V100 Stelvio Issues

[GTM®]

Use this thread for all QC issues and related.

 

[Francis Lukesh]

At about 10K mi, my cam chain tensioners started to make an enormous amount of noise on cold starts, and, my clutch slave failed, clutch seal leaked, and adaptive turning lamp on the right side failed (still determining if it’s the headlamp assembly or the IMU). I’ve done a fair amount of very bouncy off-road so maybe they didn’t stress test stuff that way in Italy. I love the bike so much, but it’s currently in the shop indefinitely waiting on warranty parts. Let’s hope it’s back together for a cross-country in January. Otherwise, I may be shopping for a different tourer.

 

[Francis Lukesh]

North American Piaggio didn’t even realize the Stelvio had adaptive cornering lamps btw. They tried to convince my dealer it didn’t, and we were like, uh go ride one?

 

[scott_m]

Unbelievable.

 

[V700Steve]

Unbelievable.

Yea, that wasn't in the training video. Must all be a suit behind a desk no real techs involved in warranty It all changed when they cut costs & closed Costa Mesa training & warranty..
Just my opinion, don't know what happened. Isn't like 15 yrs ago at all.

 

[9mary7]

So it is a truly sad state of affairs that Moto-Guzzi corporate's attitude is keeping me from buying a new Stelvio. What ever happened to quality products and support? OTOH, my Moto-Guzzi dealer is only 300 miles away.......

 

[Francis Lukesh]

So it is a truly sad state of affairs that Moto-Guzzi corporate's attitude is keeping me from buying a new Stelvio. What ever happened to quality products and support? OTOH, my Moto-Guzzi dealer is only 300 miles away.......

I'm going to be moving back to California in about 6 weeks, and if they can't fix all the issues in that timeframe, I'm just going to offload it and likely close the book on modern Guzzi for a while. I'm currently riding a rented 2021 GS, and I have to say it's pretty great. I think I understand why they're so popular. Still, you'll have to pry my old V7 Special out of my cold dead hands.

 

[Gazdok]

The issues that I would like to be changed are:

Idling and starting revs - Why does the bike have to rev to way over 2000 RPM when I first start it from cold?
Why is the idle set to 1500 RPM on a modern bike?

Screen rattle - On uneven road surface there is a massive rattle from the screen.

I know the V100s have LED AND cornering lighting and it is way better than on my old Breva, but compared to some other new competitors it still feels as if I have a torch shining out the road ahead.

Where is my hazzard light switch?

Can the writing on the dash be increased in size. The dash is not always easily legible.

Why does the bike go into reserve petrol when I still have about 6 liters in the tank. The fuel gauge is not very accurate.

Why does the exhaust have to be so noisy and droning. I wished I had a more subtle exhaust tone.

 

[BioKnee]

I can’t disagree with any of those. I’ll add some more:
- Backlighting for the controls
- Increase the resistance of the headlight flash button (that gets flicked on several times accidentally on a trip as I grapple with the indicator or cruise switches in thick gloves).
- Add positive over-centre clicks to the four-way button (cannot feel them when wearing winter gloves)
- Adjust the cruise software to make the SET function a pull backward, and use push to the right to switch on, NOT pull to the left (which is again tricky in thick gloves)
- Remove the bright green light to show cruise is switched on (it’s very distracting at night, and only repeats a highly visible indicator already in the dash! I have a square of black electrical tape covering mine, ughh)
- Either ship the ‘adaptive’ following cruise radar software update, or just admit you were not smart enough to develop it. Stop misleading your customers!

 

[V700Steve]

I'd buy a Quota before I'd go BMW, but that's me.

 

[BioKnee]

I'd buy a Quota before I'd go BMW, but that's me.

If I was unfortunate as the OP I’d probably think differently but for now the Stelvio is the very best bike I’ve owned.

 

[TombaLaBomba]

Merry Christmas everybody.

Gentlemen, I could not disagree more.

This bike is as close to perfection relative to what I expect from stock configuration.

In my opinion, only two things could improve upon it: [1] replace the suspension for genuine race grade alternative, and [2] replace the screen for analog dials. The rider modes could be done away with entirely. At the very least, have an option to completely blackout the screen.

