Tell me about your Stelvio

On Monday of this week, I spent a good few hours on an explorer XC, and when I returned to the showroom was offered a fairly reasonable deal to swap my 2013 gs wc for a new Explorer XC.

The Explorer was, is a very nice bike with a stonking engine...I was tempted.

On Tuesday I took out a 1200 gsa wc,it felt much the same as my current bike, although a bit slower but with much more low down torque, due to I would think the heavier flywheel.
On returning to the showroom, I was asked to bend over and have my bottom severely spanked for the pleasure of swapping my bike.

Today I've done 270mls on a brand new Standard Stelvio, in what I thought was a lovely shade of white.They didn't have an NTX demo bike,but it's the same apart from a few add ons.

What can I say, apart from the screen being rubbish on the motorway I just loved everything else about the bike.
I took it on all types of roads and a couple of gravel paths,low speeds where much better in high gears and it pulled cleanly from 20mph in 6th.
I actually thought it handled just a little bit better than the gs and the gearbox was sublime even when the bike was very hot after a period of running through a town.

On returning to the showroom we discussed the cost,to include a couple of extras, of swapping my bike for an NTX.

An acceptable price was reached and he is even prepared to swap the white panels for the green panels of an NTX he has in a box.

So,I'm going to give myself a cooling off period until Saturday morning,but as things stand at the moment I'll be ordering a white NTX on Saturday.

Steve

I'm sure I read somewhere that Guzzi MPG is quoted in US gallons not Imperial, so will be higher. Quite a lot of diagnosis can be done throught the dash, listing trouble codes.

I must stop looking at these !!

That is a nice looking bike, if I had 7.5K I'd swap my 1100GS... Look so much better than the new GS IMHO. Maybe I just have a Guzzi itch that I've never scratched.

Arsey said:

I must stop looking at these !!

Click to expand...

Looks like a very nice bike,and up to now I have no regrets in swapping my 2013 gs wc for a 2014 Stelvio NTX,it feels like a proper motorbike,but it maybe that all the electronic gismorology on the new bm's was just getting to be a bit much for my ageing brain.

Arsey,the bike in the ad looks like a very nice bike,but I can't help but think that for another 1k a 2012/2013 could be purchased which has addressed many of the issues on the earlier Stelvio's.

Steve

A time we Td52[£e

wrinkleyowlie said:

On Monday of this week, I spent a good few hours on an explorer XC, and when I returned to the showroom was offered a fairly reasonable deal to swap my 2013 gs wc for a new Explorer XC.

The Explorer was, is a very nice bike with a stonking engine...I was tempted.

On Tuesday I took out a 1200 gsa wc,it felt much the same as my current bike, although a bit slower but with much more low down torque, due to I would think the heavier flywheel.
On returning to the showroom, I was asked to bend over and have my bottom severely spanked for the pleasure of swapping my bike.

Today I've done 270mls on a brand new Standard Stelvio, in what I thought was a lovely shade of white.They didn't have an NTX demo bike,but it's the same apart from a few add ons.

What can I say, apart from the screen being rubbish on the motorway I just loved everything else about the bike.
I took it on all types of roads and a couple of gravel paths,low speeds where much better in high gears and it pulled cleanly from 20mph in 6th.
I actually thought it handled just a little bit better than the gs and the gearbox was sublime even when the bike was very hot after a period of running through a town.

On returning to the showroom we discussed the cost,to include a couple of extras, of swapping my bike for an NTX.

An acceptable price was reached and he is even prepared to swap the white panels for the green panels of an NTX he has in a box.

So,I'm going to give myself a cooling off period until Saturday morning,but as things stand at the moment I'll be ordering a white NTX on Saturday.

Steve

Click to expand...

wrinkleyowlie said:

Looks like a very nice bike,and up to now I have no regrets in swapping my 2013 gs wc for a 2014 Stelvio NTX,it feels like a proper motorbike,but it maybe that all the electronic gismorology on the new bm's was just getting to be a bit much for my ageing brain.

Arsey,the bike in the ad looks like a very nice bike,but I can't help but think that for another 1k a 2012/2013 could be purchased which has addressed many of the issues on the earlier Stelvio's.

Steve

Click to expand...

Thanks but I thought Stelvios were sorted from 2011 and up, when they got the bigger tank. What changes were made in 2012?

NTX

I think they are a Great Bike . Having owned all of BMW GS range , there is no question
the build quality of the Guzzi , is way ahead .
I am Now on my second , The second of which i bought new . I would have no hesitation in buying a new one tomorrow .

Taking mine up to South Shields tomorrow to have the seat remodelled, I'll post some pics when they've sent it back to me.

Steve

Stelvio

Hi

I have narrowed my search for something different this year down to the Stelvio or Tenere 1200.

I am reluctant to take the hit on a new bike therefore I will be looking for a used bike, am I right in saying that the cam problem was sorted in the Stelvio from 2012 onwards together with other updates including a bigger tank size.

