About Moto Guzzi Motorcycles

“Some motorcycles seem to be designed for performance and others for style and image. Moto Guzzi offers that artful balance of the two.” Pat Summerall certainly got that right, commenting from his “Champions of Industry” TV program on MSNBC.

Established in 1921, Moto Guzzi is the second-oldest continuous manufacturer of motorcycles. Moto Guzzi came from the heart and soul of its founder, Carlo Guzzi. Throughout his life, Carlo Guzzi was renowned for racing (14 World Championships and 3,329 race victories), street motorcycles (sport, touring and police), and innovation (first racing suspension, fully suspended production motorcycle, upside-down front fork, V-8 racing engine, integrated disc braking system, cartridge-damper forks, all fuel-injected US model lineup, ride-by-wire cruiser). A lull came with Carlo’s death in 1964 and Guzzi was owned by a series of ‘Monopoly players.’ All that changed in May of 2000 when Aprilia purchased Moto Guzzi and invested tremendously in its renovation. And starting in late 2004, a new amalgamation between Aprilia/Guzzi and Piaggio/Vespa brings added strength to all. The recent upsurge of Moto Guzzi, witnessed by positive press reports and obvious to all by innovative new models, shows the tremendous influence of Piaggio’s ownership.

Standard fuel injection, shaft drive, dry clutch, high-strength chrome-moly frame, and stainless exhaust. Only Guzzi can say this about their US lineup. Fuel injection gives Guzzis more torque, better throttle response, lower emissions, and faster warm-ups. Shaft drive is clean, durable, and low maintenance. Chrome moly is the strongest material used for motorcycle frames. Stainless steel makes the exhaust system durable. Dry clutches are less prone to slipping (Oil clutches make sense like oil brakes!).

The best feature of all: those marvelous engines! Why has Guzzi refined, rather than replaced their engines? After all, they’ve been around for decades! The reasons are simple, like Guzzi’s big twin is the only motorcycle engine originally designed for police use. Police departments value durability, reliability, and ease of service, features often overlooked in the rush for more speed and gimmicks. But few buy into utilitarian (read boring) models, so why has this dinosaur survived? Because this engine has fabulous charisma! It feels as visceral as a horse. It’s not too coarse and it’s certainly not overly refined. So if your performance standards include how a motorcycle speaks to you, try a new Guzzi!