Moto Guzzi E-Book

Greg Pullen

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

With the launch of the new California 1400 in 2013, and actor Ewan McGregor appointed brand ambassador, Moto Guzzi's owners Piaggio are proving their belief in the future and importance of Moto Guzzi. Moto Guzzi - The Complete Story charts the development of the stylish Guzzi bikes and the highs (and lows) of one of the oldest motorcycles marques still in existence. Topics covered include the origins of the Moto Guzzi factory at Madello del Lario - the oldest motorcycle factory in the world; the success at the Isle of man TT and races worldwide; the development of the V-twin engine; the De Tomaso years and the introduction of the iconic Le Mans model. The complete story of Moto Guzzi, from 1921 to the present day covers some very special motorcycles and some astonishing people who made it happen. Will be of great interest as a reference book to all motorbike enthusiasts and is superbly illustrated with 250 colour photographs.

Leseprobe

OTHER TITLES IN THE CROWOOD MOTOCLASSICS SERIES

BMW MOTORCYCLES Bruce Preston

BSA BANTAM Owen Wright

BSA UNIT SINGLES Matthew Vale

BSA UNIT TWINS Matthew Vale

CLASSIC SCOOTERS Mick Walker

DOUGLAS Mick Walker

FRANCIS-BARNETT Arthur Gent

HINCKLEY TRIUMPHS David Clarke

HONDA PRODUCTION MOTORCYCLES 1946–1980 Mick Walker

KAWASAKI [K]Z1000 AND Z1R Tony Sculpher

NORTON COMMANDO Mick Walker

NSU Mick Walker

ROYAL ENFIELD Mick Walker

TRIUMPH 650 AND 750 TWINS Matthew Vale

TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES John Tipler

TRIUMPH PRE-UNIT TWINS Matthew Vale

TRIUMPH TWENTY-ONE TO DAYTONA Matthew Vale

VELOCETTE PRODUCTION MOTORCYCLES Mick Walker

VELOCETTE – THE RACING STORY Mick Walker

VINCENT David Wright

YAMAHA RACING MOTORCYCLES Colin MacKeller

YAMAHA STREET BIKES Colin MacKeller

This e-book first published in 2014

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

© Greg Pullen 2013

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 84797 577 5

All photos Greg Pullen unless otherwise credited.

DEDICATION

For JOANNA, EVE and WILL.

CONTENTS

Introduction

CHAPTER 1THE EAGLE TAKES FLIGHT

CHAPTER 2RACING GLORY FROM SINGLES TO THE V8

CHAPTER 3THE ROAD-BIKES FACE DARK DAYS, WAR AND BOOM

CHAPTER 4BIRTH OF THE V-TWIN

CHAPTER 5DE TOMASO AND DIVERSIFICATION

CHAPTER 6BABY TWINS, AMERICAN CRUISERS AND RACING WITH THE DOCTOR

CHAPTER 7REBIRTH AND REBRANDING

CHAPTER 8THE FUTURE

Index

A new V7 Racer at rest outside the old race shopMOTO GUZZI

INTRODUCTION

Like many of my generation, the first Moto Guzzi I noticed was the Le Mans and, more specifically, the Bob Carlos Clarke photograph of a girl astride a bright red version of the original Le Mans in the August 1976 issue of Bike magazine. An ice-blue Le Mans spotted at a race-meeting soon afterwards kicked off a lifelong love affair with Italian motorcycles, fired by their beauty, presence and speed, even if, at sixteen, I could only imagine what 130mph (210km/h) might feel like. British motorcycles were relics from a (soon to be) forgotten age, and Japanese motorcycles looked like a comic book mix of Christmas tree gaudiness. Today I still only ride and own Italian motorcycles, inevitably including those built close to the beauty of Lake Como in Moto Guzzi’s Mandello del Lario factory, home to most of their motorcycles since 1921.

Today Moto Guzzi is associated exclusively with large-capacity V-twins, yet the Italian factory can trace its history back to 1919 via a range of motorcycles of unparalleled diversity. Even within the V-twin range there is great variety: from the diminutive sporting style of the Imola, to the leviathan Art Deco monument that is the new California. Despite sharing the same basic architecture, Moto Guzzi V-twins have been produced with displacements of between 350 and 1400cc, and can trace their origins back to the 1960s, when the original 700cc V-twin ushered in a new golden era for the marque. Inevitably, therefore, much of this book focuses on the V-twin motorcycles that current brand-owners, Piaggio, insist is the only conceivable layout for all future Moto Guzzis; although they do hint at the possibility of reviving the horizontal single. Piaggio point to the recent launch of the all-new 1400cc Guzzi California as proof of their commitment to both the V-twins and Moto Guzzi, although there has been more than the odd wobble along the way. Even so, by the final chapter it should be obvious that there are great hopes and plans for the future.

