Moto Guzzi
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Moto Guzzi is an Italian
motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: Long-distance ...
manufacturer Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to ...
and the oldest
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
an manufacturer in continuous motorcycle production. Established in 1921 in
Mandello del Lario Mandello del Lario (Lecchese: ) is an Italian town and '' comune'' in the province of Lecco, in Lombardy, on Lake Como. Since 1921, Mandello del Lario has been home to Moto Guzzi—the Italian motorcycle manufacturer, now a subsidiary of Piaggi ...
, Italy, the company is noted for its historic role in Italy's motorcycling manufacture, its prominence worldwide in
motorcycle racing Motorcycle racing (also called moto racing and motorbike racing) is the motorcycle sport of racing motorcycles. Major varieties include motorcycle road racing and off-road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing. O ...
, and industry
innovation Innovation is the practical implementation of ideas that result in the introduction of new goods or services or improvement in offering goods or services. ISO TC 279 in the standard ISO 56000:2020 defines innovation as "a new or changed enti ...
s—including the first motorcycle centre stand,
wind tunnel Wind tunnels are large tubes with air blowing through them which are used to replicate the interaction between air and an object flying through the air or moving along the ground. Researchers use wind tunnels to learn more about how an aircraft ...
and eight-cylinder engine. Since 2004, Moto Guzzi has been an ''unico azionista'', a wholly owned subsidiary, and one of seven brands owned by Piaggio & C. SpA, Europe's largest motorcycle manufacturer and the world's fourth largest motorcycle manufacturer by unit sales. The company's motorcycles are noted for their air-cooled 90° V-twin engines with a longitudinal crankshaft orientation where the engines' transverse cylinder heads project prominently on either side of the motorcycle.


History

Similar to other storied motorcycle manufacturers that have survived for decades, Moto Guzzi has experienced a series of business cycles and a series of ownership arrangements—some complex, some brief, some that have endured.


