Fuchs

[Guzler]

What does SP stand for as in 1000 SP?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P-3JRqHq8I

[Sye]

AFAIK SP stands for Sport production.

[ccoli]

I had always thought Spada meaning sword in Italian.

[guzzisteve]

I was told it meant Spade as in shovel.  AND I have heard sword like Chris says.

[Ronkom]

 Some time after I bought my first ever brand-new street bike, a 1984 SPNT,  I asked about "Spada" & was told the ancient Roman soldier carried two swords, a long slim one and a short, wider bladed one called the "Spada".  Don't remember where I picked that "nugget" up.
ronkom

 

[moto]

Spada means both sword and spade in Italian. I think we can assume Guzzi intended the sword interpretation!

Looking it up, a longer thin sword carried by Roman legionnaires was called a spatha, from the same Greek word. Spada in Italian descends from that.

The 1000 SP was definitely called the Spada. I guess "SP" was chosen over "S" to avoid confusion with "Sport."

[Tom]

Spada in relation to SP1000.

[Tusayan]

My understanding is that ‘Spada’ was used first by the UK importer for print advertising in that country. 

SP stands for Sport, to match BMW’s RS which stands for Rennsport.  The R100RS was the SP’s direct competitor in the period.

[Sye]

Here is a link to an article by Rider from 1997 that can be found on thisoldtractor that explains everything you need to know.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjDtMSYopv6AhVDFcAKHbamCX4QFnoECAkQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisoldtractor.com%2Fmg_manuals%2Frider_retrospective_moto_guzzi_1000_sp_1997-09.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1G2BdzBjYbTzCDvLtsWYSL

HTH 

[moto]

Here is a link to an article by Rider from 1997 that can be found on thisoldtractor that explains everything you need to know.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjDtMSYopv6AhVDFcAKHbamCX4QFnoECAkQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisoldtractor.com%2Fmg_manuals%2Frider_retrospective_moto_guzzi_1000_sp_1997-09.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1G2BdzBjYbTzCDvLtsWYSL

HTH 

Well, Clement Salvadori just relates all three main theories, as above, without opining on which one might be true. This may save some the bother of downloading the article.