Moto Guzzi is an Italian
motorcycleA motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
manufacturer. It is one of seven brands owned by
PiaggioPiaggio based in Pontedera, Italy encompasses seven brands of scooters, motorcycles and compact commercial vehicles. As the fourth largest producer of scooters and motorcycles in the world, Piaggio produces more than 600,000 vehicles annually, with five research and development centers, more than...
.
Established in 1921 in
Mandello del LarioMandello del Lario is an Italian town and comune in the province of Lecco, in Lombardy, on the Como Lake.Since 1921, Mandello del Lario has been home to Moto Guzzi -- the Italian motorcycle manufacturer, now a subsidiary of Piaggio & Co. SpA...
, Italy, the company is noted for its central historic role in Italy's motorcycling manufacture, its prominence worldwide in motorcycle racing, and a series of industry innovations – including the first motorcycle center stand, wind tunnel and eight-cylinder engine.
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 MilitareThe Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
(the Italian Air Corp,
CAM) during
World War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
: Carlo Guzzi, Giovanni Ravelli and Giorgio Parodi. Assigned to the same Miraglia Squadron based outside Venice, the three became close, despite coming from different socio-economic backgrounds. The trio envisioned creating a motorcycle company after the war. Guzzi would engineer the motor bikes, Parodi (the son of wealthy Genovese ship-owners) would finance the venture, and Ravelli (already a famous pilot and motorcycle racer) would promote the bikes with his racing prowess. Guzzi and Parodi (along with Parodi's brother) formed Moto Guzzi in 1921. Ravelli, ironically, had 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.
Carlo Guzzi and Giorgio Parodi, along with Giorgio's brother Angelo, 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 formation of the company hinged on an initial loan of two thousand Lira from the Parodis' father, Emanuele Vittorio, which he gave on 3 January 1919, offering the balance of the loan upon his review of the project's progress:
Dear Giorgio, you can let both your partners know that I will offer you for your first 1,500 or 2,000 Lire. Although with the condition that the sum, under no circumstances, shall be increased. Likewise, I reserve the right to supervise your progress before giving my agreement to this project.
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 actual shareholders, the Parodi's wanted to shield their shipping fortunes by avoiding confusion of 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 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 TTFor 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 with a 1-2-3 race win with Walter Rusk and "Crasher"...
, Moto Guzzi factory rider
Stanley WoodsStanley Woods Dublin, an Irish motorcycle racer famous for 29 motorcycle Grand Prix wins and winning the Isle of Man TT races 10 times in his career. He was a past pupil of The High School, Dublin. Stanley started racing in 1921 on a Harley Davidson...
performed an impressive double victory with wins in the
LightweightLight-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
TT as well as the
Senior TTThe Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. The Senior TT is the Blue Riband event of the festival and takes place on the Friday of race week. The Marquis de Mouzilly St. Mars...
.
Until the mid 1940s, the traditional horizontal four-stroke single-cylinder 500 cc engines outfitted with one overhead and one side valve (also known as: IOE, inlet over exhaust or F-head) 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
GileraGilera is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer founded in Arcore in 1909 by Giuseppe Gilera. In 1969 the company was purchased by Piaggio, which now holds six marques and is the world's fourth largest motorcycle manufacturer.-History:...
and
MondialFB-Mondial was a motorcycle manufacturer from Milan, Italy between 1948 and 1979, known for its Grand Prix motorcycle racing successes during the 1950s. Prior to World War II, it manufactured delivery tricycles...
, led the world of
Grand Prix motorcycle racingRoad Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
. 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. In realizing that low weight alone might not continue to win races for the company, Carcano designed the
V8 500 cc GP race bikeThe Moto Guzzi V8, or the Otto motorcycle was designed by Giulio Cesare Carcano specifically for the Moto Guzzi Grand Prix racing team for the 1955 to 1957 seasons...
—whose engine was to become one of the most complex engines of its time. Despite the bike's having led many races and frequently posted the fastest lap time, it often failed to complete races because of mechanical problems. Ultimately, the V8 was not developed further as Moto Guzzi withdrew (together with the main competitors Gilera and Mondial) from racing after the
1957 seasonThe 1957 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 9th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of six Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 500cc...
citing escalating costs and diminishing motorcycle sales. By the time of its pull out from Grand Prix racing, Moto Guzzi had won 3,329 official races, 8
World Championships, 6
Constructor's Championships and 11
Isle of Man TTThe International Isle of Man TT Race is a motorcycle racing event held on the Isle of Man and was for many years the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world...
victories.