1921–1966 – Origins

Moto Guzzi was conceived by two aircraft pilots and their mechanic serving in the
Corpo Aeronautico Militare The Italian Corpo Aeronautico Militare (Military Aviation Corps) was formed as part of the Regio Esercito (Royal Army) on 7 January 1915, incorporating the Aviators Flights Battalion (airplanes), the Specialists Battalion (airships) and the Ballo ...
(the Italian Air Corp, ''CAM'') during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
: Giorgio Parodi, Giovanni Ravelli and Carlo Guzzi. Assigned to the same Miraglia Squadron based outside Venice, the three became close, despite coming from different socio-economic backgrounds. They envisaged creating a motorcycle company after the war. Parodi (the son of wealthy Genovese ship-owners) would finance the venture, Ravelli (already a famous pilot and motorcycle racer) would promote the bikes with his racing prowess and Guzzi would engineer the motorcycles. Ravelli died just days after the war's end in an aircraft crash and is commemorated by the eagle's wings that form the Moto Guzzi logo. Giorgio Parodi, his brother Angelo, and Carlo Guzzi created a privately held silent partnership "Società Anonima Moto Guzzi" on 15 March 1921, for the purpose of (according to the original articles of incorporation) "the manufacture and the sale of motor cycles and any other activity in relation to or connected to metallurgical and mechanical industry". The company was legally based in Genoa, Italy, with its headquarters in Mandello. The very earliest motorcycles bore the name ''G.P.'' (Guzzi-Parodi), though the marque quickly changed to ''Moto Guzzi''. As the only shareholders, the Parodis wanted to shield their shipping fortunes by avoiding confusion of the name ''G.P.'' with Giorgio Parodi's initials. Carlo Guzzi initially received royalties for each motorcycle produced, holding no ownership in the company that bore his name. In 1946 Moto Guzzi formally incorporated as ''Moto Guzzi S.p.A.'' with Giorgio Parodi as chairman. Carlo Guzzi's first engine design was a horizontal
single-cylinder engine A single-cylinder engine, sometimes called a thumper, is a piston engine with one cylinder. This engine is often used for motorcycles, motor scooters, go-karts, all-terrain vehicles, radio-controlled vehicles, portable tools and garden machinery ...
that dominated the first 45 years of the company's history in various configurations. Through 1934, each engine bore the signature of the mechanic who built it. As originally envisioned, the company used racing to promote the brand. In the
1935 Isle of Man TT For the 1935 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, Stanley Woods provided another surprise by moving again, from Husqvarna to Moto Guzzi. The 1935 Junior TT Race provided a Junior TT double win for Jimmie Guthrie at an average race speed of and Norton ...
, Moto Guzzi factory rider
Stanley Woods Stanley Woods (1903 – 28 July 1993) was an Irish motorcycle racer famous for 29 motorcycle Grand Prix wins in the 1920s and 1930s, winning the Isle of Man TT races ten times in his career, plus wins at Assen and elsewhere. He was also a ski ...
scored an impressive double victory with wins in the
Lightweight TT The Lightweight TT is a motorcycle road race that is a part of the Isle of Man TT festival - an annual motorcycle event traditionally held over the last week of May and first week of June. History The Lightweight class was first present at the ...
as well as the
Senior TT The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the Blue Riband event of the festi ...
. Until the mid-1940s, the traditional horizontal
four-stroke A four-stroke (also four-cycle) engine is an internal combustion (IC) engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning the crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston along the cylinder, in either direct ...
single-cylinder 500 cc engines were fitted with one overhead and one side valve but contrary to the usual practice of having inlet over exhaust (IOE), this employed the side valve for induction and the overhead valve for exhaust. Also unusual was the adoption of only one hairspring (type of valve spring) to close the exhaust valve. These were the highest performance engines Moto Guzzi sold to the general public. By contrast, the company supplied the official racing team and private racers with higher performance racing machines with varying overhead cam, multi-valve configurations and cylinder designs. In the 1950s, Moto Guzzi, along with the Italian factories of Gilera and Mondial, led the world of
Grand Prix motorcycle racing Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
. With durable and lightweight 250 cc and 350 cc bikes designed by Giulio Carcano, the firm dominated the middleweight classes. The factory won five consecutive 350 cc world championships between 1953 and 1957. Realizing that low weight alone might not continue to win races for the company, Carcano designed the V8 500 cc GP race bike: its engine was one of the most complex of its time. Despite leading many races and frequently posting the fastest lap time, the V8 often failed to complete races because of mechanical problems. Its development ended when Moto Guzzi (together with its main competitors Gilera and Mondial) withdrew from racing after the 1957 season citing rising costs and falling motorcycle sales. By the time of its pull out from Grand Prix racing, Moto Guzzi had won 3,329 official races, 8
World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
, 6 Constructor's Championships and 11
Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...
victories. The period after
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
was as difficult in Mandello del Lario as it was elsewhere in post-war Europe. The solution was production of inexpensive, lighter cycles. The 1946 "Motoleggera", a 65 cc lightweight motorcycle became very popular in post-war Italy. A four-stroke 175 cc scooter known as the "Galletto" also sold well. Though modest cycles for the company, the lighter cycles continue to feature Guzzi's innovation and commitment to quality. The step-through Galletto initially featured a manual, foot-shifted three-speed (160 cc) configuration then later a four-speed (175 cc) set-up by the end of 1952. The displacement was increased to 192 cc in 1954 and electric start was added in 1961. Moto Guzzi was limited in its endeavors to penetrate the important scooter market as motorcycle popularity waned after WWII. Italian scooter competitors would not tolerate an incursion from Moto Guzzi. By innovating the first large-wheeled scooter, Guzzi competed less directly with manufacturers of small-wheeled scooters such as Piaggio (Vespa) and Lambretta. To illustrate the delicate balance within the Italian post-war motorcycle and scooter markets, when Guzzi developed their own prototype for a small-wheeled scooter, Lambretta retaliated with a prototype for a small V-twin ''motorcycle'' threatening to directly compete on Moto Guzzi's turf. The two companies compromised: Guzzi never produced their small-wheeled scooter and Lambretta never manufactured the motorcycle. The drive train that Lambretta made in their 1953 motorcycle prototype remarkably resembles the ''V-twin + drive shaft'' arrangement that Guzzi developed more than ten years later, ultimately to become iconic of the company. By 1964, the company was in full financial crisis. Emanuele Parodi and his son Giorgio had died, Carlo Guzzi had retired to private life, and direction passed to Enrico Parodi, Giorgio's brother. Carlo Guzzi died on 3 November 1964, in Mandello, after a brief hospital stay in Davos.


