Griso 1100 as a do it all bike?

[Renevator]

I'm seriously close to putting in an offer on a Griso 1100 I've seen on the ol' eBay thingy.

 

My reference point from other bikes is as follows:

 

Had a VFR750FR for years, used it all through the year, did everything I needed, and despite the boring tag, I think it's a wonderful machine. Currently completely in bits for a long term special rebuild. I'm a bit odd I know.

Various bikes previously including 2 x LeMans II back in the 80's, one of which I absolutely loved.

 

I want another bike, cause I know the VFR won't be rebuilt for ages, and although I've tried to be sensible, thinking a BMW R1150GS would make a great do it all bike, ever since I heard about the Griso I've wanted one. Now I've found a pukka example, complete with Termi's, for less than £5k.

This will in effect be my everyday, use it for everything bike, and although I don't do track days, and a lot of 2 up touring, I still want a bike that can be useful, if you get my drift.

I know from my years with the LeMans, and later a 900SS (yes, I know, what a muppet selling that!!) that owning a special bike like the Griso takes some adjustment, and allowances, but although a Sport 1200 or other Guzzi would probably be more sensible............I just keep lusting after the Griso.

 

Trouble is I've not ridden one, let alone seen one !

 

I'd appreciate any opinions, knowledge etc. I can't stretch to a 1200, so it's pretty much specific to the 1100, and given some sound reading I might be tempted to go with a 1200 Sport instead, but.........

Well, you know how it is when you get obsessed

[Admin Jaap]

It's a great bike that handles beautifully and has plenty of real world power! I love the looks of the bike, but I'm 6'4" and sitting ON the bike and not IN the bike It felt a bit awkward (and it probably looked a bit awkward too :-) ) Furthermore, it has no wind/weather protection.
You have to ride it yourself!

[GuzziMoto]

While my Griso is not my favorite bike that I own, I can't really fault the Griso for that. I also own a Guzzi Daytona and the wife has a V11, both of which are just that little bit more interesting to me. But that is subjective and it is a very close call.

My Griso, an '07 1100, is a remarkably useful every day type of motorcycle. I have no issues commuting on it, touring on it (I have the small fly screen), or carving the twisties on it. The griso is a fairly basic bike. It does not have a giant fairing, built in saddlebags, or other RV style amenities. But that is part of what I like about it. While it might not be the most interesting Guzzi I own it is certainly the most comfortable. I replaced the stock handlebars, the originals have a slightly odd bend and while the overall position of them is fine the angle they put my wrists at was not quite right. Some people find they need more leg room, there are lower peg options, but I don't have an issue with that. I also find the stock seat to be pretty nice, I am looking at replacing mine but that is due to wear and tear. Maybe I will just get it recovered.

All in all I have really nothing bad to say about the Griso. It is, for a Guzzi, very refined and day to day useful. For a while it was my only bike. Out of all the bikes I own the Griso is my reliable couch.

[kmac33]

I absolutely love my G11. To me it is about the perfect "do everything" bike. It was really good straight out of the box, but with some modding, you can turn it into a truely great bike. Mine is now far from stock, and every mod has been well worth the effort and expense to create a bike that puts a smile on my face every time I ride it.

The latest addition of Motorcyclist has a feature this month on the Griso being a "Best Used Bike to Buy" that provides a good overall summary of the bike. You can probably find it on line if you don't get the magazine.

The bike is great to ride in town as a commuter, due to it's very useful torque band, comfortable ergonomics, and good gas mileage. It makes a good touring bike by adding a fly screen or quarter fairing (the small screen makes a huge difference), tank bag, the rear rack and a set of side cases - again good ergonomics (taller folks may need lowering pegs), a comfortable seat, etc. But more importantly to me, when set up right - suspension settings dialed in for weight and tire pressures correct, the bike is a beast in the twisties. At speed, the bike feels 125 pounds lighter than it actually is.

