Rennie Scaysbrook | November 30, 2022
Moto Guzzi is officially 100 years old, so they’ve thrown a party in the form of the splendid V100 Mandello
There are far, far less pretty places to ride a motorcycle than Mandello del Lario, and the Moto Guzzi factory is one block from where this photo was taken.
By Rennie Scaysbrook
The view is like something from a Sean Connery Bond film. Crystal clear, glass-smooth waters drift by as the road snakes its way along the base of the cliffs overlooking Mandello del Lario, the million-dollar houses dotted on the hillsides matched to a billion-dollar view.
No wonder George Clooney chose nearby Lake Como as his home, for the area is, as my mother so neatly put it, one of the singularly most beautiful places on earth.
Mandello del Lario is famous for breathtaking views and motorcycles with strangely mounted motors. The transverse V-twin is a Moto Guzzi trademark, the epochal engine elevating the niche manufacturer into a realm occupied by no one else.
The transverse V-twin is more Guzzi than the pushrod V-twin is Harley. Produce one without the famous Italian eagle on the tank and you’d be merely copying.
The $17,490 V100 Mandello S, on which I’m enjoying my northern Italian dream state, is significant not just in that it’s new, but because this motorcycle houses Moto Guzzi’s first-ever water-cooled 90° V-twin.
At $17,490, the V100 Mandello S is getting up there in terms of outlay, but you get a very different motorcycle from the norm, which is a good thing, indeed.
Dubbed the “short block,” with its cylinder heads rotated 90° so now, blissfully, the intake manifold sits in the center of the V rather than near the rider’s knees, the new engine is 103mm shorter front to back than in the old air-cooled form. This has allowed Moto Guzzi’s engineers to create a motorcycle unlike anything they’ve done for the past, oh, 100 years or so.
Producing a claimed 115 horsepower at 8700 rpm and 77 lb-ft of torque at 6750 rpm, the V100 Mandello isn’t going to pull any arms out of sockets from sheer acceleration, but the performance it does have is perfectly adapted to its required task.
Sport touring has tilted significantly more towards sport in recent years, with machines like BMW’s S 1000 XR and even sister company Aprilia’s base-model V4 Tuono pushing the game further out of reach from what the class was intended to be.
The V100 Mandello is here to change that. Its 115 horsepower is all one needs in a machine that will play perfectly happily in either the sport or touring segment, especially so as it’s the first production motorcycle to be fitted with adaptable aerodynamics (more on that later).
Low-down torque exiting hairpins is never in doubt, although the quickshifter’s application could use a little fine-tuning in the lower gears.
Graced with four riding modes of Turismo (Tour), Pioggia (Rain), Strada (Street), and Sport (Sport…), and with traction- and engine-control maps to suit via a new six-axis Marelli 11MP IMU, there’s plenty of torque for low-rpm hairpin exits while still providing the required go to pass the thousands of cars ambling along our coast road in northern Italy.
Matched to an up-and-down quickshifter that is not the sleekest in the world, especially in the first two gears when torque is at its maximum, the V100 Mandello’s motor is remarkable in how smooth it is, especially when compared to Guzzis of old.
You get 82 percent of that 77 lb-ft of torque at 3500 rpm, so you hardly have to dance on the shift lever to keep the motor in its sweet spot. The new motor’s internals are dramatically lighter than in the old air-cooled 1200cc 8V guise, and with its new counter-rotating crankshaft (thank-you lessons from Aprilia’s MotoGP program), there’s nowhere near the same side-to-side rock you get in the chassis when you blip the throttle—a Moto Guzzi transverse twin trademark if ever there was one.
It’s not perfect, however. Quickshifter or not, the gearbox could have been smoother for a bike of this price. Revving the liquid-cooled motor out and searching for gears can lead to a decent “thump” as the next cog is selected—this is a case of feeling for the motor’s sweet spot and slotting the gear in place at the correct time. You can’t be lazy with the V100 Mandello. Paying attention is paramount, which, on the flip side, is one of the machine’s engaging qualities.
The five-inch TFT display is far from the biggest in the segment, but everything is well laid out and easy enough to navigate.
The motor is tilted forward by five degrees, allowing Guzzi’s engineers to produce a long and low chassis with ample room for the rider. A seat height of 32 inches should make this an accessible machine for an enormous range of riders. However, I opted for the 20mm taller accessory seat to alleviate some of the strain on my knees after an hour on board.
The S model on which I am riding is graced with Ӧhlins Smart EC 2.0 suspension, a system we’ve seen many times on a lot of different machines, not just from Aprilia/Moto Guzzi/Piaggio. Running 43mm gold-legged forks and shock, the system allows for fully automatic damping front and rear, or you can get in there, switch it to manual, and adjust the electronic “clickers” yourself—there’s also a handy preload knob on the left side in case you have a passenger and or luggage.
Considering the weight is north of 500 pounds, mid-corner agility is impressive on the V100 Mandello.
Inside the suspension’s ECU sits two auto modes—Dynamic and Comfort—then there are two manual modes of Manual 1 and Manual 2.
Seeing as I was riding on my own with no passenger or luggage, switching to the harder auto mode of Dynamic was perfect for me, as it gave the front a little more support under braking without harming the overall ride quality. Two turns of preload on the shock didn’t hurt, either.
