CLICK! The gear is in. This kick in the back is the only real roughness that the Moto Guzzi Stelvio allows itself. In everyday life, the beautiful Italian is easy to handle and smooth. But there are a few minor issues that do arise. If you look at it critically.
It is called a travel enduro, but its name certainly indicates where it feels most at home: on mountain passes like the Stelvio Pass or in other alpine curves dominated by BMW’s GS.That alone speaks for the Moto Guzzi: you will come across it comparatively rarely. Yet it has such a charming charisma that you often get positive reactions. It is not its perfection or technical sophistication that defines its character, but its history, the longitudinal V-twin with the distinctive sound and generally its Moto Guzzi-ness. The cardan drive also creates sympathy – and it’s not just the big GS that has that.A real high-tech bikeIt is technically at the highest level and optionally comes with two radar sensors that enable various collision warnings and distance cruise control. The classic cruise control and the six-axis IMU are standard. ABS and traction control are therefore based on the lean angle, and the dynamic cornering light is also controlled by this.Big engine shorter than the small oneThe anti-spin system doesn’t have to do a lot, except in wet conditions, because the 115 hp of the 1042 cc V2 can be easily controlled via ride by wire. But God knows how it gets going, and its maximum torque of 105 Nm is reached at 6750 rpm. Below that, it doesn’t tear chunks out of the asphalt, and above that, it quickly runs out of steam. But it doesn’t take long to get up from low revs. Only the constant jolting that occurs again and again strains your composure and reminds you that you actually prefer to drive dynamically anyway.Amazing: A Moto Guzzi V100 that was driven in parallel and which has the same engine was much more lively and pushed with much more force – in all speed ranges.Moto Guzzi calls the engine “Compact Block”, although it is the largest in the range. The name is derived from the size: it is 103 mm shorter than the “small block” of the V85TT and tilted forwards by five degrees. The cylinder heads are also rotated by 90 degrees and the manifolds exit to the side instead of the front. All of this to create more legroom and at the same time maintain the compact wheelbase of 1520 mm for better handling.And the Stelvio is easy to handle, despite its (heavy without the center stand) 246 kg. It steers easily and, with its chassis that tends to be set up rather hard, always remains stable even on uneven surfaces. However, the seating position is too passive for a real corner-hugger. You won’t be chasing GSs with it, but rather enjoying the relaxed side of power.And you’ll be happy to do that on long journeys. The elegant seat flatters the buttocks, the knees are not bent too much and the windshield takes a lot of wind pressure off the body: Complaining at a high level: tall riders are not completely spared from vibrations on the helmet. Thanks to the stepless electrical adjustment option, you can easily adjust it. Sometimes it is more comfortable to lower the screen by a finger’s width, then you feel more wind but less vibration.Shift and controlYou need a bit of goodwill for the optional quickshifter (up and down). It usually works smoothly, but sometimes not as smoothly and reliably as you would expect from KTM or BMW, for example. A small display on the screen shows whether the quickshifter is ready to work or not. However, you won’t usually look before you shift, you’ll just expect it to work. The information provided by the display is also questionable. The best thing is that you can shift up and down with the accelerator open. What works perfectly is finding the neutral position – a joy at every red light.The downshift function can be switched off on the display, which also manages everything else. Among other things, you can configure each driving mode individually, so you not only have the Turismo, Pioggia, Strada, Sport and Off-Road modes, but in fact individual modes that intervene in power development, engine braking, traction control and ABS as desired. The ABS can only be switched off in off-road mode.In addition, you can adjust the level of traction control with the cruise control switch when the cruise control is switched off.Display concept not well thought outApropos cruise control: If it is switched on but not currently active, a green indicator light flashes on the display. This is distracting because you see it out of the corner of your eye and keep thinking that you’ve forgotten to use the indicator.The 5-inch TFT display is nicely designed, but not particularly easy to read. The speed is shown in large numbers, but the tachometer is shown in too much detail. The fuel gauge is even less informative. It’s good that the predicted remaining range is shown in the top right corner – but only until you’re on reserve. Then it shows how many kilometers you’ve already driven on reserve, but you have to estimate how far you can still go. The tank capacity is 21 liters, of which 3.5 liters are reserve. With an average consumption of 5.6 l/100 km (test consumption), you’ll probably stop after about 60 kilometers.The on-board computer with its two trip counters is easy to use. A smartphone can be connected as an option via the Moto Guzzi MIA app.The instruments (i.e. the buttons and switches) are not illuminated, by the way. This makes operating them a little difficult at night, also because they are not so easy to feel with gloves.Adjustable chassisThe 46 mm USD fork from Sachs can be adjusted for preload and rebound damping, the spring strut can be adjusted for rebound and preload using an adjusting wheel. The adaptive dampers of the V100 are not available. Question about Maranello: Why not, or from when? The suspension travel is 170 mm at the front and rear. The tubeless spoked rims are fitted with Michelin Anakee Adventure tires with off-road features in the dimensions 120/70 R19 and 170/60 R17.The Moto Guzzi Stelvio is available from 18,000 euros, the radar system costs an additional 1,000 euros. The adaptive cruise control will cost extra, but it is not yet clear when it will be available. Features such as quickshifter (229 euros, all plus installation), heated grips (259 euros), heated seat (front 339 euros, rear 229 euros) or the side cases with the unobtrusive suspension system (1050 euros) are available for an additional charge.Riding timeThe Moto Guzzi’s price announcement is quite confident, but not exaggerated. It is not a cheap alternative to the competition, but wants to be wanted because of its features. And that includes something that is not otherwise available in this class: cardan drive.
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