Second bike but why

time to break out the source of my cyclonic irritation.......

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My arthritic thumbs and wrists continue to challenge my riding, and I have often thought about the Mana -  I test rode one several years ago and quite liked it, nimble and quick enough, and the lack of a clutch handle was appreciated.  I think Pete is right that it would be a very acceptable touring bike.  I've had a max of two bikes at a time, and most recently (well, a few years ago) parted with the ST1300 that I rode about 30K miles - a truly competent machine, but godawful big.

So, with just the GRiSO in the garage, and with winter once again approaching, I opted for something that will give me a chance to blast around and have fun when the Oregon weather is "less than ideal:"

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Being somewhat Italian, it was accepted by the local Guzzisti without too much fuss.  Here it is among friends, after a post-breakfast run up the Washougal River.

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Is that the new Fiata?

Steak wrote:

Is that the new Fiata?

Yeah, the Fiazda.

For a Japanese-Italian bastard child, it's got most of the right stuff.

EVT for two up duty with Mrs Westbury and for not so nice days.

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I have brought a new R1200RS as I wanted something for longer distances and hadn't ridden the my GRiSO since picking up the BM a few months ago. The new bike is great. Comfortable, smooth, plenty of torque, excellent for touring and has all the bells and whistles, I thought I might have to sell my GRiSO!! as I wouldn't ride it again.. Then I decided I should take the MG out just to turn everything over. I won't be selling the old girl, there is something special about her that the BM can't produce. Lucky for me the wife like the Guzzi the best and is very reluctant to get on the BM, recons its not a real bike like the GRiSO.

Bright lady you got there ........

Gr8V wrote:

I have brought a new R1200RS as I wanted something for longer distances....

Nice. I think the R1200RS is the best looking motorcycle BMW makes now, the R1200GSA (which I happen to have) being the ugliest LOL. Either makes a great tourer though.

hi,i have suzuki vx800 which i bought in 2013 to fix up and occupy myself after having a heart attack and a minor stroke i had no balance i couldn,t even stand up i had to learn to walk again. i sold my triumph bonnie and matchless g80.i never thought i,d ride again but having a perfectly good bike just sitting there the temptation was to much and in april it happened i was riding again the best ride of my life amazing feeling,5 years to recover someone or something was looking down on me.i got another shot at life and the old vx800 gave me my life back so i,ll keep her.[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I consider the GRiSO to be my second bike. It shares the garage with with a '98 Ducati 900FE, an '06 Ducati 1000S Sportclassic, a 2012 Triumph Tiger 800XC, and a 2013 Triumph Scrambler (the little woomin's bike)
The Tiger is my number one go to bike - It does everything well, never complains, and takes all the shit that I can throw at it... Set up for touring with Jesse Bags and useful farkles (heated grips, bash plate, Arrow Exhaust, Triumph and Denali aux lights, horns off a Caddy and a bunch of other shit that I can't remember) Anyways, best touring/commuter bike I've ever owned. Sweet ride and very comfortable.
The GRiSO on the other hand is for days when I just want to tear around the twisties after work or on weekends, or just want to have fun. Never been on a long trip with it and never will. Don't get me wrong: I love the GRiSO and I'll probably never sell it (had the chance this year, but sold my month old Z800 instead), but it's always going to be my second bike.
The Ducatis are mostly dust (and scratch) collectors: I roll the 1000S out of the garage once in a while and fire it up just to make sure that it's lubed (though mostly to piss off the neighbors), it's got less than 5000 km on the clock and still has the original tires so I,m trying to preserve it. Also, its a bit (a lot) of a painful riding experience, so it gets rolled back into the garage once the neighbors are sufficiently pissed off. The 900FE gets a day ride around the twisties once a year for shits and giggles until my ass has had enough, and back into the garage it goes...
I don't get to ride the Scrambler other than around the block once or twice a season after my wife complains about this or that... Fucking bitch.. well, not really, just sayin'... especially if she reads this..
Anyways, if I was in a bind and had to sell the bikes, even though I consider the GRiSO to be my second bike, it's the one that I'd keep. I could always buy another Triumph (probably would) when money permits, fuck the Ducs though. Not sure what I was thinking when I bought those things...
(to be fair, the 1000S was a moment of weakness - and a good credit rating)
So to summarize this rambling novella, the GRiSO is my second go to bike, but first in my heart.

Insurance money coming soon. The Tu250X is nearly done. Sell the TUX. Buy a morini I 3 1/2.

