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.
This week we’ve got a smokin’ hot XSR155 in John Player colors from West Java, Harley’s cool and classy Electra Glide Revival, and a Moto Guzzi eBay bargain. Plus a brief appreciation of Dick ‘Bugsy’ Mann, who passed away last Monday.
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For most custom motorcycle builders, their creations are like their children: it’s impossible to pick a favorite. But sometimes there’s one project that stands out. For Luis Correia and his team at Maria Motorcycles in Portugal, it’s this immaculate Moto Guzzi Le Mans cafe racer. Luis is proud of how it turned out, as he…
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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…
Read more »We’re suckers for classic Moto Guzzi café racers. But we like it even more when someone messes up the recipe a little.…
Read more »Moto Guzzi’s V85 TT has a lot going for it: a motor with tons of character, a capable chassis, and a look…
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…
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