"new" 2014 Guzzi Stelvio NTX

OP
OP
SarniaON

SarniaON

Brian Dunning
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
211
Age
76
Location
Sarnia ON
Bike
Yamaha Tracer 9GT
STOC #
5450
That was me burning the carbon out of the motor (must have been gently driven by the previous owner). The upswept pipe throws the exhaust out higher where it is more visible in sunlight.

BTW - The oil level is right where it should be and the oil still looks like new on the dipstick. Yes, it does have a dipstick!
 
OP
OP
SarniaON

SarniaON

Brian Dunning
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
211
Age
76
Location
Sarnia ON
Bike
Yamaha Tracer 9GT
STOC #
5450
Maintenance is a breeze on the Stelvio NTX! Four bolts remove the aluminum protective cover under the motor which makes the oil filter and drain plug easily accessible. The rear tire was replaced by me last week. With the bike on the center stand, I removed four bolts and the rear wheel was off which is a lot easier than the procedure on an ST 1300. I had to remove the rear caliper (two bolts) to reinstall the rear wheel. Today I changed the gear and transmission oils in an hour by removing the drain plugs and fill plugs on each unit.

The easiest job compared to the ST 1300 is adjusting the tappets which can be done in an hour. Access on each cylinder is through the spark plug cover via one screw and then four bolts to remove the cylinder head cover. After finding TDC on a cylinder, each gap is set using an Allen key and feeler gauges after loosening and then retightening the locking nut. So simple and it reminded me of tappet adjustments on my old Honda 175 from the late '60s.

I'm liking this bike more and more because it is a backyard mechanic's dream. Now the Moto Guzzi is ready for OHSTOC and ONSTOC.
 
OP
OP
SarniaON

SarniaON

Brian Dunning
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
211
Age
76
Location
Sarnia ON
Bike
Yamaha Tracer 9GT
STOC #
5450
The NTX started shuddering at steady speed on the way back from ONSTOC 2017, but ran fine when accelerating. Some threads on Moto Guzzi forums suggested this may occur when the throttle bodies go out of sync. Others stated that the sync is done at the factory and should never need service. After reading what is involved to sync the throttle bodies including special tools, I remembered that the spark plugs were not replaced at the 10,000 km service because the wrong ones were shipped to me through the Internet. Bottom Line: The spark plugs were replaced in 15 minutes with the correct new ones and the NTX runs like a champ again!

Now at 16,000 km and ready for a trip to a cottage in Severn ON tomorrow near Big Shute, a unique marine railroad. :D
 
OP
OP
SarniaON

SarniaON

Brian Dunning
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
211
Age
76
Location
Sarnia ON
Bike
Yamaha Tracer 9GT
STOC #
5450
I spoke too soon! The NTX appeared to run smoother during a short test ride but was rough on the ride to the cottage and back. Probably too much throttle on the short test ride which masked the ongoing problem.

On the ride back from the cottage, I stopped at J&R Cycle, a Moto Guzzi/Aprilla dealership in Stayner ON. John, the mechanic/owner, looked my bike over and confirmed the throttle bodies were out of sync. He will do the 1.5 hr service work on October 11th and will also add heated grips while I'm there. J&R is a family business and was a Honda dealer until Mother Honda dictated how dealerships were to run their operations in Ontario. After talking for 15 minutes about the NTX and ST1300s, I found John to be very knowledgeable and I trust him to do the work properly. There is a large Guzzi dealership two hours closer to my home, but I read mixed reviews about service work done there.
 
OP
OP
SarniaON

SarniaON

Brian Dunning
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
211
Age
76
Location
Sarnia ON
Bike
Yamaha Tracer 9GT
STOC #
5450
Will it be done for your PA RTE trip???
Yes! Heated grips and the throttle body synchronization will be done on Wednesday October 11 and I replaced both the front and rear tires which were wearing out. I'll be ready and will see you there.

My previous rear was a PR4 which didn't last too long, so I went with a Battlax T30 R, a replacement for the BT023. Michelin jacked up the PR4 price which was $40 more than I paid for the same tire in the spring. Michelins appear to be the first choice tire for sport touring bikes. I saved $100 CAD with the purchase of the Bridgestone tire and read decent reviews on this rubber!
 