I had a Morini 3 1/2 Sport, great little bike

Ekimyrf wrote:

I had a Morini 3 1/2 Sport,  great little bike

Still got one - and an engine on the bench and a frame in the rafters. Not the easy thing to come by in the States.

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Sweet! I see you've got your earthquake straps in place. Good move. Would suck to have that beauty fall off the bench.

Street wrote:

Sweet! I see you've got your earthquake straps in place. Good move. Would suck to have that beauty fall off the bench.

Hah!    I felt like a Barbarian, so I built a quick and dirty stand from angle iron, so all is well.

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Ekimyrf wrote:

I had a Morini 3 1/2 Sport,  great little bike

Always wanted one. They were just too expensive when new. Now...they are a bit of a steal.

Papa Lazarou wrote:

Ekimyrf wrote:

I had a Morini 3 1/2 Sport,  great little bike

Always wanted one. They were just too expensive when new. Now...they are a bit of a steal.

In the States, they cost as much as a Honda 750 four in the day. Made it hard to justify unless you had lots of disposable income.

fredfrenzy wrote:

Papa Lazarou wrote:

Ekimyrf wrote:

I had a Morini 3 1/2 Sport,  great little bike

Always wanted one. They were just too expensive when new. Now...they are a bit of a steal.

In the States, they cost as much as a Honda 750 four in the day.  Made it hard to justify unless you had lots of disposable income.

In the UK, much the same. Now, they are around £3500-4000 for an excellent one. Much less for a doer upper. So, cheaper than the 750-4. Which I've always hated.

I currently own five bikes. I have owned my '12, now rollerised and lowered 1", GRiSO, the longest and consider it my "keeper"/#1. Other bikes I enjoy and rotate for rides weekly are; '12 V-7 Racer (lowered 1"), '94 Harley Davidson FXLR custom paint (for rumble and handling), '02 Harley Road King (it called my name and the price was right), most recent, a few months ago, and a 2013 Victory Judge. The Victory came about after briefly trading rides on my Road King with a Judge. The Road King is up for sale at present.
A bike that I would enjoy riding for shorter days would be a BMW S-1000R. I test road one and it scared the crap out of me. I would lower it an inch and enjoy. I'm 5'7" and like my feet on the ground at stops.

An update on my other 'mistress', the RS485
(Aprilia RS250 with a Yamaha RZ motor - bored and stroked to 485cc)

It is torquey and tractable enough that you can ride all day between 3 & 5,000 rpm, although it spits and farts compared to a beetle tuned GRiSO. Nature of the beast.
Trouble is, it goes like a scalded cat between 6.5 & 10k, so there is always the temptation to be silly. Done 500k and still messing about with jetting looking for the sweet tune at 1/8th throttle. Frequently find myself doing 130kph in a 60 zone (although that is slightly more than 1/8th throttle). Get caught and you earn free sneakers for the next 6 months, and you may never see your wheels again.

So, it is just too hard to ride ................... sensibly, and if I'm having a 'crinkly day' (wanna ride like an old woman) it's just a total pain in the ass ............ and the wrists ............ and the neck ..........

Think of it like your favourite super model, as a girlfriend. Spending a weekend with her is absolute BLISS! Spending a year with her would freakin' kill ya.

Sounds a lovely thing.

ghezzi wrote:

An update on my other 'mistress', the RS485
(Aprilia RS250 with a Yamaha RZ motor - bored and stroked to 485cc)

It is torquey and tractable enough that you can ride all day between 3 & 5,000 rpm, although it spits and farts compared to a beetle tuned GRiSO. Nature of the beast.
Trouble is, it goes like a scalded cat between 6.5 & 10k, so there is always the temptation to be silly. Done 500k and still messing about with jetting looking for the sweet tune at 1/8th throttle. Frequently find myself doing 130kph in a 60 zone (although that is slightly more than 1/8th throttle). Get caught and you earn free sneakers for the next 6 months, and you may never see your wheels again.

So, it is just too hard to ride ................... sensibly, and if I'm having a 'crinkly day' (wanna ride like an old woman) it's just a total pain in the ass ............ and the wrists ............ and the neck ..........

Think of it like your favourite super model, as a girlfriend. Spending a weekend with her is absolute BLISS! Spending a year with her would freakin' kill ya.

Any chance of a pin-up photo? Sounds a hoot.

funny looking GRiSO you turned the engine in the frame looks like a tractor. nice v7 engines the right way