Moto Guzzi Norg 1200

[Slatept]

Got the bike a few weeks ago and busy polishing before the good weather comes. Noticed where the fairing corners come close to the exhaust down pipe i.e about 8" away from the cylinder outlet, the fairing has burnt badly to the point where the fairing corner really wants cutting off. This has happened on both side of bike. The fairing damage doesn't worry me to much as I would just need to grind the small triangle section to remove the damage. However what does concern me is if this an engine problem, are the exhausts running to hot? Anybody else had similar problems.

[JeffOlson]

Year? New?

Regardless, that is a problem. There is something wrong. I have never heard of the exhaust system burning any part of the Norge's fairing.

Can you take it to a dealer and have it looked at?

[canuguzzi]

Check the fairing top covers that go between the tank and fairing. Do they for as they should or is there an uneven gap indicating they aren't correctly alighed.

Then check where the fairing lowers meet the tank above where they are held to the tank via bolts. Are the lowers pushed away slightly or more than slightly?

Then what happened is that you tank has deformed as in elongating and swelling widthwise and that is what likely caused the problem. I am not saying that is the problem 100% but it could be. That your tank has swelled would not be a question really.

Cutting away the fairing seems like a work around of another problem.

Do check your exhausts to make sure they are properly in place.

If this is happening on both sides with the other issues I noted, your tank has swelled but without seeing it, not possible to say 100%.

Can you take photos and post them?

[canuguzzi]

As a followup to the above, before you head to the dealer, is there anyone here who has a 2nd generation Norge whonhas taken the fairing and other plastics off who can say if the fairing mount has adjustments?

From what it appears, all the plastics are affected by how the fairing is mounted and all must fit the tank very well or you get all kinds of gaps and such.

If there are no adjustments, especially back and forth, what happens is if the large elongates or swells it means the fairing and plastics must be forced to fit and the bending takes place.

Maybe JeffOlson could post pictures of how his tank fits the lowers and the rearmost part if the fairing where it bolts to the tank and the fitmebt if the plastic top covers between tank and fairing for reference?

That.might help immensely so that others could check proper plastics and fairing figment as his Norge is nearly new. (Unless his has the same gaps and bending).

[JeffOlson]

Here's what I have at the office:

[canuguzzi]

Very nice Jeff and thanks for the quick post.

OP, the areas I am referring to are the bolt where the rear part of the fairing meets the tank. If the tank has elongated, it requires that the fairing bend outward so that it can fit and then where the tank meets the fairing you will see the curve of the fairing bending outward.

Next, look at the top covers under the bars? Notice the nice seam at the most forward area of the cover? It is even. On an elongated tank the inner part of the seam is much larger because the fairing is being pushed outward.

What can happen if you follow how things are attached is that from tank down, far and forward not much will line up as it should.

Check yours. If any of these symptoms exist, either the bike was put together wrong ( probably not) or the tank had deformed as in expanded, elongated or both. If so, it will get worse in all likelihood. Beat to let the dealer make it right if that is where you bought it.

[canuguzzi]

Jeff, those silver accent panels on the tank sure do look swell. It gives the tank some depth and a bit more class.

[MGrego]

As a followup to the above, before you head to the dealer, is there anyone here who has a 2nd generation Norge whonhas taken the fairing and other plastics off who can say if the fairing mount has adjustments?

I've had all the fairing, etc. off on my 2012, there really isn't any adjustment.  You can slide the threaded clips around a little bit on the plastic parts but that's the only "play" other than bending the plastics --

[JeffOlson]

Jeff, those silver accent panels on the tank sure do look swell. It gives the tank some depth and a bit more class.

They do, don't they? Normally, I am not keen on stickers or decals, but these look nice.

Back to the OP, I wonder if his plastic is touching his exhaust headers. If not, then his engine is running far too hot. My plastic comes close, but it does not touch. If close proximity were enough to melt the plastic, the fairing on my previous Norge should have melted last summer when I sat on my afternoon commute, immovable, on I-5, in 100+ degree weather, when my ambient temperature gauge would often read 115 degrees or more!

