FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello S

Ross Mowbray shares his first impressions of the newly launched Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello S

We’ve just got back from a 130km ride on the all new Moto Guzzi V100 S. We left the factory in Mandello del Lario this morning and skirted Lake Como before heading up into the hills to play on some twisties.

First impressions are extremely positive of the £15,750 machine. The immediate highlights are the smoothness of the 1042cc transverse V-Twin engine. A good whack of torque is available low down in the rev range – which means it’ll comfortably and quickly pull away in almost any gear. There’s plenty of punch higher up too.

The gearbox is good too – the up and down quickshifter is at its best when you’re making swift progress, though it can be a bit clunky between 1st and 2nd if you’re not in the sweet spot.

The Ohlins semi active suspension is very clever. You can either modify the settings yourself, but it’s also capable of doing the job itself using the automatic mode which adjusts the front and rear compression and rebound damping.

The brakes are exceptional. They’re properly capable and are better than you’d expect on your usual touring machine. But then again, the Guzzi’s not ‘just’ a tourer. It neatly blends the comfort of a tourer with the aggressive stance of a sportier machine. You could almost call it a comfy naked, rather than ‘sport tourer’.

It’s more compact than you’d think, but Guzzi reckons it’s suitable for about 90 percent of the riding population. I reckon that’s a fair assessment… there’s a couple of 6ft 5inch lads on the ride, and they’ve had no issues. There’s also a tall seat option for the bike, which the factory has said actually offers a slightly sportier ride, because you’re up over the front end a bit more.

There’s a load of technology as standard too. There’s four riding modes to choose from (Sport, Road, Tour and Wet) which each alter the level of engine braking, power output, traction control, suspension settings, and also the active aerodynamics (which is essentially a pair of fairings which extend from the side depending on which mode you’re in and the speed you’re travelling at). The swanky TFT dash is easy to manoeuvre around using a handful of sensibly layed out buttons.

All in all, Guzzi’s done a cracking job with its newest machine. If you’re into covering big miles but you want something stylish and compact with plenty of character, then you’re going to love it.

If you want to find out even more, pick up the January issue of Motorcycle Sport and Leisure magazine for the full review.
If you don’t want to wait, its already available for pre-order – ahead of its expected arrival in the UK at the start of 2023.