A couple pics of mine "at speed" from a couple of years ago:

 

My Griso used to share the garage with an 08 BMW K1200S. I ended up selling the K bike, because at least 80% of the time, I picked the Griso to ride. 

I would recommend a Griso to anyone. I acutaully have a growing list of riding buddies that have made it clear they want to buy mine from me if I ever decide to sell it - which I don't ever see happening.

[Bill Hagan]

I should start by saying that I love my Griso.

 

I say that because what follows might seem a bit less enthusiastic about it as an all-'rounder than the others.  They may be right.  Comma but.

 

At the outset, I would say what I don't think the others addressed, i.e., your comment about the 1200 Sport.  IMO, that is a much better do-it-all-well motorcycle than the Griso.

 

I have a 2010 1200, but rode a 1100 2000 miles r/t on all sorts of roads.  I have put about 13K on my own 8v, and, save the obvious engine differences, the ergos, etc., are pretty much the same.

 

I now mostly use my Griso as a day-tripper in the grand Virginia, W.V., Md., and Penna. roads, but have commuted with it and, on the opposite side of things, had it (with H-B luggage and a tank bag) on a number of multi-day rides.  I have no issue with it comfort for that, but we all know how subjective such a statement is.  Moreover, in the interest of full disclosure, I have been accused -- among other things in that physical area -- of having no nerves at all down there, as I find '98 EV seats quite comfortable.  My point is what the others said: try to ride before buying.  If not doable, c'est la vie.

 

Much of this turns, as it would with any motorcycle, your ... erm ... "dimensions."

 

I am 5'11", 30" inseam, 34" reach, and (gasp) 220 before ATGATT.  The bars, pegs, saddle, etc., are all fine for me.  Even with my own unenviable "fighting weight," I still found the as-delivered suspension settings rock hard until tweaked and I still need to work with it more seriously now that my type of riding has steadied to "serious" back-road assaults.

 

OK, I see that I am rambling now, with babbling next.

 

As are the others, happy to answer any other questions or address what we may have missed.

 

Best from the top of Virginia,

 

Bill

 

 

 

 

[Renevator]

Many thanks for your opinions guys.

GuzziMoto - a Daytona is another Guzzi I've always thought was beautiful and interesting. Great to hear you find the Griso quite such a useable bike. The one I'm looking at has the small Guzzi screen too, so I'm guessing that helps take a smidge of the wind blast off. The seller also has a set of narrower bars, so I'd get to compare if I bought it. Just out of interest, what sort of speeds do you, and everyone else, cruise at? My old VFR is very comfortable sitting at 90-100mph when I want to make progress. I find the VFR fairing and general ride layout perfect for me at almost any speed, and while I'm sure the Griso could sit at 100mph all day, I do have reservations about how effective the small screen is at relieving some of the wind blast. Though kmac33 - you seem to think it works well. Again, how would you compare it to something like a VFR.

Luggage and stuff doesn't bother me, in fact I quite prefer soft panniers and tank bags over top boxes and hard luggage.

Kmac33 - interesting you sold the K1200s over the Griso. I've heard they are terrific bikes for travelling very fast over long distance, but a bit plagued by reliability issues ? Great pics, thank you. Replies like that go a long way to me thinking "stuff it" I've just got to give that Griso a chance

[GuzziMoto]

My first ride on a Guzzi was riding the Daytona I now own. At the time, back in the '90s, my friend had just bought it new. He let me take his new Guzzi for a spin, and after I got off I told him right then and there if he ever decides to sell it I will buy it. 20 years later I bought it from him.

Guzzi's either speak to you or they don't.

As to cruising speeds, generally I do in the 80 - 90 mph range on the highways. There was one year on the Griso when my wife (on her V11) and I were heading back from Indy and we were in a hurry, we did much of the trip north of 100 mph. We were rolling.....

