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Contemplating a Griso

marcsiry

marcsiry

Tuned and Synch'ed
Joined
Apr 25, 2013
Messages
59
Location
South Orange, NJ
After selling my Eldorado a few years back and going Brit, I'm feeling nostalgia for MG.

Didn't consider it before, but a couple of years on a cafe style bike has made me take a second look at the Griso. I have a few questions about it and would appreciate your input-

1. It appears from some Googling and comments on this board that the green 8V model is not a current color, and is in short supply/fairly hard to get. Is this the case?

2. There are a couple of recall threads, which doesn't scare me on the face of it as my current bike has a few chronic problems, too. Assuming there's a dealer nearby, have recalls or factory support been a big problem or does the message board effect overstate that?

3. I'm in New Jersey, USA near Motorcycle Mall in Belleville. Ay opinions on them (never bought a bike there) or suggestions for other local dealers?

Thanks for your time-

- Marc
 
Marc, welcome to the Forum. Are you the same Marc from L.A. Bikers?

On below;
1. Green was the only color in '11-12 only. For '13 there is only the Black Devil. The Tenni green is quite rare and desired, but they can be found if you are patient enough.
2. Most of the major issues were on the '09s. All other are fairly minor and can be handled by most any *competent* MG dealer. You have Ferracci which should be pretty good if/as needed.
3. I can't comment, but hopefully someone close will, perhaps Nick in NJ?
 
I'm a former Griso 1100 owner in New Jersey. Ferracci in Willow Grove is a good dealer and has a SILVER AND BLACK SE on the floor, love this bike!!! I have a photo of it but this response is via cell...

Green isn't current but this matt silver is cool.

Loved my Griso, no issues, traded in on new Stelvio NTX. Wouldn't have gotten another if they weren't great bikes with no real faults. Set up important, Ferracci can do that.

If you want company going to Ferracci just let me know, we have a Guzzi riding group in New Jersey and do breakfast once a month and events through out the year. Next up, Norton Gathering this sunday, Washingtons Crossing in PA.

Vivo
 
Picking a dealer based on price is a mistake when it comes to Moto Guzzi's. Pick the dealer you have the most faith in, as dealer set up is more important with a Guzzi then with most other bikes. They need to do more then take it out of the box and put the front wheel on. If you don't have faith the dealer in question is going to put in the extra effort (he really isn't being paid to do the extra work) for the sake of customer satisfaction then I would look elsewhere. Talk to them and see what they say. Ferracci is okay, and there is an excellent dealer near Harrisburg, Pa. I don't know about the Jersey dealer.
 
Hi Todd- yes, I'm LA Biker Marc (Siry, not Danziger) now relocated to the east coast.

Thanks for the replies, and the offer to go to Ferracci, Vivo. I'm skipping the Nortons ride this week because I just had some minor surgery and riding is out for a week or so. My parent company is located in downtown Philadelphia, so I'm there fairly often- a side trip to Willow Grove would be easy.

I certainly prefer to have a dealer I can trust in terms of competence and honesty over getting a deal. My current Triumph dealer is about 45 minutes west of me, so I'm no stranger for riding a bit to reach a dealer.

Nice to know there's a Guzzi group in Jersey! Do you have a subforum on this site, or a Meetup group I can join?
 
Hi Marc,
welcome to the GT forum and to the Jersey group (I see you signed-up). As Phil stated above, he is happy with Ferracci and he just purchased a Stelvio NTX from him. I know of a couple of additional local guys (Mike C. in Jersey, Kev from PA) that also just got their bikes from Ferracci. They carry Guzzi, but the main attraction is Ducati and MV Agusta. And now comes the BUT....as guzzimoto stated you need a good dealer that goes the extra mile to properly set-up a Guzzi and stay on top of recalls, mechanic training, being proactive, etc... and, honestly, I don't get the feeling that FBF is any of that. Just my opinion. I got my 2 Guzzi new from Moto International in Seattle and from a dealer upstate NY that went out of business two months after I got my '07 Norge.
As far as the dealer upstate (motorcycle mall), I have not heard anything outstanding about it. If I were in the market for a new bike, I would look at MPH (Houston) or Rider's Hill (Northern Georgia).
Good luck with your upcoming Griso purchase. It is a beautiful machine.
Nick
 
Thanks, Nick. I did indeed join the forum and will post an intro once I am firmly aboard my new bike and ready to ride.

I recognize some of the names from the Guzzi community back when I was riding my Eldo, and I also realized I'm still a member of the 'other' group.

Last question for the group- after virtually scouring the country, I see that the greens are indeed in short supply. In any case, my prejudice is to get something with as much warranty left as possible, so it looks like I'll be buying new.

If I were to pick up a '13 off a dealer floor, should I assume it has all the latest and greatest already done to address the cams (i.e. 'roller' tappets vs. flat) and spark plug/speedo issues that I've seen discussed? I've been reading a lot of the forum but it's difficult to discern the the 13's come pre-sorted.

