tell me about the norge

[shawn and gwyn]

ok.. we are begining to look for my wifes replacment bike.  she rode a 95 R1100RSL for years.  ended up selling to survive durring a downturn in our finaces. now.. we are back in the saddle. at least one of us is.  now to the question.  i am seeing moto guzzi norges  for less than 3500.. there is an 07 online right now for 3400.00 .  with 299 actual miles.. is there somthing realy wrong with that year bike.. or them in general.. she likes the way they look.. just need to find one for her to sit on and see  how it feels.  realy would like to hear some feedback..

thanks
shawn

[BobW]

Holy sh@t, unless it was dropped off a cliff or stored under water, buy it and don't look back. The minor issues with the first Norge's were a light weight rear spring (may be perfect for your wife), the oil dip stick was blocked by the lower fairing (a simple mod was made) and the tabs connecting to the lower fairing  needed some reinforcement as they could crack in time. The motor had a couple of updated maps that make it run very nice and they have a smoother transmission compared to the BMW twins (better than my r1200r and it's a treat in it's own right). The earliest bikes had a R+R  of the CARC (rear drive) and as far as I've heard since they have been pretty much bullet proof. The two valve heads are the only engine I know of that's easier than her Beemer to work on, tune, etc. They are great bikes. Biggest problem for some is there are very few good shops around and that is where a majority of issues have originated. Pete Roper posts up here and a few other very knowledgeable folks can answer specifics. More info on Guzzi Tech and some other sites too. Read the topics here, the 1200Sport is basically the same bike sans fairing.

[Pete Roper]

Not wishing to negate what Bob has said but a bit more needs to be said.

Firstly the CARC recall was never apllicable to the Norges BUT....... There have been several instances on EARLY Norges of which this would be one where the pinion preload nut was not secured with the tab washer beneath it. This led to the nut coming undone and then the bearings loosing their preload which destroys the crownwheel and pinion. The bad news is that if this happens you have to replace the entire CARC internals as the unit is not rebuildable and spare parts are not available from the factory. A full 'CARC Centre' will set you back about three and a half grand.

In and of itself the CARC is bulletproof. MUCH stronger than the BMW equivalent which has a long and illustrious history of failing spectacularly in the middle of nowhere and forcing their riders to drink their own urine in the middle of deserts in order to survive, (Despeite the fact that most BMW's are never ridden more than 25 miles from a coffee shop!). It's just that if you buy it I would pull the CARC, (A fifteen minute job.) and peer down the pinion with a flashlight. You can see the peg-nut and it will be easily ascertainable if the locking tab on the washer has been bent up. Details with pics are up in a thread on Guzzitech of one I had in that has shat itself.

Secondly and of more concern is that a few other early Norges had oil pumps that broke up their outer rotors. Despite 'Sky is falling' moaning from people ALL the 2007-onwards 2 valve per cylinder Guzzi big blocks use EXACTLY the same oil pump and AFAIK there have been NO similar failures on ANY other models. It must of been a batch production issue, not a design fault, (It's a simple gerotor/ trochoidal pump. Nothing special. Tried and tested technology used on a host of products.). Needless to say if the oil pump fails the motor torches itself in nanoseconds, (Stuff is happening really fast in an engine. Do the sums on how fast bearing surfaces are moving in relation to each other at 6000RPM and you'll see that by the time the oil pressure warning light comes on the engine will be dead!). Tell tale signs of iminent failure are an oil light that flickers or won't go out immediately on start up.  If you own an early Norge and that starts happening? Get the oil pump checked IMMEDIATELY!!!!! if not sooner. It's a bit of a bother but a lot cheaper than a new motor!!!! Believe me!!!!

As Bob says, rear spring is too weak. Front  suspension is *adequate*. Fairing plastics are shit.

Other than that they are essentially bulletproof 2 valve per cylinder, pushrod shitboxes that punch well above their weight, are easy to work on, (Once the plasic is off!) and will swallow horizon from the beginning of one week until the end of the next. Get it set up ONCE by someone who knows what they're doing and then simply ride the piss out of it.