I never had an issue with wind on the Griso. The small screen plus the slight forward lean meant I had no issues with wind at speed. Not everyone feels the same way, some people need large fairings to block the wind or they get tired of holding their head up.I don't get that, but for some people that is the way it is. Personally I don't own any motorcycles that have anything more than a small fly screen type windshield. I do tend to ride pretty fast, I am one of those people who views the posted speed as a minimum speed. I normally go 10 to 15 over that if traffic allows. I don't have issue with speed, other than the fear of a ticket.

[mjptexas]

I've had a 2006 Griso 1100 for a couple of years.  Only modification is the aftermarket exhaust.  I'm 5'10" with a 31 inch inseam.  The Griso fits me very nicely.  I consider it an all day bike, and have done 350+ miles days on it with no issues.  A lot of people swap out the bar for a Mana bar & a lot of people put a small screen on the bike.  Once the known issues are sorted the bike is literally bullet proof.  This is the last variation of the Guzzi push rod engine so it's very refined. (And before anyone jumps on this point I know the Sport has a 1200cc engine, but it's essentially the same engine as the Griso).

 

I don't remember seeing the model year of your VFR.  If it's one of the last years of the 750 prior to the displacement change to 800ccs you may be disappointed in the Griso.  The late VFR 750s through the early VFR 800s are legendary for their all around competence.  

 

The Griso is a great bike but it's a completely different type of ride than the VFR.

 

Good Luck

[kmac33]

The K bike was (and is) a great bike. Reliability issues never came up for me. Most of the issues on the K1200's were solved by the 08 MY. The bike was a great long distance sport tourer, and with 165 hp on tap - a rocket, but for me it just didn't "stir my soul" like the Griso (or the V11) does. There is just something about the look, feel, and sound of a Guzzi that "does it for me".

[Renevator]

Ok, I've decided to go for it. Had a chat with the guy who's selling and he kindly sent me some videos of the bike. Im seeing it next weekend, but just wanted to get some educated feedback from you guys as to the sound of the bike on start up. It may be normal, but there sounded like a knocking/rattle for a brief moment after it fired up and before it settled into a tickover.

Should this be a matter of concern?

I'm happy that everything is genuine, and the guy has definitely looked after it, but just wanted to be sure.

 

Cheers

 

Having probs uploading video, hang on will attach link. Ok sorted, ignore the preamble, bike starts after 30 seconds or so.

 

[jeremyb]

I have pretty much the identical bike (mine is a US-market 2008 G11 in red also). Bought 2 years ago, off EBay.....

I also have the Zard pipe, and it sounds Identical. Really identical. I didn't hear anything unusual in that clip.

Takes about the same amount of cranking too.

Well - the idle speed did look a little low initially - until he rev'd it.

Anyone who can load video on this website can handle GuzziDiag just fine, so a TPS reset / check throttlebody balance would be a good start.

Probably a revised FI Map would help - apparently the Zard is significantly different to other pipes...

The Griso Mapping Guru 'Beetle' from Down-Under got me one, and he helped me make refinements. If he doesn't wander-by here soon,

search for his postings on other Guzzi Griso forums.

 

Great bike - you'll enjoy it I think.

Jeremy in FL

[pete roper]

Most of Mark's, (Beetle's) work and comments on pipe suitability are based on the 8V. On that motor mapping the Zard is, harder than most, let us say.

 

The 2V is a much gentler thing , in fact de-tuned from the V11. It's a great bike though. I owned mine for two years and loved it. I just love the 8V more, despite its early problems. In comparison the 1100 is a taxi!

 

Pete

[docc]

Pete, what year-model did the 8V become well sorted?

[pete roper]

Mid 2012 they started getting rollers. That is the big ticket item. My advice to anyone wanting an 8V is if it is a flat tappet bike? Discount it by two grand unless it's been rollerised. Yes, I know this is a radical change from my previous views but it is based on new, reliable, observations and data rather than hysterical screeching by fuquetards who think history ended in 1976.

 

Pete