Motorcycle.com article

[Matteo]

Confirms my suspicion of R&D money going to Aprilia over Guzzi.
Piaggio likes Aprilia best.

http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/moto-guzzi/dukes-den-inside-moto-guzzi.html

[cruzziguzzi]

I guess it makes sense.

How much money can they expect to squeeze outa binder-snappers and hipster-doofi? Hell, I just saw one of the coolest features that I've seen lately in the whicker basket on the Black Douglas.


Why doesn't Piaggio offer whicker baskets!


Todd.

[Moto]

As I read it, the article says Aprilia Piaggio got lots of money first, before Guzzi. But it also includes this:

"Piaggio is investing massively in (Moto Guzzi)," said Leo Mercanti, head of two-wheel product marketing for the Piaggio Group, during the V9's presentation.

Massively sounds good to me.

[ITSec]

When comparing R&D investments, it's best not to forget that Piaggio tasked Aprilia with regaining top-tier status in competition - something that would have absorbed an undue share of the R&D funds.

[Kiwi_Roy]

“We are deeply Italian,” said Davide Zanolini, head of Guzzi’s marketing and communication, during the presentation. “Not German, not American, not Chinese… We’re Italian.”

[rocker59]

Considering Piaggio got Guzzi "for free" when it bought Aprilia, it's been very nice to see all the money Piaggio has sunk into Guzzi over the past dozen years.  They could just have easliy shuttered Guzzi, as they did Laverda.

Aprilia may get more money, but Guzzi is getting more than it had been getting over the past couple decades.

Bikes like the Cal 14, V9, and V7 are thanks to huge investments of time and money by Piaggio.  And the fact that they're still building them in Mandello after a huge injection of money for renewing the assembly lines is thanks to Piaggio.

Things aren't perfect, but they're better than they were in 2004 when Piaggio took the reins.

[sib]

My take on the article is that the author needs to enroll in a good remedial English writing class.