Buying Advice

[rayrev]

Hi everyone

The Griso has now come down enough in price (for 2006 models) for me to contemplate buying one. Anything I should be looking out for? Any general advice?

Also, I read (MCN?) that Guzzi are doing insurance deals on their range; does this apply to all models, or just ones bought new?

many thanks in advance

Ray

 

[YBFAST]

Only thing better than a new bike is a new bike... cheap

Fuel pump recall on the '06 would be a critical item.
Other things I would file under "sorting out": Proper throttle cable adjustment, copper-cote or a thermal mastic under the engine temp sensor, a "can-ectomy" if yours comes with the charcoal evap recovery can, and eventually tweaking the suspension to your weight and riding preference.
I'm sure others will pitch in with observations

The Griso seems to respond well to a "spirited" break-in, and is an absolute blast to ride!

Great choice

 

[cyclobutch]

Don't

I spent six months waiting for a yellow one to come up on ebay - couldn't afford a new one. Found one around March time and bought unseen. It's show room condition and had just 1500 miles on the clock.

Transmission snatch is appalling. I managed to get a dealership to log a warranty claim on it just before the two years were up. Waited the whole Summer to be done, and to be honest it's not a whole lot better. Not only that, the first decent run (Paris then Ostend in a weekend) it spent the whole time decanting engine oil down the LH side of the bike.

It's a thing of beauty for sure, but right now I'm seriously sipped off with the whole thing I'm afraid.

 

[sbaker]

Hello;

You can minimize ( or almost eliminate) the snatch:

1. Take all slack (open and close) out of the throttle cable
2. Reset the TPS (VTDS or Axone)
3. Balence the TBs (merc sticks or other external device)
4. Reset the TPS (as above)

This will get 90 percent of the problem .....

Another small increment can be made by replacing the front CARC/Anti Torque arm bearing with the new version.. (contact Agostini)

Finally.... Hopefully..... Power commander will deliver .......

 

[Penis Rotor]

cyclobutch wrote:

Don't

I spent six months waiting for a yellow one to come up on ebay - couldn't afford a new one. Found one around March time and bought unseen. It's show room condition and had just 1500 miles on the clock.

Transmission snatch is appalling. I managed to get a dealership to log a warranty claim on it just before the two years were up. Waited the whole Summer to be done, and to be honest it's not a whole lot better. Not only that, the first decent run (Paris then Ostend in a weekend) it spent the whole time decanting engine oil down the LH side of the bike.

It's a thing of beauty for sure, but right now I'm seriously sipped off with the whole thing I'm afraid.

I'm really sorry you're having these problems. I have to say that it sounds like you might be well advised to find someone else to work on the bike.

As Sam says the 'snatch' issue is really fairly simple to address and definitely gets better with more distance.

With the oil down the LH side? Can you see where it is coming from? Most likely culprits are the pressure sender or the breather housing up near the front of the block, neither are hard to address. If it is coming from the head chances are when the rocker cover was off fo the tappet adjustment the Rocker Cover gasket was either ripped and not replaced or not installed properly.

Overall, while no model is immune from faults I've found the *new* Guzzis to be pretty good in terms of reliability.

One other thing to check is to see if the CARC recall is needed for a 2006 and if it is elligible whether it has been performed.

Pete

 

[rayrev]

Thank you for all those comments.

I must admit that I'm wary of buying a bike out of warranty; or rather, I'm wary of any non-japanese bike out of warranty. I have previous poor experience of BMW to thank for that .

And, unfortunately, my nearest dealer just dropped Guzzi from their line-up :angry: . Not a complete disaster, as there is another 40 miles further north. And they have a gorgeous '07 in stock, with the termi pipe :woohoo: .

More thinking - and counting of pennies - to do.

 

[johnno]

when i got mine 14500 miles ago i worried about it not bein jap reliable but its been fine i would go anywhere on it but you do get niggles like oil pressure switches im on number 4 but it is a fact guzzis like to be ridden and just get better with mileage ,go 4 it.

 

[uncle]

I have a Griso with the Termi muffler and it is a fabulous combo. I should think an '07 would have to have some of it's 2 year warranty left. And while Guzzi may not be the most reliable motorcycle in the industry - i is far from the worst. If you can wrench on a bike at all I think it can be a great choice if you have a yearn for a Guzzi.

 

[RJVB]

AFAIK, if the airbox drain tube that evacuates oil condensated in there isn't emptied, the oil will end up flowing over - on the LH side. Happened to me, though my bike also developped a leak around the engine phase sensor that fouled the LH side with oil.

 

[cyclobutch]

Well I've have had two separate dealers look it over now.

I think the reshim that was done was basically the '06 CARC recall work anyway. I also asked them to check and adjust TPS and throttle bodies at that time as I'd read this could be an issue. It is true that I still have some slack in the throttle cables to adjust out.

The snatch feels like either there remains too much back lash in the transmission, or the shock absorbers in the transmission are too hard, or the injection is too abrupt in delivery (I think on this last point that I have a fairly steady hand). Or a combination thereof.