The period after
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
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
LambrettaLambretta can refer to:* Lambretta, a petrol-powered scooter made by Innocenti* Lambretta , a clothing brand* Lambretta , a Swedish rock band* The Lambrettas, a British mod revival band...
. 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. Notably, 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-twinA V-twin engine is a two-cylinder internal combustion engine where the cylinders are arranged in a V configuration.- Crankshaft configuration :Most V-twin engines have a single crankpin, which is shared by both connecting rods...
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 45 hp – 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, 80 hp versions offered today (2006). Lino Tonti redesigned the motor for the 1971 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport. This engine is the basis of the currently used 750 cc, 1,100 cc and 1,200 cc Guzzi engines. Notably, the longitudinal crankshaft and orientation of the engine creates 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 TomasoDe Tomaso Automobili SpA is an Italian car-manufacturing company. It was founded by the Argentine-born Alejandro de Tomaso in Modena in 1959. It originally produced various prototypes and racing cars, including a Formula One car for Frank Williams' team in 1970. The company developed a reputation...
sports and luxury cars, owned by Argentinian industrialist
Alejandro de TomasoAlejandro de Tomaso was a racing driver and industrialist from Argentina. His name is sometimes seen in an Italianised form as Alessandro de Tomaso. He participated in two Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on January 13, 1957...
, purchased SEIMM (and thereby Moto Guzzi) along with
BenelliBenelli is an Italian Motorcycle manufacturer owned by Chinese company Qianjiang Group. It once manufactured shotguns, although this part of the business is now a separate company.-Early history:...
and
MaseratiMaserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
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 1976 Guzzi released the
850 Le MansThe Moto Guzzi Le Mans is a sports motorcycle first manufactured in 1976 by Italian company Moto Guzzi. During its lifetime it has gone through a series of changes which have meant that it is increasingly seen as a sports tourer.- 850 Le Mans :...
, a cafe racer that was a stylistic masterpiece and still today considered one of the most iconic and sought after 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 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. Less than 2,000 of the round taillight bikes were made and they are the most desirable Guzzi of the era. The second production run, known as the Series 2 and totaling around 4,000 bikes, 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-proned 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
crankcaseIn an internal combustion engine of the reciprocating type, the crankcase is the housing for the crankshaft. The enclosure forms the largest cavity in the engine and is located below the cylinder, which in a multicylinder engine are usually integrated into one or several cylinder blocks...
s and
Heron headA Heron cylinder head or simply Heron head, is a design for the combustion chambers of the cylinder head on an internal combustion piston engine. The head is machined flat, with recesses only for inlet and exhaust valves, spark plugs, injectors and so on. The combustion chamber itself is contained...
s. 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 548 lb (248.6 kg) of the contemporary 850 T3 to the 385 lb (174.6 kg) of the V35. The power of the original V35 at 35 bhp was competitive with engines of comparable displacement of the period – later larger versions (V50, V65, V75) were rapidly outclassed by competing water-cooled engines. Notably, the Breva and Nevada today feature a descendent of Tonti's V35 engine: the 750 cc V-twin, rated at 48 bhp. 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 4-valve versions of the "small block" series. Of these, the 650 and the 750 were rated at 60 bhp and 65 bhp respectively. The production of the 4-valve "small block" engines ended in the later 1980s.
Moto Guzzis have used an 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,
BenelliBenelli is an Italian Motorcycle manufacturer owned by Chinese company Qianjiang Group. It once manufactured shotguns, although this part of the business is now a separate company.-Early history:...
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 BeggioIvano Beggio is a company name as well as the name of the former owner and president of what was for a brief period the largest motorcycle company in Europe: Aprilia....
,
Aprilia S.p.AAprilia is an Italian motorcycle company, one of the seven marques owned by Piaggio, the world's fourth largest motorcycle manufacturer.Aprilia started as a scooter manufacturer, but has more recently come to be known for its race-winning sportbikes...
