Moto Guzzi Norge

The Guzzi Norge isn’t for everyone but John Wright loves his 120,000-mile bike

2008 Moto Guzzi Norge

Total miles 117,234 Rider John Wright, 60 Miles per year 15,000

“MY LOVE OF Guzzis started way back in 1975 when I was a youth and saw an advert for a 750 S3. I just loved its styling and V-twin engine and when I eventually got my licence, I bought a Honda CX500, because I was too poor to afford a Guzzi. Well, it had the right engine and shaft-drive…

“After a variety of bikes, I ended up owning a Tuono V-twin but at that time, I was planning to do more touring and my pillion didn’t really appreciate the Aprilia’s comfort levels, so I test rode a Norge and fell in love.

“The Guzzi isn’t for anyone; it is a bike that feels hand-built and is far less refined than a more mass-produced Japanese machine and you need to understand that before you buy one. The gearbox doesn’t like to be rushed; the torque-reaction makes it shake and judder; and it has oddities — but all this gives it real character. It’s a bike built by human hand and humans make errors.

“Fairly early on, I noticed there was a drop of oil under the bike, which was coming from the hole in the bellhousing (just like on an old car) and that meant removing the engine to fix, which I did myself and wasn’t too hard if you are competent with a set of spanners. I do most of the maintenance on the Guzzi myself; it is a very easy bike to work on, as it is old technology.

“Changing the oil every 6250 miles is simple and the 20,000-mile valve clearance check is also a breeze, thanks to the exposed heads. The adjusters are a ‘nut and screw’ type, so altering is simple, and they are even at perfect working height when you are sat on a stool. When you change the engine oil, you also need to swap the gearbox and final-drive oil, which is extra effort and cost but key to ensuring it runs faultfree. I’ve not had to change my hub’s seals or bearings or had any serious engine wear and I put that down to regular servicing. And the overall finish is also pretty good, although the plastics are a bit flimsy; pannier and topbox lids bulge and flex if you over-fill them.

“I know that there are more powerful, better handling and more technologically advanced bikes on the market but there is something about the Norge that gets under your skin. It has irritations such as misting headlights, weird vibrations, flimsy panniers and starting issues but they give it character. I love it.”

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WIRING “The wiring to the headlight rubs on the bulb holder and shorts, causing the main fuse to blow. It’s a simple fix and just involves a bit of extra protection on the wire. A block connector also failed due to corrosion, so I fitted a waterproof version.” BRAKES “The Brembo master cylinder isn’t rebuildable and Guzzi no longer supplies the OE one. The updated one isn’t the same and you need to buy a new clamp for the mirror as the OE one doesn’t match.” OIL SEAL “An oil seal on the front of the gearbox failed at 40,000 miles, which involved removing the swingarm, engine and gearbox to access it. A two-day job for a £5 seal, so watch for oil drips.” STARTER WIRING “There is a common fault called ‘click no start’ by Guzzi owners. There are two circuits to activate the starter motor and a simple bypass wire (look on any Guzzi forum for details) makes it far more reliable.” LINKAGE “The suspension linkage seized at 50,000 miles, so I replaced the bearings but the bushes were worn. Guzzi items were very expensive and it turned out they are a standard industrial size and a third of the price. I added a grease nipple and they have been fine since.” EXHAUST “At 60,000 miles the baffles rotted through in the original silencer, causing a rattle. The outer pipework was fine so I fitted a Quill exhaust end can and also swapped the OE shock for a Hagon unit, as it was shot.”