Moto Guzzi Norge Problems – Our Research for Failing Units

The Moto Guzzi Norge is a highly revered name in the motorcycle world, especially if we're talking about the big-bore sport-tourers. The bike carries the legendary heritage of the first Moto Guzzi Norge model, the 1928 Guzzi G.T. This model, named Norge, to pay homage to the expedition to Polar Arctic Circle, enjoyed massive success. The following model, the 1939 Airone 250, remained the best-selling medium-capacity bike in Italy for 15 consecutive years.

Because of this history, we can confidently say that the Moto Guzzi Norge is not only a good bike but an excellent motorcycle that bears the pure-bred racing pedigree all Italian sports bikes are known for. Yes. It competes fairly with nearly every full-size sport tourer on the market, but the Norge has more to offer.

The bike is comfortable, fast, and stops on your command. Think of the Norge as more of a supersport than a touring machine.

The bike is fully equipped with every feature you want from a trans-continental tourer. It has side panniers, a two-up seat, and an adjustable powered windshield. The gas tank is 23 liters, large enough for the long-distance weekend trips you've always wanted to take. And to make things even sweeter, Moto Guzzi has equipped the Norge with advanced technologies such as Continental ABS, Heated grips, an onboard computer, and a satellite navigation system.

What Are Some Of The Common Problems With The Moto Guzzi Norge Motorcycles?

Although the Norge has the perfect engineering of Italian motorcycles, it is still a mechanical machine prone to failure of a few parts and systems. That said, we've listed some problems you may encounter in your Moto Guzzi Norge.

The primary point to note is that these are first-hand problems experienced by actual owners of the Moto Guzzi Norge as shared on various rider platforms. From their experiences, these issues aren't bound to affect your bike's overall performance, but it is good to watch out for them.      

Notoriously Poor Oil Pressure Sensors

An Oil Pressure Sensor is the component that measures the oil pressure in your engine. Combustion engines use lubricants to keep engine parts from damage due to wear and tear caused by the grinding of these components. When engine parts such as bearings in your Guzzi Norge move, their surfaces mate. You can tell that they do from the clinking sound they produce.

The friction causes a lot of heat. If it is not minimized, thus reducing the heat, your motorcycle will lose power. This is where the engine oil is needed. The lubricant reduces the friction and heat caused by the mating of engine parts.

The Moto Guzzi Norge has notoriously poor quality oil pressure sensors. Although this will not affect the normal functioning of your Norge, its reliability will be highly affected. At only 50,000 miles on the odometer, one owner had already replaced the Oil Pressure Sensors four times.

You can tell that your soil pressure sensors are faulty if you get spurious readings or if it leaks. They can fail intermittently and sometimes downright. A bad sensor can cause severe lubrication problems.    

Other Moto Guzzi Norge Problems:

• Rear axle seal leak - the seal at the rear axle of your Norge will not last past 80,000 miles. Several owners have reported their seals failing even before the bearing. If it happens, you will most probably have to replace them together at that point.
• Some 2013 4-valve models have the worst transmission issues. This problem causes the oil pressure senders to blow, messing up nearly everything under the gas tank.
• Some Moto Guzzi Norge models have issues with fuel pumps mounted inside the gas tank. This issue causes fuel lines to disintegrate, presumably because of the alcohol in the gasoline. Unfortunately, OEM hoses and clamps are not reliable fixes to this problem. To enjoy a long life with your fuel pump, replace the OEM hoses with immersion-rated fuel lines.
• It is also on record that some Moto Guzzi bikes, which could include the Norge, have issues with swelling plastic gas tanks. These distortion and distention are also presumably caused by the alcohol in the fuel. This issue leads to leaks or the gas tank not properly fitting in its place. This is not a problem you will wish to encounter as some Moto Guzzi Norge spare parts take forever to arrive.

Is The Moto Guzzi Norge A Good Bike?

The Moto Guzzi Norge is a sports touring bike, so it should be heavier and more comfortable than most other motorcycles. It is also expected to be a little slower than sports bikes. On the contrary, the Norge is not any of these things, except the comfort part. The motorcycle offers exemplary services in terms of performance and overall ride quality.