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. Notably,
Ducati Motor HoldingDucati Motor Holding S.p.A. is a motorcycle manufacturer in Bologna, Italy. It produces motorcycles for both road use and motorcycle racing.- History :...
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
KymcoKYMCO KYMCO KYMCO (trade name for the Kwang Yang Motor Co, Ltd is a Taiwanese company that manufactures motor scooters, motorcycles, and ATVs for worldwide distribution. Founded in 1963, the company originally made parts for Honda. The company built its first complete scooter in 1970 and began...
and the
BRPBombardier Recreational Products or BRP is a Canadian company that traces its roots back to the year 1942 when Joseph-Armand Bombardier founded L'Auto-Neige Bombardier Limitée in Valcourt in the Eastern Townships, Quebec.In 2003, Bombardier Inc...
subsidiary
RotaxBRP-Powertrain GmbH & Co KG , commonly known simply as Rotax, is an Austrian engine manufacturer. It develops and produces four-stroke and advanced two-stroke engines for Bombardier Recreational Products products as well as for motorcycles, karts,...
, 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 & Co. S.p.APiaggio based in Pontedera, Italy encompasses seven brands of scooters, motorcycles and compact commercial vehicles. As the fourth largest producer of scooters and motorcycles in the world, Piaggio produces more than 600,000 vehicles annually, with five research and development centers, more than...
acquired Aprilia and thereby Moto Guzzi, forming Europe's largest motorycle manufacturer.
Moto Guzzi S.p. A officially becomes a
Unico Azionista of Piaggio, part of Immsi S.p.A. Investments have allowed 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 U.S. buyers.
Key Moto Guzzi 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
The Moto Guzzi V8, or the Otto motorcycle was designed by Giulio Cesare Carcano specifically for the Moto Guzzi Grand Prix racing team for the 1955 to 1957 seasons...
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: 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 Dublin, an Irish motorcycle racer famous for 29 motorcycle Grand Prix wins and winning the Isle of Man TT races 10 times in his career. He was a past pupil of The High School, Dublin. Stanley started racing in 1921 on a Harley Davidson...
: esteemed motorcycle racer who captained Moto Guzzi's to numerable Isle of Man TT wins.
- Omobono Tenni
Tommaso Omobono Tenni was an Italian motorcycle road racer. Nicknamed The Black Devil, he was a multiple Italian Motor Cycle champion, who raced to 47 victories for Moto Guzzi from 1933 till 1948, the year he died from an accident during practice for the Swiss GP.-Early years:Omobono Tenni was...
: celebrated 47 victories racing for Moto Guzzi in the period between 1933 and 1948.
- Bill Lomas
Bill Lomas was an English former 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 Guzzi factory racing team. In the 1956 season, he rode the famous V8 Moto Guzzi Grand...
: 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
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 jackingThe shaft effect, also known as elevator effect or shaft jacking, is a phenomenon occurring in shaft-drive motorcycles. This effect occurs because the acceleration being applied to the rear wheel creates a reactive force on the drive shaft. This in turn lifts the rider and the body of the bike,...
". 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). Notably, Arturo Magni (1925–2005) had sold "parallelogrammo" rear suspension kit in the early 1980s to resolve similar anti-torque issues.
Moto Guzzi's current Breva 750, Nevada 750, and California Vintage fall below the threshold that requires an anti-jacking drive-shaft system.
The Breva 1100, Norge, Bellagio, Stelvio and 1200 Sport feature Guzzi's recently patented
swingarmA swingarm, or "swinging arm" is the main component of the rear suspension of most modern motorcycles and ATVs...
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 an 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 4000 miles (6,437.4 km) journey from Mandello del Lario to Capo Nord in northern Norway. Despite the very poor condition of European roads at that time, Giuseppe Guzzi reached the
Arctic CircleThe Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
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.