This bike is, in my mind, the equivalent of the De Tomaso Pantera. American muscle car character wrapped in Italian elegance.

I live and breath motorcycles and I am disgusted by the trend in which the industry is heading. Removing kick starts from MX bikes, incorporating a F%^& iPad monitor to every gosh darn model, EPA reg ruining the engine because really, our bikes compare to a semi. or tractor in terms of emissions, using Chicom and/or Indian components, and the nail in the coffin to what the motorcycle experience is = convert bikes to automatic transmission.

Mark my words gentlemen, you own one of the last real motorcycles ever to be built and sold.

Sure, custom builders will always continue to turn out bespoke genuine articles- but I will bet my right hand, this is the last real bike. Its only downhill from here.

And no, I am not a luddite. I simply have principles and standards and I know where I stand. Soon they will have you believe that SPAM is as good as a RibEye and anybody who refuses to pay to eat that $hit is simply not going with the times. Reality is, there will always be RibEye steak reserved for a select few who can afford it. However, it deprives an entire generation or more from experiencing what it is we all fell in love with.

I’ll finish by saying that I do not have a solution, I’m just glad I am not a 15 year old kid these days who depends on his own hard work to make it, because everything is overpriced and lacking in genuine cool-ness.

 

[Racer242]

Merry Christmas everybody.

Gentlemen, I could not disagree more.

This bike is as close to perfection relative to what I expect from stock configuration.

In my opinion, only two things could improve upon it: [1] replace the suspension for genuine race grade alternative, and [2] replace the screen for analog dials. The rider modes could be done away with entirely. At the very least, have an option to completely blackout the screen.

This bike is, in my mind, the equivalent of the De Tomaso Pantera. American muscle car character wrapped in Italian elegance.

I live and breath motorcycles and I am disgusted by the trend in which the industry is heading. Removing kick starts from MX bikes, incorporating a F%^& iPad monitor to every gosh darn model, EPA reg ruining the engine because really, our bikes compare to a semi. or tractor in terms of emissions, using Chicom and/or Indian components, and the nail in the coffin to what the motorcycle experience is = convert bikes to automatic transmission.

Mark my words gentlemen, you own one of the last real motorcycles ever to be built and sold.

Sure, custom builders will always continue to turn out bespoke genuine articles- but I will bet my right hand, this is the last real bike. Its only downhill from here.

And no, I am not a luddite. I simply have principles and standards and I know where I stand. Soon they will have you believe that SPAM is as good as a RibEye and anybody who refuses to pay to eat that $hit is simply not going with the times. Reality is, there will always be RibEye steak reserved for a select few who can afford it. However, it deprives an entire generation or more from experiencing what it is we all fell in love with.

I’ll finish by saying that I do not have a solution, I’m just glad I am not a 15 year old kid these days who depends on his own hard work to make it, because everything is overpriced and lacking in genuine cool-ness.

Have We Reached "Peak Motorcycle"?

That's the title of the story I could/would/maybe write if I had the time. What I mean by Peak Motorcycle is that we have reached an inflection point in the evolution of the product. The idea is that, this is the best it is ever going to get. Styling and invovation are stagnant as manufactures recycle entire model lines. Technology doesn't make the product better but is there to fulfill a regulatory mandate. Manufacturers are in a race to the bottom to make the product cheaper. To see where I am going with this, look at the auto industry. Roughly, the years 1995 to 2005 saw an explosion in engine choices, model line-ups, and the application of tech to make them faster, more capable and better looking. Manufacturers were developing new V-8 and V-10 engines along with entirely new diesel offerings. Virtually every manufacturer had an offering in every classification of vehicle. From pickups to sedans, SUVS to sports cars, no one could afford to be left out. Technology delivered! We saw fuel systems so sophisticated that 14:1 compression ratios could run on 90 octane fuel. Traction control systems turned cross-overs in to rock crawlers. Design software configured ways to fit massive v-8's in compact chassis with voluptuous curves.

