2012–2019 · Naked Bike · Buyer's Guide
Italian Torque With Real Soul
The Black Devil leans hard on the Griso's strongest suit, which is presence. This is a big Italian roadster built around a 1151 cc 90-degree V-twin mounted transverse in the frame, air and oil cooled, cylinders out in the breeze where everyone can see them working. It makes 110 hp at 7,500 rpm and 80 lb-ft at 6,400 rpm, fed through a six-speed box and a shaft. Suspension is adjustable at both ends, and the hardware quality sits a step above what the class usually delivers. Where rivals chase peak figures, the Griso sells charisma and mechanical honesty.
Ride it and the priorities sort themselves out quickly. It wants a rolling pace on a good road, holds a line at speed without fidgeting, and pulls from low revs hard enough that you rarely bother the gearbox. At 500 lb (227 kg) wet it never disappears underneath you, and that mass combined with a 31.5 in (800 mm) seat makes parking-lot work a deliberate business. It suits the rider who wants a motorcycle with a personality instead of a stopwatch. The honest caveat is ownership: the early 8V engines had a tappet and camshaft coating problem, so service history matters here more than mileage does.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 110 hp (81 kW) @ 7,500 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 80 lb-ft (108 Nm) @ 6,400 rpm |
| Displacement | 1151 cc |
| Engine | 90° V-twin |
| Cooling | Air/oil-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Shaft |
| Front brake | 320 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-17 |
| Rear tire | 180/55-17 |
| Seat height | 31.5 in (800 mm) |
| Wet weight | 500 lb (227 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.5 gal (17 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
This section isn't my ride impression. It's what has come back to me over years of listening: paddock talk, owners at club nights, and the messages riders send me about their own bikes. On the Griso 1200 8V Black Devil, that chatter lands consistently: high praise for how it behaves when the road opens up, and equal candor about what it asks of you at walking pace.
The brakes come up again and again: strong, progressive stopping power with genuine feel at the lever, backed by a front end riders describe as firm and controlled. The chassis earns the same trust, settled and predictable through long curves, with the shaft staying quiet in the driveline. Low-rev muscle and the standard of the finishing work round out the praise.
The loudest complaint concerns walking pace. Owners call tight, slow turns hard work, and single out a heavy clutch pull and a driveline that clunks around town. Snatchy on/off throttle transitions come up often too, strong engine braking making stop-and-go traffic feel jerky. Ride quality draws steady criticism as well: the suspension is adjustable but calibrated firm, and sharp bumps on broken pavement come straight through.
Engine tappet/camshaft coating failure
The flat tappets and camshafts on early 8V engines can lose their DLC coating, leading to metal debris and potential catastrophic engine damage. Later models (2013+) had rollerised tappets as a fix.
Rear suspension linkage failure (recall)
The double connecting rod in the rear suspension linkage was improperly manufactured and could fail, leading to loss of control. A recall was issued to replace the component.
Headlight mount failure
The headlight assembly can come loose or detach due to weak mounting points. Owners report using aftermarket solutions or reinforcing the bracket.
Where this Moto Guzzi Griso 1200 8V Black Devil pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Griso 1200 8V Black Devil is actually built for.
This is where the Griso fits best. Open Hill Country roads, big low-end torque, a shaft drive you don't fuss over, and a bike people walk over to look at when you stop.
Made for Austin / Texas Hill Country · Texas Hill Country BDR-X · Twisted Sisters
You'll love the noise and the drive off a corner on the Crest, but 500 lb is a lot of motorcycle for tight canyon work. Buy it if character matters more to you than outright pace.
Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail / US 191 · Highway 1 / Big Sur
The Dragon's tightest sections will make you work, because this bike does not flick. On Cherohala and Blue Ridge sweepers, where torque and stability pay, it's genuinely good company.
Made for Tail of the Dragon · Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2005–2007
Italian Muscle With A Soul
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Moto Guzzi Griso 1200 8V Black Devil. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Competitor · 2014
Pure Boxer Soul, No Compromises
Roughly $1,300 pricier used than this bike at 12 yr
Competitor · 2011–2017
Triple Character, Real Grunt
Roughly $2,400 pricier used than this bike at 11 yr
Same Platform · 2012–2019
Italian Soul, Shaft Drive Honesty