It's back. I'm happy.

After GRiSO flung me into the weeds last year, I'm not ashamed to admit that my confidence had been shattered. I was over-cautious, skittish, and rode like a newbie. By the time the Ragged Fringe rolled around, I reckon I was still only 80%. The luggage and camping gear did nothing to help.

Into the mix came Pete's Stelvio. My first ride on it in Bungendore terrified me. For the several weeks I had it to remap it, I never completely gelled with it. It's heavy, high centre-of-gravity, combined with the Corbin seat (which was substantially taller than stock) never instilled any confidence. At cruising speed it was comfy and handled reasonably well. Around town it was a horror. It's slow speed manoeuvrability was the opposite of confidence inspiring, at least to me. It did nothing to help gain my full riding confidence back.

It was a relief when I got the map sorted. When Pete came to take it away, I wasn't sorry.

The first ride on the GRiSO after was a revelation. The GRiSO is tiny, and weighs nothing compared to the Turdio. The Matris suspension is truly magnificent. The brakes are stupendous. The handling is impeccable. I had a WTF moment. How did I lose this sensation?

Today, I rode into the hills. It was like I'd never crashed. The GRiSO was perfect.



Thanks, Pete. If you didn't have that Stelvio, I'm not sure I'd have my full riding confidence back. It's like I've been reset.

Good for you and drive safe

You're not alone. While I enjoy the Turdio it's not a GRiSO. Two different bikes for different purposes. The reason I like the Turdio is because it is a consummate mile muncher and it will do moderate dirt which is always hard work on the GRiSO.

Right at the moment I'm hanging on to the Turdio because Townsville Peter and I are wanting to do a 'Big Trip' before we get too old but we're both umming and ahhing about it as in reality we could do this on our Grisos, which we both prefer, or sell the Stelvios and buy SWM's for longer, more remote area, trips.

Don't get me wrong. I still like the Turdio but as Mark says it's stupidly tall and very heavy for older blokes, one of whom has a dicky heart! I'd hate to drop it with a full tank and have to pick it up! I also haven't 'Gelled' with it like I did with the GRiSO basically from day one.

We have the technology now tith decent fuel bladders or rotopax to enbiggen a GRiSO's range to acceptable 'Outback Touring' levels and I'm not going to, at my stage of life, going to be doing big distances on dirt. We'll see of the 'Fat GRiSO' is needed any more after my heat op on Wednesday. If the Cardiologist says 'No' it'll be on the block.

While I haven't crashed in years, lack of saddle time over the last few years has left me feeling apprehensive if I venture forth on 2 wheels. Traffic scares me. Hoping to retire in the next few years and gain my mojo back.

Happy you've found yours Mark.

Cheers,

Ride a Stelvio Wayne. Or any big adventure monstrosity. Afterwards, Bella will feel like an extension of yourself.

Followed a young man yesterday on a ride.  He's an experienced, competent rider, and wears ATGATT.

He was on a Honda Africa Twin; I was on the Stornello.

Back roads (and worse) only.  

He went streaking off and I came on him a minute later.  He was down and came as near as one can to being a fatality without actually doing it.  Target fixation nearly took him off a cliff.

Dismounting my GRiSO in 2013 sure cooled my jets, but I still try to ride with spirit.  I find the Norge less fun than formerly, especially when two-up, fully fueled, and coming to a stop at an uphill, off-camber, intersection.  

The V7's are grand, and the GRiSO -- apart from its intoxicating power -- is also less intimidating than the tallish Norge.  Not quite a Stelvio, but it's still a handful when I don't want it to be.

Oh, well, aging is better than not aging!

Bill

Not good, Bill. Being 3rd party to an accident can be as traumatic as if being directly involved. I presume your companion is OK? "Came as near as one can" leaves a lot to the imagination.

I've been more lucky than you guys after my wreck in 2015 on the 2013 GRiSO...meaning that I was at work the next day (thanks to gears).
Now, I wasn't 100% but nothing broken or draw blood. Just sore as hell on my side rib cage.
I made a point to ride every day since that day to not lose confidence but if I'd been out for months like Mark or others due to consequent injuries, it'd be another story.
So good for you guys to be out there and kicking arse.

Mark,

Glad you regained your confidence. After I had my bad crash in the remote Canadian Yukon in 2014 I was determined to get back in the saddle as soon as I healed up and I was, with little loss of confidence. Then I put the sidecar rig together so Esther and Jellybean and I could all travel together in relative comfort. The sidecar is however, a contributor to my diminished confidence on two wheels. After manhandling a side hack for thousands of miles, getting back on the GRiSO always makes me nervous, like I can't remember how to ride. Damn thing feels like it wants to tip over, which of course, is what it's supposed to do, but it sure feels weird after piloting the three wheeler which sits pretty much upright no matter what you do. Obviously, the remedy is to get out on the GRiSO more often, not only to get comfortable with it again, but to remember what a grin-inducing beauty she really is.

Pete

[quote="beetle"]
Ride a Stelvio Wayne. Or any big adventure monstrosity.  Afterwards, Bella will feel like an extension of yourself.

I own a 13 Stelvio and a 17 GRiSO and while the Stelvio weights a bunch more I feel more confident really ripping it up on mountain roads on it than the GRiSO. Maybe its my long time dirt bike experience but the upright position, wide bars, and unlimited (after modding side stand) ground clearance that lets me hang with my sport bike buddies. I love both bikes but if I had to keep only one it would be the Stelvio. Like the older article in Motorcycle consumer news said. "The Stelvio replaces the GRiSO as our favorite Guzzi"

Been riding a 07' Norge for the past 6 seasons, I am uncomfortable at slow speeds - never had a bike that felt top heavy & been riding for 50+ years. The GRiSO is so easy to ride, seems to fit me like a glove. Still have the Norge, it is a wonderful long distance bike.

