Hi, new to Moto Guzzi's but not motorcycles, currently ride a BMW K1200s. The local dealer has a "09 Griso on the floor, 5300 kms and a few extras. There are no Guzzi dealers around this part of the country [east coast, Canada] so seeing this Griso was a revelation! Absolute bike porn. I was instantly in lust. Today I test rode the bike and generally liked the experiance, BUT, it was quite jerky at steady throttle and mostly at lower speeds/gears. Is this normal and easily fixed? I'm guessing it's running really lean and there was noticable heat and even the smell of heat coming from the engine. There are no dealers within a days drive of me so servicing could be a problem. So, is this a common problem with an easy fix. Or should I stick to my great ride with a 5 year extended warranty and a dealer 5 minutes away?
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Is this typical of '09's?
- Thread starter soreass
- Start date
Penis Rotor
GT Godfather!
Not if they are set up right.
Use the search function and read up on fueling and mapping on the 8V and also the importance of correct set-up to get the best from the machine.
Pete
Use the search function and read up on fueling and mapping on the 8V and also the importance of correct set-up to get the best from the machine.
Pete
Moz
Cruisin' Guzzisti
soreass said:
I've got nothing against BMW and really like old air heads but the new ones are kinda soulless IMO. Reliable? sure - but as Roper notes, so are the Guzzis and they have, at least for me, character.. you probably picked that up when testing the Griso - if you didn't, stick to the beemer :? .. good fueling at low revs on the 8V griso with the latest guzzi map and baffled pipe seem to be easily achievable.
Chicago Mark
Cruisin' Guzzisti
Pete is exactly right. If they are set up correctly and have the latest EFI map installed, they run wonderfully. I have an 09 Griso 8v and am admitting to being biased towards them. But, if your Beemer is running great, has an extended warranty and you have a good dealer that close, proceed with caution to the Griso. On the other hand, if you can get the Griso to a competent dealer and/or mechanic to rid it of these issues, it can reward you more fun than you may have ever had on two wheels.
Which Griso is it and what is it's background?
All the best,
Mark
Which Griso is it and what is it's background?
All the best,
Mark
Beaufort
Tuned and Synch'ed
I have an 07 Griso. It has Todd's PCV custom mapping and a GT-Rx pipe.
The fueling is perfect. I love the way the bike rides and feels.
But it's also a pain in the ass.
One evening I rode it to dinner. Afterward it wouldn't start.
I got a ride home and left it in the parking lot overnight.
The next day I got off work a little early and went to my bike.
It started right up.
One day I set out on a 300 mile loop.
At 250 miles I made my last fuel stop.
After that the bike just refused to start.
Had to have it towed home.
Two days later I go out to my garage and the goddamned thing starts right up.
One time the bike had a dashboard error that I was able to clear.
Currently it's in the shop with an ECU error.
I guess I'm trying to decide whether the added character is worth the added headache.
If you buy the Griso and it's reliable, you will LOVE it.
If it's less than realiable, well, then you'll love working on it, or you'll get something else.
The fueling is perfect. I love the way the bike rides and feels.
But it's also a pain in the ass.
One evening I rode it to dinner. Afterward it wouldn't start.
I got a ride home and left it in the parking lot overnight.
The next day I got off work a little early and went to my bike.
It started right up.
One day I set out on a 300 mile loop.
At 250 miles I made my last fuel stop.
After that the bike just refused to start.
Had to have it towed home.
Two days later I go out to my garage and the goddamned thing starts right up.
One time the bike had a dashboard error that I was able to clear.
Currently it's in the shop with an ECU error.
I guess I'm trying to decide whether the added character is worth the added headache.
If you buy the Griso and it's reliable, you will LOVE it.
If it's less than realiable, well, then you'll love working on it, or you'll get something else.
Thanks all for the replies. I have been reading as many related posts as I can to learn more about the issue and it seems to be very widespread and can be helped greatly by the 02 Optimizer. Unfortunately, the seller no longer sells them separately, only with a PC 5, so that adds to the cost considerably. Updating the fueling map at the dealer would likely help but I'd have to take it to NewHampshire to get to the nearest reputable dealer.
