THE WOOD EAGLE

We’re all for the innovative use of materials, but wood?

- GEOFF BALDWIN

Moto Guzzi's muscular naked Griso stormed onto the bike scene in 2004. It was the motorcycle Guzzista the world over had been waiting for and stayed in production until 2015. First conceived while the manufacturer was under the ownership of Aprilia then released after Piaggio took the reins, the Griso paved the way for a new, exciting era of Guzzi design and manufacturing.

The Griso was a modern motorcycle with performance to boot. The naked roadster sported premium components from Brembo and Marzocchi and was powered by an 80hp, 1064cc, two-valve air-cooled V-twin. It was, as is customary with Guzzis, a tad on the portly side, but the engine's ample torque made riding the Griso infinitely enjoyable. To its credit, in the model's later years Moto Guzzi introduced a new, larger and more powerful engine that dispelled with any performance misgivings.

What really made the Griso stand out from the crowd though was its styling. Sleek, eye-catching and stunning were descriptions from the motorcycling press. When designing the Griso, Moto Guzzi veered away from its trademark retro formula and created something entirely new. It was a thoroughly modern design approach and something that Moto Guzzi would have been be rightly proud of - but never in their wildest dreams would they have imagined seeing their Griso reimagined like this.

This undisputedly unorthodox custom Griso is the work of Alban Jaunay from Marseille, France. Alban is an experienced product designer and bicycle mechanic. In his spare time he also builds custom motorcycles under the title of Banb Motorcycles. Alban's motorcycles are personal projects which he creates as an outlet for his passion for product design. His Griso is his most ambitious project yet and to realise it he teamed up with long time friend, track day counterpart and cabinet maker, Steven Leprizé.