Hi from Western Australia

Hi All, been a Guzzi fan since 1980 when a MkII Le Mans showed up at the TAFE I was attending, two years later I was the proud one myself. I owned that bike for 11 years as my only means of transport. Sold it when I had some kids, biggest mistake I ever made (selling the bike that is). I have been riding my mates K1200S BMW for a couple of years, so when I decided I needed a bike of my own again I thought BMW! lots of electrickery and a fairing. So I started looking and thought I could get a good one for under $15K, took a while but I found a K1300s for $18k and arranged a demo ride. Meanwhile, as I got to the bike shop early the BM was not there yet (being traded) so I wandered around the corner to have a look at this GRiSO that had caught my attention. Fortunately that was available for a demo. When I took it back, I couldn't get the smile off my face. Took the BMW for a spin because that was what I thought I wanted and brought the GRiSO. I guess once it’s in your blood there is no escape. I have covered 25000Km in the last 13 months and don't think I will part with this one too soon.
Heading the Isle of Mann for the TT this year and then over to Mandello to see the museum.

Ciao

Rory

Welcome Rory. No brainier once you've ridden the GRiSO. Once you've got Mandello in yer marrow you're hooked.

Welcome matey

Hello and welcome from me too!

Who'd you buy from? Mario?

Pete

"Selling the bike that is" lmfao.
Welcome to the coolest Guzzi ever made.

Pete Roper wrote:

Who'd you buy from? Mario?

Pete

No Pete I got it from Causeway motorcycles, not my preference but too good a price to refuse.
All services are done by Mario,, he was my mechanic in the 80's when I had the MkII. Took some convincing to get him to agree to take it on. Didn't recognise me after all these years, a bit balder and more beard now days.

Well, there's the thing. You buy the bike somewhere else on price and then are surprised when you want someone else to service it.

Look at it from *Our* point of view. We make nothing on the sale, the reason the other shop can sell it cheap is because they don't PD it properly and may well simply dump you if you have a warranty issue and then people like Mario or myself are expected to deal with the fall-out.

I can understand the attraction of a lower purchase price but surely you balance that against IF you have a problem having to wait at the end of the queue?

Pete

I take your point Pete, but I was up there to buy a BMW when I stumbled over the GRiSO, so the way I see it, so far Mario has had 3 services, one set of tyres ( about to be another rear) a rear hugger, a Stucchi rack, center stand, K&N filter and a tee shirt in 12 months. I don't think he has done too bad considering I live in the Mandurah area and didn't even know Thunderbikes was around. I am also considering a V50 for the Missus.
What is your bussiness called?

Motomoda.

Look, I understand what you are saying and the circumstances of your purchase are different from most but I've recently dropped Aprilia because shops in large metropolitan centers were pushing bikes out the door without completing known technical issues but telling their customers 'You have a local service agent who will be overjoyed to take care of these problems'! At half my hourly rate? Given as credit against my parts bill? How about NO!

I know that it is generally believed that 'Stealers' are rolling in cash acquired by gouging their customers. The reality is somewhat different if you actually believe in offering any sort of customer service. For us to survive it has to be a two way street. With a small, weird, brand like Guzzi this is particularly true.

Pete

Welcome Rory from another WA GRiSO owner.

On Pete's issue I must admit I wasn't really in the market for anything else when I bought my Tenni from a Melbourne shop last year. I wanted a Tenni  ( no other option - better half approved  only the Tenni ...) and  so secondhand it had to be and they don't grow on too many WA trees.  I would definitely have preferred to buy through Mario but he didn't have one . As soon as I got it I dropped to him - looking appropriately guilty - to get 40k service done. Sure enough after getting some good advice that there was a bit of noise that needed keeping an eye ( or ear) on, not long later I followed the script Pete has described and had to get what turned out to be an inherited problem fixed. Rattly top end needing roller tappet conversion. No crocodile tears here- all my own fault in not doing my research properly.

Mario has been great and taken care of it for me ( no warranty, all $ to me.).  So I hear you Pete but like Rory i wouldn't have one of these fine machines at all unless I'd gone this way and somebody - maybe your goodself if it had stayed over East - would have had to sort it as the guy I bought it from had left the problem.

One day I'll buy a new one and I'll know where to get it !

(Good news Mario emailed me today and its all done. Pick it up in a few days. Smiles all round. )

Cheers Conor, The way I see it, I saved my GRiSO from a fate worse than death, being service by an apprentice Kawasaki/Yamaha/Ducati mechanic. My bike was a demo with 160Km on the clock and wasn't getting much attention, too many shiny rocket ships I guess. I made my peace with Mario and I'm sure if he didn't want my business he would let me know. I fully support the independent dealers and usually don't buy anything from the Woolworths of the motorcycle industry but sometimes that’s the way it goes.
Might see you on the road sometime, I tend to head south this time of the year.

So to Pete I'm not a cheapskate or anything like that and fit the mould you describe for Moto Guzzi being small and weird myself.

I took a BMW K1300s for a test ride recently hoping that I would like it, never having owned a four cylinder bike, had a couple of triples mind. Thought it was crap, wasn't as rapid as I thought it would be and seat was like a plank, and the worst thing was it didn't make me smile .  I could have left it in a lay by and walked away .

Tolle09, I know what you mean about the K13, I felt it was more of an appliance, does what it is ment to but no emotion, or soul maybe. Both the Guzzi's I have owned have that something else that I recon riding is all about. It's not all about standing next to your bike and bragging about how many horse power, or what electronic crap you have on the bike just so it wont throw you off.
I was after a K because I do a fair bit of riding two up and quite often distances of 400-700 Km in a day, so I thought the BM would be better suited. Wife prefers the GRiSO," looks like a motor bike " not a pile of plastic. Both happy touring on The GRiSO.
I am hearing no more GRiSO after this year, lets hope they can bring out something as original and iconic. Not too sure about all the new old bikes everyone seems to be producing now, love the old ones but its a bit of a cop out to not try to be original. Don't mind a cover of the Rolling stones, but, there is nothing like the real thing.

Welcome, Rory.

Gr8V wrote:

I am hearing no more GRiSO after this year

Someone else mentioned this. Where was this said? Piaggio?

It's an assumption, but I don't believe it has yet been confirmed officially.  We'll just have to wait and see.

Y'all be cool.

Let's hope it's just evolution not revolution. Why drop one of your biggest sellers?

Global Bellagio sales must be less than the GRiSO, however the Bellagio was created to compete with the Harley Sportster range, yet it was never imported into the USA, go figure.

Actually, JSG came to our club meeting last Tuesday - for Austria at least there will be the V7 collection, GRiSO, Stelvio and California for the next year or so. Fast disappearing is the Sport (special pricing) with nothing on the horizon.

Maybe GRiSO has an extended lease of life, though there are rumours that anything bigger than a V7 will need to migrate to the 1400 engine if it is to survive.

Pete may have more accurate information than this - Pete?

I'm a mushroom.

Actually I'll edit that from what I see on the recently updated web page. V7-II Stone? 14K

Only loss from the range that is current is the Norge. The 1200 Sports are all old stock and very good value but if you buy one for 18K be aware that you will need a FSH if you want a roller upgrade if your tappets go west. Otherwise drop the extra cash and have it done off your own bat. It'll cost you about 2K.

Pete