Possible bike change

f90x · Post by **f90x** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 9:02 am

Has anyone ridden one of these.

I am finding that for the type of riding I do these days (just the odd Saturday zipping around the Cotswold's and South) and the fact that my only biking mate rides a Harley XR1200 (like the one I just sold) that the 12S isn't really where I'm at just now. The 12S is great and it's ideal for hooning through Europe but I don't do that very often and as I get older I keep hurting myself. (latest is bursitis in both shoulders. I don't recommend it) So something more sit up could be the answer. It would also bring my top speed down and I have to admit to being a bit concerned about the ever increasing fight against speeding.

Always really liked the green but am getting used to the black/silver now

I've sat on one but not ridden any yet. Anyone have any experience with these at all? I might wait until next year but something may happen sooner.

Cheers
Steve

YouTube · Post by **Paul** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 9:08 am

Yup. I tried test riding one on a couple of occasions and if I could justify two bikes, that would definitely be one of them. Lack of sensible luggage options improves the look, but greatly limits it's practicality for touring (for idiots like me who take the kitchen sink with them, at least...

)

Go try one. You will like it. Very solidly constructed and sticky out cylinders too!

Paul

stivesvelo · Post by **stivesvelo** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 9:14 am

Great looking bike, but I would hesitate to buy one as a guy I know (at a rider training school opposite to where I work) had one, used it all year round & enjoyed it as a bike but had various mechanical problems requiring major engine work, eventually sold it for an attractive price just to get rid of.

It did seem to get through the winter ok & didn't rot away on the outside.

Is it Piaggio own Guzzi now? I thought they had sorted out the quality/reliability issues but seems not, I think the cams on some models are made from Cheddar (could be mozzarella).

f90x · Post by **f90x** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 9:32 am

stivesvelo wrote:Great looking bike, but I would hesitate to buy one as a guy I know (at a rider training school opposite to where I work) had one, used it all year round & enjoyed it as a bike but had various mechanical problems requiring major engine work, eventually sold it for an attractive price just to get rid of.

It did seem to get through the winter ok & didn't rot away on the outside.

Is it Piaggio own Guzzi now? I thought they had sorted out the quality/reliability issues but seems not, I think the cams on some models are made from Cheddar (could be mozzarella).

All the engine problems were on the earlier 8v 1200 engine. should have been sorted under the official recall, but if I go for a black/silver version (2011 on-wards) they will all have the new stronger parts from new.

f90x · Post by **f90x** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 9:34 am

Paul wrote:Yup. I tried test riding one on a couple of occasions and if I could justify two bikes, that would definitely be one of them. Lack of sensible luggage options improves the look, but greatly limits it's practicality for touring (for idiots like me who take the kitchen sink with them, at least... )

Go try one. You will like it. Very solidly constructed and sticky out cylinders too!

Paul

Sounds good. Not too worried about the luggage as I go light, but I do like a tank bag. Have to see what Bagster do. Yeah, I like the sticky out cylinders...

Hayden · Post by **Hayden** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 6:37 pm

cracking looking bike Steve, I reckon looks better in black..

have a word with this nice sales lady...

http://www.motoguzzi.at/faberweb/media/ ... ed_900.jpg

f90x · Post by **f90x** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 10:26 pm

Hayden wrote:cracking looking bike Steve, I reckon looks better in black..

have a word with this nice sales lady...

http://www.motoguzzi.at/faberweb/media/ ... ed_900.jpg

The black ones are ok but unfortunately don't come with the spoked wheels. Only the alloys and I'm not a fan. I reckon guzzi might sell a few more if the salespeople looked more like her.

metropolis2k · Post by **metropolis2k** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 10:30 pm

I love the look of them and a guy used to ride one on my commute to work which always caught my eye. I was put off by what a friend said about them but I have a feeling it was more a comment on the Guzzi brand in general.

f90x · Post by **f90x** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 10:32 pm

metropolis2k wrote:I love the look of them and a guy used to ride one on my commute to work which always caught my eye. I was put off by what a friend said about them but I have a feeling it was more a comment on the Guzzi brand in general.

What did he say? What did he say?

mrjon · Post by **mrjon** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 10:54 pm

I've been looking fondly at the griso for a while, I've sat at one at the NEC and was very impressed by the feel and build quality,if it rides like it looks it'll be a great machine.
If you want to stay BMW though have a go on a 9T. I made the mistake of having a ride on one this afternoon, now I'm completely smitten. It's got to be the most pleasant riding bike I've ever ridden,its just perfect for british summertime B roading.

metropolis2k · Post by **metropolis2k** » Sun Apr 19, 2015 10:05 am

f90x wrote:
metropolis2k wrote:I love the look of them and a guy used to ride one on my commute to work which always caught my eye. I was put off by what a friend said about them but I have a feeling it was more a comment on the Guzzi brand in general.
What did he say? What did he say?

