Moto Guzzi Norge 1200 (2006-current)

A great solo touring option. Extremely comfortable over any distance, the fairing will let you sit out in the breeze or raise the screen and you are in a completely protected bubble. Lots of toys including ABS, heated grips, power socket etc. It is surprisingly stable and easy to manouevre feet up at low speed and the seat height is such that I (5' 10'') can get both feet down whenever the need arises. The engine will pull in any gear at any revs and it sounds amazing, although top gear is only useful once you are above the legal limit. It also seems happy to go round corners as fast as I shall ever need. The lights are extremely good, at least as good as my car, and do not limit your speed on unlit country roads. Above all it is engaging - even when you stop for traffic lights you can feel all manner of stuff happening under you. I haven't tried it with a pillion - not sure there is enough room for their feet if you have the panniers on. Mine came with a dodgy fuel gauge which is not uncommon but was fixed under warranty. The panniers are a bit fiddly until you get the hang of it. Sidestand is a long way forward and can be a bit of a stretch sometimes. I love it !

Good bike, previously owned V50III (when less than half my age!, Honda XBR500, Honda CBX250, Honda CB1, Guzzi V11 sport, Guzzi Cali Titanium, Ducati GT1000 and then the Norge. For the two-up riding I do with my wife it is great. I wanted a real motorbike (air-cooled engine) but with comfort and reasonable build quality (huge improvement). Clocks are at the wrong angle to see easily and Sat Nav doesn't charge on the bike (dealer couldn't fix) but basic package is cheaper than BMW for same spec (everything you could wish for is standard on GTL) with more character and nice, easy handling. Engine has plenty of torque. I do miss the 12v socket from the Cali Titanium though for easy battery topping up in winter. All in all, give this a chance - it's really good if you hate the arm ache from all the ugly paint crotch rockets that have zero charisma or style. Steve H from T. Wells

Awesome bike. I've tested loads of bikes over the years and this is the only one I didn't prefer my old bike over. I've done 8600 miles in 7 months including Rome and back. It's the sort of bike when you're potentially arriving early you find some more side roads to ride. Downsides? Suspension is too soft for two up riding. The Italians don't do good production engineering (fairing niggles), but whereas that would drive me ballistic with a Jap bike, the soul that the Norge has more than compensates

Moved from BMW to Guzzi and am glad I did. The overall package is superior. Shame though there are only 2 models to choose from as would have preferred the GT. You can ride this bike (as I have) all day. Sounds good too. The only niggle is that there is no grab bar to aid putting the bike on centre stand, this is even more awkward with panniers fitted. That said, I love this bike.