What is a GRiSO?

Here is another useless philosophical question.  

We all love our GRiSO's but I think we also all make changes to it on day 1.  I have seen on this forum people who change the handlebars, head light, turn signals, front fender, seat, rear fender, wheels, foot pegs, exhaust, headers, oil cooler screens, mirrors, suspension, and a few more items I can't think of now.  Many have also improved the GRiSO's somewhat grumpy character and replaced the stock map with a Beetle map.

Now ... when do all these modifications lead to a non-GRiSO? What is the core of a GRiSO, the part that cannot be touched? The mighty engine? But that same engine also drives the Stelvio, and although a very fine bike, a Stelvio is not a GRiSO.  Is a GRiSO with e.g. a 1400 engine still a GRiSO? Is it the tank and the "wings", as that seems to be the only part that nobody modifies (I believe)?

So, what is a GRiSO?


P.S. My question was triggered after seeing some examples of mutilated GRISOs beyond recognition: see below. These (ahum) "designers" should be apprehended and locked up, IMHO.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

No Swanee / H&H big ass, barn door fairings, no trailers, no Russel Day Long saddles (sorry Rboe ), no buckhorn bars...

Just make an effort to deny your inner corn cob pipe and red suspenders.

Keep the spirit of the roadster intact and just about anything else goes, though much is to personal taste.

bioman wrote:

Here is another useless philosophical question.  

We all love our GRiSO's but I think we also all make changes to it on day 1.  I have seen on this forum people who change the handlebars, head light, turn signals, front fender, seat, rear fender, wheels, foot pegs, exhaust, headers, oil cooler screens, mirrors, suspension, and a few more items I can't think of now.  Many have also improved the GRiSO's somewhat grumpy character and replaced the stock map with a Beetle map.

Now ... when do all these modifications lead to a non-GRiSO? What is the core of a GRiSO, the part that cannot be touched? The mighty engine? But that same engine also drives the Stelvio, and although a very fine bike, a Stelvio is not a GRiSO.  Is a GRiSO with e.g. a 1400 engine still a GRiSO? Is it the tank and the "wings", as that seems to be the only part that nobody modifies (I believe)?

So, what is a GRiSO?


P.S. My question was triggered after seeing some examples of mutilated GRISOs beyond recognition: see below. These (ahum) "designers" should be apprehended and locked up, IMHO.

Good question.

Also, I suspect, an unanswerable one.

I actually spent some time on that general issue while following my old Ballabio on some of the grand roads near here.  As we rocked & rolled, and I watched Matt lean and listened to his Ballabio sing arias, I wondered about what made my own mount -- my GRiSO -- different and better ... or not.

First, I have to say that my GRiSO does NOT sound as good as the Ballabio, whether idling or screaming at full bore.  Mine sounds grand, but not like Janis Joplin chewing on my ear and whispering sweet everythings to me as does the Ballabio.

I also love the "see through it" simple charm of the Ballabio.  

Now, with that disclaimer said, I find the GRiSO, on balance (and balanced is really not the first word that comes to mind when I think of our asymmetrical beasts!) much more of an all-around, near-perfect standard growler than the Ballabio.

For example, I was never scared feceless on my Ballabio from power input and the like.  That v11 variant was hardly a slow beast -- tho none of our Guzzis make Gixxers tremble -- but I have to be careful with the GRiSO as I never had to be with the Ballabio.  Sometimes I feel as if the tach is like MSRP, i.e., just a suggestion, and that the rev limiter won't.

And, despite the praise I frequently read here for the GRiSO's handling (and in which I do not necessarily share, at least in the tight stuff), I enjoy pushing it around.  

My Norge actually handles better (yes, IMO, I know) than my GRiSO, but I still love the latter's "Make me, Bill, make me" attitude, while the Norge needs only the nudge of a dancer's lead to fall where it needs to go and then return to be ready for the next whatever, as in the "connection" ballroom dancers feel without having to speak.

But, the GRiSO demands a bit of clear command to respond, and is not interested in "hints."  Yet, it also does what it is told, and does that predictably, competently, and -- best -- excitingly.   

And, the looks; ah, the looks.

I am a stock kind of guy.  An Italian teenager who flunked middle-school art class has a better sense of proportion and functional design than do I.  That said, I have added a rear hugger, CARC guard, Stelvio hand guards (for winter, not off-road riding!), OEM w/s, C-Bow mounts, Givi tank ring, but nothing else I can remember just now.  

Yet, the GRiSO does have some indefinable air about it.  Wherever one parks it, it gets attention.  Yes, all Guzzis get a bit of that. "Who makes that?" "They still make those?"  "I had an Eldo back in the day."  Etc.

But no Guzzi ever looked liked a GRiSO.

In fact, IMO, the closest two-wheeled counterpart to a GRiSO, at least in the sense of "what is that?!" is a V-Max.  I much prefer our Grisos as "all-rounders," but the V-Max is also a hard-to-peg machine, and a real grin bringer, too, at least until the cops snap the cuffs on.  

That brings me back, at last, to how I started this: the question is an unanswerable one.

Except to the person who asks it.  And, even if unintelligible to anyone else.  Besides, who cares that only we know?  

Kathi said supper is ready.  An Italian meal, naturally.  

Ciao from the top of Virginia!

Bill

Ah, whatever floats 'your' boat ..........

I've set up my GRiSO almost identically to how I had my old Suzuki VX800 set up. I've got soft accessories that can take it from roadster to light touring.

I moved the VX on because the EV could do almost all of what the VX could do except for the hooligan thing. That's what I missed the most and that's what I like the most about the GRiSO. It's a lot better than the VX in the hooligan dept. If you look at the old VX websites you will see so many similarities to our discussions here.

sic chook pete...

You forgot the forward foot controls dopey.

And the tassles..

And you forgot to "mod" the cylinders 90°.

Just no pics of you in the assless chaps, OK......

I was going to say your some kind of freak Street , but........

Oz1200Guzzi wrote:

sic chook pete...

+1

Janis Joplin? Love her stuff, but Tracey Nelson is better and still alive.

Keeping in mind the core question: "When is a mod one mod too many?", I like the tassels suggestion, but I don't want to overdo it. A little restraint is in order, don't you think?

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

And don't worry, Pete. No photos of me in assless chaps will be forthcoming.

Ape hangers and rearsets. Plus tassles. Yeah baby!




Can you do one with forward controls and clip-ons?





.

AND, ....
The blonde ..... at least topless

need to put lead (yeah good old plumbum) on the ends of the tassles - may as well be a masochist while riding such a beast and get your arms "flailing"...

With the addition of things previously mentioned, I submit that fringed throw-over saddlebags might complete the look.

Bill