This feature was written by James Hilton, the proprietor of Death Machines of London. When possible we like to give custom builders the opportunity to tell the story of their bike, to give an insight into their thought process and methodology. – Designed in memory of Giovanni Ravelli: WW1 fighter pilot, motorcycle racer, and one of…
A very brief history of Officine Rossopuro Filippo Barbacane started Officine Rossopuro in 1998 as a small shop that sold custom motorcycles, as well as parts and apparel. Based out of Abruzzo in the mountainous region of East-Central Italy, the little shop quickly made a name for itself in Italy and around Europe, and today…
Introduction The Moto Guzzi Le Mans began life on the race track back in 1971 when Dutchman Jan Kampen decided to build a racing Moto Guzzi for the Zandvoort six-hour race. Kampen’s bike had the Moto Guzzi V-twin engine’s capacity increased to 810cc. As Kampen and Moto Guzzi engineer Lino Tonti were in regular communication…
The Moto Guzzi V65 TT was released in 1984 as a competitor of sorts for the all-conquering BMW R80 G/S, the engineering team at Moto Guzzi were operating under the tight fist of Alejandro de Tomaso at the time – so the development used as many parts from other Guzzi production bikes as possible. The…
The Moto Guzzi V65 was released in 1982 and sold in various forms until 1994, it was fitted with a 643cc twin (with a bore of 80mm and a stroke of 64mm), and either 2 or 4 valve heads. As with most Guzzi, the V65 had a longitudinally-mounted V-twin with a 90 degree V-angle and a…
The original Moto Guzzi V8, otherwise known as “the Otto”, was developed in the mid-1950s by Dr Giulio Cesare Carcano for the Moto Guzzi Grand Prix racing team. As the name implies, it was powered by a staggeringly advanced V8 engine with a capacity of just 500cc. This engine had twin cams, an individual carburettor…
The Moto Guzzi V7 was released in 2008 to satiate demand for a simple, air-cooled, retro motorcycle that was both a hat tip to the iconic Guzzis of the past and a step in the direction of the future of the marque. From the outset, the V7 was a success thanks to its torquey 744cc…
The Moto Guzzi Le Mans 1000 was introduced in 1984 as the successor to the original Le Mans 850, the new bike had its capacity upgraded to 949cc, it was fitted with bigger 40mm Dell’Orto carburettors, and it borrowed the B10 camshaft from the Moto Guzzi production race bike. The primary selling point of the…
The Moto Guzzi V7 Sport was introduced in 1971 as a new and improved version of the standard V7. For their new superbike the engineers at Moto Guzzi installed the alternator on the crankshaft nose which allowed the engine to be installed lower in a new frame – improving centre of gravity. The new frame…
The Moto Guzzi California is a motorcycle that should be significantly more famous than it actually is. The first California was released in 1971 after extensive consultation and testing with the Los Angeles Police Department Traffic Division, the resulting police version of the model was notable for its bulletproof Lexan windshield and its standing quarter…
The Moto Guzzi 1100 Sport is one of those wonderful motorcycles that suffers from one major problem – it’s a little on the porky side. With a wet weight well into the 500 lb range the Guzzi was challenging to ride, although those who have mastered it tend to consider it one of the best…
MotoGalleria is a British motorcycle store with a significant difference over other vintage motorcycle dealers – they focus on selling their bikes as display pieces to offices, homes and public spaces. All of their bikes are in running order and can be licensed and ridden, but the focus is more on the aesthetic appeal of…
