Moto Guzzi reviews

The best features of the Norge are torquey engine, and overall looks. The switchgear is mediocre and flimsy in quality. The electric windshield feels weak and you can’t raise it at highway speed without risking damage to its electric motor. The saddle bags are fitted with what feels like an afterthought system. The bags themselves are pretty large and good. Riding position a little cramped for very long distances, and I’m only 5’8”! Ground clearance is awful, especially on the left side. Centre stand once again appears to be mounted as an afterthought as it grounds out at moderate lean angles. Guages are almost impossible to read in sunlight, too much glare. Worst part of the bike for a sports tourer is the terrible suspension. Way too soft and way under dampened. The Norge is okay at very docile cornering. As soon as you pick up the pace a little the bike gets itself into knots, even without luggage or passenger. I once road a 1990 California 3 1000 that believe it or not handled way better. That bike had Koni rear shocks and air assist forks which I believe are stock items on the Cali 3. Overall. The Norge is just a so so effort. Basically a Breva with saddle bags. Show less

I had wanted a Cali Touring for about ten years but my Triumph Thunderbird 1600 was just such a great bike I could not dream of parting ways with the incredible pull of that big reliable parallel twin... FInally in the tenth year I noticed the value of the T bird dropping fast and said well it is time SO I sold the moist trouble-free bike I had ever owned and stepped into Italian ground! It just so happenned that I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic It is not a Jackal it is a California Touring with windshield and hard bags, cruise, three engine maps, but there was no choice for the Touring: Leukemia at Stage 4 so the Guzzi was on hold - maybe permanently! Well I ended uo feeling better and on the day of the first negativ biopsy I ordered a Nero Gentleman (Black and Gold) from a dealer in TX who had a leftover 2018 with 1 mike on the clock and had it shipped to NJ... I don't recommend the shipping bit. Some do it flawlessly and some are shady...My bike arrived without mirrors and with a cracked right plastic wind deflector...the dealer showed me photos of a perfect bike leaving the dealership... Anyway the damn thing rode and handled like a sport bike! A 730 lb sport bike... 70 in twisties was a joy to behold! BUT it IS TOP HEAVY be forewanred!! I tried a slow 12 mph turn at an intersection and the bike could not negotiate it at that speed and went wide... I struck an SUV just enough to push me down and the bike landed with full weight on my right leg breaking the Tibia and Fibulla.. I am just learning to walk again... this happened SEP 4, 2021 today is March 18 2022... Take a slow rider coourse and master this animal or beware its bite! Show less

A fun, fast, nimble bike, fantastic for city driving, highway driving, and new motorcycle drivers. A beautiful looking motorcycle as well. The bike is light enough, and low enough for small riders, but can accomodate taller riders as well. Show less

I purchased a very nice low mileage 2009 Moto Guzzi Norge. Since I currently own two other Moto Guzzis I was very familiar with the Norge and it has been a favorite for some time. It is an excellent sport touring bike with lots of space in side bags and trunk as well as a tank bag. The ECU has been re-flashed professionally making it a very powerful ride. The bike has been lowered and spring stiffened so it handles like a dream. To me it is the best Sport touring bike available. Because I am short I cannot ride an adventure bike but this bike is certainly on par with the best of the A/V bikes on the pavement. I love it and would strongly recommend you consider this one-it is a keeper. Show less

It is my first bike. I bought it because of the looks, its size and the cardan drive. It has lots of character, great sound and good fuel economy. The chrome and paint work needs attention. Show less

I like the bike fine. However, it has shut off on me twice from the fuel line disconnecting from the fuel pump inside the tank. It gives no warning. The dealer repaired and it came off 150 miles later. I was told the fuel line from Italy was not alcohol proof and basically I would just have to live with that. So I decided to do my own research and fix it myself. I found that Gates Rubber makes what is called a submersible fuel line. It's alcohol resistant inside and outside. They make a 5/16" line that works perfect on my 2008 Nevada. It is chemically designed to withstand being submerged in alcohol contain fuels. I ordered it through O'Riley Auto Parts - its warehouse stocks it - $27.00 per foot. The good news is you only need one piece; it comes in one foot pieces. So far so good - I put another 600 miles on it with no issues. I also replaced the half plastic fuel filter inside the tank with an all-metal one. The plastic one was getting soft and ready to break, also. I hope this helps someone. It is a great bike now. Show less

