Get Hotcars Premium. Start your free trial today
We take a look at the highly anticipated, technically advanced Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello. It’s not your Dad’s Guzzi.
Seconded to the Italian Air Force at the outbreak of WWI, Carlo Guzzi served as a flight engineer and would meet Giorgio Parodi, a biplane pilot. United by a love of motorcycles, the men agreed that, should they survive the war, they would start their own motorcycle company. In 1921, Parodi’s father, a wealthy shipbuilder, backed the former flight engineer and his aviator son, who founded their fledgling firm in Mandello del Lario, a small town on the banks of Lake Como.
Moto Guzzi celebrated its first centenary last year and announced the imminent arrival of the V100 Mandello as part of the celebrations. Set for release in 2022, the Mandello's transverse-mounted 90-degree V-twin architecture has been the hallmark of Moto Guzzis since the late ‘60s. Nevertheless, in just about every other aspect, its latest model marks a significant step forward for the storied marque.
With a long-held reputation for marching to the beat of its own drum, Moto Guzzi rarely follows the crowd. Its bikes tend to be quirky, or characterful, depending on your perspective. In that tradition, the V100 Mandello’s design defies classification. A not-quite naked fairing and sportbike silhouette combine with high, wide handlebars typically associated with a tourer. So, what are we supposed to call it? Definitely not quirky. Gorgeous is the first word that springs to mind, but there is a lot more to this bike than good looks. Making their Guzzi debut on the V100 is a newly designed powerplant, a full suite of electronics and rider aids, and a unique adaptive aerodynamics system.
The V100 Mandello benefits from a newly designed, liquid-cooled V-twin, which is now a full four inches shorter in length. By rotating the cylinder heads 90 degrees around their vertical axis, unsightly throttle bodies and air intakes now enter from the bike’s center, hidden from view. Exhaust headers, which must now exit from the sides, look more like engine protection bars at first glance and are, perhaps, the one quirky aspect of the new design.
RELATED: Here's What We Love About The Moto Guzzi MGX-21
Guzzi claims the new DOHC, 1042cc, V-twin, with four valves per cylinder, will produce over 115 horsepower and 77 foot-pounds of torque, tuned to provide plenty of low-end grunt. Significantly better numbers than those offered by the air-cooled 850 V-twin driving the V85 TT, with only two pushrod-driven valves per cylinder. Better also than the excellent Yamaha Tracer 9, but well short of the performance offered by the BMW S 1000 XR we recently tested, both likely competitors.
The engine is a stressed member of the tubular steel trellis chassis and, thanks to its shorter length, enabled Guzzi to mount a longer, single-sided swingarm and shaft-drive lower in the frame. It claims this minimizes the ‘jacking’ effect common to shaft-driven motorcycles without requiring a secondary linkage. The innovative compact engine also affords the V100 a shorter, sportier wheelbase, which at 58.5 inches promises unprecedented agility in a Guzzi. For reference, the BMW R 1250 RS we tested has a wheelbase of 60.2 inches.
RELATED: Check Out This Beautiful Moto Guzzi Race-Prepped V7
The premium S trim version will also include Öhlins Smart EC2 Semi-Active Suspension, which offers live damping adjustment to suit road conditions and riding styles, in conjunction with the chosen Riding Mode. Meanwhile, the base model features a Kayaba manually adjustable fork and monoshock. Both the base and S models get radial-mounted Brembo four-pot monoblock calipers with twin 320mm discs up front and a two-pot Brembo with a 280mm disc at the back, and although Guzzi hasn’t released any weight specs, we expect they will provide ample stopping power.
Moto Guzzi claims the V100 Mandello will be the first motorcycle in the world to offer adaptive aerodynamics. Two air deflectors mounted at the gas tank’s shoulders allow for manual or automated deployment. In automatic mode, the deflectors adjust according to either a default speed map or one determined by the rider. In the fully raised position, Guzzi claims the aerodynamic wings reduce air pressure on the rider’s torso by 22%.
The sporty windshield provides electronically controlled height adjustment through a substantial range of motion and, coupled with the adaptive aero, appear to transform the V100 from a semi-naked roadster into a fully faired sport-tourer. Indeed, Guzzi claims it will “ride like a roadster, but with the comfort and travel vocation typical of the best tourers.” Something we look forward to testing when models become available.
The V100 Mandello uses a fly-by-wire system linking a Marelli ECU with a new six-axis IMU sensor, allowing Guzzi to offer, among other things, semi-active suspension, cornering ABS, an adaptive headlight, traction control, and adjustable engine braking. A new (inherited from the 2021 Tuono V4) 5-inch, full-color, TFT display provides a choice of four Riding Modes, Travel, Sport, Rain, and Road, which use distinct maps to determine the extent to which the various systems intervene and adapt. Riders can customize the different mode settings to suit their skill level and preferences.
The display also incorporates Guzzi’s MIA system, which enables smartphone and helmet communications connectivity via Bluetooth (iOS and Android). Functions include handlebar/voice operation of the infotainment system (requires helmet comms) and GPS, which uses the smartphone's mapping technology to display basic directions on the instrument panel, although this won't extend to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
All-around LED lights, with the ‘eagle’ DRL and adaptive headlights are standard in both trims. The adaptive system, made up of two additional light pods, processes IMU data to determine lean angle and direct illumination into on-coming corners. Also standard is a heated seat, but heated grips require stepping up to the S model, which also provides a quickshifter, replete with auto-blipper.
Although the V100 Mandello’s aesthetics are hard to pin down to a single class, its core features align mostly with sport-touring. Moto Guzzi has pointed out that accommodating a pillion passenger in comfort was a core design benchmark and claims the seat will provide all-day comfort for rider and passenger, with thoughtfully placed grab bars and pillion pegs. The aerodynamics promise good wind deflection without the need for bulky fairing, and the 4.6-gallon tank should provide a reasonable range.
The liquid-cooled compact engine and new electronics suite are a considerable step above the technology driving Guzzi's current lineup and we expect future models to utilize more of the same going forward. We'd love to see a liquid cooled version of the third generation V7, with a shorter wheelbase. Above all, the V100 Mandello is a beautiful machine to behold. A brilliant balance between angular, contemporary touches and the subtle, flowing lines of a classic roadster. The styling is as fresh as the Tramontana winds that whistle down Lake Como in winter, perfectly set off by the stunning snow-flake, cast aluminum wheels. We can only hope it rides half as well as it looks.
Guy started riding motorcycles aged 21 and bought a Kawasaki ZX-6R the day after passing his road test. He was a sportbike enthusiast for many years until, in 2010, the Long Way Round television series inspired him to organize an adventure moto-tour. Since then, he has traveled thousands of miles across the US, Chile, Argentina, Canada, and the UK on various adventure bikes. He attended adventure bike school with the BMW Performance Academy, completed enduro training with Off-Road Skills in the UK, and recently brushed up his sportbike skills at the renowned California Superbike School. He spent a year in amateur endurance car racing and has attended Skip Barber and Dirtfish driving schools. Guy has previously been the Road Test Editor at Rider Magazine, and his stories were also published in Adventure Bike Rider, ADVMoto, and DRIVETRIBE. In 2020, Guy was one of three winners of Moto Guzzi's "Spirit of the Eagle Rideaway" competition.