#motoguzzi

After skipping last year because of the global pandemic, the world’s largest motorcycle show is back for 2021. EICMA returns to Milan, Italy, on Nov. 23-28, and we’ll be providing full coverage on Motorcycle.com. Every year the Italian Trade Agency invites editors and distributors from around the world to attend the show so, for 2021, Ryan Adams will be reporting live from the Fiera Milano exhibition grounds.

If this were any normal year, Moto Guzzi would be holding a big party this week to celebrate its 100th birthday. Because of the pandemic, however, the Piaggio-owned brand had to postpone its Moto Guzzi World Days 2021 Festival to 2022, celebrating its centennial on what would actually be its 101st year.

Remember the day you took your first long ride on your very first motorcycle? The weather was TV-commercial sunny as you rolled down the two-lane highway away from home. The wind flowing past your body was filled with excitement as the engine sang beneath your seat. You had the world by the handlebars, and you knew this was the beginning of Great Things, that many Good Times were about to be had – all because you had chosen to take your first steps towards becoming a motorcyclist. For many of us, it was this moment that set the hook, leading to a lifetime of motorcycling, and was less a decision and more of a calling than just about any experience before it. At least that’s how it was for me, and this is the memory I had during the first hour riding the 2021 Moto Guzzi V7. 

Add Moto Guzzi to the very short list of manufacturers able to say they’ve been in existence for 100 years. Today – March 15, 2021 – marks the 100-year mark for one of Italy’s famed motorcycle brands, which can also lay claim to having every single one of its models since the beginning roll out from the same door in Mandello del Lario.

A head-to-head comparison this is not, but rather a showcase of two unique models that blur the lines of what adventure-capable motorcycles can look like. Triumph and Moto Guzzi, motorcycle manufacturers from two very different regions of Europe, both have long storied histories with plenty of ups and downs. The British brand dates back to 1902, two decades before Moto Guzzi began manufacturing in 1921. 

Announced at EICMA 2020, Moto Guzzi has unveiled the V85 TT, a touring-oriented version of the popular V85 adventure bike made up of items plucked from the Moto Guzzi parts catalog – not that that’s a bad thing. Up front, a higher touring windscreen offers greater protection from the wind, thanks to a surface area 60% larger than the standard V85 screen. Out back you’ve got two panniers, capable of holding a ton of stuff – 37 liters for the right case (big enough for a full-face helmet) and 27.5 liters for the left – both lockable with the same key. The panniers were designed along with the overall bike, so there are no unsightly brackets exposed when the bags are off the motorcycle, allowing the V85’s lines to remain true and consistent with or without luggage. Clever.

Moto Guzzi debuted a special, limited edition version of the V7 III Stone – named the V7 III Stone S – at EICMA 2020, paying homage to sporty Moto Guzzis from the 1970s like the 1974 750 S and 1971 V7 Sport. Being a limited edition, only 750 units of the V7 III Stone S will be made, in honor of the 750cc engine displacement. Each unit will have its serial number engraved on the handlebar riser.

The KTM 790 Adventure R blurs the lines between street-worthy adventurer and off-road capable dirtbike more than any machine that has hit the market thus far. While there are worthy contenders in the category when it comes to overall street manners, nothing we’ve tested yet has delivered the kind of off-road capability KTM’s new middleweight adventure has. If there’s any brand that is poised to dominate the serious adventure category, it’s probably KTM. The Austrian manufacturer has more than a few off-road championships under its belt including 18 straight wins of the Dakar Rally this last one in grand fashion, might I add, with a podium sweep. While those bikes are tricked out to the hilt, tech trickles down.

The Paris-Dakar rally, a true test of endurance, the ultimate adventure. I’m referring to, of course, the Paris-Dakar of old, when it ran from France to the west African capital of Senegal, Dakar. It was a time when men were men and women were women and the rally itself was more of an adventure, where “winning” was simply finishing. The rally has changed a lot since its inception in 1978. Now, the incredibly competitive teams are hell-bent on racing through the South American Dakar rally stages at break-neck speeds to ensure their spot in Dakar history whilst backed by chase vehicles full of sponsorship money.

We just picked our ten best Used Bikes Under $5k last month – a pretty impressive list and, for me personally, a fine financial cut-off point. You really can get a lot of reliable motorcycle for $5k, with plenty of life left.

Here at MO, comparos and shootouts are what we do. We strive to give our readers the most informative bike-to-bike comparisons. Whether it be two class-leading models brought toe-to-toe to duke it out, or bringing in every bike in a particular category, we’re here to bring you the knock-down, drag-out deathmatches MO-style.

Has your relationship with your Griso grown strained? Is it time to rekindle your romance? Love grows stale, it happens. And when it does, sometimes relighting the flame is as simple as an extensive makeover and/or a long stint in rehab. Our old pal Todd Eagan has been a Moto Guzzi guru/geek since Lago di Como was a slow leak, and he is standing by waiting for your call, ready to transform your flabby old CARC-equipped (Cardano Reattivo Compatto single-sided swingarm-o) Moto Guzzi into the lithe, 396-pound supermodel sportbike of your dreams. Read all about it below.

The main items are that the new 853cc air-cooled 90-degree two-valver – the “eight and a half” – delivers maximum power of 80 horses and 80 Nm at 5,000 rpm, with 90% of said torque available at 3,750 rpm. Guzzi also says this is the first Moto Guzzi small block that can easily reach 8000 rpm. Titanium intake valves!

The Model Year 2019 show season is fully underway, and so far, we’ve seen some exciting news. It began in Intermot with the unveiling of new models from Aprilia, Ducati, Indian, Kawasaki, KTM, Suzuki, and Triumph. Then the focus turned to Las Vegas, NV, and the AIMExpo where Motorcycle.com was on-hand to witness the unveiling of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R and other offerings from the motorcycle industry as a whole.

Slightly overlooked in this year’s Intermot insanity was Moto Guzzi’s announcement that its V85 TT is officially on the way. We first remember seeing this one at the EICMA show last November, but now it’s production-ready and quite the looker.