Moto Guzzi Sport 1100
"Italian Fast Manoeuvre Torpedo Boat" - Performance Bikes
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My current bike is a Moto Guzzi Sport 1100. I sure hope it's gonna
stay that way [knock on wood], as I've really come to like her. Actually,
this is the second Sport 1100 I've owned - the first one was knicked by
some fsck'ing bastards right from under my living room window.
Here's an account of my initial testride
that led to this case of Guzziology...
Like a friend of mine says: "Guzzis are like wine. The older they get, the better they become."
History
The Sport 1100 was built from 1995 (actually late 1994) until 1998. The first models up through mid-1996, commonly called the carb Sport, were the kind of Guzzi you'd expect: huge 40 mm Dell'Orto PHM carbs, two handsful of throttle to wrench them open, 18 inch rear wheel, and, at least for the 1995 model, quite a few mechanical problems. Most notably, problems with the gearbox, paint finish, and lousy quality control. The 1996 model year was much better with some large and many small improvements and better quality overall. The 1996 model can be easily identified by the fork lowers being silver instead of the bike's body color - obviously only applies to non-silver models. The bike was available in red, black, silver, and blue.
Beginning in late spring 1996, a new injected Sport 1100, affectionately
called the Sporti, was introduced and available side-by-side with the carb
version while the latter was being sold off. The Sporti featured a Marelli
injection system patterned after the Daytona's one, modified bodywork,
upside-down White Power forks, a 17 inch rear wheel with a cush drive,
emergency signal lights, and modifies graphics. It also came in a new color,
yellow, replacing the blue.
Neither of the two bikes was a big seller, and carb Sports continued to be available until late 1996, even longer in the US. Rumors of the Sport being dropped from the Guzzi lineup surfaced in late 1997, but instead a beefed-up version, the Corsa, appeared in 1998. It featured a black engine, factory tuning kit, and a hefty price tag with the notion of being a "limited-run" model. In other bike manufacturer's terms, the whole Guzzi line with the possible exception of the California, would be "limited run". Nevermind...
Wottsit like?
To the uninitiated, most Guzzis (and especially the sport bikes) appear like a great big timber in a rushing river, with the rider holding on and gasping in amazement. Specifically, the Sport isn't easy to ride. None of your four-cylinder get-on-and-scrape-the-pegs crotch rocket stuff. Rather, the bike wants a steady, skillful rider who knows how to handle an inherently heavy, extremely stable, slow responding bike which would rather do anything but respond to his every beck and call. Sounds like crap? It's not your bike.But then, when you're out on your favorite road, the bike zooming round the bends as if she were a steam engine on a track. When she speeds out of the corners to the rythm of her intake and exhaust. When the world seems to step aside, seems to stop and watch you on your way down the road - in these instances when everything seems to fit together so perfectly, you know this bike's for you. You don't want to be anywhere else, and you don't want to stop. Guzziology...
What's next?
Dunno. I won't sell this bike, I'll keep it 'til it falls to pieces. I may be adding or changing stuff, cosmetically or otherwise, but basically I want her to remain as stock as possible. There's a lot I could change, but I like her the way she is, with all the quirks.
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