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A green-and-silver and a red Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello on rear-wheel stands by a graffiti-covered brick wall
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Moto Guzzi’s V100 Mandello Brings a New V-Twin for Its 100th Birthday

In addition to several special-edition versions of its current motorcycles, Moto Guzzi is celebrating its 100th birthday with a brand-new touring bike, the V100 Mandello. And the new motorcycle also brings a new version of the Moto Guzzi transverse V-twin: one that ditches air cooling for liquid cooling.
by Matthew Skwarczek
Published on
3 min read

2021 marks 100 years since Italian company Moto Guzzi started making bikes. And the brand released several special-edition motorcycles to mark the occasion. However, that’s not the only way Ewan McGregor’s favorite brand is celebrating its 100th birthday. The company is making 2021 a year of transformation, it seems, by overhauling both its buildings and its bikes. And that includes launching a new motorcycle with a new kind of V-twin: the Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello.

Evviva 100! Moto Guzzi celebrates its centenary with a new factory, updated museum, and a brand-new bike with a brand-new V-twin

A render of the updated Moto Guzzi factory
Moto Guzzi updated factory render | Piaggio

100 years ago, the first Moto Guzzi motorcycle rolled out of the company’s factory at Mandello on the shores of Lake Como. That’s still the case in 2021: everything from the latest V7 to the V85 TT adventure bike rolls out of there. And it’s also where the Moto Guzzi Museum is located.

But after a century of service, both spaces need an upgrade. So, as part of its centenary celebration, Moto Guzzi unveiled renderings of its planned revamped factory and museum.

The buildings are getting redesigned by American architect Greg Lynn with a focus on environmental sustainability, RideApart explains. But eco-friendly building materials and solar panels aren’t the only things the redesigns offer. The reimagined Moto Guzzi facility will also feature a hotel, restaurant, conference facilities, and a community meeting space. And the factory itself is also being expanded to increase production capacity.

However, arguably just as important as the updated facility is Moto Guzzi’s other 100th birthday announcement. Besides updating its iconic V7, Moto Guzzi is also getting back into the touring motorcycle game with the upcoming V100 Mandello. And it’s doing so with a brand-new V-twin engine.

The Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello and its V-twin are significant steps for the famed Italian brand

A green-and-silver and a red Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello on rear-wheel stands by a graffiti-covered brick wall
Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello | Piaggio

Engines are often signature items for motorcycle brands with significant histories behind them. So, when a company changes things up, it’s a big deal, to say the least. Case in point, the Ducati Panigale giving up the brand’s 90° V-twin (‘L-twin’) for a V4. Also, the new Harley-Davidson Sportster S sporting a liquid-cooled, high-RPM V-twin, rather than a low-revving, air-cooled one.

In Moto Guzzi’s case, its signature engine is the transverse air-cooled V-twin with shaft drive. The company has used this powertrain layout since the original V7. And even after several generations, the V7 still uses it, as do the V9 and V85. However, while the Moto Guzzi V-twin is a signature feature, it can only go so far while meeting Euro5 emissions regulations. If, hypothetically, the company wanted to build a sport-touring bike, said bike would need a new engine.

And that’s precisely what the new Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello brings, Cycle World says. While the upcoming touring bike’s shaft-drive V-twin is still transversely mounted, it’s not air-cooled. Instead, it’s a liquid-cooled V-twin with chain-drive dual-overhead cams.

The side view of a green-and-silver Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello by a graffiti-covered brick wall
Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello side view | Piaggio

As of this writing, Moto Guzzi hasn’t released official specs for the V-twin or the V100 Mandello. However, Cycle World claims insider information puts the engine at “about 1,050cc” and “roughly 115 hp.” For comparison, the 2021 V7’s 853cc V-twin makes 65 hp.

The new V-twin, though, isn’t the only tech the Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello brings, though. It has a single-sided swingarm, Brembo brakes, and the “up-spec variant” boats Ohlins semi-active suspension, RideApart says. And in Moto Guzzi’s promotional video, it appears that the V100 Mandello has active aero, too.

We’ll know more about the upcoming touring bike soon

Officially, Moto Guzzi hasn’t confirmed or denied the claims about the V100 Mandello’s features. But the full details are coming soon. Moto Guzzi plans to unveil the bike on November 23rd, 2021, at EICMA 2021.

As for the facility, the work is scheduled to start by the end of 2021. And all the upgrades should be complete by the first half of 2025.

In the meantime, happy birthday, Moto Guzzi. No doubt fans can’t wait to open up the upcoming present.

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MotorBiscuit Staff Writer, Producer - Sedans & Coupes

Matthew Skwarczek

Matthew Skwarczek started blogging in 2015 and focuses his writing on motorcycles and engineering science. A graduate of Northwestern University, where he earned his Master’s in Chemical Engineering, Matthew served as an applications engineer for BASF before joining MotorBiscuit in 2019.

In Matthew’s words, the visceral nature of riding requires you to be in the moment. Combined with his fascination in the analytics surrounding the building and designing of cars and bikes, both modern and classic, you’ll find his voice blends functionality and phenomena. He rides motorcycles and bicycles often, photographing them as well.

Matthew has contributed to Oppositelock and is now an alumnus. He plays Dungeons & Dragons and reads sci-fi and fantasy in his spare time, and appreciates the works of Peter Egan, Sam Smith, Brandon Sanderson, and Alex Goy.