1997 Moto Guzzi 1100 Sport

[MedicAndy]

I just purchased this 1997 Moto Guzzi 1100 Sport from a friend of mine, who is also the owner of Moto Motivo located here in Raleigh NC. This Guzzi has 7200 miles on the clock, and she is in absolutely mint / museum quality condition. After having been originally imported into the US from Germany (yup, no miles here, the speedometer is in kph), she spend most of her life being displayed at the Wisconsin Motorcycle Museum until a couple of years ago when Moto Motivo purchased her from the museum. She will now make a nice addition to my stable! This bike, like some others that I own, will be ridden from time to time to the local coffee shop, bike show, or watering hole, but her main role is going to be eye candy for the soul, and a nice display of what motorcycle art is all about! :-)

Andy

[oldbike54]

 That is gorgeous , but it must be ridden in anger at least once 

 Dusty

[leafman60]

That's a nice one, Andy.  I saw the listing for it.

Have fun with it.

[redrider]

Very nice! I  was, perhaps erroneously, informed that the US versions had the square headlight. The world versions were trapezoidal. Some one correct my ignorance.

[blackcat]

Very nice! I  was, perhaps erroneously, informed that the US versions had the square headlight. The world versions were trapezoidal. Some one correct my ignorance.

That's what I thought too. I have the Euro light on my Daytona, though it came with the square light as above.

[Old Jock]

As far as I'm aware the US, UK (and maybe Germany I'm unsure) got the square light. That is based though on mainly guesswork 

It would be interesting to know definitively, I just know that I was gutted when I got my Daytona and after seeing all the marketing showing the Trapezoid light I got the square one which IMHO really alters the look of the motorcycle.

Its funny because the Magni I'm building, based on the 1100 sport, has the Trapezoid, but that was obviously from a small volume manufacturer.

Perhaps because of that Magni was able to skip some of the more rigorous regulations larger volume producers (yes Guzzi would be classed as a volume producer, at least here in the UK) would be subject to.

Still a very nice motorcycle and should at least be taken out on a fast thrash from time to time............... .....you know you want to 

Congratulations

John

[MedicAndy]

Someone else from the "Rare Motorcycles For Sale" website (also question the headlights) replied back about what some people thought about the possibility that this bike have possibly been sold originally in Canada versus Europe due to the European instrument cluster, but:

"The Moto Guzzi 1100 Sport was never imported into Canada. Nor was the Daytona or RS versions of this bike for that matter. For whatever reason, whoever was importing Moto Guzzi into Canada in the mid to late 90's, refused to submit any Guzzi's, or at least any 1100 Sport's, to Transport Canada to be tested for transport federalization. I was told that the Canadian distributor at that time didn't have enough cash on hand to submit the paperwork, fee's and a model of the bike to submit so the bike could then be tested for Transport Canada federalization and ultimately cleared for importation. So there is a weird time frame in Canada where some particular Guzzi's were never federalized and therefore never imported. It's quite possible that this bike was intended for the Canadian market but ultimately ended up in the United States because of the complication I just noted. I live in Ontario and I own a 1997 1100 Sport, I had to bring my bike up from the states as would anyone else who owns this particular model in Canada. The bike was simply never sold in Canada. As far as the European headlights and fairing go...good luck with that. The last time I found a euro fairing on Ebay it was going for $1200.00. Then you have to purchase the euro fairing support which is different from the rectangular headlight fairing support and then you have to find the euro headlight housing which is isn't easy either. If you were able to do the euro headlight conversion for less than $2000, I would be surprised".

So yes, I have send an email to the Wisconsin Motorcycle Museum, and I hope that they can hopefully give me some info on where this bike actually came from, or why this bike has the european instrument cluster on it, yet the info on the vin # plate is in english?

I will let you all know if I ever find out on what the history of this bike is.

Andy

[Devildog]

The rectangular headlight has started growing on me, but saying that all my pics seem to be avoid it...

 

[Mark Harpell]

Very nice...and makes me remorseful i.e. i shoulda bought Robs.......

[MedicAndy]

I was looking at my 1996 GSX-R earlier, and I started to wonder what the 1100 Sport's front fairing would look like if I was going to take a double headlight from a GSX-R or a similar model and incorporate that assembly into a 1100 Sport fairing? It definitely would be something different. I am originally from Germany, so I have already asked my brother and another good friend and Guzzi fanatic from over there to keep their eyes open for a used 1100 Sport front fairing. Seeing if I could engineer a double headlight into the 1100 sport's fairing could be a nice winter project! I also have to wonder if the guy who designed my 85 LeMans 1000headlight was the same designer who did the 1100 Sport headlight design?

[Murray]

This bike, like some others that I own, will be ridden from time to time to the local coffee shop, bike show, or watering hole, but her main role is going to be eye candy for the soul, and a nice display of what motorcycle art is all about! :-)

Ridden in that situation this bike will be the biggest dog you have ever ridden.

[drdwb]

Medic , not wanting to hijack your post here, but you mentioned having  a brother and Guzzi fanatic friend in Germany, if you would have them be on the look out for a fairing like this, it's on I believe an 850 Norge,  I would be interested in seeing if it could be modified to fit a 750 Breva, or if one could even be purchased. Sometimes miracles can happen.

[Scud]

...and a nice display of what motorcycle art is all about! :-)

Maybe you could get a picture of her in a far-away location that is separated from you by many twisty roads... Just my opinion about motorcycle art. Kinetic sculpture.

[MedicAndy]

Maybe you could get a picture of her in a far-away location that is separated from you by many twisty roads... Just my opinion about motorcycle art. Kinetic sculpture.

Right on! I do like taking pictures of my bikes in nature or when they are around "off the wall" settings. I stated earlier that she will be used mostly on short trips close to my home, but I am also planning on taking her out at times to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is about three hours away from my house. I love the landscape up on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and there is a stretch between Boone and Asheville where one can ride for 110 miles without ever having to stop for a stop-sign or a traffic light! I like the pictures I took below mostly because of how the bright colors stand out from their surroundings.

[Scud]

I like that 3rd one at the old gas station. Looking forward to see where the new steed goes.

[Tom]

Congrats on the bike!

[tazio]

These bikes are beautiful with the headlight shape Guzzi sent them out the door with.
Ask the fellows that cut the rear window post out of their '63 corvette's how that
worked out for them. Low volume vehicles of any sort are wonderful expressions of
the design intent usually of only a few men (sometimes only ONE) within a manufacturer,
seldom deluded by committee.
Now excuse me while I hacksaw that goofy wing off my Daytona. 

[MedicAndy]

These bikes are beautiful with the headlight shape Guzzi sent them out the door with.
Ask the fellows that cut the rear window post out of their '63 corvette's how that
worked out for them. Low volume vehicles of any sort are wonderful expressions of
the design intent usually of only a few men (sometimes only ONE) within a manufacturer,
seldom deluded by committee.
Now excuse me while I hacksaw that goofy wing off my Daytona. 

Very true my friend! Sometimes it's better to leave well enough alone! After all, these bikes are only original and unmolested until you mess with them!

[Scud]

IMO - only bolt-off bolt-mods should be allowed on "special" vehicles. And owners should be required, by special authoritative decree of the Guzzi Gods, to keep the original parts.

That's how I am treating my Scura - but I ride the crap out of it. Because (again IMO) that's what motorcycles are for.

[MedicAndy]

IMO - only bolt-off bolt-mods should be allowed on "special" vehicles. And owners should be required, by special authoritative decree of the Guzzi Gods, to keep the original parts.

That's how I am treating my Scura - but I ride the crap out of it. Because (again IMO) that's what motorcycles are for.

I know exactly on how you feel! I bought earlier this year a 1985 1000V LeMans IV. A super all original bike with only 5100 miles on here. The only thing not original, and missing with her purchase, was the original exhaust. I found out about a month after I bought her (its a small world, I bought her from a guy out of St. Louis MO, and I'm in Raleigh, NC) that the owner sold the original exhaust separately in order to make a couple of extra $$$ with selling his bike. I was living it up after I found out about this, since I truly believe that the exhaust should have stayed with the bike! But, the "Guzzi God" smiled down on me when I met a guy at a local Euro Bike show, who owned the same model LeMans when he was younger, but crashed and totaled his Guzzi in an accident 30 years ago. The only modifications he did on his bike was the removal of the original exhaust in order to install a stainless unit, just like on my bike. He took my number and told me that he was pretty sure that the original exhaust was still somewhere in his barn, and he promised to call me if he would locate the unit. Well, I got a call a week later, and I picket up the entire exhaust system and a set of original LeMans engine crash bars for $100.00...... And no, I'm not planning on ever installing the original exhaust on my LeMans, but I sleep so much better now knowing that I got an all original bike sitting in my shop now. So now I'm on a mission to find and to buy me the original pipes for the 97 Sport! I foresee many sleepless nights coming up........

[Tom]

The black chrome exhaust is hard to find.