Savoring the Christmas Guzzi

Sometimes you can't anticipate great Christmas gifts, you just have to be open to receiving them. Sometimes you just have to feast on them, like a Christmas goose (Guzzi)

This year I took some time off over the holidays, and on one of those days I intended to stop by Hattar in San Rafael to pick up a few things. They were closed, but I remembered that Marin BMW had started carrying Moto Guzzi, so I decided to have a look.

Some of us folks who started riding motorcycles about the time the crust cooled can remember when Moto Guzzis were serious sportbikes, that they are one of the brands of motorcycles that have been around the longest (exceeded only by HD, I think), and that they once fielded one of the most exotic GP bikes ever, the 500cc V8. The illustrious history of Guzzi makes us old guys who wish we had similarly illustrious histories ourselves go a little weak in the knees. Despite being older than most dirt, I had only ridden a Moto Guzzi once before, a V65TT back in the mid-80's, yet I've always lusted after them anyway.

In pursuit of said lust, I stumbled into Marin BMW on a sunny day just after Christmas. There, sitting to one side of a regiment of Teutonic excellence, was a row latin lovelies, the cream of the current Guzzi product line. On one end there was the new V7, on the other an 8V Griso, and in the middle were the Stelvio, the Norge, and the latest iteration of the iconic California.

My eye settled immediately on the Stelvio, Guzzi's entry in the adventure tourer class, aimed at BMW's best selling model, the GS. Like the GS - and most other adventure tourers - the Stelvio has kind of weird Alice looks that shout, "Form follows function!", or something like that. Yet, like the GS, it has that faint whiff of sweat, grime and ruggedness that seems to promise that I too could join Ewan and Charley on their next adventure, bound for Ushuaia, or maybe Hayward.

Next up for viewing was the Griso, Guzzi's boulevard bad-ass. This bike is aimed pretty directly at the market niche that Ducati's Monster has carved out for itself the past decade plus. It's long and sleek and somewhat menacing looking, especially with the new 8V version of the classic V-twin. Now this was some real Italian design!

About that time the salesman, James, struck up a conversation with me. Despite my protestations of being strictly a looky-loo, he kept saying, "You should ride one."

But which one? "I want to ride them both."

"Okay."

"Say again?"

"Okay, ride them both. In fact, bring a friend. Take out the Stelvio and the Griso. Ride a ways, then trade off."

"Say again?", with increasing confusion and the onset of vertigo. "You want me to bring a friend over so we can take two high priced Italian bikes out for a flog - er - I mean demo?"

"Yes, that's the general idea."

"Uh, okay. I've got a buddy who rides an R1200GS who would probably be up for it."

"Perfect. That will give you a good basis for comparison. I think you'll be surprised. These aren't the Guzzis of the 70's any more. Call before you come over so we can have them ready."

Cool! Back home, I dropped Jim (AKA Kluts) a quick e-mail asking for dates he'd be available to drone down from Sacto to meet me in Marin. Jim was definitely up for the idea. He suggested January 10th.

As it became apparent that the weather this weekend would be astonishing for January, even in California, I pinged Jim to confirm his availability. Then confirmed with James at Marin BMW that he really meant it, and, "Oh, would it be okay if we ran them out Marshall-Petaluma?"

"Yes."

arty

Kluts and I showed up this morning at 10 as arranged, got a complete run through on the bikes (some incredibly clever features, particularly on the Stelvio), filled out all the requisite forms, CDL, waivers, second mortgages, etc. Then the bikes were rolled out to the parking lot and we were handed the keys, and that was that.

Kluts just prior to the fateful coin toss.



We flipped a coin, I won and lept aboard the Griso, wasting no time getting on to 101 northbound.

"Hmmm, not much legroom, kind of a long reach to the bars (after riding the Hyper, all bikes have a long reach to the bars), but oooh that motor."

Those are the first impressions. The dominating one is how great the 8V motors sounds and feels. Kind of like the sound McQueen's Mustang makes as he's pulling out in Bullitt. This throaty growl through lower revs.

This was definitely ticking all the right boxes.

Up 101 to LVR, down to Nicasio, back up in the direction of Petaluma, then out Hicks Valley to Marshall-Petaluma. Now the fun was on! We didn't stop until we got to Tomales Bay.



These bikes give you a lot to look at. The architecture of the engine and chassis reflects the Italian sense of industrial design.