1967–1973 – SEIMM years

In February 1967, SEIMM (Società Esercizio Industrie Moto Meccaniche), a state-controlled receiver, took ownership of Moto Guzzi. The SEIMM oversight saw Moto Guzzi adapting to a cultural shift away from motorcycles to automobiles. The company focused on popular lightweight mopeds including the Dingo and Trotter – and the 125 cc Stornello motorcycle. Also during the SEIMM years, Guzzi developed the 90° V twin engine, designed by Giulio Cesare Carcano, which would become iconic of Moto Guzzi. Though Moto Guzzi has employed engines of myriad configurations, none has come to symbolize the company more than the air-cooled 90°
V-twin A V-twin engine, also called a V2 engine, is a two-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. Although widely associated with motorcycles (installed either transversely or longi ...
with a longitudinal crankshaft orientation and the engine's transverse cylinder heads projecting prominently on either side of the bike. The original V-twin was designed in the early 1960s by engineer Giulio Cesare Carcano, designer of the DOHC V8 Grand Prix racer. The air-cooled, longitudinal crankshaft, transverse cylinder, pushrod V-twin began life with 700 cc displacement and – designed to win a competition sponsored by the Italian government for a new police bike. The sturdy shaft-drive, air-cooled V-twin won, giving Moto Guzzi renewed competitiveness. This 1967 Moto Guzzi V7 with the original Carcano engine has been continuously developed into the 1,200 cc, versions.
Lino Tonti Lino Tonti (September 16, 1920 – June 8, 2002) was an Italian motorcycle engineer known for designing a number of sport and racing motorcycles in the 1950s and 1960s, and for creating his signature 'Tonti frame' for Moto Guzzi's 1971 V7 Spo ...
redesigned the motor for the 1971 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport. This engine is the basis of the 750 cc, 1,100 cc and 1,200 cc Guzzi engines. The longitudinal crankshaft and orientation of the engine create a slight gyroscope effect, with a slightly asymmetrical behavior in turns.