On the oil leak front. I have pulled off the panels and tank and found what I presume is a pressure switch and a breather located about where the leak would have been coming from. The breather is a large pipe that runs up to what I presume is a breather box just under the headstock. It locates onto the timing chest (?) via a plastic elbow held on with two cap screws. Pulling this off I find an 'O' ring within that has not been seated in it's groove properly and has been crushed. All the bolts I pulled to this point had been copper slipped, these two were dry; leading me to think this left the factory like this. I now have a new 'O' ring to fit though the bike is now SORNED so I shan't get to test this is the solution (sic.) until the Spring.

Dipping the oil (after the bike has stood a couple of weeks) it's right at the top marker on the stick, this after 480 miles of waterproofing my left leg. So maybe that was an overfill by the dealer.

 

[Brian UK]

cyclobutch wrote:

The snatch feels like either there remains too much back lash in the transmission, or the shock absorbers in the transmission are too hard,

That's just it, there is no shock absorber in the transmission. The only one in the whole drive train is that on the input shaft in the gearbox.
The backlash on the CARC (in my Norge) is actually exactly the same as on my SPIII. Difference being that on the SP when you rotate the back wheel it bounces off the cush drive. On the Norge you get a clonk at the end of the travel.

 

[Penis Rotor]

Brian UK wrote:

That's just it, there is no shock absorber in the transmission. The only one in the whole drive train is that on the input shaft in the gearbox.

Err, not so Brian. The driveshaft is a shock absorber too the inner and outer parts of it are bonded together with bubbery stuff like on K series bimmers. It actually seems to soften up in service, after a few thousnk Kms things get progressively better.

pete

 

[guzzi jon]

I've beat the piss out of my griso, flogged it, crashed it, let roper work on it after too many brews, worked on it myself after too many brews, loaned, stoned it, and rode it, but other that the fuel line coming off early on, it is absolutely unbreakable, does not leak, does not do anything other than run good,... could idle a bit better, but messing with the sacred screw after a few brews is not the best idea....
Great bikes, sort it and ride it, very reliable...

 

[Brian UK]

pete roper wrote:

Err, not so Brian. The driveshaft is a shock absorber too the inner and outer parts of it are bonded together with bubbery stuff like on K series bimmers. It actually seems to soften up in service, after a few thousnk Kms things get progressively better.

pete

Ah, thanks for that, I live and learn. Mine must still be rock hard I think.

 

[b!grizo]

A quite handy add-on is the small windscreen on front. Not for protection of air streams,
but surely protects the dashboard from a lot of rain and moisture... B)

 

[rayrev]

I'm still following the thread, so thanks again.

I have a related question though - what makes Guzzi's so appealing/addicitve? I see it all over, riders with two, three, four, bikes from MG. That intrigues me, but also kinda scares me (I've drunk the fanboy kool-aid on a given model before, and got burned).

I'm at the stage where I'm no longer a Ride-to-Work, All-Weather rider. I did that for the last 5 years and I'm tired, tbh. So when/if I get the Griso it will be ridden when I *want* to, not when I have to. I keep hearing that they are easy to work on. That's fine, but I'm a weasel with boxing gloves when it comes to working on bikes..

Reassure me - this won't need 'working on' every time I take it out. Will it??

 

[YBFAST]

More Riding... Less Wrenching

Its what I like best about my Griso

 

[GuzziMoto]

In my opinion, some bikes have a few issues to sort out after they leave the factory. This is a by product of being hand built. Hands make mistakes. But once sorted (if required) they are one of the few exotics that is also reliable. They have the style and feel of an Italian exotic without the high maintainence of most Italian exotics. They are also a bit different then other bikes in the way they ride. About the only other bike that is close is a BMW, and they are quite a bit different. Spinning the motor side to side is a big part of the difference. It gives the bike much lighter handling then it would otherwise have with it's large displacement and middle of the road rake and trail.
Best advice is to get as long of a test ride on one (or more) as you can. It takes some people longer to decide if a Guzzi is right for them then most other bikes due to the difference in the way they feel. You have to stop expecting it to be like a normal bike before you can apprieciate the way it is. Having said that, I knew I would own one someday the first time I rode one. I took a friend to pick up his new Daytona back in the mid 90's and knew right away I had to have one. And my wife is just as rabid about hers.

 

[RJVB]

Did I mention the N is my first motorcycle? It doesn't handle exactly the same as my other bike, indeed ... but in the end, it isn't even that different from that bicycle (and that's only partly a joke).

I may have said I rode a CBF600 at the driving school. Never really liked it, and I was never confident about keeping a trajectory on roundabouts and the like. I got on the Norge, and the only thing I had to get used to was getting out of and into neutral, and the clutch. The first roundabout was a revelation! I don't know how this would have been different had I had years of experience with bikes with engines facing the wrong way of course. But the Norge was clearly My Bike (TM) 50 meters beyond the dealer's doorstep.

 

[rayrev]

I spent this afternoon at a Guzzi dealership, and I was impressed with their knowledge and professionalism.

I know they want/need to shift bikes, but the franchise owner answered my questions honestly, and with enthusiasm for the brand.

I'll check in with an extended test ride in Feb/March, and all being well I will own a Griso.

thanks guys..!