V100 Mandello Special Review

[leafman60]

Moto Guzzi, established in 1921 at the small town of Mandello del Lario on the shores of Lake Como in Northern Italy, is the oldest European motorcycle manufacturer in continuous production. I have ridden and enjoyed their bikes for years and when they introduced the V100 Mandello Special as a 2022 model, I liked what I saw. I’ve kept up with the reviews of it and made demo rides on them at Daytona Bike Week several times.

About a week ago, I got a deal on a brand new 2024 model at Cadre Cycle in Cincinnati and quickly made plans to drive from the coast of Alabama to Cincinnati to get it and I put a big fat cherry on top of this sweet dessert by returning home through North Carolina with a stay at The Fryemont Inn in Bryson City for some mountain road riding. The bike is fantastic, better than I expected from short demo rides.

Mine is the “Special” version of the Mandello that comes loaded with features like front and rear Ohlins electronic suspension, quick shifter, ABS, cruise control, electric windshield and a host of other electronic options that are selected from its bright TFT screen. The bike also offers a pair of spoiler wings on its gas tank that deploy electronically to provide better wind and rain management at speed.

It scales in at 513 pounds wet and offers 116 hp from its water-cooled 1043cc’s. Torque is distributed on a very flat curve with a peak of 78 pound feet at 6750 rpm.

The sleek and sporty Italian design, paint scheme and sound of the bike drew attention everywhere I took it. It features an eagle-shaped led running light that hearkens to the Guzzi eagle logo that has been around since the company’s inception as a homage to the military aviation connection of its founders that included Ing. Carlo Guzzi.

The engine red lines at 9000 rpm but instructions are to hold it under 4500 during the break-in period and I tried to obey that guideline. 4500 rpm in 6th gear gives you over 75 mph but virtually all of my riding in NC was using lower gears at slower speeds on those little, delectably twisty roads so characteristic of the area, all the while yielding 42-43 mpg.

I covered the Blue Ridge Parkway from Cherokee to Asheville and some of the great side roads that emanate from it. I was in that area of twisty curves near Marshall on the French Broad River west of Asheville and, of course, I covered Hwy 28 by Lake Fontana and Hwy 129, the Dragon, at Deals Gap. In two days, I logged a little under 400 miles.

The most noteworthy features of the motorcycle are the engine and the suspension. The engine is a complete and modern redesign from ground up and it allows for a shorter wheelbase than Guzzi bikes of the past. Yet, it has not been sanitized out of the traditional DNA of the Guzzi V-twin motors that came before it. You feel the motor in the bars, the seat and the pegs, especially under acceleration. You also hear that V-twin exhaust note. Guzzi has gone to a wet clutch on this new model that results in a noticeable thud when finding first gear from neutral at a stop. This is normal and well-discussed in reviews but it doesn’t cause any problem for me or most other riders who almost universally laud the appeal of the new Mandello.

On curvy roads like The Dragon, the Mandello Special was very quick steering without a bobble and it could be left in a single gear that would pull hard in the slow apexes and then sprint quickly away on the exits, all without having to row the tranny. The electronic Ohlins seamlessly took care of any road surface irregularities and allowed the big twin to do its thing. The shorter wheelbase and 17-inch wheels were also part of the package that makes this a bike almost too easy to ride fast in those curvy road environments. If you find yourself on the road at nighttime, the innovative led headlight assembly that provides “light-bending” on the curves offers maybe the best illumination scatter I’ve experienced from a stock unit.

In straight out road cruise riding at sane speeds, the V100 also delivers a comfortable and pleasant ride that’s serenaded by the sound of the Guzzi motor in the background. In short, this is a well-balanced machine that performs at the upper level of its class in any situation.

I have slightly under 400 miles on it thus far and it seems to only get better with every additional click on its odometer. Every day I am learning new things about it and I look forward to getting it “broken-in” so I can really explore more of what the machine will do. It’s good.








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[rocker59]

Be honest, did AI assist in writing this review?   

[leafman60]

Be honest, did AI assist in writing this review?   

????? No.  Good lord, I hope it didn't sound like that! 

[rocker59]

????? No.  Good lord, I hope it didn't sound like that!

To be honest, a few of the paragraphs sounded like AI.  Or, maybe written/spoken by John Davis on PBS's Motorweek show...   





"The sleek and sporty Italian design, paint scheme and sound of the bike drew attention everywhere I took it. It features an eagle-shaped led running light that hearkens to the Guzzi eagle logo that has been around since the company’s inception as a homage to the military aviation connection of its founders that included Ing. Carlo Guzzi."

[leafman60]

To be honest, a few of the paragraphs sounded like AI.  Or, maybe written/spoken by John Davis on PBS's Motorweek show...   





