Stelvio, Norge or Aprilia Caponord

[brenwin]

Congrats on having the opportunity to have either of these bikes !
I've owned A Norge , Griso and now an 012 Stelvio which I think is the best of the three , least for me anyway . I was a little squished on the Norge as have a 35" inseam and found there to be quite a bit of wind noise compared to the Stelvio . My wife says there is far less wind noise on the Stelvio and also feels more comfortable on it as well . More leg room on the Stelvio and the stock seat has lots of room to move around . I sure like those Russell seats though and they add an inch to the seat height too ! Might have to dip into my savings before spring .
Good luck with your decision and look forward to hearing the results .

[Delta425]

OK, bought the Norge.  I didn't really care which of the 3 we bought (hard for me not to be happy on the front of a bike).  However, the wife and the Granddaughter, both preferred the pillion on the Norge.  So, besides the bike, we ended up buying the Granddaughter a new riding jacket and gloves.  She already has boots and helmet, now just need Draggin' jeans and she'll be ready for the street.  She has never been on a street bike before, but has been dirt riding since she was four (she's ten now).  She is VERY excited about this.  Now, if this damn global warming would just start.... warming!

[segesta]

Nice job--keep us posted on your experiences with the Norge. Photos too.

[56Pan]

OK, bought the Norge.  I didn't really care which of the 3 we bought (hard for me not to be happy on the front of a bike).  However, the wife and the Granddaughter, both preferred the pillion on the Norge.  So, besides the bike, we ended up buying the Granddaughter a new riding jacket and gloves.  She already has boots and helmet, now just need Draggin' jeans and she'll be ready for the street.  She has never been on a street bike before, but has been dirt riding since she was four (she's ten now).  She is VERY excited about this.  Now, if this damn global warming would just start.... warming!

You have chosen well Grasshopper.

[leafman60]

Congratulations!
 
Hope it works out well for you!

[Delta425]

Now, if I could just figure out how to post pictures on here.

[Lannis]

Now, if I could just figure out how to post pictures on here.

Basic steps -

1) You have to move the picture from your camera to a computer linked to the Internet.

2) You have to move the picture from your computer to a photo-hosting service like Flickr or Photobucket.   There are a lot of them, some "free", some for money.   

3) Once you display your picture on your photo-hosting service, there will be a little box next to it with an [IMG] address in it.   Copy that with "Copy".

4) Go to your WildGuzzi post and "Paste" that [IMG] address into your post, and the picture will show up in the post.

If you have a good Internet connection, it doesn't take long, and you can post lots of pictures at once .....

Lannis

[Delta425]

Basic steps -

1) You have to move the picture from your camera to a computer linked to the Internet.

2) You have to move the picture from your computer to a photo-hosting service like Flickr or Photobucket.   There are a lot of them, some "free", some for money.   

3) Once you display your picture on your photo-hosting service, there will be a little box next to it with an [IMG] address in it.   Copy that with "Copy".

4) Go to your WildGuzzi post and "Paste" that [IMG] address into your post, and the picture will show up in the post.

If you have a good Internet connection, it doesn't take long, and you can post lots of pictures at once .....

Lannis

Thanks Lannis! Will do this tonight at home.

[oldbike54]

 Congratulations , both on the new Norge , (Norgay , Norjay) and for having a wife that likes bikes and having the  good sense to make sure she had input on the purchase  ;-T

  Dusty

[Delta425]

Congratulations , both on the new Norge , (Norgay , Norjay) and for having a wife that likes bikes and having the  good sense to make sure she had input on the purchase  ;-T

  Dusty

Thanks, Dusty! I do have an incredible wife and thank God every day. He sure knows I don't deserve her!

[leafman60]

Congratulations , both on the new Norge , (Norgay , Norjay) and for having a wife that likes bikes and having the  good sense to make sure she had input on the purchase  ;-T

  Dusty

I asked our senior guide and authority on all things Guzzi at the Mandello factory how they pronounce "Norge."  He several times said "Nor'-ja" with little emphasis on the second syllable.  Not "Nor'-jah" but a crisp " Nor'-je" or "Nor'-ja", not a long "e" or long "a."

