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Generation meeting at Guzzis. The Moto Guzzi California 1400 from 2013 in comparison with its ancestor, the 850 T3 from 1976.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3: The V2 has a venerable patina. Also in the form of the Dellorto 30 carburettor.
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Moto Guzzi California 1400: flood of information in the displays and the on-board computer, only the “revolving” rev counter of the 1400s shows, as usual, analogue.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3: Veglia watches with inaccurate display and fuzzy indicator lights.
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Moto Guzzi California 1400: The largest V2 in Guzzi’s factory history is crowned by four valves and sophisticated slots in the cylinder covers.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
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Moto Guzzi 850 T3 from 1976 and California 1400 from 2013.
Moto Guzzi California Custom
Moto Guzzi California 1400 Custom
It’s a casual feeling when the fat V2 stomps at the traffic light with a good 1000 revolutions and massages the thighs while the handlebars pulsate in time. And somehow there is also the feeling that this rhythm could show Moto Guzzi the way into the future.
Budum – budum – budum. Somehow you can’t get around it
around this infantile sound-
painting. But how else should you
describe it? Big bass? Deep bubbling? Doesn’t really hit it. Heartbeat, however, works, because it is undoubtedly a kind of heartbeat that the new Moto Guzzi California Custom lets feel at a good 1000 rpm at the traffic lights. If you want to feel your pulse, put your hands lightly on the ends of the flat custom handlebars, which dance to the rhythm of the mighty 1400s. Forward, backward, forward, backward. Not just gentle, but strong, over several centimeters. Budum, budum. This engine lives and trembles as it is
belongs to a great cruiser drive. In addition, every thrust of gas weighs the California Custom to the right like a gust of wind a sailing dinghy. The longitudinal crankshaft reports its direction of rotation, the new one
California Custom is already in the stand
sublime Guzzi experience.
Undoubtedly for Moto Guzzi as well, because the traditional manufacturer from Lake Como is actually breaking new ground with the Custom. Forget the clumsy cruising attempts of the past, here is a real heavy metal power man who has it all between his eternally long wheelbase. 1685 millimeters – that alone is a brand that calls for respect. Just like the 318 kilograms full-
tanked (factory information), which will probably be accompanied by one or two kilograms on the MOTORRAD scales. But: weight is in this motorcycle kate-
gorie yes no disadvantage, means mass
Great. And from this typically American point of view, the California Custom has to go in every direction
to offer at least as much as the nasty competition whose names the Guzzisti in Mandello avoid like the devil avoid holy water.
At this point, however, you can speak plainly. So, how much Harley-Davidson can Moto Guzzi do? Or to put it another way: Can the northern Italians make it "american way of drive" to capture, which the custom California must represent even more than its touring sister? The answer is almost unreservedly: "Yes." And that, although the technical changes compared to the Touring are rather minor. A flatter, narrower one,
straighter handlebar, a different seat-
bank. Eight millimeters longer, now fully adjustable struts and lots of chrome-plated tubing – that’s what sets the Custom-Califonia apart from the Touring version. But despite the almost marginal differences: It is – and this is mainly due to the seating position – a different world that the custom embodies.
Much more front-wheel-oriented – if you can say that with this wheelbase and 58 degree steering head angle – it sits in the first seat test. With the result that you automatically want to be more of a pilot and fewer passengers. How was it? ABS (on this chassis-
geometry very important) and traction control are on board? And because of the longer struts, five degrees more freedom of lean angle? Given three different mappings, one tends to do that
influence the opening angle of the individual throttle valve via ride-by-wire (and
make the standard cruise control possible), almost automatically to the sportiest, namely the "Veloce"-Shot in which things are already going strong with slight throttle movements.
The middle one, however, proves to be permanent "Tourismo"-Variant, as the best compromise between vital propulsion and the very restrained power development for driving in the rain ("Pioggia"). It is exactly right for a cruiser whose purpose is still one thing, despite a few performance accessories such as the mighty 320 mm brake discs with four-piston fixed calipers or the higher-quality suspension struts: relaxed gliding away from the hustle and bustle.
