Swing arm with 2 hydraulic shock absorbers with preload adjustment
Rear Wheel Travel
89 mm /
Front Brakes
2x 320mm discs 4 piston calipers
Rear Brakes
Single 282mm disc 2 piston caliper
Front Tyre
110/90-18
Rear Tyre
140/80-17
Trail
116 mm / 4.6 in
Dimensions
Length 2380 mm / 93.7 in
Width 815 mm / 32.0 in
Height 1150 mm / 45.2 in
Wheelbase
1560 mm / 61.4 in
Seat Height
770 mm / 30.3 in
Dry Weight
251.0 kg / 553.3 lbs
Fuel Capacity
19 Litres / 5.0 US gal
Standing
¼ Mile
13.2 sec / 159.8 km/h
Top Speed
190.4 km/h
The Moto Guzzi California Special is another variation on
the California theme, launched in 1998. Moto Guzzi's transverse V-twin
air-cooled engine is here fitted to a cruiser-styled chassis, with pullback
handlebars, low-slung seat and chromed twin shock rear suspension. A
five-speed shaft drive transmission delivers the 1064cc engine's power to
the rear wire-spoked wheel. The California Special uses an integrated
braking system. The twin front Brembo 320mm (12.6in) discs and four-piston
calipers are linked to the rear twin-piston caliper by a delay control
valve, allowing controlled, powerful stopping by using both hand and foot
levers together. The California Special was replaced by the California
Special Sport in 2001.
When Commander in Chief Boehm said a new Moto Guzzi
was joining our test fleet, the older staffers began reminiscing like war
buddies about the first Guzzi they rode back when Carter (or was it Dewey?) was
in the White House, while the younger staffer scratched his head and asked, "Is
Moto Guzzi still in business?" As it turns out, the fabled marque is doing just
fine, thanks to a large capital infusion from its new owner Aprilia. The deal
works out for both sides, actually, as Moto Guzzi is finally able to upgrade its
facilities and pump out some bikes it's had on the drawing board for a while,
and Aprilia now has motorcycles in markets heretofore ignored by the scooter and
superbike manufacturer. Plus, Moto Guzzi not only has an extensive racing
pedigree and corporate history, it also has a fanatical customer base.
The Special Sport is a "sport" variant of Guzzi's popular California cruiser, a
V-twin endowed with classic styling and Italian flair. The Sport moniker isn't
the result of more horsepower or any other traditional performance hop-up, just
several minor modifications. The frame and swingarm have been redesigned to
allow a wider rear tire-still only a 140/80-17 bias-ply, but it's an
improvement-plus, there are new springs in the rear shocks, and long-range
comfort has been boosted by more padding in the seat. As with all Guzzis this
year, the Special Sport boasts an air-cooled, 1064cc, V-twin engine mounted
longitudinally for that "look at those monster cases sticking out of the sides"
effect.
Guzzi claims a 29-inch seat height for the Special Sport, but the seat is
uncommonly wide, which makes the bike feel taller than it is. Plopping down into
the comfortable seat one's gaze falls onto the tastefully painted yet bulbous
tank rising forward below your body as if you were astride a two-tone hot dog.
The tank meets a handlebar riser as well as an analog speedo and tach, both of
which look like handmade Swiss watches. The new 30mm-thick handlebar curves
nicely backWard for a short stretch to the controls. Turn the key, hit the
starter and just like that she's up and running. Word is Aprilia helped remap
the fuel injection on the new Guzzis-and it shows. The bike starts without any
hesitation whatsoever.
Pulling out of our top-secret underground facility it's apparent the Special
Sport lives up to the Guzzi reputation for producing tractor engines. The dyno
chart shows more than 50 pounds of grunt at the ready from 2000 rpm all the way
to 6500 rpm, making the Sport an ideal mount for rolling down the local strip.
With this torque on tap, gear selection is somewhat arbitrary in cruising mode,
though as the revs climb the vibration tends to blur the mirrors and Thighmaster
your lower body. Power delivery is aided by the sublime Marelli fuel injection,
which delivers snappy throttle response throughout the entire 6250-rpm-wide rev
band; no apparent pauses, glitches or dead spots, just satisfying power that can
be dialed in easily. Helping matters is a slick five-speed gearbox that Moto
Guzzi says has been redesigned to make shifting and finding neutral easier, and
we don't doubt it. (A six-speed version of this box debuted on last-year's V11
Sport and we loved it there.) Although shifting requires a semifirm foot on the
lever, action is positive and smooth at all times. Interestingly, the Sport
features a shift lever for your heel as well as your toe, so you can take your
pick. The only downside to this option is the heel shifter is placed too close
to the footpeg, so when you rest the ball of your foot on the peg, your heel is
resting on the shifter, which can induce unwanted gear changes.
Although most cruisers become unglued or start to drag hard parts when the pace
picks up, the Special Sport does neither. Damping is quite firm both front and
rear, which contributes to a feeling of rock-solid stability when stuffing the
Guzzi into corners. Turn-in is quick and neutral, and not once during testing
did the bike ever get out of hand. It takes a concerted effort to drag hard
parts. The only fly in the bike's sporting ointment is its pseudo linked-braking
system. The hand lever activates one of the 320mm discs up front, causing four
Brembo pistons to go to work. Pushing the foot lever engages the second front
disc as well as the rear disc, with a proportioning valve doing its best to
modulate brake pressure between the two to prevent rear-wheel lockup. This
system is kind of a poor man's ABS. Around town it works very well, allowing you
to stop the bike controllably at all times. The problem is the single disk up
front is never enough, so you always end up using the rear brake (and therefore,
some of the front when you may not want it), which takes getting used to if
you're accustomed to a conventional brake system.
Of course, that firm suspension will rattle your kidneys like a string of sucker
punches around town or on the freeway. The sporty damping doesn't mix well with
potholes or freeway expansion joints, and on the Guzzi they'll have your rump
flying up out of the seat as your body absorbs the impact. The suspension is
nonadjustable too, which is a shame. We tend to prefer firm suspension over the
squishy type, but it would be nice to have some adjustability.
In the final tally the Special Sport is just that: special and ready to sport.
If this bike is indicative of what's to come from the "new" Moto Guzzi, we can't
wait to see what the future holds.