[bad Chad]

Sweet!  8)  What color?

[Delta425]

Sweet!  8)  What color?

Guzzi calls it mahogany. Once I  get a chance at home, I  will post a picture.

[DavidV7c]

Hey,
I am about to make this very same decision. I'm 6'3" with a 34" inseam. I rented an adventure-tour style bike on vacation and it was a complete revelation. Its possible to ride all day and not be sore or fatigued.  Sold my V7 classic. Now shopping for a bike. Will test all 3, it will entirely be an ergo decision as I could live with any of the 3. 

One thing I found unusual is that Aprilla put kit on their Caponord to go head to head with the Stelvio. The parent company is cannibalizing its own sales.  The only reason I can think of why they might do this is they run the brand independently and wants to introduce a degree of competition to force innovation. I can think of other companies that have tried this, but it doesnt always work. There are better ways to motivate other than fear (longer conversation but its proven through studies).

Am I wrong in thinking that when there is overlap Aprilla has won in the past and MG drops the bike? I've looked at every review I can find of the two bikes and the Caponord gets the vast majority of attention.  Not good for the Stelvio I fear.

David

[ITSec]

Hey,
I am about to make this very same decision. I'm 6'3" with a 34" inseam. I rented an adventure-tour style bike on vacation and it was a complete revelation. Its possible to ride all day and not be sore or fatigued.  Sold my V7 classic. Now shopping for a bike. Will test all 3, it will entirely be an ergo decision as I could live with any of the 3. 

One thing I found unusual is that Aprilla put kit on their Caponord to go head to head with the Stelvio. The parent company is cannibalizing its own sales.  The only reason I can think of why they might do this is they run the brand independently and wants to introduce a degree of competition to force innovation. I can think of other companies that have tried this, but it doesnt always work. There are better ways to motivate other than fear (longer conversation but its proven through studies).

Am I wrong in thinking that when there is overlap Aprilla has won in the past and MG drops the bike? I've looked at every review I can find of the two bikes and the Caponord gets the vast majority of attention.  Not good for the Stelvio I fear.

David

Actually, the Caponord Rally is not intended to go against the Stelvio - it's intended (with its high-tech suspension) to go against the Multistrada. What Aprilia found was that the original version with plastic bags was actually being compared more to the Norge and other sports-touring bikes - it had gone too far towards being pavement oriented. By changing to spoke wheels and different diameters as well as the 'aluminum' luggage, it was moved a notch or two towards rougher-road capability. Yes, that edged towards the Stelvio, but it edged away from the Norge, RT, FJR, and such. As for media attention, writers are sort of like cats, crows, and toddlers - they like new, bright, shiny...

[fotoguzzi]

Now, if I could just figure out how to post pictures on here.

get a free accont at smugmug



that is NOT my wife..

[Lannis]

Guzzi calls it mahogany. Once I  get a chance at home, I  will post a picture.

OI!   Where's our picture of this mac-hogany Norge?

Lannis

[rodekyll]

get a free accont at smugmug



that is NOT my wife..

If the bike is included I'd take her.

[Delta425]

OI!   Where's our picture of this mac-hogany Norge?

Lannis

OK, will try to post this weekend. Have CRAFT disease and forgot to post. This is my anniversary weekend, and am leaving with the wife on the Norge for a weekend ride Saturday morning. So, will have to get it done tonight.
Anyways, my wife, granddaughter and daughter all love to ride pillion on the Norge, so I am a happy man. Great choice, the Norge.

[Lannis]

OK, will try to post this weekend. Have CRAFT disease and forgot to post.

That's what you've got US for.

Somebody remind me what we were supposed to remind him of ... ?

