| | | | Road test: Moto Guzzi Griso 850- Moto Guzzi back with the glorious 850 |  Written: 07/04/2006 : 10:32. Read 10894 times (15/day). | | The integrality of this filed article is for Premium Members. | Last year Moto Guzzi launched the muscle bike Griso 1100. It has been a great success in countries such as the UK whilst the Breva 1100 has done well on the continent. Both Griso and Breva have convinced Moto Guzzi that the time was right to re-introduce the 850-from the Le Mans and T3’s of the 70’s to the modern V90 Griso and Breva. On the stunning roads just outside the Moto Guzzi factory gates we got to sample the new 850’s (and compare the 1100).
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It is remarkable how similar the new Griso 850 is to the Griso 1100. The only differences are shorter stroke, less power & torque, no oil cooler on the side and price. Side by side you can’t tell the difference without studying the details thoroughly. Griso 850 and Breva 850 have been introduced to close the gap between the small 750’s to the big 1100’s-but also to re-introduce the legendary 850 to Guzzistis of today. If you’re a bit older than me you might remember Le Mans 850, Eldorado, California, and T3 etc with 850cc engines. The 850 is back for good.
I rode both Griso 850 and 1100 back to back in the gorgeous backdrop around Lake Como close to the Moto Guzzi factory in Mandello Del Lario. Griso 850 has got the same engine as the 1100, only shorter stroke that has reduced capacity. Griso 850 weighs the same and feels the same. So why should you even bother looking at the 877cc version if it is neither smaller nor lighter? It is a good question and the only answer is that it is cheaper to buy, cheaper to insure, less power for a less intimidating ride and the fact it follows tradition with the 850 V90 engine.
The handlebars are wide on the Griso 850 and the flat seat forces you into a semi-sporty seat position. The seat height is a low 800mm. It suits me fine to get on with the riding as I have had enough time drooling over the timeless design by now. Griso is that sort of bike that you are in danger of falling in love with without even having a test ride. Riding around Lake Como in the Italian alp region makes me understand completely why old Guzzi would build his factory here. With this backdrop just outside the factory gates it must be impossible to build motorcycles without a huge portion of passion. Griso 850 is easy to get passionate about and the lazy torque builds power quickly whilst I cruise around the lake sucking in the atmosphere and fresh air. The hairpin bends becomes more frequent as I head towards the top of a mountain pass. Spring has just arrived here and the roads are very slippery from a thin layer of dust and debris left by melted snow. It does not help much that Griso 850 has got the ...
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