I'm sending him this way!

f90x · Post by **f90x** » Sun Apr 19, 2015 10:38 am

mrjon wrote:I've been looking fondly at the griso for a while, I've sat at one at the NEC and was very impressed by the feel and build quality,if it rides like it looks it'll be a great machine.
If you want to stay BMW though have a go on a 9T. I made the mistake of having a ride on one this afternoon, now I'm completely smitten. It's got to be the most pleasant riding bike I've ever ridden,its just perfect for british summertime B roading.

I do like the nineT overall but don't like the stupid hipster seat. It just panders to the whole 'modern' custom scene as laid out by a bunch of media/advertising types who having had nothing to do with bikes until they're 30something and suddenly have a desire to take perfectly good classic jap and German bikes; chop various bits off, add an ugly and useless Heath Robinson seat and purport to be 'cool'. The resurgence of interest in motorcycling is great, but most of these peacocks will have moved on in five years and all that will be left are a load of butchered old bikes that people were conned out of £7-8k for and will be worthless then along with the fact that loads of decent classics will have been lost forever.

Rant over. (For now)

Corvus · Post by **Corvus** » Sun Apr 19, 2015 12:26 pm

To my eyes, while the 9t is a good looking bike and no doubt an excellent backroad tool, especially if the torque delivery is anything like the r1200r I had, it can't hold a candle to the inspired design of the griso. A great blend of old and new, stylistically. Personally I like the look of my matt green r1200r over the 9t. The 9t is too "safe" in terms of design I think. I've no problem with the function of the seat tho. It comes with options anyhow. But the griso carries off the compromise of great style and function much better.

However.... When I went to test the griso a few years ago, they sent me out on a stelvio demonstrator, which at the time had the exact same engine and transmission as the griso. I'm no fan of tall rounders anyhow, so that didn't do the cause much good, but the experience of the motor and transmission didn't live up to what I had in my head. I was really hankering for a big twin, having had a succession of four cylinders, and I was already convinced the griso would satisfy that urge. Well the stelvio engine and transmission didn't do it for me, which was a big surprise. A pop round to the BMW dealer, just on the off chance. Next thing I knew the keys to an r1200r were flung at me and a suggestion that I take it for s long as I liked. 200 miles later I placed the order. Compared to the guzzi the BMW felt slick. Useable, with a great glob of low down torque, making it actually very brisk down back roads. An akrapovic can sorted out the stifled noise. Great bike.

I'm still a fan of the style of the griso, and the Matt green especially, but I'd strongly suggest a long test run to make sure it is for you. Maybe what spoiled the griso/stelvio engine was perhaps the search for that extra 5 hp, which looks so good on the spec sheet, spoiled the torque curve in real world, backroad, situations? That's the impression I got anyway, especially back to back with the beemer's creamy stomp.

Let us know your impressions.

er-minio · Post by **er-minio** » Sun Apr 19, 2015 1:35 pm

By the way... check online for the Griso prototype. That was a thing of beauty.

f90x wrote:
What did he say? What did he say?

It was me, but I never actually drove it.
Just reporting what I heard about the bike from people I've ridden with on multiple occasions.
So, take this with a pinch of salt.

Knew two people who had that bike.
Both of them loved the looks of the bike (I do as well) but complained a lot about the handling, front fork especially, and some other gremlins on the bike.
One of them worked for Guzzi for a while, if I recall correctly, so he shouldn't have been biased against the brand

That was the time when this thing also happened at Guzzi

mrjon · Post by **mrjon** » Sun Apr 19, 2015 10:29 pm

f90x wrote:
I do like the nineT overall but don't like the stupid hipster seat. It just panders to the whole 'modern' custom scene as laid out by a bunch of media/advertising types who having had nothing to do with bikes until they're 30something and suddenly have a desire to take perfectly good classic jap and German bikes; chop various bits off, add an ugly and useless Heath Robinson seat and purport to be 'cool'. The resurgence of interest in motorcycling is great, but most of these peacocks will have moved on in five years and all that will be left are a load of butchered old bikes that people were conned out of £7-8k for and will be worthless then along with the fact that loads of decent classics will have been lost forever.

Rant over. (For now)

I know exactly what you mean, you need a beard and checked shirt to ride one, which is why I've not been bothered about them. But putting the fad surrounding the bike and it's ilk to one side and just riding it as another BMW as I did yesterday I was truly amazed at what fun it was. I've always been a fan of the R*Rs , never owned one but ridden 1000s of miles on them as rental bikes overseas. The 9T is what the R should always have been. Definitely still loving the idea of the griso though, I was seriously thinking of test riding and buying one last year and read a lot of reviews. There always seemed to be a shadow hanging over the handling aspect in everything I read though.