Temp 02 - Ian Falloon - The Moto Guzzi Story (complete book)

THE

MOTO GUZZI

STORY

Racing and production models from 1921 to the present day

IAN FALLOON Foreword by Umberto Todero

Main

The story of Moto Guzzi is one of survival. As one of Italy's oldest anc most legendary motorcycle marques

Moto Guzzi rose to the height of success during the 1930s, and again in the 1950s, when they dominated 250 and 350cc Grand Prix racing. The company's

withdrawal from racing coincided with a period of stagnation, lasting until it was sold to De Tomaso in 1973. During the 1970s the V7 Sport and Le Mans models were at the forefront of the new superbike era, and later, with Dr John Wittner's help, Guzzi embraced leading-edge technology with the 1,000cc Daytona

If one aspect characterizes Moto Guzzi it is continuity. The great 500cc Falcone was in production from 1950 until 1976 and the V7, which originally saw the light of day in 1966, has continued well into the 1990s in the form of the V11. This continuity breeds loyalty, and Guzzi owners are a ﬁercely proud breed. Guzzis are not like other motorcycles, even Italian ones, and to qualify as an owner requires a dedication and individuality that will be rewarded in a long-term relationship. To quote a Cycle magazine test from 1974: The Guzzi excels at long exposure, and compared to other motorcycles the drug is slower-acting: it comes in time-release form'.. The same holds true today.

From Carlo Guzzi's Tipo GP of 1921 to the V11 over 75 years later, every Moto Guzzi has been unique and charismatic. Under the control of the Trident Rowan Group, the marque is once again on the verge of a new chapter in that story of survival. The next century will see the launch of a new and exciting range of motorcycles that could enable the

company once again to rise to the forefront.

With the help of Moto Guzzi staff past

and present, together with information and many previously unpublished photographs from the collection of foremost Guzzi expert, Ivar de Gier, leading motorcycle journalist and

photographer lan Falloon presents a

uniquely comprehensive history. Every racing and production model from the birth of the company to the present day is described and analysed, while appendices give production ﬁgures and

speciﬁcations to provide the deﬁnitive chronicle of a much-loved marque

THE

MOTO GUZZI

STORY

Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2022 with funding from Kahle/Austin Foundation

aTL448. M66 F35 1999

Palloon, Ian.

The Moto Guzzi story racingand production 1999.

Racing and production models from 1921 to the present day

IAN FALLOON Foreword by Umberto Todero

https://archive.org/details/motoguzzistoryra0000fall

(Haynes

Haynes Publishing

Contents

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from Haynes Publishing.

First published in May 1999

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 1 85960 4145

Library of Congress catalog card no. 98-75403

Published by Haynes Publishing, Sparkford, Nr Yeovil, Somerset, B.A22 7J], UK.

Tel: 01963 440635 Fax: 01963 440001

Int. tel: +44 1963 440635 Fax: +44 1963 440001

E-mail: sales@haynes-manuals.co.uk Web site: http://www.haynes.com

Haynes North America, Inc.

861 Lawrence Drive, Newbury Park, California 91320 USA

All illustrations not otherwise credired are from Moto Guzzi or the author's collection.

Designed & typeset by G&M, Raunds, Northamptonshire Printed and bound in Great Britain by J. H. Haynes & Co. Ltd

Foreword by Umberto Todero Introduction and Acknowledgements

Chapter Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Early days The 1930s: a golden era Post-war racing: success with earlier designs Expanding the customer base Symbolic singles: Airone, Astore and Falcone The second golden age

Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9

The V7 V7 Sport: the first and the best? Big tourers and cruisers Le Mans Smaller twins Dr John and the Daytona New directions

Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13

113

129

140

152

161

Appendix 1 Appendix 2

Index

Moto Guzzi production figures, 1921-97 169 Specifications of racing and production Moto Guzzis, 1921-98 170

175

Colour Section pages 97-112

Foreword

They respected the engineer enormously for his skills and shared his belief in the idea. With a return to peace they saw the opportunity to make the plan a reality, Giovanni

Ravelli was a famous motorcycle racer with considerable success, and already

relished a new 'steel horse' to ride in competition. Unfortunately destiny

wouldsee that Ravelli would not

realise his dream. A flying accident saw the young life given back to its country.

Although the most enthusiastic

proponent of the plan had disapof motorcycles, particularly the peared, Giorgio Parodi and Carlo chassis. Guzzi still believed in the idea.

Motoyoung pilots in bornItalian Airar

Guzzi was the

then

Force during the First World War,

Giorgio Parodi and Giovanni Ravelli,

had the good fortune to form a warm relationship with the engineer Carlo Guzzi. They not only shared the fate

of the war, but also a passion for

engines. The three found themselves

in tune with each other, so Guzzi

announced an idea that he had gener-

ated. Guzzi planned to create a motor-

cycle that was quite different from

those currently produced. He wanted to revolutionise many characteristics

Undeterred and with initiative and

The two pilots had no reservations.

Introduction and Acknowledgements

will, together with financing (1,500 lire) from Giorgio's father - the ship-

owner Vittorio Emanuele Parodi -

their union saw the birth of their first motorcycle, called the 'G.P." (GuzziParodi). However, Giorgio Parodi, in recognition of the motorcycle's creator, wanted the name changed to

'MOTO GUZZI. He also chose the

winged eagle as a symbol of the brand,

the same eagle that for many years

adorned the pilots' uniform. This was to honour their fallen companion. It

was on 15 March 1921 that the

ANONIMA МОгО

SOCIETA

GUZZI was officially founded.

Umberto Todero

The story of Moto Guzzi is one of :

1 ﬁercel proud and individual company. Inthe world ofmotor-

cycling there is no other marque that has been brave enough, not only to be original, but also to follow that with

incredible racing success.From the outset, Carlo Guzzi, and his underrated brother Giuseppe, eschewed

conventionality. Their designs were so

advanced that they had extraordin-

arily long production runs. Apart from a large number of small-capacity motor-

cycles produced after the Second World War, and some specialised

racing machines, it is the horizontal

four-stroke single with its large exter-

nal flywheel that epitomises Moto

Guzzi until the mid-1960s. From the

late 1960s it has been the transversely mounted 90° V-twin that has become the company's symbol.

That two engine designs have feat-

ured so strongly in the history says

much about Moto Guzzi. It is a company steeped in tradition and innately conservative. Being located at

Mandello del Lario has isolated it

from any temptation to be a dedicated follower of fashion. In recent years

production levels have been modest

and many of the motorcycle compo-

nents continued to be produced at Mandello. That is about to change.

The future calls for a significant

increase in production and technological development. Moto Guzzi is now looking to emulate the glory days of

the 1950s when it was not only the leading Italian producer of motor-

cycles, but also supremely victorious on the race tracks. One of the aspects

that the company is determined to retain is Moto Guzzi's individuality,

and all enthusiasts will be thankful that Guzzi willnotbecome just

another motorcycle manufacturer producing bland products.

My own interest in Moto Guzzi spans a 25-year period from when I

first rode a V7 Sport. So memorable was that motorcycle that it led me to

other Sports and various LeMans

models. Although the sporting proﬁle

of Moto Guzzi has waned in recent

years, the California has now evolved into one of the best motorcycles of the type available anywhere. Nonetheless, it is the sporting Guzzis that have kept the name alive 1 have unashamedly placed more emphasis on these machines.

and

As racing has played such a significant part in the history of Moto Guzzi,

this has also been given considerable

attention. Surprisingly, new informa-

tion on some of the racing bikes has been unearthed. Until now there has

been some confusion surrounding the

development of the 350 Grand Prix bikes from 1953, and hopefully this

has now been clarified with information from Umberto Todero.

This book is basically arranged by categorising each type of motorcycle as chronologically as possible. With such a plethora of individual models, some having extraordinary production runs, a purely chronological assess-

ment is not really practical. I have tried to organise the book in such a way that it is easy for the reader to find information. Technical data is often inconsistent between factory

bulletins and publicity brochures, so where there has been conflict I have opted for the official data rather than

publicity material.

The emphasis in the text has been placed on racing and civilian produc tion models. Other books cover prototypes, record-breaking specials and military vehicles in

greater depth.

While these are all mentioned, their coverage has been limited so as to

concentrate on areas that have not previously been thoroughly documented. The text also unashamedly

places considerable emphasis on tech-

nical details as part of the purpose of

the book is as a reference source.

When choosing photographic mater-

ial to supplement thetext I have

endeavoured to balance factory publicity photos with period and current

shots. Where possible, photos not pre-

viously published in other books on Moto Guzzi have been chosen.

Writing such a detailed history would not have been possible without the contribution of many enthusiasts around the world, particularly Ivar de Gier and those at Moto Guzzi in Mandello del Lario. Special thanks must go to expert Moto Guzzi historian Ivar de Gier, who kindly proof-

read the text, provided technical

information, and brought much inform-

ation that only a long-term scholar of

the marque can provide. He also

allowed access to his comprehensive

collection of photographs of racing Moto Guzzis andperiod brochures

and manuals.

At Moto Guzzi. Umberto Tadero not only provided the Foreword to

this book but also considerable information regarding the racing programme during the 1950s. Dott Ing

Aleksandar Bacie also assisted me greatly by continually obtaining

further details about the intricacies of

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

the 1950s racing bikes from Mr

Todero. Eleonora Scali, the Public Relations Manager at Moto Guzzi, provided assistance early inthis

Ken Kavanagh proved an invaluable

source of information on the important racing era of the mid-1950s. With an extraordinary memory for detail, Ken

not onlysupplied some important were fantastically enthusiasticand photographs but also gave a new

project. Others at Moto Guzzi who

helpful were Serafino Valsecchi, who diligently wheeled numerous bikes out of the museum and his workshop for me to photograph. Gabriella Stropeni spent many hours in the archive find-

insight into the racing department. He also acted as an interested observer of

the fortunes of Moto Guzzi in Italy,

keeping me informed of the latest about the company in the Italian financialpress. Noted motorcycle

ing the information I requested, and Romano Pisi, Export Manager, provided much information on the

photographers Phil Aynsley and Roy

Kidney kindly allowed the use of some

of their superb photographs for the colour section. Other enthusiasts

current situation at Moto Guzzi. Danilo Mojoli and Dott Bacic provided technical details of the new V-twin engine.

whom I would like to thank are

Former Moto Guzzi factory rider

Gerolamo Bettoni, John Buskes, Bruce

Finlayson, Gordon Kline, Tony Lavery and Giuseppe Profeta. Luciano Gazzola kindly identified some racing

Thanks must alsogophotos. to Bob Guntrip and Peter Callaghan of

Streetbike magazine, Jeremy Bowdler of

Two Wheels,and Ken Wootton of

Australian Motorcycle News. Gerry

O'Brien ofAustralian Motorcycle

Imports assisted with communication with the Moto Guzzi factory and also provided bikes for photographs.

Finally, none of this would have been possible without the continued

support of my wife Miriam.

lan Falloon October 1998

Early Days

Ithough Carlo Guzzi had long

A dreamed of building his own

motorcycle, it was not until the First

World War, as a 29-year-old mechanic

in the Italian Air Force, that his

dream could become a reality. In the Air Force he found two equally passionate motorcycling enthusiasts, and

many long nightswere spent dis-

cussing his ideas. So enthusiastic were

they for this motorcycle that they decided, after the end of the war, to

get together and produce it. Carlo Guzzi's two companions were the young pilots Giorgio Parodi and

Giovanni Ravelli, and they formed an alliance that would eventually see the

formation of one of Italy's greatest

motorcycle manufacturers.

While many young men dream and talk of doing such things, the Guzzi, Parodi and Ravelli combination differed in that all three could bring with

them necessary and complementary

skills. It was not only this that set the

new venture apart from the many

fledgling enterprises that emerged at the end of the First World War; both Guzzi and Parodi were geniuses in their respective fields. Unfortunately

Ravelli was never given the chance to establish his credentials as the rider spearheading the new motorcycle on

the racetrack as he was tragically

killed in a ﬂying accident shortly after

the end of the war.The indications

were that he would have been successful; a native of Brescia, he had

several notable racing results on

Triumph in the years leading up to the

outbreak of war. In Ravelli's honour the Air Force eagle was used on the

Moto Guzzi name plate and continues to this day.

Carlo Guzzi was born in Milan on 4

June 1889, where he studied and gained a Diploma di Copo Tecnico. He came from a strong engineering family, his father at one time owning an engineering consultancy. Prior to

the war he worked for the motor company Isotta Franchini, but it was the inﬂuence of a Mandello blacksmith

that led him to motorcycles.

The Guzzi family spent much time

in a small ﬁshing village, Mandello-

Tonzanico, on the shores of Lake Como just north of Lecco. Later the

Carlo Guzzi, who together with Giorgio

Parodi and Giovanni Ravelli founded Moto Guzzi following the First World War.

name was to change to Mandello del Lario, and here Carlo Guzzi and the local blacksmith Giorgio Ripamonti would dismantle motorcycles and

analyse their faults. Carlo was a fanatical motorcyclist and his first plans for

a machine date from well before the war. When Carlo's mother moved to Mandello during the war, it became

the family home.

Although born in Venice in 1897, Giorgio Parodi was from a wealthy Genoan family of ship-owners, and it was he that guaranteed the financial backing for the venture. He approached his father Emanuele Parodi and in a letter of 3 January 1919 Emanuele granted approval for 1,500 to 2,000 lire to be used to fund the prototype. This letter is still on

display at the Moto Guzzi museum at Mandello del Lario and was pivotal in enabling Carlo Guzzi to proceed with his plans. Furthermore, Emanuele took more than a passing interest in the project and promised more funds

if he approved of it.

It was not until 1920 that the proto-

type began to take shape, closely

following the concept that Carlo

Guzzi had envisaged before the war. He wanted to eliminate hand-pumped lubrication systems and exposed pri-

mary drive chains. Unlike many

motorcycles of the time, the engine

was pivotal to the design and featured

many characteristics that would distinguish Moto Guzzis for the next 50 years. It would also be Carlo Guzzi's clear engineering ideals that would shape the course of the company. These ideals were often outside that of mainstream thought, but brilliant in their conception and execution.

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

EARLY DAYS

that would appear for many decades was the multi-plate metal-to-metal

clutch lubricated by oil mist. The clutch was located in the large primary gear that drove the gearbox,

only a small amount of oil getting to

theclutch from the primary gear

chamber. Clever design also saw the

drive chain receive lubrication.

Aeronautical engineering practice

was evident in the cylinder head

design; this used four parallel overhead valves that were operated by an overhead camshaft driven by a shaft and bevel-gears. These valves were -closed by exposed hairpin valve springs. Twin spark plugs and a dual ignition were used to ignite the mix-

ture through a Bosch magneto.

Compression was a modest 3.5:1, and with 12bhp the first Moto Guzzi was capable of 100km/h (62mph). It may

not sound fast today, but that was quite a speed for 1920.

The chassis was designed in cooperation with Carlo's older brother, Giuseppe. Like Carlo, Giuseppe was a highly innovative engineer, but being so reserved he has not received much of the credit due for his input. The tubular frame was quite unusual for

the period in that it had twin front downtubes. The rear bolted triangle was unsprung with girder forks and dual springs at the front. Only the rear wheel had a brake, the front wheel carrying a gear to drive the

speedometer.

This prototype was called the 'G.P.'.

or Guzzi-Parodi, but the name was

soon changed to Moto Guzzi as

Giorgio Parodi did not want the

initials confused with his own.

The Normale

The prototype 'G.P.'was soon fol-

lowed by a production version,the

Normale. While the 'G.P.' had been an expression of Carlo Guzzi's engin-

eering purism, the Normale of early 1921 incorporated several modifica-

tions born of economic necessity.

Announced in the magazine Motociclismo on 15 December 1920. the first change was to the four-valve cylinder head and bevel-gear-driven overhead camshaft. These were replaced by an unusual arrangement of two opposed valves: a side 45mm inlet closed by a coil spring, and an

overhead 42mm exhaust valve oper-

ated by a pushrod and rocker and

closed by a hairpin spring. The use of hairpin valve springs was very rare at that time, but would become virtually

universal on racing engines many years later: The situationof the

exhaust overhead with the inlet on the side was also the reverse of what

was usual at that time. It was Guzzi's idea to place the valve most prone to overheating directly in the airflow.

As might be expected, valve timing

was very moderate with the inlet opening 3° before top dead centre,

closing 45° after bottom dead centre, and the exhaust opening 50° before bottom dead10°acentre and closing

The 'G.P.' still survives, on display in the Moto Guzzi museum at Mandello,

engine cooling but also meant that a

They were also often very advanced

low-slung chassis could be built

for their day.

around it. The geared primary drive meant that the engine rotated in the direction, another unusual feature at that time.To smooth out vibration and enable a more compact crankcase unit there was a 280mm (11-inch) external flywheel, also to become a Guzzi trademark. The lubrication system was exceptionally advanced, with an oil pump driven from the camshaft supplying oil to an external tank mounted in the air stream. Another Guzzi characteristic

The 'G.P.'

Carlo Guzzi's first horizontal four-stroke 500cc single-cylinder engine

was cast in aluminium, the engine in

unit with the three-speed gearbox. Along with a helical gear primary drive and considerably oversquare

engine dimensions of 88 x 82mm bore

and stroke, the engine deviated considerably from that considered normal for the period. Laying the engine hori-

zontal in the frame not only aided

An advertisement for Giuseppe Guzzi's business, c1910. After the death of their

father, Giuseppe Guzzi (seen here behind the wheel of the car) supported the family and ensured that Carlo completed his education. Giuseppe later went on to develop the early Moto Guzzi frames. (Ivar de Gier collection)

fter top dead centre. Side inlet valves were not known for their good breathing characteristics, so with a 4:1 com-

pression ratio and an Amac 15 PSY 1-inch carburettor, the power produced by the Normale was less than

the 'G.P." at 8bhp at 3,200гpm.

The rest of the engine followed the

format established by the prototype. Bore and stroke were identical, but

the vertically split unit-construction aluminium crankcase (with cast-iron cylinder and head) featured many differences from the 'G.P.'. The Normale

also had a more basic total-loss oil system using a hand-operated pump

to supply oil to the crankcase.

The frame also followed the exam-

ple set by the prototype, but it was

one-piece, the rear triangle braced by

a piece of sheet metal. A similar girder fork was used with dual springs and no

damping. Wheels were the usual 26 x 21-inch used at that time, shod with

Dunlop 26 x 3-inch beaded-edge

There was still only a rear brake and a single Brooks seat. Weighing in

at only 130kg (287lb), the Normale had a top speed of 85km/h (53mph).

For 1920 the Normale was an unusual

motorcycle. Not only were many of its

features unique, but it also looked strangely utilitarian with

its olive

green paint highlighted by gold pinstriping.

With the appearance of the

Normale. Emanuele Parodi had suffi-

cient confidence in the design to

establish the Società Anomina Moto Guzzi in Genoa, with himself as president. on 15 March 1921. In addition

A restored 1922 Normale outside the factory at Mandello. While production ran until 1924 there were detail differences from year to year.

two other engineers were also

involved, Carlo's brother Giuseppe, and Giorgio's cousin Angelo. Even

though the company was named after

Carlo Guzzi,the elder Parodi was

astute enough to retain all the shares

in the company. Carlo was paid a

royalty for each machine produced,

but never had any financial interest in

the company. Even though the total production of 1921 was a modest 17 motorcycles, it was the beginning for one of the greatest Italian motorcycle marques, and also one of the longest lived.

The company was established in a

30-square -metre building at Mandello del Lario (still part of the Moto Guzzi complex) with 17 workers. The location, away from any immediate large

cities, has always meant that Moto Guzzi draws its workforce from the local area. Thus several generations have worked for the company. and even today the average worker's life with the company is 35 years. This continuity and sense of community

involvement has meantthat. Moto

Guzzi is a unique company within the

world of motorcycling. It has probably also contributed to Moto Guzzi's individuality.

The Moto Guzzi factory at Mandello del Lario in 1921. The original buildings are still in existence. (Ivar de Gier collection)

AUTOMOBIL

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THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

EARLY DAYS

Soon after the formation of the new company, local parliamentarian Aldo

Finzi tested one of the new motor-

cycles. Finzi was a prominent sportsman and motorcycle enthusiast and was so impressed with the bike that he endeavoured to convince Carlo Guzzi

to go racing, Guzzi was not particularly enthusiastic about racing,but

Finzi finally exerted enough political

pressure that Parodi and Guzzi had no

option but to agree. They would pro-

vide Finzi with a bike for the Raid

Nord-Sud. (Prior to this a racing

Gatti's second place in the prestigious

Circuito del Lario on a lightly modi-

fied Normale.

The Circuito del Lario was held around Lake Como and considered

the Italian TT. With Guzzis filling 5th,

1Ith, 12th and 14th places it was

enough to give them the team trophy. The company was ecstatic and advertised this racing success in Motociclismo only four days after the race. This encouraging result on their

home ground convinced Guzzi to

design a real racer, and eventually a

more sporting production motorcycle. first Circuito del Lario on 28 May These would appear in 1923.

Moto Guzzi had been entered in the

1921; Carlo Guzzi's brother-in-law, In the meantime a few improveValentini Gatti, was to have ridden an ments flowed through to the official 'G.P.", but he did not race.) Normale, notably an automatic lubri-

Thus the first participation by Moto cation system (a scavenge pump was Guzzi in racing was the Raid Nord- fitted in the crankcase), and dual igniSud, a road race from Milan to Naples tion became an option. There were and the premier event on the Italian also larger cooling fins on the cylinder racing calendar. Aldo Finzi and Mario head and cylinder. An increase in the Cavedini rode production Normales compression ratio to 4.7:l saw the with modified lighting, leaving Milan power increase to 8.5bhp at 3,400rpm.

on 17 September 1921 in the late evening. After 22 hours Cavedini

The C2V

arrived in Naples, in 20th place and 4 hours behind the winning Indian 1000 of Nazzaro Biagio. Finzi finished 22nd after crashing near Modena and con-

While the basic format of the Moto Guzzi 500cc single-cylinder motor-

cycle was retained, it was primarily by fitting a new cylinder head that Carlo

tinuing without lights. It was an

Guzzi expected to make the bike a competitive racer. Two 45mm overhead valves were inclined at a very

encouraging result for a new design. and Aldo Finzi's brother Gino imme-

diately tookone of the Normales down to Sicily for the Targa Florio Motociclista a week later. On 25

narrow 7°20', operated by exposed pushrods and closed by exposed hair-

pin valve springs. With an increase in compression to 5.25:1, and a 1-inch Amac racing carburettor, power was

increased to 17bhp at 4,200rpm,

enough to propel the Corsa 2 Valvole (CZV) to around 120km/h (74mph). Dual ignition was an option and later the carburettor became 25mm Dell'Orto. Together with this revised

engine, the CZV received a new

frame, with a tubular rear section, and a longer 1,410mm (551/2-inch) wheelbase to add to the straight-line stability. Colours also changed to bright red

for the first series of CZV, the first

time that colour was used on Guzzis.

In 1924, when the C4V was intro-

duced, the CZV reverted to the green paintwork and the sharing of its frame with the Sport. Production continued until 1927 when it was deleted, being

offered again in 1928. In 1930 the CZV was replaced by the 2VT.

The C2V was an immediate

improvement on the earlier Normalebased racers, and its first success was

an economy contest organised by

Gatti

Valentino achieved 74.955 kilometres on 1 litre of fuel at 51.545km/h.

Motociclismo.

In April 1923 a team was entered in the Giro d'Italia. This 2,470-kilo-

metre road race was a classic and

important annual event and was won

by Guido Mentasti at an average

speed of 51km/h (32mph). Another noteworthyvictory the

The CZV was the ﬁrst proper racing Moto Guzzi. Ridden by Valentino Gatti, this bike won the 1923 Circuito del Lario.

Circuito del Lario, won by Gatti at an average speed of 61km/h (37.8mph).

However, even the C2V was being

outpaced by the end of 1923 by more

specific racing designs, and there

would be a new engine, the CAV, for

the following season.

The Sport

In the meantime the Normale was dis-

continued in favour of the Sport, a

combination of a more powerful

Normale engine and a frame and running gear similar to the CZV but with-

out reinforcement. These were to be the only production Guzzis from 1923 until 1928 and came with a variety of options, specifically a sidecar attachment, front brake, and Bosch lighting system. With a compression ratio of

4:5:1, power was up to 13bhp at

3,800грm, but increasing this was

always limited by the side inlet and overhead exhaust cylinderhead design. However, moderate though the power may have been, it was still enough to propel the 130kg (2871b)

to maximum speed of

100km/h (62mph). From 1923 until 1927 the Sport was painted green like the Normale, but for 1928 was red. The green CZV also featured the non-

reinforced frame of the Sport.

The C4V

Much more effort was spent on developing racing bikes during this period, and 1924 saw the C4V and a return to

the four-valve cylinder head pio-

neered by the 'G.P.". The earlier C2V

also remained available as a cata-

logued racer. Providing privateers with these factory racers was a shrewd mar-

keting move, contributing to the increased public awareness of Moto Guzzi as a successful racing motor-

cycle; this was an approach that would serve the company well in the future.

With its four-valve cylinder head

and

bevel-gear-driven overhead camshaft, the CAV was a much more serious Grand Prix racer than earlier racing Guzzis despite retainingthe hand-change three-speed gearbox

and unsprung frame. As before the

bore and stroke were 88 x 82mm, but

the two 37mm and two 34mm

exhaustvalves were inclined at a wider 58°40'. For a racing engine the

valve timing was very moderate with

Replacing the Normale, the Sport was Moto Guzzi's only production motorcycle until

1928.

the inlet opening 9º before top dead centre, closing 61° after bottom dead centre. The60°bexhaustvalveopened efore bottom dead centre and closed 20° after top dead centre. The four-

valve layout allowed for a central 18mm spark plug, With a racing

Amac 28.5mm carburettor and a 6:1

compression ratio, the CV initially

produced 22bhp at 5,500rpm. There

was a new frame with a shorter

1,380mm (541/-inch) wheelbase, a

rim brake on the front and 27 x 2.75inch tyres. Performance of the 130kg (28716) CAV was considerably

improved over the C2V, with a top

speed of approximately 140km/h This increase in performance

(87mph).

immediately translated into victories on the racetrack. For the 1924 season

the Ghersi brothers, Pietro and Mario,

in the

joined Gattiand Mentasti

Guzzi team.The debut of theC4V

took place on 9 June 1924 at

Cremona for speed trials. Guido Mentasti set a lap record of

125.265km/h (78mph) and a speed of

135.142km/h (84mph) for a timed 10 kilometres, a new 500cc class record.

The first race for the C4V was on

29 June at the Circuito del Lario.

As with the 'G.P.', the CAV featured a four-valve cylinder head with a bevel-gear. driven single overhead camshaft. This is the bike on which Mentasti won the 1924

September 1921 he gave Guzzi their first victory with a win in the 500cc

class on the classic Madonie circuit.

The following year, 1922, saw a consolidation both in production and

racing The Normale continued in modest production, and the racing

bikes, rather than being specific competition designs, were still modified Normales. Guzzi entered nine events and won two, both with Cavedini: the

Circuito del Piave in May, and the third Ravelli Cup in July. However, the more important events, the Nations Grand Prix held at the new

Monza Autodrome, the Raid NordSud and the Circuito del Lario, continued to elude them. Guzzi improved on their 1921 result in the Raid NordSud with Carlo Marazzani finishing Sth overall, but their most significant result of the year was Valentino

Championship of Europe, still on display at the Moto Guzzi museum.

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

EARLY DAYS

Here Pietro Ghersi won at an average

speed of 67.631km/h (42mph), with Mentasti second and brother Mario fourth. Other victories for the CAV followed at Lugano. Tortona and La

Spezia, but the most significant ofvictoryEurope,was inheldthe firstat MonzaChampionshipon

September. In a field consisting of the works Sunbeam, Norton, Sarolea and twin-cylinder Peugeot, Mentasti won at an average speed of 130.647km/h

(81mph). Shortly before the race he

had most of the gearbox removed,

also dismantling the hand gearchange. Running with primary gears only, he soundly beat ace rider Tazio Nuvolari on a Norton TT over the 400km race to establish Guzzi as a serious force in 500cc racing. Emphasising Guzzi's superiority, local track expert Erminio

Visioli finished second, and Pietro

Ghersi fourth. These C4Vs were almost standard bikes, except for

strengthening of the rear frame trian-

gle, a shortened rear mudguard, no

One of the greatest riders for Moto Guzzi during the 1920s was Guido Mentasti. His career was, however, short-lived as he was killed retuming from a race in Brescia in -

April 1925.

seat springs and the oil tank located on top of the fuel tank. When Pietro Ghersi rode a C4V to victory at the German Grand Prix at Avus on 21

September Guzzi was no longer an obscure Italian motorcycle manufacturer. From the original idea in 1919, by 1925 Carlo Guzzi's individual and

unusual design had been well and

truly vindicated. Shortly after these

victories the C4V was added to the regular catalogue as a production

racer and was available until 1926.

During 1925 there were still ofﬁcially entered factory bikes, and the

CAV managed 32 victories. On 29

September Guzzi made their ﬁrst

attempt on world speed records with

the C4V. At Monza,

Siro Casali,

Ghersi and Prini broke 37 world records, including 500 miles at an

speed of

129.629km/h (80mph). Modiﬁcations to the C4V for this attempt included an André steering damper and Excelsior front fork friction dampers. As a Grand Prix

average

racer, however, the CAV was begin-

ning to be outclassed, so for 1926

Carlo Guzzi decided to create a completely new 250, purely for competi-

While it looked like

tion.

scaled-down CAV, this new engine was so advanced that it would form the basis of successful 250cc racing

Guzzis for 30 years.

The TT250

By 1926 the success of the racing pro-

gramme was beginning to pay dividends. There were now 350 employees at Mandello producing around 3,000 motorcycles a year.

With the classic Guzzi layout of a hor-

izontal engine, tubular double-cradle frame and three-speed unit gearbox now well established, the 250 would

also follow this pattern. Carlo Guzzi's

intention was to compete in the Isle of Man TT, and on 1 May 1926 he made the new 250 available to Motociclismo for testing.

The lines closely followed those of

the CAV, but the engine now had

square dimensions, 68 x 68mm bore and stroke. and a bevel-gear-driven single overhead camshaft operating

two valves. These had an included

angle of 58°, a very narrow angle for that time, and this undoubtedly con-

tributed to be very high speciﬁc power

In 1926 the TT250 surprised the racing world at the Isle of Man. It was powered by an extremely advanced purpose-built engine

with a high speciﬁc output.

output of 60bhp per litre. In 1926 this was an extraordinary ﬁgure for nor-

mally aspirated engines, only matched by the Delage and Bugatti Grand Prix cars. With an 8:1 compression ratio,

15bhp was produced at 6,000грm.

This increase in rpm was made possible by the use of roller big-end bearings instead of plain bushes, and these were soon adopted on the 500cc C4V. Weighing in at only 105kg (2311lb),

the TT250was capable of around

118km/h (73.3mph),

In June a 250 and 500 were taken to the Isle of Man for Pietro Ghersi to

ride in the Lightweight and Senior

TIs. On the TT250, now with a Binks

hand throttle andAndré steering

damper, Ghersi astonished the partisan crowd by finishing second behind C. W. (Paddy) Johnson's Cotton and

setting the fastest lap at 63.12mph (101.6km/h). Unfortunately Ghersi

wasdisqualified for changing an

unspecified spark plug (to a FERT

instead of KLG) during the race, but

it had been an impressive racing debut

in the most prestigious event in

Europe. He retired during the Senior TT.

A rider's view of the 1926 TT250.

Pietro Ghersi set the fastest lap in that

year's Lightweight TT.

Although the Isle of Man had been a disappointing event, 1926 was a

very successful year for Guzzi in com-

petition, with 42 victories. A month

after the TT, in the Circuito del Lario,

Ugo Prini rode to victory in the 250

class,although Pietro Ghersi was

defeated by the Sunbeam of Achille Varzi in the 500 class. However, the most important event of the year in

Italy was the Nations Grand Prix held at Monza in September. Here again the 250 was triumphant, with Prini and Ghersi joint winners. The TT250

was then marketed as a catalogue

гасег.

The 4VTT

In 1927 production of the 250 and

500cc racers increased alongside that

of the 500cc Sport streetbike, and for

that year the 500cc C4V catalogue

racer became the 4VTT. Essentially

based on the 1926 factory four-valve

Circuito del Lario 500 racer, the

4VTT had a nickel-steel crankshaft with needle-roller con-rod bearings.

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

EARLY DAYS

The move to needle-roller big-end

bearings was a particularly significant

one for Moto Guzzi and would now become a Guzzi feature. The cylinder head was bronze instead of cast-iron and power was increased to 27bhp. Drum brakes were now fitted front and rear with a Webb-type front fork.

The rear frame featured the strength-

ening first fitted on the European championship C4V of 1924. The footpegs were more rear mounted, and the

oil tank was mounted in front of a

larger fuel tank. A tool box was fitted on the tank and there was a standard steering damper. The 4VTT also had larger tyres, a 2.75 x 27-inch on the front and 3.00 x 27-inch on the rear. The throttle was the hand-operated Binks type that had been used on the

official bikes during 1926.

After the disappointment of 1926,

Guzzi again decided to contest the Lightweight and Senior TT events at

the Isle of Man. There were three entrants in the 250 and two in the

Marketed as a 'Super-Sport, this is the 4VTT from a 1926 catalogue of the Austrian distributor Hessel & Schneider of Vienna. (Ivar de Gier collection)

5 PS

SUPER-SPORT-MODELL

MG ILL

499 ECH

nee der Sareungradfeite

DAS SUPER-SPORT-MODELL.

(CHAMPIONATO D'EUROPA)

Vier Ventile mit Königswelle.

Das Super-Sport-Modell unterfheider fich von der Touren-Malchine folgend :

Motor: Wie bei Sport -Type.

Ventile:

500, but the best result Guzzi could

achieve was Luigi Archangeli's second

place in the Lightweight. By now the 500, despite the four-valve cylinder head, was becoming uncompetitive, and 50 of Guzzi's 62 victories during

1927 were achieved by the 250.

Surprisingly, given Moto Guzzi's

increasing success, especially with the 250, the company announced a withdrawal from competition in February 1928. This was to concentrate on reg ular production and development of new models. High on the list of priorities was the expansion of the range of

street motorcycles, which at that stage

still only consisted of the Normalebased Sport, and the development of a

three-wheeled commercial vehicle.

The withdrawal from competition was an unpopular decision with racing followers throughout Italy, but the range

of catalogued racers was increased so that privateers could continue to promote the marque.

The 4VSS and SS250

Revised and faster versions of both the 4V 500, the previously discontinued CZV, and the TT250 were made available.Although the 4VTT of 1927 continued through until 1929,

the 4VSS superseded it with its

slightly more powerful engine and drum front brake. Both models now had a triple-spring front fork and the oil tank moved to the top of the fuel tank. They also received a horn and provision for lights. The 4VSSwas available in limited numbers through until 1934. The TT250 continued as before, but was supplemented by a faster SS250. With a bronze cylinder

head the power was increased to

18bhp, enough to propel the SS to

125km/h (78mph).

SS250 Guzzis won Italian championships in 1927 and 1930-33. As with the 500cc 4VSS, the SS250 was sold through until 1934, by which time the three-speed gearbox was also a limiting factor in its competitiveness as a

racer, and the bronze cylinder head had reverted to cast-iron. From 1934 racing 250s were reserved for factory

riders only.

The G.T.

More significant than the few cata-

logue racers, however, was the expan-

sion of the range with the sprungframe Gran Turismo. Launched in January 1928, only a few were built (78 between 1928 and 1930) and it

was not popular. However, once again it showed the company's capacity for

original ideas and putting them into

practice.

When Carlo's engineer

prother Giuseppe modiﬁed the frame

of the 500 Sport to incorporate a

swingarm operating four springs in

compression by rods, both Carlo and Giorgio Parodi agreed to produce it. The springs were located in a pressed steel box underneath the engine.

Giuseppe, known by his nickname Naco, had officially joined the com-

pany in 1927, and was even more

modest than Carlo. He was to be the impetus behind all of Moto Guzzi's significant frame development and

was a champion of the sprung frame. This he had begun to design in 1925,

and there were several versions.

Unfortunately the idea of a sprung

frame was too advanced for the conservative motorcycle world and would take later racing success to establish the merits of the idea. As with most of Moto Guzzi designs, it too was enduring, surviving through

to the final Falcone of 1967.

One of the problems with the G.T.

was its modest performance. The

13.2bhp engine now needed to propel 150kg (3311b), and top speed was only

100km/h (62mph). This may have

been fast enough in 1920, but higher standards of performance were

expected by 1928.

Giuseppe Guzzi used this bike to demonstrate the advantages of a sprung frame. After a successful trip to the Arctic Circle it was nicknamed the 'Norge.

The Sport included a few modiﬁca-

tions for 1928, notably a drum front

brake and a new cylinder and head

with larger finning. By the end of that

construction would last through until 1946 on many production and mili-

tary versions. The power was 13.2bhp

at 3,800rpm, with camshaft timing

year a version appeared that looked thatdiffered from that of the

much like the later Sport 14. This has

become unofficially knownas the Sport 13, although it is not listed in

factory data as such. A luxury version

of the Sport was also available with

legshields and full lighting powered by

a Bosch mag-dynamo (a magneto-

dynamo combination).

The Sport 14

By the end of 1928 the Sport had trip to the Arctic Circle on his own evolved into the Sport 14, with a new development bike to promotethe unsprung frame and the three-spring merits of the design. After this suc- forks from the racers. Soon there was cessful journey the G.T. was nick- an improved electrical system with a

In the meantime Giuseppe made a

named the 'Norge' (Norway). This

Miller dynamo separate from the mag-

trip was only one of many that

neto ignition. The Sport 14 was supplied with or without lighting, so the

Giuseppe undertook on his prototype

dynamo could be installed later if

to test his designs, and the bike still exists. Giuseppe even re-registered it after the Second World War when he

required. This provision for a dynamo

was a significant step forward for

hid it from the Italian military who

Moto Guzzi, and these models were characterised by the letter L, representing "Luce' (light), in front of the engine number. New crankcases and

were confiscating all motorcycles over 250cc. However, these trips were still

not enough to convince the buying

crankcase cover, both with a bulge for the dynamo and dynamo gear, distinguished the Sport 14 from earlier varieties. The engine had a larger cylinder

public of the merits of Giuseppe's idea

and the unsprung Sport continued as

the production mainstay. By 1928 production was around 50 a week, a large number for the day.

barrel and head assembly and this

Normale. The inlet opened 20° before

top dead centre, closing60° after

bottom dead centre, and the exhaust valve opened 62° before bottom dead

centre, closing 26° after top dead centre. The compression ratio was

4.5:1 and carburation was by an Amac 1-inch carburettor. The claimed top speed was 100km/h

(62mph),

although

Motociclismo

tested a restored Sport 14 in December 1980 and achieved only

gelteuert werden, lind ebenfo wie diefe, von einem aldichten Gelmfe aus Alaminium eingelchlollen. Der Antrieb der Königswelle erfolge durch Kegel- Zahnider.

A. M. A. C. Spezial in vertikaler Lage.

87.5km/h (54mph) with the rider fully prone. The standing 400-metre time was 25.294 seconds at 82.190km/h (51mph). Although it seems slow by

Vergaser:

today's standards, the Sport 14 was one of the better-performing motor-

cycles of the period and was extremely

popular. Weight was a moderate

130kg (2871b) and it was Guzzi's bestselling model of the 1920s.

Within ten years Moto Guzzi had become one of Italy's premier motorcycle manufacturers, and in 1928 the company launched a unique vehicle that would be one of its most success.

ful. With the front half of a 500cc

Sport combined with a truck-like rear, the Type 107 Motocarri was created.

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

EARLY DAYS

overhead-valve top end that differed.

The 2VT remained in production

until 1934, by which time it had been supplemented by a sprung-frame ver-

sion, the G.T. 2VT. Designed for

longer distance events, the G.T. 2VT first appeared in 1931 and used the

chassis of the sprung-frame G.T.

Neither the 2VT nor the G.T. 2VT was strictly a racing bike. Standard

equipment included lighting, luggage

racks and legshields and they were really luxuryversions of standard

bikes. Weighing in at a solid 150kg

(3311b), the top speed of the G.T.

2VT with a 17bhp engine was only

around 120km/h (75mph).

This year was the final year for the C4V 500 TT and TT250, these being

superseded in 1931 by the higher-

performance SS. Factory racing 250s

now had a pedal-operated three-

speed gearbox (with new ratios) and Brampton forks, although the priva-

teer versionsretained the hand

gearshift. By now the 250 was developing 20bhp at 6,500-7,000rpm, trulyimpressive figure for 1930. Continuous development saw the 250 overshadow the 500, with 36 out of 49 victories in 1930. Some of these were particularly impressive: 250 Guzzis filled the first five places in the Coppa Albano, came first and second in the Targa Florio, and Truzzi again

At the Nations Grand Prix in essentially the existing dual overhead triumphed in the Nations Grand Prix. September 1928 250cc Guzzis had valve C2V engine in a new Sport 15 filled the first five places, and the frame with a saddle tank and front. The Sport 15 and G.T. 16 company was again victorious in the brake. Even the crankcases were the Most innovations appeared on the Circuito del Lario that year. As Sport 15 L' type, so it was only the production Sport 15 of 1931, with a already mentioned, with these racing results fromprivateers surpassing Replacing the CZV in 1930, the 2VT was less of a pure racing machine. The frame

Because so many were produced, Sport I4s can still be found at Italian markets. Here is an example at Imola with full lighting and sidecar.

Mario Ghersi won the Targa Florio in April. As before, this season proved to Guzzi's capacity for originality, and be a good one for Moto Guzzi, culmiremained in production, later with nating Egidio Truzzi's victory in the Astore and Falcone-based engines as 250cc in Nations Grand Prix the Ercole, until 1980. From 1931 it September.

