2012 MG Norge or 2013 Yamaha FJR 1300

[nick949]

         Don't be dissin' the Beemer man!

                           DUSTY

So that's what you look like. :o  Yep - you look like a darn liberal to me............. ~;

Nick 

[Guzzistajohn]

Yep, you can always tell a liberal, just can't tell 'em much ;D

So that's what you look like. :o  Yep - you look like a darn liberal to me............. ~;

Nick 

[Stormtruck2]

So that's what you look like. :o  Yep - you look like a darn long haired hippy type pinko liberal to me............. ~;

Nick 

There fixed it for ya.  ;) :D ;D

Boy, am I in for it when Dusty gets a copyy of my pic.  :D ;D :)  All in good fun. ;-T

Dusty you remember Uneasy Rider don't ya??  ;)

[oldbike54]

As you might tell from my skin color there is a fair amount of Indian blood flowing through my veins , I might have to 'splain a few things to you white boys . Laughing here .
Note to self , keep a closer eye on John , and start carrying a comb .
Dusty


Sent from a submarine in Oklahoma .

[Guzzistajohn]

Storm- He's a friend of those long haired hippie type pinko fags, I betcha he's even got a commie flag, tacked up on the wall inside of his garage-----Charlie Daniels, yep I know that one!!

[Stormtruck2]

Had'em step like their hair was on fire and their asses catchin. CDB   I've had days like that.  

Dusty, at least you have enough hair to need a comb.  Many our age don't.  :D ;D

[Guzzistajohn]

Look at the money we're saving on combs and do-rags! we can but scotch and suspenders

[oldbike54]

You guys do remember , there was the original uneasy rider where the hippie outsmarted them good ol' boys .
" Why I don't even have a garage , you can call home and ask my wife " . Boy , Charlie has been getting lots of free pub here lately .
Dusty
" By way of Omaha"



Sent from a submarine in Oklahoma .

[mtwillyman]

 ;D Your new FJR is beautiful Mojo, well done! I see it came with frame sliders, nice. Did you order those prior to purchase? How does the FJR compare to your 8v Norge? Once again congratulations on a stunning bike, peace

[Stormtruck2]

That is a beautiful color.  The lines look nice and sharp too.  Great looking ride all around.  Congratulations on her!! Enjoy often!

[maquette]

Good lookin' scooter Joe. Congrats and I'm pretty sure you will get many, many miles of trouble free use of that one. Oh, and I like the Pelican! ;D

Tom

[LowRyter]

Which you riding to the Vale??  ~;

prolly the Cali.  I am taking the Sport to Austin (COTA Moto GP) & Ark (RAT Raid) on bookend weekends.  

[Gliderjohn]

I too would appreciate your own "heads up" review of the Norge 8V and the FJR. I have a 2011 Norge 8V and I am still in awe of it, but then I moved up from a T-3.
GliderJohn

[esmurrell]

Mike,

I have both a K1600GTL and a Norge 8V.  For most of the riding I do I prefer the Norge.  It's over 150 pounds lighter than the BMW and is therefore easier to manage.  It isn't the quickest or fastest bike in the world but that's ok.  It is fun to ride and is a constant reminder of what a motorcycle really is.  It feels and sounds like a motorcycle should.  I haven't taken it on any long trips yet, just about 250 miles or so.  From a trip of this size I can extrapolate that a longer trip on the Norge will be absolutely no problem.  In fact, the only reason I might prefer the BMW for longer trips is that I'm a big gadget fan and am still excited about the fancy high tech toys on the BMW but mostly the satellite radio.  It does wonders when you are on a longer trip.  I have a 900 mile trip coming up in a month or so and the BMW will more than likely get the nod.  I do have a Bluetooth headset for my Norge and can listen to either Pandora or songs on my smartphone but have to be aware of battery strength and controlling it while in motion is impossible.  Last but not least, cruise control is an absolute must have when super-slabbing it down the road.  Not having that on the Norge is a big hindrance.  There, that's my two cents worth.  I love the Norge and am not afraid of taking it anywhere (dealer support notwithstanding).  Hope this helps.

