PNW new caretaker

Now that I’m an official owner it’s time to officially stop being a lurker. First saw my GRiSO at a consignment shop in Seattle, irrational like experienced immediately… It was in the back not ready for the floor, rode it anyway and loved it. Put deposit down and journeyed home to learn. Quickly found and signed up here, and learned about the silliness of Italian engineering and the disgraceful way the cam follower situation was handled. Back to the shop, valve cover off and pic to Pete, not been rollerized. No way to learn extent of damage, local Guzzi dealer (#3 since Moto I closed) not helpful or confidence inspiring.
Deleting several paragraphs of details, three months later it’s still gathering dust in the same back room. Made what I considered a fair offer and it was accepted. Trailered it home, rode it less than 20 miles during which it turned 5000 miles, took it apart and started ordering parts. MANY thanks to Pete Roper, who enabled me with enough confidence to close the deal!

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I’ve since been in contact with Tommy, the original owner from new, verifying I’m the second owner. Great guy, him and Micah
(lead mechanic at Moto International, #1 Guzzi dealer USA more than a dozen years running, now very sadly gone) conspired to create a plan to tastefully modify and care for this bike like the cherished item it is. It does have a Toad pipe, Micah map, unmolested throttle bodies and factory air cleaner, eagerly awaiting parts package from Motomeda.

Seems quite a few GRiSO owners in Washington, would there be any interest in a meet n greet, ride around Hood Canal, or possibility out to Neah Bay?

Very nice. 2010? Have the same one. Any click-start issues? Can't tell if that cam wear is normal or excessive. Have you been in touch with Optimum? I ordered my Roller kit from them after determining 'B' or 'C'... I'm down in Portland if you wanna meet in between sometime...

Ha. Ha. I got my Ghetto email this morning and read this as someone had bought GG!  More coffee needed!

Welcome to the family. I have a 2007 GRiSO 1100 that I bought at MI new in a crate in 2010. It's quite the experience owning a Guzzi! Good luck, can't wait to see how yours turns out.

Hey guys, Fossil here in TN. I have been wondering for years, as far as actually riding them, what the real differences are in the two valve and four valve Grisos are. I bought a new left-over '07 in '09 and kept it for 10 years or so, loving every minute I spent on it. Then, in a moment of insanity, I sold it. At 74 years old, and retired, I am busier than ever with family projects etc. So it was sitting more and more. But man do I miss that bike! Anyway, I have thought about maybe trying to find another but they are quite scarce, especially the 1100s. I know the four valve models make about 20 more horses, which is nice, but one thing I loved about the 1100 was the buckets of torque, not to mention the issues that the four valve bikes have had. I never had the chance to ride a four valve so have no way of comparing the two. What say you guys who have experienced both. Thanks for any input. Steve(Foss)

Welcome top the Ghetto, and congrats with your GRiSO. It looks beautiful - and I really like that exhaust. Not sure if there is a matching Beetle map for it.
Your state is full of GRiSO owners, I believe. You can check with forum members Steak & Street for info re regular meets.

The pipe is dreadful and eardrum shatteringly loud. I've got one that came with the written off shitter. It was the first thing to get binned! I also made the mistake of buying one back in 2008. It was awful then and hasn't improved with age.

If anyone is interested it's theirs for the cost of postage but I'd strongly recommend against it. You'll also go through a lot of boots as your heel rests on it as it's too close to the RH peg.

motoman wrote:

Very nice. 2010? Have the same one. Any click-start issues?  Can't tell if that cam wear is normal or excessive. Have you been in touch with Optimum?  I ordered my Roller kit from them after determining 'B' or 'C'...  I'm down in Portland if you wanna meet in between sometime...

That cam wear is not normal and you can see the DLC is already peeling off the tappet faces.

I've got a map for that exhaust. Makes it run better than the crap the manufacturer sells.

I do like the looks of that exhaust, but Pete threatened to fly out here, beat me about the head with it and light my right boot heel on fire as well! So there’s now a Mistral cf high pipe (arrived from Germany less than a week after placing the order) already in the garage and an Arrow ti mid pipe due in from Italy Tuesday. Waiting on the roller kit Pete put together for me. I wasn’t going to name Seattle’ third dealer since Moto I, but as already reported, the response I got was not encouraging so my parts are coming from different parts of the world…
The face of Moto I, Dave Richardson, was a minority owner and the only one actually involved in the day to day. After retirement he has written several books; My Life in Bikes, a 50 year love of Ducati, Moto Guzzi and other Motorcycles, My Life in Bikes Chasing Motorcycles and My Life in Bikes the Rest of the Stories, among others. As a long time Piaggio dealer, he’s got lots of good stories, one of them being about buying four complete Sport 1200 engines for less than $2.00 each. Look him up!

Welcome to the Ghetto, Steve. As mentioned, there are a few GRiSO owners in this part of the world, all friends and fans of Dave R. and Moto International. Jason now works at Skagit Powersports in Burlington if you need any help or advice. Micha is great to work with too, of course.