While it may have seemed an incongruous concept, once again it showed

was produced in two versions, the '125' Civile and Militare. The front

The 2VT and G.T. 2VT

half was now roughly the later 500cc Sport 15 with a saddle fuel tank, and these 13bhp vehicles were produced until 1936.

The year 1930 saw only a few changes

to existing models. The C2V 500cc racer was replaced by the 2VT ("ValvoleTesta - overhead valve).

and saddle tank were shared with the Sport 15.

expectations, Guzzi decidednot to run an official team for 1929. The

only official entry for that year would

be a return to the Isle of Man, where

Pietro Ghersi rode an SS250 in the

Lightweight TT. However, as with pre-

vious Tourist Trophies, it wasan

unfortunate meeting for Guzzi with Ghersi retiring on the final lap while comfortably in the lead.

The catalogue 500cc and 250cc

production racers (including the C2V

500) continued into 1929, as did the Sport 14 and the few G.T.s that were

manufactured. The 4VSS 500 featured more chrome plating and dual silencers and provided Guzzi with

their first victory that year when

new frame (still unsprung) and a

saddle-style fuel tank rather than the tank positioned on top of the frame tube. They were painted brown/ama-

ranth until 1933when a purple

'Lusso' (luxury) version was added.

This had more chrome on the tank, wheel rims and various cycle parts. Some were also painted red, and the

Sport 15 would be Guzzi's most popu-

lar production bike through the

1930s, lasting until 1939.

The venerable side inlet and overhead exhaust valve engine that had

its origins back with the Normale of 1921 was still used, but it had been considerably developed overthe years. Carburation was now by an

Amal 6/142 and the needle-roller big-

end bearings of the C4V were

adopted to improve reliability. Another feature that carried over

from the C4V was the introduction of a stronger T-shaped con-rod in place

of the weak 'O'-section tube type.

The presence of 'L crankcases, needle-rollerbig-end, and the

shaped con-rod are valuable clues

when dating pre-war Sports. In 1936

a Dell'Orto carburettor replaced the Amal, and 1937 saw new controls. The Sport 15 frame and saddle tank also made it to the sprung G.T., which in 1930 became the G.T. 16.

However, somehow the G.T. versions did not catch on and the G.T. 16 only lasted until 1934.

While many motorcyele manufac

turers suffered after the Great Crash of 1929, Italian manufacturers, like

those in Germany, were fortunate that their Fascist governments saw motor

Moto Guzzi's most popular model during the 1930s was the Sport 15, still with the

rigid frame and side inlet valve engine.

Less popular was the G. T. 16, identical to the Sport 15 but for a sprung frame.

sport as an important propaganda

tool. So rather than being a period of

depression, the 1930s were to be fruit-

ful for Moto Guzzi, especially on the

track. This success translated into

Guzzi earning the status as the leading

Italian motorcycle manufacturer by

the end of the decade.

THE 1930s: A GOLDEN ERA

(in front of the fuel tank) and one for

the compressor (between the rear wheel and the engine).With a com-

pression ratio of 5:1, 40bhp was devel-

oped

with

the

supercharger operating at 0.75 bat. This was too much power for the rigid

The 1930s: a golden era

be used again with the supercharged

250 single later in the decade. The exhaust ports were also 30mm and the ignition was by twin Bosch magnetos.

The engine was oversquare with dimensions of 56 50mm, and

because it was to be supercharged the

valve angle was widened. Whereas

earlier racing engines had used narrow

included valve angles and overhead camshafts, the four had its two overhead valves set 70° apart. These were

operated by exposed pushrods and

rockers driven by two camshafts situ-

ated inside the cylinder block. As expected with a supercharger, the

frame and small (177mm front and 225mm rear) brakes to handle, and

the engine was considerably heavy at 80kg (176lb).

valve timing was very moderate with the inlet opening 10° before top dead

centre and closing 50° after bottom dead centre, and the exhaust opening

50° before bottom dead centre and closing 10°a fter top dead centre.

Valve lift was 5.75mm for the inlet

and 6.50mm for the exhaust.

In many respects the four was thor-

oughly up to date. The three-bearing

crankshaft rods ran on roller bearings

and the con-rods on needle rollers. The 4-litre lubrication system

included an oil cooler mounted on the

front frame downtubes, and there

were two oil tanks, one for the engine The supercharged four-cylinder 500cc engine of 1930. On top of the engine is the transverse expansion chamber, with the gear-driven rotary supercharger above the

gearbox.

Giuseppe Guzzi's frame, although rigid and not strong enough for the powerful engine, was alsoquite advanced. More importantly, it featured some characteristics that would appear on later Guzzi racing frames, right through until the 1950s. The

Theconsiderableonset of thedevelopmentnew decadeofsaythe racing four-stroke engine, both in

automotive and motorcycle applications. The appearance of superchargers and multi-cylinder engines had led

to huge increases in power, and for 500cc racing motorcycles this indicated that the days of the naturally

aspirated four-stroke single were num-

bered.However, this emphasis on

horsepower was not initially matched by chassis development and it would

several years before the heavy, powerful and complex multi-cylin-

dered machines dominated the racing circuits.

The Quattro Cilindri 500

Epitomising this lack of harmony was

Carlo Guzzi and Oreste Pasolini's

500cc supercharged transverse fourcylinder racing motorcycle of 1931.

Designed to be an answer to the four-

cylinder OPRA (later the Rondine

and eventually Gilera) of Piero Remor

and Carlo Gianini, the four was an

amalgam of ancient and modern engi-

neering practice. Thus it was disappointing and never achieved Guzz's expectations. The idea of four nearly horizontal cylinders and a one-piece alloy crankcase with the gear-driven Cozette rotary supercharger bolted on

to the rear of the gearbox was novel, as were the four separate and identical cast-iron cylinder heads and barrels. Yet there was still only a hand-operated three-speed gearbox. The super-

charger fed a cylindrical expansion chamber mounted above the four

30mm inlet ports. This chamber was designed to maintain constant high pressure to the inlet ports and would

front part of the cradle frame was steel tubing, bolted to duraluminium plates

underneath and on both sides of the

engine. The triangulated rear steel tube section bolted to these plates.

The use of duraluminium sheet metal as part of the frame was a new idea for Moto Guzzi, but would become a feature of most racing Guzzis over the

next 20 years.

First tested at Monza in September 1931, the 165kg (36416) four-cylinder 500 was disappointing from the start and only raced once. This was at the Nations Grand Prix at Monza where

three bikes were raced (with one

spare), the riders being Terzo Bandini,

Fumagalli and Moretti. Bandini battled for the lead with Piero Taruffi's Norton for 37 laps but all three bikes

retired. However, Carlo Guzzi was not completely disillusioned by the perfor-

mance of the four, and continued to test it with Siro Casali during 1932

before dropping the project that year. While not an unqualiﬁed racing suc-

cess, it did spawn a three-cylinder

road bike.

Racing duties throughout1931

were still consigned to the SS250 and SS500. The biggest change to the 250

was the introduction of a foot-operated gearchange, and the front fork

became aone-spring

Brampton.

Factory bikes were fitted with either a

hand or foot gearchange, sometimes both. From 1932 the foot gearchange

became an option on the 250SS and

TT. Again the 250 was victorious in

the Nations Grand Prix, Alfredo

Panella and Ricardo Brusi taking the

ﬁrst two places. PierroGhersi

Exposed hairpin valve springs controlled the valves, and ignition was by twin

magnetos,

attempted the Lightweight IT at the Isle of Man once more. but retired. Other victories during 1931 included

Ugo Prini's win in the 250cc class of

the Circuito del Lario, and Terzo Bandini's win in the 250cc Swiss

Grand Prix held at Berne.

The Tre Cilindri

The G.T. 16, a Sport 15 in a sprung

frame. had been introduced in 1930,

and early in 1932 Carlo Guzzi pro-

duced a remarkable touring bike in a similar style. Following the disappointment of the four-cylinder racer, three

of the cylinders were taken to create a compact 500cc in-line triple. With the

four's 56mm pistons, the stroke was increased 2mm 67mm to give

500cc. The two overhead valves fol-

Only one example of the highly advanced Tre Cilindri survived, and is on display at the

museum at Mandello.

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

THE 1930s: A GOLDEN ERA

lowed the four-cylinder's example by being operated by pushrods and rock-

ers, but now used coil springs instead of hairpins. Coil ignition was used, a distributor being driven off the rightside camshaft, together with a single Amal carburettor. With its 4.5:1 compression ratio, the three-cylinder pro-

duced 25bhp at 5,500rpm. Despite

the undersquare bore and stroke, this engine was very advanced. The fly-

wheel was incorporated inside the engine cases, as was the three-speed gearbox as usual. Running entirely on

needle-colier bearings, the crankshaft

had 120° crank throws creating a very smooth engine.

The frame, in two parts bolted together, followed the form set by the

racer apart from the inclusion of rear

suspension with a new design of

friction damper.

Unfortunately the Tre Cilindri did not meet with universal acclaim, and because of its specification it needed to be sold at a premium price. The

conservative market was just not

ready for such an expensive touring bike that could only provide modest

performance. Even though the weight was only 160kg (353lb), top speed was

no more than 130km/h (81mph).

Buyers still preferred the Sport 15 (especially ata price 35per cent lower), and after one year the Tre

Cilindri was discontinued.

The P 175, P 250, P.E. 250 and G.T. 17

If the Tre Cilindri had been a marketing disaster, Guzzi's expansion of its

make them more aesthetically appeal-

ing.Designed for the advantageous motoleggere taxation class for lightweight motorcycles, the P 175 was

produced until 1937. Still with a

hand-operated three-speed gearbox, it was a sprightly little machine. While

the 59 x 63.7mm engine only pro-

duced 7bhp at 5,000rpm, it only

weighed 115kg (2531lb) and could achieve 100km/h (62mph).

In 1933 the Fascist government

abolished the tax differences between

light and regular motorcycles, so in

1934 the production range was

range into the lightweight segment. expanded with the addition of the was a brilliant success. With the P 250 alongside the P 175. Displacing

232.3cc with its 68 x 64mm bore and

release of the P 175 in 1932 some new

stroke andpushrod-operated over-

features were introduced that would eventually find their way on to the

head valves, the P 250 owed more to the P 175 than the racing 250s. With slightly larget, 33mm,valves, power

500cc production models, in particular overhead valves. Typically for a

Guzzi, the cylinder head design was very advanced, the two 32mm valves

was only 9bhp at 5,500rpm, and top speed was also around

having a 62° included angle. The

(62mph). Unlike the P 175, however, the P 250 had a foot-operated gearbox

engine cases were also redesigned to

The G.T. 17 was powered by the same opposed-valve engine as the Sport. In the African war of 1935-36 it gained a reputation for exceptional robustness.

and could be distinguished from the smaller model by its deeper mudguards and a frame that included a sheet metal sectionbehind the

engine. The P 250 was soon joined by a sprung-frame PE. (E for Elastico) that weighed considerably more, 135kg (2981b), but offered superior comfort and handling.

Also throughout this period some of Guzzi's most successful ventures were military vehicles, in particular the G.T. 17. Based on the G.T. 16. this had the 500cc 13.2bhp opposed-

valve engine, three-speedgearbox

and sprung frame. Carburation was now by a Dell'Orto MC 26F instead

of an Amal, and a Marelli MLA1

magneto rather than a Bosch ZE1.

The G.T. 17 also featured a double exhaust. The kickstart was on the right (left on the G.T. 16), and no

battery was fitted; instead there was a

heavy-duty dynamo and voltage regu-

lator. Single and dual seat versions

were offered and there were a variety of options available, some including machine-gun mounting. The G.T. 17 was the first of a long line of Moto Guzzis built for specific military or police applications. Motor-tricycles

also featured strongly in the produc-

tion from 1931until 1936. Two

versions with the 500cc opposed-

valve engine were produced, the '32'

military version, and the '125' civilian version.

The 500 Bicilindrica

With the four-cylinder permanently

retired, racing during 1932 continued with developed versions of the 4VSS

and SS250. By now the 500cc 4VSS

had a bronze cylinder head,and

factory versions a twin Amal 6/011 carburettor with single float chamber on a V-shaped inlet manifold. Power was now 32bhp with a top speed in

the region of 170km/h (105.6mph), but the rest of the bike was quite out of date, especially the hand-operated three-speed gearbox. However, there

was still one signiﬁcant victory in store for the venerable 4VSS, the 1932 Milano-Napoli. Last run in

1925, this race was shifted to June (fromSeptember) and called the Mussolini Gold Cup. On his 4VSS Carlo Fumagalli won at an average

speed of 93.084km/h (57.8mph), with

One of Moto Guzzi's more successful ventures during the 1930s was the expansion of

the lightweight range. This is a P 175.

Virginio Fieschi second on another

4V. Ricardo Brusi and Alfredo

Panella matched this with a first and

second in the 250 class. As usual,

excellent race results continued for

the 250 during 1932, victories by

Brusi in the European Grand Prix and

Fumagalli in the Swiss Grand Prix

being particularly notable. Continued

development saw the power up to

20bhp.

While the 4VSS 500cc racer was catalogued alongside the 250SS for 1933, it was clear that the 4VSS was no longer competitive. Race victories

were hard to achieve and the MilanoNapoli event of 1933 was a disaster for Moto Guzzi. Fortunately Federico Susini on the non-factory 250 was victorious in the 250 class, the only Guzzi

to finish. All ten works bikes failed.

There were, however, other important

250cc victories, in particular Walter

Handley's win in the Swiss Grand Prix in July. Handley had observed Mario Ghersi in the Lightweight TT of 1933

(where he finished sixth), and had also wanted to ride a Guzzi in that

event but had not been able to due to

his contract with Excelsior.

Works 250s of that vear received a four-speed foot-operated gearbox and

were code-named 4M for 4 Marce (four-speed). Even though Mario

Ghersi retired in the Milano-Napoli, the 4M became the standard factory

250 after that event. It featured new

crankcases, a cast-iron instead of bronze cylinder head, and an Amal

6/011 carburettor.

Needing a new 500, Carlo Guzzi,

with characteristic originality, sought to combine two of his highly successful 250s to create a 500cc V-twin. The resulting Bicilindrica lived until 1951 and managed to blend the delicate

balancebetween horsepower and agility. In thedesign of the

Bicilindrica, Carlo Guzzi retained the horizontal cylinder of the SS250, and

placed another cylinder 120° behind it. This cylinder had circular finning and both featured a single overhead camshaft driven by a shaft and bevel gear. Thus the same bore and stroke

were retained (68 x 68mm), and the same valves, 37mm for the inlet and

34mm for the exhaust, with an identical 58° included valve angle. Initially the cylinders and heads were in cast-

iron. As expected, the aluminium

crankcase contained the four-speed gearbox, operated by a foot change,

and the 38/70 geared primary drive. The big-end and the crankshaft ran on 30mm roller-bearings with a central main bearing. Thus separate

crankpins were used and spaced 120ª

apart to give even ﬁring intervals. As the pins were integral with the crank webs the roller big-end bearings were

unusual in that they were split dia-

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

THE 1930s: A GOLDEN ERA

NATi sam

M018 GAZZI

For 1935 both the 250 and 500 received Giuseppe Guzzi's sprung frame. The 250 also featured the Bicilindrica's larger front

The 1933 version of the Bicilindrica 500 had a rigid rear end. There were few changes for 1934 but the handling was still

brake.

unsatisfactory.

could only improve, and if it had not been for the rise of the supercharged

500s later in the decade, it would

have been undoubtedly more successful. As it was, the Bicilindrica demonstrated its excellence by spearheading Moto Guzzi's 500cc racing programme

for nearly 20 years.

of the

the

With

addition

Bicilindrica, things started to look up

on the racetracks for Guzzi during 1934. Both the 250 and 500 were developed, the 250 now being

reserved for works riders only. It also (3331b)1934 the and power increased tO received a new frame (still with a rigid 43.35bhp. The three-part crankcase rear end), and a new saddle-style fuel was now cast in electron rather than tank with an oil tank on top, aluminium and featured a revised oil Brampton forks and 19-inch wheels.

metrically. There was also the usual Guzzi external flywheel on the left

side of the engine.

Carburation was by two Dell'Orto

28.5mm carburettors, ignition by a

magneto situated between the cylin-

ders, and lubrication by dry sump.

The original version had a rigid frame

and Brampton forks and weighed around 160kg (3531b). First displayed in September 1933, power was 41bhp at 7,000rpm, and top speed 186km/h (115.5mph). For the second version of

ing the Bicilindrica the "monster'

because of its evil handling. A month later, on 20 May, it was raced again at

the ItalianGrand Prix at Rome's

Littorio autodrome. Tenni took first

place followed by Moretti, while Brusi

won the 250cc race. Tenni continued

this success on the Bicilindrica to take

the Italian 500cc Championship that

year, and Bandini won the MilanoNapoli event at an average speed of 98.370km/h (61mph). Brusi also led home four Guzzis in the 250 class. It

had been a good year, with some

important results, but 1935 would see

Guzzi achieve what they had set out

to do back in 1926, winning the most

important road race in Europe,the

Isle of Man Tourist Trophy.

Central to the improvement of

both the 250 and 500 Bicilindrica for 1935 was the adoption of a sprung

frame, designed by Giuseppe Guzzi. It was an unorthodox system with the rear fork pivoted near the engine and triangulated underneath. There were two springs in horizontal tubes alongside the wheel and damping was by friction dampers adjusted by a lever

and cable on the left side of the fuel tank. Changes to the engine included

narrower and stronger con-rods, and narrower valve stems. Power for the

500 went to 50bhp at 7,500rpm, with top speed around 200km/h

(124mph). This was amply demonstrated by Tenni during the Grand Prix of Tripoli at the Mellaha circuit at the end of March, which he won at an average speed of 178km/h

(110mph). The 250 for 1935 received the 202mm brakes of the Bicilindrica,

and also shared the engine improve-

ments.

Inthe

Milano-Napoli event April 1935 Guzzi swept the board overall in both the 500 and 250cc

Tenni won, followed by

classes.

Giordano Aldrighetti, Bandini and Brusi on the 250. Tenni's winning average speed of 107.91km/h (67mph) indicated the superiority of the sprung frame. A similar victory

followed one month later at Monza in the Gran Premio del Reale. This time the Bicilindrica was again triumphant,

Bandini ahead of Tenni and Aldrighetti at an average speed of 164.678km/h (102.3mph). Aldo

Pigorini took the 250 to its class vic-

tory,Tenni again won the Italian

500cc championship, with Pigorini

taking the 250cc championship, these

results doing much to publicise the

new sprung frame.

The Tourist Trophy races that year

were to be the most significant

successes for Guzzi to that date. At 35

years of age Stanley Woods was a

veteran of the Isle of Man course with six TT wins to his credit, and both he

Tenni were entered on 250

Stanley Woods being congratulated by Giorgio Parodi following his historic victory in the Lightweight TT of 1935.

weight was reduced to 151kg

pump.

The 500 Bicilindrica was essentially

The racing debut of the Bicilindrica was on 15 October 1933 in the Italian

unchanged but for the 202mm brakes

front and rear. The ofﬁcial team of Tenni, Bandini and Amilcare Moretti

Grand Prix at the Rome Autodromo del Littorio. Here three bikes were was also strengthened by the inclusion raced by Terzo Bandini, Guglielmo ofIrishman Stanley Woods for Sandri and the rising star, Omobono selected international events, notably Tenni. Tenni crashed, Bandini retired, the Spanish Grand Prix in April fol-

and Sandri ﬁnished second, although

Guzzi triumphed with the ﬁrst three

places in the 250cc event. It had been

a very promising start for the new

machine and once again Carlo Guzzi's originality had been vindicated. With

more development the Bicilindrica

lowed by the Isle of ManTourist

Trophy.

The Bicilindrica's ﬁrst success was the Spanish Grand Prix at Montjuich

Park, Barcelona, on 22 April 1934.

Stanley Woods rode to victory in both

the 250 and 500cc classes, nicknam-

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

THE 1930s: A GOLDEN ERA

continued in production until 1939.

advance. The gearbox was now fourspeed and foot-operated, and there was the usual 280mm external fly-

wheel. All the gearbox shafts ran in

ball bearings, there was a helical-

geared primary drive, and the big-end

bearings were needle-rollers. So sound

was this design that it would form the

basis of all later Guzzi 500 singles, including the magnificent Condor,

Dondolino and Gambalunga competi-

tion machines.

The rest of the new 500 V followed a design similar to that of the earlier Sport 15, but with many variations, The frame was rigid but now included

sheet metal plates behind the engine. The girder front fork now had friction

dampers and all the bodywork was new. This included fuel tanks, mud-

guards, and the inclusion of toolboxes.

Wheels were 19-inch and the V was

shorter than the Sport 15 with its

1,400mm (55-inch) wheelbase.

Asprung-frame G.T.V. was also

offered, and this would have a longer

production run than the V, lasting until 1949. Surprisingly, given the

more advanced speciﬁcation of the V and G.T.V., the new engine was also

built with the earlier side inlet and

overhead exhaust valve cylinder head. The result was the 'S', and its sprung-

frame brother the G.T.S. Still making

13.2bhp as they had back in 1928,

these four-speed variants were also

offered with the option of a hand

gearchange, and were designed as a

rugged workhorse rather than a sport-

ing motorcycle. Despite the perfor-

mance benefits offered by the

engine, the G.T.S. combination of the sprung frame with the earlier engine

was also surprisingly popular, with

nearly twice as many manufactured. This was related more to the reliability of the engine; if an overhead valve

dropped on the S engine it did not

end with catastrophic engine damage.

The V achieved 130km/h (81mph) against the 105km/h (65mph) of the S.

It must also be remembered that

the venerable Sport 15 with its

opposed-valve engine and hand-

change three-speedgearbox was

Guzzi's production mainstay during the 1930s. It received some minor changes to colours,brakes, front suspension andcarburettors, but

The popularity of the Sport 15, especially given the alternative of the V and

G.T.V., indicated theconservative

nature of the motorcycle-buying

public, something that continues to

this day.

There were few changes to the

range of production bikes in 1935. The W and G.T.W. joined the 500cc

overhead valve line-up, being identical to the 18bhp V and G.T.V. apart

from a higher-performance22bhp

engine. This was achieved by means of a slightly higher compression ratio (6:1), a new camshatt, and a 28.5mm

carburettor. The W was produced through until 1939, and the G.T.W. until 1949. The higher-horsepower

engine brought the sporting G.T.W.'s

performance up to the level of the

lighter unsprung versions, giving a top speed of 140km/h (87mph). There were now seven 500s in the production range, the Sport 15, V, W and S

with unsprung frames, and the G.T.V., G.T. W. and G.T.S, with sprung frames.

Notwithstanding military and threewheeled vehicles, this would remain the basic line-up until the outbreak of

the Second World War.

Although the overhead valve "V' engine offered superior performance, questionable

reliability saw the more basic 'S', with its opposed-valve engine, more popular. This is

one of the final Vs, from 1939.

exhausts. 1936 was also significant in that it was the year that great engi-

neer Giulio Carcano joined the com-

pany; he would play an important role at Mandello until the mid- 1960s.

With a temporaryreductionin

international tensionduring 1937

there was a return to active competition on all fronts, not just in Italy.

However, asearly as1934 the

Bicilindrica had come under some

pressure from the supercharged waterand affected Guzz's racing involve- cooled four-cylinder Rondine. With ment. Economic sanctions and fuel Rondine selling this design to Gilera shortages due to the invasion of who intended to race it during 1937, Ethiopia limited participation in inter- the Guzzi Bicilindrica's days of dominational events to the Swiss and nance looked limited. By the end of European Grands Prix. At Berne 1937 a prototype water-cooled superTenni won the 250 event but retired charged Bicilindrica was produced, as

During 1936 politics intervened

from the500cc race, and at the

well as a prototype supercharged 250,

German event, to coincide with the

but only the 250 would make it to the race track. Fortunately Guzzi still had their venerable 250, and the remarkable Omobono Tenni, whose bravery and talent more than compensated for any deficiency of horsepower. At the

Isle of Man in 1937 Tenni took the

The great rider Omobono Tenni also rode a 250TT in the Lightweight TT of 1935,

but crashed.

powering a four-wheeled Nibbio, designed by Count Giovanni Lurani and Carlo Guzzi's son Ulisse. On 5 November 1935 the 50bhp Nibbio

Guzzis. Woods also had a Bicilindrica for the Senior TT. In the Lightweight

TT on 19 June,Woods gave Guzzi

their first Tourist Trophy at an average

broke kilometre and mile under-500cc

speed of 71.56mph (115km/h) in rain and very poor conditions. Tenni

vetturette records on the Firenze-

crashed and Woods's winning margin was over 3 minutes from Tyrell Smith on the four-valve Rudge that had won

Mare road. In May 1939 Lurani set

more records, this time on a stretch of

the Berlin-Munich autobahn, with a

top speed of 174km/h (108mph).

the previous year.

The Senior TT three days later was

a far closer race. Also heldin

The V, G.T.V., S, G.T.S., W and G.T.W.

atrocious conditions, Stanley Woods rode the race of his life to beat Jimmy Guthrie on a Norton. On the final lap Woods set a new lap record of 86.53mph (139km/h) defeat

The production 500cc single-cylinder

engine came in for a complete

redesign for 1934, and was called the 'V'. While retaining the distinctive horizontal cylinder, 88 x 82mm bore

Guthrie by 4 seconds. Despite the poor conditions, he also set a new

and stroke, and external ﬂywheel, the

race record at 84.68mph (136km/h).

valve layout followed that of the

It was a historic victory. Not only was it the first victory by an Italian motor-

P 175: two overhead valves operated

by pushrods and rockers with external hairpin springs, The aluminium crankcase was also restyled along the lines of the P 175. The cast-iron cylinder head had twin exhaust ports, and with a 5.5:1 compression ratio and an Amal 27mm carburettor, power was

cycle on the British manufacturers' home turf, but it signalled the end of the rigid frame and the big single for

racing. These victories were especially

important in elevating the status of

Moto Guzzi as a world-class, not just an Italian, motorcycle manufacturer.

up to 186hp at 4,300rpm. Ignition was

Soonthe Bicilindricawas also

by a Bosch magneto with manual

Lightweight Tourist Trophy and set a

lap record at 77.72mph new (125km/h); Stanley Woodsretired

while leading.

For 1937 the North-South race was changed to Milano-Taranto, distance of 1,283km (797 miles). Again

it was a Guzzi benefit, Sandri winning

at 104.013km/h (65mph), leading

Guzzi 500s to 11 of the first 15 places outright, while Nello Pagani took the

250 racing class. Sandri ﬁnished off

the year with a win in the Italian

Olympics, the Guzzis were outclassed by the supercharged DKWs.

However, in Italian events Guzzi's dominance continued. As usual in the Milano-Napoli race a full factory

team was entered, Aldo Pigorini

taking the 250 and Tenni the 500cc

classes. The Italian Grand Prix at

Monza on 27 September also saw the

Guzzi Bicilindrica triumphant, this

time over the German invasion.

Tenni tookfirst and Aldrighetti second ahead of the twosuper-

charged BMWs. Results were similar

in the 250 race, but with the places reversed and Aldrighetti taking ﬁrst place ahead of Tenni. The factory

racing bikes were very similar to those

of 1935 but for long trumpet-type

In 1935 the V engine was uprated and became the "W". This was also offered in rigid

and sprung-frame versions, but was even less popular than the V. Here is a 1937 G.T.W., visually similar to the G.T.V.

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

THE 1930s: A GOLDEN ERA

500cc championship, and Pagani matching that with the 250cc cham-

pionship.

Another project later that year was an aerodynamic exercise on the 250 by the Aeronautical Institute at Turin Polytechnic. Under Carcano's supervision a fully faired motorcycle was

designed for record-breaking attempts,

but it got no further than the model

The 500 G.T.C., P.L. 250, P.L.S. 250 and P.E.S.

Lamiera - the pressed-steel frame), Costs were kept down by the use of

this type of frame, a welded steel

girder fork and an almost total

absence of chrome. The P.L., with its 22mm carburettor, produced 10bhp and could achieve around 100km/h (61mph). It replaced the P 250, but

the P.E. (E signifying Elastico), with a sprung frame and 9bhp 232cc engine,

P,L.S., also appeared in 1937. This produced slightly more power than

Also in 1937 the 500 G.T.C. was the PL., 12bhp, weighed 105kg

introduced, a competition version of the 22bhp G.T.W. Designed for the production categories of races such as Milano-Taranto.

(231½1b), and by 1939 had evolved

was shelved, Carlo Guzzi proceeded

with the supercharged 250 for 1938. Initially this was to be for endurance record-breaking attempts, but it

would later prove eminently suitable for road racing.

The air-cooled 250cc single was fitted with a Guzzi-manufactured

Cozette supercharger above the gearbox driven by gears contained in the

primary drive casing. In order to over-

come the difficulties presented by

500 BICILINORICO

CON COMPRESSO

supercharging a single cylinder, an expansion chamber was located

between the supercharger and cylin-

Above: The prototype supercharged 500

still on

Bicilindrica engine of 1937,

display in the Moto Guzzi museum. Left: Tenni beng congratulated by the

Richmond after

Lightweight TT victory.

Below: Stanley Woods rode a Bicilindrica

500 in the Nations Grand Prix at Monza in 1937, and finished fifth. By now the

Bicilindrica no longer featired the rideradjustable rear friction dampers.

der. Supercharger pressure altered depending on the type of fuel used:

with the usual petrol-benzol mixture during 1938 with the addition of a of the day it was 0.6-0.8 bar, but on increased slightly to 24-26bhp at sporty version of the sprung-frame methanol pressure was increased to P.E., the P.E.S. With the 12bbp 70 x 1.3-1.5 bar.

exhausts, a 20-inch front wheel and a 64mm 247cc engine of the P.L.S., and In the cylinder head of the super-

rear mudguard seat pad. The G.T.W.'s

a three-speed foot-operated gearbox, discarded and both the RE.S. weighed in at 135kg (2981b) the fuel and oil tanks were larger. and top speed was around 110km/h

Unfortunately at 160kg (3531b) it was far too heavy for this sort of competicion and only had a modest top speed

(68mph): however. when modified for

events such as the Milano-Taranto.

charged 250, the 37mm inlet and 35mm exhaust valves were

unchanged, the inlet port being

33.5mmwith the exhaust 29mm.

With a Dell'Orto 32mm carburettor

125km/h (78mph).

power was increased to 38bhp at 7,900rрm, or 45bhp on methanol.

continued through until 1939.

In 1937 the P 250 became a 247cc by means of a bore increase to 70mm

The supercharged 250

The supercharged 250 also received a new frame in steel with an alloy rear

While the development of the waterand was designated the PL. (L for cooled Bicilindrica prototype of 1937

section, and wheels with alloy rims and electron hubs. The total weight

The sporting version of the 250cc P series was the P.E.S. Even though it was modified for racing, it was not exactly a competitive

mount and was overshadowed by the Albatros.

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

THE 1930s: A GOLDEN ERA

as if it shared very little with the mun-

dane touring model. By the time it

entered production there was an alu-

minium cylinder head and barrel,

electron crankcase, straight-cut pri-

mary gears, a single exhaust, and con-

stant mesh-type four-speed gearbox.

Standard versions produced 28bhp, but with special preparation (as for

Pagani in the 1939 Circuito del Lario) the pushrod engine was tuned to pro-

duce 32bhp. This tuning included a

lighter, 6.6kg (141/lb), 260mm (101/4inch) flywheel, sodium-filled exhaust

valve, andtwo-ring piston. The

39mm inlet and 35mm exhaust valves

were inclined at 62°. The lower and lighter composite frame was derived from that of the supercharged 250, and with 21-inch aluminium rimmed wheels and cast electron brakes,the Condor weighed only 140kg (3081b) with full electrical equipment.

Without lights and adapted for circuit racing the weight was less, at around

Although occasionally raced, the supercharged 250 of 1938 was more successful when

used for record attempts.This is the post-war version with the large expansion

chamber between the blower and carburettor.

Nations Grand Prix at Monza the

was 132kg (2911b) and top speed over 200km/h (124mph).

Guzzis were defeated by the Benellis and BMWs.

It was immediately successful as a record-breaker, Nello Pagani setting a host of world records at Monza on 30 September. These included an average of 180.81km/h (112mph) over 5 kilo-

The Condor and Albatros

There were also two new additions to the 500cc line-up for 1938, a 500cc metres and 170.273km/h (106mph) catalogue racer to replace the G.T.C., over 100 kilometres. On 30 theCondor, and a newmilitary November Tenni attempted more motorcycle,the G.T. 20.Although

records, raising the 5-kilometre record

not available until 1939, the Condor had been raced in prototype form by

to 187.832km/h (117mph) and also setting a one-hour record of 180.502

Ugo Prini in the 1938 Circuito del

kilometres (112 miles).

Lario, where it took a class victory.

Road racing dutiesthroughout Called the Nuova C, this still had a 1938 were maintained by the cast-iron cylinder and head, but with Bicilindrica, together with the unsu- a Dell'Orto SS 32mm carburettor, percharged 250, and it was a difficult new camshaft and 7:1 compression it year for Moto Guzzi. In the Milano- produced 28bhp at 5,000гpm. The

Taranto race Pagani finished third overall on a 250 at a speed of

Nuova C weighed much less than the G. T.C. at 145kg (320lb) with full elec104.479km/h (65mph), faster than trical equipment, and its encouraging Sandri's winning speed of a year earl- performance saw it being sold as the ier on the Bicilindrica. The G.T.C. G.T.C.L. a few months later. By 1939 took the production category, but the it had become officially the Condor, Bicilindricas of Tenniand Sandri one of the most classically good lookretired. While 500cc victories were ing Guzzis ever created, and the first hard to come by, Pagani still managed of many to carry the name of a bird.

Although descended fromthe

to take the 250 Italian championship, and there was no entry by Guzzi at the

G.T.V., the Condor was such a pur-

poseful racing machine that it looked

Isle of Man that year. Even in the

125kg (276lb). With a top speed in

the region of 160km/h (99mph), the red Condor was undoubtedly one of the most competitive 500cc motor-

cycles available in Italy in 1939. Unfortunately the outbreak of war

that year halted Condor production and only 69 weremanufactured

between 1939 and 1940. Some even ended up being used as a mount by Mussolini's riding bodyguards. The Condor would,however,be resur-

rected in 1946 as the great Dondolino and Gambalunga.

Not only did 1939 see the introduction of the superb Condor, but it also

saw the supercharged 250 take to the

racetrack in addition to the record

attempts. Carlo Guzzi now realised

that both his 250 and Bicilindrica

were being outclassed, and while the

new 500 supercharged racer would

have to wait until 1940, it was a rela-

tivelysimple matterto adapt the

supercharged 250 for the track. There were also some experiments with fuel

injection, both electromagnetic and mechanical. Theelectromagnetic injection wasa joint design by

Caproni-Fuscaldo, but further devel. opment was interrupted by the war.

Entered in the Milano-Taranto, the supercharged 250s of Tenni, Pagani, and Sandri all retired, although amazingly the prototype Caproni-Fuscaldo-

Replacing the G.T.C. was the Condor, a much more purposefud racing design and one of the classic Moto Guzzis. (Roy Kidney)

injected supercharged 250 of Raffaele

Alberti finished second in the 250

class. This bike was called 'Gerolamo' by the factory design team. This was a

nickname for 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' and referred to the

shape of the engine with its expansion chamber sitting on top.

That year also saw Guzzi return to the Isle of Man with Tenni and Woods

on supercharged 250s, but both retired. Maurice Cann rode

Bicilindrica to ninth in the Senior TT, but this machine was now totally outclassed by its supercharged competition. Further bad luck followed at the Dutch and European Grands Prix, but

the supercharged 250was to have

more success in Germany in August. One month before the outbreak of the

war, Pagani and Sandri rode supercharged 250s to victory ahead of the

two-stroke DKWs.

On 20 October 1939, on the

autostrada between Bergamo and

Brescia, further world records were set by the supercharged 250. This time

Alberti was timed over a ﬂying kilometre 213.270km/h(132mph). Sandri too now broke most of Tenni's records of the previous year, raising

the five kilometres to 201.447km/h (125mph). After the war, too, the

supercharged 250 continued to set

records. On 28 February 1948 Luigi

Cavanna attempted several new 350cc sidecar world

records at

Charrat-Saxon in Switzerland. The flying kilometre was achieved at

172.993km/h (107mph). To show how

the

advanced design really was, Cavanna set more records with the

supercharged 250 in 1952.

It was not only the supercharged 250 that achieved better results for

Moto Guzzi during 1939 - the

Condor, too, was proving a far more

competitive machine than the earlier

G.T.C. In the Circuito del Lario

Pagani won, beating Serafini's supercharged Gilera four with more than twice the Condor's horsepower.

Joining the Condor in 1939 production racing was the for 250cc Albatros, and this was also immediately successful. In the Circuito di Losanna (Lausanne) and Circuito di

Another classic catalogue racer of the 1930s was the Albatros. Originally intended for

privateers, this would assume premier road racing status following the end of the Second World War.

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

THE 1930s: A GOLDEN ERA

Bari, Massimo Masserini and Enrico

Lorenzetti took class wins on both the Condor and Albatros.

Replacing the unremarkable PE.S., the Albatros was even more sophisti-

cated than the Condor with a bevelgear-driven single overhead camshaft engine derived from the racing 250s.

had the usual 68 x 68mm dimensions,

but with an 8.5:1 compression ratio and a Dell'Orto SS30M carburettor. With 33mm inlet and 31mm exhaust valves it initially produced 20bhp at

7,000rpm on a petrol-benzol mixture. The crankcases were the same as for

the supercharged 250, cast in elec-

tron, as were the straight-cut primary

gears. The frame was similar to the Condor with its hydronalium alloy

rear section. Other chassis parts were also shared with the Condor, in partic-

ular the 200mm electron brakes and 21-inch aluminium rimmed wheels.

With full electrical equipment the Albatros weighed 135kg (2981b), but specially prepared racing versions were only 115-120kg (254-2651b). Even more expensive than the Condor, Albatros production was severely affected by the outbreak of the war and only 25 were manufactured during 1939. Lorenzetti did, however, manage to win the 250cc Italian championship (2nd Category)

in 1940 before war interrupted motorcycle competition.

The Egretta, Ardetta, Airone, G.T. 20, Alce, Trialce and ER

Regular production during 1939 was still centred on the same seven versions of 500cc machines as before, together with the cheaper 246cc P series.The PL.S. became the Egretta (with the 12bhp P.E.S. engine), much

the same as before but with an

improved finish, and the basic PL. became the Ardetta, with coil rather

than magneto ignition. This very basic

machine was the cheapest in the

range and was available through a special hire-purchase arrangement

had Marelli magneto ignition, a fourspeed foot-operated gearbox,and a

tubular (rather than pressed-steel) sprung frame.When it was launched it was still called a P.E., but this was soon changed to Airone. Power was

up to 9.5bhp at 4,800rpm, giving a top

speed of around 95km/h (59mph).

The Airone was quite popular in the year leading up to the war, with 997

being manufactured. The 1940 version of the Airone featured

a pressed-steel frame derived from the Ardetta and PL.

Like the Condor, production of the

G.T. 20 military motorcycle in 1938

was on a limited scale, and it was

really an interim model. From experi-

ence gained with the G.T. 17 in the war in Ethiopia in 1936, the G.T. 20

was designed for a more specific mili-

tary application, in particular improved ground clearance. Although the basic 13.2bhp overhead exhaust

and side inlet valve engine was

retained, it was now derived from the

S and featured a four-speed hand-operated gearbox.The new frame mounted the engine higher, and the

front and rear wheels were inter-

changeable. Although only a few were built, its successor, the Alce, was to be Guzzi's most famous military motor-

cycle.

Similar to the short-lived G.T. 20, the Alce had an oil pump automatic

valve and alterations to the stand, exhaust pipes and tool boxes. Produced until 1945, still with the

opposed-valve 13.2bhp engine, the

Alce was the predominant vehicle for the Italian motorcycle corps. After the

war it continued to be produced in

limited numbers until 1958, by which

time, it had evolved into the

Superalce, with the V engine,

The Alce was also produced in

small truck form, the Trialce, between

1940 and 1943. Some of these were designed to be parachuted from aero-

planes. Another significant three-

wheeler was the civilian ER, which was produced from 1938 until 1941. More a truck than a motorcycle, this

featured the 17.8bhp V engine and

had three forward speeds plus reverse.

While its 1,000kg carrying capacity was not much higher than before, the

ER was a much stronger vehicle. It soon gained a reputation for being

unbreakable.

As Italy did not enter the Second

World War until June 1940, the Guzzi factory operated as normal into that

year. There was also a Milano-Taranto event held on 6 May. This time Guido

Cerato rode a Condor to victory at

103.036km/h (64mph), with the

supercharged 250 of Alberti second. That month also saw the appearance of a bike that could have made Guzzi unbeatable in the 500cc class had the war not intervened, the Tre Cilindri

500.

Tre Cilindri 500 Developed in 1939 as an answer to

the supercharged Gilera, BMW and

During the war the Alce, Trialce and 500U dominated production. The Alce was available in several varieties, and with a solo seat in addition to the dual-seat type

pictured here.

Unfortinately the 500cc supercharged triple of 1940 was a victim of poor timing. The war interrupted development, and afterwards superchargers were banned.

NSU, Guzzi's supercharged 500 triple again exhibited Carlo Guzzi's capacity

for originality. Foremost was the use of aluminium for the cylinder head and barrels with cast-iron liners, an

all-enclosed valve system, and a five-

speed gearbox. Inclined at 45°, the

tbree-cylinder 59 x 60mm engine had twin overhead camshafts driven by a chain on the right side of the engine.

Two valves per cylinder were used, inclined at 62º, and with an 8:1 compression ratio and a Cozette supercharger power was about 55-60bhp. This was despite Sandri enthusiastically. claiming that it produced around 85bhp at 8,000rpm after tests on the Bergamo-Brescia autostrada on 11 March 1940. Like the earlier three-cylinder, the four-bearing

crankshaft had the cranks spaced at

120°. Lubrication was dry sump with

the oil reservoir incorporated in the fuel tank, as was fairly usual Guzzi practice.

