BikeTest: Moto Guzzi Norge 1200 GTL:The Italian bike marque turns heads in ireland with the Norge 1200 GTL, writes Conor Twomey
Within minutes of collecting the Moto Guzzi Norge 1200 GTL from Ducati Motorpoint in Dublin a motorbike courier rolled up alongside me at the traffic lights. "That's a gorgeous bike, what is it?" he chirped. "Um, it's a Moto Guzzi," I replied, but his response was a blank expression - he knew the name but in the time it took to place it the lights had changed and we were away. After that, I spent most of my day avoiding eye contact with interested passers-by so I wouldn't have to explain the Moto Guzzi story over and over again.
So what is Moto Guzzi? Funny you should ask. Founded in 1921, Moto Guzzi is a once-great Italian motorcycle manufacturer that enjoyed great success on the track and in the showrooms until its founders eventually retired in the late 1950s, leaving the company without direction. By 1957 it could no longer afford to continue racing as the company was hit by the post-war car boom. Its steady decline continued until it was eventually bought by Aprilia in 2000 which was itself swallowed up by scooter giant Piaggio in 2004. Piaggio has since reinvested in the brand and is working to give it a uniquely retrospective identity.
It's a curious looking, but handsome, machine. From a distance it seems like any modern sports tourer with its projector-style headlamps, sophisticated fairing and the purposeful aluminium swing arm, but up close you notice the old-fashioned chrome mirrors, a curious exhaust pipe arrangement and retro-style dials and badging.
Mechanically, it's also a bit of an oddity. The 1151cc V-Twin has twin-spark ignition and four-valve heads but is air cooled and uses pushrods instead of overhead cams. It should feel a bit of a tractor but somehow, even without a balancer-shaft, Moto Guzzi has engineered it to rev cleanly with almost none of the usual V-Twin vibrations at cruising speeds. It's also got fantastic throttle response, a major benefit of the company's patented slack-free shaft-drive system.
The Norge's engine produces a reasonable 95hp and 100Nm of torque, enough to give it a decent turn of speed without making it too overwhelming. Its top speed of 210km/h isn't stellar, perhaps, but more importantly it's quite happy to chug along at motorway speeds all day long. You'll be quite happy, too, thanks to a broad, comfortable seat, excellent aerodynamics and nicely positioned controls.
The only factor which might limit your touring range is its thirst. Our test bike downed half of its 27-litre tank during my (admittedly enthusiastic) 200km test run. It's also a hoot on back roads and surprisingly nimble in traffic, too. It isn't until you encounter some badly surfaced corners that you realise just how compliant the ride quality is, and yet despite this the Norge still feels connected to the road.
Its short wheelbase and light steering helps it to feel agile and sporty while the sharp throttle, powerful Brembo brakes and super-slick gearbox make carving up challenging roads a pleasure.
It's just a very forgiving and easy-to-exploit motorbike that's a much better all-rounder than I had expected. Only under hard braking do you notice the Norge's soft-ish front end and 246kg (dry) weight. Other minor complaints include slightly misdirected dials, a difficult to read trip computer, badly placed windscreen adjustment switches and fiddly panniers. Still, I suppose it wouldn't be an Italian bike without at least a couple of idiosyncrasies.
Where the Moto Guzzi Norge 1200 really scores, however, is in terms of value. At €17,250 for the top-of-the-range GTL model it's certainly not cheap, but for your money you get ABS, an electric screen, heated grips, full fairing, all the panniers, remote control alarm and a Tom Tom Rider satellite navigation system which works wonderfully and is easy to operate even with a gloved hand.
The added kit wouldn't be the only reason to buy the Moto Guzzi Norge 1200 (it's more than good enough by itself to warrant your hard-earned cash) but it certainly does make the deal irresistibly sweet.
Factfile
Engine:1151cc air-cooled, four-stroke, 90-degree V-twin
Output:95hp, 100Nm
Performance:210km/h top speed
Transmission:six-speed gearbox, dry clutch
Dimensions:Length: 2,195mm, Width: 870mm (excluding mirrors), Wheelbase: 1,495mm, Seat height: 930mm
Weight:243kg dry
Wheels:three-spoke alloy wheels, 17" front and rear
Tyres:front 120/70 ZR17, rear 180/55 ZR17
Brakes:four-piston Brembo calipers, double 320mm front discs; two-piston Brembo caliper 282mm single rear disc. ABS standard.
Price:€17,250 (Norge 1200 TL €14,999)