dangerous
18th October 2008, 17:46
Its so me...... nothing like a Guzzi yet so much like a Guzzi, just as I found the 1st 1100 Griso.
Sitting on the Griso is a semi sports position with a wide handle bar (but not as wide as the 1100) and open view ahead.
On start up the Griso starts like all Guzzi's with a lean to the left and a v8 type crack as it fires up, but it has an intiely different engine sound with its SOHC four valve head driven by cam chains.. There is the usual pull to the left as you ride the clutch out in 1st, a high gear as usual however the gears (all 6) are closer togeather than normal. Whereas a v11 bike would be pulling 4grand at 120kph the Griso is only pulling 110kph so altho its easier in the hills and around town I think that the top end would be reduced.
Now I'm not used to a naked bike so the clear view in front was great it felt like I was riding on a carpet, the Griso is the smothest Guzzi I have ridden.
The pipe fitted to this bike is a GPR muffler the exhaust note is loud and very two into one sounding, when the bike is wound up from 4grand the sound is magic, with the usual induction sound, comes a 2 into 1 purr not to disimiler to the Aprila RSV's.
The 1st thing I noticed was how light the bike felt for a Guzzi and how easy it was to manouvre through town. In the hills the bike sounded and felt like a big Motard the riding position being great knee resting on the cam cover.
On the open rd I can tell theres no fairing protection and the lower arms are feeling like they will fall of before long but suprisingly it becomes rather comphy, and at faster speeds it gets no worse.
The sweepers are awesome the Griso taking them effortlessly. Into the hills and I soon become aware how easy the Guzzi is to ride.... now a Guzzi is a very good handling bike at speed some what heavy at slower speeds but the Griso is unbelievable, so NOT guzzi in the tight n curlys.
Cornering is as wicked as it gets I reckon that if the bike was run in and it wasnt raining meaning I was able to thrash the bitch that it would no doubt be the fastest Guzzi ever in the hills.
On the way back I was becoming far more familier with the naked style and that even the slightest movement of the body like the shoulders would have the bike responding in a very managable way, the bike is so controllable I just cant believe its Guzzi.
well bad points IMHO is the bloody huge and horrid standard can, also the didgie speedo is unlike a Jappa that has a 7 crystal display, the Griso is all one so it looks like a child drew a very basic and square number on the dash. The gear box once hot was a bit clunkie but very light with it not a lot of movement required to change... may be this is a good point! the bike feels very light n twitchy when pushed in the front but perhaps a suspension adjustment would sort.
Good points... the handling, it is fantastic, very light and so much like a Buell its not funny.
The Griso is very well finished and has a very solid feel and look to it.
The extra 20HP the new 8v 1200 has is very noticable from 6000rpm the engine hauls arse to the red and suprising enough no power loss at the lower end of the scale, there is however a slight dead spot at 4000rpm.
Designed along tradional Moto Guzzi lines the new engine features 563 all new conponents including a single over head cam shaft peer head which operates 4 valves per each cylinder with noiseless timing chains.
The quattrovalvole is an evloution of the 1200cc engine with 75% of its components renewed now puts out 110Hp at 7500rpm with max torque of11kg-m at 6400rpm.
Sporting riders will appreciate the front end with its P4/34 radial caliper brakes that act on 320mm wave roters. the forks are Showa USD that have had 43 layers of carbon nitride treatment.
Unfortunatly for me the ride was wet and windy, a blast on a fine day would have it sold, now big thanks to emoto for the ride www.emoto.co.nz
Sitting on the Griso is a semi sports position with a wide handle bar (but not as wide as the 1100) and open view ahead.
On start up the Griso starts like all Guzzi's with a lean to the left and a v8 type crack as it fires up, but it has an intiely different engine sound with its SOHC four valve head driven by cam chains.. There is the usual pull to the left as you ride the clutch out in 1st, a high gear as usual however the gears (all 6) are closer togeather than normal. Whereas a v11 bike would be pulling 4grand at 120kph the Griso is only pulling 110kph so altho its easier in the hills and around town I think that the top end would be reduced.
Now I'm not used to a naked bike so the clear view in front was great it felt like I was riding on a carpet, the Griso is the smothest Guzzi I have ridden.
The pipe fitted to this bike is a GPR muffler the exhaust note is loud and very two into one sounding, when the bike is wound up from 4grand the sound is magic, with the usual induction sound, comes a 2 into 1 purr not to disimiler to the Aprila RSV's.
The 1st thing I noticed was how light the bike felt for a Guzzi and how easy it was to manouvre through town. In the hills the bike sounded and felt like a big Motard the riding position being great knee resting on the cam cover.
On the open rd I can tell theres no fairing protection and the lower arms are feeling like they will fall of before long but suprisingly it becomes rather comphy, and at faster speeds it gets no worse.
The sweepers are awesome the Griso taking them effortlessly. Into the hills and I soon become aware how easy the Guzzi is to ride.... now a Guzzi is a very good handling bike at speed some what heavy at slower speeds but the Griso is unbelievable, so NOT guzzi in the tight n curlys.
Cornering is as wicked as it gets I reckon that if the bike was run in and it wasnt raining meaning I was able to thrash the bitch that it would no doubt be the fastest Guzzi ever in the hills.
On the way back I was becoming far more familier with the naked style and that even the slightest movement of the body like the shoulders would have the bike responding in a very managable way, the bike is so controllable I just cant believe its Guzzi.
well bad points IMHO is the bloody huge and horrid standard can, also the didgie speedo is unlike a Jappa that has a 7 crystal display, the Griso is all one so it looks like a child drew a very basic and square number on the dash. The gear box once hot was a bit clunkie but very light with it not a lot of movement required to change... may be this is a good point! the bike feels very light n twitchy when pushed in the front but perhaps a suspension adjustment would sort.
Good points... the handling, it is fantastic, very light and so much like a Buell its not funny.
The Griso is very well finished and has a very solid feel and look to it.
The extra 20HP the new 8v 1200 has is very noticable from 6000rpm the engine hauls arse to the red and suprising enough no power loss at the lower end of the scale, there is however a slight dead spot at 4000rpm.
Designed along tradional Moto Guzzi lines the new engine features 563 all new conponents including a single over head cam shaft peer head which operates 4 valves per each cylinder with noiseless timing chains.
The quattrovalvole is an evloution of the 1200cc engine with 75% of its components renewed now puts out 110Hp at 7500rpm with max torque of11kg-m at 6400rpm.
Sporting riders will appreciate the front end with its P4/34 radial caliper brakes that act on 320mm wave roters. the forks are Showa USD that have had 43 layers of carbon nitride treatment.
Unfortunatly for me the ride was wet and windy, a blast on a fine day would have it sold, now big thanks to emoto for the ride www.emoto.co.nz