New Stelvio NTX just arrived

[abouc]

Holy crap! Over 9 gallons of fuel capacity? You could cover a lot of ground with that.

I still don't know why the Stelvio is advertized as a 4-valve, but the Griso is an 8-valve. Can anybody explain that one?

[pete roper]

Because the marketing department is run by schitsophrenic morons maybe??

Pete

[oldspice]

I've been back and forth with wanting the Stelvio for a couple of years. My main concern is lack of any sort of local dealer to handle any warranty stuff. Was looking at the Beemer GSA since there's a dealer in town, but very hard to look past the nearly $10K difference between a GSA with the same stuff the stock NTX comes with. Yep, I've made up my mind - the NTX (in orange, please) it is! I hope there's still a few around next year when I'm ready to buy! Definitely a "more bang for your buck" bike.

Oh, and let's see some real life pics of that orange bastard!

[Stu_O]

Holy crap! Over 9 gallons of fuel capacity? You could cover a lot of ground with that.

The 8.5 gallons includes the reserve. With the fuel consumption reported by several road test articles, that 8.5 gallons gets you 297 miles from topped off to empty - roughly the same as a good running Caponord delivers on 6.3 gallons. The big GS is similar. That's my sticking point right now. While I appreciate all of the high zoot items that come standard, I need to get my head past the ridiculously high (IMHO) fuel consumption delivered by this High Tech engine with the fancy schmancy cam profiles and improved fuel delivery. Yes, the range is sufficient now with the 8.5 gallons. But using Guzzi's logic, why not hot rod the hell out of the thing to impress the children who do the bike tests for the major bike mags? They seem to love the Dorso 1200. No matter that it might only get 28 miles per gallon. Just slap a 10 gallon tank on it for real world users. I think I'll give it a pass for now.

[Ed / AF1 Racing]

It's two giant air cooled cylinders....its going to burn fuel.

[Stu_O]

Ed,
Thanks for that higly technical and informative reply. I suppose I'll need to wait till Guzzi goes to air/oil cooling like the bike they're trying to emulate, if that alone is responsible for the GS delivering 40% better fuel economy. Somehow, I suspect there's more to the story than cylinder size and cooling.

Stu

[abouc]

The 8.5 gallons includes the reserve. With the fuel consumption reported by several road test articles, that 8.5 gallons gets you 297 miles from topped off to empty - roughly the same as a good running Caponord delivers on 6.3 gallons. The big GS is similar. That's my sticking point right now. While I appreciate all of the high zoot items that come standard, I need to get my head past the ridiculously high (IMHO) fuel consumption delivered by this High Tech engine with the fancy schmancy cam profiles and improved fuel delivery. Yes, the range is sufficient now with the 8.5 gallons. But using Guzzi's logic, why not hot rod the hell out of the thing to impress the children who do the bike tests for the major bike mags? They seem to love the Dorso 1200. No matter that it might only get 28 miles per gallon. Just slap a 10 gallon tank on it for real world users. I think I'll give it a pass for now.

297 miles is 130 miles more than I can go on my V11, which gets about 37 mpg. I'd happily take a 3-4 mpg loss for an extra 130 miles.

[pete roper]

Ed,
Thanks for that higly technical and informative reply. I suppose I'll need to wait till Guzzi goes to air/oil cooling like the bike they're trying to emulate, if that alone is responsible for the GS delivering 40% better fuel economy. Somehow, I suspect there's more to the story than cylinder size and cooling.

Stu

It is an oil cooled motor with air assist. One of the main reasons it is thirsty is the way it is cammed coupled with the combustion chamber design and side draught head layout. While I have yet to graph the cams on an AA motor, (I think the new Stelvio is using the AA but I'm not certain.) one of the main factors on all the previous itterations of the Guzzi 8V has been the long overlap and the use of a lot of physical resistance in the exhaust to prevent charge transition and over-scavenge. It is one of the reasons that fitting an 'Open' pipe or opening he air box simply results in less power midrange flat spots and a decrease in fuel economy.

The new 2O2 sensor bikes really are very very nice though.

Pete

[Stu_O]

Pete,
Thanks for the explanation. I may not like the consumption, but I at least understand it better.

Stu

[JohnG.]

The 8.5 gallons includes the reserve. With the fuel consumption reported by several road test articles, that 8.5 gallons gets you 297 miles from topped off to empty - roughly the same as a good running Caponord delivers on 6.3 gallons. The big GS is similar. That's my sticking point right now. While I appreciate all of the high zoot items that come standard, I need to get my head past the ridiculously high (IMHO) fuel consumption delivered by this High Tech engine with the fancy schmancy cam profiles and improved fuel delivery. Yes, the range is sufficient now with the 8.5 gallons. But using Guzzi's logic, why not hot rod the hell out of the thing to impress the children who do the bike tests for the major bike mags? They seem to love the Dorso 1200. No matter that it might only get 28 miles per gallon. Just slap a 10 gallon tank on it for real world users. I think I'll give it a pass for now.

Stu,
Yup sticking with the ol Caponord a bit longer...
...at least I know I can leave it idling forever and it wont cook...

[OZSLR]

It's two giant air cooled cylinders....its going to burn fuel.

My sport 1200 2V consistently delivers low 5L per 100Kilometers. Haven't done the math on converting to MPG but it's one of the more efficient rides I have owned.

[Stu_O]

My sport 1200 2V consistently delivers low 5L per 100Kilometers. Haven't done the math on converting to MPG but it's one of the more efficient rides I have owned.

5L per 100Kilometers = 47 miles per US gallon - 56.5 per UK gallon. Conversion charts here...http://www.markporthouse.net/rangie/...onversion.htm#

[orangeokie]

...besides the color...
I hope Piaggio USA makes available the standard 8V model with cast wheels and without all that "hardcore" offroad rustic luggage. With these CASES, the bike width becomes irracional for touring. Most of the people will use the bike on road 95-100% of the time like the tires they come with. Enough BS...

Although owning a Guzzi has always been a dream to me, the Stelvio is the only acceptable option. Like my 3 last bikes, I ended up buying Aprilia or Kawasaki. I guess I need to wait for the new CapoNord 1200...

[RossGuzzi]

A mate is thinking of trading his 2v Griso for a 4v Stelvio. It has only 2K klms. Pristine. Stock pipe, everything.
I rode it and I thought fueling was very ordinary. It even popped and farted a bit. It does get up and boogie if you twist your wrist a fair way though.
It is the model before the big tank one and after the ones that had problems with cam followers.
Is there a fix for the fueling? He has a Axone.
Anyone care to chime in?

Cheers!

[pete roper]

Obviously it has to be tuned right. Many of them aren't. I've covered the correct TB balance procedure here and elsewhere several times, make sure he adheres to it. Also even the last version of Axone may not have the mapping updates for post '09 bikes. These also won't take the 'Best' map. The later small tank Stelvios come with a supercession map that can't be overwritten with Axone or Navigator and is one of the reasons I'm keen to learn about the Ducatidiag system ad this will allow me to rip the 'Good' map out of an earlier bike and overwrite it into the later ones. I'm hoping to be more clued up on this in the next few weeks but I need some instruction from someone cleverer than me with these things. That's why I'm dropping in on Foskey on my way back South from this trip to Queensland! .

Pete