11-10-17 Update: Reader Don L. notes that this ripper is back up for sale – you can find it for sale with bidding up to $40,100
Post Listing Update: This fantastic Guzzi did not meet reserve despite 95 bids up to $56,100.
Because I’m in Italy, all 3 of today’s bikes have been some seriously impressive Italians. Depending on your style, this might just be the best of them. First, let’s go back 60+ years – back in 1955, Moto Guzzi did something that had never been done until that point (or ever again): they created a 8 cylinder motor for a Grand Prix bike. Also known as the “Otto” (Italian for “Eight”), the water-cooled 499cc engine was good for 78 horsepower. This was good for a top speed of 172 miles per hour – which was so ahead of its time that other GP bikes wouldn’t reach that speed again for another 2 decades. Original examples are near impossible to find, and unfortunately today’s bike is not one of them. However, in 2001 7 replicas were made as a “continuation” of the line utilizing original drawings from Guzzi. Here’s the last of them.
Despite the insane motor (each of the 8 cylinders had a dedicated 20mm Dell’Orto carb feeding it) and the dominating top speed, the Otto wasn’t really a successful racer. The rest of the chassis, particularly the suspension, brakes, and tires could not cope with the power and speed this bike was capable of. It was dangerous, unreliable, and expensive to build – not a great recipe. Per Motopaedia, after Keith Campbell crashed in the Monza race of the 1957 season and broke his wrist and shoulder, there were two racebikes available for use but no one willing to ride them.
Per the seller, “Todaro/Frigerio (presumably Umberto Todaro)” were able to build 7 replicas of the famous racer from Guzzi’s factory drawings. It has an original crankshaft, pistons, and timing gear and everything is said to work. Per my current riding buddy in Italy (Chris Cantle), one of the other replicas is at the Solvang Vintage Motorcycle Museum – that example has “more modern design in the internal engine and ignition (the original had 8 sets of points – try to tune that)” so this bike may have the same.
Find this V8 Guzzi for sale in Piano, Italy with bidding up $40,000 and the reserve not yet met