Same here. I have owned the Griso for 6 years. Normally after 5 years, I will trade my bike in on a new one. Have no interest on parting with the Griso.
Bought a 2017 new in 2019, love the bike. I agree with every one of the items you mentioned, the fuel capacity being my #1 issue. Had a 2007 Norge that was top heavy, worse when the tank was full, I could ride for more than three hours between fills tho. Thank you for your videos, I find them informative.
The under seat space can be improved removing the black gum convector from the air filter box, and rearranging some cables under the tail of the bike, inside, near the stop light. The hole of the air filter can be closed with a mesh. In this way I can easily fit a tire repair kit and an abus disk locker under the seat. There was different opinions about this “convector” on the forums i used to follow here in italy. I think its just a sort of noise killer. The black “lace” is made to tie the helmet on the seat, anchoring it to some small metal bracket under the seat itself. All your points are true, but I still love this bike. ciao :-)
I have had mine since new. Have never opened the toolkit. The pipework is beautiful, not chromed, only polished stainless steel. It get golden if no rain on it and brown if there is raining on the heated pipes. A washcloth with cleaning and polish and the pipes is as new again. The tank is a little to small. 240km and it is ready to refill. I have several bikes. Also a Moto Guzzi Le Mans. The Griso is like no other bike. Fun to ride, fun to ride, and I has to repeat it, fun to ride. Mine has also been reliable. I have not had any issues with my bike. One thing I has to mention on the negative side is the nuts on the downpipe stud bolts. They tend to rust. Has to change them.
I am getting good at cleaning the pipes these days. Which Lemans do you have? My favourite is the Mach 3 and 5 (due to my height). The Griso is a very reliable bike. It is my go to for longer trips. Spot on about those stud bolts. I have replaced a few.
Great video man. Its always good to see / hear something other then the endless praise from most reviews. *That one guy at the end there though... Whoa. (Deep breaths my friend). So I am contemplating buying a 2013 without seeing or riding it, (found it online). I consider motorcycles like guitars, they should be held & played before consideration so I am having some significant fears. Ive done a bunch of research and have a really good gut feeling about the bike. It seems to embody the few characteristics that my previous bikes lacked, (Triumph Scrambler and vintage BMW GS). I'm feeling hopeful, trying to sort through sale details now... Cheers!
Got a chuckle out of your comment about the "bad" tool kit. I have a 2017 R1200GS ... the tool "kit" in it is beyond worthless. But I suppose they don't really expect us to do a lot of roadside repairs with all the electrics. Nice bike.
Thanks. You would think the GS would have a comprehensive tool kit as they are an adventure bike. What shocks me even more, is that the tool kit is an option for some motorcycles.
Great video! Some points: 1: take off the intake trunk, for a little space. And change to Lithium battery for some storage there as the battery is smaller. 2: yah, no arguments there. 3: don't ever damage that tank, its a £1850 part! And also there is the issue where the run off breather gets corroded and so any rain that slips past the filler seal cannot escape. This then sits at the bottom of the fuel tank waiting for you to run low... 4: I fitted the Arrow titanium downpipes and Y pipe. Much cheaper than original, lighter, and look amazing. A retuning is recommended though, but the basic tuning setup is chronic anyway. 5: Sadly the CARC models got phased out because of emissions. Guzzi is being overlooked by Piaggio.
@@RoadsOfOz If you get the issue with fuel overflow being blocked / full of water, then you can pull the valve off at the back of the tank (it looks like it has a nut, but there is no thread, it just pulls off), and then stick some fuel hose in to make it a regular breather.
I'll have to watch the video later BUT the MAIN thing that sucks about the GRISO.. The absolute number one issue, ... is that I don't own one. Subbed :)
It would be nice if there was a sporty number in the range, the V85 engine is quite a lazy engine though, the V7 feels far more sporty even though it is slower. Be ace to have a road legal modern day Le Mans that looks like an MGS01, I'd have 3 Moto Guzzis in my garage if that existed!
