Congrats. came very close on getting a Griso over the years, great looking bike, Did the seller provide you with the OEM headlamp?
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Time for a new ride... (ideas welcome!)
- Thread starter Priller
- Start date
Priller
Well-known member
Yes, and OEM signals, along with a bag of spares, including gaskets to do valve adjustments. Main things missing are the stock exhaust (getting very rare these daysI) and mirrors...
Priller
Well-known member
Okay, to wrap up this thread (splitting the difference between @Evoex and @bigpoppa with the chop and change, and @mimico_polak for extended sagas), I finally got to take Signore Griso out on a (sort of) proper ride today. Banged through the gears, got a very small lean on, and mostly hung on for dear life.
Managed to sneak in to Sturgess Cycle early to update the safety, dropped the bike home, returned the UHaul trailer, got insurance finalised, and dealt with the Kafkaesque nightmare of an overly busy Service Ontario office, all while doing my best to get some work done in between. New plates on, all that was left to do was gear up.
First impressions as I pulled out of the driveway was the handlebars nearly yanked themselves from my grip as I dropped what I thought was a gentle clutch. This thing PULLS from down low, right from idle. The Tuono was pretty lumpy up to 3000 rpm, then didn't really come alive until 5000. The Guzzi launches right off the hop. It would be huge fun at a dragstrip, as the long wheelbase and low CoG keep the front down surprisingly well. The off-idle response is fun, but jerky enough that I suspect it hasn't been remapped, which will be confirmed when the cable kit arrives for me to connect the bike to Guzzidiag.
It also sounds fantastic, surprisingly like a V8 rather than the stuttering low rpm of a 45 degree V. And once it gets up around 5000 rpm, it starts to get awfully reminiscent of an air-cooled Ducati, only beefier and deeper. The GPR slip-on has the db killer installed, and it's plenty loud for me.
It has an old set of Bridgestones on, and that combined with the cold meant I wasn't going to be dragging knees today. But it tips in beautifully and with minimal effort, and is surprisingly easy to yank over the top when changing directions. Apparently this is one of the benefits of the longitudinal layout, as you're not fighting the gyroscopic procession of the crank. Just like a Spitfire, innit? Weirdly feels a bit like my Burgman 400 where the long and low mass make for a surprisingly easy tip in and extremely stable mid-corner manners.
One area where the Tuono destroys it is on the brakes. Where the Tuono was one finger easy and had bags of feel, the Griso is two, maybe three fingers and comes across a bit dead, despite the braided lines. I suspect a winter project will be to flush the fluid and possibly swap the pads for something with more bite. Rear brake has more power, at least.
The riding position is surprisingly similar, which is fine with me as I found the Tuono quite comfy. Pegs are almost sportbike high, and it's a relatively long reach to the bars across the tank, which is actually just right on the move to have you leaning a bit into the breeze and less susceptible to buffeting than you are sitting bolt upright. The flyscreen seems to do a similar job in smoothing the airflow around the headlight and gauges and directing it nicely onto the chest. The seat felt comfy, though my moto-averse wife won't be able to report back to @bigpoppa on the mamacita-seat.
Overall, I couldn't be happier. Sounds great, goes great, and really makes me want to go for a ride. Pretty much what I was aiming for. Thanks all for your input, feedback and complements. Even if I didn't end up on a VFR or Street Triple, I'm really glad I went through the process of cross-shopping to make sure this is the direction I wanted to go in. For now, anyway. I swore once upon a time I'd never sell the Tuono, so I've learned not to be a prisoner of the moment...
Managed to sneak in to Sturgess Cycle early to update the safety, dropped the bike home, returned the UHaul trailer, got insurance finalised, and dealt with the Kafkaesque nightmare of an overly busy Service Ontario office, all while doing my best to get some work done in between. New plates on, all that was left to do was gear up.
First impressions as I pulled out of the driveway was the handlebars nearly yanked themselves from my grip as I dropped what I thought was a gentle clutch. This thing PULLS from down low, right from idle. The Tuono was pretty lumpy up to 3000 rpm, then didn't really come alive until 5000. The Guzzi launches right off the hop. It would be huge fun at a dragstrip, as the long wheelbase and low CoG keep the front down surprisingly well. The off-idle response is fun, but jerky enough that I suspect it hasn't been remapped, which will be confirmed when the cable kit arrives for me to connect the bike to Guzzidiag.
It also sounds fantastic, surprisingly like a V8 rather than the stuttering low rpm of a 45 degree V. And once it gets up around 5000 rpm, it starts to get awfully reminiscent of an air-cooled Ducati, only beefier and deeper. The GPR slip-on has the db killer installed, and it's plenty loud for me.
It has an old set of Bridgestones on, and that combined with the cold meant I wasn't going to be dragging knees today. But it tips in beautifully and with minimal effort, and is surprisingly easy to yank over the top when changing directions. Apparently this is one of the benefits of the longitudinal layout, as you're not fighting the gyroscopic procession of the crank. Just like a Spitfire, innit? Weirdly feels a bit like my Burgman 400 where the long and low mass make for a surprisingly easy tip in and extremely stable mid-corner manners.