[guzziks]

Esmurrell,

Does yout Norge exhibit any fueling issues especially at low speeds, 25 to 45 mph and parking lot speeds.  My 07 is very jerky and combined with the excessive drive line lash it is impossible to ride smoothly.

I am thinking of trading for a 2014 Norge, but if the eight valve is still jerky there is no upside.

Otherwise I really enjoy all the "character" of mine. 

[Gliderjohn]

Quote from esmurrell:

Does yout Norge exhibit any fueling issues especially at low speeds, 25 to 45 mph and parking lot speeds.

I have a 2011 8V Norge. The only fueling issues I had was in the first 500 miles or so at around 4K rpm. It would surge a bit but could only be felt in the first couple of gears. It self corrected. No fueling problems anywhere in the range now.
GliderJohn

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

I've never been interested in big mileage days. 5-600, and I'm ready for a beer.  ;D Different strokes, and all that....

Hell, 5-600 IS a long milage day to me.. jeeze

[mojohand]

Yesterday (i.e., before Snowmageddon), I took Raven out for a ride around central VA. 200 or so miles just "out and about." Some comments:

• I do like the narrower seat on the Norge
• I hate the 10 MPG less that I get on the Norge than I do on the FJR (32MPG on the Norge, 42MPG on the FJR--REAL numbers, not onboard computer numbers)
• I definitely notice the vibration of the Norge
• There's not much handling difference between the two bikes--I kinda think the FJR is more responsive throttlewise, but it has a nice ride-by-wire that the Norge doesn't. On the other hand, I also don't have any low-speed issues on the Norge.
• I really need to get my ECU reflashed--the local dealer's work just ain't cutting it

Hope that helps!

[mojohand]

Glad you're enjoying it, Joe. Looks like you had fun on the break-in ride. Any truth to the rumor that you bought a red one just to match your jacket?

I'll never tell ;)

[mojohand]

Congrats.  Very nice FJR.  Not crazy for the Pelican case, though; the color-matched OEM top case is so much nicer.

I agree--but I had the Caribou Case already (I'd bought it for my Briso and never put it on). I might go OEM, I might get a Givi mount so I can use my E52 that's on my Norge. But, this works for now. Too, it's a trunk I don't mind putting stickers on ;)

[Travlr]

Mike,

I have both a K1600GTL and a Norge 8V.  For most of the riding I do I prefer the Norge.  It's over 150 pounds lighter than the BMW and is therefore easier to manage.  It isn't the quickest or fastest bike in the world but that's ok.  It is fun to ride and is a constant reminder of what a motorcycle really is.  It feels and sounds like a motorcycle should.  I haven't taken it on any long trips yet, just about 250 miles or so.  From a trip of this size I can extrapolate that a longer trip on the Norge will be absolutely no problem.  In fact, the only reason I might prefer the BMW for longer trips is that I'm a big gadget fan and am still excited about the fancy high tech toys on the BMW but mostly the satellite radio.  It does wonders when you are on a longer trip.  I have a 900 mile trip coming up in a month or so and the BMW will more than likely get the nod.  I do have a Bluetooth headset for my Norge and can listen to either Pandora or songs on my smartphone but have to be aware of battery strength and controlling it while in motion is impossible.  Last but not least, cruise control is an absolute must have when super-slabbing it down the road.  Not having that on the Norge is a big hindrance.  There, that's my two cents worth.  I love the Norge and am not afraid of taking it anywhere (dealer support notwithstanding).  Hope this helps.

Muchas gracias senior!

And you didn't even have to mention the difference in service costs which might be breathtaking on a BMW 6 cylinder.

  Mike

[guzziks]

Mojohand,  can you expound on this.  I get the typical 40- 45 mpg on my 07 norge.  32mpg is pretty low.

I really need to get my ECU reflashed--the local dealer's work just ain't cutting it

[Gliderjohn]

Mid 30s is pretty average on my 8V but the computer keeps telling me I am getting mid 40s. Liar, Liar, pants on fire!
GliderJohn

[mojohand]

Mid 30s is pretty average on my 8V but the computer keeps telling me I am getting mid 40s. Liar, Liar, pants on fire!
GliderJohn

Walt, what John said. I too used to get low 40s on my 4-valve Norge. When I went to the 8V, I loved the power but was severely disappointed by the mileage.

[ohiorider]

My Griso 8vSE reserve lamp generally comes on at or before 130 miles.  The 2v 1200 Sport typically comes on at 225 miles.  I once put full faith in the Sports fuel gauge and rode it to slightly over 275 miles before filling up. 

If I can trust Guzzi's fuel tank specs, this translates to approx 34mpg for the Griso, and 45mpg for the 1200 Sport.  Granted, the Sport sees more consistent 55-65mph light throttle riding, whereas the Griso ........ well, not so much!  Consider too, that the Griso, with less than 7k miles to date, can not be considered 'broken in,' and should do better over time.  Perhaps Pete's new map would help, too.

Griso8v - 4.4 gal/including .5 gal reserve
1200 Sport - 6 gal/including 1.0 gal reserve

YMMV

[esmurrell]

Esmurrell,

Does yout Norge exhibit any fueling issues especially at low speeds, 25 to 45 mph and parking lot speeds.  My 07 is very jerky and combined with the excessive drive line lash it is impossible to ride smoothly.

I am thinking of trading for a 2014 Norge, but if the eight valve is still jerky there is no upside.

Otherwise I really enjoy all the "character" of mine. 

I don't have any fueling issues with my Norge 8V.  I only have 1,500 miles on it.  My only concern is the mileage is not as good as I was hoping for.  My BMW smokes it and with 6-cylinders, that's embarrassing!  I get an honest 42 MPG with the BMW K1600GTL and mid-30's with my Norge.  Not what I was expecting but I really have fun on the Norge.  I like the BMW too but not quite as much.

[esmurrell]

Muchas gracias senior!

And you didn't even have to mention the difference in service costs which might be breathtaking on a BMW 6 cylinder.

  Mike

Mike,

So far the maintenance on the BMW hasn't been bad.  I have done the 6,000 service and it was only about $300.  My dealer is very fair and I have purchased 3 bikes from them (so far) so they are nice to me.

[samfrank]

I've been closely following this thread. I'm just about to complete the transaction for a white 2013 8v Norge from Cleveland Moto. I'm getting the $1300 discount. I'm coming from my '07 2v Norge which I absolutely love. I share the same issues with the Norges. Startus interuptus (one time) and the red triangle light. I've considered the FJR 1300 and it's actually a tough decision. I read about the big bump up in insurance premium for the FJR and the poorer gas milage with the 8v. I guess what I save in insurance premium I'll spend on fuel. I have riden a friends FJR and it did seem a good bit heavier then my B11 (at the time). I also considered the BMW R1200RT. Two riding pals say the get around 50 mpg with their 1200RT's. I'm still drawn the new Norge ans MG and will likely get the 2013. Afterall, what would I do with all my Guzzi riding apparel and tee shirts?! If I don't trade it in I'll be selling the '07 here after the deal is done.
Sam

[guzziks]

I've been closely following this thread. I'm just about to complete the transaction for a white 2013 8v Norge from Cleveland Moto. I'm getting the $1300 discount. I'm coming from my '07 2v Norge which I absolutely love. I   '07 here after the deal is done.
Sam

I'm in the same boat, but would not own a BMW.  I look forward to your reports on the new Norge.  My biggest complaint is the low speed throttle response, luckily I seldom ride in town. 

Did you ask for a trade-in value for yours?  If so what did they offer?

[samfrank]

My '07 is currently not running due to startus interuptus. It's at Jason Speakers. Phil said (at Clevelandmoto) that if it's not running he really didn't want it on trade. On the other hand, if running in good working he'd be interested. I'm willing to (practically give it away) take $3500 for it. If it gets back up to snuff I may just try to sell it here for maybe $4000. IF Jason can't get it right I may just take it to Phil and let him get it right then sell it privately. Mine has had the suspension upgrade.

Sam