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A Family of Italian Twins That Took a Different Approach

15.12.11

ASK a well-informed rider to name the venerable motorcycle maker whose gutsy air-cooled V-twins are a longstanding source of national pride and you might get this surprising, but correct, answer: Moto Guzzi.

The pride is felt in Italy, of course, not America, and the company, which sold its first bikes in 1921, does not date back nearly as far as Harley-Davidson (1903). But like Harley, it has a rich history, and its current array of models seems to promise a competitive future for this niche brand.

A winner on the racetrack from its earliest days, with a string of world championships and memorable machines, including outrageously complex V-8 grand prix bikes in the 1950s, Moto Guzzi has, like Ducati, MV Agusta and other Italian brands, a devoted following. More than 20,000 fans arrived in the brand's hometown, Mandello del Lario, for its 90th anniversary celebration last month.

And like other Italian makes, it has changed hands a number of times, rarely a precursor of product integrity. Moto Guzzi's fortunes in the United States have had highs and lows, the company struggling at times as its bikes were overshadowed by the features and technology of Japan's makers. Worldwide, the company is projected to sell fewer than 6,000 motorcycles in 2011.

Source: Pittsburgh Post Gazette