Adaptive aero flaps on the edge of the tank are a production first, although their effect isn’t massive.
Speaking of the brakes, Moto Guzzi didn’t skimp on these. You’ve got Brembo M4.32 calipers up front; nothing overly special there, but they’ve given you a quality Brembo radial 18mm master cylinder to modulate the power. The result is a lovely, smooth feeling at the lever, even if the ABS kicks in a little earlier than I would have liked when I did a few practice emergency stops.
Now for the $17K question: do the adaptive aerodynamics make much of a difference? Yes and no. These are not aerodynamic winglets designed to increase downforce so you can get to lunch faster. The adaptive aero flaps sit just under where your wrists fall on the handlebars and are claimed to reduce air pressure on the rider by up to 22 percent and work in conjunction with the electronically adjustable windscreen.
Accessory bags complete the touring look.
Moto Guzzi has spent over 200 hours of wind-tunnel testing getting this system right, and at the moderate speeds I tested the V100 Mandello at, I could discern a little less wind buffeting when riding it above 60 mph. However, the flaps only open in Tour at 43 mph and always remain open when you ride in Rain mode. In Street and Sport, they stay closed in standard form, although you can go into the modes individually and allow them to open at a predetermined speed.
Just a pretty bike and a stunning view—there’s not much else you need in life, is there?
The aero flaps are a nice addition, but I would need to do more consistent high-speed riding to form a proper opinion, as we were mainly confined to mountain switchbacks with the occasional freeway jaunt, so I’ll reserve final judgment until I’m back Stateside.
I will say that the ride position is nearly spot-on for long stints in the saddle. The handlebar height and adjustable screen make the cockpit a comfortable place to sit for hours at a time. The only addition I would insist on is the taller seat.
Moto Guzzi has done an exceptional job with the V100 Mandello, and the model is a genuine alternative to the Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX, Suzuki GSX-S1000GT or Yamaha Tracer 9 GT. It’s certainly got an overflow of personality the others lack, and the green/silver paint scheme, in the true hue of Moto Guzzi’s greatest hits, really hits me in the feels.
The price tag for the S is certainly up there, but given the performance on offer is not just ripping through corners but slowing down and enjoying the ride makes for a compelling argument.
Here’s to the next 100 years of Moto Guzzi.
VIDEO | Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello S Review
One Of The Family | 2023 Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello
If the V100 Mandello S is a little high for your tastes, Moto Guzzi has developed two other models for you.
The base model V100 is still quite the looker.
The standard model, the S’s 43mm semi-active Ӧhlins fork and shock are replaced by 41mm Kayaba fork and shock, and the paint is a rather fetching semi-gloss white or deep red. Everything else is the same, from the adjustable screen and aero to the IMU, traction and engine brake control, cruise control, cornering ABS, etc.
Another, more exclusive model is the V100 Mandello Aviazione Navale, symbolizing the bond between Moto Guzzi and the Italian navy.
V100 Mandello Aviazione Navale—you got to love a doff of the cap to the defense forces!
Resplendent in stunning flat grey in the same hue as the nation’s F35B fighter jet, there will be 1913 examples created, each with their unit number stamped on the handlebar clamp. You’ll also get heated hand grips, tire-pressure monitoring, a bike cover, and a dedicated aluminum plaque. No word on MSRP or if this model will make it to America.CN
2023 Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello S Specifications
| MSRP: |
$17,490 |
| Engine: |
Transverse 90° V-twin, 4-stroke |
| Valvetrain: |
8-valve |
| Displacement: |
1042cc |
| Bore x Stroke: |
96 x 72mm |
| Compression Ratio: |
13.3:1 |
| Cooling System: |
Liquid |
| Fuel System: |
Electronic fuel-injection system, 46mm throttle bodies with ride-by-wire system |
| Exhaust: |
2-2-1 |
| Transmission: |
6-speed |
| Electronics: |
Four Riding Modes, Engine Brake Control, Quickshift up/down, cruise control, full LED lighting system with cornering lights, electronically adjustable windscreen, five-inch TFT dash, TPMS, heated hand grips, Moto Guzzi MIA Bluetooth connectivity. |
| Chassis: |
Tubular steel |
| Front Suspension: |
Öhlins NIX Smart EC 2.0 semi-active 43mm fork, fully adjustable |
| Rear Suspension: |
Öhlins TTX Smart EC 2.0 semi-active monoshock, fully adjustable |
| Front-Wheel Travel: |
5.1 in. |
| Rear-Wheel Travel: |
5.1 in. |
| Front Brake: |
Dual Brembo 4-piston calipers, 320mm discs, Cornering ABS |
| Rear Brake: |
Brembo 2-piston caliper, 280mm disc, Cornering ABS |
| Front Tire: |
Pirelli Angel GT II, 120/70R17 in. |
| Rear Tire: |
Pirelli Angel GT II 190/55R17 in. |
| Rake: |
24.7° |
| Trail: |
4.1 in. |
| Wheelbase: |
58.1 in |
| Seat Height: |
32.1 in. |
| Fuel Capacity: |
4.5 gal. |
| Weight (curb, claimed): |
514 lbs. |
| Colors: |
Verde (green and silver), Grigio Avanguardia (black, grey) |
