Apparently, a lot of American people have never heard of Moto Guzzi motorcycles. They respond to me with “Moto what?” If Moto Guzzi can’t do a better job in the US selling their motorcycles and improving their brand awareness, then perhaps they don’t have the right people. I love motorcycles of all kinds, but I’m really loving what Moto Guzzi is offering.
Have you seen their California Vintage? This is a very special motorcycle, and I think it’s the one for me. Classic styling, very functional, and from what I can see, it should last forever. When I was younger, I liked the sportier street bikes. Now in my 40’s, I definitely like the classic look. The Road King and the Deluxe are two Harleys that are on my wish list, but are not in my price range. I found a California Vintage at a local Guzzi dealer after drooling over it online. It’s not exactly in my price range either, but is a real bargain for what you get for your money.
The best features of a Moto Guzzi in my opinion are: (1) very cool fuel-injected 90 degree V-twin engine. (2) finned aluminum oil pan that you can easily remove. (3) quality materials without cheesy plastic everywhere. (4) style. (5) people. This a brand with a very loyal following for good reason. I talked with several owners that had other bikes over many years, but once they found Moto Guzzi, they never rode anything else. I thought they were just salesmen, but they were owners that just loved being around these bikes and hanging out in the shop. Hey, all this kind of sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
An Italian motorcycle might seem a bit risky in terms of long term ownership, parts availability, lack of aftermarket in the US, etc. Maybe that is somewhat true, I’m not sure. Moto Guzzi motorcycles come with a 2 year roadside assistance plan and 2 year warranty, so there is some piece of mind there. I think parts availability problems may have been true in the past during different ownerships of the company, but as part of the large Piaggio group, also maker of the Piaggio MP3 scooter, they have more financial and technical horsepower and logistics behind them than in a long time. Piaggio also owns Aprilia, Vespa and others.
I predict you will see a lot more of Piaggio and Moto Guzzi in the upcoming decade. I just hope they don’t get too far away from their California Vintage style, even if they are Italian. Another cool model they are now selling in Europe is called the Bellagio. It seems to me that this also would be a nice fit for the North American market, but is not yet advertised as available here.
For a more modern looking Moto Guzzi motorcycle, or other motorcycle info, watch out for their Stelvio model, as shown on our street bikes page.
