TUCKED away at the back of most bikers’ wishlist will be their dirty secret dream bike.
They may ride a Honda Fireblade, but they love to talk about MotoGP.
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But when nobody else is looking, they will be sneakily spending their time browsing Harley-Davidsons – or in my case Moto Guzzis.
Some of the very best motorcycling experiences I’ve ever had have involved a Moto Guzzi.
It’s not always just about how these machines ride, it’s about the way they make me feel.
The Guzzi factory is on the shores of Italy’s Lake Como in a place called Mandello del Lario.
They’ve been there since day one of the company, back in 1921, and this year are celebrating their centenary.
I’ve been lucky enough to spend time there.
This place exudes passion and enthusiasm for motorcycling.
The V100 Mandello will offer sport-touring capabilities, as well as style that is only possible in Italy.
The V-twin engine’s across-the-frame displacement is 1000cc. More importantly, it’s liquid-cooled which means we can expect proper power.
There’s a single-sided swingarm, allowing you to gaze upon the sweet rear wheel design – I see Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio here, do you? – and a shaft drive means no nasty oil off a chain to muck up the wheel.
There will be around 130bhp to play with, so it’s fair to assume the V100 will be loaded up with rider software trinkets.
THROWBACK TO ROOTS
Brembo brakes and Ohlins suspension will take care of you while you glide to work in style.
To me, this bike could be powered by a massive rubber band and a lollipop stick and I’d still want it as much as I do.
The green paint you can see is a throwback to Moto Guzzi’s roots, when they had an excess of military-spec green paint which they used to paint the bikes they made in World War Two.
They used it again on their bikes and knew that no two tins of the same green would be the exact same. This is so cool!
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