Moto Guzzi Norge first impressions

[kirb]

Cycle World did a quick review:
http://www.cycleworld.com/2011/05/12...8v-first-ride/

[g®eg]

Originally Posted by davevv

Looks like the seat, with a sheepskin cover. Probably had the necessary paperwork stored under there.

bingo... registration & insurance please.

[vacantstare]

I stopped by M.I. on Saturday to chat with the mechanics and have a look at one of those Norges. I have never been a fan of full-fairing bikes, but I am looking for a new machine for 2-up adventures, and the '07s seem like such a good deal, especially with the full 2 year warranty. Maybe all that protection from the elements would grow on me...it would certainly make long rides less fatiguing.

I'm tempted...and it would make such a nice stablemate for my '71 Ambo (if I ever finish putting it back together, that is).

One thing that's kind of important to me- what are the options for a passenger backrest? I wasn't really able to find anything by googling.

[flying_finn]

MI is a great place. Pull the trigger before all the 07's are gone

Get the factory top box. The box has a nice pad for a backrest.

Cheers

[DRONE]

Yeah, backrest on the box. I have a Givi because I like the way it looks better than the one that Guzzi sells. Here's mine--





Of course, you can always take it over the ferry to Kingston and get Rich's to make you a custom seat with any kind of backrest you want!

[vacantstare]

Originally Posted by DRONE

Yeah, backrest on the box. I have a Givi because I like the way it looks better than the one that Guzzi sells. Here's mine--

Looks great- does the Guzzi factory luggage rack accept Givi bags?

Of course, you can always take it over the ferry to Kingston and get Rich's to make you a custom seat with any kind of backrest you want!

Looks great- does the Guzzi factory luggage rack accept Givi bags?

I didn't know Rich's was local! that sounds like a great idea...

thanks!

[jdgretz]

Originally Posted by vacantstare

Looks great- does the Guzzi factory luggage rack accept Givi bags?

I didn't know Rich's was local! that sounds like a great idea...

thanks!

Nope - different rack. Dave at MI can fix you right up as he did me. I don't have the pad on my Givi, but the wife's jacket gives her enough protection and padding that she does not feel the need for a bad on the top box. Also, the pad will require the passenger to be that much closer to you and may move you forward an inch or two as well.

Although the two boxes are roughly the same size, the Guzzi box is shaped in such a way as to only allow one full face helmet to be carried/stored, where the Givi of the same size allows two helmets.

jdg

[Scott of the Sahara]

The Givi trunk holds my old full faced Scorpion helmets but not my new Shoei.
Here is mine:


Drone, how did you get the paint to match on your trunk?

[DRONE]

Originally Posted by Scott of the Sahara

Drone, how did you get the paint to match on your trunk?

Just by eyeball. I sat down with the guy from my local paint shop and we just started going through books of red paint chips from different manufacturers. Did this in daylight standing next to the bike. Found one we both agreed looked about right. Had him paint the box and also the 1200 Sport chin fairing. Afterwards, we decided we'd done a good job 'cause the match looked just about perfect when the paint was dry.

In my imaginary checkbook, the paint job was free because I bought the Givi from an inmate on the Flea Market for cheap, and even with the cost of the paint job it didn't cost me what a bare naked Givi box would have cost me new.

Here's what the box looked like without paint. Pretty ugly on a red bike. YMMV.




But about your Givi--that looks like a different setup than mine. Your box looks like it's hanging farther back off the bike while mine is tucked up close. Yes?

[Scott of the Sahara]

I moved mine back a couple of inches to give the misses a bit more room.

[jdgretz]

Originally Posted by DRONE

Just by eyeball. I sat down with the guy from my local paint shop and we just started going through books of red paint chips from different manufacturers. Did this in daylight standing next to the bike. Found one we both agreed looked about right. Had him paint the box and also the 1200 Sport chin fairing. Afterwards, we decided we'd done a good job 'cause the match looked just about perfect when the paint was dry.

So fess up, what color did you end up using? Buying Ferrari paint gets expensive

jdg

[DRONE]

Originally Posted by jdgretz

So fess up, what color did you end up using? Buying Ferrari paint gets expensive

jdg

That would be useful to know. Guess I shoulda written it down somewhere.

[Scott of the Sahara]

Hey Drone, I think my mounting brackets must be different than yours. My wife feels scrunched as it is, your rig would be downright cosy.

[DRONE]

Yah, I'm always modifying stuff and I don't remember exactly what I did to this one. But I just took a look under there and I can see that it's not totally standard. I musta mounted it that way on purpose 'cause I got no pillion riding with me.

Here's another little thing I took care of today. My nice Guzzi brand tank bag always looks like a smashed hat so I got a thin kitchen cutting board, cut it in half lengthwise, riveted the two pieces together to make a "hatband" of sorts, covered the rivets with tape to make them smooth, then I put the whole thing inside my bag. Now it's nice and oval-shaped and it stands up straight!

[DRONE]

Also a while back I promised to post pics of my new seat from Rich's, then I never did. Sorry. Here it is--







I had to get the driver's backrest because I got something wrong with my back. Doctors can't find anything wrong--no slipped discs or anything like that--and the only thing that gives me relief on the bike is the stupid back rest. So laugh if you want but it works for me. Can be removed with one hard pull and the hole is then covered by that velcro patch on the front of the post.