"The sleek and sporty Italian design, paint scheme and sound of the bike drew attention everywhere I took it. It features an eagle-shaped led running light that hearkens to the Guzzi eagle logo that has been around since the company’s inception as a homage to the military aviation connection of its founders that included Ing. Carlo Guzzi."

I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult (lol) but, nope, all original. 

[rocker59]

I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult (lol) but, nope, all original.

If we were sitting around a campfire, you'd know I was just kidding around.   

Thanks for taking the time to write the review and provide the pictures.   

We need more posts like yours.

[draco_1967]

I am loving mine! I'm only 1200 miles into my ownership (bought lightly used '23 with 1800 miles) in the last two months. So far, the complaints I have are very minor and easy to get used to. The blinky green cruise light is dumb, but easy enough to ignore. I frequently hit the high beam switch when using the cruise control toggle, but that is happening less now. I might have the battery drain issue with the TFT (or it might be the battery drained while sitting at the dealer for a few weeks). The grips that Piaggio uses on this and the Aprilia 660s are just bad. They easily begin tearing and disintegrating. Checking the oil level is a PITA, and the dip stick is difficult to read. Not the end of the world though.

I absolutely love the sound of this motor. Mine has the Agostini slip-on, and it sounds just right to my ear. The stock riding position, though a bit more aggressive than I am used to, is quite comfortable for me. Even on long day rides, I haven't felt much discomfort. To me the bike is gorgeous. I love the white with gold wheel combo, but I think all the '23-'24 colors are beautiful.

[bad Chad]

I thought the same thing as Rocker!  Reads like you were reading a great review of the bike, as you were making yours, that's not an insult.


Supper cool, sounds like your going to love it!

[MGrego]

The blinky green cruise light is dumb, but easy enough to ignore.

The "dumb blinky green light" is telling you the cruise is activated and ready to set the speed.  If you press down for 2 seconds on the cruise control lever, the light shuts off because the cruise control is then deactivated.  Hope you haven't been riding around with it blinking the whole time 

And yes, I am constantly turning on the brights when I activate the cruise control, the levers are too close together.

5500 miles on mine and hasn't skipped a beat, my favorite motorcycle ever

[blu guzz]

Well, that's a beautiful bike for sure.  Treasure you time on it.  Best of luck and congrats.
Also, every Moto Guzzi with cruise has the blinky light, you quickly get used to it.

[red stripeguz]

I took a demo ride on a V100 and I kept beeping the horn whenever I went to cancel the turn signals 

[leafman60]

The cruise control light doesn't bother me at all.  If I'm not going to use the cruise much, I just turn the light off.  No big deal.  I do wish it had a "resume" function, though.

[kingoffleece]

I agree with the OP on the motor.  It feels more "Guzzi like" than my V85.  LOVE that with all the new tech they were able to keep "that Guzzi thing".

[bronzestar1]

If you're going to stay with the stock exhaust, I'd suggest removing the heat shields, the exhaust looks MUCH better without them.  Invest in a radiator guard, and maybe an engine guard, both of which are fairly simple to install.  Depending on the brand of engine guard, although being fairly easy, be prepared to deal with three different types of mounting bolts (allen head, torx head, and hex head).  I've had a '24 Mandello Aviazione Navale for about 16 months now, has maybe 650 miles on it.  Mine also has that jerky clunk going into first from neutral, and it annoys me to no end, so it's not the first choice in the group to come out for a ride.  Glad to read that you're thoroughly enjoying yours!     

[Moparnut72]

The cruise control light doesn't bother me at all.  If I'm not going to use the cruise much, I just turn the light off.  No big deal.  I do wish it had a "resume" function, though.

The V100 does have a resume function. Just push the cruise button/lever forward until the blinking green light turns solid, about 1/2 a second.
kk

[draco_1967]

The "dumb blinky green light" is telling you the cruise is activated and ready to set the speed.  If you press down for 2 seconds on the cruise control lever, the light shuts off because the cruise control is then deactivated.  Hope you haven't been riding around with it blinking the whole time 

And yes, I am constantly turning on the brights when I activate the cruise control, the levers are too close together.

5500 miles on mine and hasn't skipped a beat, my favorite motorcycle ever

Yep, I understand the purpose of the blinky light. I think it's a dumb execution. The TFT also has a small blinking indicator that cruise is active. They could have easily just had that indicator, then a solid green light when engaged.

I don't ride around with it on all the time, but my last bike did not have a blinky light. I could leave the cruise on all the time, and engage it when needed. Much simpler...

Still, not a big deal. I have gotten used to it now, and I'm good.