Lots of interesting details.









to be continued

great write up 'n pics that Griso is teh hawtness.

Continued....

We stood by the side of Hwy 1 for quite a while, admiring the bikes and comparing our impressions.

Since this is a photo thread, here's a few more before we get to impressions.

More interesting details:





The rider's view of the Griso is superb.



It even looks nice from the back.



And they throw on some quality components too.



After that romp out to the coast, what did we think? I'll let Jim speak for himself about the Stelvio, and I'll address the Griso first.

Very impressive. The engine pulls cleanly from very low revs, and sounds lovely as it does so. Guzzi has really gotten the injection nailed. I've owned five bikes with fuel injection, and the Griso is better than any of them for fine throttle movements, particularly rolling off then rolling on. Many bikes come back on the throttle with a lurch when you roll back on. Not the Guzzi. This is particularly nice when you're on the side of the tire on a damp road.

Being a big aircooled V-twin, it might be easy to think that low revs are the whole story, but actually they are the least of it. At around 4K there is a noticeable step in the powerband, and the motor changes character, becoming much more urgent in its progress towards redline. I don't know about Jim, but I never got to redline, taking my guidance from a rather insistent shift light. That said, the motor only got stronger as it revved higher, never indicating that it was running out of breath.

The motor is strong. Guzzi claims over 100 HP for each bike. That's almost certainly measured at the crank rather than the wheel. That said, it is certainly stronger than my old R1150R, and Jim seemed to think stronger than his R1200GS. That ramp in the power above 4K rpm surprised me at a few times by spinning up the rear tire on damp corner exits when I had not expected it. Easily managed. No drama, but some new respect.

When that shift light came on and another gear was needed, the gearbox did not disappoint. For years, Guzzis have been known for their agricultural shifting. No more. Shifting was better than on any of my BMW's (damning with faint praise), and easily as good as my Ducati. Maybe if you're coming from a Suzuki you'll wonder what all the fuss was about, but it was good. It took a little while to get used to the heavy flywheel again, and to modify throttle, clutch and shift timing to accommodate, but no big deal.

Handling, you ask? Why, yes, thank you. Very nice. There are many things that could be said, but its handling boils down to two fundamental characteristics:

• The harder you push it the better it feels
• It responds better if you move around on it - hanging off a bit is good

This is a bike that favors commitment. It can be ridden gently, but it feels better the harder you push it, even on rough roads. Despite not having a great deal of suspension travel, the Griso was not flummoxed at all by the lumps and bumps of Marshall-Petaluma, and the chassis is so solid that even mid-corner bumps didn't knock it offline in the least.

Here's one more photo for tonight. I'll post up more about our experiences tomorrow. This is Jim on the Stelvio on Hwy 1.

OzDesigns said:

great write up 'n pics that Griso is teh hawtness.

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Thanks, Oz. Completely agree on your assessment of the Griso. Apparently lots of folks do, judging by the attention it drew whenever we stopped. I guess we should have trolled a few Starbucks.

Tomales Bakery

The prior picture was taken south of Tomales, about where Hwy 1 starts turning inland from the bay, but before it drops alongside that creek. Lots of fun to be had here with elevation changes, smooth pavement, and lots of twisties. Here's Jim rushing to get to the bakery before all the good stuff is gone.



It was a busy morning at the bakery. Lots of cyclists and Harley riders, and despite our haste, the selection had narrowed a bit by the time we got there. Still, the pastry was tasty and the coffee was great and the sun was ridiculously warm for a weekend in January.

Comparing notes, it was clear we were each having a great time. Jim, who really tears it up on that GS of his, was singing the praises of the Stelvio. This surprised us both because the reviews we had read had been kind of lukewarm. Now, I was keen to trade and see what this was about, while realizing that Jim's acclamation of the Stelvio could be just a cheap trick to pry the Griso's key from my hands.

We headed back south of town to get some photos. You can see that Jim hated the Griso.



He hated it so much he had to go back and try again.



Here he comes again.



I think he likes it.

We headed back down Hwy 1, rolling in and out of turns using that marvelous motor to make progress towards Pt. Reyes Station. Jim filled up with gas there, and it brought another point of these bikes into high relief. Not a bike to ride if you wish to remain anonymous. We had lots of folks approach us, including a sometimes BARFer, thedarthpeach, who was out enjoying the day on her Triumph Tiger.

