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Now we all love a good story, especially me, and Guzzi History is a good one to tell. It couldn’t have started better if I were to write it myself.

It starts off with 3 mates who are pilots in the Italian Air Corps during the First World War. These friends dream of building Motorcycles when the First World War is over.

I can just imagine them sitting in a Pub over a few pints (or Grappa) dreaming the then impossible dream of peace and the War’s end and what they were going to do. We don’t know who originally came up with the idea of building bikes but we all bow to him and thank God he was born.

The dream would only become a reality for two of our three brave World War One lads as one of them ( Giovanni Ravelli ) would die in a plane crash during the War. In his honour, Giorgio Parodi and Carlo Guzzi used their Air Corps Symbol and adapted for the Moto Guzzi bikes (we know it as the famous Guzzi Eagle) in honour of their fallen Comrade.


Carlo Guzzi designs the 1st Guzzi back in 1920:

It’s a 500cc and they call it the Normale. It goes into production in 1922.

A single cylinder 4 stroke engine with a 3 speed gearbox and final drive in chain form.

Guzzi has a number of racing successes with their first model , the Legend begins.......



Time Warp To 1967: They say that God works in mysterious way and it certainly appears so when the Italian Army approach Moto Guzzi and make a rather bizarre request. They wanted a 3 wheeled/tracked vehicle which would come to be known as the "Mullo Mechanico" (The Mechanical Mule). The Mule had an uncanny ability of climbing very steep gradients.

Guzzi engineer , Giulio Cesare Carcano, designed a V-Twin 745cc motor for the Mule. Giulio Cesare Carcano was an engineering Genius , his previous creation was the Fabulous 500 cc V8-Dustbin Racer made famous in the 1950's.

Guzzi engineers, praise be unto them, then decided to build a Bike frame around this new V-Twin and Voila!! We have the classic Guzzi V-Twin that gives Guzzi its true Soul and Character. Certainly a Divine Inspiration - Da Vinci would be proud.

Top Left: Moto Guzzi 3 Wheeled/Half Track Top Right: The famous V8 500cc Guzzi Engine

Both these iconic motors where designed by Giulio Cesare Carcano- an engineering genius.

This V-Twin has basically gone unchanged, although recent derivatives have seen fuel injection feeding.
Even the new, radical MG1 - Corsa has its very obvious and undeniable roots in the original V-Twin from 1967.

On the left is one of the newer V-Twins that we find in a Moto Guzzi Breva. 1100 90 degree V-Twin with fuel injection as standard.

Versatile, bullet proof motors - A living legend. This lump of metal, alloy, and plastic is what moves our dreams!

I have tried to illustrate the Spiritual connection that all new Guzzi's share with the very first models made back 1920's.

One thing of late that has broken from the old Guzzi tradition, and that is racing success!

We here at Guzzista.Com would love to see Guzzi re-enter the world of Racing Motorcycles - Imagine Valentino Rossi riding one of these thoroughbreds to victory in the World Superbike Championships! But more of that when I add the Guzzi Racing History from Guzzista.com's point of view.

So untill then, just remember to give that Guzzi a friendly nod as you pass each other on the road wherever you are.

And you see, this brute you see here, above, gives us a problem...a dichotomy that we can't shake...on the one hand there is the fact that we love our Guzzis...no matter that they have issues (like mine with the exhaust that used to fall off-Joe)...on the other hand there is the niggling thought that we've been sold a bit of a pup; one doubt that we cannot seem to rid ourselves
of...the issue, of the Le Mans! To find out what we mean, you'll have to read the page "Le Mans- A Tutta Velocita"...