1973–2000 – De Tomaso years

After experiencing financial difficulties in the late 1960s, De Tomaso Industries Inc. (D.T.I. Group or DTI), manufacturer of the
De Tomaso De Tomaso Automobili ltd. (previously known as De Tomaso Modena SpA) is an Italian car-manufacturing company. It was founded by the Argentine-born Alejandro de Tomaso (1928–2003) in Modena in 1959. It originally produced various prototypes an ...
sports and luxury cars, owned by Argentinian industrialist
Alejandro de Tomaso Alejandro de Tomaso (10 July 1928 in Buenos Aires – 21 May 2003 in Modena, Italy) was a racing driver and businessman from Argentina. His name is sometimes seen in an Italianised form as ''Alessandro de Tomaso''. He participated in two Formula O ...
, purchased SEIMM (and thereby Moto Guzzi) along with
Benelli Benelli may refer to: *Benelli Armi SpA, an Italian firearm manufacturer *Benelli (motorcycles), an Italian motorcycle manufacturer *HSR-Benelli, an Austrian-Italian manufacturer of personal watercraft *Andrea Benelli (born 1960), Italian sports sho ...
and
Maserati Maserati S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury vehicle manufacturer. Established on 1 December 1914, in Bologna, Italy, the company's headquarters are now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. The company has been owned by Stellantis since 2021. ...
in 1973. Under Tomaso's stewardship, Moto Guzzi returned to profitability, though other reports suggest a period of limited investment in Moto Guzzi followed attributed to DTI using Moto Guzzi financially prioritizing their automotive ventures. In November 1975 Guzzi first showed the 850 Le Mans at the Milan Show that was much later described as a "remarkably aggressive and attractive motorcycle".Falloon, Ian (2008). Moto Guzzi Story. Second Edition. Haynes. P139. Today the early versions, the Series I especially, are considered one of the most iconic and collectible of all Guzzis. A marketing success that would compete with other Italian superbikes, it spawned four later models from Mark II to its culmination in the 1990s, the Le Mans 1000 or Mark V. The initial model is known widely but incorrectly as the Mark I. Technically, it is simply the 850 Le Mans. It was named in homage to the 24-hour endurance race and circuit in France. The Mark I had two production runs with slight modifications. The first run, known as Series 1, used the roundish CEV stop/taillight used on many Italian bikes of the decade. Although it is often stated that fewer than 2,000 of these were made, Ian Falloon claims 219 were made in 1975 and a further 2,532 in 1976 although it is possible some of these were Series 2 bikes built at the end of the year. The Series 2 run totaled some 4,000 (2,548 in 1977, 1,737 in 1978). Falloon gives total Mark I production as 7,036. Series 2 used a De Tomaso-designed rectangular taillight/reflector and modified rear guard. This was also used on the Mark II and SP models. The taillight and guard was the biggest change between Series 1 and 2 but other modifications included later inclusion of a tripmeter, black fork lowers, a more generous dual seat that replaced the split-prone original seat, exhaust pipe heel guards and inferior fuel taps. The extra cost compared to the "cooking" T3 model paid for performance items such as high-compression domed pistons, larger inlet and exhaust valves and Dell'Orto 36 mm pumper carbs with filterless grey plastic velocity stacks. Most Mk I bikes were brilliant red although a very small number were painted in metallic ice blue. An exceedingly small number of Series 2 bikes were white. In 1979, a small-block version of the air-cooled V-twin designed by engineer Lino Tonti was introduced as the V35. Radical when introduced, the design featured horizontally split
crankcase In a piston engine, the crankcase is the housing that surrounds the crankshaft. In most modern engines, the crankcase is integrated into the engine block. Two-stroke engines typically use a crankcase-compression design, resulting in the fuel ...
s and Heron heads. The former was a common feature of contemporary Japanese motorcycle design, whilst the latter was widely used in car engines. Both features allow more efficient mass production and also the design of the engine and associated components cut the weight from of the contemporary 850 T3 to the of the V35. The power of the original V35 at was competitive with engines of comparable displacement of the period – later, larger versions (V50, V65, V75) were rapidly outclassed by competing water-cooled engines. The Breva and Nevada today feature a descendant of Tonti's V35 engine: the 750 cc V-twin, rated at . With its ease of maintenance, durability and even, flat torque curve, the engine design remains suitable to everyday, real-world situations. As Guzzi continued to develop the V-twin, power was increased in the mid-1980s when Guzzi created four-valve versions of the "small block" series. Of these, the 650 and the 750 were rated at and respectively. The production of the four-valve "small block" engines ended in the later 1980s. Moto Guzzis have used a hydraulic integrated brake system, where the right front disc works off the handlebar lever, while the left front and the rear disc work off the foot brake. The cartridge front fork used in Guzzi's motorcycles of the later 1970s and 1980s is a Guzzi invention. Instead of containing the damping oil in the fork, it is in a cartridge. Oil in the fork is purely for lubrication. Still under the De Tomaso umbrella, in 1988,
Benelli Benelli may refer to: *Benelli Armi SpA, an Italian firearm manufacturer *Benelli (motorcycles), an Italian motorcycle manufacturer *HSR-Benelli, an Austrian-Italian manufacturer of personal watercraft *Andrea Benelli (born 1960), Italian sports sho ...
and SEIMM merged to create Guzzi Benelli Moto (G.B.M. S.p.A.). During this period, Moto Guzzi existed as an entity within the De Tomaso owned G.B.M., but in 1996 celebrated its 75th birthday and the return of its name to Moto Guzzi S.p.A. In 1996, De Tomaso became Trident Rowan Group, also known as TRG.


2000–2004 – Aprilia years

Under the helm of Ivano Beggio, Aprilia S.p.A. acquired Moto Guzzi S.p.A. on 14 April 2000 for $65 million. According to the original press release, the intention had been that Moto Guzzi would remain headquartered in Mandello del Lario and would share Aprilia's technological, R&D capabilities and financial resources as well. The arrangement would remain short-lived, as Aprilia itself stumbled financially. At the same time Aprilia attempted to diversify in other areas of manufacturing, new Italian laws required helmets for motorcyclists and raising insurance rates for teenage motorcyclists, severely affected the company's profitability. Nonetheless, Aprilia had committed large sums to renovating the Mandello Moto Guzzi factory – renovations that were ultimately completed. Ducati Motor Holding again made an offer for Moto Guzzi during Aprilia's financial difficulties, as it had before when Aprilia had purchased Moto Guzzi in 2000. Other potential buyers included Kymco and the BRP subsidiary
Rotax Rotax is the brand name for a range of internal combustion engines developed and manufactured by the Austrian company BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG (until 2016 BRP-Powertrain GmbH & Co. KG), in turn owned by the Canadian Bombardier Recreational Produc ...
, Kymco reportedly making the highest offer. The Moto Guzzi assembly line closed for a short period in March 2004, due to the financial difficulties.