If you internalize this, you will usually keep the speed between 1500 and 2500 rpm. And thus in an area in which the V2 still has the character of a ship-
diesels exuding and perfectly relaxed-
a pace fits. Beyond that, however, no more pounding, the 1400 discovered the pleasure of the
Power. Turns smoothly up to the 7000 mark if need be and without ever vibra-
interfere because Moto Guzzi is
used old Harley tricks and hung the engine in rubber mounts instead of using it as a
to let the load-bearing element participate in the stabilization of the chassis.
Speaking of the chassis: You should really be surprised that the double loop frame made of tubular steel manages to connect the two wheels so rigidly over this distance. But it still works well, the Custom is not only stable but also handy. Probably also because
one resisted the temptation to pull the ultra-wide tires required by designer Miguel Galluzzi onto the rear wheel and
so the class-standard installation moments
to harvest. A 200 must be enough, done.
It does too – and in combination with the large cross-section (200/60 R 16) and the neatly appealing suspension struts (120 instead of 110 millimeters of spring travel for the Touring) it even delivers one for cruisers-
Conditions good suspension comfort. The same applies to the 46 mm telescopic fork, which responds finely and digests even violent braking maneuvers. Nevertheless, the following applies of course: Even on the California Custom, the foot should brake hard when the pressure is on.
And it is guaranteed to do that more often, because the bottom line is that even the 1400’s resting heart rate does not always manage to transfer its serenity to the driver. Its power reserves are too big, this mighty vehicle is too handy and precise for it not to get lost sometimes. From this point of view, it is still a bit dated "italian way of drive", that the California Custom embodies. And that’s good.
www.motorradonline.de/fahrberichte
engine
Air / oil-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 90-degree V-engine, crankshaft lying lengthways, a high-lying, chain-driven camshaft, four valves, bucket tappets, bumpers, tilting mechanism-
lever, wet sump lubrication, injection, Ø 52 mm, regulated catalytic converter, alternator
550 W, battery 12 V / 18 Ah, hydraulically operated single-plate dry clutch, six-speed gearbox, cardan shaft, secondary ratio 3.6.
Bore x stroke 104.0 x 81.2 mm
Cubic capacity 1380 cm³
Compression ratio 10.5: 1 Nominal output 71.0 kW (97 PS) at 6500 rpm Max. Torque 120 Nm at 2750 rpm
landing gear
Double loop frame made of steel, telescopic fork,
Ø 46 mm, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum, two spring struts, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression stage damping, double disc brake at the front, Ø 320 mm, four-piston fixed calipers, disc brake at the rear, Ø 282 mm, double-piston floating caliper, ABS, traction control.
Cast aluminum wheels 3.50 x 18; 6.00 x 16
Tire 130 / 70R 18; 200 / 60R 16
Dimensions + weights
Wheelbase 1685 mm, steering head angle 58.0 degrees, caster 155 mm, spring travel f / r 120/120 mm, seat height 740 mm, empty weight (ready to drive)
318 kg, tank capacity / reserve 20.5 / 5.0 liters. Warranty two yearsColors black, whitePrice including additional costs 17950 euros
Buy complete article
Moto Guzzi California Custom
Moto Guzzi California 1400 Custom
California 1400 Custom has to be represented even more strongly than its touring sister? The answer is almost unreservedly: “Yes.” And that, although the technical changes compared to the Touring are rather minor. A flatter, narrower, straighter handlebar, a different bench. Eight millimeters longer, now fully adjustable struts and lots of chrome-plated tubing – that’s what distinguishes the Moto Guzzi California 1400 Custom from the touring version. But despite the almost marginal differences: It is – and this is mainly due to the seating position – a different world that the Moto Guzzi California 1400 Custom embodies.
Much more front-wheel-oriented – if you can say that with this wheelbase and 58 degree steering head angle – it sits in the first seat test. With the result that you automatically want to be more of a pilot and fewer passengers. How was it? ABS (very important with this chassis geometry) and traction control are on board? And because of the longer struts, five degrees more freedom of lean angle? In view of three different mappings that influence the opening angle of the individual throttle valve via ride-by-wire (and make the standard cruise control possible), one almost automatically tends to the sportiest, namely the “Veloce” setting, in which it is even at low levels Violent throttle rashes.
