TRADITION V TECHNOLOGY

In the early 1970s, it was easy to distinguish European motorcycles from those created with Japanese technology. Those Euro firms which still remained in business survived by incorporating themselves into a story rewritten by the 750 four. Unlike the European marques, however, Honda’s success didn’t include decades of bike building experience and the traditional manufacturers had their old assets to fall back on. With machines that were lighter, tighter and more powerful where they needed to be than the modern multis, what the old brands lost in sales was taken back on the road where stability and roadholding still mattered.

Better known for their long-established single-cylinder machines, Moto Guzzi’s Italian V-twin finally flourished during this era. The Guzzi twin engine is unmistakable: mechanically transparent, large cylinders rise symmetrically to draw a theoretical line, and the rest plugs in neatly behind. The theory that it was based on an old auto has long divided Guzzi enthusiasts into yay or nay factions, and there’s no wrong answer. While it carved its niche as a flashy shaftie, Mandello’s twin proved reliable as a bus – but