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Motorcycling Lifestyles
BIKES: Moto Guzzi Turns 90
Neale Bayly celebrates Moto Guzzi's 90th Anniversary.
Mandello del Lario, on the shores of Lake Como, holds a special place in my heart, dating back to my formative motorcycling years when I owned a blood-red Moto Guzzi 850 Le Mans. So when I received an invite to attend a festival celebrating their 90th anniversary, it would be an understatement to say I was excited to travel to Italy to join the celebrations. Over the years I’ve ridden a lot of Moto Guzzi motorcycles, and I’ve visited the factory for an extended visit and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Heading to Italy this time, though, I knew there was something really special going on, and I couldn’t wait to find out.
On arrival, we found the famous factory, where construction of Moto Guzzi motorcycles has continued without interruption for an incredible ninety years in the same buildings, a hive of industry. Workers swarmed the premises setting up displays, shopping areas and numerous exhibits to showcase the glorious history of the company, and more importantly the exciting future. Owned now by the Piaggio Group, best known for the Aprilia and Vespa brands, it is quite apparent this historic marque is very important to its Italian owner.
As we traveled alongside Lake Como on our way to the factory, the roads were teeming with Moto Guzzi motorcycles of all shapes and sizes. And as the day progressed, it seemed like a never-ending number of bikes kept flooding into the small town as the celebrations got ready to take off. Officially titled Giornate Mondiali Guzzi (Guzzi World Days), there were around 20,000 motorcycles with license plates from just about every European country imaginable packing the streets of Mandello. With most of them heavily loaded with luggage and covered in road grime it’s obvious most people have ridden a long way to be here. This clearly isn’t Bike Week.
In total we spent three days with the Moto Guzzi crew, and there were a lot of highlights, one of my favorites being able to spend some time with Piaggio’s designer, Miguel Galuzzi. Originally from Argentina, Miguel designed Ducati’s Monster, before he made the move to Aprilia. As the man responsible for the modern lineup of Aprilia Shiver and Dorsoduros, Manas, and more, Miguel was working on the RSV-4 Superbike when I first met him. A sportbike fan first, I’m not sure if there is a more beautiful race replica made today, so when he told me he is now working very closely on all the new Moto Guzzi models, I knew my initial feelings about coming to Italy were well founded. He talked about all the current Moto Guzzi models and how he has influenced their design, and he was especially pleased with the new Norge, a machine I have had no experience with. But as luck would have it, after my time with Miguel I was fortunate enough to take one for a spin around Lake Como with a large group of journalists.
Joined by Piaggio’s press representative, Melissa MacCaull doing passenger duty, my first impressions were very favorable. A fabulous and modern-looking motorcycle, it proved to be comfortable, plenty powerful enough to not even notice my small passenger and impressive in the handling department. For most of the ride we rode very conservatively, but in some of the descending switchbacks I couldn’t resist seeing what the Norge was capable of. I was blown away how such a big bike could feel so nimble, while being able to change lines if needed. It would probably have left me dumbfounded, if I hadn’t had a moment of realization that we were on the very roads the Guzzi staff must use to test their prototypes.
Now I wanted to find every decreasing-radius, tight, descending bend we could and rail through it at speed. And with no complaints from Melissa on the passenger seat, I did just that. With plenty of low-down power to pick the throttle up at low rpm, you never find yourself in the wrong gear, and with strong progressive brakes and well-chosen suspension settings, it’s almost criminal how fast you can enter corners. Well it would be in America. The only problem with the ride on the Norge was that it was too short, but we had to get back to the factory and our next assignment.
On my first visit to the Moto Guzzi factory, I had the pleasure of a day alone in the museum. Here, the full history of the Italian company is laid out in two-wheeled exhibits dating back to 1921. With some of the most exotic, rare, and incredible machines on two wheels on display, it was the 1950s 500cc V-8 racer that got my vote as the most beautiful and exotic machine in the collection. For our visit, Melissa had set us up an interview with Enrico Cantoni, one of the original designers of this mind-blowing machine. Sitting with him next to the machine he designed with pencil and paper some nearly 60 years ago, I thought about the modern world of computers and how different it was for him. Working with two other engineers, they incredibly designed and built the bike within two years and then took it racing on the world stage. Eight cylinders and 32 valves packed into a 500cc package must have had the world abuzz back in its day for sure.