Written as a chronological history, early chapters introduce the ideals of Moto Guzzi founders, Carlo Guzzi and Giorgio Parodi, together with the engineering and business genius that made Moto Guzzi by far the most commercially successful Italian motorcycle factory until the 1950s. This success allowed them to create some of the most magnificent racing motorcycles ever seen, many developed in Moto Guzzi’s own wind-tunnel. Owners and riders give first-hand insight into Guzzis as diverse as the incredible V8 racer and the three-wheeled truck used to mend city roads, together with the better known lightweights, big singles and, of course, the V-twins. The story ends with details of the new California and concerns in some quarters over the future of the firm’s traditional base at Mandello del Lario, a stone’s throw from Lake Como and the Guzzi family’s one-time home.

And yet there are omissions, some because the truth is buried in myth and legend. For example, there are those who doubt that Moto Guzzi’s Spanish factory actually built anything, despite being an essential gateway to the Spanish market at a time when Franco’s regime would only allow Spanish-built motorcycles to be sold in Spain. Ducati formed Mototrans to build Ducatis in Spain, and not only did Mototrans build the bikes, they developed and raced them too. Yet the rumours persist that Moto Guzzi’s Spanish factory was merely somewhere to uncrate motorcycles built at Mandello. But getting a straight answer often proves impossible in Italy – the only response being a wink accompanied by a finger tapping the nose.

It is also true that some omissions must be deliberate when chronicling a factory with nearly a century of history and over a hundred production models, of which more than half a million were built – even if almost half were the Guzzino–Cardellino two-strokes. So this book’s focus is on the people who were pivotal to Moto Guzzi’s success (or occasional lack of it). Yet even taking this approach, the sheer number of riders who raced for Moto Guzzi makes a complete record impossible, unless the story is reduced to a mere list. Hopefully, instead the reader will enjoy a journey that explores the genius of the engineers, financiers and riders, and shows how Moto Guzzi’s finest hours often came just as failure seemed inevitable. It was particularly rewarding to find that, despite the doubters, Moto Guzzi have bold plans and seem to have not only put recent problems behind them, but are once again relishing the future. When you read the road tests, ride the motorcycles and speak to the owners and dealers, it seems they have every reason to be confident about the future and Moto Guzzi’s centenary in 2021.

The California Custom Nero Basalto. MOTO GUZZI

The sign above the factory is visible from much of Mandello del Lario and the first thing you see from the station platform.

As this is my first book, the experience has sometimes beendaunting, especially the sheer amount of time that needs to bespent at a keyboard. Thanks first must go to those who encouraged me along, especially my wife Joanna, who made sure I had the time to type and talk to people, and allowed me to disappear to Italy on my own. Le Mans and V7 Sport owner Richard Skelton also offered encouragement and advice.

The real heroes have, however, been those owners and enthusiasts who have offered guidance and insights with cheerful affection for all things Moto Guzzi. Special mention goes toJan Leek and Ivar de Gier, both Moto Guzzi chroniclers of note in their own right, who nonetheless assisted selflessly. Ivar’s guidance was especially valuable, aided by his conversations with the great names from Moto Guzzi’s history, and means that the true story of the V8 racer, the loss of Omobono Tenni and the birth of the V-twin are told in full, possibly for the first time in English. Piaggio’s Daniele Torresan was my direct line to the factory, and many press officers could learn enormously from his prompt and honest response to questions, all answered in perfect English. Moto Guzzi dealers Paul Harris of Corsa Italiana and Gordon de la Mare of Moto Corsa both gave insights, as much as enthusiastic owners as businessmen, as did Nicola Arnaudo of Agostini’s in Mandello del Lario: again, in perfect English. Others who helped with photoshoots and owner’s opinions include Shaun Power, Brian Rogers, Glen Parkinson, Paul Baker, Richard Varley and Andrew Gray. Thanks also to Neil Leigh who spotted the brochures used as illustrations at an autojumble in Belgium and immediately bought them to donate to this project. I owe special gratitude to Snr Morbidelli for a wonderful visit to his very special museum, where I was allowed to photograph many of the Moto Guzzis on display. Finally, and essentially, thanks for photographs provided by A. Herl Inc., Spike, Phil Aynsley and Mykel Nicolaou Photography, as well as Moto Guzzi. I am also indebted to the Moto Club Veteran San Martino, organizers of the Milano–Taranto revival and archivists of the original race, for photographs both old and new. Also to Peter Lockwood for allowing me access to his old but sadly unaccredited amateur photographer’s album from the early fifties. I am also grateful for the images from Andrew Gray’s team at Spa in 2011.