@@HippoDrones That's my thought too. You're right though. Bikes are styled completely differently. Guzzi could use a fast road bike. The only one's I see pulling some potential out of Guzzis are Radical Guzzi and Todd Eagan from Guzzitech
@@louisvaldivia9260 I imagine their tuned engines would not pass emission rules for homologation so we'd never see a street version out the factory like the MGS-01 sadly
@@HippoDrones I'm guessing they could go to liquid cooling. I know they can make a beautiful engine with internal routing, but it'll be considered heresy by guzzisti
As for the range, my 2011 Griso is similar to my 2001 California Special, at 130 miles (210 km) the low fuel light comes on like clockwork. It’s not really a problem as the mediocre seat on either bike causes my bum to ache for a break anyway. I’m surprised that you didn’t mention the lousy rear shock which has been a huge issue on my bike. I’m waiting on parts from Matris for both the front and rear suspension to get the bike to be able to handle loads far beyond the 165 lb/75 kg rider weight that they are set up for. Two-up on a stocker? Forget about it except on smooth straight roads. Overall I love the bike, especially it’s great looks and low center of gravity, but like most Guzzis it is like a “paint by numbers” kit. Mechanically solid, artistically designed, but you have to do some tweaking and customizing to turn them into true (and truly usable) works of art.
I write from Italy and I am a biker , that kit I think no one ever used or uses . At least in Our country is not so frequent to have a tyre down but however if It happens , every small village has a tyre or car shop or an oil station every 500 meters ... Never suffered for that " defect" ....
Austalia can be quite remote in places. Most riders keep a puncture repair kit on big rides. Italy has two of my favourite motorcycle manufacturers. I look forward to travelling there one day.
@@RoadsOfOz I Wish You Will and because many Companies ( Ducati ,MV Agusta , Gilera , Aprilia , Moto Guzzi , Fantic ) are in the North / North_East of the Country, plan for a tour of the Dolomites Mountains and rent a bike here . I went once to Sydney and Orange in the NSW , I also Wish to come back and I perfectly understand why You had that remark and need on those roads and very big distances . Greetings to all the bikers mates of Australia 👍
Strongly agreed about no high capacity sport model. Have yet to replace my 97 1100 sport because nothing newer is aggressive enough to make me interested. PLEASE MG make us a bike like Radical Guzzi is making? The fact that MG helped him with some of the parts/development means they are at least semi-interested...
Hoping that the V100 will fill that last issue. It was sad that thy never released the raod version of the MGS-01. I love the 1100 Sports. They are such a nice looking bike.
As a V7 owner I agree with what you say... it is a good bike but why no roadster version of the V85.?? Like many people who want a Guzzi an ADV is just not higher on the list than a sporting roadster type bike. It always seemed such an obvious thing to do ,and the latest V7 seems some halfway mark .It has 65bhp and that`s ok , but why limit the bike with keeping to the V7 basic price. and so having to make economies that are not asked for. I have seen at least one rumour of a new Guzzi for next year but I seem to remember being here before. Anyway I `m holding off buying the latest V7/850 until next year at least to see what happens.
The 1200 (8 valve) motor had an issue with the tappets which would end up destroying the motor. There is a conversion kit for motors affected, but the fix is not cheap. Some were done during warranty. But most were after warranty. Moto Guzzi would supply the parts post warranty( provided your bike had a good service history), but labour costs were at owners expense.
Pre ride checks can be the difference between a great ride and a terrible day. On a ride lasting more than a day, if you performed a pre-ride check and found there was a problem, the limited tool kit would struggle to get you out of trouble.
@@RoadsOfOz .. not sure of the history, it only has 3,000 klms on the clock, nor sure if thats genuine. The gearbox is very sharp and close gears which suggests not much wear. What is the rollerised process you referred to.?
@@lesgrove7295 get the vin number and contact your Moto Guzzi dealer. They will have a record if it has been done or not. Just google Moto Guzzi rollerization for 1200 motors. You will get a far more accurate description of what it is about than my ham fisted explanation.
Hi Les - Hope you grow to love your GRiSO - in case you don't already know of it, I highly recommend you check out GRiSO Ghetto - there's a wealth of good information there and some very well informed contributors - often accompanied by good humour which always helps. GuzziTech's another. My own 2008 is the last gen 1100, in yellow. In certain ways it isn't anything like as practical as my other bike, a red Spada/Le Mans11 which I've had for 26 years.... BUT it still puts a massive stoopid grin on my face, so in that sense, the bike's perfect!! It's all about how they make you feel. Good luck with yours, and hope you've got a good 'un.
Yep, it needs a bigger tank, 21L would be lovely.. Griso XL!!. Yep, I wrote to Guzzi Italia complaing about the lack of 1000cc to 1200cc bikes in their range. Best Guzzi I have ever ridden and my favourite bike (although the Indian FTR1200 looks fun but it has a pissy 12L tank).
