Now this is nice, the Moto Guzzi V12 Concept. I’m partial to Guzzis to begin with but this really looks good. A Pierre Terblanche design, it has some interesting ideas, I’m not sure about that flip down setup below the engine, and the body flips up. An 8 valve 1200cc V Twin provides power. It looks like there are a couple of different variations to the body style, even a super motard version below.
If there is one thing I’m not crazy about it’s the exhaust routing. Newer Guzzis wrap the pipes to one side, I think they look better in a symmetrical arrangement, but opinions vary.
The boys over at Motoblog.it have a load of photos of these beauties, you might want to check them out.
Link: motoblog.it
More photos below:
hoyt says
Guzzi is the coolest hotrod straight from any factory.
Nicolas says
hot !
Richard Gozinya says
Usually I love Guzzis, absolutely gorgeous bikes, but these, not so much. It’s not just the incomprehensible flipping, they’re just not as cool as other things they’ve put out.
pabsy says
i like the mudguard light combo, minamalist and placed exactly where the tire spray initiates, an evoloution of what they have on their gs models
craigj says
What’s that behind the left fork tube? Is that the gas cap or the air filter? About the only think I don’t like is that finned area/body filler behind the forks and in front of the “gas tank”. That would sure put up some kind of rooster tail in the rain though, wouldn’t it?
hoyt says
There appears to be clever integration going on with the “space above the engine”…
the frame enclosure acts as the sides of the airbox while the all in one fuel tank/seat doubles as the top of the box. (further evolution of the Ghezzi-Brian frame/airbox idea)
The fuel tank would be a flat shape going along the top of the airbox, all the way down to the tip of the seat to comprise enough gallons.
Hinged tank/seat unit makes things easy and reduces parts.
I agree about the pipes, but on the red bike above, the angled junction & v-shape of the pipes coming together is great. The Griso pipes don’t have that shape.
The swingarm is wild.
hoyt says
i would guess the finned area is the oil cooler (and maybe the inlet) since the right side of the engine doesn’t have the oil cooler like the Griso engine.
Chris says
What’s the dangly thing that looks like the oil pan falling off in the first photo? It isn’t in any of the rest of the photos. I hope it’s just part of the display stand, but it doesn’t look like it.
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tim says
comment from someone with a 28 inch inseam: that seat looks REALLY high.
Greybeard says
The dangly thing looks to be a center stand not fully deployed.
Ennnh…not my cuppa but I’ll have the engine thank you.
And yes, too tall!
FREEMAN says
@ Chris: looks like a centerstand. It’s in the last photo too, but it’s folded up in that one.
hobomike says
I like where they placed the rear shock…
A Guzzi motor’s symmetry always makes for a good looking custom. I like these but still lean towards the Ghezzi & Brian aesthetic…
Richard Gozinya says
After looking around for more info on these bikes, there’s a lot more to like. LED headlights, LCD “Mirrors,” and from all the pics, it looks like they went with an under slung, Buell style exhaust. Red one’s called the LMII (LM for LeMans), Green one’s the Strada, and the white one the X. As extra cool bonus points, they were designed by the guy who came up with the Ducati Monster. Still not sure about the flip up body thing, but these bikes do have a lot of potential.
Billy B. Tso says
this is absolutely wild, love them! Mainly the Red one!!! good to see guzzi coming up with fresh ideas like these! ….they only i thing i thought that stand out like ‘dogs b@lls’ are the fins near the front of the tanks…having said that, they look to be serving a purpose as a cooler of some kind…either very impressed!!
hoyt says
the flip-up body is ingenious to me and very cool. That entire cavity is probably the airbox. i.e. Guzzi’s throttle bodies are in the rear of the heads (not the crux of the v), so where you see the darker gray panel with the Guzzi Eagle on it, that could be where the throttle bodies are pulling the air into the cylinder from the airbox. Brilliant evolution of Ghezzi-Brian’s idea of using the frame as the airbox.
Plus, easy access under the \hood\ and reduction of parts (worth repeating)
The fins up top are nicely stylized oil coolers….haven’t seen attention given to those types of parts since the curved rad of the Ducati 916
Jacquie says
I am in love!!
Joe says
when i saw V12, this was not what i expected.
kneeslider says
Ducatis always get the press coverage but, to my eye, these Guzzis look better in every way, especially if you like to see the engine, this is just sweet. I wonder how much of what we see here is intended for production.