In the evenings the Mandello streets were packed with crowds of Guzzisti, with motorcycles parked everywhere from sidewalk to street. Affable Germans in tight shorts and flip-flops singing at the top of their lungs with large glasses of beer in their hands weave through the crowds. Immaculately dressed Italian couples promenading as if in a fashion magazine shoot. Kids, dogs, and scooters liven up the mix, and there always seems to be a bunch of old Italian men on even older single-cylinder Moto Guzzis belching smoke, or with honking horns to a cheering crowd. Restaurant tables pour out onto the crowded streets as people ate, drank and watched the world go by in the warm evening air. One night there was a huge live concert, with food and drinks available, and it seemed as if every person in town was in attendance. The band was fantastic, and we enjoyed a lively evening with a number of fellow journalists from around the globe soaking up the festivities.
During our time in Italy, I also got to sample the new Moto Guzzi Stelvio. As a welcome addition to the big adventure touring market, the Stelvio comes fully equipped for some serious world travel and initially feels extremely comfortable and capable. Able to swing through the tight lakeside bends with aplomb, we never had chance to really put it through it’s paces, but my brief ride certainly left me inquisitive about making this scenario happen one day soon. While we were out and about, I also got to swing a leg over the V 7 Sport. This classic-styled machine is the motorcycle that most resembles my old Moto Guzzi Le Mans from my misspent youth, and it really was a special experience for me. Providing a tangible link to the long, storied history of this world-famous marque, with a solid foot in the future with its modern design elements, the V 7 is just the sweetest, easy natured motorcycle you can ride.
We also attended a very crowded press briefing, where we heard the official press statements about Piaggio’s investment in Moto Guzzi over the next few years: forty million Euros to be precise. There are new, exciting models coming, new buildings and manufacturing at the factory in Mandelo, and across the board sales are up in a very down motorcycle market. Seems like a great time for a party and a reason to celebrate the past, the present and the future for this famous Italian motorcycle company.
View Photos Here!
On arrival, we found the famous factory, where construction of Moto Guzzi motorcycles has continued without interruption for an incredible ninety years in the same buildings, a hive of industry. Workers swarmed the premises setting up displays, shopping areas and numerous exhibits to showcase the glorious history of the company, and more importantly the exciting future. Owned now by the Piaggio Group, best known for the Aprilia and Vespa brands, it is quite apparent this historic marque is very important to its Italian owner.
As we traveled alongside Lake Como on our way to the factory, the roads were teeming with Moto Guzzi motorcycles of all shapes and sizes. And as the day progressed, it seemed like a never-ending number of bikes kept flooding into the small town as the celebrations got ready to take off. Officially titled Giornate Mondiali Guzzi (Guzzi World Days), there were around 20,000 motorcycles with license plates from just about every European country imaginable packing the streets of Mandello. With most of them heavily loaded with luggage and covered in road grime it’s obvious most people have ridden a long way to be here. This clearly isn’t Bike Week.
In total we spent three days with the Moto Guzzi crew, and there were a lot of highlights, one of my favorites being able to spend some time with Piaggio’s designer, Miguel Galuzzi. Originally from Argentina, Miguel designed Ducati’s Monster, before he made the move to Aprilia. As the man responsible for the modern lineup of Aprilia Shiver and Dorsoduros, Manas, and more, Miguel was working on the RSV-4 Superbike when I first met him. A sportbike fan first, I’m not sure if there is a more beautiful race replica made today, so when he told me he is now working very closely on all the new Moto Guzzi models, I knew my initial feelings about coming to Italy were well founded. He talked about all the current Moto Guzzi models and how he has influenced their design, and he was especially pleased with the new Norge, a machine I have had no experience with. But as luck would have it, after my time with Miguel I was fortunate enough to take one for a spin around Lake Como with a large group of journalists.
