Norge Body Work

[seb]

Is anyone else having problems with disintegrating Tupperware panels on the Norge? Both the left and right fairing pieces that cover the throttle bodies and the front center bottom piece are all coming seriously apart. The tabs that hold the screws are breaking off and the pieces have cracks all over them. The screen in the front piece just fell out because all the liitle plastic tabs that held it in all broke off. I have called Harper's Moto Guzzi and they can't even find the right hand fairing piece. The front piece is over $500.00 itself because apparently it is only available painted but the left fairing is only available unpainted.

 

[GTM®]

Steven, as frustrating as it is, it has been well documented here as a known issue with the Norge bodywork. You can repair or replace, and if you do replace, it's recommended to reinforce ALL of the mounting tabs with a bonding agent of your choice.

 

[draidt]

Is anyone else having problems with disintegrating Tupperware panels on the Norge? Both the left and right fairing pieces that cover the throttle bodies and the front center bottom piece are all coming seriously apart. The tabs that hold the screws are breaking off and the pieces have cracks all over them. The screen in the front piece just fell out because all the liitle plastic tabs that held it in all broke off. I have called Harper's Moto Guzzi and they can't even find the right hand fairing piece. The front piece is over $500.00 itself because apparently it is only available painted but the left fairing is only available unpainted.

See below for the 2-year old post from WG.

I did the preventive maintenance on my Norge with JB weld and 2 years later knock on wood everything is holding up quite well.

Go here and download the parts manual; https://www.guzzitech.com/downloads/ca ... -1200.html

During my latest work on the Norge, I have discovered some broken tabs. First the good news:

Below are 2 pics of a tab that ties the chin spoiler to the lower left side. I found that broken at my 1000 mile service. I repaired it with JB Weld, and it has been good since. I still think my disassembly proceedure was the culprit. I have since revised that. I am pushing 7800 miles now.





Now on to new discoveries. I have taken steps to repair and try to prevent further damage. We'll see how it goes.

First, is the screen that is in the front of the chin spoiler. The metal mesh is held in in a rather cheesy fashion. I discovered the two top tabs had broken. The rest were in tact, but I figured I would beef them up anyway. The broken tabs are probably a result of something hitting the screen, I don't know. Again, JB Weld is my friend. Let it begin to harden or you'll be moving it around for some time. Ask me how I know. I'm still rotating the piece to keep the JB where I want, and don't want. (I really hope it hardens up before bed time!
EDIT: You may want to put a bit more hardner in the JB. I need to have this thing on a rotissery right now.



This next pic shows a tab that locks into the side panels up near the head. One side was broken off but hanging inside the other panel. I JB'd it and reinforced it the next day. I also reinforced the other tab in hopes to prevent it from breaking.



These last two show a rubber seal that mates up to the main side panel when assembled. It uses a bunch of cheesy tabs to retain it in place. I found several broken on one side allowing the rubber strip to move around. You can't see this when assembled. I took some silicone and spread it along the length to hold it in place.





Zoom Zoom,
John Henry

 

[azccj]

I found my lower left side piece cracking in less than 700 miles from new. I could have done the reinforcing thing but decided to remove all three lower fairing pieces and install the chin spoiler from the breva/1200 sport. The chin spoiler is unbelievably cheap, go figure that one out, and I had mine painted to match the Guzzi red of my Norge. I think the chin spoiler looks better than the 3 piece cracking junk that came on the bike. As an added bonus to this mod, I don't have to remove anything to change all the fluids now.

 

[RJVB]

Several have done this, but come back to it, as (IIRC) one gets more hot air on the lower legs with the Norge's designed chin piece. Mine has over 40k, and seem to survive intact.

As to preventive maintenance: both my original lower fairings cracked around the upper mounting bolt. It's recessed, and vibration causes stress where the funnel (seen on the left in ZoomZoom's seal1.jpg picture) and the outer surface meet. I put in some 2-component epoxy (Patterson Repair'Express, the stuff you get in a bar, have to knead to 'activate' and hardens to something light and very strong) that fills up the cavity. Invisible once mounted, and it appears to prevent problems.

 

[Cat City Rider]

I too removed my faring but soon replaced it. The heat, especially out here in the desert, was just over the top.

 

[azccj]

I live in the Phoenix area and I have never felt the heat coming off the engine onto my legs, even on those days when the temperature hit 110+ degrees. :S

 

[Cat City Rider]

Well I suppose I'm just a delicate desert flower. :roll: In time I'll try again. There are days that I don't wear all my gear.

 

[Bill Hagan]

I live in the Phoenix area and I have never felt the heat coming off the engine onto my legs, even on those days when the temperature hit 110+ degrees. :S

That is almost incomprehensible to me ... tho I am more a poison ivy sort than a delicate desert flower.

I will say that I actually notice the heat off the header pipes more in the low '80F - 85F range than above, as when it gets into the 90F-plus range, riding generally sucks anyway.

