How the Moto Guzzi Norge won me over

When I picked up the 2011 Moto Guzzi Norge 8V from Piaggio a few weeks ago, I was initially somewhat sad to part with the R1 I had been cruising around on. The R1 felt like it weighed nothing, accelerated the way only a liter-bike does, wheelied on command and had great brakes to boot. The Norge is a touring bike, which basically means it’s slower, heavier and a lot more comfortable than most other bikes. At least, that’s what I was expecting. Tipping the scales at 566lbs, it’s not bad for a bike with a giant air-cooled twin, shaft drive, four projector beam headlights, hard bags and a fairing that does an amazing job of blocking the wind. It’s not slow either. Give it just a hint of clutch and the front wheel jumps skyward. Cool. With the bags off lane splitting through LA traffic, I’m not sure there’s any other bike I’d rather be on :continue: