Italian motorcycles are nothing if not idiosyncratic -- think $600 valve adjustments, clattering dry clutches and mechanics who can't pronounce Cagiva, let alone service one. But they engender such passion that devotees will overlook foibles the owners of any other bike would never tolerate.
And so it is that I can praise Moto Guzzi's sport-touring Norge despite a lengthy list of quirks -- the less charitable would call them flaws -- that includes having to remove one-third of its beautiful, if haphazardly finished, bodywork just to check the oil.
Such things seem tolerable, if not reasonable, after a day on the Norge. It's a joy to ride.
Moto Guzzi started building motorcycles in 1921 and has innovated many of the features we take for granted -- center stands, rear swing-arms, cartridge forks. Its trademark V-twin engine is bulletproof, and Guzzis rival BMW in both reliability and owner loyalty.
Although the 2007 Norge is a new model based upon the Breva 1100, its lineage dates to 1928 and the GT 500, which Moto Guzzi claims was the world's first grand touring motorcycle. That motorcycle was renamed the Norge after Giuseppe Guzzi rode one 4,000 miles from Italy to Norway.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I've always found Italian bikes gorgeous. The Norge is no exception. Its curving lines are voluptuous and give the bike a fast, aggressive appearance. The stainless steel exhaust and cat's-eye headlight add to the look. The saddlebags are generously sized, easily removed and feature a unique double latch for added security.
But the bike's chromed plastic accents look cheap, and the mirrors, although effective, would look better on a cruiser. The plastic bodywork is haphazardly finished -- the paint didn't make it into the nooks and crannies, and the back side isn't painted at all.
The seat is wide and comfortable and not quite 31 inches off the ground. The bars are wide and provide good leverage, but they aren't adjustable and those with short arms will find them a bit of a reach. The hydraulic brake and clutch levers are adjustable, as are the foot controls.
The windshield is too narrow to provide adequate protection and the mechanism that raises and lowers it is downright ugly. What's more, the switches to activate it -- up on the left handlebar, down on the right -- are too far away to use without taking your hands off the three-way heated handgrips.
As long as I'm nit-picking, the digital data display (average and maximum speed, battery voltage, trip odometers, fuel mileage and more) is difficult to read in bright light and is partially obscured by the speedometer's cheap-looking chromed plastic bezel.
And what sort of engineer designed the bodywork so you have to remove the left and right lower fairings to check the oil? Guzzi says it is addressing that problem, but it never should have occurred in the first place.
But you know what? Those complaints grew increasingly trivial with every mile.
I recently rode a bright red Norge 300 miles around Marin and Sonoma counties and found myself liking it more and more as the day wore on. It's quick, it's nimble and it's comfortable enough to ride all day.
Much of that can be attributed to the wonderful V-twin engine.
The motor, which has a rumble reminiscent of a Harley- Davidson, produces a claimed 89 horsepower and 74 pound-feet of torque.
The smooth engine has strong low-end, good midrange and an exhilarating top-end that generates propulsion until just before the rev-limiter kicks in at 8,250 rpm.
Throttle response is flawless. The six-speed transmission shifts effortlessly, although neutral was occasionally hard to find.
Most motorcycles have transversely mounted engines, meaning the crankshaft spins in the same direction as the tires. The resulting gyroscopic effect counteracts steering input. Moto Guzzi mounts its engines longitudinally; the crankshaft spins perpendicular to the wheels, minimizing the motor's gyro effect.
That helps create an exceptionally nimble motorcycle, even though it weighs 616 pounds fully fueled. It feels a bit top-heavy carrying six gallons of gas, but it's never overbearing.
The agility is accentuated by an excellent suspension, and the bike inspires confidence. The ride is smooth but firm enough to push the bike hard through the curves, although cornering clearance is limited by the center stand. It'll drag if you get too aggressive.
Still, I rode the Norge on Stewarts Point-Skaggs Springs Road in Sonoma County, and it handled everything from the tightest switchbacks to the long sweepers around Lake Sonoma with grace. Keep it in third or fourth and just roll on and off the throttle.
The Brembo brakes, with 320mm rotors up front, are strong, and a switch on the fairing lets you deactivate the anti-lock brakes -- but you've got to take your right hand off the handgrip to push it.
While Moto Guzzi may have created the grand touring motorcycle, BMW long ago set the standard with its venerable RT. The Norge (base price $14,990) is aimed squarely at the latest iteration of that bike, the R 1200 RT (base price $16,650).