The composite frame featured a tubular top section with the engine

hung underneath, and a hydronalium

rear pressing with the usual Guzzi

rear suspension. The Brampton fork,

21-inch wheels and electron brakes

were from the Condor, and if there

was a disadvantageto the new machine it was in the weight of

175kg (3861b). It was also longer than both the Condor and Bicilindrica with a 1,470mm (58-

inch) wheelbase. Only raced once, by

Sandri at the Lido di Albaro circuit at Genoa on 26 May, it retired, but had showed promise. On this occa-

sion the front brake was a much

larger 280mm unit. Unfortunately

the timing of its appearance could

not have been worse. Italy joined the

war, and when racing commenced

again superchargers were banned.

The 500U

By now Guzzi was almost totally com-

mitted to the production of military motorcycles, the Alce, Trialce and,

from 1942, the Motocarri 500U.

There were no resources for the manufacture of any other models and it was not until late in 1945 that normal pro-

duction could be resumed. Some

experimental work continued during

the war, notably the G.T.E. of 1942, which used a four-valve version of the 500cc single and produced 18.9bhp.

The Motocarri 500U superseded the ER and was considerably more heavy

duty than the Trialce. It featured a

fan-cooled overhead valve 500cc V

engine, the first time this engine was used in a military vehicle. It produced

17.8bhp at 4,300rpm,allowing

1,000kg payload. A differential reduc-

tion provided six forward and two

reverse gears.

This vehicle, with 1,608 manufactured in 1943 alone, formed the basis of production during the war. When

the war ﬁnally ended, however, Guzzi was fortunately more prepared than

many other manufacturers. Being situ-

ated on Lake Como away from the

regular industrial centre around Milan

had saved the company from exten-

sive Allied bombing. Moto Guzzi

with Fascist Party clubs.

There was also one new P series

machine for 1939 that would figure more prominently in later years, the Airone (Heron). This 246cc machine

emerged from the devastation ready to take on the world in providing

cheap transport. That in turn pro-

vided the company with the resources to become a major force in motorcycle road racing.

POST-WAR RACING: SUCCESS WITH EARLIER DESIGNS

that had appeared in 1940,the

Dondolino of 1946 was essentially a tuned Condor. The frame was identical, but the rear suspension used only a single spring, and as most Dondolinos were produced without electrical equipment the weight was reduced to 128kg (2821b). Braking

Post-war racing: success with earlier designs

was improved by a 260mm front drum

brake, with internalcontrols tO

improve streamlining, together with a 220 x 50mm rear brake. Most changes occurred in the engine: the inlet valve

was 44mm, with a 40mm exhaust valve; thecompression tatio was increased to 8.5:1; and with

cylinder

Albatros and Condor.

Initially these were catalogue racers in the style of the earlier bikes, but soon they were developed into more specialised machines. As the Albatros was a full racing design anyway, this was not too difficult, but the Condor needed more serious treatment and evolved into the equally magnificent Dondolino and official factory

A °resumedafter the end ofracing

soon as motorcycle road

Second World War, Moto Guzzi re-

entered that world of competition. With supercharging banned by the

FIM, both the supercharged 250 and 500 triple were rendered obsolete, so that left the way open for the return

of the pre-war Bicilindrica. Guzzi also decided to develop the pre-war single-

the

Gambalunga. Breaking from the tradi-

tion of using ornithological names, Dondolino meant "rocking-chair', because of its suspect roadholding,

while Gambalunga, or long-leg', signi-

fied a longer-stroke engine.

The Dondolino Faced with more intense competition, particularly from the Gilera Saturno

Dell'Orto SS 35M carburettor power was up to 336hp at 5,500rpm. This gave the Dondolino a top speed of

around 170km/h (106mph).

The Dondolino was immediately a

match for the Saturno and soon forced Gilera to release a 35bhp

'Sanremo' version. In the new Guzzi's

first race on 12 May1946 Luigi

Ruggeri finished second to Bandirolo's

Saturno at the Circuito del Luino.

One week later hewon the 2nd

Category at the Circuito di Regio

Emilia. In the hands of factory rider Nando Balzarotti the Dondolino won the 1946 500cc Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona. It was also successful in other 1946 events, but its forte was

really in second division championship races and the long-distance events like the Milano-Taranto.

Ruggeri took the 1946 500cc Italian championship (2nd Category), and in

the Milano-Taranto the Dondolino

continued to be successful well after production ended in 1951. When the Milano-Taranto race was recreated on 17 May 1950, it was the Dondolino of

Guido Leoni that triumphed over

470

Descended from the pre-war Condor, the Dondolino was one of the most successful privateer racing Guzzis.

The Dondolino excelled in the Milano-Taranto road races. Duilio Agostini, pictured here, won the race in 1953, his efforts being rewarded with a works Grand Prix ride. Today he operates a Moto Guzzi dealership in Mandello.

batches for privateers from 1946 until 1951 (54 units). Each batch differed

in small details: some had a spoiler

under the engine, a stiffer rear spring, a smaller rear mudguard or a larger oil class, it became renowned forin its tank. In 1949 it was listed at a price ruggedness and strength on these long double that of the 500cc G.T.V. or events.Victories followed in 1951, G.T.W., so it was for serious racers 1952 and 1953; Bruno Franchisi won only. in the first two years (increasing the speed to 112.317km/h (69.75mph)) The Gambalunga and Duilio Agostini in 1953. Sergio In 1946 a Dondolino was developed Pinza and Alberti Amaldo gave the into a works bike by Ing Carcano, Dondolino its final important results, and the result was the Gambalunga. class wins in 1954 and the final event In a manner typical of many Italian of 1956. companies,the factory wanted to

Priamo's Gilera at an average speed of 102.033km/h (63mph).

Although not the fastest bike its

The Dondolino was built in small provide something special for an

Italian rider who showed promise, in this case factory tester Balzarotti. By

decreasing the bore to 84mm and increasing the stroke to 90mm, the

Gambalunga was the first500cc

single-cylinder Moto Guzzi to break with the traditional oversquare bore

and stroke. The longer stroke was used in an effort to reduce the stress

on the main bearings by reducing the

rod angularity. Running on the low

octane fuel required at that time, the compressionratio was 8:1. Even

though it produced more power than the Dondolino, 35bhp at 5,800гpm, the long-stroke engine was not total success and, for the 1948 Italian

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

POST-WAR RACING: SUCCESS WITH EARLIER DESIGNS

Grand Prix at Faenza, Guzzi reverted to the short-stroke engine on the factory-prepared Gambalunga. Now

with an additional roller main bear-

ing housed in the primary drive cover, this engine was known as the "Tipo Faenza' and was also shared with the regular production

Dondolino.

Where the Gambalunga really devi-

ated from the Dondolino was in the

use of leading-link front forks, a par-

ticular favourite of Carcano, and something that would feature on

nearly all racing Guzzis over the next

ten years. In an era where the tele-

scopic fork was predominant, the use

of leading-link forks another Guzzi trademark. In addition there

was a completely redesigned fuel tank and rear mudguard, a slightly altered frame with different rear frame plates and front downtubes, and the oil tank

was mounted under the seat. However, possibly the most striking thing about the Gambalunga was its

colour: silver paint with blue lettering.

The weight, too, was slighted reduced

by comparison with the Dondolino, to 125kg (276lb).

Considering that the Gambalunga was still a single-cylinder with

pushrod-operated overhead valves, it was surprisingly successful. In 1947 won the Italian Grand Prix, followingLorenzetti thatwith victory in Geneva and the bike's most significant success, the European Grand

Prix (at Ulster) of 1948. By then most

500cc factory racing duties were assigned to the Bicilindrica, the

lighter Gambalunga being kept partic-

ularly for the road circuits where its lack of horsepower was more than compensated for by the light weight

and ease of riding. After 1948 the

Gambalunga was occasionally made

available to privateers and continued

to be developed and win important events through until 1953. In that year Szabo wOn theHungarian

Championship, while Jean Behra won successive French Championships from 1949 until 1951.

Although still strongly derived from the pre-war Condor, the Gambalunga

had a thoroughly developed racing engine. The crankcases were cast in electron, and the cylinders and head in aluminium. All the engine components were manufactured from the finest materials available at that time.

Features such as the uncaged big-end

rollers were unusual but did not limit the reliability and life of the engine as

the engine speeds were quite moder-

ate. The con-rods were still bolted together to retain these 24 x 3mm

rollers.The inlet valve was now

46mm and the sodium-ﬁlled exhaust valve 40mm, these set at an angle of

60°.

In 1950 the Gambalunga was low-

ered to improve streamlining. The

rear mudguard was modified and 20inch wheels replaced the 21-inch of

the earlier machine. There was a

revised frame, stronger around the

steering head to cope with the

increased forces of the leading-link

forks, but also including a new

swingarm, rear 'L supports and upper friction damper mounting tubes. All

these machines now had the short-

Although closely related to the Dondolino, the Gambalga had a different frame and leading-link forks. Early versions were

painted silver, and each year saw further development: this 1950 version has 20-inch wheels.

180km/h (112mph). This was not

really enough to make the twin totally

competitive; however, the great rider Tenni still won the 1947 Italian championship on a Bicilindrica.

There were only a few changes from the pre-war version with its

Brampton forks. The cylinder heads and cylinders (with cast-iron liners)

were cast in electron, the rear cylinder

now having horizontal finning. In

1948 the Bicilindrica received a new frame, designed by Antonio Micucci,

and telescopic forks. The frame was quite advanced, using the upper tube

The final version of the Gambalunga of 195l was red and featured a more streamlined tail section and a detachable float bowl Dell'Orto carburettor.

stroke engine, so 'Gambalunga"was technically no longer the correct des-

was a functional elegance about the design, but not the beauty of those

ignation.

less exotic earlier machines.

The following year the final Gambalungaappeared, now with

The 500 Bicilindrica

another rear mudguard/seat unit and an engine with a 35mm remote float bowl Dell'Orto carburettor producing 37bhp at 6,000rpm. This final version was again red, but the quest for aero-

The banning of supercharging immediately after the war allowed the prewar Bicilindrica to be brought out of

retirement to resume racing duties.

Limited to the 72 octane petrol availdynamic efficiency meant that the able at the time, the maximum power Gambalunga had lost the classic lines was reduced to 42bhp, and the correof the Condor and Dondolino. There sponding topspeed to around

as an oil tank, and the Micuccidesigned forksfeatured hydraulic

damping and a leading axle. With its bulbous tank it was an unusual-look-

ing motorcycle, but exceptionally well engineered.

Tenni took it to the Isle of Man

where he entered the Senior TT. This

time he could not emulate his

Lightweight win of 1937 as he was slowed by ignition problems after the

fourth lap, but he still set the fastest

lap at nearly 141km/h (88mph). This would be Tenni's final race as he was killed testing the experimental 250

twin at practice for the Swiss Grand

Antonio Micucci designed a new frame, with telescopic forks, for the 1948 Bicilindrica. On this underrated motorcycle Tenni set the fastest lap in the Senior TT that year.

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

POST-WAR RACING: SUCCESS WITH EARLIER DESIGNS

Left: Cann being congratulated after his

1948 Lightweight TT win. (Ivar de Gier collection)

Below: Maurice Cann crossing the finish line to take victory on an Albatros in the

1948 Lightweight TT. (Ivar de Gier

collection)

Prix at Berne shortly afterwards. The

Bicilindrica still remained competitive in the Italian championship, Bertacchini winning this in 1948. The Bicilindrica was also used to set several world records that year, in partic-

ular in Piero Taruffi's four-wheeled

- Bisiluro that achieved a top speed of 207km/h. (129mph).

The Albatros

The 250 Albatros of 1939-40 was to be even more successful than the 500 in its transition to post-war competi-

tion. Still very much based on the 1926 TT250, unlike the Dondolino

and Gambalunga the Albatros was an uncompromised racing design from the outset. Following the failure of the

new 250 Parallel Twin, the Albatros also became the basis of the factory. 250s, and during 1946-48 was almost

the 250cc Italian championship in

1946, Tenni in 1947, and Lorenzetti

in 1948. At the first Isle of Man

Tourist Trophy races since the end of

the war, in 1947, Irish rider Manliff

Barrington rode an Albatros to victory

in the Lightweight TT at an average speed of 73.22mph (118km/h), with

Maurice Cann second. Cann took the

event the following year at 75.18mph (121km/h).

Compared to the pre-war Albatros, the post-war version lost the electrical system and kickstart, and eventually the casting on the crankease for the dynamo; this reduced the weight to around 120kg (2651b). Despite the low octane fuel, power was increased to 23bhp at 7,000rpm with a larger carburettor (32mm), and a larger inlet valve (35mm). Top speed was around 170km/h (105mph). However, by 1948 the Albatros was coming under somepressure from the resurrected Benelli. With its girder forks and prewar brakes, it suffered from an obsolete chassis. This would be rectified in 1949 Gambalunghino. However,even though the latter usurped it as a Grand Prix racer, and

withthe

Italy and other countries until 1954; of five spur gears. The 360° crankshaft many were fitted with later was in one piece with three main Gambalunghino parts to keep them bearings. The cylinder head featured

competitive. The Albatros was always

an expensive motorcycle, on a par with the Dondolino, and only 34 were manufactured between 1940 and

1949.

The 250 Bicilindrica

(Parallel Twin)

It had been intended to replace the 250 single with a new twin in 1947, but in the event this did nor happen. Tio prototypes were constructed, one

in 1947 and one in 1948, but they proved disappointing. The air-cooled double overhead camshaft parallel twin was an interesting design, but

with a 10:1 compression ratio it could only manage 25bhp at 9,000rpm after some development. Designed by

Antonio Micucci, the all-alloy engine

had square dimensions of 54 x 54mm, dry sump lubrication with an external

29mm inlet and 23mm exhaust valves

inclined at a wide 80°, with two coil

springs per valve.

Thebiggest handicap facing the

Parallel Twin was that it was originally

intended to be run with a super-

charger, these being banned before the design was completed. As with many other immediate post-war

designs, few alterations were made to

compensate. Thus the Parallel Twin

was left with several features that were less than optimum for an unsupercharged engine, notably the wide valve angle and weighty engine to withstand increased horsepower and

rpm.

Technologically advanced materials were used throughout in the 250 twin: electron for the crankcases, cylinders

and brakes, hydronalium for the

frame, and aluminium-bronze com-

oil tank, and a four-speed gearbox. bustion chambers. With leading-axle

the Albatros was not offered after The cylinders were inclined at 60°t elescopic front forks, and a light 1949, it continued to have a highly from the vertical and the twin over- weight of only 125kg (276lb), it would successful life as a privateer 250 in head camshafts were driven by a train have been expected to outclass the

The post-war Albatros had no electrical system, the model shown here also having the dynamo drive removed from the crankcase

casting.

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

Left: Althoughtechnologically quite

advanced, the 250 Parallel Twin failed to meet expectations. The 1948 version is

still on display in the Moto Guzzi

museum.

Below left: The Moto Guzzi racing

department was well prepared for the

1949 season. This late - 1948 photo shows

a 250 Parallel Twin on the bench at the

top right, a Gambalunga lower right, and several of the new Gambalmghio.

Albatros, but this was not the case.

Testing only confirmed the superiority

- of the traditional Moto Guzzi layout,

which provided a lower centre of

gravity for a better-balanced machine, although two were taken to the Isle of Man in 1948. Manliff Barrington then

showed that the twin was not a lost cause when he led the Lightweight

TT for the first two laps at an average

speed of around 75mph (47mph).

Unfortunately the death of Omobono

Tenni while testing the Bicilindrica 250 a month later sealed its fate and

Expanding the customer base

Guzzi was also fortunate in that

during the early part of the 1950s the

company made very few marketing errors and most of its products were sound. The problems for Moto Guzzi

occurred towards the end of the decade, and into the 1960s, when

they failed to respond to the general

downturn facing motoreycling.

Much of the initial credit for this

great post-war revival of Moto Guzzi

must be given to Enrico Parodi,

Giorgio's brother. Enrico had joined the company in 1942 while Giorgio was serving with the Italian forces.

Injuries sustained to his eyes and arm saw Giorgio retire to Genoa in 1945, Enrico taking over as day-to-day manager even though he still spent much time in Genoa. By this time Emanuele Vittorio, and his nephew Angelo, had both died. Giorgio still maintained an

interest in what was happening at

Mandello, but died suddenly in

August 1955. Unfortunately, while undoubtedly a brilliant man, Enrico

later lost direction and foresight, con-

tributing to the crisis the company

faced during the 1960s. When Carlo Guzzi also died in November 1964 Enrico was left to salvage what he could, but by then it was too late. By

1966 the Parodi fortune had been lost

and the company was put into

receivership.

The Guzzino, Motoleggera and Cardellino

Enrico Parodi always saw cheap and basic transportation at the lower end of the market as the key for survival. Sensing this demand even before the end of the war, he had Carlo Guzzi

initially design a 38cc two-stroke

engine that could be mounted on a

Whilethatitwas the racetrack Moto

Guzzi its reputation, none of that success would have been possible without secure ﬁnancial and managerial back-

ing. Much of the production during

the 1930s had consisted of the smaller

P series, but it had been the venerable unsprung Sport 15 with the opposedvalve engine that had still dominated

in terms of sales.

during the Second

Production

World War had largely been limited to

military vehicles of 500cc, but after

the war there was little demand for

either military vehicles or larger-

capacity motorcycles. As with many other Italian motorcycle manufacturers, survival in those rather grim days

relied on producing vehicles that people could afford. Immediately

responding to market demands, there was now a distinct change in emphasis

in the type of motorcycles manufac-

tured.

With the release of the two-stroke

64cc Guzzino, Guzzi entered the

world of mass production.

Soon

renamed the Motoleggera 65, this was SO successful that production at Mandello increased from 4,518 in

1946 to 15.654 in 1947. By 1950 total

Moto Guzzi production was 30,236 motorcycles, 22,115 of which were 65cctwo-strokes.These mundane

vehicles of transportation may have been of little interest to the enthusiast, but the revenue generated from

their sales enabled Moto Guzzi to expandits racing programme and

create expensive and sophisticated

racing prototypes. Because of this they

are extremely important in the historical context.

had always given slory

bicycle in the manner of Ducati's

there was no more development.

In 1949 came the inaugural world championship for motorcycles, championship in which Guzzi, like most manufacturers, was especially

keen to participate. Prior to 1949 there had been only individual Grands Prix, and the European

Championship. Thus entries from the various manufacturers in Italy, Britain and Germany were largely dependent

on the particular event. Now there

was an opportunity for all manufacturers to compete for one championship, and it was the start of a golden

Albatros

era of racing. Taking

transforming itthe into

the

and

Gambalunghino, and more development of the Bicilindrica, gave Guzzi

the perfect machinesforthis new

championship. As with the 1930s, the

1950s was to be one of the great

decades for the company.

Cucciolo. Soon this idea, the Colibri (Hummingbird), was replaced by one that incorporated a 65cc two-stroke engine in a complete frame and running gear, and thus the Guzzino was born. With Carlo Guzzi now assuming an 'elder statesman' design role, other engineers were given more responsi bility. Carcano was involved in developing the Gambalunga, and Antonio

Micucci the Guzzino. Micucci had

joined the company during the war as

a two-stroke specialist, and started

work on the Guzzino as early as 1944.

Where the Guzzino really suc-

ceeded was that it looked and operated more like a motorcycle than its competition, which in 1946 were pri-

marily bicycles with engines attached.

Although it had 26-inch wheels, the

blade-type front forks were sprung, as was the pressed steel swingarm. Both

wheels featured lateral drum brakes.

The frame was an excellent and

simple design, consisting of a single

straight 50mm tube connecting the steering head with the swingarm. A

subframe supporting the 6.5-litre fuel

tank and solo seat was attached to

this frame tube, with the engine

mounted underneath the frame. This,

too, was quite advanced for its day, being a 64cc two-stroke with rotary valve induction. Cast entirely in alu-

minium, with the cylinder inclined

30° to the horizontal, the 42 x 46mm

engine produced a modest 2bhp at 5,000rpm. Because of the poor fuel

available the compression ratio was

only 5.5:1, with the cylinder fed by a

Dell'Orto MA 13mm carburettor. In typical Guzzi fashion the primary

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

EXPANDING THE CUSTOMER BASE

records,

one with a modified

Motoleggera. On the Charrat-Saxon road in Switzerland. Raffaele Alberti

set, amongst others, a 75cc flying mile

record at

96.072 km/h (59.7mph). Luigi Cavanna also set several 350cc

records at the same time with the supercharged 250. Later, at

Montlhery. further records were set with a 73cc version (46 x 46mm) of

the Motoleggera. In September 1950,

ridden byGianni Leoni and Bruno

Rutto in addition to Alberti, a total of

33 75cc and 100cc records were set.

The little Motoleggera had such a

following during the years immedi

ately after the war that in 1949 Moto

Guzzi organised a rally at Mandello for Guzzino owners. This was so success-

ful that 14.000 people attended, with over 12,500 bikes, causing a trafﬁc. jam all the way to the nearby town of Lecco. Gradually the price and specifeation was reduced until 1954 when the Motoleggera became the Cardellino (Goldfinch).

As with all successful Guzzi designs, the basic Guzzino of 1946 was to have a long production run, the Cardellino

finally ending in 1963. So successful was the Motoleggera that it was also

built in a joint venture with Motor

Guzzi Hispania of Barcelona; the bikes

were identical but for tank and side

cover decals.

With buyers now turning towards larger-displacement motorcycles, the Cardellino initially remained at 65cc. but with a lower price and specification than before. Most noticeable was a reduction in wheel size to 20 inches

and a rear subframe that included a

mudguard attachment with adjustable friction shock absorbers, In 1955 the Cardellino received telescopic front forks and revised styling. and by 1957 the engine had grown to 73cc. Now in two versions, the Lusso (Luxury) and Turismo, the 45 x 46mm engine pro-

duced 2.6bhp at 5,200rpm with a 6.4:1 compression ratio. The Lusso had a larger (8.5-litre) fuel tank and

gained some girth over its predecessor.

weighing in at 60kg (13216):the

Turismo weighed slightly less at 57kg (1261b). Finally the hand gearchange

was replaced by a foot-operated type. In 1958 came the Nuovo Cardellino,

which featured the 73cc engine with

thealuminium cylinderand hard-

chromed barrel that had been

pioneered on the Zigolo.

The final version of the Cardellino was the 83cc version of 1962. Boring the 73cc engine to 48mm and increas-

ing the compression to 7:1 saw the

power increase modestly to 2.9bhp at

5,200грm. The 83 Cardellino also fea-

tured twin shock absorber rear sus-

pension and weighed around 58kg

(1101b). Production ended in 1963

with 3,732 units constructed that year. By that stage the design was

beginning to show its age. It was still a

three-speed two-stroke singlethat could barely top65km/h (40mph). Not surprisingly there waslittle

demand for such basic transportation, especially considering the recession

facing the motorcycle market in general. To further seal the

Cardellino's fate, the company was in crisis in the mid-1960s.

The Galletto

Following the success of the Guzzino

GALLETTO

MOTO GUZZI

Offering a unique combination of scooter and motorcycle, the Galletto was extremely

The Motoleggera spearheaded Moto Guzz's public relations exercises in the years

immediately after the war. Here, at a Holy Year rally in Rome in 1950, three 65s draw the chariot of former racer Rio Berton dressed as an ancient Roman.

lar in an era where basic transporta-

drive was by gear (initially straight-cut

tion was in demand. With a name

but soon helical) and the clutch a wet

multi-plate type. The gearbox was a hand-change three-speed. Weighing only 45kg (991b), the top speed was hardly earth-shattering at 50km/h

change to Moroleggera 65, production

continued virtually unchanged through to 1949, when the bike was

fitted with a stronger swingarm, reinforced forks and a cast-iron cylinder.

(31mph). The most significant aspect of the Guzzino was that it was cheap and reliable, and hence hugely popu-

On 28 February 1948 Guzzi once again attempted several world speed

Throughout the 1950s the Motoleggera and Cardellino accounted for nearly half of Moto Guzzi production, and were successfully promoted as cheap transport for the worker. This is a brochure for the 1958 Cardellino Lusso. (Ivar de Gier collection)

motoleggera

popular for 15 years. This is the brochure for the 192cc version of 1960. (Ivar de Gier collection)

minium, in particular the instrument

mounting plate, engine side cover larger utilitarianmotorcycle.An plates, and legshields on the early unusual and highly successful motor- versions.

rally in 1949, Carlo Guzzi decided that the time was right for a slightly

cycle/scooter hybrid, this was called The overhead valve four-stroke the Galletto (Cockerel). Indicative of engine was designed by Carlo Guzzi Enrico Parodi's intuitive feeling for specifically for the Galletto and was themarket during those post-war initially 150cc with a bore and stroke years, the Galletto was neither a true of 60 x 53mm. The crankcase, cylin-

der and cylinder head were cast in

scooter nOt a motorcycle. It was

aluminium. It was a typical Guzzi hor-

designed so that a woman could oper-

izontal single with an external flywheel, buthad thecrankshaft unusually incorporated in the left

ate it wearing a dress, hence the

enclosure of the engine and large rear

mudguard. Other practical features called for the Galletto to turn almost around its axis. While Ducati failed

crankcase with only one flywheel. By

the time it went into production the engine size had grown to160cc

miserably with their ambitious scooter,

the Cruiser of 1953, Guzzi found a niche with their Galletto. After a peak of 12,305 in 1950, production settled

(62mm bore) and this size lasted until

1952. The 26mm valves were oper-

ated by pushrods and rockers, and

was uprated to 175cc by boring the engine to 65mm. The compression

ratio was increased slightly to 6:1 and a four-speed gearbox ﬁtted. This version lasted two years before the engine

grew.again in 1954, to 192cc. By

lengthening the stroke of the 175 to

58mm and increasing the compression ratio once again (to 6.4:1). 7.5bhp was now developed at 5,200rpm. The cylinder was now cast-iron instead of alloy with a liner. On the 192 the flywheel magneto was deleted and a dynamo mounted above the engine together with battery and coil igni-

tion, which meant a higher engine

enclosure. Other small changes were a

smaller rear mudguard andlarger

headlight. In this guise the Galletto

down to around 4,000 a year before

declining in the early 1960s.

Distinguished by interchangeable 17-inch wheels (including an optional spare), the Galletto offered the limited weather protection of a scooter,

with a tubular and pressed-steel frame

incorporating the steering head and fuel tank. The spare wheel could be mounted in front of the engine and

could also function as a crash bar. For those Gallettos without a spare wheel there was an aluminium cover. Many of the other body parts were also alu-

remained unchangedthrough until lubrication was dry sump. With a 1960.

5.6:1 compression ratio and a Dell'Orto MA 18 BS 1 carburettor,

6bhp was produced at 5,200rpm. The three-speed gearbox was operated by a pedal. The front suspension was by leading link forks, and the rear by a single-sided swingarm with horizontal

coil springs and an eccentric chain adjuster. The standard colour was an ivory-beige,and with a weight of

107kg (23616) the 160cc Galletto was capable of around 80km/h (50mph).

Barely two years later the Galletto

The final version appeared in 1961,

still with the 192cc engine but now with 7.7bhp and a 7:1 compression ratio. In an endeavour to compete with the new compact cars that were becoming more affordable, a Marelli 12-volt 75-watt dynastart was attached behind the engine and con-

nected to the flywheel by a V belt for

cardellino

73 cc

starting. New bodywork included an aluminium headlight enclosure, and

MOTO GUZZI

load-adjustable

hydraulic

shock

absorbers accompanied the electric

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

EXPANDING THE CUSTOMER BASE

work. The Micucci-designed rotary

valve two-stroke differed considerably

from that of the Motoleggera. Not only was the cylinder horizontal, but

there werealso completely new

With square engine dimensions (50 x 50mm) and a 6:1

crankcases.

compression ratio, the first Zigolo produced 4bhp at 5,200гpm.

With its 19-inch wheels the Zigolo

looked more like a motorcycle than the Moroleggera, but offered a very basic specification. The front suspen-

sion was by undamped telescopic

forks, while the rear swingarm used a

rubber element in compression with Hartford-type friction dampers. Underneath the bodywork was a spine frame, and while weighing in at 75kg (1651b), the three-speed Zigolo could achieve 76km/h (47mph). To empha-

sise the utilitarian nature of the

machine it was painted grey, including the wheel rims. There was no chrome

and the rear friction dampers and

silencer were blued.

With initial production of 6,107 in 1953, Moto Guzzi was so encouraged by the Zigolo's reception that a more powerful dual-seat Sport version was 98cc Zigolo (Bunting). This was a new planned for the following year. In the design intended to All the gap event this did not happen, but 1954 between the Motoleggera and saw theLusso, with much more Galletto and was also unusual in that attractive red paintwork and a it featured partially enclosed body- chromed fuel tank. Although the

start, which unfortunately was not the most reliable system. It was mounted behind the engine where it was sus-

ceptible to debris thrown from the

rear wheel, There was also a considerable increase in weight due the added

electrical equipment, 134kg (2951b), but the top speed remained

in the region of 85km/h (53mph). The cosmetic facelift and electric start still

was not enough to save the Galletto and production ended in 1965, when only 1,500 were manufactured. Problems with the electric start

notwithstanding, the Galletto over its 15-year production span established

itself as a well-designed and well-engineered vehicle with exceptional relia-

bility. A tribute to its excellence is that in the small towns of Italy, and

particularly those around Lake Como,

Gallettos are still a regular sight on the roads, which is something that cannot be said about too many other

utilitarian motorcycles nearly 50 years

old.

The Zigolo In 1953 the two-stroke line was also expanded with the addition of the

with a compression ratio of 7.5:1 pro-

engine was unchanged, the Lusso also had a dual seat and was distinguished

by 17-inch wheels. Introduction of the

Lusso saw production of the Zigolo more than double to 14,793 in 1954 and 15,800 in 1955. It is interesting

that during this heyday period of

racing for Moto Guzzi, when total production was around 40,000 machines a year, the Cardellino,

Galletto and Zigolo accounted for the

entire output bar 2-3,000 Airones

and a few hundred Falcones.

In 1958 the Zigolo Series II was

introduced. While only in production for two years, this now featured a light alloy cylinder with a hard chromed

barrel that had been pioneered on the Grand Prix racing four-strokes. It was

a signiﬁcant technical advance for

two-stroke engines, and soon found

its way to the Cardellino. Later it would feature on four-stroke Moto

Guzzi engines, in particular the later

V7. This new cylinder allowed the compression ratio to be increased to

7.5:1. and power to 4.6bhp at

5,200гpm. With the 17-inch wheels of the Lusso, the Series II weighed 77kg (1701b) and had a top speed of around 80km/h (50mph).

The final version of the Zigolo appeared in 1959 and ran through until 1965. Now with a bore and

stroke of 52 x 52mm, the 110cc Zigolo

Bridging the gap between the Motoleggera and Galletto was the Zigolo. This is a publicity photo of the 98cc Zigolo Lusso of 1954. less starkly presented than the regular Turismo.

duced 4.2bhp at 5,200rpm. The car-

burettor was now a Dell'Orto MAF 18 Bl (up from 15mm), the exhaust was

a canister type underneaththe

swingarm, and the telescopic front

forks now featuredoil damping.

Weight was much the same as before at 78kg (1721b), but the three-speed

Zigolo 110 was still pressed to achieve

80km/h (50mph), By 1965 this

modest performance was no longer satisfactory, and although 110 Zigolo production had initially peakedat 12,310 in 1960, by 1965 only 1,925 were manufactured. The motorcycle was not only obsolete by that stage, but also out of tune with the market-

place.

The Lodola

Since the inaugural world champi-

onship of 1949, Moto Guzzi had been

one of the foremost names on the

racetrack. By 1956 the company had

won a considerable number of world

and national championship events

and was pouring considerable energy

and resources into its racing pro-

gramme. Yet in terms of production Moto Guzzi was still manufacturing two-strokes of 65 and 98cc, the utili-

tarian Galletto, and the ageing Astore

and Falcone. There seemed to be no correlation between the magnificent

racing motorcycles and the Moto

Guzzis available to the consumer.

The ﬁrst Giro d'Italia, a road race

for motorcycles up to 175cc, took place in 1953, and proved exceptionally successful, even rivalling the traditional Milano-Taranto event. Seeing the domestic demand for lightweight sporting motorcycles increasing,

Enrico Parodi encouraged Carlo Guzzi

to design one last engine before he

retired. The result was the Lodola

(Skylark), a 175cc overhead camshaft

four-stroke single that sported many new features for a Moto Guzzi.

Even though the Lodola was not really envisaged as a competition machine in the manner of the contemporary Mondiall and Ducati, market demands dictated that Carlo an overhead Guzzi incorporate camshaft. Driven by a chain rather than the more expensive bevel gears

used byother manufacturers, the

cylinder was inclined at 45° rather

MoTo Guzzi

175 cc.

Although more sporting than the Lodola Normale, the 175 Sport of 1958 was still no

match for the comparable Ducati or Mondial. (Ivar de Gier collection)

than horizontal. The cam chain also

featured a novel chain tensioner via a

rocker and steel platenearthe camshaft; this was intentionally

designed to compensate for different rates of expansion. With oversquare

dimensions of 62 x 57.8mm, the

entire engine was cast in aluminium

alloy. The 34mm inlet and 31mm exhaust valves used enclosed coil

springs rather than the usual hairpin type, and with a 7.5:1 compression ratio and a Dell'Orto UB 22 BS 2A carburettor, 9bhp was developed at

mance left the Lodola overshadowed by the competition from other Italian manufacturers, and in 1958 a Sport

version was made available.

Although an increase in compres-

sion to 9:1 saw power up to 11bhp.

the Sport was still a relatively sedate performer with a top speed around

120km/h (75mph). Changes from the first Lodola included larger brakes and a dual seat. The shock absorbers could be adjusted in two positions, forward for solo or upright with a passenger. By

1958production of the Lodola was

4,900, down from the 6,120 of 1957. Moto Guzzi needed the model to be engine continued Guzzi traditions. successful as it had tooled the plant at The lubrication was dry sump and the Mandello at considerable expense. flywheel was still outside the Thus 1959 saw an increase in engine crankcases, although now hidden size to 235cc, the larger bike being underneath an aluminium side cover. titled the Gran Turismo and replacing

6,000грm.

In many other respects the Lodola

Primary drive was by helical gear, the the ageing Airone.

clutch a wet multi-plate type, and The increase in engine size also there was a four-speed gearbox. The brought some major changes in the crankshaft was a three-piece affair design. The single overhead camshaft with roller big-end and ballmain was replaced by valves operated by bearings. pushrods and rockers, and the alloy The frame was a full-duplex cradle cylinder by one of cast-iron. Both the type with oil-damped telescopic front bore and stroke were altered to forks and a swingarm with twin shock achieve the increase in capacity, the absorbers. Brakes were a pair of single dimensions now being 68 x 64mm. cast-iron drums laced to a pair of alloy Although less sporting than the 175, wheel rims, an 18-inch on the front the 235 Lodola soon gained a reputaand 17-inch on the rear. Weighing in tion for solid and reliable, if not excit-

at 109kg (2401b), the first Lodola was capable of around 110km/h (68mph).

Unfortunately this modest perfor-

ing, performance. It was also in a

lower state of tune than the 175, and with its 7.5:1 compression ratio still

EXPANDING THE CUSTOMER BASE

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

Czechoslovakia, in 1959, Guzzi riders

took four gold medals, helping the

Italian team to second overall.

For 1960 the

235cc Lodola

Regolarità was offered to privateers,

and while it featured a similar engine to the previous year's factory 235, the

weightwas upslightly to 110kg

(24211b). The factory continued to

develop the Lodola for trials. Victories

followed in the

Italian

Valli

Bergamache Trials Championship, and six gold medals at the 1960 ISDT

of Bad Ausee in Austria. In 1961 the capacity was increased to 247cc (68 x

68mm), with a five-speed gearbox.

With an 11:1 compression ratio, 16bhp was now produced at

7,500rpm, enough for a string of successes and several gold medals in the 1961 and 1962 ISDT.

The high point for the Lodola was the ISDT of 1963, held in Spindleruv Mlyu, Czechoslovakia. With Guzzis comprising the entire Italian entry (ﬁve Lodolas and ﬁve Stornellos),

Italy won the Silver Vase and all ten

riders gained gold medals. In a world

increasingly dominated two-strokes, Moto Guzzi had shown the

beneﬁts and qualities of a well devel.

oped four-stroke. At the end of that year Guzzi withdrew from interna-

tional trials competition and that was

the ﬁnal curtainforthe Lodola

Regolarità. The Stornello, however,

lived on a little longer.

The Stornello

At the same time as the Lodola lost its

overhead camshaft for the cheaper

solution of overhead valves operated by pushrods and rockers, Moto Guzzi decided to enter the world of the basic lightweight four-stroke with the Stornello (Starling). Given his first production bike since Guzzi's withdrawal from racing, Giulio Carcano

designed this new machine to be

intentionally inexpensive to manufac-

ture. It incorporated many features

unusual for a Guzzi. The single cylin-

der was only tilted 25º forward and

the two overhead valves were parallel-

mounted and operated by pushrods and rockers. The lubrication was wet sump and the bore and stroke undersquare at 52 x 58mm.The primary

drive also had three helical gears, so

that unlike other Guzzis the engine

Designed by Carcano, the Stomello was a brilliant and attractive little motorcycle. In 1968 it was enlarged to 160cc, and this is a first series 160.

rotated forwards. The gearbox was

four-speed, the clutch the usual multi-

plate type, and ignition was by a flywheel magneto. It was also the first four-stroke engine to feature pressure

die-cast crankcases. Hardly a high-performance design, the 123cc

Stornello Turismo of 1960 had an 8:1 compression ratio and a Dell'Orto ME 18 BS carburettor. Maximum power

was 6.8bhp.

The duplex frame used the engine

as a stressed member, and telescopic forks, twin rear shock absorbers and 17-inch wheels were fitted. Offered with either a single or dual seat, it

Replacing the Airone, the 235cc Lodola Gran Turismo offered even more sedate performance than the 175. The overhead camshaft made way for pushrods and rockers and the weight was increased to 115kg. (Streetbike)

nomic rationalisation meant that production of the Lodola was finished. It was significant that the crisis at Moto

around 110km/h (68mph).

produced 11bhp. Contributing to this

milder tune was an air cleaner inside

After a hiccup in 1961, when only 650 Lodolas were produced, the Gran Turismo continuedthrough until 1965. Although a prototype 247cc

an airbox in front of the oil tank.

With an increase in weight to 115kg (2531/21b), the Gran Turismo had a similar performance to the earlier 175

Guzzi during the mid- 1960s coincided with the departure of the four model lines that had sustained the company

Sport version was displayed at the 1965 Milan Show, by that year eco-

during 1950s. Unfortunately the company also let these basic motorcycles run well past their 'use-by date', and this undoubt-

SO admirably

Lodola Normale, and a top speed of

The Lodola had a more successful life as a trials machine. The Regolarità of 1959-61 was 235cc and still used an overhead camshaft engine.

edly contributed to the difficulties

made for a very small and light

machine at 92kg (203lb) and, with a 100km/h (62mph) top speed, performance was sprightly. Offering similar performance to the 235cc Lodola at a price 44 per cent lower, the Stornello was immediately successful, and 5,610 were produced in 1960. Still, as a per-

Redesigned in 1970 to accept a five-speed gearbox, the Stomello was not only uglier but also considerably heavier - a case of new not always being better. This is a 125, but the 160 was almost identical.

faced in 1966.

The Lodola did, however, have a

competition life as a trials motorcycle. Following their withdrawal from road

racing at the end of 1957, Moto Guzzi

entered prepared Lodolas in selected

trials events during 1958 in prepara-

tion for a more serious attempt in

1959. Both 175 and 235cc machines were developed (both with overhead camshafts), the 175 weighing 107kg

(236lb) and developing12bhp at

and the 235 weighing

108kg (2381b) and producing 14bhp at 7,500rpm. In the International Six

Day Trial held in Gottwaldov,

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

EXPANDING THE CUSTOMER BASE

formance machine it was overshadowed by the competition and the end of 196l saw the introduction of the

Stornello Sport.

For the Sport there was a new cylinder head, now with inclined

rather than parallel valves. The compression ratio was increased to 9.8:1, a

Dell'Orto UB 20 B carburettor was fitted, and power was up to 10bhp. Other changes included fitting lower

handlebars, a racing-style seat and 17inch alloy wheel rims. The Sport ran until 1967, by which time it had been

slightly restyled but was essentially

unchanged.

From 1965 many variations on the Stornello theme appeared. It was the only lightweight Guzzi to survive the rationalisation of 1966, and the first versions were a Scrambler, theES. (Fuori Strada), and Regolarità. The 125 Regolarità was derived from the prize-winning 1963 ISDT bikes, and with a 24mm carburettor and 11.3:1 compression it produced 12bhp at 8,000гpm. In 1965 and 1966 460 of these purpose-built competition machines were produced. In the latter

year they were joined by the Sport

America (or Sport USA) and the

Scrambler USA. Some of these US

bikes were also sold in Europe, a few to the police.

Italian theStornello grew to

In 1968

153cc (58 x 58mm bore and stroke) and the 160 was born. The magneto was replaced by an alternator with

battery and coil ignition, and the

weight increased to 107kg (236lb).

The engine now featured a large bulge

on the right crankcase cover for the alternator. Developing 12.6bhp

7,500rpm, the 160 had a top speed of 118km/h (73mph).

Both the 125 and 160cc versions of the Storello came in for a redesign in 1971 and the range was rationalised

to three versions, the 125, 160 and 125 Scrambler. These would continue through to 1975, but only modest numbers were manufactured. To

incorporate a five-speed gearbox the

engine cases were redesigned with

ugly alloy outer covers and both the

125 and 160 now featured inclined

overhead valves. An increase in compression, to 9.6:1 for the 125, saw power increase to 13.4bhp at 7,400грm. The 160 now had a 9.5:1

compression ratio and produced 16.2bhp at 7.400rpm. While there

was also a corresponding increase in weight, to 113kg (249lb), the perfor-

mance of the new five-speed versions was improved. The 125 could achieve

117km/h (73mph), while the 160 managed 122km/h (76mph). The

Scrambler weighed slightly more at 117kg (2601b). There was completely new suspension and bodywork for the new versions. However, by 1974, with

Alejandro De Tomaso at the helm, it

was obvious that the new range of

smaller Moto Guzzis would be Benelli-

derived. Also regulations were beginning to affect all motorcycles having a mandatory left-side gearshift and this

would mean another redesign. The final 1,040 Stornellos rolled out of Mandello in 1974, after a 15-year

production run. From now on all small single-cylinder Moto Guzzis would be two-strokes.

