Moto Guzzi open house weekend returns in September

From Friday 12 September to Sunday 14 September the famous red door on via Parodi, the historic entrance to the Moto Guzzi factory at Mandello del Lario, will open up for a weekend dedicated to the legendary motorcycle brand that has been continuously manufactured on the banks of Lake Como for 93 years.

For the 2014 Open House, Moto Guzzi has prepared a full schedule of activities which range from guided visits to the engine and vehicle production lines to the opening of the museum, the Moto Guzzi store with its brand merchandise and accessories and, above all, the chance to test ride a wide selection from the Moto Guzzi range.

Riders will be able to test the whole range: the powerful California 1400 (available in Touring and Custom versions), the three interpretations of the best-seller Moto Guzzi V7 (V7 Stone, V7 Special and V7 Racer), the striking dual-purpose Stelvio 1200 and the spirited Moto Guzzi Griso, the naked with a personality all its own.

The Moto Guzzi Mandello plant is a symbolic place in Italian motoring history and one of the most famous in the world. Here, since the year it was founded in 1921, Moto Guzzis have been manufactured without interruption. It is a site with a rich heritage that has accompanied Italian industrial development and the affirmation of the eagle brand on a global level, one of the most beloved brands by riders from all continents. This has been the birthplace of such legendary models as the Falcone, the Galletto, the V7 family, the iconic Le Mans and Imola models all the way to the current, technologically advanced California 1400 models.

Of course Mandello was also the birthplace of the famous and successful racing Moto Guzzis, that were to dominate the most glorious years of motorcycle racing, taking 15 championship titles (8 rider and 7 manufacturer) in the World Motorcycling Championship.

ACTIVITIES AT MOTO GUZZI OPEN HOUSE WEEKEND 2014:

TEST RIDES

This is an opportunity not to be missed by any motorcycle enthusiast: the opportunity to test the products in the Moto Guzzi range, right here in the place where every Moto Guzzi is born, on the magnificent roads that run along Lake Como.

Test riding will be held on Saturday 13 September and Sunday 14 September from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM with registration opening at 9:30 AM.

THE MOTO GUZZI MUSEUM

From 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM on Friday 12 September and from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM on Saturday 13 September and Sunday 14 September, the Moto Guzzi Historical Museum will be open to the public. This space contains more than 150 models that have made the history of the Mandello Eagle, an extraordinary path going back to the roots of the Moto Guzzi legend.

Factory bikes, racing bikes, prototypes and engines are accompanied by an exceptional collection of never before seen photographs and documents which narrate the deeds of one of the most noble brands in global motorcycling, capable of producing models which became legends.

ENGINE ASSEMBLY LINE

This is the area of the plant where the legendary twin cylinder engines, the emblem and heart of Moto Guzzi, are individually assembled by hand. Here a unique engine was born and made history and secured Moto Guzzi’s place in global motorcycling lore. Today this engine has evolved into the 1400cc unit that equips the new California, the largest V-twin engine ever made in Europe.

MOTORCYCLE ASSEMBLY LINES

Here the Moto Guzzi bikes take shape. Here the finished twin cylinder engine meets the motorcycle that will accompany it for the rest of its life. On the line visitors will be able to follow, step by step, operation by operation, the birth of new Moto Guzzi machines that continue over 90 years of tradition and experience.

WIND TUNNEL

First commissioned in the Mandello del Lario plant in 1950, this was the first example of a wind tunnel for aerodynamic motorcycle testing. A singularly fascinating place, today it is the testament to a technological first and a glorious history that only Moto Guzzi possesses.