Would you think that anything before 2012 should be avoided. I have had a test ride on the Stelvio and only had two complaints the first being wind buffering from the screen it was the NTX model, I tried to raise and lower the screen but could not eliminate the buffering. Has anyone dealt with this.

The other thing was that the throttle was abrupt at slow speed,is this something that can be dialed out. I have not had the chance to ride the Tenere therefore cannot compare the two however Yamaha build quality is more or less a given.

Any comments greatly appreciated

Mike

Mike, I recently part chopped my 2011 Stelvio NTX for a new Super Tenere. I did it mainly because I fancied a change, I wanted an adventure type bike and considered a new Multistrada and KTM 1190, but the chain drive put me off and I didn't want 150bhp. The Triumph explorer was too top heavy and bulky and a bit too complex for me, and I just didn't like the look of the Honda Crosstourer.
I reckon the Tenere is easier to ride around town and at slower speeds than the NTX, I have a 'dicky' left hand and wrist, and was finding the Guzzi clutch too heavy especially in traffic. The Yam has better low speed fuelling, and the switchable mode from 'tour' to 'sport' is good.
I also find that despite the Yamaha and Stelvio having similar weights, the Tenere feels lighter as it has a lower centre of gravity, and I can touch my feet down easier with the Yam. The performance of both bikes feels similar, with the Guzzi having the edge on handling and better feedback from the Brembo brakes. I think the Yamaha handles bumpy back roads far better and the windshield is better for me (I have it on the lowest setting)
The Stelvio was a great bike, it had more character than the Yam, for me was a touch more comfortable and had a nice raw edge to it. Both bikes should be fairly easy for owner maintenance, but the Yamaha does have an excellent reputation for reliability which the Guzzi can't match, although both the Stelvios I owned were pretty good and never left me stranded or having to call out the AA.
I would recommend either of these bikes, I hope my opinions have helped.

Stelvio

Hi Fatel

Thanks for the comments I am stuggeling to get a demo on the Tenere because the dealers down south do not see the bike as a big seller and apparently Yamaha will not supply bikes for demo.

It is amazing really that I could demo the Stelvio but the Tenere is proving difficult, this is where BMW really score that and their warranty policy which is also very good. I cant help thinking that Yamaha are really missing the boat they are not competing. maybe this is why they sell in low numbers.

Mike,

Hi Mike,
I don't have any comparison between the Stelvio and the Yam, as like yourself the Yamaha was on my list but I couldn't get a test ride so left it out of the equation when I was looking to swap the GS.

I also found the buffeting fairly annoying at motorway speeds.

What I did was to actually move the whole screen forward about 15mm, this was done by making some spacers and moving the screen brackets forward so the air flow goes between the screen and the instrument cowl. (have a look at ...Mad Stad Engineering...and you'll see what I was trying to achieve)... I also fitted a deflector to the top of the screen and now all buffeting is totally eliminated at all speeds.

Throttle snatch and lumpy low speed running where two minor niggles that did spoil the bike a bit, but I've just had the latest map installed and it has improved both, conversely I have a bit of arthritis in my hands and had fitted some 'Grip puppies' which had made the throttle snatch appear much less evident.

Overall I love the Stelvio. On paper and compared to the latest and greatest it shouldn't be as good as it is and it's difficult to put into words the appeal, but for me it's all about the ride and the Stelvio is the most enjoyable bike I've ever ridden. I think It's fair to say 'it's gotten under my skin'

Which ever you choose...Enjoy.

Steve

Had my NTX for just 14-months now and really happy with it.

From new I thought the buffeting was going to be a problem as playing with the screen on the test-ride made no difference but the solution was easy. I bought a Touratech deflector and found that the first position I set it in was perfect, further adjustment did not improve it at all. The screen is now at its lowest position and the deflector (which is well below the sight-line) deflects the air perfectly regardless of speed.

Lack of smoothness is entirely down to how the bike has been set up (or not set up as in my case).
From new I sensed this was going to be a problem. I had two issues, snatching at low speed and a tendency to cut-out at junctions when warming up. The supplying dealer just stated that there was nothing wrong (this was at the initial service and then when I returned a couple of months later), in fact their attitude really put me off them and I haven't been back since. I tried a Finebau Forge fuel fuel injection compensator but had mixed results. The first one made the engine run smoother but it didn't fit properly (the leads were too short) so I requested a replacement and that one just made it run on one cylinder so I gave up and got a refund. I then found that taking all the slack out of the throttle cables made a very big difference and finally running on Super Unleaded is a must.
I was quite happy with the results until I took it in for the 1st annual service a couple of weeks ago. As I was so let down by the supplying dealer (who was quite local) I started looking around for alternatives and finally settled on Twiggers in Loughborough. I explained what it had been like for the past 12-months and left it with them for a couple of days. When I picked it up they said that I should notice an immediate improvement as the injection system had never been set up correctly. Straight away it idled smoothly (regardless of cold, warming up or hot) and the ride home was much better and I am now happier with the bike than ever.

I recall what I was told a long time ago and I think it stands just as much today as back then. Anyone can sell & service a bike like a Guzzi but it takes a specialist to make them work correctly.