First DOHC V8 motorcycle engine
The Moto Guzzi Grand Prix V8, introduced in 1955, was a 500 cc racing motorcycle fitted with a
V8 engineA V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
utilizing dual overhead camshafts (DOHC). The engine was conceived by Giulio Carcano, Enrico Cantoni, Umberto Todero,
Ken KavanaghThomas Kenrick Kavanagh, better known as Ken Kavanagh, is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and racecar driver from Australia. He became the first Australian to win a motorcycle Grand Prix race when he won the 1952 350cc Ulster Grand Prix. In 1956, he won the Junior TT at the Isle of Man...
and Fergus Anderson just after the 1954 Monza Grand Prix and designed by Dr. Carcano. The 500 cc V8 had 2 valves per cylinder. Bore and stroke were 44 millimetre. Power was in the region of 80 bhp at 12,000 rpm. Approximately 10 to- more than the rival 4-cylinder MV Agustas and Gileras.
The engine and the bike were without precedent. The motorcycle proved capable of achieving 172 mi/h—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, 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 tunnelA wind tunnel is a research tool used in aerodynamic research to study the effects of air moving past solid objects.-Theory of operation:Wind tunnels were first proposed as a means of studying vehicles in free flight...
,
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 EiffelAlexandre Gustave Eiffel was a French structural engineer from the École Centrale Paris, an architect, an entrepreneur and a specialist of metallic structures...
, designer of the
Eiffel towerThe Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
in Paris), consisting of three sections. Air is drawn into the "Air Duct" with an aperture of 8.2 m (26.9 ft), air speed increases as it is passed through smaller and smaller diameters reaching max wind speed in the "Test Chamber" with a diameter of 2.6 m (8.5 ft), and finally is exhausted through the "Outlet/Discharge" duct containing the fan mechanism – a three-bladed variable speed propeller driven by a 310 hp 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 tubeA pitot tube is a pressure measurement instrument used to measure fluid flow velocity. The pitot tube was invented by the French engineer Henri Pitot Ulo in the early 18th century and was modified to its modern form in the mid-19th century by French scientist Henry Darcy...
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 PerugiaUniversity of Perugia is a public-owned university based in Perugia, Italy. It was founded in 1308, as attested by the Bull issued by Pope Clement V certifying the birth of the Studium Generale....
, 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
scooterA scooter is a motorcycle with step-through frame and a platform for the operator's feet. Elements of scooter design have been present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier...
have grown increasingly fluid, historically a scooter featured small wheels – especially in post-war Italy. 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 large-wheel scooter. The larger wheels afford greater gyroscopic force and thereby greater balance. Large-wheeled scooters also reduce 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 Breva, Nevada Classic and Bellagio standards;
CaliforniaThe Moto Guzzi California is a motorcycle manufactured by Italian company Moto Guzzi since 1971, bringing together the company's heritage, their iconic air-cooled 90° V-twin engines and styling that evokes the classic American...
cruiser; Griso sport/standard hybrid; Norge 1200
sport tourerA Sport touring motorcycle is a type of motorcycle that blends the performance of a sport bike with the long-distance capabilities of a touring motorcycle, while providing comfort and relative safety to the rider....
/GT; 1200 Sport and MGS-01 Corsa sportbikes; Stelvio dualsport.
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.
Through various periods of its history, Moto Guzzi has produced models specifically for military and police forces. Notably, the Italian police and military and various US police departments (e.g.
LAPDThe Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
) 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
BerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
police.
Factory, company headquarters and museum
Since 1921, Moto Guzzi headquarters have been located in
Mandello del LarioMandello del Lario is an Italian town and comune in the province of Lecco, in Lombardy, on the Como Lake.Since 1921, Mandello del Lario has been home to Moto Guzzi -- the Italian motorcycle manufacturer, now a subsidiary of Piaggio & Co. SpA...
on the Lecco branch of
Lake ComoLake Como is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of 146 km², making it the third largest lake in Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore...
. The facility began at a size of 300 m² (3,229.2 sq ft), and by the early 1950s Moto Guzzi covered 24000 m² (258,333.9 sq ft) with a workforce of over 1,500. As of 1999, the complex included one, two and three story buildings of over 54000 m² (581,251.2 sq ft), operating at approximately 50% of production capacity.
During its ownership tenure,
ApriliaAprilia is an Italian motorcycle company, one of the seven marques owned by Piaggio, the world's fourth largest motorcycle manufacturer.Aprilia started as a scooter manufacturer, but has more recently come to be known for its race-winning sportbikes...
considered moving the entire operation to
MonzaMonza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...