So, why should you buy a Norge?

• It's a Fast Bike

Although you can't quite single out one factor that makes the Norge so easy to ride at high speeds, the bottom line is that the machine can go fast. Talking about performance, Moto Guzzi got everything right across the board.

The engine has a potent, smooth powerband that pulls seamlessly from zero to redline without strain. The bike features Brembo brakes that are easy to modulate and will give you the confidence to keep going. Moto Guzzi has built this bike on a strangely potent chassis that works magic when you decide to lean the beast.

• It Brakes, It Stops

When you ride like Tom Cruise on winding roads chasing the bad guys, you will need the assurance of excellent brakes that the bike will stop when you hit the pedal. With the Moto Guzzi Norge, you can pull the throttle as far as your adrenaline allows because it'll stop when you order it.

The bike is equipped with really excellent brakes and a well-tuned ABS. If you are a seasoned biker, you will agree that the Norge is fitted with one of the best factory braking systems on the market. The brake pads hold tight when needed, and the Brembo calipers and the horizontal cylinder are just as potent as they are in superbikes.

• The Bike Is Pretty Comfortable

The Moto Guzzi Norge is fitted with a fancy seat built with TempurPedic-like memory foam, making the bike incredibly comfortable for the rider and the pillion. The motorcycle has passenger grab handles that perfectly keep the pillion safe during acceleration and braking.

The electrically adjustable windscreen is a fantastic addition to the comfort of the Norge. It does a beautiful job blocking off the wind. Although it does distort your vision slightly, it is much clearer than any OEM windscreen you will meet on sports tourers.

With the screen raised, you can ride for miles with your helmet visor open without any disturbance from the wind. This is not something you'll find on any bike. The Moto Guzzi makes power-adjustable windscreens practical. Adjusting the screen to different heights depending on the road you're riding is quite a blessing.

• It's a Camper

Sure, you can go camping with the Moto Guzzi Norge sport touring bike and still enjoy the absolute pleasure of an outdoor adventure. The Norge is enough to ferry you and your partner, plus all the equipment you'll need for an overnight camp.

Talk of a tent, full-length camp pads, luxurious sleeping bags, firewood, camping garments for off the bike, foodstuffs, and camera gear. All these will comfortably fit on your motorcycle's side panniers. If you have installed the optional top box on your Norge, things get way better.

Are you planning a one or two-day camp? The Norge has no problem carrying you, your partner, and your stuff.

• The Norge Handles like a Pro

For better handling, buyers have to replace stock suspension with aftermarket kits when they buy a new bike. Moto Guzzi treated the Norge to an excellent suspension that allows the bike to turn incredibly fast with zero effort from the high bars. Unless you forgot to lift the center stand, the Norge will tighten its line within a split second, and it'll never give you any reason to doubt its ability to get you home safely.

The Moto Guzzi Norge also has excellent tires that provide the perfect grip for twisty roads. If there's any treatment that touring bikes don't appreciate, it's taking them to a winding road. On the contrary, the Norge chews these twists like a straight road.

• The Norge Is Straight Out Awesome

There aren't many bikes you can confidently say this about. When you get a new ride, you first think about how it'd look if you ripped some parts off - replace the pipe, tires, side mirrors, turn signal lights with aftermarket parts, and remove the bland graphics. In the aftermarket language, this is called customization. In essence, this is an expensive ritual that wouldn't be required if a manufacturer got everything right when building the bike.

With the Norge, Moto Guzzi got everything right. Look at it from any angle, and you won't see anything hideous that requires replacement. The exhaust pipe looks fantastic, the screen is powered and blocks the wind without blurring your vision, the seat is comfortable, and the luggage boxes are large enough for anything you need to carry.

Conclusion

With this article, we wanted to show you some of the major problems of the Moto Guzzi Norge; surprisingly, there aren't any significant issues you will encounter from this Italian sports tourer. The problems mentioned here aren't so critical that they'll leave you stranded on the roadside. Most of them aren't performance-related; instead, they are reliability concerns that can be fixed by mere regular maintenance.

This means that the Moto Guzzi Norge is your perfect go-to motorcycle if you are wondering what touring motorcycle you should pick next.