[MGrego]

Also, there are several fasteners that have built in spacers that are used to secure the fairing.  If the fasteners with spacers are used in the wrong places, the fairing can get mounted incorrectly, possibly causing the plastic to be too close to the exhaust.  Inspect the fairing and see if there are any bends to the plastic that seem too sharp, it could be that the fasteners got mixed up when the plastic went back on --

[canuguzzi]

I've had all the fairing, etc. off on my 2012, there really isn't any adjustment.  You can slide the threaded clips around a little bit on the plastic parts but that's the only "play" other than bending the plastics --

  Good info.

Two things taken care of. What a Norge looks like without a swollen tank and confirmation that adjusting the fairing position is not really a big factor since it is limited to minor moving of some tabs.

Next, you'll see what happens when a tank swells so much you think parts might fall off. It happened very quickly, good gas, bike in a garage not out in the sun.  Stay tuned.

[canuguzzi]

First is the cover panel. What the photo doesn't show is that the panel is actually pushed forward and up in addition to the rear part being pushed outward. The front sit up about 1/2" and can't be properly put in place without quite a bit of force and so much that the mounting screws can't be used, zip ties hold it in place.



Here is where the rear lower part of the fairing meets the tank. Look at how far the fairing is from the tank. That is because the tank has elongated and pushed the fairing forward and it bends where you see it. It forces the fairing forward but the frame keeps it in place. The only place to go is outwards and that is what happened.




Not pretty. It seems to have taken from manufacture to recently for this to happen.

The other symptom you might see is the tank hold bolt under the seat not going in. Some owners will either force the tank forward with straps (seems like something that shouldn't be needed) or they leave the bolt off (??) or ground or cut down the rubber grommets that allows the tank to slide forward farther and then use the holding bolt. What is really needed is a proper fitting tank.

In this case, the holding bolt under the tank actually fits perfectly, the tank just swelled and got quite a bit longer and bigger overall in addition to a rather large hump on the top right side which doesn't show well in pictures because the entire tank is white.

The good news is that it was a 2013 bought in 2014 so it is under warranty. A 2014 or 2015 bought in their current years might go out of warranty before this shows up if it does.

[Slatept]

Thanks for all the in depth replies I'm impressed with responses. Just thinking about what was said about the fairing, as already said there doesn't appear to be any adjustment or very little anyway.
I've had all the bottom half panels off (polishing!), which is how I found the damage. When I put them back on, which is a little fiddly, I got it all back together and then noticed there are rubber grommets for retaining the part of the fairing near the headers. I hadn't pushed the fairing into the grommets and as a result the gap between the header and the fairing was very much reduced. I think reading the discussion I've answered my own question push the fairing into the grommets and the gap increases. Looking at the fairing the previous owner has had the panels off, it's highly likely he's caused it. Hopefully I'm right but I'll certainly be getting the dealer to check the engine over ASAP.
Thanks for the ideas and making me think!

Phil

[MGrego]

I hadn't pushed the fairing into the grommets and as a result the gap between the header and the fairing was very much reduced.

I think you nailed it --

[Lank]

the Norge fairing will take care of itself, just leave it on long enough and it will shake and break its self back into nakedness...

[JeffOlson]

the Norge fairing will take care of itself, just leave it on long enough and it will shake and break its self back into nakedness...

Really? I have never heard of that happening, ever, to any Norge. If it is true, and if it happens to all Norges, then that is a pretty damning indictment of the Norge, and no one should ever buy a Norge...

I suspect that you and others have experiences a few bits shaking loose over time. Does that not happen to anything fastened to a bike? Do not all fasteners eventually come loose? If so, then this problem is not about the Norge in particular or even Moto Guzzi in general but about all bikes, of any make or model--meaning, we should check our fasteners for tightness from time to time.

[canuguzzi]

That was the first Gen Norge Jeff, the fairing was redesigned quite a bit. Earlier models did have some issues with easily breaking tabs and cracking panels. I don't know how widespread it was but it happened to some.

Some tanks swell too and some don't so it could be luck of the draw.

[PJPR01]

Sounds like a very rare occurrence...mine is a 2008, bought in 2009, no issues of cracking or tabs breaking, the fairing is just as solid after 6 years of riding as it was the day it left the shop...hardly worth worrying about.