The sunny state of California is thousands of miles away from Moto Guzzi's headquarters in Como, Italy-- and for that matter, Milan, site of the annual EICMA bike show-- but Guzzi's latest offerings maintain the moniker that first graced Los Angeles Police Department motorcycles way back in 1970.
The just-unveiled California Custom is quite the looker, with the trademark Guzzi transverse cylinders peeking out of a lower, thinner, and longer body proportion dominated by hulking 46mm forks and numerous upgrades including one more gear (for a total of 6) and a 1,380cc engine-- the largest displacement twin-cylinder produced in Europe-- that produces 88.5 lb-ft of torque at 2,750 rpm. Interestingly, the mill incorporates a so-called "elastic" setup which uses a front rocker, two side rockers, and a series of rubber dampers that enable the motor to "shake around its own center of gravity, filtering out all vibrations." The mill offers three electronic throttle modes, traction control, and standard cruise control; other niceties include the first daytime running LED headlights on a custom style bike.
Need to haul stuff and ride all day long? The cop-like California Touring boasts saddlebags, and chromed out trim, and of course, a big ole' honking windscreen. Trim packages include Eldorado (white accented by dark lines, inspired by California Highway Patrol bikes of yore) and Ambassador (black with white lines, like the V7 and 850 California.) Prices are TBD, but suffice to say, the Moto Guzzi buyer will likely fixate less on MRSP and more on intangibles, much in the same way the Harley fanatics faithfully flock to the Motor Company's CVO offerings.
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Photos © Moto Guzzi
“a 1,380cc engine– the largest displacement twin-cylinder produced in Europe”
Aren’t the Triumph Thunderbird’s 1600cc, and the Storm’s 1700cc parallel twins bigger?
However, it would be interesting to see a comparison of the Thunderbird (not Storm) and the Moto Guzzi to see how they differ.
Love the Guzzis – the cooling fins are on the outside of the valve covers. For those who don’t care how it’s done in Japan….
I like the looks of this bike. Interested to see what it will be priced at. If it’s around $10k I think it will sell well.
Joe,
This will be over $15,000
Thanks for the info Scottie, that’s a little more then I was hoping it would be.
Always had a bit of a soft spot for Guzzi’s – not sure why. That’s a cool bike…very laid back & relaxed.
Looks like a brilliant bike out of the box. Power and torque seems reasonable, as does fit and finish. Interested to see what the Harley faithful have to say and whether they’ll embrace it (moreso if it’s cheaper and technologically superior). More importantly, I can’t wait for Basem’s report!
I read an article from Britain claiming it’s msrp is around 19,000 pounds… which translates at around 30,000 dollars.