New First Gen Norge Owner Ride Impressions

[Josh1021]

Finally found a Norge this last week and brought it home on Friday night. 2008, Silver, 3k documented miles. Thought I'd capture my impressions of the bike from my first real ride, approximately 120 miles on country blacktops, 75~80f, Sunday morning. Hopefully this helps others interested in first gen Norge.

First the "opportunities"

1. Cold blooded! The bike has been stored for ~12 months. Left cylinder slower to warm than right (based on laser temp gun). Hope fresh fuel is the key.
2. Need to remove slack in throttle cable - WAY too much.
3. Front brakes bite very aggressively at low speeds. Hard to learn.
4. Back brake pedal has slack long before friction begins.
5. Turn signal button - just - flat - sucks.
6. Wish it had a gear indicator
7. Need to invest in measured CalSci windshield. I'm looking over the one that's on it, but just barely. Its also smoked. Want clear.
8. Heat from engine reasonable at this temp, but can't imagine enjoying ride much past 85f.
9. Vibes in [Helibars] above 70 become distracting and don't disappear at least to 90 (didn't get higher than that on this ride). How to improve this??
10. Definitely needs better fuel mapping. Research options.

Second the awesomeness

1. Air cooled - pushrod - V Twin - grunt. Whats not to like?
2. Back fire/popping on decel like you would expect an Italian engine to.
3. It is heavy but very manageable. Nearly effortless to ride above 10 mph.
4. Analog portion of dashboard very easy to read quickly.
5. Adjustable windshield should come in handy.
6. Can't wait for 50 - 70f weather. This thing is gonna be great in cooler temp riding.
7. Super smooth suspension on this ride. (Decent black top, one up, no luggage) Need to learn how to adjust f/r suspension for variables.
8. Clutch extremely easy to use and learn.
9. Engine will pull just fine if you lug it, but it seems happier to leave it in a lower gear a little longer and let it sit most anything north of 4k rpm to about 7k. 8k = shift!
10. Stock exhaust note is actually better than I thought it would be. I will get an aftermarket pipe (and probably cross over) but won't be in a hurry now.
11. Observed avg mpg was 40. Non aggressive ride this morning, but certainly wasn't out to save any gas either.
12. 0 - 70 mph vibes are VERY reasonable and not distracting.

DO NOT regret buying it. Looking forward to the UPS truck showing up with all the kit, bits and bolt ons!

 

[abbienormal]

Having owned a 2007 and now a 2012 my input is:
1. Cold blooded! The bike has been stored for ~12 months. Left cylinder slower to warm than right (based on laser temp gun). Hope fresh fuel is the key.
Feed it some Sea Foam and get fresh premium in there. While on the subject if you do not know the fuel filter has been changed to an all metal instead of the half plastic they came with change it now before it blows out and strands you.

2. Need to remove slack in throttle cable - WAY too much.
Simple but surprising. Never ran into that.

3. Front brakes bite very aggressively at low speeds. Hard to learn.
Change pads to EBC, Ferodo or Vesrah. I put EBC on the 07 and it was better but I just put Vesrah on my 12 and much better.

4. Back brake pedal has slack long before friction begins.
Bleed the rear brake. If this goes away and comes back later then you have one of the leaking ABS units. Do a search on here and there is a company that will rebuild it vs buying new. I bought one from a wrecker and fortunately it was a good one on my 07.

5. Turn signal button - just - flat - sucks.
Shoot some lube in there like WD40 or Amsoil light duty Metal Protectant , what I used. It will never have much of a click when you cancel or push to either side but it will work fine.

6. Wish it had a gear indicator
Me too

7. Need to invest in measured CalSci windshield. I'm looking over the one that's on it, but just barely. Its also smoked. Want clear.
Or find a local plastic shop to cut down what you have. If adventurous you can do it yourself as there are many how to's on the web. If you have to have clear I am with you on that and I have a Cal Sci on mine but I may try the optional Guzzi shield that is supposedly 25.5" tall.

8. Heat from engine reasonable at this temp, but can't imagine enjoying ride much past 85f.
If you have riding jeans on the engine heat isn't too bad. My brother's FJR is WAY worse and my 1987 VFR was about the same but worse stuck in traffic. I rode my 07 in upper 90's and you are better off with your legs tucked in and not out in the air where the heat coming out of the fairing meets your legs. The 12 is better but the heat on my feet , which I am assuming is from the converter under the bike, is bad. That may be a winter project. Ride with shorts and pay the price. It will cook you.

9. Vibes in [Helibars] above 70 become distracting and don't disappear at least to 90 (didn't get higher than that on this ride). How to improve this??
Ride it. By 5,000 miles it will start running smoother and then continue, At 10,000 miles mine was way better and when I sold it at 26,000 it was very smooth. I also had Helibars and for that you owe the previous owner. They are way better.

10. Definitely needs better fuel mapping. Research options.
Click on the store link above and your fueling answers are there if you can swing it. I did my 12 and much better.

 

[abbienormal]

A couple things I should have mentioned. Some of your cold bloodedness may leave if you perform a cannisterectomy. Do a search it is on here. This may not be the problem you have but it it sure helped mine.
Remove the cover over the starter and look below the starter. There you will see where the ground wire attaches to the engine. Take it off, use a wire brush and clean the end of the cable and the case where it mounts. Reinstall and you can leave it as is or coat it with some battery terminal spray or similar. I also do the positive on the starter motor. Disconnect the negative from the battery before doing either. Clean it up also before installing.
Do a search for startus interruptus on here. Then do it so it starts for you when you push the magic button.

At this point you have a really great bike.

 

[john zibell]

Also a throttle body sync and TPS reset may help with the vibration. The sync should be done right after a valve adjustment just to make sure everything is correct. If you don't have the equipment or software to do this find someone that does. Be sure to not touch the sacred screw which is the left hand throttle body stop.

 

[roadventure]

Finally found a Norge this last week and brought it home on Friday night. 2008, Silver, 3k documented miles. Thought I'd capture my impressions of the bike from my first real ride, approximately 120 miles on country blacktops, 75~80f, Sunday morning. Hopefully this helps others interested in first gen Norge.

First the "opportunities"

1. Cold blooded! The bike has been stored for ~12 months. Left cylinder slower to warm than right (based on laser temp gun). Hope fresh fuel is the key.
2. Need to remove slack in throttle cable - WAY too much.
3. Front brakes bite very aggressively at low speeds. Hard to learn.
4. Back brake pedal has slack long before friction begins.
5. Turn signal button - just - flat - sucks.
6. Wish it had a gear indicator
7. Need to invest in measured CalSci windshield. I'm looking over the one that's on it, but just barely. Its also smoked. Want clear.
8. Heat from engine reasonable at this temp, but can't imagine enjoying ride much past 85f.
9. Vibes in [Helibars] above 70 become distracting and don't disappear at least to 90 (didn't get higher than that on this ride). How to improve this??
10. Definitely needs better fuel mapping. Research options.

Second the awesomeness

1. Air cooled - pushrod - V Twin - grunt. Whats not to like?
2. Back fire/popping on decel like you would expect an Italian engine to.
3. It is heavy but very manageable. Nearly effortless to ride above 10 mph.
4. Analog portion of dashboard very easy to read quickly.
5. Adjustable windshield should come in handy.
6. Can't wait for 50 - 70f weather. This thing is gonna be great in cooler temp riding.
7. Super smooth suspension on this ride. (Decent black top, one up, no luggage) Need to learn how to adjust f/r suspension for variables.
8. Clutch extremely easy to use and learn.
9. Engine will pull just fine if you lug it, but it seems happier to leave it in a lower gear a little longer and let it sit most anything north of 4k rpm to about 7k. 8k = shift!
10. Stock exhaust note is actually better than I thought it would be. I will get an aftermarket pipe (and probably cross over) but won't be in a hurry now.
11. Observed avg mpg was 40. Non aggressive ride this morning, but certainly wasn't out to save any gas either.
12. 0 - 70 mph vibes are VERY reasonable and not distracting.

DO NOT regret buying it. Looking forward to the UPS truck showing up with all the kit, bits and bolt ons!

Josh,

Thanks for thinking to post this information. It seems though that "part one" bullets look like they would apply to any used bike where the previous owner made changes according to his preferences. You just need to get things sorted out for what is best for YOU.

 

[Josh1021]

Thank you all for the feedback!

Rudy, I was concerned about WD40 in the switch, but not now. Thanks! I'll go easy with it regardless.

Seems the throttle slack may not be cable slack so much as inner throttle design as it is rotated. I'll have to open it up and see.

I'll add Vesrah to my shortlist for replacement pads. I did bleed the back a bit and didn't get any air. That said, I want to get more fluid bought before I am more aggressive with bleeding.

Very interesting feedback on vibes in bars Rudy. Am I reading your info as , "tight engine" at low miles betters with age - correctly?

I'm going to have to read up more on GuzziDiag (with cables) and PowerCommander/AutoTune. I'm so new to this I don't even know if they compare. Apples to Apple or Apples to Zebras? Any summary or clarity is welcome.

