Already one of the most unconventionally attractive bikes on the market, the special edition Moto Guzzi Griso is ditching its trademark “Teni” green for a new black and silver graphic. Dubbed “Black Devil,” its intended to visually shorten the bike’s length to create a more cohesive visual package. :continue:
“We are going through a time of color blindness,” Miguel Galluzzi told us last year. “People want things in black or white and, if they do choose a color, they go for grey. Working for Aprilia and Guzzi, we don’t think like that. We try to push new colors.” These new V7s are a great example of that, and also the precise, emotive detailing that so defines the brand. There’s this absolutely gorgeous new fairing for the V7 racer and some stunning new colors and finishes too. :continue:
The Aprilia Caponord 1200 will receive electronic damping adjustment, the Moto Guzzi Stelvio NTX will cost $15,990, the 76bhp Aprilia SRV850 scooter will come to America and Vespa will import the retro-futuristic 946, Piaggio Group told its dealers last week. The new models form part of a new push into the North American market that will also see an Advanced Design Center opened in Pasadena. :continue:
The first all-new product of a recently reinvigorated Moto Guzzi, this California cruiser represents the future of the once great brand. These are the first official, high-res pictures of the Moto Guzzi California 1400. :continue:
These images have leaked from a private presentation of the new Moto Guzzi California 1400 at the same dealer conference that the concept model leaked at last year. The first images of the all-new, production-spec cruiser, what do they reveal? Well, a bike that looks shockingly similar to the concept. Same tank, same seat, same “big block” v-twin. But, the finned wheels of the concept have given way to traditional spokes and, are those remote-reservoir shocks on a cruiser?!
Update: clearer, larger, more pics from the WildGuzzi forum reveal details. :continue:
Would you believe that Moto Guzzi’s definitive 700cc 90º v-twin began life as a conceptual powertrain for the original Fiat 500? Since its introduction in 1977 it’s gone through many iterations, none prettier than this latest.
It’s hard to put a finger on what makes this new 744cc so distinctive. Nothing intrudes on the cleanly-designed cylinder heads but the exhausts. Over last year’s engine, the plug leads are disappeared, as are the two throttle bodies, replaced by a single, central manifold. That makes Guzzi’s distinctive longitudinal V-twin as absolutely pretty as possible. Aside from the looks, there’s also an increase in compression and a subsequent boost in power to 51bhp and 43lb/ft. :continue:
Moto Guzzi is refreshing the V7 range with an all-new engine. Claiming a 10 percent improvement to the current 48.8bhp output as well as more torque, improved fuel economy and lower emissions, the engine is distinguished by it’s seriously attractive new valve covers, which eliminate the plug leads, leading to a cleaner look. Elsewhere, the engine remains true to Guzzi heritage, the crank is longitudinal and the cylinders poke out the sides, in 90° opposition to each other. Purists will be happy to see that cooling remains by air. :continue:
Italy is facing crisis. In the news almost daily, the dire economic situation of the world’s 8th largest economy is crushing the country. There is talk of default, of exiting the Euro and the government of prime minister Silvio Berlusconi survives by a thread with political instability the new normal. Violent riots in Rome, the collapse of consumer financing options and a domestic scooter market in free fall add to the malaise, making selling exotic motorcycles seem like an anathema. Almost symbolically, Italy’s great motorcycle racing hero Valentino Rossi now riding for Ducati, has failed spectacularly to fulfill the collective dream of winning a Grand Prix world championship on an Italian bike. It is not all bad news, though. :continue:
If Italian and vintage bikes are considered sexy, then walking around this year’s Cafe Desmo 2011 at Pro Italia in Glendale, CA was a lot like checking out a porn convention. Everyone hangs out and has a great time laughing, ogling and awkwardly touching exotic toys that shake and vibrate at various rpm when you turn them on. I could have taken lots of pictures of over 2,000 sweaty dudes in leather and denim staring inappropriately at inanimate objects, but that might have caused me to reflect on the possibility of my own perviness. Okay, okay, so maybe I did some touching too. Click below for the feature.
It happened by accident, this strangely symmetrical mix of bike and destination. Needing to escape from a town with its population temporarily doubled by the Germans in laced leather trousers that inexplicably descend on any European bike event, I made some vague excuses to Guzzi’s press people, grabbed the keys to the new Stelvio NTX 8V and headed north up the shores of Lake Como. My destination? Alpine adventure. :continue:
