2022 Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello First Look

Admin · November 23, 2021

The new V100 Mandello broke cover at EICMA 2021. More than just a new model, it unveils the engine platform which will carry Guzzi into the future. (Moto Guzzi/)

Moto Guzzi is celebrating its second century by unveiling the long-awaited heir to the legendary V7: the new V100 Mandello. This promises to be a superb machine, one that makes Moto Guzzi a real player in the European motorcycling scene. The bike retains the classic Guzzi 90-degree transverse V-twin layout, but is new in every other aspect and promises to be a thoroughly modern, well-engineered, well-thought-out, and inspired machine right down to the minor details.

Overall, the new V100 Mandello is compact and svelte. It looks great just parked, with the promise of both lively performance and long-haul comfort in the best Moto Guzzi tradition. Its 58.5-inch wheelbase is short enough to deliver agile steering response alongside adequate two-up comfort. The rear suspension uses a rather long single-sided aluminum swingarm with a single cantilevered shock absorber. Naturally, the design incorporates Guzzi’s classic shaft final drive.

Two details to note here: First, see how the new engine’s exhausts exit from the bottom of the head as opposed to the front. Second, check out the single-sided swingarm, also housing Guzzi’s signature shaft final drive. (Moto Guzzi/)

This new-generation Guzzi engine is extremely advanced, starting with its extremely compact packaging; the engine’s overall length is 4 inches less than Guzzi’s “small block” V85. This also explains why the V100 can feature such a long swingarm in combination with the short wheelbase. Weight distribution, as you’d expect, is duly biased to the front axle, a design element that was difficult to achieve with the V7, and which is generally a challenge for any bike with a longitudinal powertrain.

The liquid-cooled V100 unit displaces 1,048cc from a 96mm bore and 72mm stroke. Chain-driven double overhead cams act on four valves per cylinder. Guzzi claims 115 peak horsepower with 77.5 pound-feet of peak torque; that torque curve must be extremely flat, since 90 percent of it already shows up at just 3,500 rpm, and redline is at 9,500.

Chassis-wise, the new V100 uses a steel-tube frame with the engine as a stressed member; note that this is not a full-cradle perimeter design. Suspension consists of electronically managed Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 components.

The electronics suite is the most advanced ever fit to a Moto Guzzi, clearly taking advantage of the great progress Aprilia has made in this domain. In the V100 Mandello this translates to a six-axis inertial platform managing a number of functions, including cornering ABS, traction control, cruise control, and four riding modes (Travel, Sport, Rain, and Road) with three engine mappings apiece. The electronics also include both up and down quick shifting, heated grips, full LED lighting equipment with adaptive headlight, and a 5-inch TFT instrument panel. Bluetooth connectivity allows access via personal smartphone to the bike’s MIA multimedia platform.

The V100’s blended bodywork dances a delicate line between classic Guzzi and a modern sportbike. Unchanged is the timeless Guzzi logo. (Moto Guzzi/)

In a nod toward the V100 Mandello’s long-haul capability, the bike offers active aerodynamics that engage the compact windscreen and spoilers to divert the windblast away from rider and passenger. The bike’s styling is contemporary; not particularly strong in terms of personality, but smooth overall. The center and rear sections have a fluid design that takes advantage of the classic Guzzi cylinder layout, and the elegant fuel tank offers an additional touch of Moto Guzzi personality.

Other New Guzzi Models

In addition to the V100 Mandello, Moto Guzzi unveiled a handful of variations on the V85 TT theme. Here, both the V85 TT and V85 TT Travel are of interest; the latter is complete with windshield and travel bags. And while not for civilian use, the new V85 TT is also the base from which Moto Guzzi developed a special version for the Cuirassiers of Italy’s Presidential Honor Guard, which presents quite elegantly in black graphics with white accents. Finally, the classic V7 is now offered with the V85 powerplant while retaining its V7 Sport-inspired design.

Indeed, Moto Guzzi seems to be entering its second hundred years with a bright future. The company continues to be based, as always, in Mandello del Lario, where the traditional factory is being totally updated, both the buildings and, more important, the tooling.

With its short wheelbase and long swingarm, the V100 Mandello promises up-to-date handling and a balance between nimbleness and long-distance comfort. (Moto Guzzi/)