First on the list of upgrades is the new exhaust system. This helps push the power rating up to 103 hp at 7500 rpm, and torque rating to 81 lb.ft. at 5800 rpm.

Other new items for the 2010 Moto Guzzi Norge GT8V are a redesigned body fairing, an improved center stand, and improvements to the instrument panel to make it easier to read while riding.

The meetings have taken place before, and reassurances have been stated before, but it appears now that Piaggio Group is more committed to keeping Moto Guzzi manufacturing at the world famous Mandello site. This includes reinvesting in the manufacturing facility itself, helping to bring more production volume by re-launching the brand, and preparing new models and new engines for production there in the near future.

The union representing the factory workers is still fighting against some of the plans, including trying top reduce the number of redundancies, and to maintain more functions to stay at the Mandello factory.

Moto Guzzi is not an ordinary motorcycle company, it is something much greater, even if the present sales situation does not reflect that. One has to be very careful when making any changes with an icon or decades of value quickly lose meaning and luster. Does anyone remember the AMF years of Harley-Davidson? They were not very good, to say the least. Cheers to Robert Colaninno and especially to the local and regional government agencies and the efforts of all to preserve and improve the operations of Moto Guzzi at Mandello!

Starting with the Nevada, the nicely styled chrome exhaust is borrowed from the V7 Classic.  In the opinion of The Moto Guzzi Guide, the new exhaust system really makes the Nevada look right is a  smart move by the Moto Guzzi designers.

The Bellagio has seen a matte black paint scheme before, but the new Black Eagle edition Bellagio drops the large tank badge in favor of the much more subtle and classic style Moto Guzzi Eagle logo.  This seems to give the bike more of a bad-boy style, and that is a good thing.

The largest of the 3 new Black Eagle Moto Guzzi motorcycles is the ever-famous California.  This new edition of the California shares some features of the popular California Vintage.  Probably the most controversial of which is the large round tail light which seems to be a love-it or hate-it feature, but does appear to be at home on a motorcycle styled old-school, like this one.  The engine, the seat, the wrap around tubing at the back of the seat, and other polished pieces are also shared from the Vintage.

These 2010 Moto Guzzis with their Aquila Nero paint schemes are in line with the popular trend towards matte black motorcycles and motorcycle gear.  For the die-hard rat rod style enthusiasts, all the chrome on these Black Eagles might be a target for additional black-out treatment.

For the rest of us, the chrome wheels, chrome exhaust, and all the other chrome pieces are just a part of what makes these motorcycles stand out from the crowd.  It also shows that Moto Guzzi was not simply trying to reduce their manufacturing costs and increase their profit margins by using the black primer colored paint instead of the much more expensive chrome.

For now, it is not clear if these Black Eagle edition Guzzis will actually land in the US market, but they should!

The 2009 Stelvio has especially gained a lot of good reviews since it’s launch, but the muscle-bike Griso has also had good reviews too.

Several Guzzi Stelvio accessories are offered, and for the Rider Magazine test, this adventure bike was outfitted nicely. The Stelvio takes on a purpose-built enduro look with off-road accessories including with heavy duty bars to protect the engine, rock guard at the rear CARC hub, a heavy duty aluminum skid plate, and boxy panniers that have a rugged look.  The Stelvio fog lights and aluminum panniers add up to about $1500 extra cost, and with the skid plates and crash bars, the $14,990 list price brings the total price up to $17,365.

The 2009 Moto Guzzi Griso 8V is a very impressive motorcycle to see and hear, regardless of personal taste and style.  It’s got a very well established group of competitors to go up against, but once again, that’s what makes the Griso 8V and most any Guzzi extra cool.  You will definitely stand out, in a very good way, on this bike against the rest.

The Griso 8V racing style dual front discs, over-sized exhaust header pipes, the wild futuristic looking exhaust tips, and the large exposed frame rails give plenty of clues to onlookers that this is a potent and special machine.  The exhaust sound is described as “pure ear candy” by Bill Heald, the author of the Rider Magazine article titled “Molto Musculare” about the 2009 Guzzi Griso.

The 2009 Griso 8V list price is $14,290 (USD).

After all, it’s 936cc (57 ci) v-twin engine is almost half the size of the popular big engine displacements these days. It’s weight is just 224kg dry (493 lbs dry), which is almost half the weight of many of today’s big bore bikes.  I guess it would have to put on a few hundred pounds to be a contender. Yes, I am being sarcastic.