Pete

[radlefty]

I have 28,000 miles on my 07 Norge which I purchased in O8. Bob & Pete prety much covered all the known potential issues.  The only issue I've had to deal with is the warped front brake rotors.  Otherwise I can honesty say that so far the Norge is the best all around bike I've ever owned in 30 years of riding. Handles fine for daily commuting, I can do 700+ mile days in comfort and I can go through the twisty bits faster then my skill level allows. The only mods I've done that I thought were completly necessary were replacing the rear shock, changing to heavier front fork oil and changing to sport 1200 mirrors. Mods that made the bike a little more touring comfortable were bar risers,throttlmeister and CalSci windshield. For ease of maintence I removed the lowers and put on the Breva Chin Spoiler and installed a Teo Lamers dipstick.  The single best feature of the Norge is the engine, the feel & sound is intoxicating and the feeling I get coming out of series of twisties with the rpms roaring above 6,000 is the closest to experiening nirvana I expect to reach in my lifetime  

[blackbuell]

Shawn,

If seat height is an issue with your wife, as it often is with female riders, the Norge is a good bike to consider. It is significantly lower than most of its competitors. I bought my '09 new four months ago and have put about 4 K miles on it. There are a few annoying issues with the bike that should be resolved soon under warranty, but nothing that would leave me stranded. I love the feel of the motor and the bike is very comfortable for all-day riding. As has already been mentioned--for spirited riding, the shock is too mushy.

Jon

[jdgretz]

I've got a bit more then 25,000 miles on my '07 (it will be two years old in April) and love it.  I had a 5'2" lady straddling her the other day and although she could not flat foot it, she was not on tip toes either.  She said it felt lower and better balanced than the ST1300 or the FJR.  There is a lower seat available as well that gets you about 1" closer to the ground.

I've done the suspension upgrade (HyperPro shock and spring on the back and HyperPro progressive springs and cartridge emulators on the front) and the bike feels almost like it's on rails.  Getting rid of the Metzlers helped as well.  Oh yeah, it came with the dip stick extension so I haven't had to put up with the stupidity of having to remove the lower fairings to check/fill the oil.  What were they thinking on that one  

I had a set of bad rotors that were replaced under warranty and have been happy with the results since then.  Additionally I also went to the 1200 Sport mirrors.

I'm very pleased with my Norge, and really can't think of what else I'd do to her with the exception of maybe a different windshield.  I tried several about 15,000 miles ago and stayed with the stock one.  The wife would like a larger one as she says it gets a little buffetity back there at freeway speeds, but since she is mostly riding her own bike these days, I'm not in any hurry to fix this.

All in all, it's a great all round sport touring machine that should last longer than you expect.

jdg

[Suncoast]

ok.. we are begining to look for my wifes replacment bike.  she rode a 95 R1100RSL for years.  ended up selling to survive durring a downturn in our finaces. now.. we are back in the saddle. at least one of us is.  now to the question.  i am seeing moto guzzi norges  for less than 3500.. there is an 07 online right now for 3400.00 .  with 299 actual miles.. is there somthing realy wrong with that year bike.. or them in general.. she likes the way they look.. just need to find one for her to sit on and see  how it feels.  realy would like to hear some feedback..

thanks
shawn

WOW great price can you tell us where you got that?

[kendenton]

+1

I've never seen one for less than $8,000, and that's a steal.

[sempervee]

ok.. we are begining to look for my wifes replacment bike.  she rode a 95 R1100RSL for years.  ended up selling to survive durring a downturn in our finaces. now.. we are back in the saddle. at least one of us is.  now to the question.  i am seeing moto guzzi norges  for less than 3500.. there is an 07 online right now for 3400.00 .  with 299 actual miles.. is there somthing realy wrong with that year bike.. or them in general.. she likes the way they look.. just need to find one for her to sit on and see  how it feels.  realy would like to hear some feedback..

thanks
shawn

 It's very probably a  " S C A M ".... I have seen the same price with late model RoadKings and Goldwings....

++ What Pete says is a great overview of the Norge. **Most of us have a few small problems and get great mileage and satisfaction from this  elegant marquee that has a strong following....

I have owned lots of different bikes and my 07 Norge is a comfortable and composed all round ride...  
*More comfy than my FJR1300 and has better pax accomodations and saddlebags to boot.   I think I like it best as it is the middle ground between my former touring sofas that were way to technically complex to manage (BMW & GOLDWING) long after the warranty expired and way better handling,  but as simple to maintain as my 13 former chromed US tractors (Harleee Davidsun)..
  The Norge 1200 and my V-Strom 1000 seem to be the most endearing bikes since riding began in 1973 without pause.

[Thunderbox]

ok.. we are begining to look for my wifes replacment bike.  she rode a 95 R1100RSL for years.  ended up selling to survive durring a downturn in our finaces. now.. we are back in the saddle. at least one of us is.  now to the question.  i am seeing moto guzzi norges  for less than 3500.. there is an 07 online right now for 3400.00 .  with 299 actual miles.. is there somthing realy wrong with that year bike.. or them in general.. she likes the way they look.. just need to find one for her to sit on and see  how it feels.  realy would like to hear some feedback..

thanks
shawn

07 for 3400.00 with 299 miles.  It's a scam stay clear.  Remeber, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

[Dean]

If you think you are getting a "STEAL" you are the one being ripped off!



Dean