2004 onwards – Piaggio years

On 30 December 2004, Piaggio & C. S.p.A. acquired Aprilia. Moto Guzzi S.p.A. officially becomes a ''Unico Azionista'' of Piaggio, part of Immsi S.p.A. Investments have allowed the introduction of a series of competitive new models in rapid succession. In November 2007, Moto Guzzi unveiled the retro-themed 2008 V7 Classic at the Motorcycle and Bicycle Manufacturers show in Milan, Italy. It was available in Europe in mid-2008, and Moto Guzzi announced plans in late-2008 to make it available to US buyers. The company has begun making limited collectors' editions of Guzzi originals.


Key people

The following is a list of key people associated with Moto Guzzi since its launch. Founders: * Carlo Guzzi (1889–1964): conceived the marque with Giovani Ravelli and Giorgio Parodi – each members of the mechanics Italian Air Corp. He died in November 1964 aged 75. * Giorgio Parodi (1897–1955): aircraft pilot, whose father financed the original company. * Giovanni Ravelli (d. 1918): one of the original three friends who envisioned a company that would engineer and sell motorcycles—what was later to become Moto Guzzi—was not present at the formal birth of Moto Guzzi in 1921, having perished in a 1918 air crash. At the time he met Guzzi and Parodi, he had already established himself as an accomplished motorcycle racer, having raced in the 1913 Tourist Trophy on a Premier 500. Engineers: * Giulio Cesare Carcano: engineer with Guzzi from 1936 to 1966, inventor of the DOHC V8 engine and the air-cooled V-twin that became synonymous with Moto Guzzi. He died in September 2005 after a second career as a Naval Architect but remained in service to Moto Guzzi into his retirement. * Umberto Todero: Joining Moto Guzzi in 1939, his career spanned from the days of the original founders, through the SEIMM, de Tomaso, and Aprilia years, into the ownership of Piaggio. He died while still in service to the company in February 2005. *
Lino Tonti Lino Tonti (September 16, 1920 – June 8, 2002) was an Italian motorcycle engineer known for designing a number of sport and racing motorcycles in the 1950s and 1960s, and for creating his signature 'Tonti frame' for Moto Guzzi's 1971 V7 Spo ...
: engineer, joined the company in 1967 to replace Carcano, developed the V7 Sport, the small block V50, and the Tonti Frame. Racers: * Giuseppe Guzzi (14 August 1882 – 6 June 1962): Carlo's brother, rode the famed GT Norge on the 1928 Arctic Circle raid to test the first motorcycle rear swingarm suspension. *
Stanley Woods Stanley Woods (1903 – 28 July 1993) was an Irish motorcycle racer famous for 29 motorcycle Grand Prix wins in the 1920s and 1930s, winning the Isle of Man TT races ten times in his career, plus wins at Assen and elsewhere. He was also a ski ...
: esteemed motorcycle racer who captained Moto Guzzi's to numerable Isle of Man TT wins. * Omobono Tenni: celebrated 47 victories racing for Moto Guzzi in the period between 1933 and 1948. *
Bill Lomas Bill Lomas (8 March 1928 – 14 August 2007) was an English Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He was a two-time World Champion and a two-time Isle of Man TT winner. He won the 1955 and 1956 350cc world championship as a member of the Moto Gu ...
: won the 1955 and 1956 350 cc world championship for Moto Guzzi, defeating multi-cylinder machines on his and aerodynamic single-cylinder bike. The Mandello Guzzi Museum has a section devoted to Lomas' two world title wins and also his outings on the legendary Moto Guzzi Grand Prix 500 cc V8. * John Wittner: American dentist, highly skilled pilot and mechanic, craftsman of the 1000 Daytona, with engineer Umberto Todero.