The Dingo

As he had immediately after the war,

Enrico Parodi was convinced, even in the early 1960s with the severe down-

turn affecting the industry, that the

By 1968 the Dingo had a four-speed foot-operated gearchange. In 1970 the range was

restyled and consisted of the Supersport, Grantismo, and Cross. (Ivar de Gier collection)

П 50)

MOTO GUZZI

future for Moto Guzzi lay in the

production of motorcycles for the

lower end of the market. Thus in 1963. as the Cardellino was being discontin-

ued, the Dingo was born.

Produced in two versions, the

Turismo and Sport, the 49cc Dingo two-stroke had a bore and stroke of

38.5 x 42mm, and with a Dell'Orto SHA 14.9 carburettor produced

1.4bhp at 4,800rpm. A very basic machine, it featured a three-speed

hand-change gearbox and a pressedsteel frame. In 1966 these two ver-

sions were joined by the Dingo Cross

and the Dingo Super with a tubular

steel frame, but most development

occurred from 1967, when the engine

featured a four-speed foot-operated gearbox and a GT version joined the Cross.

By this stage Guzzi had become part

of SEIMM, a government-controlled

holding company (see Chapter 7).

Despite the rationalisation that saw the disappearance of four models, the unremarkable Dingo not only contin-

ued but was developed further. In

1968 came a Dingo Supersport, and in

1970 the entire range was restyled. The three-speed Turismo (3V)

returned, and there was a new version, the MM (Monomarcia) with an

automatic centrifugal clutch and

pedals. Unremarkable it may have

been, but the Dingo was moderately

successful. Even while it is not exactly the most fondly remembered Guzzi of the late 1960s and early '70s, it contributed to the commercial viability of the company prior to the De Tomaso era. Production continued until 1976.

The Trotter and Chiù

An even more basic machine emerged

from Mandello in 1966, the 41cc Trotter. An entry-level two-stroke

moped, it initially had an engine with a bore and stroke of 37 x 38mm. As cheap transportation it was a concept reminiscent of the Motoleggera, but

with its rigid frame and 16-inch

wheels was even less of a real motorcycle. The Dell'Orto SHA 14.9 carbu-

rettor was mounted in front of the

engine and an automatic centrifugal clutch was ﬁtted. In 1970 the Trotter grew to 49cc (38.5 x 42mm) and the

cylinder was placed horizontally. There was now also the Trotter

The ﬁnal, and most sophisticated, Trotter was the Mark of 1970-73. This had leading-link front forks and a twin shock absorber swingarn.

Special M with leading-link front sus-

pension, the Trotter Special V with a stepless transmission powered by a V. belt, and the Trotter Mark M, with a rear swingarm. Finally there was the

Trotter Mark V, with the stepless transmissionand a sprung frame.

These four Trotters continued in production until 1973, by which time De Tomaso was more interested in pro-

moting the Benelli two-strokes, and

the Trotter evolved into the Chiù.

Like the earlier Zigolo and Dingo, the Trotter was also produced in Spain as a Moto Guzzi Hispania.

With a new horizontal 49cc two-stroke engine (40 x 39mm), the Chiù

was a much more modern-looking

machine than the Trotter. It had

mechanical telescopic front forks and swingarm rear suspension and a more

powerful, 1.5bhp engine than the

Nibbio and Cross 50s, also introduced in 1974. It continued as a Moto Guzzi

until 1976, then remained as the

Benelli Elle until the early 1980s.

De Tomaso bikes: the 250 TS, 125, Cross 50, Nibbio, Magnum, 350/400 GTS, 254, 125 2C 4T, 125 C and 125 TT

The De Tomaso purchase of Moto

Guzzi (see Chapter 8) saw the range

expand to include a number of re-

badged Benellis that were only superficially associated with Mandello del

Lario. The first of these was the 250 TS, produced from 1973 until 1982.

Very much a Benelli 2C, this five-

speed 56 x 47mm two-stroke twin was

almost identical but for chrome cylinder bores and a larger, Dell'Orto VHB

25 B, carburettor. With a 10:1 com-

pression ratio, 30bhp was produced at 7,400грm. This gave the 129kg

(2841b) TS sprightly performance and

a top speed of around 150km/h

(93mph). The ﬁrst version came with a twin leading shoe front drum brake,

which was replaced by a single 260mm Brembo front dise in 1975. That year it also gained electronic ignition and an ugly square instrument panel. While the Benelli and

Guzzi were similar, the Guzzi was sold as a more upmarket version, but both lacked convenience features like auto-

matic oiling. Thus neither was suc-

cessful against the Japanese in the

market for middleweight two-strokes.

Shortly after the release of the 250 strokame stroke three Betell inspiredTrial,tra. singles,

Tuttoterreno (a trail bike)and

Turismo. Like most of the Benellis

that Guzzi inherited from De Tomaso, these were poorly designed and executed motorcycles that did not com-

pare very well with the Japanese

competition. Although sharing the

same 120cc two-stroke engine and

ﬁve-speed gearbox, the Trial produced

14bhp at 6,500rpm, while the

Tuttoterreno and Turismo produced

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

EXPANDING THE CUSTOMER BASE

After these 125s came the Cross 50 and Nibbio, both with five-speed 50cc two-stroke engines and in production

from 1974 until 1982. The Cross 50 underwent a number of modifications and developments during its lifespan,

notably a later high-riseexhaust system and ABS bodywork. The

Nibbio was a touring version, styled along the lines of the 125 Turismo. In

1976 the 50cc Magnum minibike

joined the range, but this only lasted until 1979.

One of De Tomaso's first projects with Benelli had been to produce a single overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine, in nearly every respect a copy of a Honda design. In 1974 the

350cc version became the Moto Guzzi

350 GTS. This was very closely based

on the excellent Honda engine, but with quality Italian chassis components and Bosch electrics, and could have been a successful motorcycle.

Unfortunately, as with the Benelli 500 four, the Guzzi was perceived as being

too closely derivative of the Honda.

The 350 (50 x 44mm) produced

38bhp at 9,500rpm and featured four Dell'Orto VHB 20 D carburettors.

In 1975 the 350 gained a 300mm

Brembo front disc brake, and also

grew to 400cc, with power from the

50 x 50.6mm engine up to 40bhp.

Weighing in at 175kg (386lb), it was no lightweight, but was a smooth and sophisticated machine. However, at

that time Honda also released their

CB40OF, but the world was not ready

for either bike. The Guzzi 350/400

GTS lasted only until 1979.

Another of De Tomaso's more

unusual projects was the 254 of 1977.

Also shared with a Benelli - the

Quattro - the Guzzi version had some

unorthodox features including the

instruments mounted on the fuel tank and plastic bodywork. The tiny fourcylinder engine had cylinders reminiscent of the earlier 500cc racing V8, but a shorter stroke: the bore and stroke were 44 x 38mm. The ﬁve-

speed single overhead camshaft 231cc

engine was fed by four Dell'Orto PHBG 18 B carburettors, and with a

10.5:1 compression ratioproduced

27.86hp at 10.500rDm. A 260mm

Grimeca front disc brake was ﬁtted,

the 254 running 18-inch cast allov

wheels front and rear. Although only

ﬁtted with 2.75 and 3.00-inch tyres,

the wheels looked almost too large for the 117kg (2581b) 254. Top speed was around 150km/h (93mph).

An oddity, the 254 remained in

production until 1981, but was not a particularly practical motoreycle for

the street. From 1979 the 254 had a

Brembo front disc brake and a more conventional Le Mans-style instru-

ment panel. De Tomaso also had plans

for a Moto Guzzi version of the

Benelli six-cylinder;

prototype

engine is on display in the Moto Guzzi

museum, but this project was shelved

before anything came of it.

From the 254 emanated the 125 2C

4T (two-cylinder, four-stroke) of

1979. With a 45.4 x 38mm engine dis-

placing 123.57cc, this too featured a

chain-driven single overhead camshaft and two valves per cylinder, a 22.5mm inlet and 18mm exhaust.

Overall, the Benelli experience at Moto Guzzi was not successful. The

motorcycles did not ﬁt into the

Mandello ethos and often the produCts were either inferior too

for

unusual

marketplace.

Fortunately Dethe

Tomaso let Guzzi

maintain its individuality with the V7 series.

The Ercole, Edile, Ercolino, Aiace, Dingotre, Furghino,

• 3 x 3, Motozappa and Motocoltivatore

It must also be remembered that over a very long period some of the most

significant Guzzis, in terms of production if not technical interest, were the

three-wheeledcommercialvehicles.

From the Type 107 of 1928, these was developed into a wide range of models

duction mainstaysfor

30years.

Initially with a 17.8bhp V engine, the major appeal of the Ercole was its cartype five-speed gearbox (plus reverse) and shaft drive. Fully sprung and able to carry 1,500kg, performance was still

only moderate with a top speed of 60km/h (37mph). The Edile, on the other hand, was only produced during 1946 (150 were manufactured), but

with a l6bhp engine, a weight of

1,350kg, a 25km/h (16mph) top speed and no suspension, it was not popular. However, with its enormous 3,600kg

payload, the Edile provided more car-

Modelled very much on the Honda 350 four, the Guzzi 350 and 400 GTS featured

quality Italian suspension and brakes. This is the first 350 - later versions had a Brembo front disc brake.

the Turismo was a single Grimeca

15.4bhp. They all shared a Dell'Orto

VHB 22 BS carburettor, and while the off-road versions weighed 98kg

220mm front disc brake. A few 125

Turismos were also sold in England as

(216lb),the Turismo came in at 78.5kg (1731b). Another feature of

badge-engineered 'Co-

Meriden's

Uno.

Most of the De Tomaso re-badged Benellis did little to uphold the magnificent Moto Guzzi tradition. One of the more interesting was the 254, unusually styled with the instruments incorporated in the top of the fuel tank. (Australian Motorcycle News)

rying capacity than any other Moto Guzzi three-wheeler.

Throughout its life the Ercole was

continually developed. In 1950 the

engine received a light alloy cylinder

and head with enclosed rocker gear,

and in 1952 an automatic advance magneto. A variation with a cab

the various engines that were With a compression ratio of 10.65:1, used motorcycles at thetime. appeared in 1955, and hydraulic and two Dell'Orto PHBG 20 B carbu- Production of this type of vehicle brakes in 1956. In 1959 an electric rettors, 16bhp was produced at lasted until 1980. start and coil ignition was introduced, 10,600гpm.This little five-speed The first commercial vehicles to and later there was a version adapted engine was placed in a 254 chassis so appear after the war were the Ercole to run on methane. Throughout the the dimensions were identical, except and Edile, both using the 500cc V difficult period of the early1960s that weight was reduced to 110kg engine. Ercole production was maintained at (2431b). The claimed top speed was The Ercole (Hercules - the first around 2,000 units a year, before around 130km/h (81mph). Lasting Guzzi to use a Greek mythological tapering off at a few hundred a year in through until 1981, it may not have name) was to be one of Guzzi's pro- the early *70s. By that stage the 500cc seemed like a recipe for success, but the 125 2C 4T was a highly agreeable Three-wheeled goods vehicles played an important part in Moto Guzzi production

using in

little commuting motoreyclethat

thrived on high revs.

The final Benelli-inspired Moto Guzzis were a pair ofparticularly

uninspiring water-cooled two-strokes,

the 125 C (Custom) and 125 TT

(Trail). Introduced at the 1983 Milan Show, it was not until 1985 that they

became available, only being duced ent 1986. The 123. 15c€ (56 x 50mm) single-cylinder engine now

featured automatic oiling, reed valves

and a six-speed gearbox. With a

Dell'Orto PHBL 25 BS carburettor. 16.5bhp was produced at 7,000гpm.

Both models featured monoshock rear suspension, and the 125 C included a

windscreen and a ridiculous 16-inch front wheel, a real tribute to the fash-

ion of the day. The 125 TT, with its

35mm offset axle Marzocchi forks and

21-inch front wheel, was a more effective motorevele but still failed to offer a superior alternative in this competitive segment.

from 1928 until 1980, one of the most successful being the Ercole. Towards the end of its life it had the option of an enclosed cab, and was still powered by the venerable overhead valve 500cc single.

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

as well as expected. However, this

engine concept would spawn the later V7 even though there were only a few similarities between the two designs (see Chapter 7).

The intention had been to create a vehicle that could cope with a variety of terrains. By having a shaft drive to

each of the three wheels it had an

amazingly complicated drive system.

Drive to the front wheel was by a

shaft and bevel gear from the steering head, and behind each rear wheel was a smaller wheel that could be adapted

for caterpillar track. The engine was

air-cooled, assisted by a fan in front of

the engine, and incorporated a gear-

box with six forward speeds plus

reverse. Even though it could be used

almost anywhere and in the most

adverse weather conditions,

ulti-

mately the 3 x 3 was unnecessarily

heavy and complicated for the performance it could offer.

There were also three types of agri-

cultural tractors produced in the 49cc Dingo engine came the Dingotre 1960s: the Motozappa G2. of 1965-68, and the Furghino of Motocoltivatore and, for1965, the

Symbolic singles: Airone, Astore and Falcone

Commissioned by the Italian Ministry of Defence, the 3 x 3 Autoveicolo da Montagna of 1961 was extremely complicated, boasting an all-wheel drive with a variable track.

The V-twin 750cc engine shared some of the features of the later V7, but it is incorrect to say that the V7 originated from the 3 x 3.

Zigolo engine in the Aiace covered

single-cylinder engine could no longer

truck of 1961-63 and the three-

provide the level of performance

wheeled agricultural Motozappa 110

expected even from basic commercial vehicles.

of 1965. Even smaller versions

appeared later in the 1960s. With the

With Moto Guzzi at the peak of its

success in the mid-1950s, the 192cc

engine of the Galletto was used to create a smaller goods vehicle, the

1968-70 with a covered cab. None of these underpowered vehicles was very successful.

Ercolino. With a four-speed gearbox, plus reverse, and a payload of 350kg. this would also be a successful model

A more interesting machine was

for the company, production lasting until 1971. In 1958 it received 10-

the 3 x 3 Autoveicolo da Montagna

(Mechanical Mule) of 1961, Powered inch wheels in place of the earlier 14- by Carcano's new 745cc (80 x 75mm) and 15-inch, and an increase in carry- 90° V-twin engine, this three-wheeling capacity to 560kg. It was also drive vehicle was originally intended available with an electric starter. for the Italian Ministry of Defence. It Following the use of the Galletto was an ambitious engineering exerengine came the 110cc two-stroke cise, but at 20bhp it did not perform

Ti come any models of Moto Guzzi have to symbolise the marque, it

has been the post-war Airone, and its larger brothers, the Astore (Goshawk)

and Falcone (Hawk). Although not produced in anything like the numsers of the Cardellino, Galletto or Zigolo, or even the Stornello, it was because they had such long and distinguished production runs that they have become representative of Moto

Guzzi in the post-war period.

The 250cc Airone had made a brief

appearance during 1939 and 1940, with 122 even being manufactured during the war, but it was not until

the end of 1945 that regular production resumed. It was much the same

with the500cc G.T.S., G.T.W. and

G.T.V. Although production had con-

tinued on a very limited scale until

the seven 500s of 1940 to be resurrected, and these, with the V engine,

were to form the basis of the new

Astore, and Falcone, a few years later. The Falcone would also benefit from

the development that the venerable

overhead valve engine received from

racing as a Dondolino and as the

Gambalunga.

The Airone

With 875 manufactured in 1945, the

246cc Airone made up half of that year's total production. It looked a utilitarian type of vehicle with its pressed-steelframe, swingarm and

parallelogram forks, and provided very

modest performance. Still with the pre-war 9.5bhp engine,the 135kg

(2981b) Airone could barely achieve a

speed of 95km/h (59mph). After one year, however, it was updated with upside-down-type telescopic front

1942, these did not become available again until 1946. Even then they were in short supply because the Mandello forks and hydraulic rear shock plant was largely being used for the absorbers, still with the springs hugely successful, and profitable, mounted underneath the engine, the

Guzzino.

new version appearing in 1947.

With demand increasing (1,100

When the Airone made its appearance again after the war it was largely unchanged from the final version of

were produced in 1947), the Airone received continual development. In

1940, which was strongly derived from the sprung-frame 250 P.E. but with the

1948 the cylinder head and barrel

were cast in aluminium, and the

previously exposed rocker

pressed-steel frame of the 1940 version instead of the tubular type that

gear enclosed. At the same time a Sport

version was introduced. This used the pressed-steel frame with a tubular rear section and saw a return to the friction dampers. The engine of the Sport fea-

had appeared on the first Airone.

Although one 500cc G.T.S. with the opposed-valve 13.2bhp engine

was produced in 1946, this engine was

finallydiscontinued after thewar.

tured a different camshaft,thicker valve springs (4.5mm instead of

Starting life in the Normale of 1921, it had had a long and fruitful production

4.2mm), a 25mm Dell'Orto carburet-

tor, and an increase in compression to

run, but was now underpowered and

obsolete. The sprung-frameG.T.V. and G.T.W. were the only versions of

7:1. The power increased to 13.5bhp at 6,000rpm. Completing the sporting

proﬁle were 19-inch Borrani alloy

wheel rims, 200mm alloy drum brakes, lower and narrower handlebars, alloy

friction dampers(ratherthan the

Turismo's steel ones), and a rear pad on the mudguard to allow the rider to adopt a crouched riding position. The

top speed of the 137kg (3021b) Airone Sport was around 118km/h (73mph).

Both the Airone Turismo and Sport

came in for a complete restyle in

1952, together with the introduction

MZO. The Motozappa was produced

from 1961 until 1965 and used the 49ccDingo engine, while the

Motocoltivatore used a short-stroke

*F 100' four-stroke single (80mm stroke

yielding 486cc) with the cylinder inclined 25°.These were manufac-

tured from 1964 to 1966. It is beyond the scope of this book to detail these vehicles exhaustively, but they need to be included as they were produced with a Moto Guzzi trademark.

of a specific Airone Militaire. With styling along the lines of the larger

Falcone, they looked more modern,

but there were also several changes to

the engine and ﬁnal drive. The manual advance magneto became automatic and a Sin x ½in chain

replaced the earlier /zin x 3/i6in type.

The Turismo now shared its frame with the Sport, but the Turismo still

retained the 9.5bhp engine through to

its demise in 1958. The weight had

increased, however, to 140kg (3091b),

fortunately only marginally denting the Turismo's already sedate perfor-

mance: top speed was around 94km/h (58.4mph).

With the restyle of 1952 came a

lower state of tune for the Sport.

Although now with 12bhp produced

at a lower 5,200rpm it was not enough of a drop to hurt the performance dramatically. After all, even by the stan-

dards of the early 1950s the Airone

was a sedate motorcycle. Other Sport

features such as the thicker valve

springs and Borrani alloy wheel rims

remained. The Airone Militaire dif-

fered in a number of small details from

the Turismo, notably the fitting of

standard legshields, pillion seat and 3.25 x 19-inch tyres. By 1956, how-

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

SYMBOLIC SINGLES: AIRONE, ASTORE AND FALCONE

HOYO GUZZI

In 1952 the Airone was restyled along the lines of the Falcone. The Sport initially had black-painted tank panels and in 1954

received a new round silencer and automatic advance magneto as pictured here. (Streetbike)

ever, the Sport was deleted, the

poor performance was beginning to

the cylinder head. The parallelogram girder forks were retained but became

Turismo and military versions contin-

affect sales and only 75 were produced

telescopic whenboth models were

in 1957, most of these military ver-

uing until 1958. The Airone briefly resumed production for the police in

sions. That was also the year when the Lodola was established. Offering similar performance to the Airone but in a

updated in 1947 following develop-

ment of the Airone. Production during 1946 and 1947was. 1.620

1961, with 201 being built.

Those first few years of the early 1950s were the peak period for production of the Airone, which at this

more modern, smaller and lighter

G.T.V.s and 133 G.T.W.s.

package at a price considerably lower,

With the telescopic forks came hydraulic reardampers, a deeply valanced frontmudguardand an

it virtually made the Airone redundant. It was an inauspicious end to a model that had been so successful only a few years earlier, but the spirit

stage outnumbered the larger Falcone and Astore by a factor of four to one. By 1952 3,375 were being produced annually and there was only a small

increase in weight to 190kg (419I6). The G.T.W. was slightly more sporty with lower handlebars, alloy wheel

of the Airone lived on in its larger

drop to 3,450 in 1953. With sales at such buoyant levels, there were only minor changes to the Sport for 1954.

rims and larger brakes, but both

brother, the Falcone.

The G.T.V., G.T.W., Astore

models shared the cast-iron barrel and cylinder head with exposed valve gear. Performance was, however, still very

The Sport and Turismo were now

and Superalce

visually distinguished by the Sport's chromed kneepads in the fuel tank in place of the earlier rubber pads and the Turismo's black kneepads. Chrome was very much in demand and expensive, so this gave the Sport an air of quality. The distinctive but loud fishtail silencer was replaced by one with a rounded end that was also

Production of the Airone having

much at pre-war levels, the G.T.V.

recommenced in 1945, it was joined

managing 120km/h (75mph) and the in 1946 by the sprung-frame 500cc G.T.W. 130km/h (81mph).

G.T.V. and G.T.W.As before, the G.T.W. had a higher-performance

Further Airone features filtered through to the larger model late in 1949 when the G.T.V. evolved into the Astore (Goshawk). Production began in 1950, and it replaced both the G.T.V. and G.T.W. Although

engine (20.5bhp at 4.300rpm) and the G.T.V. received the 18.9bhp version. These were essentially the same as the

pre-war versions but for red rather

quieter.

than amaranth paint and a single

Unfortunately, 1956 saw the popu-

essentially unchanged from the final larity of the Airone plummet. The exhaust, with a single exhaust also in version of the G.T.V., the Astore now

The G.T.V. and G.T.W. continued in production until 1947 virtually unchanged from the pre-war versions. This 1946 G,T.V. is

missing only the standard legshields.

had an aluminium barrel and cylinder head, with enclosed valve gear. There was also a new Dell'Orto MC 27F car-

burettor, but the power output was unchanged at 18.9bhp. Although it

was quite successful, with 1,250 being

produced in 1950, the Astore still

looked very old-fashioned and was slightly restyled for 1951 with a red

fuel tank with black panels. It was also

offered with an optional sidecar, but

production was halved, to 662, in 1951. This was probably due to the

introduction of the more sporty Falcone,but economic factorsdic.

tated that sales of large-displacement motorcycles during this period were considerably less than those of smaller bikes. The final year for the Astore

was 1952. when 800 were con-

Evolving from the G. T.V., the Astore of 195l was painted red with black tank panels.

structed. By now it had a fuel tank

styled along the lines of the Falcone,

but it continued with hydraulic rear

dampers and legshields.

During this period the wartime military Alce evolved into the Superalce.

Released in 1946,this was almost

identical to its predecessor except for the use of the engine. The

Superalce remained available to the

Carabinieri and military until 1958, but was only ever produced in relatively small numbers. To the end it

retained the girder forks but gained a magneto with an automatic advance in 1952. Until 1955 it always featured

a distinctive double silencer exiting

on the left.

The Falcone

By 1950 the Astore had replaced the G.T.V., but Guzzi now needed a more

sporty motorcycle to fill the space occupied by the unremarkable and

ageing G.T.W. With very few modifications, the Astore was transformed into the Falcone. It was an extraordi-

nary transformationbecause the

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

SYMBOLIC SINGLES: AIRONE, ASTORE AND FALCONE

Falcone was to have one of the

longest production runs of any motor-

cycle, not just a Moto Guzzi. It has

also become a symbol of the production Guzzi throughout the 1950s and early '60s. This is despite only a few

hundred generally being produced

each year, mostly for police use. In terms of production nearly three times as many Cardellinos were produced in

1950 (22,115) as Falcones between 1950 and 1968. Thus the Falcone is

one of the rarer production Guzzis.

detuned version of a Condor or

Dondolino. The crankcases were cast

in aluminium rather than electron and the cylinder head had enclosed

valve gear like the Astore, but other-

wise the Falcone engine was that of

the Condor. The gearbox was the Condor four-speed constant-mesh

type, and the crankshaft and con-rod were lighter than those of the Astore.

The 43mm inlet and 40mm exhaust

valves were inclined at 60° and a

volt electrical system included a more powerful (Marelli DN 19G 30-watt) dynamo and a battery, but the ignition was still by magneto with a manual advance and retard. The weight was reduced considerably from that of the G.T.W., to 176kg (3881b), and conse-

quently the top speed increased to

around 135km/h (84mph). Although

only 300 were manufactured in 1950, with a further 512 the following year, the Falcone was immediately successful as a spearhead for the entire line-

rettor was used. For all that, the up. In1952 two versions of the

Dell'Orto SS 29A racing type carbu-

Falcone appeared, both with minor styling and its relationship with the sion ratio, but produced marginally changes. At the January Milan Show catalogue racers,the Condor and more horsepower than the G.T.W., the Falcone appeared with less Dondolino. Smallermudguards, 23bhp at 4,500грm. Where the chrome, an oil tank with black knobs, rounded 17.5-litre fuel tank, and fric- Falcone differed was that with a little and many other black-painted compotion instead of hydraulic dampers gave modification it could be made to nents. Another version was displayed it a much more sporting profile. It also provide similar performance to that at the Milan Show in November, this shared the G.T.W's alloy wheel rims of a Dondolino, and a Dondolino featuring a Marelli MCR 4E magneto and lower handlebars, and, in line camshaft was easily installed. Consider- with an automatic advance, and new with the Airone Sport, a rear seat pad ing that the Falcone in 1950 sold handlebars and switches.

Falcone still only had a 6.5:1 compres-

The success of the Falcone was undoubtedly due to its purposeful

was shown to replace the Astore, and following the example of the Airone

there were now two varieties of the Falcone. The earlier Falcone became

the Sport, and the new bike the Turismo. Although the Turismo

shared its major engine components

(like the constant-mesh gearbox) with the Sport, it basically had the engine

of the Astore. This had a 5.5:1 com-

pression ratio, a 42mm inlet valve and a Dell'Orto MD 27F carburettor. Maximum power was the same as for the Astore, 18.9bhp at 4,300rpm, and the performance of the Turismo pre-

dictably sedate.

With the frame and suspension of

the Sport, the Falcone Turismo gained

the Astore's handlebars, legshields and more forward mounted footrests.

The chromed knee sections in the

tank became black and the front tyre

a 3.50 x 19-inch, also from the

Astore. The Turismo also featured steel wheel rims and the rear mudguard carrier of the Astore. There

were a few further changes over the

next few years, but basically the

Falcone in both its forms weathered the problems that Moto Guzzi faced

In 1954 the Falcone Turismo replaced the Astore. This Turismo, beautifully restored by Seraﬁno Valsecchi at Moto Guzzi, has the correct Airone-style oil tank, and steel

wheel rims.

that allowed the rider to assume a for half the price of a Dondolino, it There were more changes for 1953. racing crouch. made it an attractive proposition for In April, at Milan, a Falcone was The biggest changes to the Falcone those seeking a performance motor- introduced with an Airone-style oil came in the engine. Finally racing cycle. tank without knobs and new pillion developments found their way The first Falcone was a range-lead- seat. The biggest development, howthrough to the production line and ingsporting motorcycle with ever, was shown at the Milan Show in

the Falcone engine was virtually a chromed fuel tank. An improved 6- November. Here a detuned version

Prior to 1953 the Falcone had chromed tank sections and oil tank knobs. There would also have been a rear seat pad rather than a rack.

Turismo there was now a speedometer,

and a new, more rounded fuel tank. The seat mounting was also changed

and the Nuovo Turismo had wide

handlebars, but it still came with the

Turismo-style legshields. As it was towards the end of the 1950s. Also, at intended for official use, the Nuovo point during that decade did Turismo came with the higher head-

Falcone production exceed the high

light mount with a siren fitted under-

neath. Weightwas up to 192kg

point of 700 manufactured in 1957.

In 1956 both the Turismo and

(4231b), together with a corresponding decrease in performance.The

about 125km/h (78mph). It was not

that successful and only 405 were pro-

duced in 1967, with a further 390 in 1968. These were the ﬁnal Moto

Guzzi horizontal 500cc singles with the external ﬂywheel. Throughout its life the Falcone was produced in sev. eral special versions for the police, notably the Guardia di Finanza and the Corpo dei Corrazieri (Presidential Guard) of 1952, and the now sought-after Corpo dei Corrazieri of 1957.

Sport gained quieter (and uglier) silencers, similar to that ofthe Airone, dropping the noise level to

84dBA as well as hurting, perform-

ance. A specific police model with a

higher headlight mounting to allow the fitting of a siren on the forks appeared in 1958. In response to a

police request the 30-watt dynamo became a 60-watt Marelli DN 36C in 1961. Production of the Falcone

increased slightly in the 1960s, with a peak of 1,150 produced in 1960. The end of the Sport, and regular Turismo

production, occurred at the end of

1963, although 10 were built in 1965.

If it had not been for the police and

military, the Falcone would have

ended there, but it was relaunched in 1967. Now only in one version, the Nuovo Turismo, it featured a Falcone Sport engine (6.5:1 compression) but with the Turismo's Dell'Orto MD 27F carburettor, and the resulting power

was 19.4bhp at 4,450rpm. Unlike the

Amongst many specific features these The Falcone Sport of 1954-55 had black-painted tank sections and possibly

Nuovo Turismo could only manage

represented the epitome of the Falcone concept. Here is another beautiful restoration.

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

SYMBOLIC SINGLES: AIRONE, ASTORE AND FALCONE

had 12-volt electrics, dynastart and

extra batteries.

The most extraordinary thing about the Falcone was that, even when pro-

duction ended in 1968, it was still

basically a pre-war motorcycle. The

engine and running gear were still very much those of the G.T.W., and

riding a Falcone was really an experience of a different era. The heavy fly-

wheel meant that acceleration was

leisurely, and even the constant-mesh

sliding gearchange was very slow com-

pared with more modern designs.

Friction dampers combined with the unique Guzzi springing under the engine were very much an anachronism, and was still very similar to the

typeof rear suspension that had appeared the ill-fatedThree

Cylinder of 1932, certainly vindicat-

ing the expertise of Giuseppe Guzzi.

Fortunately Guzzi was not relying

on the Falcone for survival and the

company was able to produce and sell

such a motorcycle with its proud ancestry essentially unchanged for many years. Becauseof its long

production run, it has earned itself a

classic status, and become a represent-

ative model for the marque. This is

not that surprising: while the Falcone

may have always been obsolete, it retained clear bloodlines to some of

the most significant racing Guzzis, the Condor, Dondolino, Gambalunga and, of course, the G.P. of 1920.

The Nuovo Falcone

Continued demand for the Falcone by

the police and military saw Moto

Guzzi release the Nuovo Falcone in 1969. Although only eight were built

that year, it soon proved extremely

popular, with many more being pro-

duced than the earlier Falcone. In

1970 2,946 were built, with produc-

tion peaking at 3.775 in 1971. At that

stage more Nuovo Falcones were

being constructed at Mandello than

any other single model, including the

V7.

By combining many of the tradi-

tional features of the earlier Falcone

in a more modern chassis, Guzzi man-

aged to create an uninspiring work-

horse that was eminently suitable for the police and military. Much of the

engine was similar to before: it still

had the 88 x 82mm bore and stroke of the very first Moto Guzzi, the horizon-

tal cylinder with radial finning, and the external flywheel (although this was now hidden underneath an alloy side cover).

Where the Nuovo Falcone really departed from its predecessor was in the change to wet-sump lubrication

and a redesigned four-speed gearbox.

No longer with magneto ignition and

a separate dynamo, the Falcone ﬁnally

came of age with a 12-volt electrical

system and coil ignition. There was even an optional dynastart. A more modern square-slide Dell'Orto VHB 29A carburettor was used, but with a 6.8:1 compression ratio the Nuovo

Falcone was barely morepowerful

than a Falcone Sport, 26.2bhp being developed at 4,800rpm. Civilian versions had a lighter flywheel than the

military models.

The chassis, too, was completely

updated, with an orthodox tubular

A 1956 Falcone Sport outside the factory at Mandello. Another Serafino Valsecchi restoration, the tank had now reverted to

chromed sections and the quieter cylindrical silencer hurt performance.

The Nuovo Falcone was still a motorcycle of dreams in 1971. The enclosed flywheel and electric starter can be seen in the example at the top left. (Two Wheels)

with enclosed telescopic forks and twin

steel double-cradle frame

rear shock absorbers. The wheels were reduced in size to 18 inches (3.50 x 18

tyres front and rear) and a 200mm twin leading shoe drum brake fitted

on the front. Unfortunately this mod-

ernisation saw the weight soar to

214kg (4721b). This meant that the Nuovo Falcone was barely able to match the performance of a Falcone Turismo and had a top speed of only 127km/h (79mph). The Nuovo Falcone was not a motorcycle suited

to the Autostrada and gave a new

meaning to the word plodder.

However, as a military motorcycle

it was extremely successful, particu-

larly in Italy, In 1970 and 1971 so many were sold that the following year it was also made available to civilians. It was intended to be the

motorcycle for those enthusiasts eager

for an update, while still offering the nostalgic look ofthe previous

Falcone. But as it was neither ancient

nor modern this new model was a dis-

appointment. The more modern

instrument layout was shared with the V7 Special, as were many of the ancillaries. The styling of the civilian white Nuovo Falcone was unusual, particularly the twin silencer emerging from

a single exhaust. In a world where

performance levels were increasing, the Nuovo Falcone began to struggle in the marketplace. However, production was still up considerably on that

of the earlier Falcone, and 2,293 were

built in 1973.

In 1974 the Nuovo Falcone was

given a new colour scheme (dark red

and matt black) and stainless-steel

mudguards, and there was an additional version, the Sahara. Painted

beige, the Sahara was essentially a

military bike sold for civilian use. It featured a sprung single seat, panniers, and a noticeable absence of chrome. The compression ratio was

increased slightly to 7:1, and power was up marginally to 27bhp, but as

this was still a very heavy motorcycle

it could still only manage about

130km/h (81mph).

By 1976 demand for the Nuovo

Falcone had dwindled and the model ﬁnished that year. Except as a military motorcycle it had never lived up to its expectations and it was also a victim

of increasing worldwide legislation. All motoreycles were beginning to share uniform left side gearshifting

and converting such a basically

ancient design was not economically

feasible. Although nearly twice as

many Nuovo Falcones were manufactured as Falcones, the newer model

has never achieved the classic status

of the original. The marriage of an

older-style engine with a modern

chassis and styling was never going to be a recipe for success. It was an

inauspicious end to a great engine

line.

THE SECOND GOLDEN AGE

The

second golden age

inaugural World Championship 1949. While the 68 x 68mm engine

shared much with the

Albatros.

including the bevel-gear-driven single

overhead camshaft and four-speed gearbox, power was increased to

25bhp at 8,000rpm. This was primarily through the use of a Dell'Orto SS 35mm carburettor. For theofficial Gambalunghino, the twin downtube

frame and rear suspension came from the Albatros, the Gambalunga supplying the leading-link front suspension, brake, fuel tank and a more stream-

lined tail section. Painted silver and

the V8, was again totally unique.

Aided by a sympathetic management, and with considerable financial backing, some of the greatest racing motor-

cycles of all time emanated from

Mandello during this period.

1949

For the new World Championship

Moto Guzzi was better prepared than most manufacturers. By developing

their two excellent pre-war designs in the years immediately following the

end of the Second World War, they

had competitive offerings in both the 250 and 500cc categories for the 1949

season. The 350cc class was one historically associated with British manu-

facturers, but it would not be long

Brmo Ruffo gave Moto Guzzi their ﬁrst World Championship, the 1949 250cc. Here

Whilederfulthe 1930speriod hadfor Motobeen aGuzzi,woneven this decade was eclipsed by the

magnificence of the 1950s. From 1949

until their dramatic withdrawal at the end of 1957, the Moto Guzzi racing department, headed by Giulio Cesare

series of created and GrandPrix

Carcano,

developed a

unequalled

machines. These were not only highly individual, but also portrayed Carcano's ideology. Unlike the com-

petition, Carcano placedgreater

importance on aerodynamics, minimal

weight, and weight distribution. He

wascommitted to the leading-link

front forks and the development of

the existing flat single. When forced to seck more horsepower, his answer,

he lines up at Monza for the Nations Grand Prix with a 250cc Gambalunghino.

I PIRE

before Guzzi would also successfully contest this category.

With the 250 Parallel Twin shelved, the successful but ageing Albatros was transformed into the Gambalunghino (Little long-leg). The combination of the Albatros engine with Gambalunga, leading-link front sus-

pension and front brake, gave the venerable single overheadcamshaft

250, which had first appeared in 1926,

a new lease of life.The success of the Gambalunghino over the next few

years really showed how good the concept of the compact horizontal single, with its geared primary drive and

external ﬂywheel, had been in the ﬁrst

place. What was really more surpris-

ing, especially given its incredible success over the next few years, was that

no one copied it. For the 500cc class the venerable Bicilindrica was further developed, but was not to be as successful against stronger, four-cylinder

competition.

The ﬁrst Gambalunghino had come

about at the beginning of 1949.

Enrico Lorenzetti was racing in the 250cc class for Moto Guzzi on an Albatros. After collecting the bike from the racing department at

Mandello, it was badly damaged when the trailer broke away from as

the car to

it was being towed. Returning

Mandello, the mechanics found that the frame was too badly damaged to

repair, so in order to get the bike ready

to race in time they simply installed the Albatros engine in a Gambalunga chassis. Lorenzetti won the race, and the resulting hybrid also took him to victory in the Italian 250cc champi-

onship.

The factory also adopted it for the

later red, the early Gambalunghino looked very much like the

Gambalunga.

Although the weight was similar to

that of the final Albatros at 122kg (2691b),the Gambalunghino was a more effective racing machine

because of its better brakes and front suspension; where it really succeeded over the competition was not so much in its superior speed, but in its reliability. The first race on the calendar was

the Isle of Man TT. Here Manliff Barrington on a Gambalunghino won the Lightweight TT at 77.93mph

(125km/h). ahead of Tommy Wood. also on a Gambalunghino.

At the Swiss Grand Prix at Berne,

factory rider Bruno Ruffo took his

only Grand Prix victory of the season,

and at Ulster Maurice Cann rode an

Albatros to first place ahead of Ruffo's

factory Gambalunghino. With only

four events counting towards the 250 World Championship, Ruffo became

World Champion, and Guzzi won

their first manufacturers' title.

For the 500cc class Moto Guzzi

continued to develop the Bicilindrica. While the telescopic-forked Micucci version of 1948 had performed well,

particularly at the Isle of Man, for 1949 the machine was considerably revamped. Carcano's influence

became more apparent and the result was one of the best-looking racing machines of the era. Development of the engine saw the use of Dell'Orto

carburettors withdetachable float

chambers, and megaphone exhausts. Power on the low octane fuel was up to 45bhp at 8,000rpm.

While the frame, with the oil reservoir and rear suspension with a single spring, came from the 1948 version,

The 500 Bicilindrica of 1949 featured the leading-link forks of the Gambalunga and an unusually shaped fuel tank. Although not successful in the World Championship, Lorenzetti took the Italian title:

the leading-link forks were similar to

that of the Gambalunga. The front brake was a full-width drum. One of

the more unusual features of the 1949 Bicilindrica was the fuel tank, which

extended forwards in front of the

steering head to improve

With thismodel thestreamlining.

weightwas

reduced to 145kg (3201b) and, unlike the Gambalunghino, the Bicilindrica

was painted red.

the Bicilindrica

between the engine and carburettor, a feature that would last on the racing singles until 1957. Other develop-

ments included a new, more streamlined seat, and friction rear dampers

mounted backwards to improvethe handling under hard braking. In order to lower the machine, 20-inch wheels were fitted.

Despite this development the

Unfortunately

could not match the success of the

in the

World

Gambalunghino

Championship.At the Isle of Man Bob Foster was leading the Senior TT

before the clutch failed, and there were no results of any significance during 1949. In the Italian championship, however, Lorenzetti (now a factory rider) rode a Bicilindrica to

victory in the 500cc class.

1950

Although victorious in the 250cc class

in 1949. Moto Guzzi faced increased competition during 1950, this year

being their least successful of the

period. It did, however,

further development of both the 235

and 500, as well as a 350. To counter

the Benelli of Dario Ambrosini, the Gambalunghino was further improved. More power was required, SO the valves were increased to

38.5mm inlet and 33mm exhaust. A special inverted 37mm Dell'Orto carburettor was fitted to a down-draught manifold and the power was increased to 28bhp at 8,000rpm. There was now

a largerubber connecting tube

Gambalunghino was outclassed by Ambrosini's Benelli, and Guzzi withdrew ofﬁcial works entries before the conclusion of the season. This saved

some of the embarrassment of a com-

prehensive defeat, and also allowed development of a double overhead camshaft four-valve Gambalunghino that would make a brief appearance in 1951.

The only Grand Prix win for the Gambalunghino in 1950 was Maurice Cann's victory at Ulster, and Cann eventually ﬁnished second in the 250cc World Championship. However, Guzzi did manage to ﬁll the minor placings, Fergus Anderson

coming third and Ruffo fourth.