What is it with these bikes and small tanks? On the upside, I can probably only ride for two hours before needing a break. so needing to refill more often probably helps.
These days, you're lucky to even get a tool kit :) Almost bought a Griso a few years back but the ergos just felt so unnatural for my 6'1" frame (the grips, pegs, seat triangle).
It is a weird at first. You sit upright but your legs are tucked in. I got used to it and now appreciate how my legs tuck in when I am throwing it into bends.
hi, i have had a 1200 for 5 years, and it's the best bike I have owned.. however.. wheelbase is too long, fork rake is to steep and the beautiful engine is to top heavy.. i weigh 72kg.. you need to be heavier really for this bike.. great bike, but definitely not for everyone.. cheers 🍻
@@RoadsOfOz please. I dont have tons of money so looking for a fix to the harsh rear end on my 1100, figured the 1200 similar? They use really narrow springs. Some one said fit a Stelvio rear shock ? Ive not had the bike long, but will sort the sag out first. Ive gone up 6 notch on fork leg, steers faster into corners but the rear is teeth shattering harsh, i actually leave the seat often on bumps ;)
Tank is 16.4 litres (including reserve). Combined with air cooling and two large cylinders. Ideally the tank should be closer to 20 litres. But my guess is it affected bikes stability. Also original Griso’s were 850cc in capacity.
Yes it is. Your legs are tucked in similar to a sports bike and your torso is sort of upright. Check out my other Videos about the Griso, they give even more details thank this one about what ownership has been like.
@@RoadsOfOz Thanks, I subscribed tonight. I also like the videos about the Darmah. I learned something earlier, that a bent rim can be straightened from your video. My rear rim is bent. I also know what you meant when you said these bikes aren't cheap. I am a mechanic myself, but like you said, these old bikes do need specialist attention. Three years ago or so, my bike was running like crap, luckily I found a guy who worked on these bikes. He re-jetted the carbs, I had changed the jets myself, but it was guesswork. There were problems with the ignition system too, there were extra resistors in the ignition system. He did other things to it too, it came to about $2100Cdn, but that's Ok, the bike runs good now. The Ducati is my only bike right now, I would liked to do some travelling on a bike. I'm thinking maybe an adventure or a sport/touring bike like the Griso or a BMW R1200R. Adventure bikes are cool too, I'm not sure I want anything too big though. Thanks for the reply. Cheers, Rob.
@@RoadsOfOz i really like the bike im not so crazy about naked bikes...i would prefer a griso that more GT. something like a gsx s 1000F or a ninja 650. they could just use the same styling idea as the v7 racer but fully faired with a 60's style rounded fairing with high bubbly windsheild
Yeah, that tool kit is crap, kinda like the tool kit that comes with my ZX10R. That range stinks to, it's less then your average crotch rocket being aggressive on the throttle. It's a beautiful bike. I like the styling. Nice road you are riding on! Sounds like all valid complaints. I have few for my bike for sure!
The way the bike looks is one of the reasons I bought it. I originally went in to buy a Moto Guzzi Sport. Saw the Griso and mind was made up on the spot.
5 things that suck about this video, from a proud owner of one of these beauties. 1. The people that buy a bike for it’s stock tool kit. No further explanation neccesary. 2. If you want extra storage, go get yourself a tour buffalo, like half the riders out there. 3.Your good old days weren’t really good old days for most of us. 4. Don’t buy a motor from a picture. You mean to tell me didn’t notice the plastic chrome bits until you got it home?🤔 5.Brand trashing: MG makes a few thousand bikes a year, compared to say yamaha who produces about a couple million. You’re basically getting a custom motor with all its quirks. If you need cheaper buy a Ural or there are plenty of Griso’s for half the retail price with only a couple thousand miles on them. So my advice to you would be to cut your losses and sell it. Let someone who can appreciate the oldest motor company in Europe for what it is and what it’s given us, or ride it with some pride.
Mate chill. Not sure if you watched the whole video or not. My number one complaint was that Moto Guzzi do not make a suitable replacement for the Griso anymore and I wish that they would. Having owned the Griso for almost six years, it was a struggle to find things that I did not like. But these are just my opinion on what I do not like. I stand by my opinion of the tool kit as most Moto Guzzi owners are more than capable of carrying out roadside repairs on their bikes and I still feel the tool kit should match the quality of the bike.