Pete Roper wrote:

You're not alone. While I enjoy the Turdio it's not a GRiSO. Two different bikes for different purposes. The reason I like the Turdio is because it is a consummate mile muncher and it will do moderate dirt which is always hard work on the GRiSO.

Right at the moment I'm hanging on to the Turdio because Townsville Peter and I are wanting to do a 'Big Trip' before we get too old but we're both umming and ahhing about it as in reality we could do this on our Grisos, which we both prefer, or sell the Stelvios and buy SWM's for longer, more remote area, trips.

Don't get me wrong. I still like the Turdio but as Mark says it's stupidly tall and very heavy for older blokes, one of whom has a dicky heart! I'd hate to drop it with a full tank and have to pick it up! I also haven't 'Gelled' with it like I did with the GRiSO basically from day one.

We have the technology now tith decent fuel bladders or rotopax to enbiggen a GRiSO's range to acceptable 'Outback Touring' levels and I'm not going to, at my stage of life, going to be doing big distances on dirt. We'll see of the 'Fat GRiSO' is needed any more after my heat op on Wednesday. If the Cardiologist says 'No' it'll be on the block.

I couldn't agree with your assessment more Pete, I am of the same mind.  I like the Stelvio a lot, but I still LOVE the GRiSO...  Having relocated to the middle of nowhere in Washington state, I put ten miles on the Stelvio for every mile on the GRiSO as I travel back to Seattle or over to Boise, Idaho to visit family.  The Stelvio just WORKS for long distances, and lugging travel/camping gear.  Such a purposeful motorbike.

But the GRiSO is SO MUCH FUN and so much easier and instinctive to ride at a brisk clip.

Doug (WCB) can ride the shit out of the Stelvio (I've seen it) and he swears to me that it's every bit the zoomer as the GRiSO, but I just can't summon it.  Riding fast in the twisties on the Stelvio scares the shit out of me (nod to Beetle.)  I just can't meld with it that way.

Summed up

Stelvio - Utilitarian and comfortable, I appreciate it's worth.

GRiSO - Stirs my soul and makes me smile EVERY time I ride.  I will never part with it.

From the "its funny you should mention that" files..
When I first rode my GRiSO I was not inspired at all with the handling, especially around town. I thought it was a pig. Its taken a year for it to re-train me but now I'm comfortable throwing it around, well as much as one can on one of these anyway..
I've come scary close to binning it a couple of times, but so far its still shiny side up.
I've spent 20+ years on the spanners and have ridden hundreds of different bikes. IMO shaft drive bikes require different rider input than chain, and Guzzi's moreso than any other.
In my yoof I had a race kitted MkIII Lemans and rode with a bunch of guys on Ducati's, and big Jappas. The Lemans struggled to stay with them in the tight stuff but had sufficient legs on the open road.  I ended up extending the clipons by 2 inches each side to allow more counter-steer leverage for flip flopping in the tight stuff. It worked to an extent but ultimately the bike and its geometry just didn't like doing that.

Where was I going with this.... Oh yes, glad you got your bike/rider partnership back Beetle, nothing worse than fighting the damn thing every day

I've just fitted a set of road 5's and she's better than she's ever been.

It's always interesting to see how different people react to different bikes...

For me, the GRiSO is just about perfect in every way, but I had to make a few changes to get it there. Bar risers and dropped pegs made it comfortable and suspension setup was key to sharp stable handling. When I bought the bike it had Pirelli Diablos, and the bike handled well, but as the tires wore, the bike was sluggish, and a pig. I replaced them with Angel ST tires, and that fixed things, and my third set is the best yet, Dunlop Road Smart 3's this summer are sublime.

I've ridden a couple Stelvios and also couldn't mesh with it for the reasons mentioned. The Norge however, was one of the sweetest bikes I've owned, probably the easiest low speed handling bikes I've ever ridden, but in the end, I diddnt like the 8V motor. Eventually with help from Mark, we got the mapping straight, and the bike was lively and satisfying, but I got bit by the MGX bug, and traded it. The MGX is TERRIBLE low speed (parking lot and slow in town) bike I've eve owned, but is pure delight when moving. I'm zeroing in on changes to make it better but thats not the point here.

I'm glad you are getting your MOJO back Mark.... I had a BAD get off in 2004(5?), a reverse radius left hand turn, scraping peg, and an oncoming car in my lane pushed me to the shoulder and I low sided on my brand new Yamaha FZ1. Ended up with trashed leather riding suit, helmet and gloves, and two cracked vertebrae. I've never ridden that fast or agressively again and still have to force calmness and focus in tight left hand turns, especially blind ones.

Right now, between the V7 as my daily commuter and MGX for long rides and trips, my GRiSO is the least ridden bike, but when I do it is pure joy...... I just did the 12K mile servicing and the bike is running perfectly. I cant imagine parting with it, and after the heft of the MGX, the GRiSO feels like a lightweight sport bike ;-) GRiSO FOR EVER!

Mark - Really glad to hear you're back!

This thread is very timely as I've spent the last three and a half months recovering from my dirt bike crash, doing virtually everything one handed since I am restricted to picking up no more than 5 pounds with my right hand.  My "operator error" crash screwed up vacation plans but more importantly, has interfered with pretty much every aspect of life.  I still haven't figured out if my dirt bike days are over but am thinking that the fast, hard stuff might be better left for younger men.  It is taking too long to heal.

The good news is that I didn't get tossed by the GRiSO or the Tenere so I am hopeful that I can get back in the groove of riding street once I get cleared to ride again.  I have an orthopedic appointment this week and am very hopeful that the fracture line will finally have closed.  Once that happens, I'll be able to start resuming my normal activities.