Moto Guzzi has been building motorcycles since 1921, making it the longest established European motorcycle manufacturer in continuous production. The factory in Mandello del Lario, Italy, was the birthplace of several industry firsts—including the first wind tunnel for motorcycles, and an eight-cylinder engine.
Since 2004, Moto Guzzi has been owned by Piaggio, Europe’s biggest motorcycle manufacturer. Although production is not huge compared to the Japanese and American makers, the company is now on a stable footing and has a passionate fan base—attracted by the air-cooled 90° V-twin engines. The transverse cylinder heads projecting on either side of the bike are an easily identifiable feature.
Moto Guzzi is extremely popular with custom motorcycle builders, who tend to focus on the iconic Le Mans series of bikes built from 1976 onwards, and the V7. More recently, the ‘new’ V7 and V9 models have been a sales success, and have featured prominently in Moto Guzzi’s own ‘factory custom’ sponsored builds.
The memories of Mandello del Lario faded faster than they should have. Three years ago to the day, I visited the lifelong home of Italian motorcycle manufacturer Moto Guzzi and rode the last-generation Moto Guzzi V7 around Lago di Como, one of the most idyllic places on Earth. The few fragmented scenes I can recall…
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From burly adventure bikes to baggers, just about every major OEM has at least a couple of touring-focused models in their arsenal. But what if you want to munch miles in style, on something that’s more classic and less tech-y? The German Moto Guzzi specialist Kaffeemaschine might just have the answer. Meet the Kaffeemaschine GT…
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We’re suckers for classic Moto Guzzi café racers. But we like it even more when someone messes up the recipe a little. As with this sleek and quirky 1000 SP from France—which mixes conventional and unorthodox styling cues to great effect. It comes from Samuel Aguiar, a multi-talented chap who designs furniture as well as…
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Moto Guzzi’s V85 TT has a lot going for it: a motor with tons of character, a capable chassis, and a look that mixes ‘adventure’ and ‘retro.’ But with such a unique aesthetic, we wouldn’t have a clue where to even begin customizing it. To make an impact with the V85 TT, you really have…
Read more »You’ve probably heard the word ‘bitsa’ thrown around these parts if you’re a regular here. For the uninitiated, it’s a motorcycle that…
Read more »Moto Guzzi have produced some truly iconic motorcycles over the years, but they’ve also made some serious design missteps. We reckon the…
Read more »Most custom enthusiasts refine and tinker with their bikes. Sometimes it’s to keep them in line with changing tastes and styles. Sometimes…
Read more »The launch of the V85 TT has boosted interest in dual-sport Moto Guzzis lately. And it’s about time: the competent Stelvio was…
Read more »Moto Guzzi has a rich legacy of building motorcycles for Italy’s civil servants. The V7 of 1967 was originally designed as a…
Read more »One of the wonderful things about customization is that it can breathe new life into otherwise unloved motorcycles. Need proof? Just look…
Read more »Kaffeemaschine is one of the big success stories in the European custom world. Founder Axel Budde specializes in high-end Moto Guzzi cafe…
Read more »Situated at the crossroads of passion and pragmatism, the team at Revival Cycles knows when it’s time to shred the establishment, and…
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