Whether it hits the mark depends upon how idiosyncratic a bike you're willing to tolerate.
And so it is that I can praise Moto Guzzi's sport-touring Norge despite a lengthy list of quirks -- the less charitable would call them flaws -- that includes having to remove one-third of its beautiful, if haphazardly finished, bodywork just to check the oil.
Such things seem tolerable, if not reasonable, after a day on the Norge. It's a joy to ride.
Moto Guzzi started building motorcycles in 1921 and has innovated many of the features we take for granted -- center stands, rear swing-arms, cartridge forks. Its trademark V-twin engine is bulletproof, and Guzzis rival BMW in both reliability and owner loyalty.
Although the 2007 Norge is a new model based upon the Breva 1100, its lineage dates to 1928 and the GT 500, which Moto Guzzi claims was the world's first grand touring motorcycle. That motorcycle was renamed the Norge after Giuseppe Guzzi rode one 4,000 miles from Italy to Norway.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I've always found Italian bikes gorgeous. The Norge is no exception. Its curving lines are voluptuous and give the bike a fast, aggressive appearance. The stainless steel exhaust and cat's-eye headlight add to the look. The saddlebags are generously sized, easily removed and feature a unique double latch for added security.
But the bike's chromed plastic accents look cheap, and the mirrors, although effective, would look better on a cruiser. The plastic bodywork is haphazardly finished -- the paint didn't make it into the nooks and crannies, and the back side isn't painted at all.
The seat is wide and comfortable and not quite 31 inches off the ground. The bars are wide and provide good leverage, but they aren't adjustable and those with short arms will find them a bit of a reach. The hydraulic brake and clutch levers are adjustable, as are the foot controls.
The windshield is too narrow to provide adequate protection and the mechanism that raises and lowers it is downright ugly. What's more, the switches to activate it -- up on the left handlebar, down on the right -- are too far away to use without taking your hands off the three-way heated handgrips.
As long as I'm nit-picking, the digital data display (average and maximum speed, battery voltage, trip odometers, fuel mileage and more) is difficult to read in bright light and is partially obscured by the speedometer's cheap-looking chromed plastic bezel.
And what sort of engineer designed the bodywork so you have to remove the left and right lower fairings to check the oil? Guzzi says it is addressing that problem, but it never should have occurred in the first place.
But you know what? Those complaints grew increasingly trivial with every mile.
I recently rode a bright red Norge 300 miles around Marin and Sonoma counties and found myself liking it more and more as the day wore on. It's quick, it's nimble and it's comfortable enough to ride all day.
Much of that can be attributed to the wonderful V-twin engine.
The motor, which has a rumble reminiscent of a Harley- Davidson, produces a claimed 89 horsepower and 74 pound-feet of torque.
The smooth engine has strong low-end, good midrange and an exhilarating top-end that generates propulsion until just before the rev-limiter kicks in at 8,250 rpm.
Throttle response is flawless. The six-speed transmission shifts effortlessly, although neutral was occasionally hard to find.
Most motorcycles have transversely mounted engines, meaning the crankshaft spins in the same direction as the tires. The resulting gyroscopic effect counteracts steering input. Moto Guzzi mounts its engines longitudinally; the crankshaft spins perpendicular to the wheels, minimizing the motor's gyro effect.
That helps create an exceptionally nimble motorcycle, even though it weighs 616 pounds fully fueled. It feels a bit top-heavy carrying six gallons of gas, but it's never overbearing.
The agility is accentuated by an excellent suspension, and the bike inspires confidence. The ride is smooth but firm enough to push the bike hard through the curves, although cornering clearance is limited by the center stand. It'll drag if you get too aggressive.
Still, I rode the Norge on Stewarts Point-Skaggs Springs Road in Sonoma County, and it handled everything from the tightest switchbacks to the long sweepers around Lake Sonoma with grace. Keep it in third or fourth and just roll on and off the throttle.
The Brembo brakes, with 320mm rotors up front, are strong, and a switch on the fairing lets you deactivate the anti-lock brakes -- but you've got to take your right hand off the handgrip to push it.
While Moto Guzzi may have created the grand touring motorcycle, BMW long ago set the standard with its venerable RT. The Norge (base price $14,990) is aimed squarely at the latest iteration of that bike, the R 1200 RT (base price $16,650).
Whether it hits the mark depends upon how idiosyncratic a bike you're willing to tolerate.
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