Inevitably I will have forgotten someone or some important event, for which I apologize. But for those who helped – and especially the people who have made Moto Guzzi such a loved and important part of motorcycle history – my thanks and admiration: you have been endlessly inspirational. I hope we can meet out on the road, ideally aboard Moto Guzzis.

THE MOTO GUZZI MUSEUM

Set inside the factory gates, to walk through the museum is to travel through pretty much the complete history of Moto Guzzi, from the very beginning. The only obvious oversights are the more recent models that are being built a stone’s throw away.

It may look little more than a string of first-floor offices, but the Moto Guzzi museum must be the most complete record of any motorcycle manufacturer’s history. Where other manufacturers eventually wake up to their heritage and start prowling the auction rooms of the world to try and buy (or even just borrow) some of their back catalogue, much of Moto Guzzi’s autobiography is written in metal at the factory. Because most of the people involved in that history lived in, or very close to, the factory, motorcycles never disappeared into private collections or nearby racing departments. Pretty much everything is here, from Carlo Guzzi’s first prototype and the bike his brother rode to the Arctic Circle, to the V-twin record-breakers and racers. If youlook past the dust and poor lighting, the modest presentation and ancient windows, there is a rich seam of history right before your eyes. No wonder Moto Guzzi’s current owners, Piaggio, are keen to provide a brand-new venue, still on the Mandello del Lario site, hopefully in 2016. But for now it’s down to a single hour’s access most weekdays at 3pm, and sadly even that window is not entirely reliable. The factory is also notoriously poor at replying to emails, even if you can get past the enquiry box on the website. Nonetheless, it is a must-see destination for any fan of motorcycle history, let alone Moto Guzzi enthusiasts. It’s also worth seeing on a quiet day – the Giornata Mondiale Guzzi (World Guzzi Day) each September might allow access to parts of the factory that are usually out of bounds (most notably the wind-tunnel) but the heaving mass of Guzzisti makes a worthwhile viewing of the museum all but impossible.

The famous Moto Guzzi factory entrance.

As the big factory gates roll aside you’re confronted with a short tunnel and a giant poster of Sean Connery in his Bond years aboard an early California. Otherwise you could be in pretty much any old factory in Southern Europe. The curator, a slim man who has been at the factory since the sixties, ushers you to an unprepossessing door on the left, where there’s a bookshop and the V11 Sport racer that campaigned in the 2003 Coppa Italia (a race series for unfaired motorcycles) to spawn a limited run of road-legal replicas. Behind it is a big red banner listing Moto Guzzi’s history and achievements in chronological order; and to the right, a staircase. The curator, who seems to speak no English, waves you on.

Sean Connery welcome visitors to the factory’s main gates.

V11 Sport racer fronts the list of Moto Guzzi’s achievements at the entrance to the museum.

At the top of the stairs is a hall flooded with sunlight and in a glass case is the GP – Guzzi Parodi – that is the very first motorcycle Carlo Guzzi built, pretty much on this spot, in what was then a blacksmith’s workshop. Power tools were a drill and lathe powered by the waters that rush down from the Alps, which rise almost 2,000m behind the factory. The GP was made in 1919, and has been here or hereabouts since then. You then walk past early production bikes and racers that competed on the Circuito del Lario, a road circuit just over the Lago di Lecco (as the south-western branch of Lake Como is known) in the 1920s. Among these historic racing machines is the C4V on which Guido Mentasti won the first European Championship at Monza in 1924.

There’s Giuseppe Guzzi’s own GTC Norge (Norway), which was hidden to prevent it being commandeered during the war, named after the country he rode through to prove the worth of his revolutionary rear suspension. The sense of history and achievement is palpable as sole-surviving examples of the original 3- and 4-cylinder prototypes from the early thirties speak across the decades with a wonderful patination of unrestored metalwork. Tragically there is no guidebook, or even a list of the exhibits. The oldest bikes are reasonably well labelled, but as you drift past the supercharged 3-cylinder 500 and 250 racers, it seems somebody got bored and decided that if you got this far you know what you’re looking at. In what feels like Carlo’s old office there’s a desk with an ancient aerial photograph of the factory, revealing just how enormous the site is. Opposite is a life-size statue of Omobono Tenni, the man some call ‘the original Valentino Rossi’, so devoted were his fans. He rode for Moto Guzzi, of course, becoming the first Italian to win at the TT on the 250 racer in 1937. There is, naturally, a supercharged version of that bike on display, as well as his Bicilindrica racer, as used at the TT alongside Stanley Woods.

