Seven things you need to know about Moto Guzzi

Trends come and go but traditions are earned. And that is exactly what iconic Italian motorcycle brand, Moto Guzzi, has done for over a century.

Through triumph and tragedy, Moto Guzzi has stayed the course and survived to become a symbol of Italian craftsmanship, style and innovation.

As it celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2021, here’s seven things you need to know about Moto Guzzi.

Moto Guzzi first began operations on March 15, 1921, when renowned Italian ship builder Emanuele Parodi provided the finance for his son Giorgio to partner with friend, and former colleague in the Italian Air Corps, Carlo Guzzi – a renowned engineer.

The trio registered the company ‘Societa Anonima Moto Guzzi’ in the iconic port city of Geneo, with its headquarters and production facility in Mandello del Lario on the shore of the famous Lake Como.

While the first models were sold under the name G.P (for Guzzi and Parodi), it was swiftly re-branded Moto Guzzi following concerns from Emanuele Parodi that it could be confused with his ship building company.

Moto Guzzi’s iconic spread-winged eagle badge has been a constant presence for the brand for over a century, and was chosen in recognition and memory of Giovanni Ravelli, a famous motorcycle racer and a close friend of Parodi and Guzzi from the Italian Air Corps who was tragically killed in a test flight the week after WWI ended.

The eagle was the symbol used by the Air Corps.

Over its 100-year history, Moto Guzzi has been a pioneer and introduced many innovative new features to motorcycles, including the convenient use of a centre stand.

While plenty of motorcycles had featured side stands, Moto Guzzi was the first to introduce a centre stand which made the bike significantly more stable when stationary, as well as being able to be parked in tighter spaces.

Related: Seven fast facts about Moto Guzzi

Moto Guzzi revolutionised the riding experience too with the first iteration of what is now considered the modern swingarm rear suspension configuration.

Less than a decade after Moto Guzzi’s first bike, the Normale, rolled off the production line, long distance motorcycle travel was becoming a popular pastime in Europe. But traditional rigid frames, even with a sprung seat, did not make the experience all that comfortable.

Guzzi, and his brother Giuseppe, recognised the limitations and designed what they described as an elastic frame that incorporated a separate sheet-steel box with an integrated swinging arm and four springs.

To prove the durability of the concept, Giuseppe took four weeks to ride from Italy to the Arctic Circle in Norway on a prototype machine of what would later enter production as the GT 500.

That epic journey was used as inspiration for the grand touring Moto Guzzi Norge (Norweigan for Norway) when it was introduced in 2006.

Other Moto Guzzi models have also taken their names from places that have shaped the heritage of the company over the last century. Iconic sports bikes such as the Le Mans, Daytona, Imola and Monza models are named after the famous racetracks where Moto Guzzi achieved some of its greatest motorcycle racing victories.

Others match their performance with key characteristics of a region: Breva is named after the prevailing wind that blows across Lake Como, Bellagio is beautiful city on the shore of Lake Como, and Stelvio is named after the iconic mountain pass that traverses the Italian Alps into Switzerland, while the California and Eldorado cruisers take obvious inspiration from the USA where they are most popular.

The wind across Lake Como has been used for more than just inspiration. Moto Guzzi was the first motorcycle company to utilise a wind tunnel in order to streamline its racing competition bikes, as long ago as 1950.

The wind tunnel, which can be viewed today at Mandello del Lario, was a modified version of the open-circuit type that was designed by Gustave Eiffel – the same bloke responsible for arguably the world’s most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Using a fan powered by a 231kW motor, it was capable of simulating wind speeds of up to 200km/h and housing full-scale motorcycles with a rider on board, allowing racers to understand the effects of their riding position and adjust their body to improve top speed.

It also allowed engineers to design and optimise wind-cheating fairings that were becoming common place in post-war motorcycle racing competition.

To celebrate its 100th anniversary, Moto Guzzi has created a limited-edition series of motorcycles with a special Centennial Livery that takes inspiration from several of the brand’s most iconic models.

Available on the V7 Stone, V9 Bobber and V85 TT models Down Under during Moto Guzzi’s anniversary year only, each special Centenario offering is painted in an exclusive colour scheme that draws upon Moto Guzzi’s legendary – and fearsome – V8-powered Otto Cilindri race bike of the late 1950s.

Replicating the purity of its aesthetic, the Centenario models feature a satin metal finish on the fuel tank that is contrasted by matte green on the side panels and front fairing, a natural-coloured material on the seat designed to appear like leather and gold eagle badges, as well as a dedicated 100th anniversary logo on the front mudguard.

For more information on Moto Guzzi or to book a test ride at your nearest dealer, go to MotoGuzzi.com