Regarding meet-ups, the Washington chapter of the MGNOC meets on the first Saturday of every month at Krain Corner restaurant in Enumclaw. That's a good place to meet a lot of the local Guzzisti. Several of us have ridden all over the Olympic Peninsula for years including a now-defunct tradition of riding to Neah Bay on New Year's Day. Maybe we're older/wiser, I don't know, but things have changed and since Covid, some of us aren't venturing out as much as we used to.

Anyway, welcome.

Pete (Street)

It is good to see GRiSO owners in the PNW. I am in Vancouver, WA and am always looking Guzzisti to connect with for a ride. Also, I bought my GRiSO from Moto Guzzi Aprilia Portland and they are also defunct. Any suggestions as to a good MG shop/mechanic in the Portland metro area?

I don't know about that, but there are a couple of Ghettoites in your general area, Portland/Vancouver. Also, the Portland group (MGNOC) is pretty active and there's a fair amount of cross pollination with the Washington contingent, breakfasting, camping etc.

Steak (our humble moderator) will weigh in at some point. He has moved from Seattle to Moses Lake, but he knows everybody in the region and attends most of the campouts.

Motoman, yes it’s a ‘10, and among other thing the starter and plug wires have already been done.
Wet Coaster, where I’m from GG is a GasGas, which I’ve had three of over the years, what does it mean to you?
bioman, I too love the looks of the pipe, it’ll be on the shop wall just above the pic I put up here.
beetle it’s already been mapped by someone in your league, in other words, far FAR above anyone w/ Toad -
irregardless the pipe is off already, I’ll catch up with you for a map once I’ve completed the roller kit and have the other stuff I need.
Street, where is Micah now, any contact info? He mapped my Moto I Tuono after I regeared and put a full Tigcraft exhaust on. Krains is a great place, used to go there when the kids were little and we lived in Maple Valley. I’ll show up there if Steak does, we’re probably equidistant in opposite directions…
I know a few good places in the greater Chehalis area to meet up with the Vancouver and Portland group. We’d be traveling down opposite side of Hood Canal though. Lastly, Neah Bay on New Years Day? Not me!

Chehalis, Centralia, or somewhere in the vicinity would be a good fit for those of us in the Portland metro.

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A couple pics of the new look on a beautiful Olympic Peninsula day:[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Arrow mid pipe arrived a day early. Roller kit from Pete apparently still enjoying it’s vaca as I’ve not heard from AU Post for a week now… Changing out the pipe was relatively simple and totally worth it, but if you don’t know which end of a wrench to hold… find someone who does. ‘Italian’ and ‘hand made’ being key words here

fossilrider wrote:

Hey guys, Fossil here in TN. I have been wondering for years, as far as actually riding them, what the real differences are in the two valve and four valve Grisos are. I bought a new left-over '07 in '09 and kept it for 10 years or so, loving every minute I spent on it. Then, in a moment of insanity, I sold it. At 74 years old,  and retired, I am busier than ever with family projects etc. So it was sitting more and more.  But man do I miss that bike! Anyway,  I have thought about maybe trying to find another but they are quite scarce, especially the 1100s. I know the four  valve models make about 20 more horses, which is nice, but one thing I loved about the 1100 was the  buckets of torque, not to mention the issues that the four valve bikes have had. I never had the chance to ride a four valve so have no way of comparing the two. What say you guys who have experienced both. Thanks for any input. Steve(Foss)

Didn't I meet you outside of Reno Nevada some years ago? I limped into a shop for a new rear tire (tread was thinner than the membrane between the outhouse and the snack bar). You may have had a good dog at your side...

BetaSteve wrote:

Motoman, yes it’s a ‘10, and among other thing the starter and plug wires have already been done.
Wet Coaster, where I’m from GG is a GasGas, which I’ve had three of over the years, what does it mean to you?
bioman, I too love the looks of the pipe, it’ll be on the shop wall just above the pic I put up here.
beetle it’s already been mapped by someone in your league, in other words, far FAR above anyone w/ Toad -
irregardless the pipe is off already, I’ll catch up with you for a map once I’ve completed the roller kit and have the other stuff I need.
Street, where is Micah now, any contact info? He mapped my Moto I Tuono after I regeared and put a full Tigcraft exhaust on. Krains is a great place, used to go there when the kids were little and we lived in Maple Valley. I’ll show up there if Steak does, we’re probably equidistant in opposite directions…
I know a few good places in the greater Chehalis area to meet up with the Vancouver and Portland group. We’d be traveling down opposite side of Hood Canal though. Lastly, Neah Bay on New Years Day? Not me!

That's a challenge.  How about the August 6th breakfast at the Krain Corner?

Tommorow is a long day at the Ridge, Saturday an Ice Cream Social for the local car club at our house.
Hopefully it’s okay if I get back to you Sunday…

Sunday, obviously has come and gone… I thought a pm was sent your way Steak and was wondering on the lack of response. Quick look at my mail boxes shows it MIA. So here we are, yes sir, the challenge is official. I’ll be traveling a reported 2+ hours, 118 miles, for a good breakfast. You in?