Production figures

*1929: 2,500 units *1971: 46,487 units (historic high) *1993: 3,274 units (historical low) *1994: 4,300 units (approx) *1997: 5,600 units (approx) *1998: 5,647 units *1999: 6,275 units *2004: fewer than 4,000 units *2005: fewer than 5,000 units *2006: greater than 10,000 units *2011: 5,763 *2012: 6,664 *2013: 6,800


Technical innovations


CARC

''(Cardano Reattivo Compatto)'': Above a certain power level the competing forces of drive-shaft arrangements can severely disrupt the suspension of a motorcycle (especially at application of throttle), a phenomenon called " shaft jacking". Moto Guzzi introduced its first anti-jacking system with the Daytona in 1993 and evolved that design though the 2005 V11 Sport. Guzzi later introduced their CARC system, emulating the BMW Paralever design and serving the same function. Kawasaki introduced its Tetra-lever system for similar reasons on the Kawasaki Concours 14 (also known as the 1400 GTR).
Arturo Magni Arturo Magni (Usmate Velate, 24 September 1925 - Samarate, 2 December 2015) was an Italian engineer racing team manager and entrepreneur. Early life Arturo Magni was born in Usmate Velate, near Milan in the Lombardy region of Italy on 24 Septem ...
(1925–2015) had sold "parallelogrammo" rear suspension kit in the early 1980s to resolve similar anti-torque issues. Moto Guzzi's Breva 750, Nevada 750, and California Vintage fall below the threshold that requires an anti-jacking drive-shaft system. The Breva 1100, Griso, Norge, Bellagio, Stelvio and 1200 Sport feature Guzzi's recently patented
swingarm A swingarm, or "swinging arm" (UK), originally known as a swing fork or pivoted fork, is a single or double sided mechanical device which attaches the rear wheel of a motorcycle to its body, allowing it to pivot vertically. The main component of ...
system, marketed as ''Compact Reactive Shaft Drive'' – also known as Ca. R.C. or CARC – introduced with the Breva 1100 in 2005. The system separates the shaft final drive's torque reaction from the suspension via floating torque arms and thereby eliminates the abruptness typical of shaft drive systems on acceleration or throttle-release – still providing a quiet, reliable and low maintenance drive system. Reviewers have observed excellent braking performance and drive train smoothness attributable to the CARC system.


Rear swingarm suspension

By 1928, long-distance motorcycle travel was limited by the lack of effective rear suspension design. Until then, alternative designs sacrificed torsional rigidity – gaining comfort but severely compromising handling. Carlo Guzzi and his brother Giuseppe designed an ''elastic frame'' using a sheet-steel box enclosing four springs, together with a swingarm in tubes and sheet metal. The first Moto Guzzi bike to employ the suspension was named the G.T. (for Gran Turismo, ''Grand Touring''), and to prove the suspension – and gain publicity for Moto Guzzi – the brothers conceived a challenging journey from Mandello del Lario to Capo Nord in northern
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...
. Despite the very poor condition of European roads at that time, Giuseppe Guzzi reached the
Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at ...
in four weeks. The elastic frame rear suspension was immediately introduced to production machines, transforming the usability of the motorcycle as an everyday form of transportation. In 2006, Moto Guzzi retraced the 'raid' of 1928 to introduce the Norge 1200. The word "Norge" is Norwegian for "Norway".


First DOHC V8 motorcycle engine

The Moto Guzzi Grand Prix V8, introduced in 1955, was a 500 cc racing motorcycle fitted with a
V8 engine A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V8 engine was produced by the French Antoinette company in 1904, developed and u ...
using dual overhead camshafts (DOHC). The engine was conceived by Giulio Carcano, Enrico Cantoni, Umberto Todero,
Ken Kavanagh Thomas Kenrick Kavanagh (12 December 1923 – 26 November 2019) was an Australian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and racecar driver. In 1952, Kavanagh became the first Australian to win a motorcycle Grand Prix race when he won the 350cc ...
and Fergus Anderson just after the 1954 Monza Grand Prix and designed by Dr. Carcano. The bore and stroke of the engine were : there were two valves per cylinder. Power was in the region of at 12,000 rpm, approximately more than the rival 4-cylinder MV Agustas and Gileras. The engine and the bike were unprecedented. The motorcycle proved capable of achieving —thirty years before the speed was reached again in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. However, the ''Otto Cilindri'' proved difficult to ride, as well as complex and expensive to build and maintain—bikes suffered broken crankshafts, overheating and seizing—all in addition to the danger the bike posed to the racers themselves. By 1957, there were two bikes available and no one willing to race the bike without further development and the bike was withdrawn.