Maybe you have kevlar shins, azccj? :laugh:

Bill

 

[Cat City Rider]

I live in the Phoenix area and I have never felt the heat coming off the engine onto my legs, even on those days when the temperature hit 110+ degrees. :S

That is almost incomprehensible to me ... tho I am more a poison ivy sort than a delicate desert flower.

I will say that I actually notice the heat off the header pipes more in the low '80F - 85F range than above, as when it gets into the 90F-plus range, riding generally sucks anyway.

Maybe you have kevlar shins, azccj? :laugh:

Bill

Try making a little "pipi rustique" when you unknowingly had poison oak on your hands. inch: Pesky that.

 

[Saint Nut]

I found my lower left side piece cracking in less than 700 miles from new. I could have done the reinforcing thing but decided to remove all three lower fairing pieces and install the chin spoiler from the breva/1200 sport. The chin spoiler is unbelievably cheap, go figure that one out, and I had mine painted to match the Guzzi red of my Norge. I think the chin spoiler looks better than the 3 piece cracking junk that came on the bike. As an added bonus to this mod, I don't have to remove anything to change all the fluids now.

Azccj-I'm thinking about this exact same mod for my red Norge. Could you post up a coupla pics? I think everybody would like to see how this looks. If you're not a pic poster, feel free to e-mail them to me. Thanks!

 

[roadscum]

..............As an added bonus to this mod, I don't have to remove anything to change all the fluids now.

Azccj-I'm thinking about this exact same mod for my red Norge. Could you post up a coupla pics? I think everybody would like to see how this looks. If you're not a pic poster, feel free to e-mail them to me. Thanks!

.... and the weight savings, not to mention better exposure of those beautiful perky jugs!!

 

[GTM®]

Azccj-I'm thinking about this exact same mod for my red Norge. Could you post up a coupla pics? I think everybody would like to see how this looks. If you're not a pic poster, feel free to e-mail them to me. Thanks!

Done on my Norge;

 

[azccj]

Here you go.

 

[Saint Nut]

Oooh, yes, I like that. With only 4000 miles, my lower bits are still in one piece (well, three pieces actually) but that looks like the way to go when they self-destruct. On the other hand, I'm thinking about buying a Coocase and getting it painted to match so would make sense to get that chin guard painted at the same time. Thanks for the pic!

 

[azccj]

This modification is best done when the bike is new and I'll tell you why. Unfortunately you will most likely discover that the lower fairing pieces have eaten all the paint off the upper fairing pieces where the two touch. Even at 700 miles, when I discovered the crack in the fairing and switched to the Breva chin spoiler, my upper fairing had started to get eaten up. A little polishing compound and I was able to polish most of the marks off. At 4000 miles I would be willing to bet that the paint on yours is rubbed off down to the plastic or beyond the point of being able to polish the damage out. I hope I'm wrong, but you'll find out for sure when you take the lowers off to do an oil change.

 

[afulldeck]

I really do wish there was a good Norge fairing replacement (2007). The current one just didn't hold up to the travel and the vibration. I had to fix the many of the tabs and the dash board (it cracked around the screws). Unfortunately, I used plastifix as the main compound. That was a mistake. Plastifix looses its adhesion to the rest of the fairing. It peels like a dried out onion. Don't use that stuff.

I now have to redo my fairing again over winter and I am planning to use JB Weld. At least that stuff works, even if it doesn't have much give. BTW, has anyone found an except able replacement for the plastic strip between the dashboard and the gas tank?

 

[Bill Hagan]

**** BTW, has anyone found an except able replacement for the plastic strip between the dashboard and the gas tank?

Concur on fairing. I've fixed most of my problematic points on all the tupperware, but it's annoying, especially as most M/C manufacturers do not seem to have problem with it.

As for that strip, I tried all sorts of things, then gave up on a strip of anything. The instrument cowling only engages at one spot on both sides, both well forward. So, I just put two large black adhesive-backed felt kitchen-cabinet "silencers" at those points. Works for me.

Bill

 

[afulldeck]

**** BTW, has anyone found an except able replacement for the plastic strip between the dashboard and the gas tank?

Concur on fairing. I've fixed most of my problematic points on all the tupperware, but it's annoying, especially as most M/C manufacturers do not seem to have problem with it.

As for that strip, I tried all sorts of things, then gave up on a strip of anything. The instrument cowling only engages at one spot on both sides, both well forward. So, I just put two large black adhesive-backed felt kitchen-cabinet "silencers" at those points. Works for me.

Bill

Hi Bill,

Black Adhesive-Felt Kitchen-Cabinet "silencers"? I'm not familiar with such a product. Is this similar to the felt you put on couches to stop scratching the floors?

 

[sempervee]

I take the skirts off also but replace them carefully for hot summer riding to fend off the heat.. *Thankfully no cracks in the plastic so far..