Following the disappointment of

the 1949 season, the Bicilindrica was not officially entered by the factory in Grands Prix during 1950. Despite this,

there was still some development,

mainly alongthe lines ofthe Gambalunghino, the front Dell'Orto

carburettor being mounted in a simi-

lar downdraught style. Styling was again altered, with an unusual fuel tank shaped to accommodate the rider's arms when crouched. Foster

again rode the Bicilindrica in the

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

THE SECOND GOLDEN AGE

absorbers for some circuits, but gener-

ally the four-speed gearbox was still used. A four-valve twin cam 250 had

been produced in the latter part of 1950, featuring twin Dell'Orto remote float bowl carburettors and enclosed coil valve springs. This engine had a slightly longer stroke

(68 x 68.5mm) and a longer con-rod,

140mm (5½ inches) eye-to-eye. A

short-stroke version (70 x 64mm) was:

also constructed, but the four-valve engine showed no superiority over

the single camshaft model and, while it made further brief appearances in 1952 and 1953, was eventually dis-

carded.

More successful wasMaurice Cann's home-built double overhead

Maurice Cann and the Gambalunghino at Bray Hill during the Lightweight TT of 1950. Cann finished second to Ambrosini. (Ivar

de Gier collection) Senior TT at the Isle of Man but was unable to match his pace of the previ-

before being forced to retire with the

rubber carburettor connecting tubes.

engine misfiring at the end of the sixth lap after he holed one of the

More significant was the creation of a 350 single during 1950. Following the poor showing of 350cc Bicilindrica by Bruno Bertacchini in 1949, Guzzi decided to build a double

ous year. He was in sixth position

Bob Foster braking heavily on the Bicilindrica during the Senior TT of 1950 before retiring. (Ivar de Gier collection)

overhead camshaft 350 single. This 78

x 73mm engine displacing 349cc soon

produced31bhp at 7,000rpm and,

weighing only 116kg (256lb), showed considerable potential. It also featured an unusual arrangement of quadruple hairpin valve springs. Several innova-

tions were tested, notably a water-

cooled exhaust valve. Lorenzetti first rode the new five-speed 350 at Mettet in Belgium and later Cann tested it at the Isle of Man. Guzzi also supplied

Cann with a 310cc single overhead camshaft Gambalunghino-inspired version for the 1950 Junior TT, which he preferred and eventually rode in

the race. During the race the 310

expired but even prior to that it was unable to challenge the leaders. Both

camshaft two-valve 250. During prac-

tice for the Lightweight TT Cann's bike was as fast as the factory

Gambalunghinos, and the Guzzi engi-

neers had a very close look at it. It

would be this engine that would influ-

ence the eventual double overhead

camshaft 250 Bialbero.

This was the final year for the

Bicilindrica and it featured a few more improvements. Power was increased to 47bhp at 8,000rpm, and the remote

While he tested this prototype DOHC 350 during practice, Maurice Cann elected to race the SOHC 310. Here he is at Ballaugh Bridge on the prototype 350. (Ivar de

Gier collection)

float bowl Dell'Orto SS carburettors

were mounted on long manifolds, the rear carburettor situated close to the rear wheel. Even in its final form the

May, Gino Alquati used Gambalunghino engine to power a

racing boat to a new flying start kilometre record of 80.181 km/h (50mph).

1951

After a disappointing season in 1950, Moto Guzzi were again strongly represented in both the 250 and 500cc cat-

egories for 1951. The ofﬁcial works team now included Anderson alongside Ruffo, Lorenzetti, Gianni Leoni

and Sante Geminiani, Happily 1951 was a highly successful year for the

Gambalunghino, and after the French

Grand Prix, where Ambrosini was

killed, Moto Guzzi was untroubled in the 250 category, winning four of the five 250cc races; Ruffo again took the

championship, with Tommy Wood second and Lorenzetti fourth. Wood

won the Lightweight TT and also

raced in the 350 class in Spain (there

being no 250 event), giving Guzzi

their first 350 Grand Prix victory.

Further development saw the 500 Bicilindrica was not as highly Gambalunghino gain a five-speed developed as theGambalunghino. gearbox and hydraulic rear shock Valve sizes were 35mm for the inlet

Tommy Wood being congratulated after his win in the 1951 Lightweight TT on the

Gambalunghino. (Ivar de Gier collection)

prototypes were then retired.

The construction of the famed wind tunnel at Mandello was also

undertaken in 1950; it is still operational and located behind the original

buildings of 1921. Further world speed

records were set at Montlhéry in September on the Gambalunghino. Anderson, together with Ruffo and

Gianni and Guido Leoni, set ten 250cc world up to 8 hours, including hours at 160km/h (99mph). A few months earlier, on 9

2records

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

THE SECOND GOLDEN AGE

(129km/h), Lorenzetti took another

Bicilindrica to third place.

While the 250cc results were excel-

lent, 1951 was a particularly tragic

year. Besides Ambrosini, Guzzi riders Gianni and Guido Leoni, Geminiani, and Raffaele Alberti died in accidents.

in attempts several at the long-distance record Montlhéry autodrome

The Gambalunghino was also used

France. On 17 September Anderson, Lorenzetti and Ruffo con-

tinued where they had left off in 1950,

setting 1,000-mile and 9, 10, 11 and

12-hour 250 records.

1952

In 1952 the development of the

racing Guzzis took an important turn

that would continue to see them

dominate. With the commissioning of

the wind tunnel, aerodynamics started

role as

to play as important

engine development. This immediately

of the

the

influenced

shape

Gambalunghino, resulting in a considerable redesign. The fuel tank was derived from the anatomical design of the final Bicilindrica, and as it incorporated the number plate, it indicated the way of the future and the eventual

integralfairing. There was a new

frame and rear suspension was now by

twin hydraulic shock absorbers with external springs. To improve the frontal area the wheels were now 18

inches instead of 21 inches. There was

not much more development to the single overhead camshaft engine

except for a new Dell'Orto carburettor, which featured a special float to stabilise mixture strength while cornering, braking and accelerating. At 7,500rpm 27bhp was developed and the compression ratio was now 8.7:1. The bike weighed 116kg (256lb) and still used a single leading shoe front

brake.

With the Bicilindrica pensioned off,

Guzzi contested only the 250cc class in 1952, with three riders, Anderson,

Lorenzetti and Ruffo. The Guzzis won five Grands Prix, only being beaten in

Germany by the DKW after all the

factory Gambalunghinos retired. With two victories, Lorenzetti took the title ahead of Anderson (alsowith tWO wins). Ruffo distinguished himself at the Isle of Man where he comfortably led the Lightweight TT, but slowed on

the last lap to obey team orders that allowed Anderson and Lorenzetti to

overtake him. In the process, Ruffo set a fastest lap of 84.82mph (136km/h).

The Ulster Grand Prix was won by Cann on a 250 Gambalunghino with

his own designed and built twin overhead camshaft cylinder head.

During the season Lorenzetti tested various experimental four-valve Gambalunghinos, but they were never as effective as the two-valve version. Even Cann's home-built effort was superior. That August also saw further

At the age of 43 Fergus Anderson

became the oldest TT winner with his victory in the Lightweight TT of 1952. (Ivar de Gier collection)

Bruno Ruffo was the moral victor of the

1952 Lightweight TT, leading until the

final lap and forced to slow to obey team

orders. Aerodynamic development was

evident in the shape of the fuel tank

incorporating the number plate. (Ivar de Gier collection)

Maurice Cann's home-built DOHC 250 would later inﬂuence factory designs. Here

he is at Ballaugh Bridge during practice for the Lightweight TT. (Ivar de Gier

collection) and 33mm for the exhaust. There was victory was in store for the a return to the rear friction dampers Bicilindrica when Fergus Anderson (in place of the hydraulic unit under dominated the rain-soakedSwiss the engine) and a redesigned seat and 500cc Grand Prix of 1951.

rear mudguard. One more significant an average speed

of80.16mph Winning at

The wind tunnel at Mandello del Lario. Still operational, this gave Moto Guzzi a

significant advantage in the early 1950s.

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

THE SECOND GOLDEN AGE

successful world record attempts, with

the pre-war sidecar

onsupercharged

250 and a Monaco-Ingolstadt

the

autobahn in Germany. With new

streamlined bodywork designed in the

Guzzi wind tunnel, Luigi Cavanna

took the supercharged 250 to a record speed of 221.226km/h (137mph) over

flyingkilometre. Seven further

records were also set.

1953

With the company buoyant from the

sales of Guzzinos, Moto Guzzi decided

to expand the racingprogramme

beyond the 250cc category. There

were no changes to the team for 1953, but Guzzi now provided works entries

in both the 350 and 500cc classes. It was the new 500 that caused the most

interest. At the final event of the

1952 season, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the racing world was stunned by the unveiling of the replacement for the 500cc Bicilindrica, a new inline four, for the 1953 season. By this

stage the four-cylinder MVsand

Gileras were beginning to dominate

500cc racing and the Guzzi design was

refreshingly different. Unfortunately, unlike the earlier Bicilindrica, which

was also an original and unique

design, the four was unsuited to a

racing motorcycle application. It was

also uniformly disliked by the riders.

At the instigation of Giorgio Parodi,

the great Carcano was bypassed when

it came to the design of the four-cylin-

der. Although Parodi had approached

him as carly as 1948, in 1951 the fourcylinder was given to the Rome-based engineer, Carlo Gianini, who worked for the company Giannini. Parodi felt that it was time for some fresh ideas in the racing department and underestimated Carcano's brilliance. This may

have seemed a slight on the racing team at the time, but the failure of the four would eventually give Carcano the sanction for the V8.

Gianini had impressive credentials.

Together with Piero Remor he had

been responsible for the four-cylinder

OPRA 20 years earlier, which had

become the Rondine and eventually

the supercharged Gilera four. This was

the engine that had inspired the ill-

fated Guzzi four of 1931, and Gianini's new four would also prove to be a disappointment.

In an effort to be different from the other fours, and also reduce frontal

area, the new engine was a longitudinal four-cylinder that closely followed automotive practice. In the era before streamlined fairings it made sense to keep the engine narrow. However, by 1954 this was not really so important, as wider engines could be more easily

accommodated under the dustbin

fairings, and ultimately the disadvan-

tages of an in-line four outweighed the advantages. It was not only the torque reaction from the crankshaft that caused problems, but also the engine-speed clutch made gear changing difficult. The clutch was

also too small and not strong enough, but to fit a larger clutch would have

required an expensive redesign of the

rear of the engine.

Technically, however, the four was a

beautiful racing engine in the best Italian engineering tradition.

Designed without too much regard for

thecost, it was oversquare (56 x

50mm) with a displacement of 492cc,

and

featured

double

overhead

camshafts driven by straight-cut gears

from the crankshaft. One-piece conrods with single-row roller big-end

bearings were used with a built-up

180° crankshaft. The big-end journals

were locked in place with serrated Hirth couplings and the crank itself

ran on five ball and roller bearings.

With the two valves set at a wide

included angle of 96°, the three-ring pistons required a very high dome to achieve the 11:1 compression. Although designed to allow for larger valves, this 1930s practice of a wide included valve angle ultimately lim-

ited potential horsepower and was one

area where Gianini's design was obso-

lete. Valve sizes were 32mm for the

inlet and 30mm for the exhaust, each valve having three coil springs, the camshafts operating directly on caps over the valve springs. An unusual

feature was the seating of the valves

directly in the cylinder head without inserts. The clutch was a multi-plate type splined to the crankshaft without

any reduction. A compact four-speed gearboxwas incorporated

inthe engine casting and drive to the rear

wheel was by a shaft in the left side of the swingarm. The bevel drive for the magneto sat within the gearbox shell

and the oil pump in the sump situated in the lower crankcase.

Undoubtedly the most unusual fea-

ture of the four was its induction system. So as to minimise engine

width by not mounting four carburettors to one side of the engine, a pressurisedsystemusing aRoots-type blower housed in the gearbox shell supplied air to four atomisers in the

inlet tracts. These air valves were opened by additional cams on the

inlet camshaft and fuel was continually fed by a pump. Excess fuel was returned to the tank by another pump and later by gravity. This mechanical fuel injection system was a variation

on experiments carried out on the supercharged 250cc 'Gerolamo' Milano-Tarantomachine of 1939.

Even with water-cooling it was a very clean-looking engine, with the water

pump mounted on the front of the

engine near the radiator.

The power developed by this com-

pact 500cc motor was 55bhp at

9,000грm, and it was housed in an original trellis frame with Bicilindrica leading-link forks and a twin leading

shoe front brake. Wheels were 19. inch at the front and 18-inch at the rear, and the 500 weighed in at a

respectable 145kg (3201b). Thus it

the

noted

maintained

Guzzi

favourable power-to-weight ratio and was capable of 230km/h (143mph). It

was also surprisingly compact and the

wheelbase was a moderate 1,400mm

(55 inches). When it appeared early in 1953 it featured the 'bird-beak'-

style fairing that typiﬁed 1953 racing Guzzis. Development was very slow,

mainly because the engine was built in

Rome and modifications made in Mandello.The frame, too, was

Giannini design, but by the time the bike was ready for the 1953 season

there was much Guzzi influence in the design.

After its showing at Monza, Lorenzetti tested the four at

Ospidaletti in San Remo in February

1953, and it made its debut at

Siracusa together with the new 250

Bialbero. Things looked promising

when Lorenzetti won an international

event at Hockenheim on 10 May at

an average speed of more than

173km/h (107mph), with Anderson

setting a fastest lap at 182.4km/h

(113mph). Yet while it occasionally showed bursts of speed, the four was extremely unreliable and difficult to ride. Guzzi did win a 500cc Grand Prix in 1953, the Spanish, but it was not with the 500 four. Here Anderson

amazingly defeated a field of Gilera and MV fours with the new 350.

It was in the 350cc class that Guzzi

found their greatest success that year,

and one that they would dominate

until 1957. After several years of test-

ing various prototypes,

Carcano

ﬁnally discovered the right formula.

Earlier 350s were simply a bored and stroked Gambalunghino, and this was

initially what Fergus Anderson per-

suaded Carcano to do late in 1952. As a Scot, Anderson wanted to compete against the Nortons and AJSs, the tra-

ditional leaders of the class. By enlarging the 68 x 68mm Gambalunghino as

far as the crankcases would permit and moving the crankpin as close to the edge of the crank webs as seemed

safe, a 317cc (72 x 78mm) version was created.A longer, 155mm (6-

inch), con-rod was used in the longerstroke engines.

The cylinder head design followed that of the60°iGambalunghinowitha ncluded valve angle, still very narrow for the day. Valve sizes were 38.5mm

for the inlet and 33mm for the

exhaust, and with a 10:1 compression ratio power was 31bhp at 7,700гpm. This was the same horsepower as the

short stroke 350cc double overhead camshaft prototype of 1950. A 35mm Dell'Orto carburettor was used, on the usual long induction tract with a steep 33° down-draught angle, and the crankshaft also followed Gambalunghino practice by being

pressed up in three pieces with a

caged roller big-end bearing.

This engine was then placed in a 1953 250 Bialbero chassis with the

'bird-beak' streamlining of that year. Wheels were both 19-inch, a 2.75 x 19-inch tyre on the front and a 3.00 x 19-inch on the rear, and unlike the

250 Bialbero the front brake was a

twin leading shoe. This 317 was

entered in an international meeting at

Hockenheim in May and Anderson

easily won the 350cc race. It was also an extremely successful day for Guzzi, as it was the same event at which the 500 four was also victorious.

The 1953 500 four with distinctive bird-beak fairing is still on display in the Moto

Guzzi museum.

So encouraging had been the 317's

performance

third at 89.41mph (144km/h), conHockenheimthat vincing Carcano that Guzzi should

Anderson organised a last-minute entry for the Junior TT at the Isle of Man three weeks later. He came home

contest the other rounds in the 350cc World Championship. For the next

event at Assen, Carcano redesigned Fergus Anderson at the bottom of Bray Hill in the 1953 Junior TT on the SOHC

317. The suspension is totally compressed, with the 'bird-beak' nearly touching the front wheel. He ﬁnished third. (Ivar de Gier collection)

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

THE SECOND GOLDEN AGE

the engine cases to accept a 75mm

Guzzis took the opposition completely piston, and Lorenzetti went on to win. by surprise. With victories in France, Throughout therest of the 1953 Belgium and Switzerland, Anderson season both the 317cc (72 x 78mm) won the 350cc World Championship and larger 345cc (75 x 78mm) engines from Lorenzetti, who hadwins were used. Holland and Italy. However, with sev-

Both these engines had a one-piece eral retirements, the success of the crankshaft with uncaged needle-roller 350 was tempered by constant reliabig-end bearings and two-piece con- bility problems during 1953. The

engine suffered excessive oil con-

rods. For the larger bore (75mm), the

sumption as the cast-iron liner was so

valve sizes were increased by 2mm to

thin that both it and the piston dis-

37mm inlet and 32mm exhaust, and

the compression ratio reduced slightly to 9.5:1. Though a 37mm carburettor

torted. Also the uncaged rollers were

unsuitable for high-speed big-end

was tested, the 35mm proved more satisfactory and the engine produced 33bhp at 7,500rpm. Weighing 122kg

bearings and contributed to prema-

ture big-end failure. Both of these problems would be rectified for the

(2691b), and with a top speed of around 210km/h (130mph),the

1954 season.

Despite their move into the 350cc

At 44 years of age, Fergus Anderson took his first World Championship, the 350 title, in 1953. He was the first Scot to do so, and won 12 of Moto Guzz's 46 Grands Prix.

category, Guzzi continued to contest

the 250cc class. Double overhead

camshaft two-valve and four-valve

versions were tested by Lorenzetti and

Anderson at Ospidaletti early in the

year, and box section swingarms were

tried. However, as had happened

earlier, the two-valve cylinder head

gave better results, and this was used during 1953. It was based on Maurice

Cann's DOHC design of 1951, but

Guzzi made it lighter and more compact with a different valve angle. Like the larger bikes the 250 had the 'birdbeak' fairing that year and a low fuel

tank that required a fuel pump. Both single and double overhead camshaft versions were raced during 1953, and both shared a slight increase in stroke (to 68.4mm). This had been tried on the 1950 double overhead camshaft bikes and saw the capacity increase to 248.2cc. The double overhead

camshaft 250 Bialberoproduced

28bhp at 8,000rpm with a 9.5:1 com-

pression ratio and a huge 40mm

Dell'Orto carburettor. As with the

350, 19-inch wheels front and rear

were used on the Bialbero.

Although now outclassed by Werner Haas on his NSU Rennmax twin, the 250 Bialbero managed to win three events in 1953. Fergus

Anderson again took the Lightweight

TT, this time at 84.73mph (136km/h) after Ruffo had crashed badly in practice, ending his career. Lorenzetti won two 250 Grands Prix, the Nations at Monza and the Spanish at Barcelona in October. These were also the ﬁrst

Anderson had approached Norton's Anderson believed Kavanagh had

assisted him in his victory in the World Championship over Lorenzetti.

With the championship decided,

really was. After a poor start and black-ﬂagged in Monza,

were disappointing for a team that had dominated for the previous few

Left: Enrico Lorenzetti had a long and glorious career with Moto Guzzi, culminating in the 1952 250 World Championship. He rode the new 250 Bialbero to victory at its 1953 debut at Siracusa.

Right: Fergus Anderson rode the 250 Bialbero at the Isle of Man in 1953 to take Moto Guzzi's final victory in the Lightweight TT, winning at the record speed of 84.67mph. This is on the mountam, after the railway tracks, near today's Murrays. (Ivar de Gier collection)

years. Anderson ended up third in the 250cc Championship, with Lorenzetti

fourth. Although the results in the 250cc World Championship were

in the

European

disappointing,

Championships the 250cc Guzzis continuedto dominate. National

championships were won in Italy, Austria, France, Great Britain and Switzerland. However,while they

would still have an interest in the 250

class, Guzzi would concentrate more seriously on the larger categories in

the future.

1954

Enrico Parodi offered Kavanagh a full works ride for 1954 alongside Anderson, Lorenzetti, Montanari and Ruffo. An indication of the financial buoyancy of the company at that time

was his incredible salary of £3,000

tostrictly followteam

plus expenses and prize money, with a

condition

orders. As Kavanagh says, 'Compared

with Norton, Moto Guzzi had an enormousracing department and

seemed to have an unlimited budget. Reserve riders included Duilio Agostini, who had won the 1953

Milano-Taranto race on a Dondolino,

and Alano Montanari. The dustbin

fairings developed with the aid of the

wind tunnel were also ﬁrst seen in

1954. Initial testing for the 1954 season was again undertaken at

Ospidaletti at the end of February. All

works riders tested the 250, 350 and 500s, including Ruffo in what was his last ride on a racing machine.

Although it had not had a very

spectacular debut year, the 500 four continued to be developed, mainly by

Kavanagh, despite almost universal

dislike by the riders.

For 1954 it

received a metal dustbin fairing that

incorporated side 28-litre fuel tanks,

the upper tank being replaced by a rather ugly metal bulkhead. The four was also ﬁtted with a linked braking system and Kavanagh's single front

brake lever, but was unable even to

The 500 four had a new full fairing for 1954, with pannier fuel tanks. It was still

uniformly disliked by the riders. Notice the finned final drive unit.

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

THE SECOND GOLDEN AGE

continued to be developed by Gianini for car racing. Uprated to 750cc, the Giannini G2 powered many highly

successful Italian racing cars.

Sharing the same engine dimensions as all the classic Moto Guzzi

500cc singles (88 x 82mm), the 500cc Grand Prix single initially had a single overhead camshaft and was developed

2 6

from the Gambalunghino.This was the bike that Kavanagh rode to victory at Hockenheimat an average speed of 182km/h (113mph), with a fastest lap at 188.8km/h (117mph). With a 45mm Dell'Orto carburettor, 42bhp was developed at 7,000грm. This engine proved very unreliable,

largely as a result of Carcano's obses-

sion with weight-saving, and many parts broke through being too light.

The final race for the 500 four was at Hockenheim in May 1954 where Anderson (2) was defeated by the new SOHC 500 single of Kavanagh (26).

repeat the moderate success of the previous year. Apart from a minor victory by Anderson at Mettet in

four was at an international race at Hockenheim on 9 May 1954 where

Anderson was defeated by Kavanagh

on the new 500 single. In a staged

Belgium, where the injection system was replaced by four carburettors, the

race the four towed the fragile single,

then threw its rear tyre tread at

four was spectacularly unsuccessful.

After all the expense of design and

250km/h. Not only did this frighten Anderson, but the four's defeat convinced Parodi that Carcano should persevere with the 500 single.

development there were no Grand Prix victories and Carcano's racing programme was vindicated. All the

riders preferred theless powerful

However, while it was no longer raced

500cc single and the last race for the by Guzzi, the four-cylinder design

Kavanagh gives the 'thumbs up' to Carcano on his way to victory at Hockenheim.

Note the 'twin seat' and length of pedals. The bikes were crudely modified to accept the longer Anderson and shorter Kavanagh.

At the Imola Gold Cup the clutch

lever simply snapped off its pivor lugs because they were designed for 250 clutch springs. These problems were largely overcome when the 500 was

redesigned as a larger engine. It

received a double overhead camshaft cylinder head like the 250 and 350 of 1954, with an increase in power to 45bhp at 7,000rpm. Valve sizes were 47mm inlet and 42mm exhaust, and

the 500 used a 165mm (6k/2-inch)

con-rod. Twin spark plugs and battery and coil ignition were employed.

While the 500 single may have

been an expression of Carcano's ideol-

ogy and a tribute to excellent aerodynamics, it was never a match for the

significantly more powerful Gilera and

MV fours.Kavanagh managed

second place in Belgium and Spain,

eventually finishing third in the 500cc

World Championship. These results would see him as the principal development rider for Guzzi's next 500cc contender, the V8.

After many years riding Nortons, Kavanagh initially found the Guzzi

singles strange to ride. 'The front

brake plate was anchored to a flange

on the front axle so that when the

brake was applied the front of the bike would lift. This was especially discon-

certing going into a curve a little too quickly because by backing off nothing happened. It was the first thing I

had changed on my Moto Guzzis. I

also had the two front brakes balanced by the front hand lever, then fitted to all the racing bikes. The

Ken Kavanagh on the 500 in the 1954 Senior TT. The pannier fuel tanks were replaced by a cylindrical tank over the engine. When

Kavanagh passed Anderson, who had crashed, he stopped during the race to ensure that Fergus was unhurt. (Ivar de Gier collection)

Guzzis had a much wider powerband than the Nortons, more like a touring bike. What made the Guzzis so good

was the weight and the streamlining.'

As it was the 350cc Championship that Guzzi was defending, most devel-

opment went into this engine. In an

effort to overcome the reliability problems of 1953, the 350 was redesigned

over the winter of 1953 for the 1954 season. As before, both 72 x 78mm and 75 x 78mm engines were raced,

and later there was also a 79mm-

stroke version displacing 349cc.

However, information from Umberto

Toderoindicates that the 78mm

stroke was generally used. Many of the developments were carried over

from the 1953 250 Bialbero and even-

tually sharedwith the 500. These

included a double overhead camshaft

cylinder head with enclosed valve

gear and single coil valve springs, the twin camshafts still being driven by a shaft and bevel-gear and five straight-cut gears. The cams operated directly on bucket-type tappets without skirts,

and the fuel and oil pumps were

driven from the ends of both

camshafts. A five-speed gearbox was

also standard for 1954.

This is a confusing year in the doc-

umentation of the 350, but Umberto

Todero states that three versions were

used (317, 345 and 349cc), and that

both single and double overhead camshaft cylinder heads were fitted, depending on circuit. The

the

Monalbero engines were lighter than

the Bialbero and preferred on slow

tracks. The 317cc engine was only

used at the beginning of the season, and by the end of 1954 a completely new short-stroke 350 was also developed, which was used in a few races

towards the end of the season.

The reason for the continued use of the 317cc (72 x 78mm) engine early in the season was the problem of exces-

sive oil consumption with the larger bore. During 1954 the 345cc engine

(75 x 78mm) received a thicker cylinder liner and a stronger piston to alleviate this problem. The compression

ratio was reduced to 9.4:1 and valve

sizes were increased yet again, to

39mm inlet and 33mm exhaust. With

a 37mm carburettor, 35bhp was devel-

oped at 7,800rpm. Another important change was a return to a three-piece built-up crankshaft with caged roller big-end bearings. Ignition was

longer by the magneto, which had

occasionally caused problems, but now consisted of two individual circuits of

twin coils and twin 10mm spark plugs

operated by twin distributors. One

ignition circuit provided less advance and was used for starting only. For the TT two batteries were used with two independent circuits, one as a back-up

with two switches on the handlebar. Over long bumpy races the batteries would fail and the 6-volt ignition

system required a high current. These features were also incorporated on the

similar 79mm-stroke version, but generally the 78mm stroke predominated during 1954.

Other significant developments

occurred in the design of the frame

and fairing, and these too were shared

with the 250 and 500. The dustbin fairing, constructed of hand-beaten

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

THE SECOND GOLDEN AGE

cycle for the first time. It was a revolu-

tionary idea, and one that would ensure the 350's superiority. With

only 35bhp, the 123kg (2711b) 350 of

1954 was capable of anamazing

220km/h (137mph), purely because of

the compactness of the motorcycle

and the aerodynamic efficiency of the dustbin fairing. The fairing also con-

tributed to extraordinary fuel con-

sumption.

During the course of the season the fairing design was continually devel-

oped,Anderson sometimes racing

with rear streamlining, although this

- was unsuccessful. One of the duties expected of the riders was the development of the frame and the improve-

ment of the overall handling, which in those days was done by trial and error.

Various combinations of fuel tank

were tested, as with the pannier tanks the rear wheel would sometimes lift under braking. The pannier tanks also used to split due to vibration, and for the Isle of Man TT they were replaced by a cylindrical tank over the engine, together with an interconnected fuel

tank on top. After the TT, for other Grands Prix, only the cylindrical tank was used, held by steel straps against wooden supports so that it could be

moved forward and backwards to alter weight distribution. From November

1953 until September 1954 most of this development was undertaken by Kavanagh. Both Anderson and Lorenzetti felt that at their ages (45

and 43 respectively) they had better things to do. In Anderson's case this

was golf, and Lorenzetti had many

business interests in Milan.

Not content with the 75 x 78mm,

or even the 75 x 79mm, engines, Carcano wanted to improve breathing

at high rpm and also reduce piston speed. Already the 75mm bore had

stretched the 250-based design to its

limit, so Carcano created the short-

stroke 350 by reducing an 88 x 82mm

500. The stroke was shortened to

69.5mm, and a bore of 80mm took the capacity to 349.345cc. This new 350 could fit larger valves, a 41mm inlet and 36mm exhaust, and with a 40mm Dell'Orto carburettor the power was increased to 38bhp at 7,400гpm. The cast-iron cylinder liner was replaced by a hard-chrome aluminium cylinder,

also reducing weight.

The 1954 350cc Grand Prix season

started very poorly for Moto Guzzi and there were no results in the first

three rounds at France, the Isle of

Man and Ulster. At the Belgian Grand

Prix, however, the

345cc Guzzis

showed that they were in a class of their own, Kavanagh leading home

Anderson.

With

victories in

Switzerland, Holland, Italy and Spain,

Anderson comfortably retained his

350cc World Championship. The 350

Grand Prix at Monza was a triumph for Moto Guzzi in front of their home

crowd, works bikes filling the first four places.

The 250 Bialbero continued to be

raced during 1954, but although a short-stroke version (70 x 64.8mm)

As chief designer, Carcano was ably assisted by Enrico Cantoni and Umberto Todero. Here they are at the drawing-board at the end of 1954. (Ken Kavanagh)

was produced, the NSUs continued to dominate. The new short-stroke

engine had a 38.5mm inlet valve and 33mm exhaust valve, and still used

the 140mm con-rod. This was the

final 250 Bialbero engine and would

also be used during 1955. First raced

by Lorenzetti and Montanari at a

national meeting at Monza, even with

the new engine results were not forth-

coming in the 250cc category. The

first Grand Prix was the Isle of Man

and FergusAndersoncould only

manage fifth in the Lightweight TT, his streamlining having broken with the vibration and acting as an air brake. Assen would be the next Grand

Prix, and also the last official race for

a works 250. Here Kavanagh finished

fourth,

For the Italian Grand Prix at

Monza much effort was spent on get-

ting more speed out of the bike, but

when NSU's Rupert Hollaus was

killed in practice NSU withdrew from the event. In a spirit of sportsmanship

Moto Guzzi also withdrew, Arthur

Wheeler taking the 250cc victory on his private machine. After Monza the ofﬁcial 250 was retired. Nonetheless,

1954 was an extremely successful year

for the 250cc Moto Guzzi in various 250 national championships,with wins in Italy, Austria, Great Britain,

Holland and Switzerland.

By the end of 1954 the 350 was still

dominant in its class, and with the

new short-stroke engine the prospects for the next season looked promising. However, both the 250 and 500 sin-

gles were struggling, and after the dis-

appointment of the 500 four, Carcano

wanted a new challenger for the

500cc crown. This would be the V8

that would appear during 1955.

1955

Enrico Parodi was now worried about the age of two of his leading riders and offered Fergus Anderson the position

of racing team co-ordinator over Mondo Michelli. Anderson thus retired from active racing, and

Lorenzetti, only slightly younger than

Anderson, having disobeyed the fin-

ishing order in the previous year's

350cc race at Monza, was replaced by Duilio Agostini. Completing the team alongside Kavanagh was Dickie Dale

and the reserve rider, 1954 Italian

Champion in the 2ndCategory,

Kavanagh rode in three classes at the Isle of Man in 1954, retiring in all of them. Here he

is on the 250 in the Lightweight TT. The 250, 350 and 500 were visually similar, and

also used new frames constructed of small-diameter tubes. (Ivar de Gier collection)

to minimise a back flip. There was nier tanks on either side. This was also a completely new trellis frame done because only frontal resistance, built from small-diameter tubes. This and not lift, could be tested in the extended over the front wheel to supwind tunnel, and Carcano wanted as port the fairing, making the fairing much weight on the front as possible integral in the design of the motor-

electron, carried the fuel in two pan-

Ken Kavanagh was also a enthusiastic photographer. This is Gudio Carcano at San

Remo golf club at Christmas 1954. (Ken Kavanagh)

Giovanni Rocchi. With no ofﬁcial factory representation in the 250 class,

Lorenzetti, Roberto Colombo and Cecil Sandford were provided with

1954 works bikes, Lorenzetti winning

the Italian Championship in 1955.

Duilio Agostini became a works rider for 1955, being responsible for wind tumel testing. Here he is on the 350 in the Imola Gold Cup that year prior to having a disastrous accident in the 500 race.The streamlining was more rounded and the

screen was held in place by a metal strip.

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

THE SECOND GOLDEN AGE

Easter. It was an eventful meeting. Kavanagh won the 350 race at an average speed of 83.98mph (135km/h), an event marred by the

death of Ray Amm on the MV. In the 500cc race Agostini's 500 single

caught fire, the electron parts causing a spectacular fireball. At Hockenheim shortly afterwards Kavanagh and Lorenzetti completely dominated the DKWs, Kavanagh winning at

154.5km/h (96mph). Kavanagh also

finished second in the 500 race.

In the 350cc World Championship

1955 was a vintage year for Moto

Guzzi, the green streamlined singles winning every face, Agostini in

France, Dale in Italy and Kavanagh in Holland. However, it was new recruit

Bill Lomas who took the title with victories in the Junior TT, Germany, Belgium and Ulster. To prove that

there was still life left in the 500 single, Lomas also won the 500cc

Ulster Grand Prix, his efforts earning him a two-year works contract.

A single overhead camshaft 1953

350 was also used to set several world

records during 1955. On 23 March Anderson, Agostini, Dale and

Kavanagh took the 350 to Monthéry in France where they set 8, 9, and 10-

hour records, plus the 1,000-mile in

350, 500, 750 and 1000cc categories. Further solo and sidecar records were

set in October and November by

Anderson, Lomas and Dale. Shortly

after that Lomas and Dale went to

Australia with a 350 and 500 to com-

pete in selected events, winning races as far afield as Perth and Mildura Giorgio Parodi, one of Moto Guzzi's

founding fathers, died on 28 August,

leaving Enrico firmly in control.

1956

Now at the peak of their success, the venerable singles were coming under

increased competition from the fourcylinder opposition. Again Carcano's brilliance was demonstrated with fur-

ther domination in the 350cc class, although Guzzi still struggled in the

500s.

For 1956 the official racing team consisted of Lomas, Kavanagh, Dale

andAgostini. Rocchiwas again retained as the reserve. With

Anderson gone, Mondo Michelli once

again became team manager.

Enrico Parodi immediately insti-

gated a new set of guidelines regarding prize money and starting money. This gave the company even more control

over the outcome of the races, and the company, rather than the riders,

would negotiate starting money. Also

it was agreed that all prize money would be shared between the three

riders.

In the 500 class the single was still campaigned but was now totally outclassed. The ignition was changed to a

magneto and single spark plug, the

only placing achieved by the 500

being Lomas's fifth in the Senior TT

at the Isle of Man. Carcano was

hoping that the V8 would provide

success in the 500 category, but devel-

opment was slow and hampered by

problems with the handling and relia-

bility. It was with the 350 that most

hopes were placed, but now the ven-

erable single was coming under

increased competition from the fourcylinder Gileras and MVs.

While the engine remained much

as for 1955, it received new camshafts

to improve the torque, and different gearbox ratios. The camshaft timing was now inlet opening 77.04° before top dead centre, closing 63.39° after

bottom dead centre, and exhaust

opening 63.87° before bottom dead centre, closing 44.37° after top dead centre. For a racing engine the over-

lap of 121° was very moderate, as was the inlet duration of 243° and exhaust duration of 288°. With a compression

ratio of 11.7:1 the 1956 engine still produced 38bhp at 7,400rpm on 90/100 octane fuel, but with a wider spread of power.Even though the

power peaked at 7,400rpm, the engine

would run safely to 8,200rpm. The

contact breaker for the dual ignition

was now mounted on the right side of the crankcase, above the geared oil

pump.

More development work was con-

centrated on the chassis and stream-

lining, with particular emphasis on

reducing the weight even further.

Carcano knew that only through a combination of superior aerodynamics

Bill Lomas started a winning streak with Moto Guzzi by taking victory in the 1955 Junior TT at 92.27mph (148.46km/h). He went on to win the 350cc World Championship with the short-stroke DOHC single. (Ivar de Gier collection)

the rest of the racing department,

However, Agostini was the standard with 1955 streamlining. rider for the wind tunnel tests. When

Lorenzetti also had a 1953 350 fitted

much of it centring on his continued

From September 1954 all the test- Bill Lomas joined the team after the ing was done by Kavanagh, and he Isle of Man TT he was only a freewould spend two or three days a week lance rider and still rode an MV in the at Monza. Dale still lived in England 250 class.

role as a journalist for The Motor Cycle

and his first test of the V8. This is

recounted in the section covering the V8, and ultimately led to Anderson's

and Agostini was involved in riding Soon, however, there was considerinstruction for the police at Mandello. able tension between Anderson and

position as team manager not being

renewed. By 1955 Enrico Parodi was

also becoming concerned about the

cost of running the racing programme, which by now also included the V8.

Lomas also rode the DOHC 500 single to its final Grand Prix victory at Ulster in 1955 at a winning speed of 92.22mph (148.38km/h), slightly faster than his winning speed in the 350 race. (Ivar de Gier collection)

The 350 for 1955 was the shortstroke (80 x 69.5mm) version that

was raced a few times at the end of 1954. frame was virtually unchanged from 1954 but there was

The

more development in the wind

tunnel. The result was a new fairing

that had a better drag factor, leading

to higher speeds. In order to save

weight Carcano would not allow the electron fairings to be painted a final

colour, instead leaving them in the

anti-corrosive green protective paint. This would become as distinctive for racing Guzzis as the earlier red. The

barrel fuel tank was supplemented by

a normal one above the top frame

tube, giving a fuel capacity of 30 litres.

By now the 500 single was barely competitive, and development of the V8 continued throughout the year.

The ﬁrst ofﬁcial meetingwith

Anderson as team manager was the annual Shell Gold Cup at Imola at

and an improved power-to-weight ratio could the 350 single beat the

fours. The fairing for 1956 also featured a small air intake to cure what Carcano suspected was a breathing

problem. Although the fairing was noticeably sleeker. the frame t00

reverted back to the 1953 type, with a single large-diameter main frame tube

that also acted as an oil tank. The

engine hung from a trellis and there

Dickie Dale and Duilio Agostini in the 350 Grand Prix at Assen in 1956. Only the

350 was raced there, the fairing shape being altered again with an air intake below the screen. Lomas won the race and went on to his second World Championship.

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

THE SECOND GOLDEN AGE

was a completely new rear subframe consisting of short triangulated tubes. The leading-link forks were now from

the V8, and featured Girling sprung

dampers. The reduced drag, combined with lower weight and higher overall gearing (17/43 final drive sprockets), saw the top speed increase to around 230km/h (143mph).

Lomas and Dale returned from Australia in time for the Imola Gold Cup at Easter. Here Kavanagh led the 500cc race on the V8 before it over-

heated, but won the 350 event.

Shortly afterwards, at the non-championship event at Floreffe in Belgium, Fergus Anderson, after such a distinguished career with Moto Guzzi, was tragically killed on a BMW. The first World Championship event was the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy. Kavanagh won the Junior IT, but that was to be his only Grand Prix victory that year.

Lomas went on to take victories in

Holland, Germany, and Ulster, which

was enough to give him his second

350cc World Championship.

Throughout the season the bikes of

the other riders were plagued with detonation and ignition failures, but

the cause was not located until the

end of the season. Each frame had its own coil ignition, as did the Heenan

and Froude test bench. Tracing the problem to faulty ignition systems attached to the frame led to the coil ignition being discarded for the fol-

lowing year. Another problem was the

bucket tappets with the cam riding directly on the valve collar. After Lomas dropped valve at

Hockenheim these were replaced with those from the 500 four, in either steel or duraluminium, along with a larger valve guide.

In October 1956 a single overhead camshaft 350 was used for more stand-

ing start record attempts. On the

Enrico

Montichiari,

airstrip

Lorenzetti set both standing kilometre

and standing mile world records. He

also continued to campaign a 250

Bialbero special with more up-to-date streamlining. Created with the assistance of Luigi Lunardon and Eugenio

Lorenzetti's

Canova,

ﬁve-speed

Bialbero featured the barrel-type fuel

tank and a tubular backbone frame. Although he did not win any classic

World Championship, an amazing

result given that he was 45 years of age

and that the Bialbero, its roots in the

TT 250 of 1926, was struggling against the MVs. After his final race, the 1957 Nations Grand Prix, where he finished third, Lorenzetti retired to his business in Milan; he died in July 1989.

It was at Senigallia on 30 July that

rider, Keith

another

Australian

Campbell, was offered his first ride on a factory 350cc Moto Guzzi. Campbell

was being tested with Eddie Grant

(who was killed the following weekend) and the politics of racing took

- over. Campbell, with a faster machine

and under team orders, won the race

ahead of the official works riders

Kavanagh and Dale. Mandolini, on an

indecently fast 1953 bike, ﬁnished second, creating further tension within the team. This resulted in the eventual signing of Campbell for the

1957 season and led to Kavanagh leaving Moto Guzzi for MV. In the

meantime Campbell took a pair of racing singles to Australia and com-

peted in several events over the

winning the

southern

summer, events, he finished third in250cc Australian Senior TT.

After Lomas dropped a valve at Hockenheim, Kavanagh went on to win the 1956 Junior TT at an average speed of 89.29mph (143.67km/h), with a fastest lap of 93.15mph (149.88km/h). (Ivar de Gier collection)

During the period from March 1956 until 1958 Count Giovanni Lurani used a singleoverhead

fourwheeled Nibbio Il to set several dis-

camshaft

350cc-powered

tance records at Monza. In 1960 it

was fitted with a 1954 DOHC 250cc

engine, the final version being the

1963 Colibri of Piero Campagnella

and Angelo Poggio.

1957

This ﬁnal Grand Prix season for Moto Guzzi was one of the more difﬁcult. but ultimately rewarding years. In a

season marred by serious injuries, this

year saw the 350 Bialbero reach the

pinnacle of its development and the V8 finally achieve somesuccess.

