All Tests – First test Norge GT 8V: Moto Guzzi tweaks its road – The Moto Guzzi Norge GT evolves in 2011

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Norge GT 8V first test: Moto Guzzi tweaks its road

All Tests - First test Norge GT 8V: Moto Guzzi tweaks its road - The Moto Guzzi Norge GT evolves in 2011

Five years after the arrival of its road called Norge 1200 GT in homage to the 1928 model, Moto Guzzi decides in 2011 to improve its Gran Turismo: the new Norge GT 8V is intended to be more efficient, from all points of view.. Contact: first try !

The Moto Guzzi Norge GT evolves in 2011

Launched in early 2006 (read), the Norge is undergoing its first major update this year: as its name suggests, the Italian road is fitted with the latest version of the 90 ° transverse V-twin, single camshaft in head and 4 valves … per cylinder! But that’s not all.

Giuseppe would have been proud !

According to the managers of the brand, Giuseppe "Naco" Guzzi (brother of Carlo, one of the three founders of Moto Guzzi in 1921) would have been "extremely proud"of this Norge GT 8V.

This engineer worked on the GT 500 and went to his handlebars in the North Cape in 1928. Two years earlier, the explorer Umberto Nobile had flown over the North Pole in an airship called … Norge, which means "Norway "in Bokmål (one of the two Norwegian languages)! It is in his honor that the motorcycle bears this name.

"Compared to the Norge 1200 GT (which remains available in France, Editor’s note), 80% of the parts of the Norge GT 8V are new", underlines the marketing manager of Moto Guzzi, because"the adoption of the new engine led us to modify the chassis and completely redesign the fairing".

Nevertheless, by keeping the look of the previous version and its general lines – as well as a good number of parts that lead us to question the accuracy of this percentage … -, the new Norge does not differ much from the old one. ” an aesthetic point of view.

Only fans of the Mandello del Lario brand will have noticed at first glance the presence of the new cylinder heads, new crutches – side and central as standard, "per favore" -, the new low position of the oil cooler, the new fairing, the handlebars a little higher and set back, the new electric screen, the new saddle and the new design of the side cases.

Impossible, however, without trying the Norge GT 8V, to spot its new suspension settings, its new single-disc clutch, the contributions of the new engine and the new exhaust, the increase in its ground clearance or its ABS "last generation"…

It is therefore to allow us to examine all these aspects that Moto Guzzi invited Site to the European press launch of its novelty, near Florence (Italy)..

The day before the test, the Italians made us salivate by broadcasting a video presentation against the background of Coldplay and their hovering "Viva la Vida". The next morning, the song still firmly anchored in the head, Site discovers for the first time the Norge.

The owner’s quick turn gives off a pleasant impression of quality: the test bikes have only 450 km on the clock and shine brightly. But we still appreciate the attention paid to ergonomics and the welcoming of the pilot..

The two levers are adjustable, as are the lugs of the pedals mounted on eccentrics. The tire inflation valves are angled, a gasket is neatly glued between the tank and the fairing – devoid of storage compartments -, and the dashboard is still as complete and slightly raised for better readability.

Identical to that of the 1200 Sport (read our), it perfectly indicates engine speed, speed, fuel level and number of kilometers traveled (Trip 1 or 2). The list of information offered is impressive: all that is missing is the gear indicator light (see the technical sheet on the last page).

Qualified as a gadget by some, the on-board computer will satisfy heavy riders by calculating in real time their instantaneous and average consumption (5.4 liters during our test), the total driving time, the corresponding average speed as well as the number of kilometers remaining to be traveled when the fuel reserve is reached.

On the other hand, it is necessary to concentrate more to read the time and the outside temperature, only information to be indicated in white crystals on a black background. Likewise, you have to look more closely at the Norge GT 8V to see some electric wires more or less carefully laid, the electronic injection only partially hidden, or welds of the frame a bit coarse in places..

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