The Guzzi Bellagio motorcycle is actually a great size and weight for the majority of riders. Don’t be fooled by modern motorcycle advertising into thinking that an engine of this size is too small or weak, or that you need to be on a mammoth to be cool.  In fact, the 74 hp of the Bellagio is plenty to make this 500 pound bike haul your butt away in a hurry.

As many Moto Guzzi motorcycles do, the Bellagio combines classic style with modern conveniences, like fuel injection, 2 spark plugs per cylinder, adjustable front and rear suspension, single-sided swing arm with shaft drive, and a 6-speed transmission.  Don’t overlook the impressive stopping ability it has via Brembo dual discs up front and single rear.

The instrument cluster is compact and styled to go with the this Guzzi custom look, but is actually high tech.  It even includes a trip computer function.

The spoked aluminum wheels by Excel, the low black saddle, the chrome pulled back drag bars and the matte black and chrome look give this bike a low-key custom look, but it has performance designed in all the way.  You can also get one in a silver/white two-tone, but the matte black is favorite.

The bigger is better mentality that is going on is getting a little out of hand when it comes to cruisers these days. This one sticks to an excellent formula for size, weight, power and balance. Not to mention, it has awesome looks and style.

MotoGuzziGuide.com would love to be able to test ride a Moto Guzzi Bellagio in the USA, but so far none can be found for sale.  Oh well, I guess we’ll have to take a trip to Europe!

The Guzzi engine in the Blackjack is coupled to a Volkswagen transmission.  This unusual marriage makes for a lightweight and reliable drive system that comes together very nicely in the Zero cyclecar.

It is important to note that Blackjack is not the only cyclecar company using Moto Guzzi engines.  Check out the Morgan replica Aero BRA MG3 from Aero Cycle Cars, also in the UK.  You can get the MG3 with a Moto Guzzi 850, 948 or 1064 engine.  The MG3 can be bought as a kit, or turn-key, where you provide the Guzzi drivetrain or Aero can provide that fully prepared by Motori di Morino.

Triking Cyclecars of England also has been using a Moto Guzzi v-twin engine in their 3-wheelers since the company was started in the late 1970’s.

This type of 3-wheeler design, referred to as a cyclecar, comes from the old Morgan Motor Company and it’s founder, H.F.S. Morgan.  Morgan used a variety of engines over the years, and most of them were a v-twin motorcycle engine that was located right out front where we would expect to see a front bumper or grill on traditional cars.

A cyclecar has 2 wheels in the front and one in the rear.  This helps with cornering stability and places much of the weight on the front end.

The Triking, the  BRA and the Blackjack Zero borrow much of their style from the Morgan Sports and Super Sports models of the 1920’s and 1930’s which initially used J.A.P. and then switched to Matchless v-twin engines.

In the US, it can be very difficult to find a British cyclecar or cyclecar kit to build.  For locating the Guzzi v-twin to use in it, unfortunately, it also can be difficult to find a Moto Guzzi dealer without having to travel a relatively far distance (luckily, not for me).

A cyclecar can be one of those vehicles that once you see one, you want to have one.  An enterprising company in the state of Washington called Ace Cyclecars of Seattle, has started offering cyclecar kits aimed directly at the US market.  Not surprisingly, the engine for the Ace cyclecar kit is none other than a Harley-Davidson v-twin.

Some motorcycle insurance companies offer discounts for riders that go to motorcycle riding school.  One course that you should consider attending is the Experienced Rider Course offered though the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.  Even if you have been riding for years, you will still learn something in the ERC.  At the very minimum, you will refresh your riding skills and get to practice some specialized maneuvers that will help you improve your motorcycle riding safety.  Not every company that offers motorcycle insurance will actually provide a discount for attending a motorcycle school, so check ahead of time if reducing your motorcycle insurance is one of your primary reasons why you take the course.

When shopping for Moto Guzzi motorcycles, consider the type of bike you are getting and how that might change the cost of your motorcycle insurance.  If you are quite young and don’t have a lot of riding experience, but you go out and buy a Moto Guzzi 1200 Sport 4V, you can probably expect to pay a lot for your motorcycle insurance.  The Nevada 750 will probably cost less to insure, especially for a newer rider. It makes sense, right?

Another factor in the cost of motorcycle insurance is whether or not you want or need collision coverage.  If you have taken out a loan to buy your new Moto Guzzi, then you will most likely be required to have collision coverage with your motorcycle insurance.  If the motorcycle gets damaged by dropping it, getting in an accident, etc., then collision coverage will usually pay for the repair cost beyond the deductible that you will have to pay yourself.

