Moto Guzzi has released some limited information on the new Norge 850 touring bike. The motorcycle is very similar to the new Norge 1200 in many ways.
The "Norge" name for both the Norge 1200 and the Norge 850 is in honor of a 4000 mile test ride from Mandello del Lario to Lapland in northern Norway that Moto Guzzi undertook with their first shaft drive swingarm design. This was a monumental enterprise, considering the disastrous condition of European roads at that time.
But in four weeks, the destination was reached. The elastic frame of the early Moto Guzzi motorcycle with rear suspension was so successful that it was introduced in production machines and the G.T. was named "Norge" in memory of that unprecedented feat. This is why Moto Guzzi decided to name the first "Gran Turismo" of the new era the "Norge".
The Norge 850 has the same "elegant and dynamic" design of the 1200 version, with excellent ergonomics and comfort and short wheelbase to make it competitive even in the traffic. Moto Guzzi says that both the Norge 850 and the Norge 1200 are "dynamic and responsive ... a modern Gran Turismo which makes flexibility its main strong point as it crosses city centers and boundless distances with the same ease".
If more information becomes available, we'll post it here; in the meantime, enjoy these photos of the new Moto Guzzi Norge 850.