But, there were some dark clouds forming. While we might laud the styling of the retro Camero or Mustang, might that not be more critically viewed as a failure? A failure to come up with something new? The engine tech was like a last hurrah before tighter emissions and fuel standards beset the industry. It seems that no manufacture touts the performance, capability or longevity of its product. Where for 50 years we got better, safer, faster, cleaner and longer lasting vehicles, we now for the first time have fewer choices of more expensive cars that clearly lack the reliability and longevity (does your car have a fiber belt driving the oil pump?) of offerings from twenty years ago. There aren't even as safe as they used to be. Driver and pedestrian fatalities have increased. Competition among manfucturesrs has moved from the showroom to the balance sheet. COE's prod government officials to require greater production of electric vehicles that few people want to buy, but the development cost of such vehicles could force their competitor to bankruptcy. Consumer choice no longer matters.

Does anyone other than me see similarities in the motorcycle industry? Now is a great time to buy a bike. More manufacturers offer more kinds of bikes than ever before. But look a little closer, Retro styling, mandated ABS on a 125, the demise of the I4 engine: might these portend a darker future? The morotrcyle industry seems to run with a time lag of about twenty years compared to the auto industry. They generally get a longer time frame to incorporate safety and emissions standards. Styling trends originate in fashion, move to cars and then to motorcycles. If you think this is happening, that the industry has peaked, head to your dealer now.

 

[Clifton]

Two issues with my Stelvio. It has quite a wobbly screen since new, especially in the raised position, so I made a point to not raise it except on smooth roads to prevent it from breaking. At around 8,000 miles I noticed an oil leak on the left side down behind the side stand mount area. I scheduled an appointment to have both issues addressed and waited while they worked on it.
They found the leak was coming from a loose bolt to the gearbox (I believe). All bolts were tight except one which was hardly even finger tight. Snugging it up to 12 NM solved the leak.



For the screen they followed Guzzi's "wobbly screen check procedure" which allows up to 8mm of movement at the pivot arm. Mine only moved 5mm so Guzzi wouldn't warrantee it. The service man just shrugged when I said "are you kidding me?" He said Guzzi's fix was to replace two arms which I could buy and replace them myself, IIRC they cost $20 each. But what's to say new arms might allow 5-8mm of movement at the joint since that amount meets their spec? The dealer had two new Stelvios on the floor, one of the screens wobbled as bad as mine while the other had almost no slop at all.

Other than the annoying screen my other complaints would be the high 1,500rpm idle with the awful bang going into gear, harsh suspension (rear especially), and heat to the rider at ambient temps of 90+, annoyingly bright cruise light, and I wish the gears were spread out more with a taller 5th and 6th. I love everything else about the bike including the sound, which Gazdoc finds to be droning.

 

[BioKnee]

Clifton

Thanks for your views on it. Mine is also at 8,000 miles and thankfully I’ve not seen any leaking oil yet.

I’m riding the Garden Route in South Africa on an African Twin at the moment, but just before I left the UK a fortnight ago some 0.1mm shims arrived in the post that I’d ordered from China. I will try to shim up the articulation joints on the screen to reduce the wobble. Will report back.

Riding this high mileage old CRF1000 on both tarmac and dirt has shown me just how good conventional suspension (and seat comfort) can be. Sigh…

 

[Clifton]

You're welcome BioKnee. For an oil leak to just be a loose bolt is the best cause I can think of actually. At some point I might spend $40 for two new arms but first I'd like to hear from someone who has done so saying it solved the problem. TBH other than in rain or very cold I ride with the shield down.

I had a 2016 Africa Twin 1000 DCT and loved that bike's compliant suspension and really most everything about it, I should have kept it. I did not care for the 2020 Africa Twin 1100 I had. The suspension was harsh, throttling jerky, and navigating through the various menus and modes cumbersome.

 

[TombaLaBomba]

Have We Reached "Peak Motorcycle"?