We had good chats with a lot of folks, and looks from many more. These bikes - particularly the Griso - have a high "pose" factor. C'mon, admit it. Who doesn't like to be the center of attention?

One of the ways these bikes attract attention is with their sound. I love the sound of all 90 degree V twins, from SV650's to RC51's to 916's, but there is something about the sound quality of a Goose that is particularly nice. Of the two, the Griso sounds a little better. An aftermarket can will make either one that much nicer.

How did I like the Stelvio? Wow! Very impressed. Hugely easy to ride, very quick turn initiation, and it just rails once it's committed to a line. Guzzi nailed the suspension set up on these. Not nearly the pitching about you sometimes find on long travel street bikes. The very minimal fork dive on the brakes, reminiscent of a Telelever front end. Really nice. Not as much feeling coming from the front contact patch as on the Griso. Mostly, that's down to the 19" front wheel on the Stelvio.

Speaking of brakes, yes, it has some. The fronts on both bikes are radial mounted, 4 pot brembos. Very similar to the brakes on my Hyper. Decent feel. Great power. No drama. I like.

Rear brakes? Um, I know it's got some. Beyond saying that they worked fine, I can't tell you much.

Handling. Oh hell, yes! Easier to ride than the Griso. Like the GS, you don't have to do much on the Stelvio beyond turn in, look towards the exit, roll on the power. Did I mention that I like the power? You can tractor around a turn at 2500 rpm just fine, but singing through one at 6K is ever so much more fun. I've heard a rumor that I cannot confirm or deny that vigorously rolling the throttle on through the exit of turns will reduce front tire wear.....

Folks who've never ridden a tall bike on the street may find transitions between turns alarming at first. Because you sit up so high on bikes like this and the other adventure tourers, the transition from turn to turn moves you much further through space than would experience on a sportbike or a standard. As you lever up from the completion of one turn, then drop towards the apex of the next, it can feel quite alarming. Just know that the Pirelli Scorpions will hook up just fine, and shoot you towards the next exit.

Speaking of tall, how tall is it? Hmm, don't know what the spec sheet says. Our example had the adjustable seat set on the high position, and I could not quite get both of my heels flat when stopped (33" inseam). Obviously, was easy to get one foot or the other completely flat, just not both. Loads of comfy legroom when moving. Easy to manage when stopped.

Low speed handling was also a treat. Good balance. Not top heavy. Well metered injection. Smooth clutch. Perfect for tight u-turns during photo shoots.

Any flies in the ointment? Only two that come to mind immediately. First, while I didn't actually check the fuel consumption, they seemed a bit thirsty. Just an impression. Keep in mind that we spent most of our time in the upper half of the rev band. Second, I'm not sure the profile of the stock tires on the Griso really work well for it. When the Metzler M3's wear out, I'd ask Robbie for advice on something different. Obviously, on both points YMMV.

Would I buy? This is highly subjective. As much as the Griso excites me, I probably would not. There are things the Hyper does that work better for me, and the benefits of the Griso over the Hyper don't offset those advantages enough for me to consider changing bikes. OTOH, I would consider the Stelvio. Not as a replacement for the Hyper, but as an addition to it. I don't know that I can afford to do that, but I'm looking at my finances.

I don't know that one could say that the Stelvio is a better bike than a GS. The GS is an amazing bike (if you haven't ridden one long enough to get accustomed to its quirks, keep trying), and seems more off pavement capable than the Stelvio. We didn't ride the Stelvio off pavement, so we can't say for sure, but the impression both of us had is that the Stelvio is more pavement oriented. Yet, for the way I would ride one, the Stelvio is right in the wheelhouse.

James, the salesman, said we'd be surprised. He was right. Head over to San Rafael and check them out. You'll be surprised too.

what a monster of an engine....those are BEAUTIFUL bikes....

Oh it's my turn and I haven't got my boots on

Hey there Kurt, great writeup, superb photos!

I finished my Stelvio report but my English teacher is still redmarking it. Stay tuned. A couple of remarks:

Not to bow out too much and let the hun do all the work, I can't believe how our comments and thoughts track on both of these bikes. I can't wait to post up a pic of Kurt flirtatiously exposing the Stelvio's bottom side whilst curving.

As for the Griso, it's serious good fun put up in a sophisticated package. I found the upshift warning light to be a bit of a fussy annoyance, but I bet if it were obeyed more closely, fuel consumption on this animal would be better.

