VOLUME ISSUE MARCH , P145
Herein lies the story of
the Stelvio in that, much
like the BMW GS range,
one must visit the Moto
Guzzi aftermarket catalog
and kit their machine out
because, in standard form,
they are pretty sparse.
Quickshifter, heated
grips and seat, even radar
adaptive cruise control
are all part of the after
-
market, which is a shame
given the demographic
the Stelvio is aimed at.
The radar cruise control
is part of the Aras/PFF
Rider Assistance Solution
system that includes front
and rear radar, front colli
-
sion warning, lane change
cruise control as standard
on the Stelvio, but that's
it, and for the best part of
$17,000 I'd have expected
at least the radar cruise to
be standard.
Back to the ride.
The Stelvio is a tall
steed with a seat height of
32.68 inches, which puts
it smack in the middle
of the category (almost
all the bikes in this seg
-
ment are between 32- and
33-inch seat heights). The
screen is remote/button
controlled, and—praise
be whoever you praise—it
actually works! It sits
at an angle that doesn't
make my helmet buffet
assist, and blind spot
detection and will cost you
an extra $1000 over the
purchase price.
In standard form, the
Stelvio has front and rear
radar and front collision
warning via a little light
on the dash, and it can be
rather annoying when rid
-
ing in a tight group as the
rear collision was flashing
at me all the time due to
the rider behind. If you're
about to run up the ass of
a car, you'll get a warning
light and a little noise from
the dash, but I suspect
your mind will be on other
things. You do get basic
too much at 90 mph and
doesn't look like a barn
door strapped to the front
of the chassis. Well done,
Moto Guzzi!
The suspension is basic
in terms of adjustment—
preload and rebound
damping in the shock and
the chunky 46mm fork—
but the ride quality is well
sorted. The Stelvio isn't
the fastest steering tall
bike out there, but it's plen
-
ty of confidence inspiring.
You can scratch along at
a decent clip without wor
-
rying about decking the
footpegs, but push it too
far, and the front will begin
Our ride on the dirt was very short and
sweet. The Stelvio handled fine, like a big
ADV, but further testing is required.
