Griso - Have do you ride yours?

[fwagman]

Hi boyos / girlos - The title should read "Griso - HOW do you ride yours?" but i have been at the sauce a bit (apologies)

Took the Griso for a spanking today - 200 miles/4 hrs in 25 deg C so for the first time I was able to explore it a bit.
Question:

How do you ride yours?

As a Cruiser?
As a Naked?
As a Muscle Bike?
As a Sports Bike?

I ride little on the road at the moment so I did have a problem getting my head around the bike. I was a little surprised how little engine braking it offers for a V twin (my old mille was much better as was my KTM superduke) so i had to use a bit more front brake than i usually use for the road.

Where do you place your feet on the pegs? Are you aggressive with it?
I have got rid of the chicken strips but I am really struggling to understand it. Enlighten please ............ I thank you :)

[jrflanne]

I have never ridden one but..
- as a naked, I can assure you I would take my Tuono over it any day.
- as a cruiser, it is bound to be better than a Harley,
- as a sport bike, it isn't.
Regardless, none of this makes the Griso worth owning, or worthless. I would bet it is a great bike on its own. No boundaries. No definitions. Just ride the piss out of the fucker! I want a Guzzi some day, just because. And I will enjoy the hell out of it.

[Kid Thunder]

All four I guess depending on who I'm with. I lowered the pegs an inch so my toes & pegs touch easily so riding as a sport bike I HAVE to ride with the balls of m feet on the pegs. But I save most of my sport riding for my Tuono.
Don-M

[pete roper]

All four I guess depending on who I'm with. I lowered the pegs an inch so my toes & pegs touch easily so riding as a sport bike I HAVE to ride with the balls of m feet on the pegs. But I save most of my sport riding for my Tuono.
Don-M

Lowered the pegs so you have to ride with the balls of your feet on the pegs?

Pffft!!!! I break wind at your lowered pegs!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4630672217_0ef7a1ac0b_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4631293796_6eb8eef12b_b.jpg

For a great big heffalump you can wrestle 'em around real well with the wide bars. You just need to set the suspension up first as they come out of the factort as stiff as a 15 year olf schoolboy with his first copy of Penthouse.

One of the best things about the Griso is that the sportsbike boys really get the shits when you ride around 'em bolt upright when they're all behaving like they're Rossi or someone. Being 'Real Old' helps rub it in as well.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4624077190_af057c698f_b.jpg

:banana: :bump:


Pete

[fwagman]

Yeah, i get the point about the suspension. I haven't touched it as i find suspension a bit of a black art but it sure doesn't like potholes or imperfect surfaces. The back end makes for "interesting" riding when "exploring" the bike so i will soften it off a tad front & back.

As for taking on sportsbikes, yep no problem on the twisties using the wide bars (it is a slightly odd riding position though as i think the arms are a bit too far apart) but doesn't have the top end to stay with them on the straights.
Makes for an interesting ride though and a nice change from head down bum up

[RossGuzzi]

Pete................what a stud you are ! :worship:




As far as suspension set goes, there is bucket loads of info if you do a search. I helped my mate set his up on his Griso, and you would have to kill him to get him to part with it !

They are a great ride !:plus:

[pete roper]

Pete................what a stud you are ! :worship:


They are a great ride !:plus:

One of the crosses I have always had to bear is my Adonis like beauty:lame:

Yes, Grisos are heavy and have a wheelbase like a supertanker, when riding on roads rather than race tracks both those atributes can in fact be very good things.

As I've said often before if you want a 'Racer for the Road' don't buy a Guzzi. You'd be surprised how much fun you can actually have on one though when you're out there dicing with the average 'Epsilon Minus' with a driving licence.

If I wanted a 'Racer' I'm afraid I'd still be hankering for an RS 250 'Prilla. I still love the smell of 2-stroke in the morning. If I was 20 years younger I'd probably have an RSV4 in the shed. Nowadays I have no need of either and can borrow any of the current crop of 'Insane-o-mobiles' any time I want for a flog. But you know what. I'm more than happy making a prick of myself on the Griso. Same old rules apply as have always applied.

If you beat 'em? Hey, you're on a Guzzi! If you get beaten? Hey, you're still on a Guzzi!

Win-win!!!!:banana:

Pete

[fwagman]

Bang on the money, Peter.

Have 3 trackbikes (well, 1 at the moment that works) so am happy to have the Griso for those "hell, I feel like riding the road" moments. I'm even not minding the vibes or the odd way it throbs to the right at standstill.

Happy days :)

[SF2DieHard]

Fwagman! I am proud of you. You are One of The True Believers. :worship:

The thing with the Guzzi is you have to learn to "flow" with the bikes inertia. Which is NOT as Quick as a track hack. Once you get used to the way you are carrying more inertia you will have a great time. It's more of a "Hailwood" style than a Roberts style. I have described the Guzzi's (and old Laverda's) as being more like locomotives in the way they carry inertia.

DungeonMaster

[fwagman]

Hey, hey SF2 - may Allan rain millions of blessing on your carrot top, (as i have told Stick, I am still working on the Hymen fix) and may Ewe Phworia stay close ......

You are indeed right. It is a almost like having to learn to ride again.
Every time i push the bike around, I nearly give myself a hernia but once on the move the weight mysteriously drops away. It is also a strange experience trying to push the side stand down when on the bike ..... is there a technique otherwise I fear a rupture in a delicate place?
But I am getting the Guzzi thing!!

[SF2DieHard]

The sidestand thing? Is it one of those automatic pop-up/fall down devices??

That was a good thing about the Bassa - it had the long sweeping sidestand that didn't pull the "pop-up fall down" trick.

DM

[fwagman]

The side stand seems to be a long way forward. Even at 6'2", it's quite a stretch for me to haul it in and push out. THe tank is long on the Griso. It's on a spring but it doesn't retract without hooking it with a boot. Just wonder if anyone had a technique?

[pete roper]

I find it a little bit awkward but not unduly so. Mind you I have a long back and short legs, classic 'Duck's Disease' so perhaps its easier for me. Keeping the pivot lubed is also a big help in making it easier.

Pete

[Kid Thunder]

Ditto about the lube thing, it works much better. I am 5'10" & have caught on to using it. It's easy to reach now. It just when i move back to the Tuono the standis BEHIND the shifter & I do look weird reaching so far forward & it's not there!!
It does feel like I'm dragging a trailer behind when I turn though!
Pete, I tend to look like you. I'll send a picture when I get my camera back.
Don-M

[Dan M]

Couple of questions Pete.

On the floor, is that a cat bed with a jar of turpentine and a paint brush and a jar of preserves next to it?

I always wanted to teach the cat to clean paint brushes. Do you offer the preserves before the brush is clean?

[pete roper]

No, what you do is apply a rasp to the cat's date, paint on the turpentine to the roughed-up area and then dip the cat's tail in the decking oil and let go of it. Saves hours of labour with a brush re-oiling the deck!

Pete

[Dan M]

OK, I tried it. The job is done but that was one angry cat.

[OZSLR]

The thing with the Guzzi is you have to learn to "flow" with the bikes inertia. Which is NOT as Quick as a track hack. Once you get used to the way you are carrying more inertia you will have a great time.

How very true!