Alongside Lomas, Dale and Campbell was newcomer Giuseppe Colnago for

the Italian championship of 1957. Development of the V8 continued

slowly, but the machine still had some

way to go before it was a champi

onship contender. A 350 V8 was also

considered, but it was with the 350 single that Carcano still saw Guzzi's

racing future in that class.

With ever-increasing competition, especially from the Gilera, Carcano set out to lighten the 350 even further, and alter the power characteris-

tics. In so doing hecreated the

ultimate racing single, and one that could defeat the far more powerful competition because it could corner

and brake more effectively. There was

no better example of Carcano's genius

than the magnificent 350 of 1957,

which existed in two versions, one with a 78mm stroke and one with a 79mm stroke, although they were

essentially similar.

After testing a 1954 version and its

1956 counterpart at Modena, Carcano found that the earlier bike lapped faster because of its better

acceleration out of slow corners. The priority on reducing weight as much as possible and also increasing lowspeed torque saw a return to the 1954

engine dimensions of 75 x 78mm

(345cc), with a corresponding reduc-

tion in valve sizes to 39mm inlet and

power was unchanged at 38bhp, although this was now produced

higher up the rev range at 8,000гpm. Even with single coil valve springs (to

reduce weight further), theengine

was safe to 8,400rpm. The rest of the engine followed the tried and tested

formula that had worked so well since 1954. The one-piece connecting-rod

ran on a caged big-end consisting of 16 5mm roller bearings on a 36mm

crankpin.

With the reliability problems of

1956 traced to the coil ignition, there

was a return to a magneto with a

single 10mm spark plug.Similar to

that of the 500 single of 1956, this

also saved the weight of two batteries,

coils andcontact breakers. Everywhere there was evidence of con-

siderable attention to weight saving, aluminium or magnesium being used throughout. Even the front brake was now a single leading shoe instead of the earlierdouble. Such careful

attention to lightness resulted in a

33mm exhaust.The carburettor size race weight of just 98kg (216lb), while was increased to a 45mm Dell'Orto, for the TT, which required a larger and while the torque was increased, fuel tank and fatter tyres (2.75 and

Following the injuries to Lomas and Dale, Keith Campbell assumed the role of number one rider. Here he is on his way to finishing second in the 1957 Junior TT, and he went on to take the World Championship. The larger fairing for 1957 is clearly evident. (Ivar

de Gier collection)

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

THE SECOND GOLDEN AGE

3.00 inches) the weight was 102kg

(225lb). Half-way through the 1957 season the stroke was lengthened to 79mm, giving 349cc, but all the other

engine specifications were unchanged,

as was the power of 38bhp at

The 1957 350 season got off to a poor start for the Guzzi team when

Lomas was injured, first at the baster

Imola Gold Cup, then more seriously

on the V8 in practice for the Assen TT, effectively ending his career; he

ment was difficult to justify. By the

end of 1957 all three works riders had been severely injured, and 1958 would

see the end of the dustbin fairings, one of the advantages that Guzzi had over other companies. Although they

did not race in any Grands Prix that had planned to approach John Surtees The weight-saving measures of the year. Dale also crashed at Assen on to ride in 1958, this did not happen. 350 were also passed on to the 500 the 350 Bialbero, finishing his season. With 14 World Championships, 47

8,000грm.

single. Although power stayed at The first classic event was the Isle of Italian Championships and 3,329 vic46bhp, the carburettor grew to 50mm Man TT where the Guzzis were tories since 1921, a long tradition had and the weight of the 500 was defeated by Bob Melntyre's Gilera, come to an end.

reduced to 100kg (221%lb). These although Campbell did come second Keith Campbell reverted to racing were astonishing figures considering in the Junior TT. After that Campbell private Nortons in 1958, suffering a that this was before the era of plastic completely dominated the rest of the fatal crash at Cadours in France in components. With streamlining, the season, winning the 350 Grands Prix - July on a 500 after winning the 350 500 was capable of nearly 250km/h of Holland, Belgium and Ulster. He race.However, the single-cylinder (155mph). On the track it meant that ended up winning the championship. Guzzis were raced by privateers some

the 38bhp 350 was more than a match Guzzi's last. Another Australian, years afterwards. Giuseppe Mandolini for the 45bhp Gileras, even on fast Keith Bryen, had joined the Guzzi raced thelong-stroke500 in the circuits likeSpa Francorchamps. team in Belgium, where he finished Italian championship and some However, with only 4bhp more than third, following that with a second at Grands Prix from 1965 until 1970, his the 350, the 500 was more disadvan- Ulster. best result being third in the Spanish taged against the fours. It was at the end of September, Grand Prix in September 1970. Prior

shortly after the final race of the season at Monza, that Dott Rag

to that, however, he had finished

However, Carcano had already designed a replacement 500 single that he fully expected to run during

second to Giacomo Agostini in the 1965 Italian championship. Arthur Wheeler also continued to campaign 250s and 350s, his best result being a victory in the 250cc Argentina Grand

Bonelli, Moto Guzzi's general man-

ager, announced that the company would bewithdrawing from Grand

1958. This new engine was eventually

produced in 1965 and had an even longer stroke (84 x 90mm). With an

Prix racing. Moto Guzzi's withdrawal,

together with that of Gilera and Mondial, signalled the end of the

Prix of 1962; he was third in that

11:1 compression ratio, four valves set

at a narrow included angle, and a 45mm carburettor,the power was

year's 250cc championship.

Gileras and MVs on the 500 single.

On the drive back to Mandello

Carcano suggested to Kavanagh that

the best solution to defeat the fours

was either a straight air-cooled six or a

water-cooled V8. With the dustbin fairings, engine width was a crucial factor; Carcano calculated the maxi-

mum width of the engine to be

500mm, and set about designing the most powerful engine he could within those parameters.

A meeting was held to put the idea to the directors of Moto Guzzi. Carlo Guzzi was not very enthusiastic about

theproject, preferring that Carcano

build and test a single-cylinder first,

but Dott Enrico Parodi supported Carcano and overruled Guzzi. Enrico Cantoni was given the project to draft, as Umberto Todero was involved with the short-stroke 1955 350 Bialbero. The design was to proceed in secrecy, with the bike appearing by surprise at the French Grand

Prix in May 1955. However, in the meantime Fergus Anderson became racing manager, and in a letter of 1

February 1955 he sent the news of the V8, together with a preliminary draw-

ing, to the press. When the picture

was published in The Motor Cycle on

10 February 1955, so began the

tension between Anderson and the

rest of the Guzzi racing department. It also hurt Guzzi's relationship with the

Italian press, and the V8 was no

longer a secret.

The water-cooled 90° V8 was an amazing design, with many unusual features. The crankcase consisted of one-piece magnesium casting

mounted transversely across the frame and incorporating a six-speed gearbox. When it was found that the flexibility

of theengine did not necessarily

Two of the proponents of the V8: Giulio Carcano, who designed it (left). and Ken Kavanagh, the principal tester (right). Here they are at Mandello in 1985. (Ken Kavanagh)

bronze valve guides needed to be split

to allow for assembly. This valve collet

retaining system would also cause

problems and was later modified. The valves were operated by double overhead camshafts driven by six straight-

cut gears, and like the earlier 500 four

they seated directly in the cylinder

head with no inserts. As expected the primary drive was by straight-cut

gears, the reduction being 2.7647:1 (34/94), with a dry multi-plate clutch

mounted outside the primary drive cover. This large reduction was in response to the problems that had

occurred with the engine speed clutch

of the 500 four.

Water-cooling was essential to cool

the rear cylinders, and the radiator

was situated in front of the crankcase.

The water pump was driven by one of

the timing gears, but the cooling

not

system

pressurised. Lubrication was dry-sump, the 5 litres of oil being retained in the frame top

was

shaft had perfect primary balance and was chosen for simplicity of construc-

tion, there was some secondary imbal-

ance. The crankshaft itself was

supported by five roller bearings, the

middle three having split outer races and split cages. The one-piece crankshaft also required the big-end bearings to be split. This was an unusual

golden era. While the racing success

had been a wonderful advertising

exercise, the motorcycle market was success by Giuseppe Mandolini nearly undergoing a severe downturn and ten years later. the cost of running the racing departDickie Dale, in a trench coat, awaits the start of the 1957 Junior TT. He retired during the race. (Ivar de Gier collection)

47bhp at 7,000rpm. This five-speed

500 was eventually raced with some

The V8

Nothing represents the resources and technical expertise available to Moto

Guzzi during the mid-1950s more

than the 500cc V8. Even 45 years on it stands alone as an example of engi-

neering luxuriance. In designing the V8 Carcano was given a free hand, helped by the regulations then governing 500cc motorcycle racing. The resultwas an engine clearly too

advanced for the frame and tyre tech-

nology of the day, and one that also

showed huge potential for further

development. While it did not achieve any memorable racing success

over its three-year life span, it was

truly representative of the Moto Guzzi

racing department at that time brilliant concept let down by a reluctance to face up to the problems it

created.

The V8 story began after the

Nations Grand Prix at Monza in 1954. Although Guzzi had triumphed mag-

nificently in the 350 race, Kavanagh could only manage sixth behind the

move, especially considering the unre-

liability of split cages in the350

Bialbero during 1953, and would be

one of the major causes of engine failure during the next two years, Eye-toeye con-rod length was 90mm (31/zin),

giving a long rod-to-stroke ratio of nearly 2.2:1.

Carburation was by eight 20mm Dell'Ortos controlled by a single cable and two cross-shafts, initially with a

single float chamber for each bank. In

this form, with a 10:1 compression ratio, 68bhp at 12,000rpm was pro-

require the six speeds, a five-speed,

duced at the rear wheel. When placed and finally a four-speed, gearbox was in a duplex cradle frame with leadingused. Cast-iron cylinder liners were tube. On the left of each inlet link forks and a swingarm pivoting at screwed into the engine cases, these camshaft was mounted a C.E.V. dis- the rear of the engine cases, the total being grooved to provide a larger sur- tributor for the coil ignition to that weight was 150kg (3311b), of which face area for cooling. With a bore and bank of cylinders. For the first engine the engine and transmission comstroke of 44 x 41mm, the engine was the firing order (right to left starting prised 56kg (1231lb). The front forks slightly oversquare and each cylinder at the front) for the 10mm spark plugs used two externalGirling shock had a 23mm inlet and 21mm exhaust was 1, 8, 3, 6, 4, 5, 2, 7. absorbers similar to those at the rear. valve set at an included angle of 58°. The initial design of 15 November and brakes were a 240mm four lead-

The valve stems were a very narrow 1954 featured a one-piece 180° crank- ing shoe at the front and a 220mm 5mm and thus not grooved for collets. shaft. This was essentially an in-line single leading shoe at the rear. Tyre The tops of the stems were enlarged, four with dual con-rods side by side on sizes were 2.75 x 19-inch on the front which meant that the aluminium- the crankpins. While the 180° crank- and 3.00 x 20-inch on the rear.

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

THE SECOND GOLDEN AGE

Although he had shown little inter-

est in theV8 project, Anderson

arrived unexpectedly at Modena and

demanded to be the first to test the

new machine. Despite being set up for the much smaller Kavanagh, Anderson tested it against the wishes

of the technical departmentand

immediately crashed it. The bike was

destroyed, even the engine, as the broken swingarm had broken the

crankcases. As every part was unique

the entire project was postponed. From that moment Anderson had a

difficult relationship with the racing department and barely communicated with Carcano.

The first race for the V8 was thus

at Spa for the Belgian Grand Prix,

where Kavanagh retired when all the crankcase studs snapped. Immediately

after Belgium larger bearing studs were installed, and Kavanagh then raced the V8 again twice in 1955, at Senigallia and Monza, but in both races the valve collars unscrewed. At this stage the crankshaft was still a

one-piece component, and in an

effort to overcome balance problems a one-piece 90°c rankshaft was designed and installed September 1955. This was followed on 5 October by90°canevolutionary rankshaft. With the 90° crank came

a revised firing order of 1, 5, 4, 8, 6, 3,

7, 2. The new crankshaft also used

lighter flywheel discs because the pis-

tons now contributed to crankshaft

inertia.

A winter redesign saw the V8 ready for the 1956 Easter Imola Gold Cup,

where Kavanagh retired with water pump failure while leading. At Hockenheimshortly afterwards he retired after five laps when the big-end cages broke, again while leading the race. He did, however, demon-

strate the speed of the V8 when he set a lap record of 199km/h (124mph). At Assen he retired after a collision with

Umberto Masetti's MV on the third lap. Until Assen Kavanagh was the

only rider to race and test the V8. but

for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Lomas also rode one. Here a longer swingarm was tried and Lomas worked his way up to third before retiring, once again demonstrating the V8's impressive speed. Kavanagh

found the bike frightening on the long

fast curves at Spa and after a confrontation with Carcano over the

handling no longer raced it.

Lomas then rode the V8 at Solitude where it overheated when in second place behind Geoff Duke. Ar Senigallia, the same event that saw Keith Campbell's first Guzzi works

ride, Lomas crashed the V8 dicing with George Monneret's Gilera. At

Monza Lomas crashed the 350 single,

breaking hiswrist, and Campbell

raced the V8 but retired after three-

quarters of a lap with a big-end bear-

ing failure. On 25 October, at the

Montichiari aerodrome near Brescia, Dickie Dale set world records on the V8 for a standing start kilometre at 144.8km/h (90mph) and a standing

start mile at 185.99km/h (115.5mph).

The one-piece crankshaft was used

until Monza in 1956.and despite

The 1957 version of the V8 was the most reliable, but there were still significant handling

problems. It was an amazingly compact engine given its complexity. (Two Wheels)

at Modena on 18 April. It was still the

although occasionally a 19-inch rear

intention to present the bike unex-

wheel was used.

pectedly at Rheims in May and hopefully have Kavanagh lead the Gileras

Development

proceeded very quickly and by 14 April 1955 the ﬁrst prototype was ready. On the road outside the factory Kavanagh briefly ran the bike in front of a crowd of onlookers that included everyone of impor-

(Rheims was chosen because it had three very long straights and would not place too many demands on the

handling). This would have been

purely as a publicity exercise and the

tance at Moto Guzzi. They were to

V8 may not have been raced again, existing only to represent the engi-

take it to Monza the next day, but on that occasion it would not run on all cylinders because of an ignition problem, so the first test session took place

neering and technological superiority

Dale's world records the V8 had still

not finished a race. The persistent

crankshaft problems finally led Carcano to Hirth-Welle in Germany,

90°p ressed-up crankshaft with one-piece con-rods and caged big-end bearings. The crankpin was increased to 30mm, and the big-end used 15 5mm rollers. Con-rod length increased significantly

to 110mm (41/in). The new crank-

shaft consisted of nine separate parts

united by radially serrated Hirth

whom he asked to design a

At Hockenheim in 1956 Kavanagh agam led the race before the engine expired. Нете he is about to take to the track.

mately 7bhp more, and torque was Hefinished fourth at 94.89mph

couplings.

4.85 kgm at 9,300rpm. An indication On 4 December 1956 the new of the success with the development engine was drafted and most of the of the engine was when Lomas set engine reliability problems solved. new speed records on 26 February Other small changes were the reloca- 1957 at Terracina near Rome: his

tion of the oil pump to the rear

standing start 10-kilometre speed of 234.572km/h (151mph) stood for more than 30 years.

exhaust camshaft, and the carburettors, which now had individual float chambers. Carburettor size also

Not long afterwards the V8 had its

first victory. On 19 March 1957

increased to 21mm, and with the new

crankshaft came revised camshafts. Valve timing76°bwasinletopening efore top dead centre, closing 67º

Colnago won the 500cc Italian cham-

pionship race at Siracusa in Sicily.

That was followed by the V8's great-

est moment, the Imola Gold Cup at

after bottom dead centre, and exhaust

opening 62° before bottom dead centre, closing 40° after top dead

Easter. Three V8s were entered (Dale, Lomas and Colnago), Dale taking the victory. With Lomas out after a crash

centre. With valve overlap of

116°t hese were still very moderate figures for a racing engine. The compression

on the 350 at Imola, Dale and

Campbell rode the V8 in the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim. where Dale ﬁnished fourth and Campbell retired after four laps with engine trouble. In the Isle of Man Senior IT Dale again rode the V8, now with a

ratio remained at 10:1 (it was the

same from 1955 until 1957) and the now produced 73bhp at 12,500гpm (at the rear wheel), with strong power from 7,000грm.

dolphin rather than dustbin fairing.

Crankshaft horsepower was approxi-

(153km/h), the engine only running on seven cylinders. Lomas was back

of Moto Guzzi.

for Assen but crashed in practice, seri-

ous head injuries ending his career:

Kavanagh led the 1956 Imola Gold Cup before the V8 retired with water pump

failure. The V8 failed to finish a race that year.

Dale also crashed in the 350cc race at

Assen, breaking both ankles, so he

was out for the rest of the season.

With the loss of two star riders the

ﬁnal Grand Prix for the V8 was the Belgian event at Spa. It was almost

the V8's ﬁnal hour as Campbell set a

new lap record at 190.130km/h

(118mph) and was timed atan incredible 286km/h (178mph) on the

Masta straight. While leading the race

convincingly the V8 came to a halt with a broken battery lead. For the final event of the season at Monza,

Campbell crashed the V8 at the notorious Ascari curve in practice, breaking his pelvis; he would not race again

until 1958.Bryen also practised on the V8 at Monza but refused to race it. Two machines sat in the pits, but

there was no one left to race them. all

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

tion; he sometimes tested and raced

the V8 with lead weights on the

swingarm.

There was also probably an aerodynamic problem. The wind tunnel only

measured frontal resistance and pro-

vided no data on the effect of lift.

According to Kavanagh, on slow and banked curves the V8 was magnificent, but on the 240km/h (149mph) left-hand Ascari test curve at Monza the V8 had a terrible weave. So bad was the handling on fast curves that Carcano even invited the 53-year-old Stanley Woods to test the V8 during 1956. After testing at somewhat less than Woods described

themotorcycle racing speeds as perfect and

Carcano feltvindicated. What is indisputable is that the V8 nearly

killed several top-line riders, including world champions Lomas and

Campbell.

A 350cc V8 was also built, but not raced. This 36 x 41mm engine produced 48-52bhp. By using stretched

front cylinders from the V8, a significantly lighter 350 four was also built, producing 48bhp. If developed further

this could have been the most suc-

cessful of all Carcano's multis.

While Carcano's V8 was an incred-

ible engineering exercise, over its three-year period it still achieved no

victories in classic events. If the handling difficulties had been overcome

in the same way as the crankshaft

problem, it would probably have been invincible. Nearly 50 years on, the V8 remains a unique example of the abilities of an extraordinary engineer, and a small dedicated racing department,

in a time of unparalleled economic

prosperity.

The V7

s soon as Moto Guzzi withdrew from racing at the end of 1957.

Ing Giulio Cesare Carcano started to design a new V-twin engine. The ﬁrst sketches appeared late that year and work continued during 1958, initially as an academic exercise, but many of the design features would eventually ﬁnd their way to both the 3 x 3 and a sporting engine for the Fiat 500 motor

car.

Built initially as a 500 in 1959, then

650cc, this Fiat engine can really be

considered the predecessor of the V7. With forced-air cooling and twin car-

burettors, it soon produced 34bhp.

enough to propel the tiny car to

140km/h (87mph). The Fiat project

was then abandoned, but many of its characteristics continued on the

unsuccessful 3 x 3 Autoveicolo da

Montagna that had been developed in

parallel. The 3 x 3 engine was, however, designed by Micucci and, apart from being a 90° V-twin, shared little with the eventual V7; the crankcases, displacement, cylinder head and lubrication system were all different. It was

the tender for a new police motor-

cycle to replace the Falcone which

would see a more satisfactory outcome for Carcano's V-twin.

Since the 1920s Moto Guzzi had been the primary supplier in Italy of police and military vehicles, so it was with some surprise that a tender was

announced. Moreover, it was vital

that Moto Guzzi secured this tender for the continued prosperity of the

company during the depressed 1960s.

In May 1963 Carcano and Todero,

assisted by Micucci and Soldavini, began serious work on the project. The requirements were for a faster

and more powerful machine than the

Falcone, with a powerful electrical

system and a service life of 100,000 kilometres,

Taking the Fiat engine as a basis, it

was decided to double the power

output of the Falcone and place the engine in a tube and pressed-steel

frame; however, this was soon consid-

ered too expensive to produce and was replaced by the cradle frame of the V7. The prototype was produced during 1964 and testing began over the winter of 1964 and 1965. In the meantime a civilian version was also developed, the first model being dis-

engine wear the V7 won the contract ahead of offerings from Benelli, Gilera and Laverda.

The designation 'V7' came from

the V layout and the capacity of

700cc. Both the civilian and police

varieties were very similar (the police

version in a lower state of tune) and the basic layout adopted would prove so successful that it continues today.

As a large-capacity reliable motorcycle the V7 was a wonderful design, but it was far removed from Carcano's

Dickie Dale finished fourth in the 1957 Senior TT on a dolphin-faired V8. Even with the smaller fairing the V8 was commendably narrow. This was the best result the V8 achieved in a Grand Prix. (Two Wheels)

215

good-handling motorcycle. Kavanagh, with much experience on

of Guzzi's works riders being injured.

Shortly after came the announcement

Nortons, wanted to try telescopic

that Guzzi were withdrawing from

forks and was worried about the narrowness of the swingarm bearing at the rear of the crankcase. The leading-link forks worked well on the 350, but the V8 was considerably heavier and more powerful. Dale thought that the bike had a front-end problem, but Lomas thought it was weight distribu-

competition.

After three years the development

of the V8 was starting to pay off, but

while the engine was finally producing reliable horsepower, it was not quite the same with the handling. Although

always stable enough in a straight line,

the V8 never earned the reputation

fabulous racing engines only a decade earlier. The huge V7 was the antithe-

sis of the ﬁnal 350 Bialbero that had played at the Milan Show in taken the balance between minimal November 1965 where it was the star weightandpower to new levels. of the show. Testing by the Italian However, while it was no lightweight

police and military began in 1966, the

V7 initially only completing 31,000

kilometres before Guzzi's own testers

rode a further 55.000. With minimal

performance machine, the V7 was a

very clever design, with careful attention paid to accessibility for servicing and long-term reliability. These quali-

The prototype V7 was built in 1964, with first testing over the winter of 1964 and 1965. The single seat indicates its intended function as a military and police

motorcycle. (Ivar de Gier collection)

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

THE V7

ties would distinguish this next gener-

ation of Moto Guzzi, and the V7

would build a loyal following. Eventually, too, it would evolve into

some of the most impressive sporting

motoreycles of the 1970s, '80s and

*90s.

A 90° V-twin all-alloy design, like the earlier Fiat and 3 x 3, the V7 had pushrod-operated overhead valves with the camshaft situated between the cylinders. The camshaft timing

was inlet opening 24° before top dead centre, closing 58° after bottom dead centre, with the exhaust opening 58* before bottom dead centre and closing 22° after top dead centre. Lift for both inlet and exhaust valves was a moderate 6.6mm. This camshaft would also

used on the later V7 Special,

Ambassador and 844cc Eldorado, and was driven by helical gears from the crankshaft.

Unlike most motorcycle engines of

the time the one-piece steel crank-

shaft used plain big-end and two plain

main bearings. Many of the design features would remain unchanged

throughout the entire production life

of the engine. These included the

con-rod length of 140mm (51/zin), the

22mm gudgeon and 44mm crankpin.

The plain bearingsnecessitated

high-pressure lubrication system, the

3 litres of oil being contained in a detachable sump underneath the engine. Unlike the 3 x 3, which had

an oil filter, the V7's only oil filter was

a wire gauze located at the bottom of the crankcase directly connected to

the oil pump. Replacement of the

lower-end bearings could be done

without removing the engine from the frame.

Bore and stroke of the ﬁrst version

was 80 x 70mm, giving an unusual

displacement of 703.717ce, again quite different from the 3 x 3. In line

withother Moto Guzzis, chrome

cylinder bores were used. Two over-

head valves, a 38.5mm inlet and

34.5mm exhaust, were set at an

included angle of 70° and used single coil springs. An unusual feature was the four-ring piston, which carried a

second oil scraper ring underneath

the 22mm gudgeon. The compression

ratio was 9:1 (7.5:1 on the police ver-

sion), and carburation was by two Dell'Orto SSI 29mm carburettors. Ignition was by battery and coil, an

automotive-type Marelli S 123A dis-

tributor being driven off the of the camshaft. Power was 50bhprear at

6,300гpm, with 32bhp at 4,500rpm for the police model.

The clutch and final drive followed

automotive rather than traditional

motorcycle practice, Bolted to the

rear of the crankshaft was a ﬂywheel

housing a twin-plate dry clutch, and

the final drive was by shaft inside the right side of the swingarm. A universal joint was connected to the gearbox layshaft and the rear of the drive shaft to a pair of bevel gears. It was a robust

design well suited to the police use

that was the motorcycle's prime intention. More motorcycle in design was the four-speed gearbox

that bolted constant-mesh of the

to the rear

crankcase.

A civilian pre-production V7 was displayed at the 1965 Milan Show, eventually going into limited production the following year. (Ivar de Gier collection)

Other areas where the V7 departed from usual motorcycle practice was in the electrical and starting system. A

12-volt electrical system incorporating

a 300-watt Marelli DN 32 M dynamo

and a 32 Ah battery was used, and

starting was electric only. A massive Marelli MT 40 H 0.7hp starter motor made the fitting of a kickstart unnecessary. The only instrument fitted to the V7 was a speedometer.

The chassis was more conventional

in its layout. Although constructed more for strength than lightness, the

frame was a tubular steel double-

cradle type with a single 48mm back-

bone tube. Telescopic forks and

swingarm rear suspension completed the specification. Because the forks were enclosed by top covers these, too, looked massive,but the fork

tubes were only a marginal 35mm in diameter and were very heavy as the

fork legs were steel. Wheels were alloy

Borrani 18 inch front and rear, ﬁtted with large 4.00 x 18 Pirelli tyres. This

was also an unusual feature for the

time as most motorcycles were fitted with narrow tyres on 19 inch rims. The brakes were also marginal, even

though the front was a full-width 220mm twin leading shoe, with a

220mm single leading shoe at the rear. The weight of 243kg (536lb) was just

a little too much for the brakes, and

even though the factory claimed a top speed of 170km/h (105mph) with the

rider fully prone, the early V7 was

hardly a performance machine.

As the V7 was a totally unique

motorcycle it was greeted favourably by the press. Not only was it a refreshing design, but it also offered a level of quietness and sophistication that was rare for motorcycles in 1966.

Handling was surprisingly sure-footed

for such a large machine, and as a touring motorcycle the V7 was

unequalled. Performance, however,

was lethargic, Cycle magazine in June 1967 putting its test machine through

a standing start quarter-mile in 16.1 seconds at 84.9mph (136km/h).

While various prototypeshad

appeared throughout 1965 and 1966. only 30 production V7s were built in

1966, together with 52 V7 USAs.

Regular production began in 1967,

these differing in several details from

the prototypes. There was now a

round taillight, new passenger grab rails, new silencers, and rear shock absorbers with exposed springs. Colours were no longer silver but burgundy with chrome tank panels,

The delay in putting the V7 into production was undoubtedly due to the instability facing thecompany during 1965. Ar the time of the V7's conception Carlo Guzzi had retired from company;he died at

JUS

the

Mandello on 3 November1964.

before he could see the V7 come to

fruition, Enrico Parodi was totally in

control during this period, but had

completely underestimated the signifi-

cance of the Fiat 500 in the Italian market for mass transportation. Whereasduring the 1950s people were clamouring for Cardellinos,

Zigolos and Gallettos, they were not enthusiasts and when prosperity arrivedin the mid-1960s they

deserted these basic motorcycles for

cars. Parodi put his faith in the Dingo but this was misguided.

There were also other problems

facing the company. Much of the plant and machinery was out of date, as was

themanagement and

marketing.

Enrico Parodi had dramatically sacked Dott Rag Bonelli in the early 1960s, signifying the beginning of the company's decline. On top of these probems the Parodis were running out of

By 1968 the V7 was painted white and ﬁrmly entrenched as a police vehicle. This

photo from 1970 shows a V7 as used by the Italian municipal police.

Esercizio Industrie Moto Meccaniche), was formed. Although

still owned by IMI, SEIMM initially

rented the Moto Guzzi plant and

equipment for three years, with an option to buy; it eventually bought the plant after two years. New directors were installed, Luciano Francolini as chairman and Romolo De Stefani as manager. In 1968 Donato Cattaneo

replaced Francolini as chairman, and money and on 25 February 1966 the remained for the next ﬁve years. De company went into receivership. Stefani came from Bianchi, bringing Under the control of the IMI Lino Tonti with him as chief engineer, (Istituto Mobiliare Italiano), a group and Luciano Gazzola as tester.

Tonti had a long and illustrious

of creditors, a

provisional board

career in the Italian motorcycle indus-

chaired by Arnaldo Marcantonio was installed. The day before receivership the entire workforce was sacked, with

try. Hailing from the country's engi-

neering heart, Emilia-Romagna, since

the war he had been associated with

instructions to report for re-hiring the following day. This was too much for the proud Carcano, who expected to be asked back to the factory, but in a move that appreciation

Benelli, Aermacchi, Mondial and

Gilera, as well as Bianchi. Like

Carcano, he also had strong racing

showed little and racing

connections, being involved with the Paton and Linto racing machines that

forhis technological

bore his name. Gazzola had been a

achievements, he was not invited to return. This left the V7 design unﬁnished, and much sadness within the company. Later many of the workers were laid off, Cantoni being another casualty. Carcano was to leave motor-

leading racer in smaller-capacity Italianchampionships during the

1960s and would prove invaluable as a

development rider for the V7 and

together with the rectangular taillight of the prototypes. The Dell'Orto SS 1

carburettors were replaced with a VHB 29square-slide type. Colours were white with red pinstriping and production totalled 1,844 for the year. Although it was eventually replaced by its larger siblings, the V7 with its 703cc engine remained in production in limited numbers until 1976. These were mainly police bikes, the later V7 Special provingconsiderably more

popular for civilian use.

The V7 Special/Ambassador

As soon as he joined the company, Tonti continued work on the V7. At that time the United States was the

largest market for the bike,but Berliner, the US importer, wanted a

larger-capacity

motorcycle.

achieve this capacity quickly, the first

Ambassadors of 1968 were created

simply by increasing the bore of the

V7 to 83mm (still with the 70mm

stroke) to give 757.486cc. Thus 1968 Ambassadors had smaller V7 valves,

as well as all other V7 features.

later V7 Sport.

Soon, however, the 757cc bike was further developed into the V7 Special

cycles and become a world class yacht designer; now in retirement, he still lives in Mandello.

One year later, on 1 February 1967,

a new company, SEIMM (Società

During 1967 the V7 was produced

in modest numbers (1,031), and it

continued into 1968 with a few

changes to the specification: there was a new starter motor and seat,

for Europe, and the Ambassador in the United States. Now there were many other changes apart from the

larger bore. Valve sizes went up to 41mm inlet and 36mm exhaust with

86 dual valve springs and new valve

guides, now retained by a circlip.

Although they still had four rings, the pistons no longer featured the second

oil scraper ring under the gudgeon pin. There were also new camshaft timing gears with a coarser pitch and

an uprated oil pump, together with

new crankcases and crankshaft. A

four-speed gearbox was retained, but the V7 Special now had a higher-ratio final drive (8/35). While shifting was

still on the right for the V7 Special, US Ambassadors featured left-side

gearshifting.

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

In response to demands from the US, the frame was lengthened and strengthened around the steering

head, resulting in a longer wheelbase of 1,470mm (58 inches). A larger fuel tank with unique left (main) and right (reserve) fuel taps was also fitted, and

police versions had footboards. The

757cc models also opened the door to the lucrative American police marker; in March 1969 ten Ambassadors were

supplied to the Los Angeles Police

Department for testing, 85 eventually beingordered. Other US police departments also eventually added

The larger V750 Ambassador was developed with the US market in mind. This is a brochure from 1969. (Ivar de Gier collection)

GU77 ambassador

THE V7

the Ambassador to their motorcycle

fleets.

With the 757cc engine, power went

up to 60bhp at 6,500rpm, and the

reduction in claimed weight to 228kg (503lb) saw the top speed increase to

185km/h (115mph). The improved

performance was reflected in Cycle's

test of an Ambassador in October

1969; their test bike went through the standing quarter-mile as fast as many lighter British 650s in 14.36 seconds at 93.16mph (150km/h).

Production of the first 757cc

Ambassador began towards the end of

1968, 286 being built. Taking over

from the V7, 1,361 second series V7 Specials and Ambassadors were manufactured during 1969. That year also

saw Moto Guzzi return to world

record speed attempts. The V7 may

have seemed an unlikely basis for such

attempts, but Lino Tonti managed to create two remarkably light and powerful machines for speed attempts at

Monza on 26 June 1969. A 757cc

engine was used for the 1000cc class, and a slightly smaller, 739.35cc (83 x

70mm) engine for 750cc records. Compression was increased to 9.6:1

and with two 38mm Dell'Orto SS carburettors the power for both engines

was similar - 68bhp at 6,500гpm.

More significant was the reduction in weight to 158kg (3481b). These bikes

still used standard V7 Special frames, swingarm, wheels and forks, but featured a 29-litre alloy fuel tank and an alloy dolphin racing-style fairing. Top speed was around 230km/h (143mph).

With chief test rider Gazzola out with a broken leg, four other riders were chosen for the June attempt, Remo Venturi.Vittoria Brambilla, Guido Mandracci and Angelo

Tenconi. This first attempt was very

successful in the 750cccategory,

where three records were broken, the 100-kilometre, 1,000-kilometre,and the hour. Although they suffered tyre

problems, this success prompted Moto months later, in October.

Guzzi to attempt further records a few

On 30 and 31 October 1969 a larger team of riders went to Monza,

this time to attempt both solo and sidecar classes. The sidecar was the same unit used by Cavanna on the Supercharged 250 in 1948. Gazzola

Right: One of the 1969 world record

bikes. The photo is autographed by chief

tester Luciano Gazzola, although he was absent from the sessions through injury.

(Ivar de Gier collection)

Below right: With two specially prepared

V7s, a team of four riders attempted a

series of world speed records at Monza in June 1969.

was still injured and the 750 class riders were Silvano Bertarelli,

Brambilla and Alberto Pagani. Pagani

was joined by Mandracci, Franco Trabalzini and racing journalist

Roberto Patrignani in the 1000cc category. The sidecar recordswere

attempted by Brambilla, Giuseppe Dal Toe and George Auerbacher.

Nineteen new records were set,

including the 1000cc 100 and 1,000kilometre and hour solo records. The 100 kilometres was completed at 218.426km/h (136mph), andthe

1,000 kilometres at 205.932km/h (128mph), while the hour record was set at 217.040km/h (135mph). The 739cc special Guzzi also completed 12 hours at 179.553km/h (111mph).

which the V7 was adapted.

entered in

kilometre race at Monza, but Luciano

Rossi crashed.

Another significant racing Guzzi

was the ZDS racer of 1970. Sponsored by ZDS, the US West Coast distributor, this bike was essentially an insur-

was prepared specifically take on Harley-Davidson,

impressed.

•1

Ollamiar luat con

Amicisia Gamele Luisa

ASTROL CAS

750cc ambassador

SPECIFICATION

ENGINE: 750 cc OHV. twin,

Tal get on i been

LUBRICATION: wetsump. gear type oil pressure pump CLUTCH: tein piate dry clutch with SUSPENSION: telescopic tront fork

DRIVE: shaft drive with dual bevel dear to the rear wheel FRAME: duplex tubular structure Center and side stande

WHEELS: 18" alloy tims TIRES: 400 x 16 front and rear

BORE: 83 mmm

STROKE: 70 mm

BRAKE HORSEPOWER: 55 HP SAE COMPRESSION RATIO: 9 10.1

FUEL TANK CAPACITY: 4%, US gations

Speedo Instrument

pause no trat indicator and charge

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 12 V 300 W

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

Left:The V750 Ambassador gained

valuable publicity when it was used in

the James Bond film Diamonds are

Forever in 1971. Here Sean Connery

sits astride a police Ambassador during

filming in Las Vegas.

Below left: The European-specification 750 was the V7 Special. This is the 1972

version.

bike was considerably developed with Norris camshafts, 10:1 Mondial pistons, and cylinder head porting by C.

R. Axtell. Carburation was still by

square-slide Dell'Orto VHB 29 carburettors, although it was also planned to fit fuel injection. The starter motor,

battery and dynamo were removed

and the frame altered considerably to get the weight down to 150kg (3311b). Rickman forks with a single Lockheed front disc brake were fitted, but unfor-

tunately the bike did not get the

opportunity to prove itself except in non-AMA races, mostly in California and later Texas. The ZDS did. how.

ever, prove that the big V7 could be

an effective racing motorcycle.

In 1970 production of the V7

Special and Ambassador increased

dramatically to 4,806 units. There was

a new instrument layout (for civilian

models) that included a speedometer

and tachometer, and a return to the heel/toe gearshift, but generally the specification was unchanged. When

the French Moto Guzzi importer. Charles Krajka, entered one of the

1969 world record bikes in the 1970 Bol d'Or at Monthéry it gave Guzzi

the incentive to develop their own

sporting version of the V7. This would be one of Moto Guzzi's finest sporting models, the V7 Sport.

V7 Sport:

the ﬁrst and the best?

SHERIFF

WhilewiththeitsV7 hadperformancesurprisedin settingmanya large number of world speed records

at Monza in 1969, Lino Tonti had other ideas for Carcano's V-twin

engine. He envisaged a lithe high-per-

formance sporting motorcycle that could also be raced in endurance

events. The V7 Sport that appeared in 1971 was not only a magnificent

sporting motorcycle, but one that

would herald a long and distinguished

range of performance Moto Guzzis.

The transformation of the V7 into

the V7 Sport showed Tonti's genius at

its best. The V7 and the V7 Special may have been magniﬁcent touring

motorcycles but they were not performance machines. The engine was not

designed with that intention, and considerably than weight removal was required to enable the

large V-twin to be used in a more

sporting chassis.

During the world record sessions of

October 1969 Tonti, with managing

director Romolo De Stefani and FIM president Dore Letto, discussed building a street bike suitable both for production and production-based racing.

De Stefani's outline forsuch

machine was that it needed to be

capable of 200km/h (124mph), weigh

less than 200kg (441|b), and have a five-speedgearbox. Thus the V7 Sport was born. Unfortunately 1970 was a year beset by strikes, and the development of the V7 Sport was delayed. Tonti, with the help of two former Aermacchi colleagues Francesco Botta and Alcide Biotti,

built the prototype frames in his own

workshop.

When Tonti unveiled his creation

metre race1971 for 750cc production machines, the Italian motorcycle

world was stunned. Not only did the

new Sport look purposeful, but unlike

any other sporting motorcycle it had

shaft drive.To ensure that the bike was competitive,prior to therace

Mike Hailwood had tested it at

Monza,afterwards proclaiming that

the V7 Sport was the best-handling

street bike he had ridden. Two bikes

were entered in the event,Vittorio

Brambilla and Guido Mandracci shar-

ing one and Raimondo Riva and

Piazzalunga the other. The latter pair

finished third after being second for much of the race. It had been a bril. liant debut and the design of the V7 Sport was immediately vindicated.

in June

at the Monza 500 kilo-

A few months later, at the end of September, a prototype 844cc V7 Sport was entered in the Bol d'Or at

Le Mans, raced by Mandracei and

Brambilla, and Riva and Sciaresa.

Again it was an impressive showing.

Guzzis eventually finishing third and

sixth. The V7 Sport was entered in

the other rounds of the 500-kilometre

series at Modena and Vallelunga. However, victory eluded

Italian

them, although Brambilla and Cavalli finished second at Vallelunga.

The FIM required at least 100 bikes

to be manufactured to homologate the V7 Sport for production racing

and 104 were built in 1971. However, there was initially some doubt as to whether production would even take

place. Production manager Alberici

Sharing the V7 Sport with Raimondo Riva in its debut, Piazzalunga took the V7 Sport to third place in the 500-kilometre race at Monza in June 1971.

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

V7 SPORT: THE FIRST AND THE BEST?

was completed. Even then they would occasionally manufacture specific

racing or test bikes that were also technically "Telaio Rossi, The chrome-molybdenum frame

was lighter than that on later V7

Sports, and the early models were hand-assembled with different internal parts, notably the primary drive

and five-speed gearbox. The cylinder heads and rocker covers on the "Telaio Rosso also carried different numbers. The first version was distinguished by

a non-reinforced

gearbox (smooth exterior), similar to that of

case

the V7 and V7 Special.

To enable the engine to fit a lower

frame,Tonti started by reducing the height. The belt-driven Marelli 300watt generator was replaced with a

much smaller 180-watt Bosch alterna-

tor mounted on the front of the crankshaft. Other changes to the

engine included new crankcase and

sump castings (evident by more external ribbing), and a slight reduction in capacity to 748cc. Pistons were now 82.5mm, still using four rings, and the compression ratio increased to 9.8:1.

As with other Guzzis, chrome bores were used, but as there was no air filtration the cylinders and pistons were prone to premature wear. Valve sizes were the same as the V7 Special at 41mm inlet and 36mm exhaust, but

the V7 Sport received a new camshaft

with both more valve lift and

increased duration. The inlet valve

nowopened 40° before top dead

centre, closing 70° after bottom dead centre, and the exhaust valve opened 63° before top dead centre and closed 29° after bottom dead centre. Valve lift for both valves was 6.9mm, and

this camshaft was used on all 750

Sports until 1974. Camshaft drive was by helical gear.

The forged one-piece crankshaft

and two-piece con-rods were polished

on the early V7 Sport, and Dell'Orto VHB 30 carburettors with accelerator pumps were fitted. A five-speed gearbox was also used. The V7 Sport was

fitted with a new ignition system, which featured a Marelli distributor

with twin points and coils. There was

also a significantly lighter flywheel with different ignition timing marks, increasing ignition advance to a total of 39°. The first V7 Sport featured a

gearbox with a unique set of ratios. The primary drive was that of the V7 and V7 Special, 16/22 (1.375:1), and

other ratios were: first, 15/27; second, 19/24; third, 22/21; fourth, 24/19; and fifth, 25/24. The higher-ratio

Ambassador final drive (8/35) was always used on the V7 Sport,

although two other ratios were avail-

able as a factory option, an even

higher 9/37 or a Sport 8/37.

