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.
Like many of Japan’s top motorcycle customizers, Kenji ‘Katsu’ Katsumoto got his start with vintage Harleys. But he’s not bound to any one brand or style these days—so when a client requested a Moto Guzzi Griso café racer with street fighter underpinnings, he didn’t hesitate. Operating as Katsu Motorworks in Fukuoka, Japan, Katsumoto-san built his…
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There aren’t many motorcycle manufacturers that have been around for a hundred years. Especially if you ignore brand revivals, or buy-outs from foreign companies. Last year, Moto Guzzi celebrated a century of continuous motorcycle production. It was a surprisingly low-key affair, but at least one custom workshop has decided to mark the event—Gas & Oil…
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The custom scene has evolved in myriad ways since we first launched Bike EXIF, but we’re still suckers for motorcycles that play on classic themes. This quintessential café racer from Rusty Wrench Motorcycles ticks all the right boxes, with clean lines, subtle upgrades and an immaculate livery. Remarkable, when you consider that it started out…
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Back in the 90s, Moto Guzzi was mostly associated with old school, rumbling v-twin engines. Ducati had stolen the sporting crown, and the Mandello factory was increasingly out of sync with the market. Production figures tumbled: highs of over 45,000 in the early seventies fell to a dismal 3,274 units in 1993. As part of…
Read more »It’s all about the high end this week, with a titanium-framed beauty from CCM in the UK, a very rapid Ducati Monster…
Read more »The last time we checked in with Blacktrack Motors, they’d just turned a bloated Harley cruiser into a svelte café racer. Their…
Read more »The landmark moto show EICMA has returned for 2021, and there’s a palpable if cautious sense of relief in the industry. New…
Read more »Tom Simpson is a busy man. As the only pair of hands at Foundry Motorcycle, he’s usually in the workshop six days…
Read more »We’re launching into this week’s round-up with a radically reworked Moto Guzzi Bellagio, and finishing off with a look at the upcoming…
Read more »When a major OEM releases an anniversary edition motorcycle, it’s typically an existing model with a new livery and a numbered plaque.…
Read more »Something for everyone this week: The classic perfection of a Moto Guzzi café racer, a stealthy R18 commissioned by BMW, and a…
Read more »Moto Guzzi turned 100 this year, and celebrated with a slew of special edition models. But the crew at Guzzi Motobox in…
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