Moto Guzzi's California dreaming

If you hear the name of Moto Guzzi you will automatically think of history, this is the oldest motorcycle brand in Europe which still continue to operate, coming into being in 1921 on the shores of Lake Como, the company repeatedly changed hands through troubled decades but now have found better times under the Piaggio wing and is currently undergoing a revival especially in the United States.

2014 Moto Guzzi California 1400 Custom. (Picture from: http://www.motorcycledaily.com/)

Top view of the wasp-waisted 
California Custom. (Picture from:
http://www.forbes.com/)

As an iconic café racing goes Moto Guzzi has always appeared to be an aristocratic Italian racing bike, but with a $54 million reboot from parent company Piaggio and an output that has more than doubled in the last few years, a cult figure is set to become a huge crowd pleaser in America, where cruiser enthusiasts hanker after some exotic Italian engineering and artisanal workmanship.

It wouldn’t be a Moto Guzzi without a transverse 90-degree 1,380 cc V-twin engine with the V of the cylinder heads pointing to the sky and the crankshaft running lengthwise, longitudinal to the bike. This configuration gives the bike a subtle gyroscopic effect under throttle and is as much a signature of the brand as the eagle wings in the logo. It’s an entirely new four valve that stays true to original architecture, is sculptured in aluminium and is an expression of Italian engine art.

2014 Moto Guzzi California 1400 Touring. (Picture from: http://www.forbes.com/)

California Touring Rear, With the 
hard bags installed, the Touring 
model is quite wide. (Picture from:
http://www.forbes.com/)

It is a big bike that came back to the 1970 California original when Moto Guzzi won a contract to supply the California Highway Patrol with motorcycles, a cop-inspired model became available to the public the following year with all the cop extras and all these vintage detail boxes have been ticked with the California. This stunning Italian beauty not only has looks, but also the personality to win the hearts of many riders.

Moto Guzzi has introduced the biggest and most powerful European V-twin engine producing 71kW of power and an even more impressive 120Nm of torque. The 2014 Moto Guzzi California 1400 available in a Custom and Touring version.

The California features three-stage traction control and three engine maps developed by Aprilia’s World Superbike champions. There is also a comprehensive and programmable on-board computer, Brembo brakes with braided steel lines and LED daytime running lights. All this modern technology hasn’t taken the personality away from the iconic cruiser.

Multi-function gauge with LCD display
at California Custom. (Picture from:
http://www.forbes.com/)

It still shudders at idle and lurches to the right when you blip the throttle, but once the revs rise that strange torque effect disappears and the ride smooths out with hardly a vibration in the wide mirrors. Throw a leg over the comfortable saddle seat and most riders will feel at ease.

The cockpit is a pleasant place to be, tucked in behind that big protective windscreen with wide handlebars and grips, a heel-toe shifter and big floorboards that float on rubber mounts to further isolate you from any vibe. If the seat isn’t comfortable enough there is a gel version available, but after 3,000 km on test, my bony rear end had no complaints.

It provides ample grit and power, with minimum shake and optimal smoothness, a heavy beast of a cruiser that is a lot more agile than you would think. Better on the open roads, its natural habitat, but nimble in the tighter spots, it is a modern bike that offers the romance of Californian highway adventure, with cutting edge technology, Italian engineering and craftsmanship and an historical tradition to back it all up. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | MOTORCYCLEDAILY | SWIDE | MOTO GUZZI]
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