2008 Moto Guzzi Stelvio 1200 4V Preview - Motorcycle.com
Moto Guzzi recently had its world press introduction for its newest bike, the Stelvio. It’s a large-displacement adventure-touring machine built in the mold of BMW’s ultra-successful R1200GS, what Guzzi calls the “maxi-enduro” segment. Noteworthy is the new Guzzi’s engine, a major revision of the venerable transverse V-Twin that now includes four-valve cylinder heads. The Mandello company says the “Quattrovalvole” motor consists of 75% new components and puts out 105 horsepower at the crank.
In designing its new adventurer tourer, Italian manufacturer Moto Guzzi took inspiration from the Stelvio Pass, a winding road featuring 60 hairpin bends snaking its way through the Eastern Alps at an altitude of 9,000 feet. Often used to test the bikes produced from the company’s nearby Mandello del Lario facilities, the legendary road can push the limits of engine response and suspension capacity. It’s significant then that Moto Guzzi decided to name its latest creation after the Passo dello Stelvio.
The new Moto Guzzi Stelvio 1200 4V was designed and developed to brave any destination, traveling on both paved urban streets roads and off-road surfaces. This multipurpose motorcycle combines the toughness to handle the roughest terrain with the comfort of a traditional touring bike.
From a design perspective, the Stelvio has a slender appearance with clean cuts and sharp lines, giving it a feeling of lightness and power. The side-by-side convex lens headlamps give a compact appearance while the aluminum spoke wheels highlight a slender and streamlined look.
The heart of the Stelvio is the unique four-valve revision of the transverse V-Twin engine. Dubbed the ‘Quattrovalvole’, the 90 degree V-Twin engine is made of 75% new components. 563 new parts have been designed to give the engine a single overhead camshaft distribution system to control the 4 valves per cylinder. A new lighter crankshaft, 3-ring forged pistons and light valves with 5 mm stems eliminate resonance and power losses at high speeds. The Quattrovalvole also gets an original exhaust sytem with an aluminum silencer. The Stelvio can generate a maximum power of 105 horses at 7500 rpm and 108 Nm torque at 6400 rpm.
As a tourer, the Stelvio is designed to provide comfort for long rides. The saddle, footrests and handlebar form an ergonomically-friendly triangle to fit most users. For finer fit, the windshield, saddle height, levers and pedals are adjustable. A convenient glove box on the left side of the tank can be unlocked from the handlebar
But just because something is comfortable doesn’t mean it’s soft. The Stelvio is built around a new upper twin spar frame with 2.5 mm thick directional tubes anchoring the engine at six connecting points to provided added rigidity. The 50 mm upside-down fork adds solid absorption when chewing up the terrain with the tubeless Pirelli Scorpions. The 110/80 tire on the 19-inch front wheel is paired with an oversized 180/55/17 rear to add extra traction.
The Stelvio will retail for US$14,990 when it hits US dealerships this August. It comes in either red, black or white.
Related Reading:
Moto Guzzi Norge 1200: First Ride Report
2007 Moto Guzzi Griso 1100
2007 Moto Guzzi 1200 Sport Introduction Report
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