In order to save even more weight

the starter motor was changed to a much smallerBosch centrifugally

engaged type. Only 0.4hp, this lacked

a solenoid and would be one of the least reliable features of the new

Sport. With 70bhp at 7,000гpm pro-

duced at the crankshaft (52bhp

6,300гpm at the rear wheel), the V7 Sport was one of the most powerful

motorcycles available in 1971.

While these engine modifications were significant, it was the design of

the red frame that really set the V7

Sport apart. With more space between the cylinders, Tonti designed a long

low frame with the backbone between

them. Together with the unique feature of fully detachable lower frame

rails to facilitate access to the engine,

the double-cradle frame consisted of

nearly straight tubes and would even-

tually feature on the entire range of large twins. The result was an

extremely compact motorcycle with a

seat height of only 750mm (291/

inches). To accentuate this lowness, 18-inch wheels were fitted front and

reat, which was the same as the V7

but was a pioneering feature for sport-

ing bikes when 19 inches was the norm, especially on the front. The

WM2 and WM3 alloy Borrani rims were shod with the latest-generation Michelin tyres, a ribbed 3.25 on the

front and an 3.50 S41 on the rear.

Brakes were a 220mm double-sided twin leading shoe on the front with a

220mm twin leading shoe on the rear.

The35mm front forks with pol-

ished alloy fork legs were manufactured by Moto Guzzi and included sealed internal dampers.Although

they were a highly innovative design,

cartridge-type forks becoming the standard from the mid-1980s, they were not particularly sophisticated and effective,They were much narrower than those of the V7 Special

and Eldorado at 180mm (7 inches), and were probably the weakest component in the Sport's chassis specifica-

tion.

The V7 Sport abounded with quality components, such as 320mm Koni

rear suspension units, a hydraulic

steering damper, and clip-on handlebars that could be adjusted both fore and aft and up and down. The petrol taps were solenoid operated and the rearstainless-steel guard hinged to allow the rear wheel to be removed.

Neat touches abounded - there was

even a courtesy light that operated when the seat was opened. These

The prototype V7 Sport was the centre of attention after the race.

parts book. There is some confusion as to the actual number as the "Telaio Rosso continued to be built to special order during 1972. An Italian owners' register puts the number at 153 (finishing at frame number VK 11263), but Lino Tonti has said that 204 were manufactured. The confusion appears because the racing department con-

was not convinced, and this almost

led to Tonti's resignation. Fortunately

Alberici agreed to their production, but as there was no room on the production line they had to be built in

the racing department. This ﬁrst production series continued brieﬂy into 1972; these were the 'Telaio Rosso' (red-frame) models, 150 being con-

tinued to build the "Telaio Rosso' until

structed (from frame numbers VK

the regular V7 Sport production line

11111 to VK 11261) according to the

Specially prepared V7 Sports were also raced in other 1971 Italian production events. This is Vitorio Brambilla on his way to second place at Vallelunga.

carly models were, however, real production racers and came without turn signal indicators. Finishing off the V7

Sport wasa wonderfully sculptured

lime-green fuel tank and surprisingly

The classic V7 Sport was the 'Telaio Rosso', hand-built by the racing department before a production line could be installed. When displayed at the Milan Show at the end of 1971 it caused a sensation. The small screen was always a factory option. (Two Wheels)

VIL SILEX

MOTO GUZZI

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

V7 SPORT: THE FIRST AND THE BEST?

quiet chromed Silentium mufflers.

Although the V7 Sport represented a remarkable transformation from the V7, it still was not exceptionally light despite its compact dimensions. Only through excellent design was the

weight of 206kg (454lb) well dis-

guised. However, when it came to performance the V7 Sport lived up to its expectations with a claimed top speed

of 206km/h (128mph). In 1971 and

1972 the V7 Sport was the fastest pro-

duction motorcycle available. In a

V7 Sport was so strong that it soon went into regular production,there being several changes made during

1972. The next European series had a

black-painted framewith the same

green tank and black decals, but were still without turn signal indicators. In all other respects the V7 Sport was as before, but they no longer featured as many hand-finished internal engine components. For this reason the early

"Telaio Rosso' models are the most

sought after, fetching premium prices superbike comparison test in over later examples. Producing special September 1972, Motociclismo man- first editions was not unique to Moto

duction levels increased significantly, and 2,152 were produced in 1972.

The racing programme continued during 1972. April saw the inaugural Imola 200 race and special V7 Sports

were prepared and tested at Monza prior to the race. One of the testers was Mike Hailwood, who was soon

lapping as fast as Gazzola. (Hailwood

was offered a ride in the Imola 200, but Guzzi could not meet his salary demand.) When the racing bikes lined up at Imola the drum brakes of the

prototype had been replaced by triple

Lockheed discs and they featured aged a top speed of 201.117km/h Guzzi: both Ducati and Laverda also- shorter exhaust pipes. Three bikes (125mph) from their "Telaio Rosso', indulged in this practice in the early were riddenby Brambilla, Jack faster than any of the other 750s 1970s with their 750 Super Sport and Findlay and Mandracci, finishing including the Honda CB750 and SFC. eighth, 10th and 11th respectively, Kawasaki H2 750. Ar Monza the V7 Regular production of the V7 Sport the Guzzis being overshadowed by Sport lapped significantly faster than coincided with that of the 850 GT Ducati on this occasion. There were any of the other bikes in the test, and Eldorado, so specific US versions also further entries in endurance which also included the Ducati GT were also produced. The gearbox events that year, but as before these 750 and Laverda SF 750. Weighing casing now featured external streng- were 844cc prototypes and are cov-

212.5kg (4681/1b), the standing-start theningribs and revised internal ered in Chapter 10. Two V7 Sports 400 metres time was 13.44 seconds at ratios. The primary drive was raised were entered in the 1972 Monza 500-

148.76km/h (92mph). slightly to 17/21 (1.235:1) and all the kilometre race, Ernesto and Vittorio

The first production version of the other ratios lowered to compensate. Brambilla finishing third, with

First gear became 14/28; second,

V7 Sport was announced to the press

Luciano Gazzola and Carena fifth.

in September and displayed at the Milan Show in November 1971. At

The Brambillas' bike was one of the

18/25; third, 21/22; fourth, 23/20; and

Imola racers,while the Gazzola/

fifth, 24/18. US Sports had a silver

the show it was a sensation, the dis-

Carena machine was a stock 'Telaio Rosso'.

frame with red paint, and a larger tail-

light, turn signal indicators,and reﬂectors.However, as theengine

play bike differing in small details

from the eventual "Telaio Rosso' ver-

The following year, 1973, was the

sion,notably in its more rounded

specifications were unchanged, so was

beginning of the De Tomaso era at

Lafranconi mufflers. Demand for the

the performance. Nonetheless pro-

Moto Guzzi. By 1972 SEIMM was looking for a buyer for the company and in December of that year, after negotiations also with Berliner, they formed an agreement with Alejandro

An early production series V7 Sport being put through a road test in 1972. It was

undoubtedly one of the best sporting motorcycles available in its day. (Two Wheels)

De Tomaso. Born in July 1928 in

Argentina, De Tomaso initially raced

Maseratis,then, after he moved to Italy in1955, OSCAs, made by a

small racing car manufacturer set up by the Maserati brothers after they

sold the company that bears their name. During 1957 and 1958 De Tomaso achieved some notable

results, but it was his marriage to a

wealthy American, Elizabeth Haskell, that gave him the finance to develop and construct his own sports cars in Turin. Elizabeth changed her name to

Isabelle, but continued to maintain

ties with her family. The Rowan Controllet Group,with Isabelle's brother Amory as chairman, was

involved in the purchase of the Ghia

coachworks and would continue to

Right: When first tested at Monza in

April 1972 for the impending Imola 200 race, the front brakes were still Fontana four leading shoe driens. Standing behind is factory mechanic Roberto DeBenardi

Middle right: Guido Mandracci finished 11th in the Imola 200, three laps behind the winning Ducatis.

Bottom right: Luciano Gazzola teamed with Carena to finish fifth on a standard "Telaio Rosso' in the 1972 Monza 500kilometre race. The vintage Pirelli

Falcone-type front tyre, produced specially in a more modem compound, can be clearly seen, as can the passenger footpegs. (Ivar de Gier collection)

figure prominently in the history of the DeTomaso business for many

years to come. De Tomaso and Rowan

eventually sold their interests in De

Tomaso Automobili and Ghia to Ford in 1970 and 1972. This provided the capital to invest in motoreyele manufacture, DTI (De Tomaso Industries, based in New York) purchasing 85 per cent of the ailing Benelli company at

Pesaro in 1971, and leading De

Tomaso to Mandello del Lario a year

later.

There was much apprehension

about the De Tomaso take-over, much of it justified. Yet De Tomaso did possess a strong belief in Italian motorcy-

and a

cles,

dislike of Japanese motorcycle industry practice,even though he obviouslyliked their

designs. His influence on existing

Moto Guzzi models was initially very

limited, and the V7 (both Sport and touring) remained unscathed for a

short time. However, it soon became

apparent that De Tomaso did not

really see any future for the big twin

and was committed to multi-cylin-

ders. Soon after taking control of the

company he was reported to have

strolled through the V7 assembly lines brandishing an engraved Arab sword,

exclaiming no more stupid twins. The immediate result was to restrict

research and development, and 1973 was the beginning of a long period of limited model evolution. Many of the

new motorcycles were simply rebadged Benellis and the larger Moto

Guzzi twins continued with irritating

design faults for many years.

Fortunately there were few changes

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

V7 SPORT: THE FIRST AND THE BEST?

to the V7 Sport for 1973. All bikes

now came fitted with turn signal indicators and had black-painted frames.

Colours were generally green, with

the same decals as the US models had

for 1972. In late 1972 the V7 Sport's

replacement was displayed, the 844cc

Le Mans, but as 1973 was a year of transition towards total De Tomaso influence it would be several years before production of the Le Mans

came to fruition. Although a modiﬁed V7 Sport, this prototype represented the beginning of a new series and is

also covered in Chapter 10.

The regular V7 Sport continued in

production, but bylate 1973 De

Tomaso's influence began to affect it.

Although the sporting ethos of the motorcycle continued and performance was unchanged, economic rationalisation began to have an

affect. From engine number 33448 the

helical gear camshaft and oil pump

drive were replaced by a timing chain

and sprockets, detracting from the

purity of the original design. The rear brake and gearshift arrangements were also revised, the new system of rods being less satisfactory than the

earlier type. The two-ball-joint con-

nection for the earlier right-side

gearshift, and cable rear brake, were

replaced by a system of rods. A

splined rod underneath the swingarm could now be adapted for either right or left side gearshift and rear brake.

The ball joints disappeared for a

was also inferior to the earlier cable

type, being far less progressive. It was obviously a quick solution because the

rear brake plate still had the casting

for the cable attachment. On these

later V7 Sports there was also a new, bent clutch arm that now cleared the back of the gearbox case. Earlier ones

with the straight clutch arm were

known to foul the case if not adjusted

correctly,

There were also small cosmetic changes for late 1973. Plastic tank

badges replaced the decals and there

was a wider range of colours, now pin and right-angle connection; - including black, bronze and blue. compared with the earlier arrange- Production was reduced considerably, ment it was cheap and crude. Most to 1,435 during 1973; 1974 model

sloppier and simpler system of a clevis

export versions now had the gearshift

year V7 Sports were all manufactured

during 1973, the 750 S taking over in 1974.

on the left, but as it was the right side

reversed, the shifting pattern with a one-up and four-down arrangement

Also for 1974 was the option of a V7 Sport with a dual disc front brake.

was opposite to that of other left-side patterns. The rod-operated rear brake

Similar to that of the prototype Le

By late 1973 the V7 Sport gained a rod-operated rear brake and a left-side gearshift. The camshaft timing gears also made way for a chain. It was still a desirable motorcycle, but a little less so than the origial.

MOTO GUZZA

Mansdisplayed at the

*Premio

Varrone in 1972, this included twin

300mm dises and Brembo 08 callipers

witha handlebar-mounted master cylinder, but retained the

for its day, especially with twin opposed pistonBrembo callipers.

Most other large-capacity motorcycles generally used smaller-diameter single

disc brakeswith floatingcallipers, placing the V7 Sport in an elite class. The twin disc kit was also offered by the factory for the V7 Sport and was

very

comprehensive, including replacement fork legs and front mudguard stays. Only 152 V7 Sports with

front disc brakes were manufactured in 1973, as 1974 models, all going to the US.

The 750 S

De Tomaso's intention was to double production at Mandello between 1975 and 1978, and the expensive V7 Sport

did not fit into this scenario. The

double-sided twin leading shoe front brake was not only obsolete by 1974, but was also more expensive than disc brakes, and the overall specification of the V7 Sport was considered too high to be profitable. As an interim model

Moto Guzzi released the750 S for

- 1974, being homologated on13

February. This was very similar to the

disc-braked V7 Sport but for some cosmetic modifications. All 750 Ss

Produced for one year only, the 750 S of 1974 was essentially a dual front disc V7

Sport with a striking colour scheme.

undoubtedly detracting from the orig-

inal. There was no doubt that the

750 S was considered an interim

model as only 948 were built.

The 750 S3

Although a final 100 drum-brake V7 Sports were manufactured in 1975,

probably to use up spare parts, the 750

evolved into a final archetype that

year. There was no disguising the existence of the 850 Le Mans, which had

had a left-side gearshift, still with the unusual one-up, four-down pattern. been threatening to supersede the Most of the changes were in the 750 since 1972. However, that

model's delay gave the 750 a one-year reprieve, the 750 S becoming the 750 S3. It may have looked superﬁcially similar to the 750 S, but in nearly

paintwork, black with diagonal stripes

in either red, green or orange, new

side covers, seat and a rather dubious combination of chrome exhaust pipes

and matt black Silentium silencers. The seat was neither a single nor a

every respect the S3 was an inferior motorcvele. It was also a victim of De Tomaso's rationalised production, which meant that many components of different models were shared. This programme would eventually also see the end of the Eldorado and 850 GT. Now the 750 S3 was very similar to the 850 T and T3, the S3 and T3 featuring triple disc brakes with a linked braking system. This had first featured on the Le Mans prototype of late 1972 (see Chapter 10).

dual, being a 14/2-seater, again a rather

unusual concept.The side covers

came from the contemporary 850 T.

In all other respects the 750 S was a

V7 Sport. It had the same multisolenoid-operatedadjustable handlebars,fuel tap,instruments handlebar switches, and neat touches like the ignition key incorporated in the hydraulic steering damper. engine and electrical speciﬁcations

All

was its lack of performance; in an era where performance levels were increasing, it was ludicrous to offer a slower version of the 750 S. As it was really a sleeved-down 850 T3, the S3 used the 850 T3 camshaft, which not

only offered less valve lift, but also less

duration. This camshaft worked well

in the 844cc engines (like the Le Mans), but gave the S3 decidedly asthmatic performance, especially with the small Dell'Orto VHB 30C

carburettors. The inlet valve opened

20°52°a

before top dead centre, closing

10-33

fter bottom dead centre, and the

exhaust valve opened 52° before bottom dead centre, closing 20° after top dead centre. Inlet and exhaust valve lift was 6.58mm. All other internal enginespeciﬁcations were as

before except for a heavier crankshaft, although some of the ﬁnal S3s had the

lighter flywheel of the Le Mans. Later S3s also featured the T3 distributor with a revised advance curve, also contributing to a loss in performance.

As the engine castings were shared with the T3, the exhaust manifolds

now bolted into the heads rather than being screwed as before.

Despite the milder cam, claimed

were also shared, the styling changes

The biggest problem with the S3 power increased to 72bhp at

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

uprated at the same time. Now 0.6hp,

it was joined by a 280-watt Bosch alternator.

With an increase in dry weight to 208kg (4591b) and wet to 230 (5071b),

the S3 suffered in comparison with other sporting motorcycles of the period. Contemporary tests were rather unflattering about the bike's performance, and the very optimistic Veglia speedometer. One of the most memorable was Motor Cycle Mechanics in April 1976, which described the speedometerneedle hovering at 140mph (220km/h), with a BMW R90S and Kawasaki Z900 disappearing into the distance. Actual timed top speeds reflected this disappointing performance. Motor Cycle of

17 July 1976 tested a 750 S3 and only

managed a meantop speed of

114.2mph (184km/h). The very high final drive gearing also hurt the acceleration, with a standing start quarter-

Looking very similar to the 750 S, the 750 S3 of 1975 was a disappointing motoreycle. The S3 shared more with the touring 850 T3 and suffered from poor performance.

7.000грm. One advantage that the S3

front disc was controlled by the

inherited from the T3wasthe

handlebar-mounted 12.7mm master cylinder, and the left front and rear

replaceable oil filter cartridge, this

discs were operated bythe rear

being housed in the sump and requit-

ing oilpan removalforaccess.

15.875mm master cylinder. This brak-

ing set-up would become another

Although undoubtedly the oil filter

Guzzi trademark, and one that few other manufacturers have adopted.

was beneficial for engine life, the loca-

tion inside the sump made replacement unnecessarily awkward and time-consuming. It was also was a designproblem that MotoGuzzi refused to rectify under De Tomaso

All S3s had a left-side gearshift and

mile time of around 14.2 seconds at 169km/h (105mph). Only comparatively few 750 S3s were manufactured before it was replaced by the 850 Le

Mans, total production being 950.

Obviously by 1975 the performance

of the 750 S3 was no longer compara-

ble to other sports bikes that were gradually growing in capacity. The

Ducati 750 Super Sport had become a 900 SS and the BMW and Kawasaki 900s were about to become 1000cc.

Moto Guzzi's answer was to draw even

more on the 850 T3 to create the Le Mans for 1976. Certainly there were

performance gains to be had from the 844cc engine, as well as braking, lubri-

cation and electrical improvements.

Yet as a pure uncompromised sportster

the larger machine offered little over the original "Telaio Rosso' V7 Sport.

The V7 Sport was built as the embodi-

ment of an engineer's ideal, and not

compromised by economics, fashion or marketing. As such it is the greatest

sporting Moto Guzzi of the modern era.

Undoubtedly one of the most spectacular settings for a motorcycle factory anywhere: with Mount Grigna looming above, Mandello del Lario on the shores of Lake Como, near Lecco, has been the home of Moto Guzzi since 1921.

right-side brake.

The first production Moto Guzzi was the 500cc Normale, which was in production from 1921 until 1924.

Changes from the 750 S abounded.

The multi-adjustable clip-on handle-

ownership.

Gearbox and primary drive were as for the 850 T3, the same as the 750 S

except for a new fifth gear (28/21) giving the same ratio. The S3 also

received the 850 T3 final drive (7/33)

and a wider, WM3 21.5-inch Borrani alloy front wheel. It was really the

braking system that set the S3 apart from the earlier versions. In addition to the twin 300mm front discs there

was a 242mm rear disc. The right

bars were discarded for non-adjustable

forward

offset

clip-ons.

These,

together with footpegs mounted fur-

ther forward, made the riding position very uncomfortable. There were new switches and an overall loss in detail quality. Side covers became those of the 850 T3, but colours mirrored that

of the 750 S; while it was deﬁnitely

built to a price, not all was inferior on the 750 S3. Finally the Bosch starter

motorgained a solenoidand was

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

Left: Pietro Ghersi's 1T 250 would

have finished second in the Lightweight

TT at the Isle of Man in 1926 but for

disqualification

Below: The first of many Moto Guzzis to carry an omithological name was the

spectacular Condor of 1939. (Roy Kidney)

Right: After the Second World War the Condor became the Dondolino. It was to become one of Guzzi's most successful catalogue racers because of its strength and reliability.

Below right: With the banning of

supercharging after the war, the pre-war

Bicilindrica restemed racing duties almost unchanged until 1948. This is the 1947

100

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

101

MOTO GUZZI

Above: For nearly 20 years the 500cc 120° V-twin was competitive. When it was replaced by the four-cylinder in

1953 the Norton team was surprised and

relieved.

Left: The Gambalunga was initially a

longer-stroked Dondolino, bur gradually developed into a full works racer with a

completely different chassis.

Right: Because it was designed with racing speciﬁcally in mind, the 250cc Albatros continued to be a highly

successful racer after the Second World

War

102

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

103

The Albatros continued to be raced well into the 1950s, many being modiﬁed with Gambalunghino equipment to keep them

competitive. This Albatros has a Gambalunghino doundraught carburettor and fuel tank but retains the Albatros girder forks. (Roy

Kidney)

The Airone Sport was styled along the limes of the larger Falcone in 1952, so both bikes looked very similar. The Airone Sport still used the pressed-steel frame with a tubular rear section. This example has the incorrect Falcone oil tank with knobs. (Roy Kidney)

A restored 1956 Falcone Sport outside the factory at Mandello. This year saw a retum to chromed tank sections. The magnificent V8 in its final form of 1957. After three years of development it still had many problems.

104

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

105

There was little space around the engine but the V8 was amazingly compact. This is the gear camshaft drive side.

Gaming successive 350cc World Championships from 1953 until 1957,

the 350 Bialbero was the most suecessful racing Moto Guzzi. Carcano's obsession

with saving weight saw them finished

only in green protective paint. This is the

1956 350, with the Isle of Man TT number. The 1956 air intake in the

fairing has been covered but is clearly

visible.

In 1972 the V7 Sport went into regular production. These were no longer raceshop assembled but were still a highly

desirable motorcycle. (Phil Aynsley/

Streetbike)

More suzz

From every angle the V7 Sport was a

purposefulmachine.(Phil Aynsley/

Streetbike)

106

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

107

Left: The gradual evolution of the V7 saw the 850 GT of 1972.

Right: The De Tomaso influence became

evident by 1974 with the slightly softened

750 S: still a handsome motorcyele and

tate than the V7 Sport.

MOTO GUZZI

Below: Another modern sporting classic was the Le Mans. This example has non-

standard Marzocchi forks. (Streetbike)

850

GiT

108

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

109

Left: Although never attammg

the

following of the larger twins, some, like

this V50 Monza,werebeautifully balanced motorcycles. Unfortunately

they were also somewhat underpowered.

Below left: The most popular Moto

Guzzi of the late 1980s through to the

early '90s was the California III. Offered in a total of eight different varieties, this is the normal carburettor version. (Two Wheels)

Above right: A significant improvement

on the Le Mans IV, by 1993 the Le

Mans V was obsolete and struggling in the marketplace. This is a final version

with fairing air scoopsand framemounted instruments.Missing is the

lower belly pan.

Right: For some reason the Daytona

failed to meetexpectations. At the

request of dealers, and against Dr John's wishes, a dual-seat option was produced.

The rectangular headlight was required in the US, UK and Australia.

110

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

111

HOTO GUZZI

Above: While the sporting Guzzis failed to find favour, the cruisers thrived. The EV 1100 was universally hailed as one

of the world's best cruisers.

DAYTONARS

Left above: In 1996 the 1100 Sport

gained many improvements, including

electronic fuel injection.

Left: One of the ﬁnest Moto Guzzis in recent years was the Daytona RS. Unfortunately it came too late and was

discontinued after only two years.

Right: The Centauro Sport of 1998 was

painted to emulate the colours of the

racing Austin Mini Cooper S. This

example is outside the factory gate at Mandello.

112

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

The final 1100 Sport was the Sport 1100 Corsa, a limited edition of 200 produced in 1998. Here a Corsa rests

alongside Lake Como.

Big tourers

and cruisers

Even though the V7 Sport stole th show at Milan in November 1971 almost as signiﬁcant was a replace-

ment for the V7 Special and

Ambassador. This saw many of the

engine and gearbox improvements of the V7 Sport, plus, largely as a result

of influence from the United States

importer Berlinet, another increase in engine capacity, to 844cc. Throughout this period the demands of the United States market, including police departments, had a consider-

able influence on the design of the big twins, as the US accounted for about half the production. As an evolutionary redesign, the 850 GT, and its US variant the Eldorado, would last through until 1974. The 850 was also offered as the California, primarily a police bike but also available to civil-

ians. This was the first of a long line of California cruisers that would eventually become the backbone of produc-

tion at Mandello. Initially all these

850s used the larger loop-type frame,

but after 1974 the 850 engine would be used in the Tonti-designed Sport

chassis.

The 850

GT/Eldorado/California

Although it looked superficially simi-

lar to the final 1971 V7 Special, the

850 GT, or Eldorado, featured a

Styled like the first 'Telaio Rossa' V7 Sport, the six-speed VI1 Sport of 1999 representedthe new generation of

number of significant developments. The new engine gained its capacity

through a stroke increase to 78mm for

a capacity of 844.06cc.Although

Created specifically for the US market, the Eldorado differed only in detail from the 850 GT. Most noticeable was the retention of the weak twin leading shoe front brake. This is a nicely restored example.

114 83mm pistons were retained, these

now had three, rather than four,

piston rings and gave a 9.2:1 compres-

sion ratio. Despite the longer stroke,

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

BIG TOURERS AND CRUISERS

115

leading shoe brake, 850 GTs now had a four leading shoe brake similar to sanesame yearcertainalso insawthenewpaten onl that of the V7 Sport. With the new silencers, shaped more like those of engine came an increase in weight to the 750 S, these appearing on both

235kg (518lb), so the performance of the California and 850 GT As with largely unchanged, the con-rod length the 850 GT was similar to that of the the V7 Sport, the helical timing gears remaining at 140mm. This gave the V7 Special. Cycle magazine, testing an were also replaced by a cheaper timing 844cc engine a stroke-to-bore ratio of 850 Eldorado in July 1972, managed a chain at this time (fromengine 1.79:1, and crankshaft horsepower top speed of 116mph (187km/h), and number 58532). While only 835 went up to 64.5 at 6,500rpm. The a standing-start quarter-mile in 14.04 Californias were built in 1972, proengine crankcase castings now fea- seconds at 94.65mph (152km/h). The duction increased to 1,335 in 1973. tured the internal and external web- 850 immediately superseded the V7 There were a few more alterations bing of the V7 Sport, as did the Special, 815 being produced towards to the specification of the 850 GT and housing that accommodated the five- the end of 1971. The next year saw Eldorado for 1974. Because of strikes speed gearbox. This reinforced hous- the 850 become Moto Guzzi's premier at Dell'Orto, some of the final variing was also shared with the regular model, with 2,412 Eldorados and - ants were fitted with Spanish Amal production V7 Sport of 1972, as were 2,626 850 GTs produced. 930 carburettors. As with the V7

the lowerend of the engine was

the primary and gearbox ratios. Although the California had also Sport, the front four leading shoe

Another significant development was been displayed at the Milan Show of drum brake was replaced on the 850 a larger and stronger rear drive cast- 1971, it was not until 1972 that this GT. Eldorado and California for 1974. ing, with a return to the lower (8/37) went into production. The first Whereas the Sport received a dual ratio of the first V7. The rear hub fea- California models were built for the disc set-up, the touring models now. tured a finned sludge trap, an American market as a civil version of featured a single 300mm Brembo disc. increased oil capacity, and a six-bolt the police bikes, initially as 750 then Even though 300mm was quite large

sump in place of the earlier single

850cc; they were called the 'Police Special' before becoming the

for a dise brake in 1974, it was not

much stronger than the drum it

10mm plug.

An improvement over the V7

replaced. It was fitted with a 15mm handlebar master cylinder that was

California. Deviations from the specification of the 850 GT included even

Special was a Bosch starter motor instead of the Marelli, but the 850 GT

higher handlebars,footboards, a thickly padded white and black solo seat, crash bars and a windscreen.

intended for dual dises. With the front disc came new fork legs, now in alu-

still shared the V7 Special's belt-

minium. Only 350 850 Eldorados

driven Marelli dynamo rather than

the alternator of the Sport. Also

Like the 850 GT, the California also

were built with the front disc brake, and 164 850 GIs for Italy, before this model was superseded by the 850 T.

shared with the Special (and Ambassador) was the rod-operated

featured a four leading shoe front

brake, this eventually also being fitted

to the Eldorado during 1973. The

More Californias featured the disc (1,590), with which came cartridge-

rear brake, enabling the gearshift and

rear brake to be fitted either on the

increase in power and weight had

right or left side. While the US

type forks that had been pioneered on the V7 Sport. By 1974 De Tomaso's production rationalisation for Moto Guzzi would see the end of the large

increasingly taxed the double leading

shoe front brake and it had come

Eldorado still used the earlier double

For 1974 the 850 GT received a Brembo front disc brake. This California has a

second dise fitted. (Streetbike)

loop-frame models, all big Guzzis shar-

ing Tonti's lighter and more compact

low maintenance of a BMW. In many ways it was a landmark motorcycle for

Moto Guzzi: it showed that a Guzzi

was more than a huge interstate

tourer or uncompromisedsportster,

and could appeal to a wider market. In the process of transformation, the 844cc engine also received a number of upgrades to improve horsepower and reliability.The biggest problem

with the 850 T was that the concept

was so successful that it was used as a basis for all large touring Moto Guzzis

formany years to come,limiting

development and model evolution.

Although the 850 T engine shared

its displacement with the GT and

Eldorado, the 83mm pistons had thinner piston rings and the compression ratio was increased slightly to 9.5:1. Four piston rings were still used, three

compression and one oil scraper. As

usual at that time, the cylinder bores were chrome plated. The camshaft was new, being less sporting than that of the 750 S and the same as that used

on the 53 of 1975 (see timing figures

in Chapter 8), and the firstwas

homologated in Italy on 3 November 1973.

For the 850 T the rocker arms were

modified so that the rockers were located further from the cylinder bores. Already it was apparent that

there were plans to enlarge the engine further with bigger cylinders. The only change to the bottom end was a small

increase in crankpin diameter (to 44.008-44.020mm). There was yet another flywheel, with different timing marks. The V7 Sport dualpoint distributor was still used, but maximum ignition advance was

reduced to 34°. The five-speed gearbox and 18/37 final drive were as for the 850 GT. The carburettor size also increased to that of the V7 Sport, the twin Dell'Orto VHB. 30Cs unfortunately without any air filtration, and claimed power was 68.5bhp

6,300гpm (53bhp at the rear wheel).

In many respects the 850 T engine was an improvement on both the V7

Sport and 850 GT. The Tonti frame

required a lower engine so that neces-

sitatedan alternator, initially 180

watts (13-amp) but later increased to

280 watts (20-amp) during 1975. The starter motor was a Bosch 0.7hp, now

with a solenoid located above the

Combining the best elements of the Sport and 850 GT, the 850 T of 1974 successfully broadened Moto Guzzi's line-up. This picture is taken from a period road test. (Two Wheels)

starter motor. This was a much more reliable system and would serve the

big twins well until 1988. The few final 850 Ts produced during 1975

also featured the replaceable oil filter

cartridge in the sump that would be

standardised that year.

The cycle parts were new for the 850 T, and were of excellent quality.

Mudguards were stainless steel, and a 220mm twin leading shoe drum brake

was fitted on the rear. Inside the rear wheel was now a rubber cush-drive thatalmost eliminated driveshaft

spline wear. Rims were alloy Borrani

WM3 front and rear (although the

1973 prototype was ﬁtted with steel rims), with 3.50 x 18 and 4.10 x 18-

inch tyres. The single front 300mm

Brembo disc was identical to that used

on the 1974 850 GT and California, and lacked feel and stopping power

due to the 15mm master cylinder. The instruments came from the V7 Sport, but there was new switchgear.

Because the 850 T owed more to

the V7 Sport, it was much lighter and

handled better than the 850 GT. With only 35mm fork tubes, the cartridgetype front forks were still less rigid than other types, this being accentu-

ated by the wide spacing of the fork

legs at 195mm (25½ inches).

However, the balance of the motor-

Sport frame.

cycle was superb, and if anything detracted from the 850 Ts quality it was the insipid colour scheme of

The 850 T (Interceptor)

While it may have made economic

sense to create a touring bike from the

Sport, it also turned out to be an

inspired idea. The resulting 850 T,

also known as the Interceptor for the

UnitedStates, was a sport-touring

motorcycle that was a match for anything else sonthe market. So

impressed was I by the 850 T when I

tested it in 1974 that I immediately

traded in for one an early Ducati 750

GT.

The 850 T was a bike that com-

bined the best sporting elements of

the Ducati with the shaft-drive and

green, red or the pure 1970s brown, accentuated by gold tape. Underneath

this blandness, however, there lurked

a true Grand Tourer that was the

equal of any on the market. Sales reinforced this, and production was

5,086 in 1974, with a further 214 in

1975. These production figures were at least double those of some of the

competition, in particular Ducati's

750GT. Performance,

too, was

stronger than the comparable Ducati.

Cycle World, in August 1974, managed

a standingquarter-mile in 13.78

seconds at 98.03mph (158km/h) and a top speed of 123mph (198km/h). Weight was 506lb (230kg). Although

116

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

BIG TOURERS AND CRUISERS

117

considerably lighter than the 850 GT, the 850 T was still no featherweight.

The 850 T3/T3 California

The next year saw one of the 850 T's

main shortcomings addressed, the

poor braking, especially at the front. The single Brembo had always been

lacking in outright power, so 1975 saw

theimplementation of the linked

braking system that had featured on the Le Mans prototype back in 1972 at the 'Premio Varrone' Italian design

award. The resulting 850 T3 would

form the basis of most Guzzis through to the mid-1980s.

With the 850 T3 there were also a few improvements to the engine and drive train. All engines now had the

oil filter in the sump, the 280-watt

alternator, and the larger U-joint and carrier bearing. The exhaust headers

were bolted to the cylinder heads

rather than screwed as before. Finally

the carburettors received a paper air

although surprisingly the square-slide Dell'Ortos remained

filter,

when they had beeneffectively

replaced by the newer PHF type on other motorcycles. To reduce emis-

sions the T3 also received a new

Marelli distributor with a modified advance curve, providing more

advance at lower revs and a maximum of 33%. Together with a new flywheel,

this distributor would be used on

lower-performance engines in the

future. The T3 also featured a new

fifth gear (28/21), still with the same ratio, and a lower final drive (7/33).

It was primarily the braking system that set the T3 (and S3) apart from all other motorcycles. Designed by Tonti

to enhance safety byboth limiting

front wheel lock-up in an emergency

and the rider's reliance on the rear

The police market always accounted for a significant number of 850 T3s. This 1976 example was for the West Australian police. (Two Wheels)

brake, this linked the rear 242mm disc and left-side front 300mm disc through a master cylinder under the

right-side cover and operated by foot pedal. On the early versions of the integrated braking system the hydraulic lines were joined at a simple four-way manifold without a proportioning valve. Weight transfer generally resulted in a proportion of around 70 per cent to the front and 30 per

cent to the rear brake. The right-side front disc was worked by a handlebar

master cylinder as before, but of a smaller (12.7mm) diameter. Wheel

lock-up was virtually eliminated and

again this system showed Moto Guzzi's

capacity for innovation. Interestingly enough, although Moto Guzzi has persevered successfully with the

braking. it has not been

integrated

widely adopted by other manufacturers.

There were other small changes to the speciﬁcation of the T3. Handlebars were taller and the clutch cable incorporated a cut-out switch. With the T3 also came the return of the California, an amalgam of the

1974 California and T3. Like the earlier California there were footboards, a plexiglass screen, a thick seat and

panniers. As tested by Bike magazine

in August 1975, the T3 California managed a top speed of 97.4mph

(157km/h) and weighed in at 576lb (261kg). Underneath, the California

was T3, and it wouldprove to be

exceptionally successful, both in civil-

ian and police guise, over its eightyear life span. In the US the T3 was also offered as the 850 T3 FB (footboard), combination of the

California and T3 with footboards and high handlebars.

The 850 T3 continued virtually

unchanged until 1979 when the

Borrani alloy wheels were replaced by the cast-alloy FPS that were used on several other models (notably the Le

Mans and SP 1000). There were also

other detail touches in line with these

other models; these included the taillight, switches, seat, headlight, lock-

ing fuel cap, and a plastic cover for the alternator. Up until this time the

alternator covers had been polished

aluminium, and while it may have

seemed another cost-cutting measure, the plastic cover was also designed to cool the alternator by directing air in

and out. Production of the 850 T3 and T3 California continued on a limited scale until 1982.

The V 1000 l-Convert

The direction of Moto Guzzi under De Tomaso took a significant turn during 1975. De Tomaso saw Guzz's future with their big twin away from

sporting bikes, and he wanted a more

luxurious touring bike. He also wanted more automotive influence in

motorcycles, and nothing represented

this more than the V1000 I-Convert with automatic transmission. The

Convert was conceived for the Italian

Servizio Scorta, for escorting con-

voys, which demanded a motorcycle that could be ridden at walking pace.

Later it became available as a civil

version, but was unpopular. Again De Tomaso completely misread the

motorcycle market, yet theConvert

was an interesting technological exer-

cise.

The Convert's heart was a bored version of the 844cc engine, 88mm

pistons taking the capacity to 949cc.

These pistons gavea compression

ratio of 9.2:1 and no longer used the chrome bores, featuring instead cast-

iron cylinder liners. A more usual

arrangement of three piston rings was also used. The top end of the Convert

engine was as with the other 850s,

including the Dell'Orto VHB 30C

carburettors. As the 949cc engine still

used the 78mm stroke, 140mm con-

rods were maintained. Although the

claimed crankshaft power was up to

71bhp at 6,500rpm, the larger engine

was required to offset drive-train

power loss through the torque converter.

In a move that not only astonished

the motorcycling world, but also

seemed totally unnecessary, the regular clutch and ﬁve-speed gearbox was

replaced by a torque converter, dry multi-plate clutch, and manual two-

speed gearbox. It was really a semiautomatic transmission, neither

manual nor fully automatic. Called the I-Convert after the torque converter (Idro-Convert), this unit was

supplied by Fichtel & Sachs.

The torque converter sat behind the engine where an impeller was driven by the crankshaft, pumping fluid through a turbine fixed to the

One of the more unusual Moto Guzzis of the 1970s was the V 1000 I-Convert with a two-speed transmission and torque converter. Full touring equipment was featured and, although built in reasonable numbers for several years, it was not popular.

gearbox input shaft. To help cool the

fluid there was a trocoidal pump mounted at the front of the engine,

above the alternator, pumping auto-

matic transmission fluid to a tank

under the left side cover, and a cool-

ing radiator mounted on the front

downtubes. This pump was known to fail on early Converts but was later improved. Unfortunately pump failure was catastrophic, leading to overheating. ultimately torque converter fail-

ure,andan expensive repair bill.

Unlike automotive torque converters, however, the Convert also required an

additional overdrive ratio.

Although the drive range of 1.6:1

to 1:1 was sufficiently wide for a

motorcycle, a two-speed gearbox was

also ﬁtted, with a clutch to enable the

selection of either gear. This clutch was different from the usual twin-

plate automotive-style Guzzi clutch,

being a dry multi-plate type (seven

friction and ﬁve driven plates) located

between the torque converter and gearbox. Primary drive wasby

straight-cut gears (19/22) and the two gearbox ratios were 18/24 and 22/22,

In concert with the torque converter

there was considerable overlap

between the maximum range in

normal and the minimum in overdrive, effectively meaning that the

Convert could be treated as an automatic. In the low gear it could run to nearly 130km/h (80mph), and while the owners' manual warned against it, it was possible to shift into overdrive before around 65km/h (40mph). The

Convert had a 9/34 final drive, and the driveshaft U-joint and transmis. sion U-joint had 20 splines instead of

the manual versions' 10 splines.

In keeping with its luxury status, the Convert featured a number of

amenities, most of which were also of doubtful usefulness. The large instru-

ment

panel

included only

speedometer (but notachometer)

together with an array of ten warning lights.There was an electronic fuel

tap and fuel gauge, and rear disc park-

ing brake and ignition cut-out oper-

ated by the side stand. Other features

speciﬁc to the Convert were the air

spoilers mounted on the crash bars

and adjustable steering damper. Apart from the standard screen and panniers, the rest of the Convert was 850 T3, the chassis being identical

except that most Converts had foot-

118

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

BIG TOURERS AND CRUISERS

119

remained unchanged from the 850 T3.A 9.2:1 compression ratio, Dell'Orto VHB 30C carburettors and

a distributor were also as for the

Convert, but the SP 1000 lacked the power-sappingtorque converter SO that more of the power was useable. Still, the 949cc engine with the small square-slide Dell'Ortos was working

hard on the SP 1000. The exhaust

system, with its upswept pipes, was

similar to the Le Mans.

The five-speed gearbox and 7/33 final drive were from the T3, but the

FPS cast-aluminium wheels were from the Le Mans. These had identical rim

sizes of 2.15 inches and were fitted

with 100/90H18 and 110/90H18 Pirelli MT18 Gordon tyres. The

35mm forks were fitted with new car-

Despite its weight and complexity the Convert was a comfortable and remarkably

reliable touring motorcycle.

high standard for such a large motor-

boards. It was also produced in a

butunfortunately itwas cycle, victim of poor timing and a general The I-Convert won the 1975 misreading of the market. Always an 'Premio Varrone',but this did not expensivemachine, concerns about translate into sales success. Cycle drive-train reliability, and the complimagazine tested one in March 1976 cated electrical system, really sealed

police version, but this was never as

popular as the 850 T3 California.

and found the performance and com-

its fate.

plexity difficult to justify. The curb

The SP 1000 (Spada) and NT

weight was 272.6kg (6011b), and a standing quarter-mile was covered in

only 16.432 seconds at 80.71mph

Together with the Convert, one of De Tomaso's plans for the Guzzi V-twin engine was a sport-touring motorcycle

magazine, in September 1978, achieved a top speed of 108.7mph (175km/h) after removing the screen.

(130km/h).

