THE ENGINE
The engine is a transversely mounted, 90-degree
V-twin that is oil/air cooled, 853cc and has
titanium intake valves. It produces 79hp (59kW)
at 7750rpm, 80Nm of torque at 5000 rpm and
has a six-speed gearbox. There are three power/
riding modes of Street, Rain and Off-road. MGCT,
which stands for Moto Guzzi Traction Control, can
be fully disabled for off-road use along with the
two channel ABS – good for those who might
want to ride a little more friskily on the gravel.
In old money, the engine produces about a
smidge under 80 horse power, but because it’s
44 KIWI RIDER
honest, old school hp it feels more. To explain
that, the engine has great torque and plenty of
flywheel weight/effect and while somewhat slow
revving, it still has decent throttle response. So, it
always feels like there is decent thrust at most
revs. It’s one of those power deliveries that is
super effective, flexible and fun while still being
extremely easy to use. And to be honest, this is
the general feeling you get from the whole bike.
It will cruise happily anywhere between 90 and
140+ km/h in top gear and, frankly, what more do
you need than that?