How common/uncommon is my GRiSO experience?

From day one, minute one, this thing’s been a bitch.
The only way it gives me a moment’s peace is if I don’t ride it.
I literally fix one thing and a new one pops up. Let’s not even that valvetrain.

So. Rare? Common? Middlin?

I don’t have a lift, I don’t have a workshop dedicated to bikes, I just want to ride.

Mine is, and always has been, (apart from the flat tappet fiasco.) a turnkey proposition. Most of my customers' bikes are the same.

I'm not suggesting there aren't issues, obviously there are or I'd be out of a job, but in all honesty most of the problems on most of the bikes I see are engendered by poor maintenance or incorrect servicing.

Pete

Mine too. I’ve crashed it 8 times. I’ve flogged it making maps. I’ve removed bits. I’ve added bits.
It just keeps going. Never let me down.

Yours = uncommon.

Oh, I had a leaky bevel box once....

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Shite

I feel I have two choices:
RnineT
A much newer GRiSO. If and only if i’m sold on the idea that I can (hey what a concept) just ride.

Pete, not challenging you on this, instead, looking to understand:
You’ve helped me (and Luigi knows how many others) sort out
our problems with very specific knowledge. Gracie bene!
Knowledge based on experience. See where I’m going here?

You’ve seen a lot of my issues. My bike was untouched (to include a total lack of dealer prep) except for a termignoni.

So what am I to do with this insight?

Wanna sell it to me as a parts bike?  

Sorry.  That was cruel.  

Seriously, I have ridden with you and chatted about your GRiSO's problème du jour -- naturally, without being of any help whatever -- and know you are not doing this to yourself.

As you know, aside from the roller fia$co, mine has been a sweet thang, with no issues except my not being as competent a rider as it is a machine.

Now, for the heresy: I love my GRiSO, am a diehard Guzzista, and have read the snorts here and elsewhere about the R9T -- I refuse to spell out the (rather clever) marketing "Nine."

Moreover, despite my Kraut genes, I am no special fan of beemers.  

Having said all of that, I saw a scrambler version at a Publix in Atlanta last week.  Was surprised at how darn good it looked ... and, an even bigger surprise, sounded.  Nice young owner of the non-hipster look who was happy with his purchase, mostly used (with 2K miles) for urban blob fighting.  

Mebbe his first major service bill will smack him silly, but so far, not a niggle of complaints.

I am riding to Atlanta on Monday ... wanna play?  

Bill

So what year is this POS? Some of the early ones did have a few teething problems. The leaky flange for instance. But really, on the whole, I believe they are pretty bulletproof.

Mine got re-motored after the tappets got fed through the bottom end at about 87,000km but prior to that the worst thing that happened, at about 50,000km from memory, was the oil cooler sprung a leak because one of the locator vanes on the *Grill* rubbed through a soldered joint. Since then? Nothing. Not even a blown globe or fuse. Oh, the headlight bucket has had to be wogged up occasionally as its a useless POS but that was 15 minutes work.

When you work on other peoples bikes all day the last thing you want is to be spending time working on your own. Really. If mine had given me constant grief I would of moved it on and reverted to a 2V model. As it is its overall dependability has made me an 8V evangelist!

Mark, and plenty of others, thrash theirs far harder than I do mine and they hold together just fine too. Sounds like you just got a turd. Every firm makes one from time to time.

Pete

Diehard Guzzisti here too but would also counsel against a saggy tits purchase. I don't hate BM's, I just tow a lot of them. Buyer beware, do your research.

Rusty,

I've been reading your posts for a while now and it does seem like yours is unusually troublesome. Some kids are like that, if you know what I mean. But, I put 50K wonderful miles on my 1100 GRiSO and love my current 1200 8V just as much, if not a little more. No major issues with either one. I hope you can get it sorted out so you can join the majority of us here for whom the GRiSO has never lost its luster.

Pete (Street)

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‘09? Have to look at the reg.

Wonder what I can get in trade-in.
Been looking into the R9T, yeah, a lot of niggles.
But nothing major.

I think you were unlucky - I'm riding an 09 GRiSO; I bought at 13k miles 3.5 years ago and it's now up at 30k miles. Apart from the flat tappets it has been absolutely reliable in all areas. All said I likely wouldn't have kept it without a) Mark's maps to sort out horrible low speed jerking as 09 was baaaad and b) all the useful (and great people) information from this community.

I've owned and ridden BMWs and they are boring by comparison; even latest UK BIKE edition ranks Guzzi V7 over the RNineT and says the same...just saying be careful as the grass is never greener; it's just different grass

The latest:
I pulled the flange and tried to source the very fit n thin O ring locally. No go. Only fat American O rings available. So I bunged the old one back in. Since I was there, I pulled the valve cover, inspected the gasket and tompions, all looks good to me.
Nipped up the heads to spec, they were a bit loose, cold. Oops, is that something that needs to be done hot? Curious thing, that side’s valves quieter now. Maybe I’ll do the other side as well.
Replaced the hose clip.

End result? Apparently I fixed it whatever the ffff it is. We shall see.

I am accepting bets on what might be next. Hint: fairly strong fuel smell when I shut off motor.

And thanks for all the good info and kind words!

About that bet....

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What is that tab under the nut? What's it do? Is it right? See the mark on the valve cover?

It’s the grounding tab. It’s supposed to gouge the valve cover, so if the spark shorts it goes through the engine and frame, instead of your knee.

Flat tappets, eh?

.

The flattest! Bike has under 4K mi!

You seem proud.

Nah.  I know RR.  Good guy and good rider.

He would ride his limone GRiSO more -- and have rollerized it -- if it weren't such an inexplicable POS.

I hope he doen't go Bavarian on us, but he is at an Oktoberfest in lederhosen just now -- I'm serious -- so he may get smitten by a dirndl covering sagging tits   and do the R9T thing.  I will, however, do my best to keep him in the Eyetie fold.  He is crazy enough to stick with it despite his maddening experience thus far.  

Bill

rustyrotor wrote:

The flattest! Bike has under 4K mi!

Well fix it beforeit shits itself.

Just waiting on you to get here!
( and your guidance on managing Piaggio, tools and supplies in advance)

Mate, I'll be over next July. If Bill is willing to allow me to use his huge shed and tools I'll be more than happy to rollerise the great chunk 'O' Shite for you. Payment can be made in the form of a slap up feed, a few beers and company!

Pete

Rusty... It's Italian!!

Beemer are fucking boring and you might be going from bad to worse. lol
Get a newer GRiSO model like 13 and up to be sure, yours obviously a lemon.
Had an 09 that ran like a scolded dog until it shat its tappet at 36K miles.
My also departed 2013 was trouble free for 12K miles, despite sump gasket failure (easy fix).
My 07 has been the absolute turn key proposition at 28K miles now.

My brand new 2017 won't rev up past 3500rpm though, currently has 12 miles!!
Stay tuned on this issue as it will be sorted within a couple of days...

Its just nigly things with the GRiSO, no more than other italian bikes i have been involved with before and some of those really did shit themselves and had to go off to be reincarnated.
I think my 09 has had all the usual failures, unless anything new turns up, but i am expecting to get 100k miles out of it before it goes.