Moto Guzzi California

It's going to be a more relaxed pace around AMCN now that Moto Guzzi's California Special has joined the long-term test fleet in '01, because all early indications point to the bike performing admirably in exactly the area it damn well should - cruising.

The 1064cc, air-cooled V-twin fuel-injected machine, a close sibling to the EV incarnation which took home the gong in US monthly magazine Cycle World's cruiser of the year in 1998, made its way into the AMCN bunker in late December. Its extended tenure will not only include the requisite day-to-day grind, but some long-haul stuff too - it certainly won't be too long before some soft panniers and windshield make their way on to the Special (aka the ES)!

The ES and EV cruisers retail in Australia for $18,500 and $19,300 respectively. The major points of differentiation between the two are mainly cosmetic, although the ES does have a 10mm lower seat height (it now sits at 770mm), moving it into a more respectable range for shorties and cruiser-ites who like to feel more at ease at lower speeds.

AMCN's long-term California Special is a 2000 model; for all intents and purposes it's nearly a copy of the '01 bike, although a closer inspection reveals that a few Aprilia touches are already beginning to make their way on to the new Guzzi. Moto Guzzi was bought out by Aprilia in the second half of last year.

The exhaust-header collar is one notable improvement, as the old finned one (as fitted to our bike), is prone to rusting. It's been ditched on the 2001 model in favour of a new design.

NO RETRACTIONS
As I acknowledged earlier in the piece, the Special is fun to ride - one of the most enjoyable cruisers I've ridden.

Obviously, any machine which is a template of the award-winning EV cruiser must be on the right tram, and that was my anticipation when the Special arrived at AMCN with 4000km already on the odometer. Since that time, after a few strops in the sticks, I'm not about to retract that thought.

The pushrod engine is very honest, with a strong urge right through the rev range. The claimed power and torque figures are quite appealing: 73ps at 6400rpm and 9.6kg-m of torque at 5000rpm. More than adequate.

Same goes for comfort - you won't doze off at speed in plushness heaven, but there's still enough support for all conditions. The wide-set handlebars are also well positioned, with the rider perched in quite a neutral position.

The gearbox - with a heel and toe shifting mechanism - takes some time to work around, with laziness consigning the rider to neutral territory.

Perseverance is also required on the linked Brembo brakes, with one front disc activated by the footlever in tandem with the rear disc. Jump on the footlever in a swashbuckling manner and you'll know all about it.

It's not too difficult to have the front-end diving appreciably with a possible front-wheel lock-up. Maybe the amount and severity of the brake bias is something we can investigate during our period of ownership.

MORE TO FOLLOW
Hitherto, I've completed around 700km on the big girl, with some early fuel consumption figures already on hand. With a mixture of cruising and commuting, the Guzzi has consumed around 16.4km/lt, a figure which drops by around 1km/lt just in the urban stuff. That's good enough for around 300km between stops.

We'll put a few more thousand kms on the Cali before the next service, at which time it'll be decked out with some genuine accessories, including a back rest, soft leather panniers and sport windscreen. That's before the Silver Eagle collection - specifically designed for the California range of Guzzis - comes into play, with 14 different ES add-ons to choose from, including a variety of covers, clamps and kits. Welcome aboard. Mark Fattore. Photos: Stuart Grant

Note: AMCN has tested the California Special twice: Alan Cathcart's first ride appeared in Vol 47 No 23, and Guy Allen's impression was in Vol 48 No 3.