The Moto Guzzi Stelvio 1200 is a

dual-sport motorcycle A dual-sport motorcycle is a type of street-legal motorcycle that is designed for both on and off-road use. The terms ''all-road,'' ''on/off road,'' and ''dual-purpose'' are also used for this class of motorcycles. Dual-sports are equipped with ...

manufactured by the Italian company

Moto Guzzi Moto Guzzi is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer and the oldest European manufacturer in continuous motorcycle production. Established in 1921 in Mandello del Lario, Italy, the company is noted for its historic role in Italy's motorcycling ma ...

from 2007 to 2016

History

The Stelvio model was introduced in November 2007 at the Milan motorcycle show EICMA for the 2008 model year. It is named after the alpine

Stelvio Pass The Stelvio Pass ( it, Passo dello Stelvio , ''Giogo dello Stelvio'' ; german: Stilfser Joch; ) is a mountain pass in Northern Italy, northern Italy bordering Switzerland at an elevation of Height above mean sea level, above sea level. It is the L ...

. The 2009 model featured changes in engine tuning. For 2012, the fairing was restyled; electronic dash updated; and fuel capacity was increased.

Specifications

The so-called ''Quattrovalvole'' (four-valve) engine comes from the Griso/Breva series and has been optimized with modified camshafts for an improved torque curve.

Engine

The motor is an air/oil-cooled, transversally mounted 90°

V-twin A V-twin engine, also called a V2 engine, is a two-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. Although widely associated with motorcycles (installed either transversely or longi ...

four-stroke engine A four-stroke (also four-cycle) engine is an internal combustion (IC) engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning the crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston along the cylinder, in either directi ...

that displaces and generates rated output of at 7,500 rpm. The maximum torque of is developed at 5,800 rpm. The two cylinders have a bore of , the piston has a stroke of and a compression ratio of 11:1. Each cylinder head has an overhead chain driven camshaft that actuates the two intake and two exhaust valves. The 2-into-1 exhaust system made of stainless steel and has a three-way catalytic converter with two oxygen sensors; the emissions are well below the Euro 3 standard. The fuel tank on both the base model and the NTX variant holds , of which is reserve. The manufacturer recommends the use of unleaded gasoline with a Research Octane Number of at least 95, 90 R+M/2 in North America.

Suspension

The chassis consists of a tubular steel frame with load-bearing engine. A hydraulic 50 mm diameter upside-down fork by Marzocchi with of travel guides the front. The rear wheel is held by a

single-sided swingarm A swingarm, or "swinging arm" (UK), originally known as a swing fork or pivoted fork, is a single or double sided mechanical device which attaches the rear wheel of a motorcycle to its body, allowing it to pivot vertically. The main component of ...

with progressive linkage, which is damped by a Sachs-Boge monoshock with a progressively-acting lever system and 155 mm of travel. Power is transferred to the rear wheel via a shaft integrated into the single-sided swingarm with two joints and an anti-torque reaction support.

Brakes

The front wheel mounts dual disc brakes with cross-drilled, semi-floating 320 mm steel discs and radial-mounted four-piston calipers. At the rear wheel, a cross-drilled 282 mm disc with a dual-piston caliper is mounted. The brake lines are steel reinforced. The brake system on the latest models has standard

anti-lock brakes An anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a automobile safety, safety anti-Skid (automobile), skid Brake, braking system used on aircraft and on land motor vehicle, vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. ABS operates by preventing t ...

and a switchable

traction control system A traction control system (TCS), also known as ASR (from german: Antriebsschlupfregelung, lit=drive slippage regulation), is typically (but not necessarily) a secondary function of the electronic stability control (ESC) on production motor vehicle ...

NTX differences

The NTX model has factory offroad accessories not found on the base model: hand guards, oil sump guard, aluminum

pannier A pannier is a basket, bag, box, or similar container, carried in pairs either slung over the back of a beast of burden, or attached to the sides of a bicycle or motorcycle. The term derives from a Middle English borrowing of the Old French '' ...

s, (not including a topbox), a larger windscreen and wire spoke wheels.

Critical reaction

Reviewers pegged the Stelvio as a competent competitor for other adventure-touring bikes like the

BMW R1200GS The BMW R1200GS and R1200GS Adventure are motorcycles manufactured in Berlin, Germany by BMW Motorrad, part of the BMW group. It is one of the BMW GS family of dual sport motorcycles. Both motorcycles have a , two-cylinder boxer engine with four ...

and Yamaha Super Ténéré, although heavy. They noted in particular the ability of the NTX, with its high capacity fuel tank, to take riders to offroad destinations where refueling is not available.

References

External links

* (UK) * (USA) * (AU) {{Moto Guzzi Dual-sport motorcycles Stelvio Motorcycles introduced in 2007 Motorcycles powered by V engines Shaft drive motorcycles