This is an awesome bike! It's been 30 years since my last Guzzi and it's everything I remember. It's smooth, handles great and has that great Italian sound. It's early yet, with only 500 miles on it, but I can already tell that Guzzi's are still a great bike. The dealership is great. After buying the bike, I felt like I was part of the family! Show less

I retired on May 14th of this year. As a gift to me, I purchased a V7C. I have about 2,600 miles on it now. I have had only two minor problems with it. One was a poorly done connection of the oil return hose from the air box. Also, the two piece air box was not properly bolted together at the bottom. I ended up with oil dripping from the box to the swing arm and making quite a mess of things. The dealer had both items fixed in no time. That was about 2,000 miles ago, and I have had no problems at all since. I had a Breva 1100 which is a wonderful bike. But my arthritic hands and shoulder made moving the Breva around in the garage and driveway very dicy at best. The V7C has a lower center of gravity and is about 130 lbs lighter. That made all the difference in the world for an older short guy like me. The V7C is a wonderful and fun bike to ride. It has enough power to work through traffic and is at home on the back roads and main highways as well. It won't keep up with a true sport bike through the more demanding twisties but will move along at a very decent pace. It is designed to fit a different style of riding. For me, it is a great bike and is much more fun than any bike I have owned. The exhaust note is very nice, just right. And I really like the shaft drive. Show less

I've had many bikes over the last 32 years, from the Honda CB200 to the BMW R1150GS. Until owning my Special Sport I've never owned one for more than a couple of years and most of them, not even one. I do thousands of miles, so I soon get to know my bikes. I usually pick them for distance work, so there are a few features I must have but not without compromise. I soon get to know them and because I like to 'crack on' I soon get to know their limits too. So, with some authority on the subject, I'd like to say a few words about my special sport. I've had it for three and a half years now and I've no intention of ever selling it, so that tells you something. Here are some bullets: It's not the fastest but it can easily break the law in any gear, regardless of load. It's sublimely comfortable and stays comfortable for hours. It has the most natural seating position of any bike I've ever seen, let alone owned. It's reliable as long it's properly maintained; it has never let me down. It's economical at 45 miles per English gallon, no matter how I ride and because it sounds so amazing, I tend to get on with my rides. It can take as much luggage as any other bike I've owned, including the GS and with much less impact on handling. It handles unbelievably well for a bike of it's style and I've surprised many sports bike riders on it. It looks stunning (most of the time) and it's timeless, so ther's no worry about looking out of date (if that matters to you). It's very easy maintenance and cheap to do. I do all my own, so it's really cheap and I know exactly what's been done (You can't trust many humans when it comes to money). It'll bob across fields loaded with camping gear with no problem, as long as it's dry and because my feet can rest flat on the ground, I feel very confident fully loaded, off and on road. I can move it around easily straddled across it and because of the excellent side stand, I don't worry about how and what I'm parking on. I get all the protection I need from its simple screen, though I usually don't have one at all; only during the bug season(Yuck!). It's an absolutely perfect bike for me and ticks most of the boxes, most of the time. Downers: It's a pig to clean and because the materials used to build it aren't so good, cleaning better be something you don't neglect. I've had my wheels replaced with stailess ones and I've reworked the electrics for English weather. I've also got rid of the grey paint on the diff and coated it with black, smooth Amarite. Looks great! Things have fallen off it in the past. The naff chrome look plastic bits on the mud guards have long gone but I've replaced them with real McCoy. At tickover, the engine sounds like a bag of bolts but I know there's nothing wrong. Apparently it's just the way they are but I'm determined to sort that out later this year. In one word though, this bike has something in bucket loads that makes it stand out from the rest; heart. I love it. Show less