“Impetus” Is a Unique Moto Guzzi Griso Dressed in Voluptuous Aluminum Apparel

The coastal city of Pescara is home to sunny beaches, historical architecture, and Filippo Barbacane’s Officine Rossopuro – an esteemed motorcycle customization enterprise whose portfolio we’ve visited several times in the past. Filippo started modifying two-wheeled entities all the way back in 1993, long before there was any sort of developed customs culture on Italian soil. With no internet and limited access to information, he had no choice but to hone his skills using the good old trial and error formula.

After he had gained the necessary knowledge, Barbacane took things to the next level by establishing Firestarter Garage in 1998, which marked the starting point for his career as a professional moto craftsman. Three years later, this ambitious fellow decided to present his very first Guzzi-based exploit (aka “Ciclope”) at the Padua Bike Show, thus gaining the public attention he truly deserved.

As of 2009, Firestarter became Officine Rossopuro, and Filippo began focusing solely on Mandello del Lario’s machines. What had followed were numerous appearances at some of Europe’s most prestigious custom motorcycle shows, including the 2019 edition of Bike Shed London and Verona’s Motor Bike Expo, to name but a couple. Just over a month ago, we had the pleasure of introducing you to Rossopuro’s startling “Tridente,” a reworked 1000SP Spada that manages to look absolutely divine.

If you found the aforementioned showstopper as thrilling as we did, the creature we’re examining today will certainly tickle your fancy. In its previous incarnation, this sexy thing was a factory-spec 2009 MY Griso 1200 from Moto Guzzi’s lineup, featuring a longitudinally-mounted 1,151cc V-twin mill that’s good for up to 108 ponies and 80 pound-feet (108 Nm) of torque. Upon reaching the rear wheel, the engine’s untamed force enables the Griso to hit a top speed of 130 mph (210 kph).

Long story short, the beast in question is one competent piece of machinery, so it’s not hard to understand why the owner of this Griso simply couldn’t let it go, even though his heart called for a fresh ride. Instead of abandoning his beloved Guzzi altogether, he entrusted Barbacane’s experts with a thorough overhaul, but the bike’s frame and engine were to be left untouched.

As such, Filippo and his crew oriented their attention toward the fiend’s aesthetics. First things first, the Rossopuro pros worked their magic at the rear end, where they removed the standard tail section and two-up saddle to make room for their own bespoke (and arguably better-looking) setup. Although most builders would cover the subframe with a single-piece tail, the Italians chose to leave the skeleton exposed and fabricate a selection of aluminum panels to fill the spaces in between the tubes.

The following step consisted of upholstering a unique leather saddle that fits within the contour of Griso’s stock fuel tank like a glove. To round things out at six o’clock, Pescara’s aftermarket architects went about installing a tiny taillight, LED blinkers, and a custom license plate holder. With these goodies in place, they fabricated a set of aluminum side panels for the Guzzi’s flanks, sporting mesh-covered air inlets and Officine Rossopuro emblems.

Up in the cockpit, we find an LSL handlebar adorned with premium switches and round mirrors, while an LED headlight can be seen taking pride of place between the fork legs. The stallion’s 90-degree V-twin powerplant exhales via a shiny pair of headers and a titanium muffler from QD Exhaust. To top it all off, Filippo’s specialists wanted to ensure that plentiful grip will be achieved on the tarmac, so they wrapped the donor’s three-spoke hoops in Metzeler’s irreproachable Roadtec rubber. Upon completion, the specimen had been nicknamed “Impetus,” which is basically another way of saying momentum.