The comments about BMW's are pretty accurate: the K1200s is a super smooth and refined machine, but not much mechanical feedback to please the senses. I also have an old aircooled GS and though it can't compare to the performance of the newer bike, it's more enjoyable in many ways. I thought the Guzzi might split the difference between the two, newer, more reliable than the old GS but more visceral than the 4 cylinder beemer; the best of both worlds in a way.
Not sure what to do now.
The comments about BMW's are pretty accurate: the K1200s is a super smooth and refined machine, but not much mechanical feedback to please the senses. I also have an old aircooled GS and though it can't compare to the performance of the newer bike, it's more enjoyable in many ways. I thought the Guzzi might split the difference between the two, newer, more reliable than the old GS but more visceral than the 4 cylinder beemer; the best of both worlds in a way.
Not sure what to do now.
Mi_ka
High Miler
I think you answer your own question.soreass said:
Except if you prefer bikes that you can safely marry in a political coooorrect way and yawn yourself safely to death.
A kinky relation is more unpredictable and far more interesting.
Brian UK
GT Reference
That problem is well documented both here and on other forums. Very simple fix, though admittedly that fix should not be needed.Beaufort said:
youcanrunnaked
Tuned and Synch'ed
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2011
- Messages
- 33
My take is your experience is typical of poorly set-up '09's.
When my '08 Norge was in for its first service, the dealer loaned me an '09 (8V) Griso for the afternoon. I found it to be perfectly fueled, and this was a bone stock example. It was also their demo / rental bike, with a few thousand miles on it, so who knows what kind of thrashing it had already been subjected to before I got my hands on it. When I got back, I was reluctant to switch back to my 2V Norge. (IMO, the 8V is fueled much better than the 2V.)
The dealer I use knows their stuff, their mechanic knows these bikes like the back of his hand, and they are meticulous in their set-up and after-sales service.
If you want the bike, get it. If the closest competent dealer is far from you, take it there, anyway. I live South of Miami, near the Florida Keys. The dealer I referred to is in North Georgia, about 800 miles from me. I'll bet your dealer is closer to you.
When my '08 Norge was in for its first service, the dealer loaned me an '09 (8V) Griso for the afternoon. I found it to be perfectly fueled, and this was a bone stock example. It was also their demo / rental bike, with a few thousand miles on it, so who knows what kind of thrashing it had already been subjected to before I got my hands on it. When I got back, I was reluctant to switch back to my 2V Norge. (IMO, the 8V is fueled much better than the 2V.)
The dealer I use knows their stuff, their mechanic knows these bikes like the back of his hand, and they are meticulous in their set-up and after-sales service.
If you want the bike, get it. If the closest competent dealer is far from you, take it there, anyway. I live South of Miami, near the Florida Keys. The dealer I referred to is in North Georgia, about 800 miles from me. I'll bet your dealer is closer to you.
Penis Rotor
GT Godfather!
There are differences of opinion on the subject but I certainly don't believe you *Need* any of the assorted add-ons that are available to make the 8V run nicely. I currently own an '08 in Oz and had another one in the US or a while. Both were/are bog-stock apart from aftermarket pipes. Both run/ran cleanly and smoothly as long as the dB killer is left in the pipe and a catalytic converter is kept in the system. The Mistral Hi-Pipe I had on my US 8V didn't have a dB killer but did have a cat. The more convoluted shape of the pipe assisted with increasing the physical resistance of the outgoing exhaust gasses enabling it to run satisfatorily but my Oz 8V with the Termi pipe with the dB killer in remains he benchmark against which I measure other bikes and those I have ridden with any of the available fueling modiers have always left me underwhelmed.