Richard says
I love Guzzis. I loved what Ghezzi and Brian did with the MGS-01. I just don’t love Pierre Terblanche. His designs look choppy and disjointed. Single sided swingarms can look fine, but on the red bike the rear wheel doesn’t even look like it’s attached to the bike. The grooved plates near the headtube just look bad period. Kudos to Guzzi for shaking things up a bit, but, to me, bad choice of designers.
tim says
oh, and as the owner of a Honda NC30, I should just point out that the single side swingarm is cool, and all, but the lever is on the wrong side. Maximum cool points are obtained if you can see the full wheel from the RHS of the bike.
nortley says
That dropdown is a tray to keep your calzone warm while riding to a more scenic lunch spot.
4Cammer says
Looks like I found my next (new) bike now that Buell is no more…
joe says
I like the right hand veiw with the swing arm ,brilliant looking. But the left hand side without the swing arm looks like the rear wheel is hanging loose and seperated from the bike. Nah, dos’nt look right.
Jason says
I’m not a Guzzi guy, but I would buy one of these. Don’t like the exhaust, but that can be easily changed. Fresh look, something different from all the cookie cutter bikes. I’ve been looking for a bike to custom build, I think I just found my muse.
Scotduke says
I like Guzzis but these don’t quite cut it for me. I didn’t much like Terreblanche’s designs for Ducati either.
Palmer says
You should post the pics of the Millepercento M2S..
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/3761/m2speranimaguzzista.jpg
http://www.moto.it/static/upl/273/273.jpg
http://www.moto.it/static/upl/257/257.jpg
On the Italian Guzzi board people is going crazy. I think they should start buildin badass motorcycles like these. Guzzi isn’t in a good financial situation. They risk to close like Buell.
BTW, the Millepercento M2S, sister of the ghezzi brian’s MSG, will be produced – they say – and selled for an interesting price: less then a bmw HP2 and like a 1098.
Nicolas says
“I don’t like this, I don’t like that, the arm in on the wrong side, the exhaust too, blah blah blah, blah blah blah … ”
Hey, guys, please ! Whatever, these things are HOT, specially the motard-like one, and it’s very refreshing to see this kind of design.
Richard says
It’s called “a difference of opinion” Nicolas. Your’s is “blah, blah” just as much as anyone else’s.
Sam says
Palmer-
It was announced that Piaggio is planning to invest in Guzzi, so your financial doom comment may not be accurate. The pointy fairing on the Mille Percento does not go with the Guzzi motor at all imo
The 273.jpg link looks like it has a radiator under the tail section, but no rear hugger fender. It would probably be a good idea to have a fender underneath a radiator
Sam says
“The pointy fairing on the Mille Percento does not go with the Guzzi motor at all imo”…even if it is ducting air to the rad
Billy B. Tso says
Palmer 11.11.09 at 1:55 pm << the bike in your attached link, although it would be change to the 'norm' guzzi design…i don't think tearing away from the Guzzi mould and moving completely left of field would actually help increase sales, specially with the Jap-racer wanna-be bike design you posted…
hoyt says
I saw a close-up photo of the LeMans. The finned area by the forks seems to be just the inlet. The oil cooler is tucked in behind the lower triple clamp and in between the aluminum frame arms
Billy B. Tso says
Palmer 11.11.09 at 1:55 pm – the bike in your attached link, although it would be change to the ‘norm’ guzzi design…i don’t think tearing away from the Guzzi mould and moving completely left of field would actually help increase sales, specially with a racer wanna-be bike design…
D-Man says
All Guzzi really needed to do was make the MGS-01 street legal and they’d sell a butt-load. A little liquid cooling or some advanced oil cooling would bring the compression up and make more and crisper power. Heard some manufacturer has an air/oil cooling system as good as water cooling. If Guzzi uses that they can keep the look…
Palmer says
Sam,
Yes, piaggio, which owns Guzzi, has now planned to invest some money in Guzzi after a HUGE period of crisis in which the guzzi employees didn’t go to to work at morning; the fans organized a big event in front of the famous guzzi building in Mandello di Lario. Since now the financial situation of guzzi wasn’t good. Investment are always good, but onlu the market can give answers. Granpasso and griso weren’t a big success at all.. V7 classic and Cafè Racer aren’t bad at all, but in comparison to a triumph the V7 loose a lot of points in quality and power too.
