Moto Guzzi’s Griso had a short-lived run. Only produced between 2006-2015, the Griso blurred the line between cruisers, café racers, and sportbikes. However, when Blacktrack Motors main man Sasha Lakic got a hold of a Griso, he fully committed to the model’s café racer potential.
Lakic preserved the four-valve, 1,151cc, longitudinal V-twin, transmission, and shaft final drive, but did away with the rest of the aging bike. He then built his futuristic roadster around those core components. To transform the bike into a dedicated track weapon, Lakic turned to Moto Guzzi specialists Guareschi Moto. The Italian Moto Guzzi dealer and custom shop frequently collaborates with the OEM for race events such as the 2022 Fast Endurance Trophy and Italy’s Motorally Series.
Gallery: Blacktrack Motors BT-05 Cento: Moto Guzzi Griso
For the Blacktrack Motors’ BT-05 Cento project, the Guareschi brothers fabricated a tubular frame that only weighs 26 pounds. Lakic complements that race-bred chassis with a fully adjustable Öhlins FGRT front end and an Öhlins TTX monoshock connected to the Guzzi’s CARC swingarm. Marvic magnesium rims further decrease the build’s fighting weight while Brembo binders bring the 385-pound Goose to a halt.
Lakic doesn’t just shave 110 pounds off the Griso though, he also bumps the 1,151cc V-twin to 1,380cc. Along with a custom Zard exhaust, the displacement increase pushes performance to 136 horsepower and 106.2 lb-ft of torque. With the chassis and engine dialed, Lakic wraps the custom café racer in carbon fiber and aluminum bodywork inspired by the Moto Guzzi 850 Le Mans. A new Motogadget Motoscope instrument panel, milled levers, race switches, and clip-ons complete the project.
While the BT-05 Cento will certainly outperform any Guzzi that rolls out of the Mandello Del Lario factory, it also carries a price tag to match. Starting at €117,900 ($133,700 USD) and limited to 10 units, Blacktrack Motors’ latest build is more of a collector’s piece than a bonafide race bike. Of course, if you can afford to purchase the BT-05 Cento, hopefully, you’ll also have the funds to repair it should a crash occur at the track.
Custom Guzzis:
Sources: Motorrad, Blacktrack Motors