, 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 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.
Frame design
Before the Tonti Frame, several Guzzis used a frame known as the Loop Frame. It was at the time, considered sufficient.
Engineered by Lino Tonti, the Tonti Frame represented a significant breakthrough for Moto Guzzi, giving the company a new and up-to-date structural backbone for its cycles beginning with the famed V7 Sport of 1971. Tonti designed the frame with racing in mind, with the goals of mass centralization, lighter weight and compactness. The frame is especially light and strong, and remains in use to this day in modified form in the small block Breva 750 and Nevada Classic and in the big block California. The design contrasted sharply with competitors' frame designs at the time of its introduction; many motorcycles were noted for their "hinge in the middle" feel. Notably, the frame tilts the engine slightly rearward.
The Tonti frame was engineered for stiffness using short, straight tubes working well with the engine design and allowing the main backbone to pass through the cylinder splay and connect the steering head to the swingarm in the shortest possible distance.
The frame hugs the engine tightly, giving 'Tonti' big-blocks a low center of gravity and compact overall dimensions. Unladen, 'Tonti' Guzzis are very small, low and easy to handle. Detachable lower-frame tubes accommodate engine access and can be modified for specific applications such as floorboards and pegs.
Dr. John Whittner later adapted a frame design known as the spine frame, a version of which would be incorporated into the early Daytona, Centauro, and 1100 Sports models.
Styling
Moto Guzzi also has its own Design and Styling studio at the Mandello del Lario works, and in recent years (beginning during the Aprilia tenureship), Moto Guzzi has used independent Italian agency Marabese Design for the V11, V10 Centauro, Breva 750 850 and 1100, Griso and Norge. Marabese Design was founded in 1997 and is led by Luciano Marabese along with Rodolfo Frascoli and Riccardo Marabese. Moto Guzzi worked with
Ghezzi & BrianGhezzi & Brian is an Italian motorcycle engineering firm and manufacturer based in Missaglia.-History:Ghezzi & Brian was founded in 1995 to develop racing motorcycles using twin-cylinder engines....
on the MGS-01 Corsa.
It remains unclear what role Piaggio's Pontedera headquarters plays with the ongoing design of Moto Guzzi models.
Logo and brand loyalty
Giovanni Ravelli, Giorgio Parodi and Carlo Guzzi had envisioned the creation of a motorcycle company after
World War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. When Ravelli was killed in a plane crash just days after the end of the war, Parodi and Guzzi chose to commemorate Ravelli by choosing as the emblem of their company, the symbol that represented their camaraderie and their common passion for flight: the insignia of the Italian Air Corp,
l’aquila ad ali spiegate, the winged eagle. Originally, the emblem consisted solely of the gold eagle (with wings spread) over the Moto Guzzi lettering, usually in a sans serif typeface. From the late seventies to the early eighties, the eagle was heavily stylized, with the upper edge of the outspread wings forming a smooth, horizontal line. The late eighties saw a return to the less stylized gold eagle. The nineties saw the eagle and Moto Guzzi script on a flat red oval with a gold band along its perimeter. Circa 2004, the emblem reached its current, three-dimensional form.
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. GMG 2007 took place on 14–16 September 2007, with 17,000 Guzzisti attending, the introduction of the Griso 8V, a Museum exhibit “Moto Guzzi e i Motori” (Moto Guzzi's Engines), display of the first Griso 8V off the assembly line (awarded by raffle), and 500 gift sets of commemorative 'intake valves.' Another exhibit, “Guzzi Art”, featured the work of students at the European Design Institute.
Moto Guzzi of North America, Inc. has a program called Demo Days, whereby an eighteen wheeler travels the country with sixteen demo bikes for dealer and club events – to provide no-cost test rides of the company's range of bikes. The operation is subcontracted to
Barrett Moving, is partially underwritten by dealers, and requires participating dealers to enlist volunteers and organize a demo course for forty-minute rides. Riders must first provide proof of a motorcycle license and insurance, and sign a legal release.
Moto Guzzi clubs include
Moto Guzzi World Club, the official worldwide club of Moto Guzzi, formed 2002 at GMG, which publishes the quarterly
Aquile; and
Moto Guzzi National Owners Club.
See also
External links