One area where the Tuono destroys it is on the brakes. Where the Tuono was one finger easy and had bags of feel, the Griso is two, maybe three fingers and comes across a bit dead, despite the braided lines. I suspect a winter project will be to flush the fluid and possibly swap the pads for something with more bite. Rear brake has more power, at least.
The riding position is surprisingly similar, which is fine with me as I found the Tuono quite comfy. Pegs are almost sportbike high, and it's a relatively long reach to the bars across the tank, which is actually just right on the move to have you leaning a bit into the breeze and less susceptible to buffeting than you are sitting bolt upright. The flyscreen seems to do a similar job in smoothing the airflow around the headlight and gauges and directing it nicely onto the chest. The seat felt comfy, though my moto-averse wife won't be able to report back to @bigpoppa on the mamacita-seat.
Overall, I couldn't be happier. Sounds great, goes great, and really makes me want to go for a ride. Pretty much what I was aiming for. Thanks all for your input, feedback and complements. Even if I didn't end up on a VFR or Street Triple, I'm really glad I went through the process of cross-shopping to make sure this is the direction I wanted to go in. For now, anyway. I swore once upon a time I'd never sell the Tuono, so I've learned not to be a prisoner of the moment...
With all the torque are you keeping the Bergman for commuting or potentially just letting the mv thump along?
Mad Mike
Well-known member
They compete with the Bandit1200, priced similarly on the used market. Both are good bikes, but a bit low on the style and thrill-ometers I think both Honda and Suzuki would have done better if they tuned them like STs instead of commuters.
Priller
Well-known member
Going to hang onto the Burgman until probably June next year, then likely sell. Wife has expressed some curiosity in trying it out, which is the first she's shown much beyond begrudging tolerance for two wheels (I made clear when we first started dating that motorcycles were a non-negotiable, so she's mostly kept her mouth shut about them but quietly worries a lot about me riding). I'm not expecting much, but will be keeping the scoot just in case I can convince her to give it a go, at least until the insurance expires in June. If no movement by then, it'll be sold. It's cheap to insure, cheap to run, but takes up a lot of room in the garage, so I won't keep it just because. I already have my eye on a SW-Motech single-side saddlebag for the work laptop:
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@Priller
Moto Guzzi wheel stickers are here, should you ever need 'em:
www.isaydingdong.co.uk
Or, you can pay too much and wait forever for the OEM part.
Really nice folks at I Say Ding Dong. Fast, friendly service, good quality, reasonably priced. Tons of cool, vintage decals.
Moto Guzzi wheel stickers are here, should you ever need 'em:
Moto Guzzi Rim Stickers Pair - Various Colours
A pair of Moto Guzzi wheel rim stickers Printed in highly robust UV cured inks for extra durability Available in Black & Yellow, Black & Blue (very similar to Blue Atlante), Black & Red, Black & Gold (non-metallic) or Black & Silver (metallic) Machine cut to shape shown (White surround is...
Or, you can pay too much and wait forever for the OEM part.
Really nice folks at I Say Ding Dong. Fast, friendly service, good quality, reasonably priced. Tons of cool, vintage decals.
If anyone else wants a Griso (@mimico_polak), here's an older one. Looks to be well taken of, but has it been rollerized? 2007, 35,000km, $4700. Assumed to be located in Ontario.
groups.io
This is listed with the Ontario Guzzi Riders group. If the link is no good, let me know and I'll screenshot it.
Edit: I think the 2007 has the two valve head, thus no rollerization needed.
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groups.io
This is listed with the Ontario Guzzi Riders group. If the link is no good, let me know and I'll screenshot it.
Edit: I think the 2007 has the two valve head, thus no rollerization needed.
Last edited:
Priller
Well-known member
I saw that one come up just after I pulled the trigger on mine. Sub $5k is a very fair price for what appears to be a well-cared for example. I wanted a four-valve for the extra oomph, though.If anyone else wants a Griso (@mimico_polak), here's an older one. Looks to be well taken of, but has it been rollerized? 2007, 35,000km, $4700. Assumed to be located in Ontario.
Log In
This is listed with the Ontario Guzzi Riders group. If the link is no good, let me know and I'll screenshot it.
Edit: I think the 2007 has the two valve head, thus no rollerization needed.
If anyone cares, the earlier Grisos were two-valve heads based on an older Guzzi big block motor. In 2007/8, the purchase of MG by Aprilia showed when they updated the 1100 motor to a higher compression four-valve 1200 unit that makes about 20 more hp (mostly above 5000 rpm). Takes it from 90 to 110 hp (75 to 95 at the wheel), give or take.
Enough of the early versions of those had issues with valve tappets that wore cams out prematurely (Honda and KTM say hi) that they switched to roller tappets in 2013, which solved the problem. The pre-'13 models have mostly been retrofitted with the rollers as part of a Guzzi repair program (not quite a recall, but close - they offered the parts for free), but not all. The two-valve and 2013-on four-valve motors are apparently bulletproof as long as you keep up on maintenance, up there with any BMW boxer for longevity.
I think that just a brace to strengthen it.
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