Lannis

[grinmaul]

OK, will try to post this weekend. Have CRAFT disease and forgot to post. This is my anniversary weekend, and am leaving with the wife on the Norge for a weekend ride Saturday morning. So, will have to get it done tonight.
Anyways, my wife, granddaughter and daughter all love to ride pillion on the Norge, so I am a happy man. Great choice, the Norge.

i would guess it runs and sounds the same as my stelvio, my god is it a great sounding bike, i had a 750 dorso with after market cans, nothing compared to the guzzi.
the wifes v7 is getting some mistral's this weekend, she can't wait:)

[not-fishing]

I was looking at a Aprilia Shiver 750 as a townie-commuter bike until I checked out the valve maintenance.

Aprilia Shiver = 7 hours shop time

Ducati Monster = 4 hours shop time

Guzzi V7 = 1/2 hour in my garage.

[rdbandkab]

I had all three....sort of.   We had a Breva 1100 instead of the Norge.

We ride 2up almost 100% of the time.  50% w/luggage.  Mixed riding. 

Ergos:
Stelvio seemed to me to have the most spacious seating arrangement.   We had the driver seat redone, left the pillion area alone.   A tad tall for my inseam, and kept me on my toes (pun) when turning on loose gravel/dirt...  Mine is being picked up this Saturday and going north to NY.    I'm bummed,  but there's only so much room in the garage.   We did 18,000 miles on it.

Breva was a little too compact for our riding habits..  We normally find ourselves on the bike 8 hours or so.  After a while,  our 50-something knees started to need a break.   We had the seat done on it also.   Man, I loved that engine!  Especially the clutch noise..  We did 53,000 miles on it.   Maybe modding the seats to be an inch higher would have worked.?

We've done 4000 miles in the last month and a half (or so) on the Capo 1200.   The layout is decently open.  I thought it would be more cramped, but it's good.  No boot bumping yet.  The Capo feels much lighter and maneuverable.   I'm able to flick it around if I feel like turning around in a tight space. 

Engines:
Breva needed no engine messing..  Tossed a Mistral and X-over pipe on and never looked back. Seat widened in both driver & passenger areas.

Stelvio needed(for me) a little map tweaking to smooth out engine glitches.  I also did the indicator relocation/aprilia mirrors,  aux light fuses,  spark plug caps,  and fabricated my own "Madstad Bracket", as the buffetting was going to drive me over the edge.   Also put a Mistral silencer on it.  Must have shaved 10 pounds off the exhaust!   Sounded good too (w/db killer in).

The Capo engine-wise also has some jerkiness happening at mid rpms.   There's a cheap fix for this,  and I'll probably be doing it soon.   Geared too tall for my liking, so gearing change via a changing of the sprocket will be done soon also.  The exhaust has a flapper valve in it that sounds better when its open........so....  You guessed it.  It may have toooo much gadgetry on it, as the suspension is adjusted via MAP. 

Seems like the later two Italians needed more tweaking than the 06 Breva.   On the Stelvio I was adding things,  on the Capo I'm modifying things.    But to be honest,  I did the exhaust and maps on my 2002 Futura also way back when.

I wish I didn't have to get rid of any bikes.....I would still have the B11 and the NTX.

richy

[Loftness]

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.

Same size, can confirm.  It's not my kind of bike, but I'm comfortable riding it and moving it around.

[Delta425]

That's what you've got US for.

Somebody remind me what we were supposed to remind him of ... ?

Lannis

OK, sorry, but didn't get a chance to get and post pics tonight.  Fifteen year old microwave crapped the bed, so had to go buy a new one (hard to live without one of those damn things).  And, as we are leaving on the bike trip in the morning, we will get some pics this weekend and I'll try to post them up Sunday or Monday night.  We are in northern Kentucky, but are going over to the Hocking Hills in Ohio and staying the night in Gallipolis, OH (across the river from Point Pleasant, WV - home of Mothman Prophecies).  Then, riding home Sunday.

Ride safe everyone!