This isn’t some kind of paid advertisement. I just got a new job that will have me commuting 160mi round-trip, and I just happened to start looking at a newer bike to get me there and back. I immediately went to the Guzzi site and saw the zero-zero-zero deal, and wondered why in the heck I hadn’t heard about it before!
I’m working to get to the bottom of this deal, it just sounds too good to be real. You go down to your local Moto Guzzi Dealer, pick out a Norge or a Griso, either a brand-spanking new ‘08 or an ‘07, then make your best deal. One note — the 0 down, 0 payments and 0 interest Guzzi Deal ends on April 30, 2008 so it’s worth making a trip soon!
You have a year to begin making payments, provided that you qualify, and in the mean time you can beg, borrow or steal all your friends’ money and just pay it off in one fell swoop with no penalties. I spoke with a Guzzi dealer in San Diego about this with respect to a Norge:
“On the promotion you have 365 days of no payments and no interest, there is NO pre payment penalty. If you were to pay off the bike before the 365 days you would only owe the amount financed.”
I’ve got a call into my Moto Guzzi factory friends for further information and details, which I’ll post as soon as I can. Sounds like if you were a good kid and kept your credit up, a new Goose may be in your future.
It’s probably going to be in mine. I stopped by my local dealer in Thousand Oaks. He said a bunch of nice things about my Eldorado. even though he had the choice of all the various Piaggio scoots and bikes (Vespa, Aprilia & MotoGuzzi) to choose from he rode a beautifully-built Tenni. He’s my peeps and he drinks the Guzzi Kool-Aide.
A Fabulous First Touring Bike Option — Moto Guzzi Norge.
Took a quick 20 minute test-ride on a Norge. First thing that came to my mind are the brakes. They just stop like nobody’s business. I would bet that if Guzzi could get 1000 Norges running in the same direction at the same time, then did a hard panic stop, the Earth’s Rotation would be affected.
Then there’s the gear box. Mine’s 36 years old, one-up-and-four-down. The new Norge is of course the typical UJM standard. It acts like any other box on any other bike. 6 speeds of pleasure with absolutely no issues.
The motor is like my old Eldo, but more of it. Where mine is like an old Wild Boar; kinda slobbery out the carbs, growly out the back and torquey and reliable as all get-out, the Norge is like a Buffalo. Big noise, big torque, big feel, great, confidence-inspiring grip and stopping power. This isn’t a race bike, and if you feel the need to prove something, this isn’t your bike. I would go so far to recommend this as a First Touring Bike to those so inclined — it was most definitely NOT a handful, much nicer in weight and feel to the BMW RT that I had driven the week before (to be perfectly fair, that one was a two-year-old model with low miles). If you are ready for a bigger-than-beginner bike and want to tour or do some distance, 10 minutes in the saddle will make a believer out of you.
The Norge is for those of us in the happy-speed distance in comfort and don’t want to see yourself on every street corner category. It’s got ABS, big-but-unubtrusive Givi Bags, heated grips, comfy-chair and electric screen, etc. A definite attraction is a far-below-BMW out-the-door with tax-license-title-etc. for an ‘08 price of about 17ish.
If you’ve been reading my columns you already know I’m biased. I actually did look at some other bikes this time, and spent some time doing a bit of research and sending out emails to Norge owners as well as some detractors. No response really pushed me off my original intentions, and the deal Guzzi has may just seal it, we’ll have to see. I’m asking around to all the dealers on the left coast to see who wants my money, and I’ll report back when/if something happens.
Here are some other reviews from more unbiased minds:
- WebBikeWorld
- TopSpeed.com
- MotorCycleUSA review on UTube
- WomenRidersNow
- PowerSportsNetwork User reivew
Filed under: Expert Advice, Guide for New Riders, News | Tagged: First Touring Bike, Guzzi, Motorcycle Financing, Norge
