Whenever people (motorcyclists or not) find out my job is Senior Editor at Robb Report MotorCycling, then next thing out of their mouths is invariably this question: Which bike is your favorite?

As anyone who likes a wide variety of motorcycling (dirt, cruising, touring, sport), there is no “one bike” that can work as a favorite. Is the Yamaha GYT-R WR250F my favorite, or is it the Aprilia Tuono 1000 R Factory, or the Harley-Davidson CVO Road King? I don’t want a favorite—I want them all!

Of course, the questioner isn’t satisfied with that answer. They still demand I name a favorite. Although my response can be changed by my mood or whatever bikes happen to be in my garage, I find myself naming the Moto Guzzi Griso 1100 more often than not. It’s a great answer, in that it confuses the non-motorcyclist and intrigues the motorcycling cognoscenti. And, without a doubt, I love the Griso.

Certainly, the Griso is far more motorcycle than the sum of its parts. Sport riders are skeptical. It weighs in at 500 pounds dry, and its bulky pushrod, two-valve, air-cooled 1064cc transverse V-twin motor doesn’t seem like an ideal powerplant. The wheelbase is over 61 inches, much longer than its naked competitors, which typically sport gaps between their axles in the 50 inch range.

Custom riders aren’t buying what I’m selling either. It doesn’t have a relaxed seating position. The V in the twin is going in the wrong direction. The rear wheel isn’t fat enough. And, heck, it’s Italian!



Touring fans aren’t interested, though bagger aficionados might be if the bike came outfitted with the optional windshield, panniers and tank bag. But, stock? No way.

So, it isn’t a bike for specialists--and that’s what I like about it. When I roll out of my driveway, I prefer to decide what kind of riding I’m going to do. If I’m on a Ducati SportClassic 1000, I’m not likely to cruise Sunset Blvd. from start to finish, unless I have a couple of wristaches in mind. By the same token, if I’m at the bars of a Ness Signature Victory Vegas, canyon carving suddenly doesn’t seem like a good idea. Aboard the Griso, I don’t have to make that decision. I can do either, both or neither of those rides on the Griso.

Sure, it’s somewhat ponderous and set in its ways, but as long as I’m not expecting cutting and thrusting on the level of a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, the Griso can handle tight byways such as Piuma Road (home to a couple of signed 15 mph hairpins and few straightaways) with confidence. Pick a line and the Griso will do its best to help you hold it. Change your mind, and it will firmly insist that you stay the course. The Griso has plenty of ground clearance, even though it’s a wide machine. However, the most aggressive riders can touch the pegs down at will.