Pete
Pete
steve lindsay
Tuned and Synch'ed
Can't help but reply even after so many others have . I have an 09 and am a day ride away from a dealer I trust . Its an adventure but has been well worth it for the experience of riding this bike . I got hooked after taking a Griso demo for a spin at Guzzis rally in Oregon last summer . The Triumph Sprint I'd been riding since 03 just wasn't doing it for me after being on the Griso . The bike needs to be remapped as it has the fueling problem you've mentioned and I will be taking her in for the 10,000 km service this month . I've lived with this hic-cup and still enjoyed the bike thoroughly this summer having taken a couple of 3,000 km trips with no problems . Its a damn shame Guzzi can't offer the service we deserve owning these bikes but I'm willing to put up with that inconvenience for the best motorcycle experience I've had in a longtime ( probably since the first time I jumped on a 67 Triumph too many years ago) . Good luck with your decision . Cheers, Steve
Thanks again for all the comments. The bike I tried had a Mistral slip-on with no DB killer, or so I would guess by the racket,[ sweet as it was]. Not sure about the catalytic converter. The stock muffler comes with the bike- might this improve the problem? I'm thinking it should be a one time expense to get this sorted out and then hopefully just regular maintenance that I can do myself. Maybe I shouldn't let it be a deal breaker.
Brian UK
GT Reference
I have to chuckle when I read these posts, not because I disagree with anything. It is indeed well worth while going to a good dealer who knows his Guzzis.
What makes me chuckle is that here we have people who are happy to travel for a day to get to that good dealer, yet over here in the UK, they whinge if the dealer is more than 50 miles away. :lol:
What makes me chuckle is that here we have people who are happy to travel for a day to get to that good dealer, yet over here in the UK, they whinge if the dealer is more than 50 miles away. :lol:
Chicago Mark
Cruisin' Guzzisti
Oh my gosh Phang, you sir, are a true Moto Guzzi enthusiast. Thank you sir!
I bought my 2009 G12 in May of this year, it was a brand new leftover bike. It's box stock on both the intake and exhaust sides of the engine. It was set up correctly by my dealer, Rose Farm Classics in Woodstock, IL. My big G runs wonderfully with the latest map. Jim at Rose Farm installed the map prior to me taking delivery so I can't speak to how it may have run with the original map. But having talked to and read posts from earlier owners, the original map seems to have had some serious holes in it.
If the Griso you're considering comes with the oem muffler, I'd ask for it to be installed and then take another test ride. Otherwise, if the seller has the db killer for the Mistral, install that. These bikes really seem to need the original level of back pressure to run there best. I think many/most of the 2009 8v engines had a recall on the cam tappets. You may want to verify that if the bike you're considering falls within the serial number range, it's already been addressed.
Let us know what you end up doing,
Mark
I bought my 2009 G12 in May of this year, it was a brand new leftover bike. It's box stock on both the intake and exhaust sides of the engine. It was set up correctly by my dealer, Rose Farm Classics in Woodstock, IL. My big G runs wonderfully with the latest map. Jim at Rose Farm installed the map prior to me taking delivery so I can't speak to how it may have run with the original map. But having talked to and read posts from earlier owners, the original map seems to have had some serious holes in it.
If the Griso you're considering comes with the oem muffler, I'd ask for it to be installed and then take another test ride. Otherwise, if the seller has the db killer for the Mistral, install that. These bikes really seem to need the original level of back pressure to run there best. I think many/most of the 2009 8v engines had a recall on the cam tappets. You may want to verify that if the bike you're considering falls within the serial number range, it's already been addressed.
Let us know what you end up doing,
Mark
He who hesitates is lost.... that would be me, I guess. I was in to the dealer's today and someone else bought the Griso :| Of course now I want one more than ever, so can anyone tell me where to get a good deal in the States. Leftovers would probably be the ticket.
soreass said:
Start with your closed dealer in Maine. If that fails, Moto Guzzi North America may be able to locate one for you. http://www.motoguzzi-us.com/en_US/
grimace
Tuned and Synch'ed
The o2 optimizer is something that helps with the low speed snatchiness. I put one on and it was like 80-90% improvement at low speeds. Did nothing else and the bike went from making my clutch hand cramp up to being rideable in city traffic. If you're the type who doesn't burn up a rear tire in less than 3000 miles you'll probably notice the snatchiness more.
steve lindsay
Tuned and Synch'ed
soreass said:
All is not lost . Check out the website for Moto International in Seattle www.motointernational.com . They have a couple of well priced 09s. They are a great dealer and the guy to talk to is Dave Richardson . They will ship anywhere and have a promo on were they will fly you to Seattle to pick up your new bike . Getting kinda late in the season for that around here but unlikely you'll find a better dealer with better prices anywhere else . Ciao , Steve