Long Legged and easy

Moto Guzzi, as you may have noticed, celebrates its centenary in 2021. Over the decades Moto Guzzi has demonstrated many outbursts of brilliance, not least the T-series of touring twins which carved the company's most profitable classic niche. With sleight of hand and great ingenuity, Lino Tonti's V-twins ranked impressively in each of the 1970s main street segments: sports, touring, and roadster.

Praised for its mechanical simplicity and the occasional dose of visual seduction, few motorcycles could better absorb the daily thrashing from streaking across miles of tarmac. The admirable qualities of the T-series machines generated local and international contracts. Although Mota Guzzi wasn't alone in pursuing the police bike business, those sales had a significant influence on the direction of development during the 1970s and early 80s.

Decades earlier, the Italian factory had grown its reputation by crafting streamlined GP champions, singles, and a vast range of utility vehicles. When the market steered and Guzzi didn't, sales slumped. Needing a fresh design and then crafting one, Italy's promising newV7 and everything else at the House Mandello was nonetheless circling the drain in 1967.

Yet their machines were deemed worthy by the feds, so Guzzi was taken on by a group of investors called SEIMM. With police and civil orders waiting, the new twin was drafted to serve as the single before it; a foundation for municipal use. Eventually that V-twin motor became the brand's signature engine - helped by hiring Tonti, who supplied Guzzi with the competitive talent it needed to survive. In 1972, the arrival of Benelli's Alejandro De Tomaso as directing owner added style to Tonti's sizzle, and Moto Guzzi began its comeback.

A scan through 1973's big bike competition was likely a daunting task for Guzzi's new boss. Even dismissing the Japanese, looming increases from rival Euro makers would demand a response. While settling in to his new office,