New Moto Guzzi Door Mats Available Now
Maybe Aerostich should open up stores in Starbucks ~; Seriously , a well ridden GS needs formidable road tools. Dusty
Damn , lots of beemer hating going on these days , are we turning into an HD forum ? :o Dusty
Dunno , our chief beemer basher loves HDs ::) Dusty
Works for Switzerland ;D Hell , I don't really care , just seems unnecessary to hate one brand so we can love another . Kind of like saying , "I hate all women except for my wife or GF" . Well , until my tastes change , or she leaves for a guy with more money ;D Dusty
Just for the record, I was only joking earlier. I wouldn't kick that German hussy out of bed. And back on topic a bit, but just one of the reasons I bought the '11 Stelvio I once had rather than a Norge was because it felt much easier than the Norge to get off the stand. Eventually, however, even the Stelvio got a bit heavy for my puny muscles and 145lb frame to push around the garage and at stops. Once underway the bike was remarkably light feeling.
No confusion on my part , knew you were kidding , thus the Aerostich/Starbucks funny :D Kinda surprised Dilligaf didn't call us both out for the Starbucks reference , it is his favorite place :o ;D Dusty
If seat height continues to bother you on the Stelvio, people are using Griso shocks on the backs of Stelvios to drop ride height. Sliding the forks in the front. Requires mods to the center and side stands.With the Griso shock, you'll lose some travel, but it might be worth the trade-off.I've got an email out to one of the guys who has done it, and will share details when he responds.
I have a 2013 Stelvio ex-demo bike that I got a sweet deal on in February, 2014. It's my first adventure style bike, but at 40 years old I was ready to try something with long-legs and good suspension for the Pacific NW's frost-heaved river-shifting rutted and potholed roads. I was/am gaga over the Stelvio's huge waterproof aluminum panniers, comfortable seat, center stand for ease of maintenance, nice electronics and easily modified FI, hand guards and add-on heated grips. However, I only have a 30" inseam, so the bike has taken some getting used to -- instead of thin moto boots I wear thick-soled work boots to add some height to me, step on the left peg and swing over to mount, and got comfortable with the idea of only having one foot flat on the ground at stops. But that Norge was calling to me with its low seat height, nice-looking sculpted seat, and that 4v motor that I love in the Stelvio. However the Norge price at over $16k made it an unlikely change. Plus, I'd never ridden one to be sure I'd dig it. Then the Guzzi dealer offered $3k off a 2013 Norge. Then the Guzzi dealer got a 2015 demo in. I got to take an hour test ride last week, and was happy to report: I'm keeping the Stelvio. It's not that the Norge isn't an amazing bike -- it is. The motorcycling experience is, however, very different than the Stelvio. Most prominently: you really sit "in" the Norge, as opposed to "on" the Stelvio. On the Norge, you sit in a warm, quiet pocket of air. I felt a bit more disconnected from my environment as a result (that would be a nice thing in very cold weather). The Norge steering was slower (credit the more standard 17" front wheel, wider rear wheel, and lower everything) and felt less sporty. It took some getting used to all the weather protection on the Stelvio, and the Norge has all that and then some. Finally, that lovely sculpted seat on the Norge kept my tuchus in one position. It's a nice position, to be sure -- but one great thing about the Stelvio on long trips is that you can switch to the far rear of the seat, then up close to the tank, standing up on the pegs is easy, etc. There's also, obvs, less leg room on the Norge (wait, wasn't that my whole point?). That can be remedied by the peg lowering kits that lots of folks seem to have. Bottom line, I was glad that I didn't get afflicted with another bout of MAD (Motorcycle Acquisition Disorder) and instead can be even happier with the compromises of the Stelvio. There's no such thing as a perfect bike -- that's why we have garages. But for me, the Stelvio really could make an only bike. Luckily, I've got a smaller scale naked in the garage if I need something for zipping around town. But even then, I find myself missing the Stelvio's amazing ability to soak up road imperfections, and luggage capability, etc. Anyway, I'm posting this because I hadn't seen a direct head to head of Stelvio vs. Norge, so these are the thoughts of one guy with a relatively short inseam who found both bikes very nice. If I had a Norge, I'd be totally happy and wouldn't feel the need to switch to a Stelvio, but the vice-versa is also true for me. They're both amazing bikes. It's just a question of which compromises you prefer. Also, I like that the Stelvio looks great dirty :)As you can see from this pic, I even have a cut-down windshield for summer riding (best food in Amboy, WA!):
