The Moto Guzzi V11: Traditionally
With the legendary, longitudinally mounted, air-cooled 90 degrees 1.064 cc push rods, V-twin, the Moto Guzzi V11 was a clear tribute to the early, sporty V twins of the Mandello brand. The engine of the Moto Guzzi V11 with two valves per cylinder produced a very strong 90 + hp and an impressive torque.
Two valves are better
This new line of sporty two-valve Guzzies had to do better mechanically and from a sales point of view than the pre-produced eight-valve engines with injection. They were sporty 'naked' with at most a fairing and even the color scheme was that of the legendary V7 Sport. V11 models came with two 320mm discs with Brembo four-piston calipers and a 282mm disc with a two-piston caliper at the rear. Some models also came with Öhlins suspension and damping, but most had a Marzocchi front fork and Sachs rear shock. With a full tank you came about 300 km.
What makes them so delicious
Just before the start of the new century, production began after the long start-up period, which Italians know. And the Moto Guzzi V11 line was thus one of the precursors of the still-current café racers rebirth trend. Moto Guzzi V11 models are therefore usually 'naked' or equipped with a small café tub to clearly show their character. Technically, the traditional Guzzi powertrain had received a lot of attention: a lighter clutch, a six-speed gearbox, fuel injection and a stiffer frame, to name just a few. The Moto Guzzi V11 was produced in many versions, each with its unique appearance, from the nude sport in Guzzi yellow to the slender Le Mans Nero Corse in black and red and the now sought after Tenni.
All of them are provided with the frame for which Guzzi had to pay heavily to the American Guzzi tuner / dentist Dr. John. That frame builds quite wide for a twin at the height of the footrests, but is otherwise perfect. Funnily enough, this type of Guzzies is much livelier than the 'old' V twins with their uninterrupted straightforward stability. The block does its job perfectly in a standard trim. Despite the sporting impact, a Moto Guzzi V11 is not a camouflaged racer, but it is a wonderfully dynamic and fast machine.
Now cheap
The first V11s hit the road 18 years ago. Moto Guzzies have always been the conscious buyers and enthusiasts of the brand. As a result, the V11s are often ridden a lot and are lovingly maintained. Such a two-valve block does not have to cause many problems during the first ton. Yet the V11 family is now simply in the corner of the 'older engines' in terms of construction years.
That position ensures that they are interesting in terms of price. They are already dated, but not yet rated as 'Real Classics'. For amounts from around € 4.000 you can already call yourself the proud owner of a Moto Guzzi V11. And isn't that a perfect idea?
Nice inside
Blowing off stupid motorways is not for this V-twin. For which bike indeed? The V11 wants to trot and dance on the most winding secondary roads. And please note that in Germany, flashing is also taking place 'from behind'.
The competition :: Ducati Supersport 900, Triumph Sprint RS, Kawasaki ZRX1100, Suzuki Bandit 1200, BMW R1100RS, Yamaha V-Max
