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Review: Moto Guzzi 1200 Sport
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Climb aboard any Guzzi for the first time and you’ll wonder why anyone would ever buy one of the lumpy V-twins. Even after 100 miles you’ll be hankering after the sophistication of a Japanese four. But give it time and the Guzzi grows on you. This is a bike that you can live with for years, not just until the next version of a hypersports comes out and relegates your crotch rocket to history. Graphics on the screen and seat cowl remind you of the plates for a rider’s race number. Inverted titanium-treated forks and wavy 320mm discs add a touch of class. But it is the 90-degree V-twin lump with its newly designed rocker covers that really attracts the eye. The saddle is comfortably padded and provides excellent support for solo blasts thanks to the pod covering the rear section. Perfect weight distribution and an ideally positioned centre of gravity make the machine handle like a much smaller bike. Although the style is obviously sport orientated, this is a bike where both rider and passenger travel in comfort. The handlebars provide perfect control and, along with the position of the saddle and the rear-set footrests, offer the ideal riding position. Moto Guzzi also offers an ABS version of the Sport with traditional front discs. The forks are anti-friction treated and can be adjusted for pre-load and rebound to provide the best setup for any road, load or riding style. The rear shock absorber is also fully adjustable. If you go touring you’ll appreciate the protection offered by the bikini windscreen and by how easy it is to read the new instrument panel with dials on a white background. The onboard computer display is a blend of high technology and tradition. The high-tensile steel chassis is very rigid and together with the aluminium single-sided swingarm forms a one-piece section housing the shaft drive. Guzzi’s patented ‘reactive’ shaft drive smoothes the changes that are typical of traditional shaft drives. The 1151 cc engine puts out over 70kW at 7,800rpm with maximum torque of over 100Nm at 5,800rpm. Intake and exhaust ducts have been improved to increase the speed of gas flow and make the engine more responsive. ECU mapping has been programmed for sports use and offers a wider band of usable engine power. Performance is enhanced by twin spark ignition and having the injectors positioned directly over the inlet manifolds near the valves. In other words, the legendary Guzzi torque is combined with evenly distributed power for satisfying riding whether on the motorway or powering through Italian Alpine passes. Touring is the 1200 Sport’s alter ego. The Guzzi luggage system integrates perfectly with the 1200 Sport because the mountings have been designed not to spoil the bike’s lines when the panniers are removed. The panniers feature a double scratch-proof surface treatment and side guards, plus, of course the essential Moto Guzzi logo. For those wanting the maximum from their 1200 Sport, Moto Guzzi offers a track kit with redesigned hand-polished air ducts, the removal of the air filter box, the fitting of a special racing exhaust and a remapped ECU. This kit improves overall performance and improves the compression ratio.
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