James warned us the narrow filler necks on these Geese made it hard to fuel them, so it's possible the bike wasn't full up when we left. I bought near 3 gallons in Pt. Reyes Sta. If the bike was full in San Rafael, that means about 25-28MPG. Ah, go ahead and blame Kurt. He had the bike first and from my vantage point in the first leg, he appeared to be having an alarmingly good time. Upon return to town, I only had to throw in a gallon or so. And I, too, had a raucously good time on the Griso, albeit from Pt. Reyes Sta we did maybe 40 miles. What does this tell us? Hahah, Kurt is more ham-fisted? Uhm, nope. We just weren't too careful about making consumption notes.

I'll confirm that the Griso's front end was a bit stiff for my weight, and the front tire profile could have been better. But at my riding level (enthusiast but no Rich Oliver) it didn't make much of a difference. If I were a Griso owner, I suppose I would get pickier over tires and settings, but for this ride on a lovely day, I was very happy with its overall behaviour. I certainly had no trouble losing Kurt in the mirrors.

While I wouldn't want to tour to Lassen and beyond on the Griso, I did find that it was very comfy for a bike of this genre. I have a longer inseam than the hun but did not feel overly cramped. Its smooth behaviour on rough roads and in the tight stuff was superb. I think part of this is gross weight-- there is some advantage to mass and good springs in the comfort department. That being said, I never thought the Griso to be porky-- in fact, it's far from it.

I like the looks of the Griso, lean and mean. Well thought out. They could have shit-canned the exhaust outlet treatment, however. The treatment looks too-- let me see here--- too much like a part off a Transformer toy, with its fake Jet Engine nozzle looks.

Like Kurt says, this bike is a crowd pleaser and is definitely something you would bring to a sidewalk cafe in Pt. Reyes Sta or at the bakery in Tomales, just to start conversation. Pose all you like. But the real deal is riding this thing.

Yowzah.

Comments on the Stelvio to come.

That back view=

imurdaddy415 said:

That back view=

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Yeah, M-G did a really nice job with that. Both bikes will pull a crowd. Especially nice when the crowd includes a cute BARFette.

For a lengthy report (I pick the Stelvio apart summat and put it back together) see this link: http://www.pashnit.com/forum/showthread.php?p=251727#post251727

I'm on dialup and reposting the full report with pix here is a dirge. Sorry.

Would I dump a GS for a Stelvio? No, for personal reasons, but If I were in the market for a large displacement dualsport, it edges out the Vstrom 1000 and the Uly for a duel with the GS for first spot.



Still, there is something about the boxer that makes it easy to ride and also easy to get out of a jam when you ignore things or get distracted. The Stelvio is your Italian girlfriend and expects more attention to what she is up to. Plus, I suspect the GS is more dirt capable and I want to explore that end of it more. That being said I was very impressed by the Stelvio's superb road confidence and balance. Read my full report on the linky, I explain things in greater detail.

I hope you enjoy the report. Thanks for looking.

Great write up and pics. Thanks for the education on the other Italian breed...

A few shots from Jim's camera follow.

Tomales bound aboard the delightful Griso



Southbound Stelvio



"Hey Jim, can you see the drain plug from there?"

I don't think Kluts know how to "not hurry".

NoGall said:

I don't think Kluts know how to "not hurry".

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You've ridden with Jim! Wasn't that on the famous, "Yah, we're so screwed" ride?

flying_hun said:

You've ridden with Jim! Wasn't that on the famous, "Yah, we're so screwed" ride?

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It was...

"Yah, yah, we're so f'ing screwed."

Looking good, Kurt! Very nice write-up. Gary J would be proud

Makes me want to ride west Marin...its feels like its been forever

Charmed said:

Looking good, Kurt! Very nice write-up. Gary J would be proud

Makes me want to ride west Marin...its feels like its been forever

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Thanks, Ben! How's that thumb healing? Let me know when you're ready, and we'll go hit the Marin and Sonoma coast. Bring the DRZ. We'll chase some goats.

Doing well! Still not a good idea for me to ride dirty yet (its never if but when you're coming off the bike that day) but I can street ride all day long

My family lives in San Anselmo, and is always happy to see me, so let's say we look at something for next weekend...24th??

PM sent.

Thanks for the Kind Words. I hope they were.... Anyway, I've posted my comments on the Griso and some more (OK, less exciting than Kurt's) pix. Once again, easier for me to post in one place. http://www.pashnit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20815