Joined by Piaggio’s press representative, Melissa MacCaull doing passenger duty, my first impressions were very favorable. A fabulous and modern-looking motorcycle, it proved to be comfortable, plenty powerful enough to not even notice my small passenger and impressive in the handling department. For most of the ride we rode very conservatively, but in some of the descending switchbacks I couldn’t resist seeing what the Norge was capable of. I was blown away how such a big bike could feel so nimble, while being able to change lines if needed. It would probably have left me dumbfounded, if I hadn’t had a moment of realization that we were on the very roads the Guzzi staff must use to test their prototypes.
Now I wanted to find every decreasing-radius, tight, descending bend we could and rail through it at speed. And with no complaints from Melissa on the passenger seat, I did just that. With plenty of low-down power to pick the throttle up at low rpm, you never find yourself in the wrong gear, and with strong progressive brakes and well-chosen suspension settings, it’s almost criminal how fast you can enter corners. Well it would be in America. The only problem with the ride on the Norge was that it was too short, but we had to get back to the factory and our next assignment.
On my first visit to the Moto Guzzi factory, I had the pleasure of a day alone in the museum. Here, the full history of the Italian company is laid out in two-wheeled exhibits dating back to 1921. With some of the most exotic, rare, and incredible machines on two wheels on display, it was the 1950s 500cc V-8 racer that got my vote as the most beautiful and exotic machine in the collection. For our visit, Melissa had set us up an interview with Enrico Cantoni, one of the original designers of this mind-blowing machine. Sitting with him next to the machine he designed with pencil and paper some nearly 60 years ago, I thought about the modern world of computers and how different it was for him. Working with two other engineers, they incredibly designed and built the bike within two years and then took it racing on the world stage. Eight cylinders and 32 valves packed into a 500cc package must have had the world abuzz back in its day for sure.
In the evenings the Mandello streets were packed with crowds of Guzzisti, with motorcycles parked everywhere from sidewalk to street. Affable Germans in tight shorts and flip-flops singing at the top of their lungs with large glasses of beer in their hands weave through the crowds. Immaculately dressed Italian couples promenading as if in a fashion magazine shoot. Kids, dogs, and scooters liven up the mix, and there always seems to be a bunch of old Italian men on even older single-cylinder Moto Guzzis belching smoke, or with honking horns to a cheering crowd. Restaurant tables pour out onto the crowded streets as people ate, drank and watched the world go by in the warm evening air. One night there was a huge live concert, with food and drinks available, and it seemed as if every person in town was in attendance. The band was fantastic, and we enjoyed a lively evening with a number of fellow journalists from around the globe soaking up the festivities.
During our time in Italy, I also got to sample the new Moto Guzzi Stelvio. As a welcome addition to the big adventure touring market, the Stelvio comes fully equipped for some serious world travel and initially feels extremely comfortable and capable. Able to swing through the tight lakeside bends with aplomb, we never had chance to really put it through it’s paces, but my brief ride certainly left me inquisitive about making this scenario happen one day soon. While we were out and about, I also got to swing a leg over the V 7 Sport. This classic-styled machine is the motorcycle that most resembles my old Moto Guzzi Le Mans from my misspent youth, and it really was a special experience for me. Providing a tangible link to the long, storied history of this world-famous marque, with a solid foot in the future with its modern design elements, the V 7 is just the sweetest, easy natured motorcycle you can ride.
We also attended a very crowded press briefing, where we heard the official press statements about Piaggio’s investment in Moto Guzzi over the next few years: forty million Euros to be precise. There are new, exciting models coming, new buildings and manufacturing at the factory in Mandelo, and across the board sales are up in a very down motorcycle market. Seems like a great time for a party and a reason to celebrate the past, the present and the future for this famous Italian motorcycle company.
View Photos Here!
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