I’m Italian and I love guzzi, even more than Duc’s.
The Radiator you see under the tail of the millepercento is for the liquid cooled Big Bore 1420cc kit that will be soon available for the M2S. And, the millepercento it’s not a Guzzi but another brand, like Ghezzi Brian. The M2S is the evolution of the MSG, never produced, but there’s a fairing kit available if you own a LeMans.
A bike like this, can have a good response frome tha market if the price tag is ok.
David/cigarrz says
I don’t know why but I am strangely drawn to these. I have always loved Guzzi but I find myself starring at these pictures every time I visit this site. I’m 40 yrs past looking good or even fitting on one of these but I like them all.
Sam says
Hello Parker –
I am somewhat familar with the Big Bore engine. You stated, “They (Guzzi) risk to close like Buell.” If Guzzi did close, where will Millepercento get the engine block? Does Millepercento manufacture their own complete engine?
——————
Ciao Parker —
Io sono un po ‘familiarità con il motore Big Bore. Lei ha affermato, “Loro (Guzzi), il rischio di chiudere come Buell.” Se Guzzi ha chiuso, dove si Millepercento ottenere il blocco motore? Non Millepercento fabbricazione proprio motore, completo?
Palmer says
risk of closure does not mean that they close tomorrow. Maybe in a few years, maybe never, a risk is not something that sure will happen.
on september 19th this was the situation:
http://www.motociclismo.it/edisport/moto/MotoCiclismoR2.nsf/gd/Moto-di-protesta–in-1.500-manifestano-per-salvare-Moto-Guzzi-
1500 people went to mandello in opposition of the possibility of a close. That’s it, that’s all. Now piaggio manifested the intention to invest more money, so we are quite happy about this. Off course, if guzzi somewhere in time will close – and I really don’t hoe so, millpercento will have some troubles in finding the motors. I thin they only produce the big bore kit but not the complete engine!
Emmet says
Guzzi embracing the cool factor! It’s transverse v-twin will never be a race winner. Artistic designs as these are very cool and shows that a rideable bike is more than performance figures. It’s a great way for manufacturers to utilize idle parts and motors from previously manufactured bike lines, arrange them in a great package meant for riding on the streets.
Richard Gozinya says
Actually Emmet, the MGS-01 Corsa has won races.
http://motorbike-search-engine.co.uk/06_news/21_03_063.php
SACHIN says
I think all three of these bikes look awesome. They are very clean and minimal; very Italian too which is a good thing!
mike says
Forward thinking is a good thing.Always was.Advance in technology is also good,BUT,The first thing that happens when an audience sees a new bike is the visual impact it makes on them.
A hell of a lot more people will see the bikes from a visual standpoint than the ones that know what those odd looking things actually do for the bike.
You can build a bike as technically advance as all hell,but if the average interested biker doesn’t care too much for it,you won’t sell a lot of them.
Make your heat sinks more appealing and you’ve won the hearts of more people becoming interested in Guzzis.
Oh,and lose some of the gap between the rear wheel and the “Fender” of the lm and install a little more conventional headlight on the Strada.
You didn’t lose me as a customer as i already have three and i’m sure it won’t stop there.
Mike
Notasweetman says
An interesting variety of reactions, folks, to what are Concept bikes, not production platforms. Plenty of new ideas for discussion, though. For me, as a more-than-happy Stelvio owner, the Guzzi engine is the most beautiful lump out there, and these bikes certainly showcase it to good effect. I like the idea of the heat sinks – allowing scope for higher-spec tuning etc, but they’re hideous, to be honest. As is the centre-stand/bash-plate thingy. As are the LED headlights. I could go on, but let’s have a few more of your opinions. I can see some gorgeous and commercially viable bikes coming out of these V12 concepts, but the sign-off designs will have to be a little more mainstream. Just don’t hide the engine!!!!!!
bobby sandhu says
Thats incredible.. the way the upper frame goes up… weird, yet very practical..
youngkrankenstein says
I really dig that profile shot from the side opposite the swingarm. I suspect part of the decision to route the exhaust to one side is to maintain that full image of the rear wheel… Which is an incredible sight! I just LOVE those fattie tires, but the engine looks a little awkward. Maybe that awkwardness is compounded by the plate leading to the forks… A little bizarre. Cool bike. I wonder what it must sound like!