Bike

to compete with BMW. This called for

a revised riding position, effective fair-

Early Converts had a lighter flywheel that was prone to failure. These were later recalled and changed to a heavier type, and generally the Convert was a reliable, if somewhat slow, motorcycle. In 1979 it received the same updates as the 850 T3, FPS

ing, and full instrumentation. For

Moto Guzzi it was also surprisingly

simple to create, as most of the com-

ponents were from existing models.

The frame and footpegs were from the

Le Mans, and the engine from the Convert. The result, especially with cast wheels and new taillight and the unique fairing, was a superb allswitchgear. Other alterations were a round sport-touring motorcycle, and locking fuel cap, fork-mounted igni- one that ﬁtted nicely between the tion switch and, for the US, PHF 30 sporting Le Mans and the touring Dell'Orto carburettors with accelera- Convert and T3. First displayed at the tor pumps. Milan Show in November 1977, the

The Convert soldiered on in pro- SP 1000 went into production during

duction until 1984, after which the torque converter survived briefly in the California Il Auto. The Convert

1978. For the UK it was named the

Spada (Sword).

The top end of the engine was

identical to that of the Convert, and

has come in for a lot of criticism, but for what it was endeavouring to do it

even though 88mm pistons (still with

was a groundbreaking concept. The handling and braking were of a very

cast-iron liners) were used, the valve

sizes (41 and 36mm) and camshaft

tridge dampers and provided another 25mm of fork travel. On the SP 1000

the integrated braking system was fur-

ther reﬁned through the useof a larger 09 rear brake calliper and four-

way proportioning valve with regulator instead of a simple manifold. The larger calliper (with 48mm pistons)

resulted in a stronger rear brake, and the proportioning valve transferred

pressure to the front calliper as more

brake was applied. No parking brake was fitted to the SP 1000, but the

Convert's rear brake bracket with

park brake attachment was still used

(as it was also on the T3 and Le

Mans).

The SP 1000's most original feature was the fairing. By re-commissioning

the wind tunnel that had stood idle

since 1957 except for scientific purposes, a unique fairing was designed for the SP 1000. All the testing had to be done at night because the wind tunnel consumed so much power that the production lines were unable to operate. Unlike most other designs, the fairing comprised three fibreglass parts, the top section turning with the

handlebars and the two side panels

mounted on the frame. These incor-

poratedangled airfoils to increase downthrust at speed. With this new

fairing came a redesigned instrument

panel (in 1970s-style pseudo alligator-

skin), new C.E.V. switches and throt-

tle, and a metal cover over the fuel

cap. The steering damper was now an

adjustable friction type rather than the earlier hydraulic. Colours were

The most significant feature of the SP 1000 was the wind tunnel-designed three-piece fairing. Designed to compete with the BMW RIOORS, the SP 1000 lacked performance although it still handled and braked well.

silver, gold or silver/blue, with an red and white (or white and red) abundance of matt black paint. paintwork and a number of subtle

Unfortunately the SP 1000 was let down by the engine performance. In

changes. The fairing lowers were now splayed further outwards to suit taller riders, and the footpegs lower, more forward and non-folding; these were

April 1979 Cycle magazine achieved a

standing quarter-mile in 14.29 seconds at 91mph (146km/h). The wet weight of 251.2kg (5541b) undoubt-

from the T3. US versions now had

Dell'Orto PHF carburettors, while for everywhere else the stiff square-slide

edly blunted the performance, and the

wind tunnel-designed fairing also

VHBs continued. While it may not

have fulfilled its role as a BMW-beater in performance or in the marketplace, the SP 1000 was a formidable opponent. Offering more character and a substantially lower price tag, for the first time an Italian motorcycle could be considered a viable alternative in the world of long-distance interstate

restricted top speed. Bike magazine, in

September 1978,managed a maxi-

mum speed of 113.72mph (183km/h),

well down on the 850 Le Mans.

Gradual development saw the SP 1000 evolve into the NT 80 of 1980. Changes included Nigusil cylinder bores (from engine number 215000),

new and more restrictive silencers

and intercontinental sport-touring.

(from the T4), which were no longer upswept, a thicker G5 seat, different colours, and new turn signal indicaThe frame now had a more

The V1000 G5

Continuing the concept of expanding

the line-up through amalgamation of models was the V1000 G5 (G5 indicating ﬁve-speed gearbox). Essentially a V1000 with a ﬁve-speed gearbox, it was offered alongside the

durable gloss ﬁnish, reﬂecting a general improvement in ﬁnish.

The ﬁnal year for the SP 1000 was 1983, by which stage it had received

SP 1000 during 1978. The G5 was underrated, as it offered the performance advantages of the 1000cc

engine, without the power-sapping

torque converter. Thus it was not only

lighter than the Convert. with a

claimed weight of 220kg (4851b), but

it also had a top speed around

190km/h (118mph).

Most of the features were from the Convert. The same instrument panel now included a tachometer, also fea-

turing the widearray of warning

lights. While the Convert side stand

was maintained, the G5 also received the revised braking system of the SP 1000 with the larger 09 rear Brembo brake calliper and four-way propor-

tioning valve. Other chassisparts

were more Convert than SPThe wheels were still alloy Borrani and the front Brembo brake callipers forwardmounted. While most Converts came

with footboards, the G5 had normal

footpegs, lower and moreforward than the SP 1000 and T3. In 1979 the

G5 received the updates of the similar

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THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

BIG TOURERS AND CRUISERS

121

Not available in the US, the 850 T4

was primarily sold as a police model.

The California II/

automatic/850 G

While the 850 T3 California continued in production until 1982, and the

SP 1000 into 1983, the days of the round-finned engine were clearly

numbered. The Le Mans III had made its debut in late 1980, and a replacement California with a new square-fin

engine appeared in 1981. This new California, the California II, harked back to the big loop-frame 850 GT and Eldorado, last seen in 1974. It may have used the Tonti frame as a

basis, but with the California II came

a model delineation similar to that which existed in the early 1970s, a specific big tourer in addition to the

more sporting models.

Therewas much more to the

California Il than simply a restyled engine and 850 California styling. Apart from the finning, the engine

wasalmost identical to thefinal

SP 1000 NT, so was now 949cc, and

featured the Nigusil cylinders, new silencers, and a proper air filtration system. It also had the small-valve cylinder head (41 and 36mm valves), 9.2:1 compression ration, and

Dell'Orto VHB 30C carburettors;

later versions were fitted with roundslide Dell'Orto PHF 30s. The empha-

sis with the larger engine was on

torque rather than peak power, with a claimed 77Nm at 5,200rpm. As with

all square-fin engines, there was also a

sump spacer, and the entire unit was quieter. In 1987 (from engine number

18786) the Bosch alternator was replaced by a Spanish Saprisa, and

from engine number 21100 the engine oil breathing was improved with vent tubes from the cylinder heads.

There were even more changes to the frame for the California II. Not only was the swingarm even longer than that of the Le Mans III, but it

was also of a much heavier construc-

tion. The steering head was also

longer at 212mm (8½ inches) with an

extra gusset to the frame backbone

tube. The result was a motorcycle

considerably larger than its predeces-

sor, and quite similar in size to the

earlier 850 GT. Bodywork, too, mirrored

the 1974 California: deeply valanced

guards, black and white seat, crash

bars, screen and panniers were standard equipment.

Together with longer and wider

(195mm/7/sin) forks with 35mm fork

tubes and air-assisted dampers, there

were new cast alloy wheels for the California I!,still only 2.15× 18

inches. On these were mounted Pirelli Gordon MT 18 120/90 x 18-inch tyres,

really too large for the rims. At the slightly longer invertedairassisted Paioli shock absorbers

(330mm) also contributed to a larger-

feeling motorcycle.The integrated

braking system with three Brembo 08 brake callipers (the front mounted in

front of the fork legs) were carried

over from the 850 T4 rather than the

One of the many models of Moto Guzzi that has been forgotten is the 1000 G5. This offered the advantages of the V 1000 Convert with a five-speed gearbox.

SP 1000. From the SP 1000 came the upper fairingand forks with

Convert, in particular cast wheels and a new taillight, switches and, for US

versions, Dell'Orto PHF carburettors.

mounted brake callipers like the later

850 T3, although the T4 used a

All engines by 1980 had Nigusil-

longer fork damper and dual spring.

plated cylinders, and the final G5 fea-

The braking system with proportioning valveand regulator also came

tured a more normal instrument panel

withside-by-side speedometerand

tachometer.

from the SP 1000, and the T4 had the

new, lower mufflers. The 850cc engine

The 850 T4

was unchanged from the T3 except for Nigusil-plated cylinders. Claimed power was 68.5bhp at giving the 215kg (4741b) T4 a top speedaround 190km/h (118mph).

With the NT 80 of 1980 came an

addition to the 850cc range, the T4; the 850 T3 continued as before, the T4 filling the gap berween it and the

The expanding range of the early 1980s saw the 850 T4, essentially an 850 T3 with the top part of the SP 1000 fairing.

SP 1000. From frame number VT 17500 (1985) the California II

received a longer seat, seat lock and different footboards. The crash bars, too, were wider on later models. The

overall result was a large touring motorcycle that weighed a claimed

250kg (551lb) dry.

In 1985 some California Ils were manufactured with the Convert auto-

matic gearbox and these were the final Moto Guzzis with the torque

converter. Released specifically for the large German market in 1986 was the 85CG. Essentially a California II with an 850 T engine, this was only avail. able for the one year.

Although really designed for the American market, the California II

was a consistently good seller between

The day of the big Moto Guzzi tourer returned with the 1000cc California Il of 1981. This was the first 1000cc square-fin engine.

cycles, and he had his Modena styling

studio rework the T4. The resulting

850 T5 of 1983 was a much more

integrated design, but not an entirely successful one. The concept was also a little too radical for the conservative Moto Guzzi clientele and, combined with very negative press reports, the

850 T5 was a sales disaster. As with Giugiaro's Ducati 860 GT of 1974, it

again proved that motorcycles cannot be treated as two-wheeled cars when it comes to styling.

The engine of the T5 was similar to

that of the T4, but for the square finning. Thus it continued with the

small valves, carburettors and lowerrivalling the Le Mans. The peak years performance distributor. Power was were 1982 (2,338 units) and1983 67bhp at 7,000rpm. Just about every(2,341). While it was not intended as thing else was new on the TS. The a performance motorcycle, it offered first (1983) series featured a frame equivalent performance to other vehi- with steering head cles of its type. Motorrad, in June (165mm/61/zin), but from 1985 the 1982, managed a respectable top frame was the longer steering head speed of 159km/h (99mph). So suc- type of the California II with the extra cessful has the California idea been gusset between the steering head and for Moto Guzzi that it later became backbone tube.All TSs had a the California III, and today the EV swingarm that was the same length as dominates production. the Le Mans III (410mm/l6in), but reinforced as with the California II

theshorter

1981 and 1987, with numbers

The 850 T5

and wider to allow for the larger rear гуте.

Even before fashion dictated the form of the Le Mans, it begin to inﬁltrate

The biggest changes concerned the use of 16-inch wheels front and rear and new front suspension. For the ﬁrst time a Moto Guzzi featured forks with fork rubes larger than 35mm, the

into the850 T line. Together with fashionable trends,another of De

Tomaso's beliefs was that automobile design should influence that of motor-

T5's being 38mm. With linked airadjustable dampers, initially these

forks had dual springs, but this was

later changed to a single spring, and finally to a longer and shorter twospring combination. The fork width was the narrow 180mm (7 inches) of

the first Le Mans rather than the

wider 195mm (77 inches) of all the

other T series, and the forks featured an integral fork brace. Rear shock absorbers were air-assisted 320mm Paioli. The combination of these normal-length shockabsorbers and

the 16-inch wheels meant that the TS suffered from a severe lack of

ground clearance. Although the 16inch wheels were chosen more for fashion than function, there was one

benefit over all other Moto Guzzi

wheels: the rim width was increased to 2.50 inches on the front and 3.00

inches on the rear. This enabled larger MT29and MTZ8Pirelli

Phantom tyres to be ﬁtted, a

110/90H16 and a 130/90H16.

While the patented Guzzi inte

grated braking system with four-way

manifold was retained, there were sev-

eral changes to the TS brakes.

Because of the smaller-diameter

wheel, the front disc brake rotors were

reduced to 270mm (one-piece and drilled), and there was now a matching 270mm disc on the rear. With the strengthened frame in 1985 the integrated braking system was also

122

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

BIG TOURERS AND CRUISERS

123

(122mph) from their 225kg (496lb)

machine.

In 1984 there were a few styling

changes to the T5, but in response to

criticism, particularly regarding stabil-

ity and handling, there were more

developments for 1985. In addition to

the frame and fork alterations, the

HOTO GUZZI

biggest change on the 850 T5 NT was

the substitution of the 16-inch rear

wheel for a 3.00 x 18-inch. Tyres were now Michelin A/M48, the rear being

a 120/90V18. Koni shock absorbers also replaced the Paiolis, and the fair-

ing had a taller screen. This final

series also featured dark grey anodised Dell'Orto PHF 30C carburettors and, from engine number 13400, the revised engine oil breather system of

other models. The claimed power was the same but there was a slight reduction in performance. In February 1986 Motociclismo achieved a top speed of 191.3km/h (119mph) from their

lighter (221kg/4871b) 850 T5 NT.

Produced until 1989, by this stage the T5 had been transformed into the

more acceptable MilleGT, which proved that the T5 could have been

far more successtul if it had not origi-

nally been such a victim of fashion. Underneath those 16-inch wheels and integrated bodywork was an excellent motorcycle waiting to be unleashed.

While the 850 T5 was subsequently

replaced in the civilian line-up by

1000cc variants, it continued as the basis for police models through until 1998. These had 18-inch wheels front and rear, and all the engine improvements of the later models.

The SP II

Complementing the T5 in late 1984

was the similar 1000 SP 1Ithat

replaced the SP 1000 NT. This was very much an amalgam of the 1985

850 T5 and the California II. The

949cc square-finned engine

was

shared with the California II, the run-

ning gear with the TS, and it was really more a 1000cc T5 with an SP

fairing. Continual development of the

small-valve 949cc engine now saw

67bhp at

andwhile European-speciﬁcation models still used the Dell'Orto VHB 30 C carbu-

rettors, US versions had Dell'Orto

PHF 30s. Later examples featured a

Saprisa rather than Bosch alternator,

A real parts-bin special, the 1000 SP Il combined a California Il engine, a 1985 850 T5 chassis, and the SP 1000 NT fairing. The result was not one of Moto Guzzi's most brilliant efforts and epitomised the disappointing period of the mid- 1980s.

which was generally more reliable,

and also the revised engine breather

system. The frame came from the

California II, with the longer steering

head and extra gusset, but with the

850 T5 swingarm. Also from the T5

were the 38mm forks, 16 and 18-inch

wheels, and 270mm one-piece disc

brakes. The 337mm Koni shock absorbers were also shared with the

California II. Unlike the early SP

1000, however, only a four-way manifold was used for the integrated brak-

ing system.

While the fuel tank, seat and side covers were from the T5, the fairing was the familiar SP 1000 NT item with two rigidly mounted side panels

incorporating a spoiler, and a handle-

bar-mountedcentre section. In the

same way that the T5 failed, the SP II

still did not fulfil expectations. The performance was particularly disap-

pointing; in November 1984 Motorrad

could only manage a top speed of

177km/h (110mph) from the SP 1I.

The Mille GT

The ultimate development of the T

series was undoubtedly the Mille GT.

While in some respects it was regres.

sive, market forces in Germany

required the return of a standard

motorcycle, and with the Mille GT

the days of the 850 T were recalled, with 18-inch spoked wheels and no fairing. In many ways the Mille GT was almost a reaction to the smooth

integrated look of the T5, and Moto

Above: One of the least satisfactory

Moto Guzzis of the 1980s was the 850

T5 of 1983 with 16-inch wheels. A

product of the De Tomaso Modena design studio, it represented a significant styling departure from the earlier 850 T series,

Left: The instrument panel of the 850

T5 shows the automotive influence that De Tomaso encouraged.

upgraded to incorporate a four-way

proportioning valve.

The styling, too, was a significant

departure from the earlier T3 and T4. A small fairing incorporated the rec-

tangular headlight and instrument panel, and there were new switches

Integrating the side covers with the

fuel tank, seat and mudguards was not only unlike other Moto Guzzis but was also a styling trend shared with some Ducatis of that era.

With the moderate power of the

small-valve engine, the T5 was not a particularly strong performer. Motociclismo, in March 1984, man-

aged a top speed of 196.5km/h

Guzzi's ﬁrst effort at a 'retro' look The engine of the Mille GT was the small-valve 1000cc unit (41 and

36mm valves) with Dell'Orto PHF 30mm carburettors providing 67bhp

at 6,700rpm. The first batch were

individually numbered, differing in slight details from later versions. In 1989 (from VT 024596) the clutch

was modified to minimise spline wear on the input transmission hub, which involved a new clutch plate and input

hub. After number VT 024724 a

spring-loaded self-adjusting camchain tensioner was fitted, and from engine number VT 024876 the Mille GT was

fitted with Motoplat electronic ignition. From 1991 some Mille GTs were ﬁtted with larger-valve engines (44 and 37mm) and 36mm carburettors, producing 71bhp at 6,800rpm with a corresponding increase in perfor-

mance. These (from VT 25277) also

featured a new oil pump. As with

most large Moto Guzzis except the Le Mans, a 50bhp version was produced for Germany,

While much of the running gear

was shared with the SP II, in particu-

124

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

BIG TOURERS AND CRUISERS

125

when compared to the performance of the 850 T back in 1974. Fifteen years

of development and a capacity

increase had certainly not translated into a faster, or even better-handling. machine.

The California III/C.I./Classic

A more significant machine for Moto

Guzzi wastheCalifornia Ill, also

released in 1987. This offered considerable improvements in many areas

over the California II, and such was its

success that it would be the most pop-

ular big twin through until 1993.

- Initially the engine was the smallvalve (41 and 36mm) 67bhp unit with

the 30mm carburettors of the Mille

GT, but over time this was developed. In 1989 there was a clutch modifica-

tion that included a new plate and input hub (from engine number VT

032542), and from number VT

032698 a spring-loaded self-adjusting camchain tensioner was fitted. Initiallyignition was by the usual Marelli dual point distributor, but from 1990 (engine number VT 032931) Motoplat ignition with an

electronic ignition advance was used. Saprisa alternators were fitted to the California III, and most also had an improved French-made Valeo starter motor. In 1991 (from VT 34474 and

I.E. VY 11307) there was a new

higher-capacity oil pump with 16mm

instead if 14mm gears.

Many variants of the California III

were produced.In 1989 a fuel-

injected version was introduced, using a Weber Marelli system very similar to

that of the Daytona that also incorpo-

rated the ignition. This early variant

of the Marelli EFI used a P7 processor. The following year also saw the intro-

duction of the Classic, a more basic

California, without bags orwind-

shield, and with slightly lower handle-

bars and now with an optional

catalytic converter. While the latter was an option on all models, it was

standard on the California I.E. catalizzatore, also with fuel injection. Both the California Ill and Classic were

available in carburettor and fuel-injected forms, and an Edizione

Limitate' was produced at the end of

1991 with the 71bhp SP Ill engine

with 44 and 37mm valves and 36mm

carburettors. This engine was then

ﬁtted to all European California IIIs during 1992, but US Californias con-

tinued with the small-valve engine until 1993. In that year all 1000cc

twins were fitted with the SP III

engine, now with a Digiplex ignition

that adjusted ignition timing for

engine speed and load. These engines also used a Ducati Energia alternator,

an improvement on the low-output Saprisa. Injected versions now fea-

tured an upgraded P8 CPU.

Inconsistencies abounded with the

California III over its seven-year life

span, and many versions were offered.

To use supplies of engines that had difficulty meeting emission requirements, some California Ills in 1991

and 1992 were fitted with big-valve Le Mans V engines; these also had the Le Mans V performance camshaft, Bosch alternator and Marelli dual point performance distributor. The ﬁrst batch of California Ills also featured a lower ﬁnal drive ratio (6/32), with a ﬁne 20-

tooth spline, but this wasquickly

changed to 7/53

While the engines ﬁtted to the

California III were familiar, if inconsistent, the bodywork came in for serious

restyling over the California II. The seat was much lower than before at

800mm (31½ inches), and the overall style more cruiser-oriented. The frame and long swingarm were carried over from the California II, but the instrument panel was shared with the Mille GT. With the exception of US models, a windshield and pannier bags were

fitted as standard. Initially the panmers were colour-matched to the

bike, but were later replaced by regu-

lar Givi bags.

A big advance over the California Il was the change to 40mm forks, still with the wide fork spacing of 195mm

(74 inches). Later versions shared their forks with the California 1100; these looked similar externally but were quite new, offering improved action due to anti-friction bushes. The shock absorbers were Koni (337mm). The front brake disc size

remained at 300mm (but with ﬂoating

rotors), as did the integral braking, but the 270mm rear disc of the 850

T5 was ﬁtted. Until 1993 the four-way manifold was used (except on German

Californias), this being replaced by the four-way proportioning valve in

Offered in a bewildering number of varieties, standard equipment on the California III generally included a windshield and panniers. (Two Wheels)

The Carenatura Integrale, or C.L., offered full touring equipment. This is the fuel

injected version.

Another confused model was the Mille GT, Moto Guzzi's first attempt at a 'retro'

look. Wire-spoked wheels were standard, and cast wheels an option.

lar the frame and medium-length

swingarm, a retrogressive step was a

return to the spindly 35mm forks with air-assisted damping of the California Il. As the front disc brakes increased

in size to 300mm and alloy wheel rims

were ﬁtted, the skinny forks incongruous on such

aseemed

heavy

machine, which could otherwise have been a competent handler. Cast alloy wheels were an option, these having

wider tims (2.50 x 18 and 3.00 x 18 inches). Like the TS, the integrated

braking system used a four-way pro-

portioning valve. The Mille GT fea-

tured many new components, in particular improved switchgear from the

Le Mans V, and a new instrument panel from the smaller Custom

models.

Performance of the small-valve ver-

sions was similar to the SP II. Cycle magazine, in September 1989, managed a standing quarter-mile in 13.51 seconds at 96.46mph (155km/h) from their 252.5kg (5571b) (wet) Mille GT.

Moto Sprint, testing a Mille GT in

1987, achieved atop speed of

189.7km/h (118mph). These figures are really only put into perspective

126

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

BIG TOURERS AND CRUISERS

127

1992. As with the Mille GT, the wheels on the California Ill were

either cast or spoked, generally the

latter, with the spoked rims narrower

than the cast.

In 1992 a special anniversary edition, the California Anniversary, was

created to celebrate 70 years of Moto

Guzzi. Typically this came one year

late, but made up for it with a leather saddle, engraved plate and certificate signed by De Tomaso. Later, to add to the confusion surrounding the various models of the California III, was the LAPD, also in carburettor and fuel-

injected forms.Theseappeared in

1993 with panniers and windshield

and featured the SP III engine.

Another version of the California Ill was the Carenatura Integrale, or

C.I., introduced in 1988, The C.l.

offered even more touring equipment than the California III, and only came with the small-valve engine with, initially, 30mm carburettors, and in 1989 an option of fuel injection. In the style

of the larger BMWs, there was now a

full fairing (with rectangular head-

light), and a rear top box that incor-

porated a passenger backrest. As with the California III both spoked (CIRR) and cast (CIR) wheels were available,

and all C.Ls featured the integrated

braking system with four-way propor-

tioning valve. This model did not

prove especially popular, particularly the injected version, only a few being produced each year.

The SP III

The final expression of the SP idea was the SP Ill of 1988. Taking the touting Moto Guzzi concept beyond that of the California C.I. and into

sport-touring BMW territory, it was a

clever amalgam of bodywork on a California III, but with a higher-per-

formance engine. The engine was the

most significant feature of the SP III in that it combined improved performance with reduced emissions. The

cylinder head and valves sizes (44 and

37mm) now came from the 850 Le

Mans, as did the Dell'Orto PHF 36C carburettors. The pistons featured a higher dome than the earlier smallvalve 1000cc engine but lower than the Le Mans IV and V. The camshaft used on these medium-valve engines

was the same as that of the earlier

small-valve engine. Contributing to the improved emissionswas the

SP II, as was the medium-length

swingarm. A completely new fairing

and integrated tank, seat and side Digiplex, andpower was 71bhp at covers graced the SP III. The huge 6,800грm. fairingwas totally frame-mounted, The chassis was a combination of contributing to the feeling of a mas-

Motoplat ignition, soon changed for a

the California III and SP II. From the Californiacame the 40mmforks,

sive motorcycle.

Even though the SP III had a more

powerful engine than earlier exam-

300mm floating front and 270mm rear

dises, and the 18-inch cast wheels. These were fitted with large-section 110/90V18 and 120/90V18 MT28

ples, the weight conspired against performance. Moto Sprint, in 1989, could only achieve a top speed of 188.1km/h (117mph) from their 268.8kg (5931b)

Pirelli Phantom tyres. The frame was

Offering improved suspension and engine performance over the SP Il, the SP Ill was underrated as a sport-tourer. (Two Wheels)

(wet) machine. It was undoubtedly

the finest example of the SP line, but suffered from uncertain styling, poor market perception, and limited performance. After the confused SP II, the

SP Ill was a definite improvement,

but neededmorerefinement and

power to be a true BMW-beater and was discontinued in 1992.

The Quota

Another unusual Moto Guzzi of this period was the Quota 1000. It was almost as if Moto Guzzi wanted to

cover every aspect of the marketplace

with the venerable big-twin, so produced this dual-purpose street-trail bike in 1989. While the result was hardly a state-of-the-art off-road

machine, creating it forced Guzzi to

incorporate many up-to-date features

in the design. In fact, so many new

characteristics were incorporated that manufacture of the Quota was delayed, finally making it into pro-

duction during 1992.

When first displayed, the engine of the Quota was the same as the SP III, but when it did make the production

line the 36mm carburettors were

replaced by Weber Marelli electronic

fuel injection. Unlike the California

III I.E., the Quota used a single injec-

tor body with the P8 CPU. All other engine and drive train parts were

shared with the California III, including the long driveshaft and 10-spline

pinion.

With the frame of the Quota, Moto

Guzzi came up with a completely new solution to housing the V-twin engine. Two box-section steel spars connected

the swingarm with Marzocchi mono-

shock suspension to the steering head,

the engine supported by a detachable duplex cradle, which did not feature

the parallelogram set-up of the Daytona or the rival BMW GS.

Wheels, tyres, brakes and forks, how-

ever, were as expected for a large-

capacity trail bike. Spoked 1.85 x

21-inch front and 2.75 x 17 inch rear wheels were shod with Pirelli MT 50

90/90 x 21 and 130/80 x 17 tyres. The

brakes were all new for the Quota, twin 280mm discs on the front with Brembo four-piston callipers (28mm pistons), and a 260mm disc on the rear with a twin-piston calliper. There was no integration between the front

A rider needed very long legs to straddle the Quota. With a new monoshock frame it was an exceptionally large motorcycle.

and rearbrakes, and Marzocchi

41.7mm leading axle forks completed the chassis layout.

The downside of the Quota as an

off-road motorcycle was its overall size.

The wheelbase was 1,620mm (632/3

inches) and seat height a massive 880mm (34⅔ inches). This was no

bike for short-legged riders, and when

tested by Moto Sprint in 1992 wet

weight was a considerable 258.1kg (6461b). Although not intended as a

performance motorcycle,

aged a top

speed of191.1km/h it still man-

(119mph). With production peaking

at 349 in 1992, the 1000cc Quota was only built in limited numbers, primarily for the Italian market, remaining in production until 1997. In 1998 it was

replaced by the Quota 1100 ES,

detailed in Chapter 13.

The Strada 1000

Representing the ultimate develop-

The Strada 1000 was the final 1000cc standard Moto Guzzi. Offering many

improvements over the Mille GT, it was really obsolete by 1993.

128

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

ment of the standard big-twin Moto Guzzi was the Strada 1000 of 1993. Taking the underrated SP III, remov-

ing the fairing but keeping the fuel

tank, seat and side cover bodywork, Moto Guzzi created one of their most

successful attempts at the standard

motorcycle.Mille GT instruments

and headlight were used, and in every

respect the Strada was an improvement over that model. The engine,

initially with Motoplat ignition, was

the higher-performance SP III unit. Always with carburettors, the Strada was the final version of this engine and featured Digiplex ignition and the

Ducati alternator.

The chassis, too, was from the SP

III. This included the 40mm forks,

frame and medium-length swingarm, and fully floating 300mm brake discs.

Shared with the Mille GT was the

option of cast orspoked 18-inch

wheels. As tested by In Moto in May

1993, the 241.1kg (5321b) Strada

achieved a top speed of 201.7km/h

(125mph). Unfortunately, while an undoubted improvement over the Mille GT, the Strada 1000 came too late to save the no-frills standard Moto Guzzi. Situated in the middle of the marketplace, neither cruiser nor -

sportster, the Strada lacked direction in a world demanding motorcycles

with a more specific focus and sophis-

tication. While twin shock absorber

rear suspension and 71bhp may have been acceptable for a cruiser, a standard type of motorcycle needed to be more powerful and offer an alternative style. The future would rely on

more specialised machines,with

sporting varieties offering improved

engine and chassis performance. Guzzi

now looked at widening thegap between the cruiser and sporting

lines.

10.

Le Mans

sixth. These promising results on a debut performance saw the Le Mans

designation used when the first 850 Rosso riddenby Mandracci and sporting prototype was displayed at Brambilla led for more than 10 hours the 'Premio Varrone, the Italian before being delayed by a broken design award, towards the end of

Thewasdebuttheof1971the 844ccBol d'Orracing24-hourbikes race at Le Mans. A modiﬁed "Telaio

theweight of 206kg (454lb) was

unchanged from the V7 Sport, the Le Mans featured triple disc brakes and Borrani alloy wheels fitted with larger

Michelin tyres, a 3.50 x 18 on the

rocker. This was followed by a crash by Mandracci, and finally a rear wheel

puncture half an hour from the end of

the race. Theyeventually finished

third, behind Ray Pickrell and Percy Tait on a BSA and the Laverda SFC of Augusto Brettoni and Bruno Cretti. Raimondo Riva andAbbondio

Sciaresa, on another 844, finished

front and a 4.25 x 18 on the rear. The 1972. brakes were twin 300mm discs on the Although still based on the V7 front and a 240mm on the rear, with Sport, this first Le Mans had a half new Brembo callipers, the first time fairing and solo seat. With Dell'Orto the later ubiquitous Brembo 08 calPHM 40mm carburettors, power from liper was seen. Perhaps the most sigthe 83 x 78mm engine was 82bhp at nificant feature of the braking system 7,500rpm. The claimed top speed was was the linked hydraulic system, the 225km/h (140mph), with a standing left foot pedal operating both the rear 400 metres in 12.25 seconds. While brake and right front disc, while the

Prototype 844cc V7 Sports were raced as early as September 1971 in the Bol d'Or at Le Mans. This is the sixth place bike of Raimondo Riva and Abbondio Sciaresa.

130

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

LE MANS

131

Fortunately Lino Tonti and his engi-

neering department persuaded him

that there was life in the V-twin as a sporting motorcycle and they were allowed to proceed with the develop-

ment of the production 844ccLe

Mans during 1975. With a production span of 19 years, the Le Mans would eventually become as symbolic of the marque as the earlier Falcone.

The Le Mans

Now considered not only one of the classic modern Moto Guzzis, but also representative of the archetypal street sportster, the Le Mans came at a time when the Italian motorcycle industry was setting the sporting standard for others to follow. In the late 1970s the

Italians undoubtedly produced the best handling and braking motorcycles available. As the Japanese

street competition at that time shared

little with their racing cousins, and with the British industry virtually

extinct, it was really only the Italians who built motorcycles with true racebred chassis. However, while the 750 S and S3 provided excellent handling. by 1975 their engine performance (particularly the S3) was not competitive.

Ducati's 750 SS had grown into an

860, and Laverda's 1000cc triple had supplanted their 750. The 844cc Le Mans gave Guzzi a true complement to these, completing a magnificent

Italian sporting triumvirate.

Early production Le Mans had a 1½ seat, similar in design to the 750 S3. However, in nearly every respect the Le Mans was superior to its immediate predecessor. (Two

First displayed at the Milan Show

of November 1975, the Le Mans not only offered more performance than any of the earlier 750 Sports, but was also one of the styling miracles of the 1970s. As Ducati also managed with

their first 900 Super Sport of 1975,

SPORT

the elegant purity of the 750 was

transformed into a remarkably aggres-

sive and attractive motorcycle. The interesting thing about both the Le

Mans and 900 SS was that under-

neath they were surprisingly similar to

their smaller brethren. The parallels

did not end there: both larger versions, while offering higher performance, were also less exotic in their components, and were produced in

larger numbers.

While the engine had fewer special

The first Le Mans of late 1972 was a modified V7 Sport with 40mm Dell'Orto

carburettors and triple disc brakes.

often with factory assistance, and

left front disc was operated by a han-

even the production Le Mans looked for the Mans prototype, its doomed. De Tomaso saw Guzzi either announcement coincided with the De without twins altogether or as a tourTomaso take-over of the company and ing or sport-touring motoreycle like it was a bike that De Tomaso was not the 850 T and later SP 1000; he was particularly interested in producing. more committed to producing the Eventually the engineers and market- Benelli 750 Sei, which he hoped ing department got their way, but it would become Italy's premier sporting would be three more years before the motoreyele. As he wanted this also to Le Mans made it into production. By be sold as a Moto Guzzi, just as the that stage there were a number of smaller 350 and 400 GTS were, De

debar master

Lecylinder.

Unfortunately

Tomaso could see no sense in pursuing

changes to the specification.

During 1972the 844 was again

the path begun with the V7 Sport.

raced in Endurance races. At the Bol

d'Or24-hour race on 16 and 17

September, Riva and Mandracci ﬁn-

ished fourth at an average speed of

Wheels)

115.59km/h (71.78mph) after leading

for 18 hours. Riva and Carena also

rode in the 24 Hours of Liège at

Zolder in August.

In 1973 De Tomaso gained control

of the company and the scale of the official racing programme was imme-

diately reduced. There were only a

few entries in major events during the

year, in particular the Barcelona 24.

hour race in July. Here an 844cc

endurance racer ridden by Riva and Luciano Gazzola finished fifth, completing 683 laps. Again the Guzzi was overshadowed by Ducati, the latter's 864cc prototype winning the event at

record speed.

After 1973 the only Guzzis raced

were by privateers or distributors,

internal parts than imagined - even the camshaft was the same as the T3 - the changes translated into signifi-

cant performance gains. In the cylin-

der head the combustion chamber was reshaped to incorporate larger valves,

44mm inlet and 37mm exhaust. To

obtain a compression ratio of 10.2:1,

the 83mm pistons had a much higher dome, and unlike the 850 T, with its chrome-plated cylinders, the Le Mans

featured cast-iron liners. Although the thinner piston rings of the 850 T

were used on the Le Mans, there were now only three rings, two compression

and one oil scraper. Lighter pushrods were also used. Unlike the T3 (and

later S3), the distributor was that of

the earlier 750 Sport, providing 34° of full advance. The Le Mans also had a thinner and lighter ﬂywheel (reduced

from 12 to 8mm), and new clutch plates. These would now feature on all big twins until 1993, but smaller-

valve twins received the lighter fly-

wheel with different timing marks for their 'touring' distributor.

Complementing the higher compression andbiggervalves were

Dell'Orto PHF 36B carburettors, with

The Le Mans was an amazingly narrow and compact motorcycle for an 850cc

sportster. (Two Wheels)

bell-mouths and no air filtration, the17/21 primary and 7/33 final

mounted on rubber manifolds as the 1950s Grand Prix racer's had been. The 36mm carburettors also featured accelerator pumps and, together with the single-walled 40mm exhaust

drive, although some Le Mans came

fitted from the factory with a straight-cut racing gearbox.

Aswith the engine, there were

remarkably few changes to the chassis

from the 750 Sport. The frame was

system, undoubtedly contributed to the claimed 80bhp at 7,300rpm (at

painted satin black, and similar 35mm

cartridge forks used,still with a 180mm (7-inch) fork width. As a

the crankshaft). The standard Le

Mans gearing was as for the S3, with

weight-saving measure the forks featured thinner-walled fork tubes. These were unique to the Le Mans, and also included a different threaded fork nut, which was round with an Allen bolt rather than hexagonal nut. LISPA shock absorbers replaced the

earlier Konis (still 320mm).

The biggest change was to the

wheels. Following fashion trends, the

132

THE MOTO GUZZI STORY

could also be ordered in metallic blue,

and later white.

For 1977 the Le Mans remained virtually unchanged but for a proper dual seat and the angular taillight of tion of a Rille 10 3.50H18 on the the SP 1000, although US versions

featured a more protruding headlight. Production was initially modest, with 219 being built in 1975, but by 1978 the Le Mans was the most important

front and a C7 Block Racing 4.10V18 on the rear. These tyres were known for transmitting a greasy and insecure feeling and some Le Mans were fitted with Michelin or Pirelli tyres.

model in Moto Guzzi's line-up. As The Le Mans also featured the demand for the T3 and California

integrated braking system of the 750 S3 with the same four-way manifold. Three Brembo 08 brake callipers were used, with two 300mm front discs and

dwindled, the Le Mans became more popular: 2,532 were manufactured in

1976, 2,548 in 1977, and a further

1,737 in 1978.

one 242mm rear disc.To save on

An optional racing uprating kit was

available for the Le Mans, which included two sets of straight-cut

unsprung weight, the front cast-iron discs featured aluminium carriers. All discs were drilled. Styling considerations saw a new seat, partly covering

close-ratio gears (one with a higher first and second gear) and a choice of two primary ratios (16 and 17 teeth).

the fuel tank, a small fairing with orange'dayglo' front section, and

Also available were four different final

drive ratios (6/32, 7/33, 8/33 and

lighter mudguards and side covers. Weight-saving measures extended to

9/34), creating an amazing selection

ofalternative overall gear

the use of a smaller 20Ah battery. Most Le Mans were red, but they

ratios.

Other items in the racing kit included

Dell'Orto PHM 40 carburettors, a

higher-lift camshaft, megaphone exhaust system, and a 24-litre aluminium fuel tank. The camshaft gave

7.2mm of intake valve lift, up from

6.8mm.

Contemporary road tests confirmed

that the Le Mans was a significantly faster machine than any of the earlier 750 Sports, particularly the S3. Bike magazine achieved a maximum speed

of 132.15mph (213km/h) in August 1976. The extra capacity and tuning

also translated into far better acceler-

ation despite a dry weight of 210kg

(4631b). In May 1976 Motociclismo

saw a standard-start 400 metres in 12.314 seconds at 173.04km/h (108mph).

As well as offering performance

similar to other large-capacity sportsters, the Le Mans provided a more civilised and compact package. Even though the handlebar switches were not too reliable, an electric start and shaft drive placed the Le Mans in a

different category altogether from

Always popular for production racing, the Le Mans was also moderately successful. Standard performance alterations included Lafranconi Competizione exhausts. This is Tarbotton in the Perth (Australia) 4-hour production race in April 1978. (Australian

functional and light alloy Borrani rims made way for heavier cast alloy FPS wheels, still with the same WM3 rim sizes (2.15 x 18 inch). Tyres were originally Metzeler, an unusual combina-

Motorcycle News)

LE MANS

133 formula, and that is exactly what

many other Italian motorcycles. My own experience confirms that the Le

Mans had considerably more midrange power than the 750 S, being

overall a more muscular machine.

Tonti's magnificent frame was more

than up to the task of handling the

extra power, and the Le Mans was still one of the best-handling motorcycles

available. All the improvements made to the electrical system over the previ-

ous few years meant it was also an

easy machine to live with for a sports bike. Functionally it was only really

compromised by the heavy cast-alloy

wheels, 35mm forks and slippery seat. Combined with its aggressive styling

and compact dimensions,

was

undoubtedly one of the great sporting

the

motorcycles of

1970s and, together with the V7 Sport, a classic modern Guzzi. In the world of motor-

cycles the Le Mans was a masterpiece.

While not ofﬁcially raced by the factory, in the hands of distributors and privateers the Le Mans had a

moderately successful racing career. contribution of Luciano Gazzola and

the support of Tonti

team led to many modifications being

carried through to the production line and the ofﬁcial factory racing kit.

Perez Rubio and Morante

Giovanni Pretto ﬁnishing eighth at

Misano on a 1000cc Le Mans.

Berliner, and tuned by Reno Leoni, Baldwin has some considerable success in the AMA Superbike

Championship. He won at Loudon in

1976, and also at Charlotte in 1977, proving that the 850 Le Mans was a very competitiveracing machine.

Only moderately modified, the Leonituned Le Mans had 40mm Dell'Orto

carburettors, a 10.8:1 compression

ratio and a swingarm altered to

accommodate a WM5 rim. Estimated

power was 90bhp and the bike was

at 143mph (230km/h) at

timed

Daytona.

The Le Mans Il

The success of the Le Mans proved to

De Tomaso that there was definitely

life left in the V-twin and undoubtedly

ensured its survival. However, it has often been a failing of Italian companies to unnecessarily alter a winning

Moto Guzzi did to the Le Mans in

1978. By incorporating many features

of the SP 1000 they created the Le Mans Il, unfortunately destroying some of the appeal of the original.

Functionally the Le Mans II was simi-

lar to the earlier bike,but the SP

1000-inspired fairing and instruments detracted from the original's sporting purity.

Initially there were no changes to

the engine specifications on theLe Mans Il. Already the 844cc engine had earned a reputation for exceptional robustness, as well as strong performance. This was particularly

evidentin a 25,000-kilometre test

undertaken by the German magazine Motorrad in 1981. No serious prob-

lems were encountered and compres-

sion and overall performance actually increased over time. In 1980 Nigusil-

The Le Mans Il incorporated several features from the SP 1000, in particular the

hinged fuel filler cap, instrument panel, and fairing with side panels. Very few Le Mans

Ils seem to have survived, most being converted to the more desirable Le Mans.

COTO GUZA

While

tion racing the Le Mans was surprisingly competitive. Roy Armstrong won the British 1977