That's the title of the story I could/would/maybe write if I had the time. What I mean by Peak Motorcycle is that we have reached an inflection point in the evolution of the product. The idea is that, this is the best it is ever going to get. Styling and invovation are stagnant as manufactures recycle entire model lines. Technology doesn't make the product better but is there to fulfill a regulatory mandate. Manufacturers are in a race to the bottom to make the product cheaper. To see where I am going with this, look at the auto industry. Roughly, the years 1995 to 2005 saw an explosion in engine choices, model line-ups, and the application of tech to make them faster, more capable and better looking. Manufacturers were developing new V-8 and V-10 engines along with entirely new diesel offerings. Virtually every manufacturer had an offering in every classification of vehicle. From pickups to sedans, SUVS to sports cars, no one could afford to be left out. Technology delivered! We saw fuel systems so sophisticated that 14:1 compression ratios could run on 90 octane fuel. Traction control systems turned cross-overs in to rock crawlers. Design software configured ways to fit massive v-8's in compact chassis with voluptuous curves.

But, there were some dark clouds forming. While we might laud the styling of the retro Camero or Mustang, might that not be more critically viewed as a failure? A failure to come up with something new? The engine tech was like a last hurrah before tighter emissions and fuel standards beset the industry. It seems that no manufacture touts the performance, capability or longevity of its product. Where for 50 years we got better, safer, faster, cleaner and longer lasting vehicles, we now for the first time have fewer choices of more expensive cars that clearly lack the reliability and longevity (does your car have a fiber belt driving the oil pump?) of offerings from twenty years ago. There aren't even as safe as they used to be. Driver and pedestrian fatalities have increased. Competition among manfucturesrs has moved from the showroom to the balance sheet. COE's prod government officials to require greater production of electric vehicles that few people want to buy, but the development cost of such vehicles could force their competitor to bankruptcy. Consumer choice no longer matters.

Does anyone other than me see similarities in the motorcycle industry? Now is a great time to buy a bike. More manufacturers offer more kinds of bikes than ever before. But look a little closer, Retro styling, mandated ABS on a 125, the demise of the I4 engine: might these portend a darker future? The morotrcyle industry seems to run with a time lag of about twenty years compared to the auto industry. They generally get a longer time frame to incorporate safety and emissions standards. Styling trends originate in fashion, move to cars and then to motorcycles. If you think this is happening, that the industry has peaked, head to your dealer now.

My own thought aligns very close to what you are describing. I would read your article on the subject in a heartbeat, should you ever find the time. Great parallels made in your three paragraphs note - I would be delighted to hear more, with as in-depth knowledge as you care to articulate. Here is the troublesome part, there is no push back, no demand for change given that the core values have been lost. Consumers these days simply do not understand, do not have the technological knowledge to comprehend that something better, genuinely better, is even a possibility. The same can be said of so many things, that I often wonder whether the “peak” may have already been reached across more important facets of life. At the end of the day, the only solution is for small groups of people to band together and work with what they have available and attempt to improve upon it according to their own values; whether that be an upstart race team aiming for the Baja 1000 with their first trophy truck build, a farmer who decides to plug a Kubota into his 4x4 in order to gain reliability, or ultimately, a motorcycle mechanic who creates bespoke machines for his select clientele.

 

[TombaLaBomba]

Two issues with my Stelvio. It has quite a wobbly screen since new, especially in the raised position, so I made a point to not raise it except on smooth roads to prevent it from breaking. At around 8,000 miles I noticed an oil leak on the left side down behind the side stand mount area. I scheduled an appointment to have both issues addressed and waited while they worked on it.
They found the leak was coming from a loose bolt to the gearbox (I believe). All bolts were tight except one which was hardly even finger tight. Snugging it up to 12 NM solved the leak.



For the screen they followed Guzzi's "wobbly screen check procedure" which allows up to 8mm of movement at the pivot arm. Mine only moved 5mm so Guzzi wouldn't warrantee it. The service man just shrugged when I said "are you kidding me?" He said Guzzi's fix was to replace two arms which I could buy and replace them myself, IIRC they cost $20 each. But what's to say new arms might allow 5-8mm of movement at the joint since that amount meets their spec? The dealer had two new Stelvios on the floor, one of the screens wobbled as bad as mine while the other had almost no slop at all.

Other than the annoying screen my other complaints would be the high 1,500rpm idle with the awful bang going into gear, harsh suspension (rear especially), and heat to the rider at ambient temps of 90+, annoyingly bright cruise light, and I wish the gears were spread out more with a taller 5th and 6th. I love everything else about the bike including the sound, which Gazdoc finds to be droning.

Useful information. Thank you for sharing.