aussiegreg
Tuned and Synch'ed
G'day biker's of the world,
My name is Greg and I am from Maitland, NSW, Australia. I'm 45, divorced and engaged to Kim a great woman for 3 years (2nd time round is sensational!!) who on my old 1997 Honda VFR750 with Givi panniers and Top Box did not mind if her pillion pegs scratched.
I have been reading the site for a year, registered and even typed up an introduction, but somehow it got deleleted when I hit the wrong button. But it's now or never, so here goes!!.
Last April I bought a new Black GT with factory Panniers, handle bar bag, Staintune Pipe, and Garmin Zumo 550 with an Autocom intercomm. It now has 11,000km of all two up riding. My VFR750 is in the shed unregistered waiting for Kim to get her licence.
We picked the bike up on the saturday from North Coast V-Twin at Coffs Harbour and intended to do 1000km over 2 days then get 1st service done on the Monday morning and ride the 400km home, but eventually did 700km via the Oxley Highway.
My bike had the heavier Aussie spring fitted and by the first corner after 1.5km I scraped the centre stand and I was taking it easy with a new bike and new tyres, I also 50km bottomed out on a bend with a lean angle no more than as if was sitting on a side stand. Within an hours ride and after adjusting everything up I was annoyed as I had read about the problem, but assumed that it was to be more an issue for heavier people, I weigh 75kg (165lb) and Kim 70kg (155lb), so we are light compared to the usual mature riders who have enjoyed lifes delacicies.
Kim and I got used to the scraping and it did not seem to unsettle the bike too much, however it was no where near the same lean angle as I could get on the VFR to scrape Kim's pegs, in fact a Harley has better clearance. After 400km we stopped at our motel and attemted to place the bike on the centre stand, but the lifting leg bent like a licorice as I had ground at least half the metal away in 400km. So next morning the stand came off and we were back on our way now scraping occasionally my Staintune pipe.
Over the next 600km I worked out that the problem was a too soft shock/spring coming across mid corner bumps and a new unit will be needed. After the 1st service was done on the monday morning it was off home Via bikers heaven the Oxley Highway which is about 30 minutes of bueatifully cambered smooth 35 to 45 and some 55km/h linked corners. An experienced hard riding guy riding solo on a new model BMW K1200GT followed me and commented that he had trouble keeping up.
Only 3 times did I lightly scrape and I realised that I had a sweet handling bike on very smooth roads, so it was only now a matter of finding a new and better shock to handle the real world of normal rougher Australian roads.
We were in 4 weeks time heading on a 2 week 5000km tour and needed a new shock quick, or the trip would have been a disaster.
I had read about the Hyperpro shock but it was very new and I don't think anyone had fitted one at the time and I was concerned about after sales support from 15,000km away on a new product. I now wish I had taken the risk from the reports read since.
Technik Motorsport at Penrith dicked me around for 3 weeks saying they could get an Ohlins and 4 days before my holiday they said sorry can't do an Ohlin's and now too busy with race bikes too even revalve and heavier spring it. They said a Breva or a 1200sport had been in for some work with an Ohlins fitted but they had no written record of it. Not Happy.
Wilbers did a shock but at that point that I found them with 2 weeks to go could not get one in time from Europe.
Then rang Ikon Suspension (Koni Australia) at Albury 3 days before holidays and they said can do it by modifying a new Koni with a heavier spring (progressive rate 15.5 to 26.0 kg/mm). We were heading in the general direction of Albury, so we arrived on the Monday and by Wednesday morning left with a much better handling bike for $750 aussie dollars. The shock had a height adjuster as well on a thread.
We travelled via Great ocean road to Adelaide in a much more spirited fashion, with only the occasional scrape when cranked right over at speed and a big mid corner bump. The ride was firmer but still comfortable. In Adelaide the Metzler Z6 tyres were shagged after only 5000km so when fitting new Pilot Road 2's I had them wind the shock adjuster up 5mm, which helped again with better handling and clearance.
After 11,000km the bike is getting a service, but they have now found that the bottom shock bracket has broken and Ikon are supplying a new beefier shock and spring that is 10mm longer with further adjustment capability if required. We are also putting 15w oil in forks and lifted the forks up the last available 4mm.
Also the factory top box broke at the box not the bracket 2 months ago. The factory recall new bracket has also now been fixed. My head had said fit a Givi Box but Kim said the Factory job looked better, Which it does.
On the trip the bike proved a comfortable sport tourer and a real head turner with a beautiful sound from the de-baffled Staintune pipe when the throttle is cracked open, although when at a constant throttle it goes into whisper mode and makes for easier cruising. It would cruise easily at 160km/h even 180k and have seen 205k two up. On a trip will get from 370k to 480km from a tank and have done 4 hour stints, but with a little bit of numb bum.
I love the bike for its easy power delivery, Economy/range, looks, comfort and competent handling (not as good as the VFR but its close). Kim loves it all, it was her choose as whilst my head said BMW K1200GT or Ducati ST3S, my heart said Norge for something different that stands out in the crowd as they are an exclusive bike and it gets my juices running and it does all that if a little frustrating at times in the Guzzi way.
I am probably trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear as a sport tourer, but I think a few more stitches and I may have that Italian silk purse.