The amount of the deductible you choose will raise or lower your motorcycle insurance.  The bank or lending company does not want to own a damaged motorcycle.  Remember, it is pretty much theirs until you finish your loan payments.  After you pay off the loan and fully own your Moto Guzzi, then you can cancel your collision coverage from your motorcycle insurance if you want to reduce your insurance costs and are comfortable with assuming that risk.

Sometimes the cost of motorcycle insurance can be reduced slightly by belonging to a motorcycle club or organization that is well recognized for promoting motorcycle safety and riding responsibly.

There are a lot of different motorcycle insurance companies that offer online quotes.  I found that some of them do not have the latest Moto Guzzi models, or even some of the more recent models, available as choices. In that case, just pick the closest one for quotation purposes.  This happened to me when I was trying to get quotes for my California Vintage and found that the choices were limited to older models such as the 1100i and the EV.  Make sure that you tell them the correct model when you are actually signing up for your motorcycle insurance or you will put yourself at risk for being denied coverage in case of an actual claim.

Good luck in gathering your quotes and finding the best deals for motorcycle insurance for your Moto Guzzi.

For less than $1,000 over the the equivalent Honda, you can have Honda-like reliability that is backed up by Moto Guzzi 24 hour roadside assistance and a 2 year factory warranty that come standard.  Who else offers that kind of standard coverage for a 750 custom cruiser?Just to compare, the Honda Rebel and Honda Shadow each only come with a 1 year factory warranty and with no roadside assistance.

For ‘09, the Moto Guzzi Nevada 750 comes in a new burgundy color with new silver pinstriping.  Also new is the exhaust, passenger foot rests, and new digital analog instrumentation that comes from the retro Moto Guzzi V7 Classic.

Engine is a 744 cc, 90° transverse V-twin, air cooled four stroke with aluminum alloy cylinders and forged pistons.  Electronic Fuel Injection system is from Weber-Marelli. The Digital Electronic Ignition is a Magneti Marelli IAW 15R.  The 5-speed transmission is coupled to a shaft drive.  Moto Guzzi has been using a transverse v-twin engine and shaft drive system for many, many years, in cruiser models such as the Moto Guzzi California.  It is all about having proven reliability and solid performance.

Moto Guzzi Stelvio 1200 4V TT

The Moto Guzzi Guide is admiring the new fully equipped version of the Moto Guzzi Stelvio 1200 at the Milan show. This new TT motorcycle introduces a new line of factory Stelvio accessories designed for on-road and off-road travel. The color is new for this special new edition is described as a two-color magnesium. Other available colors for the Moto Guzzi Stelvio 1200 are red, pearl white, and black.

Stelvio 1200 fans should be pleased with the new generously sized luggage, especially since it is designed to hold up to off-road adventures.  The new panniers should also deflect the heat of the exhaust silencer without any trouble.

The new Stelvio 1200 (1151cc actual) v-twin engine has 11:1 compression and 4 lightweight valves per cylinder, also known as Quattrovalvole, with new 5mm valve stems and new conical valve springs.  Also new is the twin 50mm throttle bodies and IWP 189 Marelli fuel injectors help this maxi-enduro motorcyle produce 108 Nm torque at 6400 rpm and 77 kW power at 7500 rpm for devouring whatever obstacles you want to navigate over.

To control all the power and torque, shaft drive is combined with a single arm rear suspension system, known as the Moto Guzzi CARC system.  The CARC system is also utilized on other high end Moto Guzzi motorcycles, such as the Norge 1200.  A six speed transmission is standard.

Front suspension travel is 170mm and is cushioned by 50 mm upside-down fork tubes.  Rear travel is 155mm.

To help light up the trails, the 12 volt alternator on the Stelvio 1200 motorcycle puts out a healthy 550 Watts, which is a very nice improvement over some of the Moto Guzzi alternators of past, and even over some current street models.  Owners of the Moto Guzzi California Vintage, including yours truly, have learned not to use the auxiliary lights for very long, and only at higher revs since the “improved” 350 Watt alternator does not seem to keep up with them at normal cruising rpm and the battery begins to weaken.  Fortunately, Stelvio 1200 owners should not have such trivial problems, and should have plenty of juice left over to power other accessories.

Weight of the Stelvio 1200, in standard form, is rated at 214 kg dry and 251 kg ready to ride.

The Moto Guzzi Stelvio 1200 has been in high demand world wide since the introduction in parts of Europe.  Sales of the Stelvio have started in the USA in 2008.  While the Stelvio has been a little hard to find at first, it is sure to become a winner in fine Moto Guzzi historic Italian fashion.