The very first Moto Guzzi, the 1919 GP – Guzzi Parodi. The Parodi family quickly decided to drop the GP name in favour of Moto Guzzi, fearful that the initials could be construed as Giorgio Parodi’s and damage the family’s reputation if the new enterprise failed. This prototype not only survives, it is on public view in the Moto Guzzi museum, albeit as the only exhibit behind glass.

There are prototype and production engines on display, some with cutaways.

A period-scale model shows the layout of Moto Guzzi’s famous wind-tunnel, and Bill Lomas’s 1955 350 world championship winner, which it shaped. Lomas also raced the equally streamlined V8, which is central to the museum’s display and probably the exhibit at the top of visitors’ to-see list. A spare V8 engine sits on a plinth for enthusiasts to pore over: in fact there are lots of engines on stands, both prototypes and cutaways. Then it’s time to move on from the ghost of their designer, Giulio Cesare Carcano, and on to the era of the V-twin. This starts with a hall celebrating the record-breaking specials, developed by Carcano’s successor Lino Tonti, along with the prizes they scooped setting nineteen records at Monza in June and October 1969.

Alongside all of this are many of the production bikes that actually paid for the racers, especially as you get to the 1970 and 1980 models. Visitors can smile at the madness of the 4-cylinder 250 road-bike, the huge V-twin off-roaders (as well as the 1963 ISDT winning Lodola 235) and more – including the ‘Guzzi Matic’, an automatic V-twin racer based on the Convert and built by whimsical French Moto Guzzi dealer, Charles Krajka, to race at the 1976 Bol D’Or. Of course there’s Dr John Wittner’s ‘Daytona’ race bike and then you’re pretty much done. The curator’s tapping his watch, and you’re the last person in the museum, so it’s downstairs again with no time to look in the bookshop. Waved out through the reception with a smile, blinking in the sunshine and it’s over. Roll on a new museum that would allow the time that the exhibition deserves and, armed with the knowledge this book will hopefully provide, it would be possible to spend the best part of a day getting to really know the collection, along with a fine insight into Moto Guzzi’s achievements.

Model of the famous wind-tunnel.

The exhibit everyone wants to see – the fabulous V8 racer, with spare engine to examine.

CHAPTER ONE

THE EAGLE TAKES FLIGHT

Carlo Guzzi was born into a world in which Italy had only just become a single country, rather than a collection of fractious city states, and the word ‘motorcycle’ had not even been coined. Yet, despite mixed fortunes as a young man, he established and nurtured a factory that would become the greatest in Italy, and the first to become famous outside his homeland. Guzzi won the inaugural 500cc European Championship in 1924, a championship that grew to become today’s MotoGP. In fact there is scarcely a great race in which Moto Guzzi has not enjoyed success, from the Milano–Taranto to the TT, from Grand Prix to endurance racing. Even today, V-twins built in the same factory as the earliest Moto Guzzis, continue to win in classic endurance racing. This is the story of that motorcycle factory, the oldest, and for many the greatest, in the world. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

Carlo’s father, Palmede Guzzi, was a professor of physics at the Politecnico di Milan, founded in November 1863 a few shortyears after Italy’s unification into a single country. Originally the Istituto Tecnico Superiore, it taught only civil and industrial engineering, until architecture was added to the curriculum in 1865. Palmede had a brilliant and innovative mind (he could arguably lay claim to inventing the light bulb) but was no stuffy academic. He had also run an engineering consultancy, and loved the outdoor life as much as philosophy, counting Friedeich Nietzcsche as a friend: Nietzcsche was the philosopher famous for the phrase, ‘That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger’.

Mamma was an Englishwoman living in Genoa when she met Palmede. Elisa Guzzi-Gressini shared Palmede’s love of the mountains, so, although Milan was their home, Palmede’s talents and business acumen meant they could afford to buy property in Mandello Tonzanico: this was then a small fishing village at the foot of the Alps, within easy reach of Milan. The fabulous city of Milan is a fine landmark on the northern plains