Motorcycle wind tunnel

In 1950 Moto Guzzi created the first motorcycle
wind tunnel Wind tunnels are large tubes with air blowing through them which are used to replicate the interaction between air and an object flying through the air or moving along the ground. Researchers use wind tunnels to learn more about how an aircraft ...
, ''La Galleria del Vento'', capable of testing 1:1 prototypes at the Mandello del Lario works, thereby allowing the company to market an integral fairing. The wind tunnel enabled racers to mimic real-life riding conditions and optimize their seating and body position at varying racing speeds – an unprecedented advantage for racing and production motorcycles. In motorcycle prototyping, Moto Guzzi could refine the air stream around the motorcycle itself, develop an envelope of still air around the rider, reduce frontal area, optimize air penetration, and maximize fuel economy. The wind tunnel design is a modification of the open-circuit Eiffel type (after
Gustave Eiffel Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (born Bonickhausen dit Eiffel; ; ; 15 December 1832 – 27 December 1923) was a French civil engineer. A graduate of École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, he made his name with various bridges for the French railway ...
, designer of the
Eiffel tower The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. Locally nicknamed ...
in Paris), consisting of three sections. Air is drawn into the "Air Duct" with an aperture of , airspeed increases as it is passed through smaller and smaller diameters reaching max wind speed in the "Test Chamber" with a diameter of , and finally is exhausted through the "Outlet/Discharge" duct containing the fan mechanism – a three-bladed variable speed propeller driven by a electric motor. Located outside of the testing chamber adjacent to the central section, a control room houses fan mechanism controls and the measuring instruments. Outside of the chamber is a large dial "Scala Convenzionale" or "Conventional Scale" to indicate the varying degree of resistance offered by the motorcycle (and rider) to the passing air. Around the circumference of the dial, red lights at each degree provide a visual indicator to the rider and test personnel. This large scale remains visible to the rider in the tunnel during testing and by repositioning himself on the bike he can determine the changing and optimal resistance. A second measurement tool was an alcohol-filled micro-manometer connected to a Pitot tube placed at a 90–degree angle to the airflow in the tunnel. It is unknown to what extent the wind tunnel is used currently. The December 2005 press release for the Norge 1200 states that the bike was "thoroughly tested" in the Mandello wind tunnel. Aprilia, a company in the same group as Moto Guzzi, maintains a relationship with the aerodynamics program at the University of Perugia, where computer simulations combined with practical tests (done in smaller tunnels using scale models) can more effectively and economically provide accurate testing and feedback.


Truck-motorcycle hybrid

The Ercole (Hercules), produced in 1928, was capable of carrying an 800 lb (363 kg) load. Guzzi built a range of "goods vehicles", from 50 cc to 500 cc, between 1928 and 1980.


Large-wheel scooter

Though the design criteria of a scooter have grown increasingly fluid, historically a scooter featured small wheels – especially in post-war Italy (due to huge stockpiles of landing-gear tyres for fighter planes, made redundant with the ending of the war and sold off as surplus). The configuration, along with a compact engine, allowed the scooter its trademark step-through design. With the 1950 introduction of the Galletto 160, Moto Guzzi developed a large-wheel scooter. The larger and heavier wheels afforded greater gyroscopic force and thereby greater balance. Large-wheeled scooters also reduced vulnerability to pot-holes. The Galletto not only offered larger wheels, it carried its own spare.