In the long term, however, the middle, the “Tourismo” variant, proves to be the best compromise between vital propulsion and the very restrained power development for driving in the rain (“Pioggia”). It is exactly right for a cruiser whose purpose is still one thing, despite a few performance accessories such as the mighty 320 mm brake discs with four-piston fixed calipers or the higher-quality suspension struts: relaxed gliding away from the hustle and bustle.
Moto Guzzi
Nice prospects: the 25-liter steel tank was modeled around the engine, the wheelbase is eternally long.
If you internalize this, you will usually keep the speed between 1500 and 2500 rpm. And thus in an area in which the V2 still exudes the character of a marine diesel and fits perfectly with the relaxed pace. Beyond that, however, no more pounding, the 1400 discovers the pleasure in performance. Revolves smoothly up to the 7000 mark and without ever disturbing vibrations, because Moto Guzzi used the old Harley trick and suspended the engine in rubber mounts instead of letting it participate as a supporting element in stabilizing the chassis.
Speaking of the chassis: You should really be surprised that the double loop frame made of tubular steel manages to connect the two wheels so rigidly over this distance. But it still works well, the Moto Guzzi California 1400 Custom is not only stable but also easy to handle. Probably also because they resisted the temptation to pull the ultra-wide tires required by the designer Miguel Galluzzi onto the rear wheel and thus reap the usual set-up moments. A 200 must be enough, done.
It does too – and in combination with the high cross-section (200/60 R 16) and the neatly appealing suspension struts (120 instead of 110 millimeters of spring travel on the Touring) it even provides good suspension comfort for cruiser standards. The same applies to the 46 mm telescopic fork, which responds finely and digests even violent braking maneuvers. Nevertheless, the following applies of course: Even on the Moto Guzzi California 1400 Custom, the foot should brake hard when the pressure is on.
And it is guaranteed to do that more often, because the bottom line is that even the 1400’s resting heart rate does not always manage to transfer its serenity to the driver. Its power reserves are too big, this mighty vehicle is too handy and precise for it not to get lost sometimes. Seen in this way, it is still a bit of the “italian way of drive” embodied by the Moto Guzzi California 1400 Custom. And that’s good.
Technical specifications
Moto Guzzi
Guzzi’s path to the cruiser engine: 90-degree V2, fat 104 mm bore, short stroke (81.2 millimeters), a throttle valve and long intake paths.
engine
Air / oil-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 90-degree V-engine, crankshaft lying lengthways, a high-lying, chain-driven camshaft, four valves, bucket tappets, bumpers, rocker arms, wet sump lubrication, injection, Ø 52 mm, regulated catalytic converter, alternator
550 W, battery 12 V / 18 Ah, hydraulically operated single-plate dry clutch, six-speed gearbox, cardan shaft, secondary ratio 3.6.
Bore x stroke 104.0 x 81.2 mm
Cubic capacity 1380 cm³
Compression ratio 10.5: 1
Rated output 71.0 kW (97 hp) at 6500 rpm
Max. Torque 120 Nm at 2750 rpm
landing gear
Double loop frame made of steel, telescopic fork,
Ø 46 mm, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum, two spring struts, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression stage damping, double disc brake at the front, Ø 320 mm, four-piston fixed calipers, disc brake at the rear, Ø 282 mm, double-piston floating caliper, ABS, traction control.
Cast aluminum wheels 3.50 x 18; 6.00 x 16
Tire 130 / 70R 18; 200 / 60R 16
Dimensions + weights
Wheelbase 1685 mm, steering head angle 58.0 degrees, caster 155 mm, spring travel f / h 120/120 mm, seat height 740 mm, empty weight (ready to drive)
318 kg, tank capacity / reserve 20.5 / 5.0 liters.
Two year guarantee
Colors black, white
Price including additional costs 17950 euros
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