I did stumble on cleaning the starter connections so will be doing that. Also ordered the startus interruptus kit yesterday. Other than windshield and Helibars my bike is completely untouched.

John, thanks for the feedback! I'm curious about the TB sync and TPS reset. I'll dig on those. Am I right that GuzziDiag is needed for TPS reset? TB sync sounds daunting, but I'll at least inform myself. Oh, and I won't screws with any TB screws

Dave, I get what you mean. That said, as the title says, "my impression". My intent is certainly not objective, or intended to tank the Norge's reputation, but I would bet what I listed has been experienced by many new Norge owners. I just haven't seen it compiled as simply as I did above. With exception of windshield and helibars (not the source of vibes) POs did nothing to the bike. And yes, I have much to learn and do ahead of me. Helps me bond with my new toy

 

[abbienormal]

You are correct on more mileage and it loosens up. I bought the 12 with 2,900 miles and it is at 7,400 now and I can feel it getting smoother. I used the starter kit on my 12 but on the 07 I just cut and added the fused wire.

 

[Josh1021]

9.16.16 Follow up:

Have put nearly 1000 miles on the bike in the last 30 days. My thoughts this far in relative to what I originally posted:

1. Cold blooded!
Seafoam and fresh fuel has helped dramatically.
2. Need to remove slack in throttle cable - WAY too much.
Removed slack at the throttle. This helped tremendously.
3. Front brakes bite very aggressively at low speeds. Hard to learn.
Better. I believe a combination of my learning curve and fresh use of the pads has helped. Will go to Vesrah when needed.
4. Back brake pedal has slack long before friction begins.
Actually grown to like the nature of this.
5. Turn signal button - just - flat - sucks.
One word - WD40. Just a little, then use it. Took two rides, but acts exactly like it should. No more double triple attempts to turn it off.
6. Wish it had a gear indicator
Sorta still wish it did, but mostly not. 6th gear = ~3k RPM at 60 MPH and ~4k RPM at 70 MPH. Good enough.
7. Need to invest in measured CalSci windshield. I'm looking over the one that's on it, but just barely. Its also smoked. Want clear.
Going to cut down the existing (smoke) one first (1.5 inches?), but still like the idea of clear.
8. Heat from engine reasonable at this temp, but can't imagine enjoying ride much past 85f.
Rode a relative lengthy trip one day up to 90f (with full gear). Not awful but maybe could adapt later gen heat shields for summer? I've been out a number of times in low to mid 50s and welcome the heat then
9. Vibes in [Helibars] above 70 become distracting and don't disappear at least to 90 (didn't get higher than that on this ride). How to improve this??
It is in fact getting noticeably better with more miles and likely my just getting use to it.
10. Definitely needs better fuel mapping. Research options.
Bought GuzziDiag cables. Still need to read up.

Other: Was able to get the all metal fuel filter installed. Not difficult just time consuming. WD40 on the quick detach fuel line is the ticket! Be sure to have a couple small hose clamps on hand to replace the two that require cutting.
Bought the smallest GIVI tank bag that locks into the ring. Perfect fit with the Helibars. (Had to send the next size bigger one back due to Helibar conflict). Need to research tires to install for next season. Current ones have great tread, no weathering, but are original 2008 tires - yikes!

 

[john zibell]

Glad you realize those 2008 tires need to go. They should have been gone 3 years ago, maybe sooner. Please check the DOT date on the tires, they could be older. Tire life is a maximum of 5 years. You have been pushing your luck just with the1000 miles you put on. Hopefully you won't ride her until you get new tires. BTW, my preference for tires would be Michelin PR4s, but I'm sure you will get recommendations from others.

 

[Josh1021]

Glad you realize those 2008 tires need to go. They should have been gone 3 years ago, maybe sooner. Please check the DOT date on the tires, they could be older. Tire life is a maximum of 5 years. You have been pushing your luck just with the1000 miles you put on. Hopefully you won't ride her until you get new tires. BTW, my preference for tires would be Michelin PR4s, but I'm sure you will get recommendations from others.

Thanks John! Yes, DOT = 2008. UGH. Anyway, yes high priority now. Not sure why it didn't cross my mind sooner than this last week; I know better. Regardless, thanks for the recommendation. I know I'll be riding in cold/cool to mild weather more than hot. I'm a bit of a Michelin man, but whatever is best tire in cold/cool to mild is what I'd really like to know before purchase. Two-up will happen next season as well.

 

[abbienormal]

+1 Michelin PR4