will get you only about 65 MPH.

By the way, despite the elaborate counter-rotating clutch of the new water-cooled GS, it still exhibits a noticeable nod to the left when the motor is revved smartly from idle.

So, BMW has set a trend of designing more powerful bikes with much quicker steering geometry and much lower gearing ratios. Obviously, the intent is to offer a bike that “feels” lighter and much more powerful. They have succeeded in that. However, for me at least, this has resulted in a machine that is more edgy, nervous and somewhat jittery at speed.




                                  Fork head angle                       Castor/trail               Wheelbase       Speed@4000 RPM

2004 1150GS             62.90 degrees                        4.5 inches                   59.4 inches               80 MPH

2012 1200GS             64.30                                       4.0                           59.30                       70

2013 1200GS             65.20                                       3.5                           59.40                       65

2014 1200GS             64.50                                       3.9                           59.30                       65

2014 1200RT             63.60                                       4.6                           58.50                

2014 Guzzi
         Stelvio               63.00                                     4.92                          60.40                       70

2014 KTM
          ADV                  64                                                                          61.4

2014 Tri
1200 Explr                 66.1                                         4.15                         60.24
 











.

[AH Fan]

Thanks for that Leafman ............ always good to hear perspectives of individuals who have spent saddle time on these two monsters.
Have you or anyone you know done any light off road.. fire roads with these two for a comparison? The only glaring differences as far as setting either of these ones up would be the tremendous optional equipment available for the BMW...and not so much for the Stelvio.Also another one of those nagging little questions I have.... What's the reasoning behind the Spoke wheels on the Adventure machines as well as why does the BMW laced wheels look so much different ( read exotic ) compared to the others up to and including the Stelvio?
Your thoughts........... .

Ciao       

[rocker59]

 another one of those nagging little questions I have.... What's the reasoning behind the Spoke wheels on the Adventure machines as well as why does the BMW laced wheels look so much different ( read exotic ) compared to the others up to and including the Stelvio?
Your thoughts........... .

Ciao        

Wheels:

Cast wheels are soft.  They bend (and don't bend back!).  Forged wheels are better, but much more expensive.

The aluminum-rimmed spoked wheels you see on these bikes have extruded rims that are very strong.  Flexible, but strong.  Spokes, too, are flexible but strong.  These are good attributes when riding off pavement, or even on really rough pavement.  

Hit a fist-sized rock with cast aluminum wheels and the rim will bend.  Much less likely to bend with a nice spoked wheel, and if it does, the material is easier to bang back into shape and get the tire beaded back up.  A cast wheel's rim will break with this type of roadside repair.

As far as spoke type, BMW uses tubeless spoked wheels with the spokes at the edge of the rim, outside the bead.  That makes for much less chance of an air leak, since the only thing piercing the rim is the air valve.  Guzzi used these types of wheels on the California EV and Bassa.  Aprilia used this type on the Caponord.  They're nice, but heavier than spoked wheels with spokes placed in the traditional position.

Stelvio uses tubeless spokes with the spokes in the rim.  Designed by Alpina in Italy, they are very popular in the SuperMoto world.  They're light and rigid, and use O-rings on the spokes to seal the rim.  Seems to work well, but this will surely be a service issue years down the road.  They're very nice wheels, though.

Just about every other ADVbike or Dual Sport bike out there uses tube-type spoked wheels.  The standard for off-road bikes, but a pain to repair simple punctures that you're likely to see on a street-oriented motorcycle.

Does that help ?

[leafman60]

Ditto that on the wheels.

I'd just say, though, that unless you are doing some pretty serious off-road running with severe bumps and rocky hops, the cast wheels with sufficient air pressure on either the Stelvio or GS will probably be fine. The NTX comes factory-equipped with spokes. I always opt for the spoke wheels.  I like their appearance as well as their performance but I have bent the rims on more than one spoke wheel GS.

As far as off-road running, I do a fair amount of that and, as I stated in my previous post, the Stelvio is superior in that regard compared to the GS.  Even the newer transmission in the GS that is supposed to have a slightly lower first gear will require you to burn the clutch in some situations where the big Guzzi twin will walk on through. I did some dirt roads on the new GS while in Europe as indicated by those pictures.

As far as accessories, many such items are applicable to any bike. I am not sure what you find available for the GS that is not or cannot be installed on the Stelvio. No doubt, the factory offers electronic shifting, cruise control, electronic rear brake and many other gadgets that are not available for the Stelvio. If you are drawn to that, go for the GS. One word of advice- always keep your GS in warranty.  These gadgets can be sources of problems.

[AH Fan]

Thanks guys.............. to bad you couldn't get some of this real stuff you have provided in a magazine articles about these two machines  :bow

If any of you look back through my posts you will see why after all the different brands I have owned I always seem to end up back to M/Gs.......... interesting and good to know there are like minds.
Simple machines rule..........

Ciao              ;-T

[DaddyRabbit]

The only bike I've owned that I really miss is the 09 Stelvio.  Sold it to get down to one bike in the garage.   I'm thrilled with the C 1400, but I'd like to make room someday for another Stelvio. Dirt, rocks, snow, whatever...the Stelvio was just confidence inspiring. It's still a big bike and hurts when you fall over, but it is just a great Moto
 

[Lannis]

The only bike I've owned that I really miss is the 09 Stelvio.  Sold it to get down to one bike in the garage.   I'm thrilled with the C 1400, but I'd like to make room someday for another Stelvio. Dirt, rocks, snow, whatever...the Stelvio was just confidence inspiring. It's still a big bike and hurts when you fall over, but it is just a great Moto
 

Brand new one for sale, an '09 (the best year!) in another thread.    Better jump on it, it's under $7K!

Lannis

[rboe]

A buddy with lot's of dirt experience (also owns a California 1400, Griso and Stelvio) had the Stelvio out in the desert this past weekend for the first time with a group of local "adventure" riders. His was the only Guzzi. Mostly a mix of BMW's and KTM's.

The Stelvio spanked the BMW's according to him. One GS owner told him he wish he had never read a certain review that compared a bunch of these bikes as the GS was highly applauded while the Stelvio received also ran status. So he was gloating pretty good at coffee the next morning. :)

He was running a fairly new Heidennau tire set and really enjoyed them.

[Lannis]

Hey Lannis ........ so was wondering as far as the heavy weight adventure bikes are concerned, have you ever taken a BMW 1200 GS out or the big KTM for comparison.
I have always wondered if those were really 5-6 K better than the Stelvio?
Any one and all feel free to chime in....... I'm dying to know.

Ciao

Didn't see the note till just now .... No, I've only taken a 20 mile ride on a BMW 1150 GS, no KTMs.   
The Beemer felt huge to me compared to the Stelvio, and tall.   And the motor made a kind of a flat spitting sound that I didn't like.   I'm sure they're nice bikes but subjectively I like the Stelvio's feel, sound, and optics more ....

Lannis

[Chuck in Indiana]

  And the motor made a kind of a flat spitting sound that I didn't like.

A BMW?  ;D Shirley, you jest.. zzzzzzzzzz

[AH Fan]

This is what is a little disturbing......... .. Our beloved Guzzis never getting a fair shake against all others ( guess that's the way of the world ).
Just got off the phone with my brother in a discussion on judging value of a machine.......... It used to be of my opinion and his that to a large degree you got what you paid for in this world...... Then I bought my first Guzzi.... and blew that theory all to shit, appears I am not the only one amazed.......... does this mean I'm getting old and weird??    :-\
Any and all good or bad about the Steelvio..... chime in.

Thx all            Ciao.    ;-T