Motorcycle models

Moto Guzzi models currently in production include the , V7 850, V9 bobber. In 2019, Guzzi released the V85 TT Adventure which comes in two varieties; a streetwise version for urban commutes and road trips, and a rally-style package with a more off-road focus. Guzzis has announced the release of their first water cooled motorcycle; the 1050cc v100 Mandello. This will be an upscale sport tourer with 115hp and 77ftlbs of torque.see moto guzzis website. Guzzi has made a number of historic racing and military motorcycles. The historic racing heritage is best epitomized in the Le Mans model range, still held today to be a styling masterpiece and motorcycle design as an art form. Moto Guzzi Le Mans Through various periods of its history, Moto Guzzi has produced models specifically for military and police forces. The Italian police and military and various US police departments (e.g.
LAPD The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...
) have used Moto Guzzi bikes in their fleets. Guzzi currently markets police versions of model range – the Breva (all three models) most commonly, as well as the Norge, adopted by Berlin police.


Factory, company headquarters and museum

Since 1921, Moto Guzzi headquarters have been located in
Mandello del Lario Mandello del Lario (Lecchese: ) is an Italian town and '' comune'' in the province of Lecco, in Lombardy, on Lake Como. Since 1921, Mandello del Lario has been home to Moto Guzzi—the Italian motorcycle manufacturer, now a subsidiary of Piaggi ...
on the Lecco branch of
Lake Como Lake Como ( it, Lago di Como , ; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Lagh de Còmm , ''Cómm'' or ''Cùmm'' ), also known as Lario (; after the la, Larius Lacus), is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of , making it the thir ...
. The facility began at a size of , and by the early 1950s Moto Guzzi covered with a workforce of over 1,500. As of 1999, the complex included one, two and three story buildings of over , operating at approximately 50% of production capacity. During its ownership tenure,
Aprilia Aprilia is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer founded immediately after World War II in Noale, Italy, by Alberto Beggio. The company started as a manufacturer of bicycles and moved on to manufacture scooters and small-capacity motorcycles ...
considered moving the entire operation to
Monza Monza (, ; lmo, label= Lombard, Monça, locally ; lat, Modoetia) is a city and ''comune'' on the River Lambro, a tributary of the Po in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Mo ...
, under protest from the Guzzisti and Mandello factory workers. Instead, Aprilia renovated the factory in 2004 at a cost of $45 million. The original Mandello site remains home to the company's headquarters, the production facility, the historic wind tunnel, the company library, and the museum. The
Moto Guzzi Museum The Moto Guzzi Museum is a transport museum in Mandello del Lario, Italy. The collection includes a number of important Moto Guzzi street motorcycles and motorcycle racing Motorcycle racing (also called moto racing and motorbike racing) is t ...
displays models from the company's history, engines that retrace Guzzi's engineering history, and a series of important prototypes. The museum is open to the public and includes a gift shop featuring books, clothing and accessories. Moto Guzzi currently employs roughly 250 to 300 employees, making over 10,000 bikes per year. For decades, the Moto Guzzi factory carried a set of internally lit block letters along the rooftop (and also over the entry gate) spelling "Moto Guzzi". In May 2007, the original roof sign, old and worn, was replaced with a new brighter sign carrying the current official logo and script. At the same time, the factory entrance gate received a new rectangular version of the sign.


Customer engagement

Since 2001, Moto Guzzi has annually hosted ''Giornate Mondiali Guzzi'', also known as GMG or World Guzzi Days, inviting fans to Mandello. In 2006 over 15,000 Guzzi fans from over 20 countries traveled to Mandello for the event.


See also

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List of Italian companies Italy is a unitary parliamentary republic in Europe with the third largest nominal GDP in the Eurozone and the eighth largest in the world. As an advanced economy the country also has the sixth worldwide national wealth and it is ranked third ...
*
List of motorcycle manufacturers The following is a list of motorcycle manufacturers worldwide, sorted by extant/extinct status and by country. These are producers whose motorcycles are available to the public, including both street legal as well as racetrack-only or off-road-o ...
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List of Moto Guzzi motorcycles This is a list of motorcycles manufactured by Moto Guzzi. Current and recent models 2003 saw the start of a substantial revitalization in Moto Guzzi's lineup and engineering work, beginning with the launch of a new V-twin in three displaceme ...


References


External links


Moto Guzzi International official website
* {{Authority control Italian brands Italian companies established in 1921 Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1921 Motorcycle manufacturers of Italy Moped manufacturers Piaggio Group Engine manufacturers of Italy Mandello del Lario