Greg
My name is Greg and I am from Maitland, NSW, Australia. I'm 45, divorced and engaged to Kim a great woman for 3 years (2nd time round is sensational!!) who on my old 1997 Honda VFR750 with Givi panniers and Top Box did not mind if her pillion pegs scratched.
I have been reading the site for a year, registered and even typed up an introduction, but somehow it got deleleted when I hit the wrong button. But it's now or never, so here goes!!.
Last April I bought a new Black GT with factory Panniers, handle bar bag, Staintune Pipe, and Garmin Zumo 550 with an Autocom intercomm. It now has 11,000km of all two up riding. My VFR750 is in the shed unregistered waiting for Kim to get her licence.
We picked the bike up on the saturday from North Coast V-Twin at Coffs Harbour and intended to do 1000km over 2 days then get 1st service done on the Monday morning and ride the 400km home, but eventually did 700km via the Oxley Highway.
My bike had the heavier Aussie spring fitted and by the first corner after 1.5km I scraped the centre stand and I was taking it easy with a new bike and new tyres, I also 50km bottomed out on a bend with a lean angle no more than as if was sitting on a side stand. Within an hours ride and after adjusting everything up I was annoyed as I had read about the problem, but assumed that it was to be more an issue for heavier people, I weigh 75kg (165lb) and Kim 70kg (155lb), so we are light compared to the usual mature riders who have enjoyed lifes delacicies.
Kim and I got used to the scraping and it did not seem to unsettle the bike too much, however it was no where near the same lean angle as I could get on the VFR to scrape Kim's pegs, in fact a Harley has better clearance. After 400km we stopped at our motel and attemted to place the bike on the centre stand, but the lifting leg bent like a licorice as I had ground at least half the metal away in 400km. So next morning the stand came off and we were back on our way now scraping occasionally my Staintune pipe.
Over the next 600km I worked out that the problem was a too soft shock/spring coming across mid corner bumps and a new unit will be needed. After the 1st service was done on the monday morning it was off home Via bikers heaven the Oxley Highway which is about 30 minutes of bueatifully cambered smooth 35 to 45 and some 55km/h linked corners. An experienced hard riding guy riding solo on a new model BMW K1200GT followed me and commented that he had trouble keeping up.
Only 3 times did I lightly scrape and I realised that I had a sweet handling bike on very smooth roads, so it was only now a matter of finding a new and better shock to handle the real world of normal rougher Australian roads.
We were in 4 weeks time heading on a 2 week 5000km tour and needed a new shock quick, or the trip would have been a disaster.
I had read about the Hyperpro shock but it was very new and I don't think anyone had fitted one at the time and I was concerned about after sales support from 15,000km away on a new product. I now wish I had taken the risk from the reports read since.
Technik Motorsport at Penrith dicked me around for 3 weeks saying they could get an Ohlins and 4 days before my holiday they said sorry can't do an Ohlin's and now too busy with race bikes too even revalve and heavier spring it. They said a Breva or a 1200sport had been in for some work with an Ohlins fitted but they had no written record of it. Not Happy.
Wilbers did a shock but at that point that I found them with 2 weeks to go could not get one in time from Europe.
Then rang Ikon Suspension (Koni Australia) at Albury 3 days before holidays and they said can do it by modifying a new Koni with a heavier spring (progressive rate 15.5 to 26.0 kg/mm). We were heading in the general direction of Albury, so we arrived on the Monday and by Wednesday morning left with a much better handling bike for $750 aussie dollars. The shock had a height adjuster as well on a thread.
We travelled via Great ocean road to Adelaide in a much more spirited fashion, with only the occasional scrape when cranked right over at speed and a big mid corner bump. The ride was firmer but still comfortable. In Adelaide the Metzler Z6 tyres were shagged after only 5000km so when fitting new Pilot Road 2's I had them wind the shock adjuster up 5mm, which helped again with better handling and clearance.
After 11,000km the bike is getting a service, but they have now found that the bottom shock bracket has broken and Ikon are supplying a new beefier shock and spring that is 10mm longer with further adjustment capability if required. We are also putting 15w oil in forks and lifted the forks up the last available 4mm.
Also the factory top box broke at the box not the bracket 2 months ago. The factory recall new bracket has also now been fixed. My head had said fit a Givi Box but Kim said the Factory job looked better, Which it does.
On the trip the bike proved a comfortable sport tourer and a real head turner with a beautiful sound from the de-baffled Staintune pipe when the throttle is cracked open, although when at a constant throttle it goes into whisper mode and makes for easier cruising. It would cruise easily at 160km/h even 180k and have seen 205k two up. On a trip will get from 370k to 480km from a tank and have done 4 hour stints, but with a little bit of numb bum.
I love the bike for its easy power delivery, Economy/range, looks, comfort and competent handling (not as good as the VFR but its close). Kim loves it all, it was her choose as whilst my head said BMW K1200GT or Ducati ST3S, my heart said Norge for something different that stands out in the crowd as they are an exclusive bike and it gets my juices running and it does all that if a little frustrating at times in the Guzzi way.
I am probably trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear as a sport tourer, but I think a few more stitches and I may have that Italian silk purse.
Greg
hmy: 
