Speaking of the road, the Griso’s ‘Quattrovalvole’ (four-valve in layman’s English) 90-degree V-twin produces oodles and oodles of grunt at every portion of the rev range. As a matter of fact, the large white-backed tacho becomes pointless because irrespective of where the needle is pointed, there’s grunt on tap. You just need to wind open the throttle a bit. As a result, riding through crowded towns or overtaking on the highways becomes a breeze. And why not? There’s a very very healthy 110 Nm of peak torque kicking in at 6,000 RPM with a max output of 110 PS at 7,500 RPM. The 1,151-cc air-cooled four-stroke engine is mated to a slick-shifting six-speed transmission, which is quite a pleasure to use. The only thing one has to get used to is the gyroscopic action created by the longitudinally placed big bore twin-cylinder engine. The gyroscopic action is further enhanced by the turning action of the heavy flywheel. Basically what happens as a result of this is that the bike wants to drop into left turns and stands up when going into right-handers when you open the throttle.
Once you get used to this slightly confusing initial reaction from the motorcycle, you will discover that the Griso is a good handler. The bike may look menacing, but its dynamic abilities and road manners will not intimidate you. On the contrary, you’ll come out at the end of a ride having had a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Ride quality isn’t bad either. Admittedly it’s not as cushy as the California Custom, but your rear end won’t be aching all over after a day’s ride. The 43-mm upside down (USD) front forks, which are adjustable for preload and compression and rebound damping, work in conjunction with single leverage gas-charged monoshock, which is adjustable for spring preload and hydraulic extension and compression, to provide a good balance between ride and handling.
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