OP
OP
SarniaON

SarniaON

Brian Dunning
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
211
Age
76
Location
Sarnia ON
Bike
Yamaha Tracer 9GT
STOC #
5450
Another update. The Guzzi ran flawlessly for the OH-STOC! event including a 100 mile ride in very heavy rain from Findlay OH to the southern edge of Detroit. After over 1200 miles on this trip, the scheduled second 6000 mile maintenance work was overdue and was completed when home again. No surprises with the valve clearances and the oil level showed no losses over the last 6,000 miles. The old gear oil looked like new when drained, but the transmission oil (drive shaft at the rear wheel) was cloudy. Maybe some rain water got through the breather valve on the way home at 80 mph? This is something I’ll check in future after heavy rain events. The left pannier also let some water in, so the paper maintenance manuals were wet in a few spots. They will be kept in the Givi Trekker 46 liter top box in future. Now I need to figure out how to beef up the pannier seals.

Yes, I was one of the hooligans that blew by Saddletramp on the Saturday group ride, following Sirepair’s lead along with two others. My bad, but we had a spirited ride. Many commented on the distinctive growl from the bike and the burbling noise from the exhaust when decelerating. The Stelio NTX is a lot of fun, a great ride, and corners as well as my previous ST 1300. Keep tuned in for more updates.
 
OP
OP
SarniaON

SarniaON

Brian Dunning
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
211
Age
76
Location
Sarnia ON
Bike
Yamaha Tracer 9GT
STOC #
5450
Here’s a heads up to anyone with a Stelvio NTX: After paying to have throttle body synchronization (TBS) done twice because the bike was running rough and running into the same problem at steady speeds again (!), I decided to try and fix it myself. With a Ryobi temperature sensing gun, I rode and stopped repeatedly to check the exhaust pipe temps. Turns out my problem was loose screws on the two clamps holding the rubber parts between the fuel injectors and the cylinders. A couple of loose screws on the left side caused a vacuum leak and the loss of fuel to that cylinder. After tightening the screws,, both cylinders were firing properly and the exhaust temps on both side were within a few degrees Celsius rather than over 40 C different.

I’m a happy camper now and the bike runs smoothly again at steady speed.
 
OP
OP
SarniaON

SarniaON

Brian Dunning
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
211
Age
76
Location
Sarnia ON
Bike
Yamaha Tracer 9GT
STOC #
5450
The bike ran fine after each of the two TBS jobs, so no need to ask for refunds. With the vibration on this tractor motor, the hose clamp screws gradually loosen over time and tightening them will be a standard maintenance feature for me from now on.

Some at ONSTOC 2021 may remember that the Guzzi developed an oil leak which resulted in oil dripping on the left exhaust pipe every time I stopped (lots of smoke). The problem was a rubber breather tube going from the back of the left cylinder to a connection underneath the gas tank. After paying CAD $37 for a rubber tube (!), I fixed this problem last fall but I should have looked closer when doing this repair. Now the tube on the back of the right cylinder is starting to show cracks. This time the same rubber tube cost me $50 (ouch). The bike was winterized with a full tank of gas (32 litres) last fall, so two warm days last week were used to burn off all the gas in the bike. Next is the repair and then I’ll be ready for OHSTOC in June
 
OP
OP
SarniaON

SarniaON

Brian Dunning
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
211
Age
76
Location
Sarnia ON
Bike
Yamaha Tracer 9GT
STOC #
5450
The Stelvio NTX sat in the garage for a year after I picked up a Tracer 9 GT in 11/22. The horn wasn't working and a local MC shop recently found the problem, a short in the wiring system. It's now certified (finally) and listed on Kijiji & Auto Trader. The Guzzi was a fun bike to ride but a lighter bike was needed for this 76 year old rider.
 

Ron

Joined
Feb 5, 2005
Messages
1,665
Location
Orlando
Bike
ST1100s
STOC #
2432
I see you already have the Tracer. Did you look at the V85TT models? It's the smaller brother of the NTX. An 850 cc V-twin motor and 6 speed transmission, bit over 400 lbs (I think), cruise control and some other goodies. I really enjoy riding mine. I don't care for the saddle boxes and am working on moving the muffler and making mounts for Givi saddle bags. Of the several color themes, I bought the blue one. If anyone likes the box look, buy a V85 with them installed. By themselves, they are about $1400 for the whole kit and caboodle.

There is also a new NTX out based on the new V100.

MG '23 V85 Blue-1                                     untitled.png
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom