Moto Guzzi : "The Ferrari of motorcycles?"

[willowstreetguzziguy]

Happened to turn on an episode of Car Matchmaker last night. Never watched it before. This is where a thirty-something car guy tries to find the perfect car for a client within their budget.

This episode featured a California female "Newbe" motorcyclist in her ~late 20's. Just got done learning on a Honda 250 Rebel and wanted something bigger/more powerful so she could go on some extended trips with her girl buddies. Her budget was $10,000.

He picked 3 bikes in this order:  Moto Guzzi V7II (New),  Ducati 800 Scrambler (New), and a mint 1971 Honda 500 4!  She test rode each of these with him on another bike in that order.

MotoGuzzi V7III: $9,000 something -  She really liked the feel and power of the V7, the handlebar placement and the looks. She questioned the height as it caused her to be tiptoe on one foot.

Ducati Scrambler: $10,000 -   She loved the increased power of the Ducati Scrambler, the engine feel, how it handled, and the rugged looks, but the cost was $10,000 not allowing any add -ons like saddlebags, etc.

1971 Honda 500/4 (mint): $8,000 - She like the retro feel and looks, but it rode rougher than the Duke & Guzzi, and she questioned the reliability on long trips.

Near the end, the car guru guy mentioned that Moto Guzzi could lower the bike for her at no charge. The person selling the Honda 500/4 would throw in matching saddlebags.

But she chose the Ducati Scrambler at the top of her budget. I thought...How is she going to afford all the accessories now that she's used up all her allowance??? tears


BUT, while testing the Guzzi, the car guru mention not once but twice that "Moto Guzzi is the Ferrari of motorcycles and what does that make Ducati?... Mad!"

I always thought of:

Ducati = Ferrari      Performance and Red
MV Agusta = Lamborghini     Performance and exclusivity
Moto Guzzi = Maserati     Rare and not as well known
 

[Darren Williams]

Maybe back 50 years ago. Now Ducati and Ferrari are quite similar in my eyes. Both give you the impression they only make and sell high performance sporting machines to finance their racing programs.

[oldbike54]

 Goldoni .

 Although Lamborghini makes tractors also 

 Dusty

[swooshdave]

Spike will be glad to know you think he's in his 30s. 

He use to be a writer on Seinfeld so, well, you do the math.

And it's Moto Guzzi = Maserati.

[Aaron D.]

All wrong.
Moto Guzzi = Lancia

[twowings]

Moto Guzzi=Alfa Romeo

[cloudbase]

Fiat.  Even my V65 uses a Fiat key blank.

[Chuck in Indiana]

^^^^^ beat me to it.  Fix It Again, Tony..

[bad Chad]

Yes, but Lamborghini tractors, are the Ferrari of tractors!

The more pedestrian Moto Guzzi = Alfa Romeo, however some models certainly rise to Maseratti!

My old v65sp, was an Alfa, even though the frame was built at the Maseratti plant!
I would like to think the Red Arrow is a Maseratti, although objectively it's probably a really nicely sorted Alfa.

 But any LeMans I through III, as well as the Scura and a couple others make the Maseratti cut in my opinion.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Good choices there, Chad, my man.. 

[Arizona Wayne]

"Moto Guzzi - The Ferrari of Motorcycles"   I think this phrase is left over from decades ago.  Nowadays it should be, "Ducati - The Ferrrari of Motorcycles."

[Pop]

No, it's ...A.... Oh yeah, Moto Guzzi is the uh, oh my... I forgot the question.
Pop





Laughter is the best medicine, unless you are laughing for no reason, then you may indeed need medicine.

[Matteo]

Moto Guzzi=Alfa Romeo

:1: I think when you compare the history of the two, and consider the present resurgence. They are even sharing model names.

[Murray]

Goldoni .

 Although Lamborghini makes tractors also 

 Dusty

The tractor division was split off from the car division many many years ago VAG (VW Audi Group) own the car factory and I think Duetz Fahr own the tractor division.

[Kent in Upstate NY]

[Tusayan]

I like the Maserati analogy for Guzzi: distant racing history, but today owned by a large conglomerate and built with a more relaxed emphasis. Todays's Lamborghinis are Audis made in Italy and have no racing tradition to speak of, Alfas are a bit too high strung to be analogous to me and Ferraris have only being red Italian vehicles in common... Otherwise 'real' Ferraris have 12 screaming cylinders and similarly traditional Guzzis have one cylinder and an emphasis on austere simplicity.  In their engineering philosophy they couldn't be more different.

I think Ducati is analogous to Alfa Romeo in many ways and MV Agusta is the Ferrari of motorcycles.

Laverda makes farm equipment, and it showed in their motorcycles. Sometimes in a good way!

[wirespokes]

Be thankful Guzzis aren't the Ferarris of the bike world. Have you checked out the price of a Veglia Ferarri speedo?

[tazio]

My speedo ran me $18.

photos on request...