[motorcyclistonline] - EICMA 2015: First Look at 2016 Moto Guzzis

[Ninjette Newsbot]

Moto Guzzi joins the list of European brands that are hitting 2016 with fresh new models. An update to the V7 that was announced last year will be in full swing with the 2016 line of V7 II machines, as well as the new V9, wild MGX-21 bagger, and returning models based on the California 1400, in the Eldorado and Audace.

2016 V9 Bobber




The most intriguing addition to Moto Guzzi’s lineup has to be the V9 bikes, available in Roamer or Bobber trim and sharing a new 853cc powerplant. The Roamer features an odd combination of wheel sizes, with a 16-inch rear rim behind a 19-inch front hoop, giving it a whiff of 1980’s American V-twin style. The Bobber uses a 16-inch front rim to match the rear, and in doing so lowers the seat by 5mm. The saddle is also thinner, a works with a stubby rear fender and lower handlebar to complete the bobber look. Guzzi say both bikes will weigh about 440 pounds and have seat heights around 30.5 inches. With a claimed 55hp and 46 pound-feet of torque on tap, we can expect the V9 to be a considerable upgrade from the V7 yet still accessible to green riders. Standard ABS and a USB port under the steering head are nice touches too.

2016 V9 Roamer


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Easily the most exciting Guzzi to surface in a few years is the MGX-21, a sleek bagger set to quench the thirst of the moseying, Italian-expat upper crust. Presented as a prototype last year, the “Flying Fortress” uses Moto Guzzi’s “big block” 1400 engine and simply oozes factory custom. Carbon panels are everywhere, including (oddly) covering the 21-inch front wheel, and a swoopy batwing fairing straight out of a comic book. . There are radial-mount Brembo calipers and Frisbee-sized valve covers that, in Guzzi’s words, “seem literally to explode out of the petrol tank.” Let’s hope not.

2016 MGX-21


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We do know the 1400 powerplant is a smooth and torquey unit, which should make the MGX easy and fun to ride. Electro-accents include a stereo and intercom system, as well as a Bluetooth module that allows the rider to connect devices and link to the built-in multimedia platform. Ride-by-wire means ride mode options and cruise control (the same as the California models, we expect), and of course ABS and four-way traction control, including off. If Guzzi is going to go gaudy, this seems like a classy way to do it.

As for the V7 updates (V7 II, to you!), a redesigned gearbox that adds a 6th gear has us the most excited. The rest of the bike has been lowered slightly, trying to further attract riders early in their careers. Seats are 15mm lower than the V7 (now just a little more than 31 inches from the pavement) and footpegs are 25mm lower, meaning more legroom. More good news for lanky folks, the engine has also been lowered, and the cylinders pitched forward slightly, to create more room between the rider’s knees and the finned heads of the V7. Moto Guzzi admits that the bike is, “not designed to break track records” but nevertheless claims that the 750cc V7 is faster and easier to ride.

2016 Stornello




In the tradition of its predecessor, the V7 II will be available in Stone, Special, and Racer trims. The market is clamoring for Scrambers these days, and in 2016 Guzzi will deliver the Stornello. A revival of the name originally from 1967, the Stornello sets itself apart with a high-mount Arrow exhaust, a long seat, number plates, fork gaiters, brushed aluminum fenders, and knobby tires.

Not interested in entry level bikes, Scramblers or otherwise? Moto Guzzi is set to sell a handful of editions of the 1400-line, aside from the MGX-21. The 2016 Audace (see Audace First Ride here) and white-walled Eldorado we rode early this year ( click here for El Dorado First Ride ) will be available as well as the returning California Touring and Custom models.

2016 Audace and Eldorado


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