OK, now I'm off to donate to the forum, as I've gotten a ton of great advice already and I assume I'll get a lot more in the coming years.

Thanks-

- Marc
 
Marc...

Nick is all loopy... you eventually need a dealer closer to home than Georgia or that first service and any warranty work is going to be a pain in the butt... What Nick said is true, Ferracci sells more Ducati. That shouldn't be a surprise as very few Guzzi's are sold anyway... Ferracci did have a few v7;s, I believe 4 of them and I saw a Sport and the Griso Black Devil, they are getting 2 new California soon.

If you want the green bike you'll have to search around and purchase wherever you are able.

Good luck... can't swear the 13 Griso has rollers... I've heard the Stelvio does but I've not seen things with my own eyes... I would think the Griso has rollers, it would be dumb to do different lifters ...

Vivo
 
One thing Europa Macchina (mentioned earlier in the thread) has going for them is the only bikes they sell are Guzzi's. And they usually have a nice selection of them. Plus, the main thing they do for money (selling Guzzi's only goes so far) is vintage Porsche restoration so the nickel tour around their shop is worth the trip alone from a gearhead perspective, even if you do not buy a bike.
But I do agree, while buying from a dealer like MPH or RH is nice I prefer to establish a relationship with the dealer who will be servicing it under warranty. So that dealer should be at least close enough to take the bike back to, even if it is in the back of my truck. Luckily for me, the one trip in the back of a truck my Griso has taken was in the back of the local dealers truck and it cost me nothing but my time.
 
Black is beautiful and the Griso is a great all-round motorcycle. It's a blast on a mountain road and it's a remarkably good sports-tourer.

One slight clarification, the switch from Tenni to Black Devil (both references to Omobono Tenni, a racer who won a bunch of trophies for Guzzi in the 40s and was nicknamed "Black Devil" for his hair and riding style,) happened in the middle of the 2012 model year. Mine is officially a 2012, though it's identical to the 2013 model.

8626824275_f500ae53e6_b.jpg


8701042061_5a4feacd2d_b.jpg
 
Thanks, witt. I'm in the process of buying a Black Devil, and with any luck, I'll ride it home Tuesday.

One question- how did you hang the bags in the bottom pic? I don't see racks in the top pic.
 
Those are factory panniers on the rear, and they come with their own mounts. The first photo was before I hung them. They install with three bolts, only a minor pain to remove and reinstall.

griso-semi-rigid-pannier.jpg


The tail bag is also factory and comes with a rack. The rack requires drilling two holes in the fender -- easy, but a scary process on a new bike.

Tank bag is Nelson Rigg, made with a solar panel that charges a battery to top up your phone while you ride.
 
Thanks for the info. Where do you get your Griso accessories- ordered from a dealer, or direct purchased on the Internet? I think I'd like to have a tail pack added to my bike before a long trip I'm taking at the end of the month, but I am not sure how realistic that is given order times for this type of stuff.
 
Try Todd right here at MPH, or other MG parts pros like Harper's M-G, M-G Cycles, etc. I was lucky enough to get mine lightly used from a fellow forum member, and they sometimes come up on eBay.

The factory tail bag and rack come as a set. Here's the rack:

8653093562_d3b96a6311_c.jpg


And the bag looks like this:

3199Aprilia-Guzzi_Accessories-clothing_494.jpg
 
Well, I can now change the thread title to "contemplating MY Griso."

Thanks for all your help and input. Your collective opinions and information helped me get to the point where last night, never having actually ridden a Griso before, I threw my leg over my new 2013 and drove it straight home, 90+ miles.

I probably wouldn't have bought one without a test drive if I didn't already have 15+ year experience with a Guzzi, and thus aware of its quirks, but the unanimous raves here about the bike's handling and power were what really made me comfortable, and they were all 100% true. I loved every minute of the ride, even with watching the tach for break in limits.

On thing I didn't expect was how easily it cruises at 80+ mph- my Triumph was really working when you got it up there. Good for eating miles, bad for keeping license. Luckily I was on the NJ Turnpike, so even at that speed I was being passed by SUVs doing 90+, and even one senior citizen in a Rolls Royce.

Got it home and the wife, who isn't too into bikes, admitted that it looked "much cooler" than the Triumph. I started to go into all the different handling characteristics and power difference and she started to glaze over, so I guess I'll have to geek out here.

Thanks again for your help, gang!
 

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Congrats on the first of many great rides. If you think it handles great now, just wait until you get the suspension dialed in for your weight!! Read through the suspension threads and pay close attention to your tire pressures-most here have found they need to be a bit higher than the recommended pressures to give the best handling.
 
The black devil looks better in person than in picture IMO.
Very sober look and with the carbon pipe it's a nice touch. :)
 
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